《Heavy Weapons - Sweet Venom》


 Chapter 1 - The Introduction

    People have been disappearing for months now, and no one¡¯s doing anything about it! I''m not talking a couple of people; entire towns along the outskirts of the city have fallen silent! I need help. Please come to the following coordinates... and please come armed - I can¡¯t lose anyone else! - Oxyi.


    Diego slowly ruffled his slicked back, dark messy hair, his eyes carefully reading over the advert in his hands. There was no further information; just the coordinates and a cry for help. Another opportunity for a man like him to try and earn back some good grace from the universe. He nodded slightly to himself; there was yet more work to be done.


    There¡¯s always more work to be done.


    A black-scaled coralith komodo, Diego was a little leaner for his profession than perhaps he should have been, but he was well-built nonetheless. A rare and unusual species, the komodo are considered reptilian despite their wolf-like snouts, with large ears more akin to a bat than any type of reptile. Equipped with a massive, single edged meta-steel sword strapped across his back and unusual plated armour, saying that Diego stood out from the crowd was an understatement. The other, more typical nomads around him were dressed mostly in heavy duty work clothes, nipped here and there with wear and tear. Most also wore a pistol or melee weapon of some sort strapped by their sides, and carried a rucksack full of only their most important travelling possessions. Nobody came even close to Diego¡¯s aesthetic, metal plate armour and a sword the length of a typical human - or roamer-sized - being. He didn¡¯t mind the curious stares, but saying that, the crowd on the shuttle seemed to have other, more important things on their mind than this unusual passenger.


    His ears twitched as he picked up on a conversation just a few seats over from him. A nervous-looking passenger was sat in his chair, upright and alert, legs tapping against the floor. He was a ¡®premapis,¡¯ a bee-like humanoid with a series of glowing, colourful, twitching antennae on his head, and a vibrant third eye planted squarely in the middle on his forehead. A stronger, more confident-looking human girl sat next to him, looping her arms around his and trying to comfort him as the bee¡¯s anxiety intensified. Behind them, a crowd of equally nervous looking nomads of various species huddled together, all watching the bee closely and exchanging worried glances between one-another.


    ¡°I trust you.¡± The girl whispered gently to the bee, gently pushing her face into the soft golden collar of fur around his neck.


    ¡°S-Something is going to go wrong there. I know it. That reactor just felt wrong. It''s just¡­ I-I can¡¯t explain it.¡± He replied shakily.


    ¡°They don¡¯t call them ¡®devil reactors¡¯ for nothing¡­ At least your brother lives close. Is he still okay with us crashing there for a bit?¡±


    The bee nodded, doing his best not to take notice of the crowd following him.


    ¡°W-What if I¡¯m wrong?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t force anyone to follow you. Trust your heart.¡± The girl replied softly, guiding the bee¡¯s head into the crook of her neck.


    Diego sat in silence, listening, contemplating the bee¡¯s words. The premapis were a species that could feel disturbances within the universe; they had a way of detecting anomalous activity in the space around them, but their gift came with a cost. Many of them were paranoid, anxious and self-loathing individuals. But, be that as it may, if a premapis was running away from somewhere, or something, it was generally a good idea to follow. The lizard made a mental note in his head, after he was done here - there might be somewhere close that needed help too.


    His seat suddenly started rattling loudly. He watched through the window as the dark, seemingly endless void of space was shattered by a brilliant scattering of light, and blue sky with fluffy white clouds. The shuttle would be landing any moment now. Passengers around him quickly began to gather their belongings, interrupting Diego''s train of thought. All eyes landed on the premapis as he grabbed his one bag off of the floor, and held it tightly in his lap.


    The ship landed with a gentle thump. Fresh, cool air rolled into the craft and the ramp slowly unveiled the landing pad to the shuttle¡¯s occupants, who had gathered around to alight.


    But something was wrong.


    Tension filled the shuttle as the passengers laid eyes on who was trying to board the shuttle.


    It was another premapis. And behind him was a significant crowd of assorted nomads, following the bee in exactly the same nervous fashion as those already onboard. This one''s demeanour was closer to out-right panic than just anxiety, his antennae twitching in an awry and chaotic way. His third eye stared out into the surrounding treeline of the landing pad, firmly fixed on something, but there was nothing there, nothing other than the usual autumnal trees.


    The first bee, who had shuffled towards the front of the barge, was staring at his brother in open mouthed shock.


    ¡°W-We can¡¯t stay here.¡± The second bee murmured, clutching his bag close as he ascended the ramp. ¡°I-It¡¯s wrong. This place is wrong. I can feel it. Not here. I-I¡¯m sorry, Reeva, we have to keep moving.¡±


    The crowd within the shuttle exchanged further worried glances, waiting for the first brother to make his move. As the bee hurriedly made his way back to his seat and sat down, the crowd immediately followed suit. The shuttle¡¯s seating rapidly filled with boarding passengers¡­ or, perhaps, fleeing passengers.


    By the end of it, Diego was the only passenger to disembark and a sudden rush of quiet hit him. Now that he was alone, the welcoming autumn breeze felt more like a slap in the face.


    The concrete landing pad wasn¡¯t completely empty though. Diego spied a concerned looking security official, manning a table off to the side of the queue of boarding passengers. She was a lioness, dressed in decent security gear consisting of a bullet proof vest, combat trousers, thick black boots and two handguns strapped to her hips. Normally, there would have been nothing unusual about a member of security waiting on a shuttle platform, but her slightly puffy and reddened eyes told him that the lioness had been recently distressed.


    As Diego approached, he noticed a sign on her table: ¡®Missing Civilian Recruitment Aid.¡¯ He breathed a gentle sigh of relief; he was in the right place. He squinted his eyes as he attempted to read the nametag on the officer¡¯s chest: ¡®Oxyi.¡¯ She was thickly built, muscular and tall, with short, spiky blonde hair, nothing out of the ordinary for someone who worked a demanding job like hers. She was just turning to leave, gathering her things and sniffling quietly, trying to hide her face, when Diego approached the table.


    ¡°Oxyi? I saw your ad for help? The missing people?¡± He spoke softly, placing a hand on the table. ¡°My name¡¯s Diego Harley.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Excellent! Th-That''s good, thank you!¡± Startled, she turned back around. Several emotions flickered across her face as she quickly looked Diego up and down, her eyes lingering for a moment on his chiselled chest, before quickly flicking her gaze away to his gear. ¡°T-uhm-uh. Yes! Uhm, that''s great! I - I see that you''re already armed! With a giant sword... That''s not¡­ strange at all... I mean, God I¡¯m so sorry! You¡¯ve actually come here to help me and I¡¯m just prattling on and embarrassing myself -¡±


    Diego laughed and smiled warmly.


    ¡°I can understand the scepticism! I can¡¯t imagine you get many wanderers geared up like this around here. That¡¯s not all though; check this out.¡± He held his hand out, palm flat and a series of bright yellow electrical sparks crackled from his fingers. Oxyi gasped.


    ¡°Oh! You have psyonics! Amazing! Well, you must be confident in your abilities if you''re wielding half a lamppost as a weapon¡­ There might actually be hope on the horizon! You¡¯re uh¡­ not put off by the bee leaving?¡± Her words were punctuated by the heavy rush of the shuttle leaping into the air. As she shifted to a more positive tone, a subtle southern twang appeared in her voice.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°Nah, just means I''m in the right place!¡± Diego said, and with a flick of his wrist the sparks faded. ¡°Your advert caught my attention... I don''t want to sound like an ass or anything here, but it sounded pretty desperate. I hate to mention it but it didn¡¯t say anything about payment either.¡±


    ¡°I am desperate, and¡­ I''ve got nothing to pay you with¡­ I hope that¡¯s not¡­¡± Oxyi paused and looked Diego in the eyes, trying to gauge his reaction. He stared back without a flicker of doubt in his eyes.


    ¡°That''s okay. I came because I want to help. How about just a place to stay and something to eat?¡±


    Oxyi¡¯s face broke into a warm and genuine smile.


    ¡°Yes, I can do that! Help me fix this mess and you can stay at my place as long as you want!¡± Her smile faltered as she realised what she¡¯d just said. ¡°OH-SHIT, UHM, I didn''t mean it like that-I-just-meant that-¡± She scrambled for words.


    *


    Oxyi continued to ramble away. Unnoticed by the pair, sitting on a rooftop near the landing pad, a draconic figure took particular note of the conversation, his eyes narrowing as he observed Diego closely with a pair of binoculars. He thought for a few moments, then ducked back down and spoke softly into his wrist communicator. ¡°Potential CW exile spotted on nomad freighter route, investigation requested.¡±


    *


    ¡°It''s all good Oxyi, I know what you meant.¡± Diego snickered, placing his hands on his hips. ¡°Let''s get to the bottom of this for you, shall we? You got anyone else helping?¡±


    Oxyi shook her head. ¡°Just me, I''m afraid. I meant what I said in the advert. Look, let me give you a bit of background on the way to my headquarters.¡±


    She stood from her post and quickly gathered her belongings, wiping her eyes dry as she turned her back briefly to Diego.


    ¡°Some of what I say might sound a little¡­ crazy? But you seem like the type to at least give crazy a chance.¡±


    Diego smiled warmly at her comment, taking one of the heavier bags from the lioness as they made their way into the city.


    ¡°Just over a year ago, we noticed an unidentified space station in orbit. Must have been a big one because you could see it pretty clearly at night. There was nothing on the city¡¯s records about it, it didn¡¯t make contact with us and didn¡¯t respond to any calls.¡±


    ¡°Is that when trouble first started?¡±


    ¡°Not quite, took a couple months before I noticed anything. I''ve been doing light security jobs in the nearby towns around here, and my work had been drying up fast. I couldn''t figure out why, so I decided to check on some of my old clients¡­ but they were just gone. The more I looked, the more people I noticed had just gone¡­ missing. It must have started slow, because nobody seemed to have really noticed, or cared enough to notice, but it''s speeding up now. Entire villages have disappeared, starting with the ones in the mountains towards the north.¡± Diego carefully took in her words, his ears alert and twitching. ¡°It all seems to be centred around the forest between us and the mountains.¡±


    ¡°How many people do you think have gone missing?¡± Diego helped Oxyi pack up her table, and then the two made their way from the terminal.


    ¡°I... can''t say for certain. But based on the most recent population counts of those villages,  I reckon at least ten-thousand peop-.¡±


    ¡°Ten-thousand?!¡± Diego exclaimed. ¡°Ten-thousand people have gone missing and you''re the only one looking for them?!¡±


    Oxyi nodded sadly. They exited the station and she took Diego down the winding, near-empty streets, leading into the city. The land pad was stationed on a clearing between the outskirts of the city and a thick line of trees that surrounded the area. A wide, concrete road took them to the nearest connected street.


    ¡°I don''t know what''s happening, but people disappear overnight and are never seen again. Some of the locals from around the forest swear they can hear screaming, but no one dares to go look. I know families who''ve lost their loved ones and they''re just leaving, Diego, packing their bags and running... I''m not scaring you off am I? I must sound crazy.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m the type to give crazy a chance, remember?¡± He smiled, her relief palpable as they continued through the city. ¡°What about the space station you mentioned?¡±


    ¡°Disappeared completely towards the start of all this.¡±


    ¡°Disappeared?¡± Diego frowned. ¡°An entire space station?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I saw it. There was a bright blue flash in the middle of the night and the entire thing was¡­ gone. But that wasn¡¯t even the weirdest thing, it was mid-summer when it disappeared and we had a massive cold-wave afterwards. It snowed in summer! Had to go find my hat and gloves! There was a village that actually lost quite a few people that night¡­ they uh, froze to death.¡± She shuffled uncomfortably, unhappy with her telling of the story.


    ¡°That cold?¡± Warp drives usually heat things up, not cool them down. Diego pondered heavily; he wasn¡¯t the most knowledgeable when it came to modern technology, but he knew the basics. ¡°So, the station disappears one night and is followed by how much cold exactly?¡±


    ¡°Snow all across the planet for a week, I think? Things returned to normal after that. W-Weather wise, I mean. But that was when the disappearances really started, or at least when I noticed them. You know the bee who left earlier? His name was Glen, and his antennae were looking all strange and full of colour that week, he was super unsettled. Kept saying the snow wasn¡¯t right, like, duh, obviously. But being a premapis, I think he meant it was anomalous or something. Kinda surprised he didn¡¯t leave earlier!¡± She chuckled nervously. Not following a premapis was a very difficult decision for a nomad to make. And yet, the lioness seemed to be digging her heels into the ground quite firmly.


    The city itself was nothing special, but far quieter than it should have been. A mix of brick and lumber buildings, constructed traditionally with only the very most centre buildings being higher than three or four stories tall. Perfectly suited to the moderate climate of the planet, they had clearly been well maintained, loved and lived in. Diego imagined these streets would have been busy as little as a year ago, but now stood empty and quiet. The whistling autumn wind further added to the lonely nature of the city as only other noise besides their footsteps and echoing conversation.


    They¡¯d reached her building now, a four story brickwork building, separated into flats and Oxyi paused to face him, key in the door.


    ¡°You sure I''m not putting you off? I just want you to know what you¡¯re dealing with.¡±


    ¡°Nah, you''re fine. This does sound serious though; why hasn¡¯t anyone off-planet come to help?¡±


    ¡°I can''t get their attention. None of the bigger factions or corps give a damn. No one cares much about these little villages on the outskirts of the solar system, and because the locals are leaving, there aren''t enough funds to get a merc force down here. I tried to pay for a merc gang myself but they thought I was making the whole thing up, and without the towns folk funding it, there was no way I could get the money together anyway. I''d have to sell my apartment just to get a scout, nevermind an actual squad!¡±


    Diego sighed and thought to himself for a second, scratching his chin briefly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you Oxyi, this sounds like too big a job for just two people to take on - we''ll need some reinforcements. I may have some friends we can call on, who should be able to help, but for the time being I think we should just run some recon tonight.¡± Diego rolled his shoulders a little as they made their way up the stairs, still stiff from the shuttle ride.


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds reasonable, maybe we shouldn¡¯t get into anything too deep tonight -  Ah shit, phrasing. Sorry.¡± She clenched her fists briefly in frustration.


    Oxyi opened the door to her apartment to reveal a messy clutter of various bits of defence and surveillance equipment scattered over wooden furnishings, the odd weapon or leftover takeaway box distributed evenly throughout the mess.


    She beckoned him in and apologised for the clutter, navigating her way through what looked like discarded maps on the floor. She pulled up a chair for him around a table in the centre of the room, sweeping leftover takeaway boxes onto the floor and grabbing some maps.


    Oxyi had sketched out the forest¡¯s entire perimeter, showing where it started, ended and where all the villages were. She showed Diego her calculations for her missing population figure; if anything she had been conservative in her estimations.


    ¡°Diego, can I be honest with you?¡± She placed her hands flat on the table and closed her eyes, letting her head drift back slightly. ¡°I''m scared. I feel like I''m out of my depth here. You¡¯re the only person who¡¯s turned up to help me, and I feel like you may be the only one who ever does... I''m just one girl, how am I supposed to find thousands of missing people? Nevermind stop what''s actually happening here! I mean, look at me! I¡¯ve just let some random guy into my house because I''m that desperate! ¡­UGH!¡± She looked visibly annoyed at own phrasing, turning back to Diego with glassy eyes.


    Diego reached out an armoured hand, placing it on top of her.


    ¡°You know what I see? I see someone who wants to make a difference. Someone who stood her ground when things got tough. You¡¯re holding on even after the damn premapis have left! That takes serious grit. But you''re smart enough to understand the scale of what''s going on here.¡±


    ¡°Y-You think so?¡± A gentle warmth flowed from him, filling the room. The lioness¡¯ shoulders began to visibly relax at his words.


    ¡°I do. There''s no point focusing on what we can''t do, let''s focus on what we can do tonight. We can try and establish what''s causing these disappearances. We''ll play it safe, gather as much intelligence as we can and see if we can round up some additional help once we know what we''re dealing with. I''m sure I can wrangle some mercs to our aid, call in some favours.¡±


    She wiped a tear teasing the corner of her eye and nodded in agreement, clasping his hand tight.


    ¡°Thank you. You''re like my guardian angel right now¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh shush.¡± Diego laughed, swiping at the air. ¡°I''m just some twat with a sword. Let me actually do something useful for you before you start laying on the compliments. Oh, I do have one request though.¡± He turned towards her, his eyes meeting hers.


    ¡°O-Oh?¡±


    ¡°Stop apologising for your phrasing. Do I look like I''d be offended?¡±


    She looked him up and down, noting the visible abs between his armour, the cheeky grin and the sharp eyes. She couldn¡¯t help but note that he really did not look easily offended. Her face softened and a soft giggle escaped her mouth.


    ¡°How about that snack you asked about earlier?¡± With a warm smile and some newfound confidence, Oxyi stood from her chair, went to the kitchen, and came back with a couple of bars of chocolate for them. Between bites the two continued to plan their route into the forest for later that night. I hope we¡¯re armed enough for this; who knows what we¡¯re going to meet out there, Diego thought as he watched Oxyi¡¯s slender claws trace along the map.


    He wasn¡¯t sure what he was getting himself into, but something told him it wasn¡¯t going to be as simple as it appeared.

 Chapter 2 - Victims

    A faint amber glow poured in through curtains of Oxyi¡¯s flat. The evening was already upon them. Their route had been traced several times across the maps in the flat already; they''d start off on the outskirts of the forest and slowly make their way inwards. Oxyi silently slung a backpack over her shoulder, loaded with various supplies and ammo, secured around her chest so that it wouldn¡¯t make so much as the slightest noise. A pump-action shotgun was mounted across her torso by a sling, crude but effective should they need to defend themselves. She also had a shoulder-mounted camera, in the hopes of recording anything and everything they came across. Diego remained as he arrived, sword strapped to his back and sparse armoured plating across his body, a faint yellow crackle of energy visible sparked around him as he stretched his arms and shoulders.


    The edge of the forest was only a short walk away from Oxyi¡¯s apartment, back towards the landing pad Diego had arrived on. The air was fresh, with that lovely mid-autumn feel to it, crisp to breathe in without leaving you gasping from the cold. This nomad planet was luscious and dense with plant life, one of the main reasons for its settlement in the first place. However, it had too few natural resource deposits for one of the bigger corps to get involved with and was too out of the way to be a busy tourist destination, and so it had stayed small, and well within nomad control. It orbited a wonderful star with a purple haze to it; as the sun set, the dense forest ahead was bathed in a beautiful, lilac glow. Although apprehensive about the situation, it was the little moments like these that brought a smile to Diego¡¯s face.


    The two had moved through the city in silence, mulling over their plans internally until they hit the edge of the city. As they did so, the lampposts across the street came to life, giving them a little extra light.


    ¡°We stick together and move slowly; we stay low and quiet. We''re here for information, not for a fight... right?¡± Oxyi took a deep breath and padded towards the treeline, crossing the last field between them and it. She casted a nervous glance back at the lights behind them as the shade of forest began to encroach on her.


    ¡°Agreed. C''mon, Oxyi! We got this! I¡¯ll keep you safe! Promise!¡± Diego patted her on the shoulder firmly and pushed forward across the field. There was not a single soul in sight. It was only a few months ago that these fields had had kids playing about in the plants and the growth, and families eating their meals together on the grass. But it was deathly quiet now...


    They began by skirting the outside of the tree line, peering into the growing darkness of the woods but there was nothing of note, just the swaying of branches and the occasional chirp of a bird. The evening steadily drew to night. As the sky rolled back into a darker blue and stars blinked into being, the forest showed no signs of revealing its secrets. Nodding to one another, they began on their planned path into the woods. Both were capable navigators, so they weren''t too worried about getting lost in the dark, Oxyi left some blotches of glow paint along their trail behind them, just in case.


    Both moved through the forest with a surprising grace. Even in her thick work boots, Oxyi tread slowly and silently, her eyes scanning through the tree line. Despite his heavier frame and the metal nature of Diego¡¯s armour, he remained nearly as silent as her.


    With the last of the daylight now gone, both kept their eyes and ears up for any potential attackers or information. They held their nerve, quietly treading their way through the foliage and deeper into the dark, but the forest remained quiet. There was no movement at all, save the grass waving in the breeze, and the tree¡¯s shadows dancing in the moonlight.


    Deeper and deeper, the pillar-like trees continued to conceal their secrets, until the pair finally reached a small clearing.


    A little way ahead was an abandoned cottage, once a quaint home, but now dull and lifeless. Quietly, the two crept towards the building. Oxyi drew a knife from her belt and followed Diego quickly as the lizard pushed towards the front door, ears pricked and alert, eyes constantly glancing around.


    As he approached the front door, he noted that the gardens long since died from a lack of tending. Curiously, the soil looked like it had been trampled by a significant number of people, far more than a small house like this could hold.


    His ears twitched as he leaned close to the front door and an acrid smell hit his nose, making his snout wrinkle.


    ¡°You smell that?¡± Oxyi whispered. ¡°Think there was a fire or something?¡±


    He nodded in response and gently pushed on the front door, surprised to feel no resistance.


    Their initial sweep of the front of the house yielded nothing, just what used to be a home for someone, or perhaps a small family. But upon reaching the kitchen, the source of the smell was revealed.


    Diego saw it first, followed shortly by Oxyi who¡¯s eyes bolted open wide.


    ¡°The whole wall is gone?!¡± She shout-whispered, staring in amazement.


    The kitchen has been roasted, the walls blackened and scorched by intense heat, but more worryingly, the entire back wall of the kitchen was gone, along with the back door. There appeared to be a smooth, dried red puddle on the floor which the two identified as melted but now cooled brickwork, puddled around where the back wall used to be.


    They continued through the house, finding little of value in the night and nothing that explained the disappearances.


    ¡°Jeez, look at that!¡± Oxyi winced as she approached the kitchen again with Diego. ¡°What kitchen fire produces enough heat to destroy brickwork?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t.¡± Diego whispered back. ¡°This was either weaponized, or psyonic. An out of control kitchen fire wouldn¡¯t have caused this level of damage and, if for some reason it did, there is no way it wouldn¡¯t have spread to the trees outside. I¡¯m guessing you haven¡¯t dealt with any forest fires over the last year?¡±


    Oxyi shook her head, listening closely to Diego.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaning towards a psyonic cause. Whoever did this, they knew how to control their flames. If you can melt bricks, you can burn trees, and they didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why though? How does this relate to the people disappearing?¡±


    Diego shrugged, mulling the scene over in his head.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t say. Argument gone wrong? Show of force? Revenge? Maybe it doesn¡¯t relate at all. Too many possibilities. Let¡¯s push forward¡­ but we¡¯ve found something at least.¡±


    The lioness couldn¡¯t help but feel a distinct sense of unease as they left the ruined home behind them - it had only given her more questions, and nothing in terms of answers.


    Their next point of interest was an abandoned barn further into the forest, linked to the cottage by an old dirt road. Diego noted again that the dirt surrounding the barn had been trampled once again, it was difficult to make out a singular footprint as they all overlapped so much.


    That many footprints? There must have been hundreds of people here.


    They pushed on together and into the barn, its heavy wooden doors creaking loudly. As the wood whined, both of them winced and glanced around quickly, anticipating a reaction from the forest.


    But once again, the forest stayed silent.


    The barn remained dormant too, but another mystery was lying in wait for them.


    Oxyi discovered a thick lash of blue fluid, gently glowing and spread thickly over one of the walls. An oddly sweet aroma hit her as she squinted at the fluid. She grabbed a small torch from her belt and quickly flicked it on to get a better look. As the beam lit the barn up, she suddenly saw deep impressions in the mud below; It looked like someone had been resting on their hands and knees.


    Diego appeared behind her quickly after completing his sweep of the barn.


    ¡°What the fuck does this mean?¡± Oxyi whispered again, quickly showing Diego the impressions but flicking the torch off.


    ¡°Honestly? No clue. Weirdly pleasant smell for a fluid left here for goodness knows how long. Why hasn¡¯t it rotted yet? Smells so sweet, should have been eaten or something by now, you know?¡±


    ¡°This just keeps getting weirder. Ugh. Did you spot anything else?¡±


    ¡°More footprints but no one else-¡±


    Diego paused, something suddenly catching his attention through the window of the barn. He swore, for a second, he saw a flash of something deep in the tree line. Movement. His eyes focused, ears upright and alert.


    Oxyi reached for her shotgun and slowly clicked the safety off, watching Diego closely as the lizard focused on the tree line surrounding the barn.


    ¡°Hmm. I got nothing. Might have been a bird? We should keep moving, your camera caught the weird slime stuff, right?¡±


    Oxyi nodded and followed the lizard¡¯s lead, creeping out of the barn through the same way they had arrived.


    Leaving the barn behind, they pushed back into the dense trees and down their planned route.


    Soon though, the thoughts of the barn left them as the forest showed absolutely nothing else of interest.


    They crept on through the trees and grass. Minutes turned into hours without so much as a peep. They stayed low, to avoid any prying eyes or predators, but none came their way.


    After another midnight hour of nothing, Oxyi began to relax in Diego¡¯s presence. Perhaps it was the sweet smell of the mysterious blue fluid still lingering in her nose, gently tickling her senses or maybe the way the lizard moved had an air of confidence about him. Somehow, she felt like everything was going to work out okay. But either way, they had been silently patrolling around for hours now, and there hadn''t been so much as a wink of activity.


    They were on their way back home now, having reached the apex of their journey and had started looping around to some of the glow paint Oxyi had left way back.


    The sight of it put Oxyi at ease a little, and suddenly, she felt a burning in her legs and the balls of her feet from walking around most of the night.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break, Diego.¡± Her sudden whisper cut like a scream through the silence, but Diego didn¡¯t even flinch.  She stopped and sat on a broken log, patting the space next to her for him to sit beside her. She took a swig from her canteen and offered it to him, which he happily shared.


    ¡°Thank you again for coming out with me, Diego. I never would have done this by myself... It''s a shame but it looks like we''re walking away empty handed tonight¡­ Not sure what we can do with a burnt down house and blueberry jam in a barn.¡±


    ¡°Hey, there''s always tomorrow, right?¡± He replied sincerely, both of their voices low but no longer whispering. ¡°I''m staying with you until we get this sorted out. Or staying here, rather.¡± He cleared his throat softly.


    She giggled at his sudden shyness, shaking her head.


    ¡°You can stay at my flat, Diego. Promise you¡¯ll stay though?¡± Oxyi felt for his hand shyly, her fingers slender and small in his tough, scaled hands.


    ¡°Promise. We''ll sort this out together.¡±


    A warm and thankful smile found its way to the girl''s face, her eyes softening.


    ¡°Of all the people that could have turned up at my stand today, Diego... I''m so glad it was you. It¡¯s like someone just, picked the perfect person and dropped them at my door... I don''t know what I''ve done to deserve you.¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°You sure you don''t want a guy with a gun instead?¡± He laughed, gesturing at the sword in his back. ¡°And don''t sweat it... I''m just trying to make the universe a better place. It''s only right after all the damage I¡¯ve caused...¡±


    ¡°Ohhhh... A tragic backstory as well? A dark and mysterious past, how intriguing!¡± Oxyi took off her scarf and placed it over his head like a hood, giggling sweetly. ¡°Look at me, Mr Dark and Broody! I must atone for my sins!¡±


    Diego laughed, standing and taking the scarf in his hands, and posing dramatically.


    ¡°I must warn you, Oxyi! I am quite the mysterious stranger! I¡¯ll steal your heart, your flat and your food!¡±


    ¡°Such an intense stare, Diego! Oh I''m swooning!¡± They laughed together, Diego returning her scarf and sitting back down on the log. As they continued to joke with one-another, a piercing note punctured the scene, silencing them both instantly.


    They froze. It was an eerie and surreal sound, coming from behind them¡­


    They were not alone.


    They both slowly rose to their feet. Diego drew his blade with the silence of a skilled swordsman, and Oxyi unstrapped her shotgun, then shouldered it. They remained absolutely still, waiting for another noise. Only moments later, it vibrated out through the trees.


    It sounded like a groan.


    They cautiously approached its source, Oxyi watching their surroundings and Diego taking the lead. Several tense seconds went by in silence, the two treading carefully.


    Another groan rang out.


    Diego suddenly spotted the source; there was a silhouette of a figure huddled close to a tree. Unmoving and seemingly unaware. He was just standing there awkwardly, shoulders uncomfortably hunched together, head hanging a little too far off to the side. The figure shuffled around, seemingly pawing at the tree next to it and confirming it was the source of the noise as another low groan escaped its mouth.


    Oxyi and Diego waited together, taking cover behind a tree and deciding what to do.


    ¡°I-Is he drunk? What''s he doing?¡± Oxyi whispered into Diego¡¯s ear.


    ¡°I don''t know,¡± Diego whispered back. ¡°He doesn''t seem armed or dangerous... Do you think he''s hurt?¡±


    ¡°Impossible to tell from here... do we approach him?¡± Oxyi fumbled in her pack for a flash-light and passed it to him.


    ¡°Yeah... He seems alone, if he turns nasty, I think we can handle him. You didn''t spot anyone else?¡±


    ¡°Nothin''.¡±


    They nodded to each-other and Diego moved away from Oxyi before calling out, as not to give away her position.


    ¡°Hey dude... you alright there?¡± Diego gently sheathed his sword and clicked the flashlight on, revealing the figure in greater detail. As Oxyi watched from the shadows, her expression changed sharply, first to recognition, but then to shock.


    The figure was a vulpine-morph, or a foxman, average in weight and build, and completely naked. His fur was a dark grey colour and his eyes were a twisted purple with curious green flecks within the iris. His monotone complexion did not match Oxyi''s memory of him, the only reason she knew it was him at all was because of a unique piercing he had through one of his ears. He was one of her first clients; he¡¯d had a problem with some lumber thieves that she¡¯d sorted for him several months ago.


    ¡°That''s Yeoman... what''s wrong with him?¡± Oxyi blurted out, moving away from her position. As she spoke, Yeoman stumbled towards Diego, his groans becoming more aggressive. ¡°Is that¡­ is that an erection?!¡± She yelled and pointed, completely taken off guard at the naked fox¡¯s apparent sexual arousal as he stumbled about. Embarrassed by her own outburst, Oxyi quickly composed herself. ¡°Yeoman, I''m gonna need you to stop and back off.¡± She ordered, raising the shotgun.


    He didn''t listen. In fact, he sped up, breaking into a clumsy run straight at Diego, but the lizard sidestepped smoothly and kicked his legs out from under him, causing the fox to collapse to the floor. Oxyi pounced on him instantly, pulling a zip tie out of her pack and securing the fox''s flailing limbs as he tried to stand again. He thrust towards her with everything he had, despite being thoroughly secured. Oxyi''s camera was capturing everything.


    ¡°What the hell happened to you, Yeoman? You were a good hard-working guy, why¡¯re you stumbling around the forest naked? Did someone drug you?¡± He didn¡¯t seem to hear Oxyi¡¯s questions; instead the fox continued his desperate but futile attempt to mate with her. Diego, who had been watching their surroundings closely while Oxyi quizzed her captive, suddenly felt a chill go down his spine.


    His drunken flailing suddenly turned into precise movements, and with a ravaged cry he kicked Oxyi in the knee, hard.


    ¡°Ow! Fuck! Yeoman! What did you do that for?!¡± She yelled out, and he tried to kick her again, but she jumped back.


    The fox did not respond, and instead growled loudly and flexed on the floor as hard as he could, pulling his arms outwards. To Oxyi¡¯s increasing shock, the ties began to cut into his skin as he pulled as hard as he could, blood dribbling over the plastic zip tie.


    ¡°D-Diego! What should I do?!¡± Oxyi raised the butt of her gun. ¡°Don¡¯t make me knock you out, Yeoman!¡±


    He strained further, shaking on the floor furiously as the plastic held firm but the flesh around it gave way with a nauseating squish.


    A bright golden glow suddenly enveloped Diego and a bolt of crackling energy connected to the frothing fox on the floor with a puncturing clap that echoed through the trees. The bolt connected with a bright flash, briefly illuminating the surroundings as if lightning had stuck. But in that brief moment, Oxyi swore she saw eyes, illuminated by the flash.


    Yeoman now laid still, still breathing but paralysed, his resistance quelled but Oxyi¡¯s heart pounded in her chest.


    ¡°Diego¡­ I think I saw someone¡­¡±


    The lizard crackled with energy again, forming a small, bright orb in his hands.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    She pointed deeper into the forest and he launched the orb into the trees. It bloomed with a piercing silver light in several rhythmic bursts, not so much looking to light the area up as it was to catch reflective surfaces.


    With every flash of the orb, hundreds of eyes glowed in the darkness.


    ¡°Oh shit...¡± Diego drew his blade again, backing up towards Oxyi. ¡°We need to get out of here, now.¡±


    ¡°W-What about Yeoman?!¡± She backed off, staring at the glowing eyes, then at Yeoman¡¯s body, then back at eyes again.


    ¡°Oxyi; we¡¯re being ambushed, we need to leave -¡±


    The fox on the floor began to twitch violently, his limbs writhing and twisting against their joints as if he were a puppet being manipulated by strings.


    Her eyes flickered away from her prisoner as through the darkness of the forest, hundreds of snarling naked figures emerged from behind the trees, running towards them. All around them, figures from the darkness were advancing. Their feet thumping against the ground, almost sounding like distant thunder encroaching on them.


    ¡°We need to move, Oxyi, now!¡± Diego leapt back, grabbing her by the hand and roaring into the air, ribbons of yellow energy sparking between them as he did so. Oxyi suddenly felt lighter and quicker on her feet, her breath came easy as they pounded towards the glowing paint on the trees. They were able to outpace the crowd gathering behind them, so Oxyi shouldered her shotgun as she ran, blasting a couple of shells into the assailants ahead. Each shot hit its target; the pursuers dropped dead where they stood. Diego charged into another, shoving the figure with his shoulder into a tree, where its body met wood with a painfully loud crack, and ceased moving.


    Should I even be opening fire?! Oxyi¡¯s thoughts came at her a mile a minute as they ran through the trees. That was Yeoman, what if the others¡­ is that a risk we can take?


    They followed the glow paint back to the city as fast as they could, taking out anything that got too close to them. With the heft of his blade Diego sliced another of the things cleanly in half at the waist¡­ when their glow trail came to an abrupt end, with no end to the forest in sight.


    Oxyi skidded to a halt. ¡°Th-That''s impossible! I marked our trail!¡± Oxyi stammered, quickly loading some shells into her shotgun.


    ¡°I know. Someone''s been following us, Oxyi. Do you think you can find us a way out?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes. I¡¯ll need to read the map though, and I can''t do it if we''re running!¡±


    She pulled another flashlight out of her backpack and Diego planted his legs firmly, preparing himself for the coming assault, confidently bringing his blade to his chest.¡°Then I''ll buy you some time.¡±


    Creatures sprinted towards them from every direction. Oxyi took cover beneath a fallen tree as Diego¡¯s blade swung left and right, splitting through flesh and bone in massive arcs, heads severed from spines, limbs sliced from their bodies. Flesh and corpses hit the ground with deep thuds as Diego swung his mammoth sword. One tried to leap out from his side, but was intercepted by the sharpened metal perfectly. A spatter of its blood hit the tip of Oxyi''s boot. Oxyi took a deep breath and steeled herself, concentrating on the map in her hands. Despite her shaking, she quickly finished plotting their escape route.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Diego, come on!¡± Diego turned his back on the growing crowd gathering behind them; no, not a crowd, a wall of hungry faces was hounding them, far too many for Diego''s blade to cut through. But now, they were back on the move, and able to stay ahead of the advancing creatures, Diego''s warcry having given both him and Oxyi the speed and endurance needed to outpace their pursuers.


    Through the bleating and screeches of the horde pursuing them, Diego picked up on a rapid, distinctly heavy thumping, like something or someone big was chasing them. But it was impossible to glance back for more than a second to check.


    After what felt like an eternity, hearts pounding in both of their chests, the faint glow of city street-lights glistened into view through the treeline. They were almost there! Her legs felt like lead and she could taste metal in her mouth, yet Oxyi pushed forward and ran ahead. With the forest now clearing, there was nowhere for these things to emerge from and surprise them. The open field between them and the city was completely clear. She glanced back and saw Diego, right on her tail. The relief she felt at his sight was only momentary though, as she realised the sheer number of their assailants, quickly approaching the treeline. We can¡¯t fight all of these on our own - we need an army! But maybe, once we¡¯re in the town, we¡¯ll at least be able to outmanoeuvre them¡­


    Just then, stumbling towards the forest¡¯s edge, the wall of faces stopped.


    Confused, Diego and Oxyi paused for breath in the middle of the field. Before they could speak though, there was a loud clack behind them. The street-lights all popped together, tiny shards of glass tinkling against the floor, bathing the field in darkness and a sudden coldness gripped them both. They spun around, breath visible in the air, Diego¡¯s ears alert and twitching, when -


    ¡°Get down!¡± Something - no, someone was hurtling through the air towards them! Yeoman hit the ground with a crunch in front of their feet. Oxyi staggered backwards, fumbling for her pistol. Diego spun out the way nimbly, when his ears pricked and a shudder went down his spine. Someone swiped for his back, but he ducked out the way and pressed his fist into the ground, surging his power into the earth. The assailant swung for him again, but Diego pulled his hand away, and a surge of concussive force erupted around him, sending bright orange sparks high into the air, illuminating the field and knocking the figure off its feet.


    The assailant rolled to its knees and Diego instantly readied his blade against its neck, and froze. A few metres away from him though, Oxyi was kicking and screaming; something had grabbed her, and was holding her in its grasp.


    An imposing creature, easily standing two heads above him and Oxyi, had seized her roughly by the neck and left her dangling in the air. She paraded around in her teal-green skin, with a noseless face and large toxic-green eyes, with black sclera much like his own. Heavy-looking carapace adorned her head not unlike a crown; sharp, a little bulky, but oddly elegant, the shape of its palisades resembling the petals of a flower. Similar carapace also adorned her shoulders, arms and legs, almost like armour plating. She stood tall and strong, with beautiful, long, jelly-like dreadlocks cascading down the length of her back.


    Despite the very obvious danger that he and Oxyi were in, the more he examined their assailant, the more curious he became. His gaze wandered over her long curvaceous figure; she was wearing some kind of black armoured corset, but it was obvious that this thing was very well endowed.


    The alien at the end of his blade seemed to be the same species, but this one had bright, amethyst skin instead, with a soft spattering of silver freckles over her face. She was broader than the other alien, but just as beautiful and even more curvaceous. She slowly raised its arms in surrender, but her partner merely grinned, menacingly.


    ¡°Well! That was fun, little ones! You got some fucking legs on you! Almost made it back to the city! But playtime''s over now.¡± Her grin faded as she shook Oxyi about in a brazen and effortless display of strength. ¡°Why don''t you drop your weapons and make this easier for us?¡±


    Exhausted from her struggle, Oxyi did as she was told. Her gun slipped through her fingers.


    ¡°Did you get the other one, Seeth?¡± The alien looked up from Oxyi, and her face dropped when she saw Diego''s blade at her companion''s neck. ¡°Ugh. Really? That¡¯s not like you at all.¡±


    ¡°Cut the shit! Are you the ones responsible for all the disappearances around here?¡± Diego yelled, one had firmly on his blade, the other crackling with bright gold energy.


    ¡°You should be more concerned with your own safety than mystery solving right now, lizard.¡± The alien scoffed, holding Oxyi out at arm¡¯s length towards him ¡°We heard you two talking in the forest earlier, and you sounded so cute and intriguing. I just had to get some of that for myself, you know? A mysterious stranger and a homegrown slut, accepting anyone into her home who offers a hand.¡± The alien grinned mischievously, showing a brief glimmer of fang.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, you monster.¡± Diego barked, gesturing towards his blade. ¡°You think you can take me on? Your friend here wasn''t quite up to the challenge, in case you haven¡¯t noticed, so you might wanna stop running your mouth.¡±


    ¡°You want to protect her?¡± The one he held at blade-point spoke up. Her voice was calmer than her partner¡¯s, but both of them shared the same - almost synthesised - undertone. ¡°You can still do that.¡± As she spoke, the green alien tightened her grip on Oxyi''s neck, causing her to choke in pain as her skin bulged against the iron grip squeezing her throat. ¡°You agree to come with us, and we''ll let your friend go.¡±


    She held Oxyi out between herself and Diego, although whether she was shielding herself or trying to taunt him, he couldn''t say. One thing was certain though, Diego¡¯s options for retaliation were limited. He¡¯d never seen creatures like these before, and he''d seen a lot of different people in his travels. Maybe it was just bravado, maybe it was just false or misplaced confidence, but this alien knew he had psyonics, knew he was armed, and did not seem the slightest bit concerned. She didn''t even seem concerned with the fact that his sword was currently resting against her comrade''s neck.


    Could I beat these things? If I attacked, could I win..? Could Oxyi¡­


    The pressure mounted as Oxyi gasped desperately for air, she grabbed at the woman¡¯s hands desperately but couldn¡¯t so much as budge her fingers; Diego knew he had to do something, now. But there was so much he didn¡¯t know. Would he be able to take these creatures out if they decided to kill Oxyi? Sparks of psyonic power still tingled around his hand, but neither creature appeared threatened by it. And what if he just ended up hurting her instead? He could see Oxyi trying to shake her head, pleading with him not to listen, but her face was turning blue, and he couldn''t see another way out.


    ¡°W-What do you want?!¡± He yelled out desperately.


    ¡°You.¡± The purple alien spoke again, quietly. ¡°Promise to come with us, with no fuss, and Leech will let your friend go. As long as you do what I say, you won¡¯t be harmed.¡±


    Diego hesitated for a brief moment. He looked towards the forest, where he knew those hundreds of monochrome faces were waiting, just waiting to give chase again. He glanced at the alien at the end of his blade. Her expression was unreadable, but her gaze was surprisingly soft. A feeling of trust and warmth suddenly washed over Diego, and he made up his mind.


    ¡°Oxyi... you get the fuck off this planet, yeah?¡± He slowly pulled his blade away from the purple alien¡¯s neck and she rose to her feet, keeping her hands up in the air. He kept his gaze on Oxyi, but shifted his address to the creature beside him. ¡°Okay. Fine. I promise. You let her go and walk away and I swear, I''ll come with you peacefully. But try anything funny and I swear I¡¯ll bury you in this god-damn field, you understand?!¡± His words were followed by a threatening surge of gold over his body, sending tremors through the soil. This is going to be suicide, I know it, but I can¡¯t let Oxyi die here. This is for Oxyi, I''m doing this for Oxyi¡­


    ¡°Oh wow, look at that, he can vibrate grass.¡± The green alien rolled her eyes dramatically and flicked her brilliant green dreadlocks over her shoulder, but she did as promised, and relaxed her grip on the frantically kicking Oxyi.


    The lioness coughed and sputtered, sucking in mouthfuls of the cool air.


    ¡°Diego! You can''t just give yourself up for me, you bloody idiot!¡±


    ¡°I don''t wanna hear it, Oxyi! I promised to keep you safe. I¡¯m honour-bound to that promise.¡±


    ¡°Fuck honour! Just get out of here!¡±


    ¡°No! Now unhand her, creature! I meant what I said.¡± Diego''s eyes narrowed sharply as he spoke. That warmth was fading away now, and a sharp cold was prickling at the back of his neck.


    With a light shrug, the alien¡¯s grip on Oxyi loosened, and she hit the floor with a thud, gasping. The alien backed off, kicking away Oxyi''s guns but otherwise leaving her be.


    ¡°Wow, what a hero! Now say your goodbyes and run away, little kitty.¡± The alien barked. ¡°Seems Seeth fancied a deal! Trading a Node for a Mark!¡± That sinister grin spread back across her face. Oxyi slowly approached Diego, threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, crying into his neck.


    ¡°Y-You didn''t need to do that... I''m just a nomad and -  and we only met earlier today! I''m no one...¡± She sobbed, the aliens watching both of them intently.


    ¡°You don''t understand...¡± He hugged her back, holding her close, but kept his eyes on the green alien. ¡°I made you a promise. It doesn¡¯t matter how long I''ve known you for, I said I''d keep you safe... Now go! Before they change their minds. I''ll be fine! Just get to safety!¡± A brief smile lit up his face. ¡°Told you we¡¯d find something.¡±


    She pulled back, rubbing her fingers over his hair and ears and kissing him gently on the nose, before breaking into a run with all the strength she could muster, across the field and towards the city. Soon enough, she faded out of sight and into the shadows, leaving Diego alone with the two alien creatures in the dark; the sparks from his psyonic blast had reached the ground, and fizzled out.


    He took a long, deep breath, filling his lungs with the fresh night air. A heavy feeling in his chest told him that this might be the last taste of freedom he would get.

 Chapter 3 - Alien Biology

    Diego and his captors marched quickly through the forest, accompanied by the sound of thousands of shuffling feet behind the heavy thudding of the towering alien creatures; shepherds guiding their godless herd. They¡¯d tried to make Diego leave his sword behind, but he¡¯d refused: ¡°I said I¡¯d come with you peacefully, not unarmed.¡± How Diego hadn¡¯t detected this massive horde within the forest sooner, he had no idea, but at least Oxyi was out of harm''s way, at least for now.


    The green alien marched ahead of him, the purple one behind. Sometimes the green alien would flick her fingers slightly and the monotone figures around her would shudder and jerk violently, as if she were controlling them with these gestures; it was like nothing he¡¯d ever come across before. There was that confidence about them too, the sway of the green alien¡¯s hips, that menacing gleam in her eyes, just their words had been enough to convince Diego to stand down. Despite everything, despite their size, the unknown nature of their being, and their blatant power over the creatures around him, Diego was curious. He felt a certain allure to these creatures, and the soft curves of their bodies; after all, they had said they wanted him.


    Their charm was obvious, and they knew how to use it, but their strength was difficult to judge. From the way the green alien held Oxyi, Diego couldn''t help but worry over just how physically capable they might be. They seemed to be stronger than the average strider their size, much stronger. Even if he could take them out, which he seriously doubted, he wasn''t so sure he''d be able to take out the horde of grey creatures surrounding him. Counter-attacking didn¡¯t seem viable to him, not at this point. He came to grim realisation that the second he and Oxyi stepped into the forest, they already sealed their fates.


    But there was something else there too, something bugging him¡­ Something about this situation didn¡¯t make sense. But before Diego could spend more time with his thoughts, their march through the forest broke into a clearing, and Diego¡¯s ears flickered in interest. Seemingly in the middle of nowhere, was what looked like an abandoned factory, a large grey building with its windows cracked and broken; whatever used to be produced here, it hadn''t been in a long time.


    ¡°What exactly is this?¡± Diego growled as the purple alien nudged him forward; he had to admit, sometimes being a man of your word was more hassle than it was worth. ¡°You hang out in this factory and what, do drugs or something? Experiments? Is that what happened to all these people?¡±


    ¡°That''s none of your business, lizard.¡± The green alien hissed back. She seemed a little offended. ¡°Although, it is your lucky day.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course it does.¡± He laughed dryly. ¡°How lucky I am right now.¡±


    ¡°In more ways than you know.¡± She turned and shot Diego a glare as she entered the derelict foundations of the factory. ¡°I initially had plans for you, but it seems my partner would prefer you all for herself. She¡¯s been very insistent in fact. But you¡¯ve captured her attention, hero, so you better savour it.¡± She glanced over at the purple alien, and for just a moment, there was a flicker of softness in her eyes, before she turned her back. Diego cautiously entered the factory after her, taking in his surroundings. The factory floor had two staircases heading underground at opposite ends of the building, Diego was led down one such staircase, escorting zombie-like figures shuffled towards the other, towards the distant sound of wailing, Diego couldn¡¯t help but note. The air around him was getting heavier, the smell of sweat and¡­ sex, filling his nose.


    ¡°Plans for me, huh?¡± Diego joked sarcastically. ¡°What, like a dinner date? Play a bit of footsie under the table, maybe a little hand-holding afterwards?¡± A faint purr tickled Diego¡¯s ears from the alien behind him, and despite himself, a small shiver ran up his spine.


    ¡°Hah, aren¡¯t you a funny one.¡± The green alien replied flatly. ¡°You¡¯ll need to ask my partner what she wants to do with you, but if it was up to me, I''d have you fucking bound, gagged and wrecked within the hour. That''s what cute little heroes like you deserve. Never had someone give themselves up like that before. You''re mental.¡±


    They marched down the stairs in complete darkness, or more, the aliens marched, apparently able to see just fine, while Diego stumbled along. He guessed they were approximately four to five stories down when they hit a fortified door. The alien reached into a pocket on her armoured corset and produced an ornate key, inserting and turning it in the lock with a loud, satisfying clack and heaving the door open, its metal body grinding loudly across the floor. The sickly smell of sex and sweat here was enriched with something sweet, something dark. The whole scene felt as if someone had popped open a bottle of liquor and put your favourite music on, only accompanied by the sound of metal chains and sharp whips ringing in the background. The door led to yet another stairwell, but this one connected to some sort of underground complex, with lanterns hanging from the ceiling at each floor and gently illuminating the concrete with a hazy orange light.


    ¡°This is where I leave you. You''d better be a man of your word, lizard, or I''ll fuck you up. Then again, I might not get the chance if you mess with her.¡± The green alien chuckled, showing her teeth, those toxic eyes bearing down on him. She glanced up at her partner and the two stared at one another for a moment. Diego watched her closely, the micro-expressions across her face, the slight flicker at her lips, trying to read what she might be thinking, but she quickly turned and left him and the purple alien alone in the stairwell.


    ¡°So...¡± Diego turned to look at his other captor, finally, in good detail. She had similar eyes to him, beautiful black orbs with electric violet irises that were currently staring deep into his. Her glossy lips were just full enough to be elegant but plump, and pretty too. A smattering of silver freckles across the bridge of her face and under her eyes looked as though a handful of the cosmos had been sprinkled over her cheeks. A crown of carapace lined her face and she had those same jelly dread-locks that the other one did, but their colour was more akin to her purple skin tone. Her large round eyes sparkled in the faint orange light of the lanterns, and she looked gorgeous. Her towering physique had an allure of its own too; Diego''s head barely reached her bust! But the way she carried herself belayed a strength that went beyond her figure. His eyes began to undress her, wondering just how muscular she would be under her clothes for just a split second, before shaking himself free of such thoughts. He could feel the tension in the air between them as they stood there, just looking at each-other. He resisted the urge to look down at her body properly, choosing instead to focus on her eyes.


    ¡°Are - are you on your own?¡± She asked suddenly, taking a slow, deep breath in as she spoke.


    ¡°Wh-What?¡± Diego stammered in confusion. She seemed taken aback, her eyes widening as she realised what she¡¯d said.


    ¡°I-I mean are you single?¡± She stammered, fidgeting with her hands. ¡°That girl back in the forest, the one you saved, is she your girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°No...¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Is she related to you then?¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s not. Why are you asking?¡± Diego tilted his head.


    ¡°Did you owe her money?¡± She pressed on, a little more confident now but looking just as confused as her prisoner.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t owe her anything, I only met her earlier today. She¡¯d reached out asking for help, and I was the only one who came.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you did it so she would owe you.¡± She nodded, smiling quite genuinely.


    ¡°No! Hell no! I don''t help people out so that they owe me!¡± Diego scowled, offended at her assertion.


    ¡°I don''t understand, why would you put yourself in such a dangerous situation for someone you''ve only just met?¡± She paused for a second, her eyes sweeping off him, looking off to the side nervously. ¡°Would you¡­ help me if I needed it?¡±


    His face softened slightly and he stepped forward. She avoided his gaze.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Diego asked quietly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to my quarters first, but I...¡± She stopped and thought for a few seconds, as if struggling to make a decision, so Diego decided to take advantage of her hesitation. The smell and feel of this place was quickly eroding the last few hours from his mind, the suggestive atmosphere chipping away at his defences.


    ¡°Look, we''ve not been formally introduced, let''s start this again.¡± He held a hand out to her. ¡°My name¡¯s Diego Harley.¡±


    She reached out and shook his hand, startled by his approach but pleased nonetheless.


    ¡°Seeth. Just Seeth.¡± She responded, a small but happy smile washing over her face.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Seeth.¡± Her skin was brilliantly soft, her touch cool and calming, just being with her was pleasant beyond words. She was utterly enchanting up close.


    Something suddenly felt wrong.


    Diego¡¯s mind suddenly leapt back to what was only an hour ago, where he and Oxyi were running for their lives, being hunted down by her... This was wrong, why was he making polite conversation with his captor, a creature that had been running him down not long ago? Seeth watched him closely as Diego¡¯s face changed from a calming smile to a cautious glare, his hair bristling over his head.


    She knelt down, coming face to face with Diego and placing a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Trust me, Diego. You are a man of your word, I can be a woman of mine¡­ I want you.¡± He felt his urge to resist melt at her touch, her cool fingers slowly rubbed across his neck muscles, and the last day with Oxyi dissolved into nothing as he gazed back into her beautiful eyes. ¡°Please, drop your defences, just for one night, and let me in...¡± Her voice was like burning silk, smooth and gorgeous, but melting in desperation and desire.


    She produced a small piece of cloth from a pocket and started to tie it around his head, blindfolding him. He didn''t resist, and loosened in her grip. Perhaps he was simply cooperating with the creature¡¯s strange demands, out of fear for his own life; or perhaps, curiosity had gotten the better of him, perhaps he wanted to do as she asked. She finished tying the blindfold and swept him off his feet, holding him up with both arms gently, taking care not to hurt herself on the sword still slung over his back. He placed an arm over her shoulders and let her move him, feeling a deep, powerful excitement roll through him.


    She carried him down an unknown number of stairs, it could have been hours but it seemed like seconds in her grasp.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± She asked, whispering into his ear, almost nibbling on it, sending pleasurable pangs down his head and neck. ¡°You said you wanted shelter and some food... I''ll give you both. Anything for such a fine, selfless hero like yourself.¡±


    ¡°N-Not at the moment... Where are you taking me?¡± He asked, trembling a little.


    ¡°I told you... I''m taking you to my quarters... Does the unknown scare you, Diego?¡± She couldn¡¯t resist, she nibbled on his ear gently and watched him vibrate in her grasp; he couldn''t see it, but she was grinning wildly.


    ¡°Scare me? Not at all... I thrive in it.¡±


    This wasn''t the first time he''d been confronted by seducers, but Seeth was certainly the most effective by far. In her presence, Diego¡¯s only thoughts were on her. They reached the bottom of the staircase and she carried him down corridor after corridor, the whole time she was gently playing with him, a little lick here, a nibble there, he was pining for a kiss by the time they stopped but she didn''t give him one; she was enjoying his reactions far too much.


    The smile slipped off his face again as he became mildly aware of his situation again, his brain''s last attempt to push sanity to the forefront of his mind. Seeth felt him tense up in her arms once more as his senses focused on distant noises echoing down the corridor, it sounded far away but he could hear pleasure... forced pleasure. What the hell is going on here? What is this, a sex cult? But the last of Diego¡¯s resistance faded as Seeth gently pressed a kiss against his forehead, leaving a small wet patch of skin that tingled pleasantly. He knew she was dangerous, yes¡­ but she didn¡¯t seem to be a danger to him, not in the way he¡¯d been expecting anyway¡­


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°I can''t explain to you why I need you so badly, Diego. But know that your immunity to my condition will benefit us both so very, very much.¡±


    Immunity..? He had so many unanswered questions, so much more he wanted to know, but she was so utterly captivating that it seemed impossible to pursue anything else in her presence. The fact that someone so pretty, yet so powerful would want anything to do with him was so enchanting, he gave in to it without a second thought. It wasn¡¯t just her overwhelming aura, she seemed different, and Diego hung onto that thought, her asking him for help, the softness in her eyes, and the longing in her gaze when she looked at him¡­ Besides, if nothing else, a night with a creature like this would be something to remember, if she didn''t kill him¡­


    Hazard Warning Level 2 (AMBER) ¨C Corruption detected ¨C Caution Advised


    ¡°You are a tasty little thing, aren''t you Diego?¡± She pushed open a door and placed him on the floor, he motioned to remove the blindfold but she stopped him. ¡°Leave it on for now... I want to have some fun with you...¡±


    He could feel his dick pressing against his loins; it had been a little while since he''d had this sort of attention, and the anticipation was quickly becoming unbearable.


    ¡°Oh my...¡± she whispered, moving around him, taking in his features and admiring his body. He stood out; it was very rare to see a komodo at all anymore, but even amongst his own species, she imagined that he wouldn¡¯t blend in, with his soft scales and vibrant lilac eyes, surrounded with deep black rather than the usual white sclera. His swept back locks similarly coloured to his skin, a pair of decent-sized, curious ears and a rather nasty set of sabre-tooth fangs poking out from his short, powerful snout. He struck a balance between cute and regal that was rather rare at the best of times...


    ¡°You look stunning...¡± She ran her hands over his form, finding the clasps in his armour and gently removing them, every now and again, she''d press a kiss onto his neck, her soft wet lips feeling blissful on his skin and leaving the same tingly patch as before. Piece by piece, the armour came off and the lizard stood patiently, blushing madly from under the blindfold but too entranced to do anything else. Eventually, she stripped him down to nothing, placing all his equipment in the corner of the room.


    He stood there, naked and standing to attention with a proud and thick eight inch penis, that was bobbing up and down just slightly. She stared at him with a deep hunger but played it cool, standing back and admiring her catch.


    ¡°I dare say it, I think you might be the most attractive Mark I''ve ever laid my eyes on...¡± She approached him slowly, circling him again, running a hand over his shoulder and another over his tail, grabbing and lifting it, her fingers slipping along its underside hungrily. She stopped in front of him, kneeling down once more. He could feel her breath on his stomach as she leaned in, caressing his chest and muscles. The male felt a long, deep kiss on his tummy, filling him with warmth, her hands finding their way over his hips and onto his butt as she did so, grabbing handfuls of his muscular butt-cheeks and spreading them slightly.


    She teased him, laying further down and pressing her face right against the side of his manhood, but didn''t give it so much as a kiss, as her hands ran down his ass and legs, taking time to appreciate every inch of him, the feeling of their skin touching was bliss to both of them. She stared up at him, watching him twitch and moan under his breath, her hands finally found their way down to his feet, after caressing every inch of him there was and she pulled up, kneeling properly in front of him again.


    ¡°C-Can I take this blindfold off now...?¡± He pleaded, desperate to see her.


    ¡°Not yet, cutie. I just need a little taste...¡± She breathed into his neck, leaning close into him and grabbing his hands, placing them upon the buckles of her own outfit. ¡°Pull these open. I need to feel you before we get messy...¡± He did as he was told, pulling the clasps and hearing her gasp as the corset practically burst open. ¡°Normally, I wouldn''t treat my prey in such a manner, but you just look too good to pass up...¡±


    With those words, he felt her reach under him and gently caress his balls, rubbing them through her silken fingers over and over again. She felt their weight and heft, squeezing them slightly to see his reaction, he liked them played with, watching him wince slightly as she squeezed them slightly too hard and made a mental note. Without warning, she seized the base of his cock and placed her lips over the top of it, sucking strongly the top and tasting the slight drop of precum already. She sunk her soft lips quickly over the entire shaft, taking it into her warm mouth, but rapidly rose off, coming off it completely and hearing him gasp.


    ¡°Leech was wrong... you are tasty... well kept too. She said travellers like you sometimes don''t look after themselves but... you clearly do.¡±


    ¡°Well, thank you, but that was really mean! Teasing me like that and then just instantly pulling away... your mouth was... was really fucking good...¡± Diego moaned.


    ¡°Would you like me to do that again?¡± Seeth teased, placing a finger on the end of his trembling dick.


    ¡°Yeah...¡±


    ¡°Tell me you want me...¡± Seeth whispered into his ear, rising to her feet once more with surprising grace.


    ¡°I want you.¡± He murmured, following her order with glee, completely entranced by her.


    ¡°Tell me you''ll let me do anything to you...¡± She wiggled the cock around playfully with her finger, stretching it left and right. She placed her other hand on his chin, getting ready to guide him for a kiss.


    ¡°I''ll let you do anything to me. I want to see what you can do...¡±


    With the words uttered, she pressed a strong kiss against his lips, which he returned with equal vigour, they both grabbed the others head passionately, pulling each-other in as they made out, hot sticky strands of saliva entwining them as they broke away, but Seeth was empowered by his words and decided she was going to blow this man''s world apart. She hauled him up into the air, grabbing him by the hips and raising him up until his manhood was at her head level, considering she stood over eight feet tall, this was quite the height and she firmly placed him against one of the walls to support his back.


    ¡°Holy fuck! Seeth! What are you doi.... oh... this is incredible...¡± With her man suspended firmly up in the air and pressed against a wall, her hands firmly on the undersides of his legs, she licked vigorously at his balls, sucking on both of them and taking them into her maw willingly, after working them both over for a minute or so, she pulled back and went for his dick, taking the whole thing into her mouth again and working up and down its length, repeatedly. Her tongue slithering around it and tickling its tip. She was merciless, pressing her face right down to the hilt, so he could feel her soft, plump lips kissing his body around the base. As she sucked hard on his cock, she moved her hands slightly so that they were at the base of his ass and she used her thumbs to pull at the sides of his pucker, stretching it out a little and sending yet more pleasurable surges through him.


    It only took a couple of minutes but the lizard tensed up, moaned cutely and fired a fat load into the back of her mouth, which she swallowed without even blinking. She continued to work his length to ensure every drop of seed was taken. She quickly noticed that he wasn''t going soft; it was something she would have been prepared for regardless, but it was a very nice surprise.


    ¡°Is your species multi-orgasmic, Diego?¡± She asked curiously, after pulling up from his cock with a satisfying pop as her seal around it broke.


    ¡°Yeah... does that work for you?¡± He grinned from beneath the blindfold.


    ¡°It absolutely does. Come now, its time.¡± She let him down from the wall carefully and insisted he stayed blind folded, but guided him to remove yet more of her clasps across her outfit, freeing her from its tight bind. Eventually it dropped off her and she let out a satisfied sigh as her bust was finally released from its prison. She took his hands and guided them over her form, feeling over her dominating presence. He felt strong, thick, powerful thighs. Heavy, curvy hips. A flat, soft and muscular midsection and to his absolute excitement, what felt like the softest, biggest pair of breasts he''d ever felt, she went to continue moving his hands but he stopped for a while, feeling over their massive surface area and toying with her nipples, which were surprisingly small and cute, certainly in comparison to the mammoth tits they were planted on.


    Beautifully squidgy, like many a handful of heaven, he groped and played with her massive tits for as long as she''d let him, both of them blushing deeply. He was mesmerised, hands dancing over her skin, kissing every inch of skin he could, muzzling pressing into her soft mounds, nothing other than her on his mind. A fresh rush of desire flowed through her, she grabbed his head and pulled him into her breasts, placing her nipple right into his mouth and pulling him in, squishing him against her gigantic titties and rubbing their bodies together tantalisingly. She moaned loudly, feeling his tongue gently tease her nipples and suck on her lovingly, further provoking more pre, or perhaps post-cum from the tip of his dick.


    ¡°I can''t take it anymore, Diego... I need to be inside of you!¡± She cried out, pulling off his blindfold and pushing him down onto a massive bed placed in the corner of the room. He finally saw her form and it matched what he''d felt - she was curvy as all hell, with thick thighs, powerful hips and absolutely heaving tits that were now hanging over him as she mounted him on the bed, electric violet eyes staring into his own lilac ones, but there was yet one more detail that he hadn''t felt. She had a heart shaped darker patch of skin at the top of her breasts, along with another smattering of silver freckles. But to the male''s surprise, he wasn¡¯t the largest in the room; She was packing a thick cock of her own. A huge thirteen inch cock was erect and trembling with excitement, almost as thick as his arm. A trio of thick, soft, heavy balls hung under it and its surface was glimmering with a faint pink goo that softly trickled off, gently pattering against his body.


    Before he had a chance to question anything else, she threw herself over him. Laying over the top of him, she placed their cocks together and grasped around both of them. Thrusting her thick manhood against his, Diego was pleasantly surprised by its feel. Her cock had a soft, almost comfy feel to it, but it somehow still felt firm.


    This had taken a slightly strange turn but something about her just kept drawing him in, he was actually visibly excited, if nervous, to see what she could do next.


    He was hardly a small man himself but this meaty man-hood was dwarfing his own and there was something strangely alluring about it, as she stared down at him, breasts so big and heavy that they pressed down onto his chest, he wanted to fuck every inch of her and she wanted to fuck everything about him. She started to move her hips a little by accident, thrusting into the frotting session, the sensation of his smaller dick sliding up against hers was too much for her sex crazed mind to deal with. She shifted one of her humongous tits onto his head, practically drowning him in breast and jerked them both off harder, feeling her nipple in his mouth again was all she needed and she came hard, her cock blasting a massive set of thick, dark pink cum ropes over his stomach and skin.


    At this point, he was completely at her mercy; this was a seriously powerful creature, her strength was undeniable and overwhelming, he was terrified about what she was going to do, it was all so alien to him, but more than that, he was deeply excited to see what she could do. She heaved herself up and flipped the lizard onto his back, pulling his ass up into the air and grabbing his tail.


    She stopped for a moment, watching him closely and admiring his form once again, the muscles bristling down his back and the sleek, dark scales across his body..


    ¡°Have you ever done anything like this before?¡± She asked, biting her lip. A trickle of pre oozed from the tip of her cock.


    ¡°If I say no, will that change anything?¡±


    ¡°Maybe...¡± She said coyly, rubbing her fingers over his ass and pressing one against his entrance. He moaned softly, a deep blush intensifying across his face. A sly grin spread over her face, her throbbing cock was not in the mood to be teased any further.


    She pushed gently on the small of his back, arching him into a perfect, scintillating curve. She ran one of her fingers down the length of her cock, wetting it in the accumulated slime and slowly pressed it against his tail-hole. She watched his tail flick back and forth and a low moan escaped him as she pressed her digit in.


    She was taken slightly by the heat within him, the lizard wasn¡¯t just warm, he was hot. Blood rushed to her face and pressed tight inside the tip of her manhood at the very thought of the heat and tightness. The urge called her deeper, it wanted her to use him now.


    ¡°Can I just say Diego, I think you made the right choice... for both of us...¡± She couldn''t take it anymore and pulled her fingers out, readying the tip of the thick meat against his waiting tail-hole, pumping the shaft of her tool carefully, ensuring it was fully slimed up. With care and effort, she slowly pushed it into him, one hand rubbing down his back, the other holding an ass-cheek as she sunk her girthy cock tip into his cute little ass.


    They moaned in tandem as purple sunk into black, sending frantic waves of pleasure through both. Diego clawed at the bedsheets as she stretched him wide open, but the immense filling was only providing pleasure. Whatever slight pangs of pain hit him were over before they even began as the slicked up cock dominated his body.


    Seeth pushed herself in slowly and methodically, from top to hilt, grinning with ecstasy as she watched her tool disappear completely with him.


    ¡°Good boy.¡±


    Her words sent another overwhelming shiver down his back. He felt her trio of heavy balls gently push up against his own, almost teasing them. This was like nothing he¡¯d ever experienced, his brain wanted to swim in it endlessly, he felt like he wanted to mould himself around her, being nothing but her pet, her good boy.


    ¡°Fu-FUCK. How is that¡­ How¡­ How are you doing that?¡± He moaned out, casting a weak glance back at her.


    ¡°You can still talk? Guess I need to up my game, handsome.¡±


    She started to thrust, adjusting herself to ensure a smooth milking of both herself and her toy. Each thrust prompted a huge wave of pleasure through him. This felt like cheating, something about this was driving every nerve crazy, he shuddered and fought to stay on his knees. She was doing it in slow, deliberate movements, pulling all the way out to the tip and driving back to the hilt in an agonisingly pleasurable plunge.


    A trickle of cum leaked from his throbbing rod, slowly drooling over the bed, his eyes rolling back as he quivered.


    Heaven.


    Pleasure surged through him until it drowned out everything, every beat of his heart was in tune with hers, every movement he made was only to accommodate her more.


    In light of the perpetual orgasm, he could not tell how long they spent in this position, it could have been seconds or years. But after a few more long, deliberate thrusts, he felt his lover tense up. She gripped his tail in one hand and squeezed his hips with the other. A long, deeply satisfied moan filled his ears and a surge of warmth spilled into him.


    ¡°T-That was... fuck... Diego... you''re amazing... I need to make you mine... I need you forever...¡± She pulled her dick out of him and admired her work as the lizard collapsed onto the bed, panting furiously.


    A loud, satisfied purr vibrated the bed.


    ¡°Fuuuuuck¡­ You know how to use that thing, huh?¡± he chuckled weakly.


    ¡°You¡¯re still awake? ¡± She responded, almost startled.


    ¡°It''s gonna take more than that to take me down.¡±


    ¡°That feels like an invitation¡­ or perhaps even a challenge.¡±


    Their eyes met with a playful, mischievous look and despite him still catching his breath back, a cheeky grin was all Diego needed to give her to send the massive alien into a frenzy,


    ¡°I''m gonna breed you like a fuckin'' animal, Diego!¡± She moaned, mounting over him properly. Her heavy tits pressing against his back, cock lined up against his tail-hole. She pressed it in deeply in a single, precise thrust and listened to his moan, a grin spreading across her face to see him pinned under her and wriggling around in utter bliss. She made sure to spread and support her weight, as not to crush him, but the feeling of her tits rubbing against his back and shoulders was making her leak again and it was too much to bear.


    She began to rut him into the bed, hips pounding against his over and over again, shaking the bed violently, her cock battering his insides, slime oozing everywhere, her own much larger and heavier testicles slapping against his. Complete and utter domination. Yet she surprised herself, only a few minutes of heavy pounding and she flooded his insides with her seed, pleasure overwhelmed her, feeling it through every inch of her body, she fought with every morsel of strength she had and thrusted through her orgasm, burying her dick into his ass over and over.


    Under her, the only sounds coming out of the males mouth were ecstasy filled gasps, the weight and power on him was the stuff of legends, those plump, fat tits squishing against his back, the heavy balls tenderising his own teasingly as if to say ¡°This is how you do it¡±, her massive cock breaching him and turning him into a personal cock-sleeve, his balls were completely empty no less than half-way through, emptying his load onto the bed with wild abandon, bodies were simply not built to withstand this kind of sexual bombardment. This was pure sex heaven on every level for the two of them, she milked every drop of cum from his balls and he in return, milked her of several litres worth of dark pink cum and lube ooze, that was now practically coating every inch of his frame.


    The wild, aggressive fucking continued into the night, Diego barely holding onto consciousness as Seeth pounded the fuck out of his tail-hole, sending cascading pleasure waves through both of them. The filthy sound of wet slapping as her hips met his rear rang out loud through the chamber, both their throats were raw from screaming with pleasure. Eventually, after a good couple hours of unholy, passionate and ooze covered sex, Seeth came her last load, pulling her thick cock out and blowing it over the lizards gaping ass and tail, admiring her work and collapsing onto his frame, wrapping her arms around him and cuddling him into her giant breasts, he could barely comprehend anything but lovingly and happily accepted her embrace, laying within her oozy cleavage, completely covered in her thick love slime and happy as could be.


    They both felt like they made the right decision tonight.

 Chapter 4 - Sleeping Beauty

    ¡°You must tell me about this new man of yours, Seeth! Word is spreading like wild-fire throughout the dungeon, all my Marks and Nodes are talking about him! We''ve heard the two of you deep into the night, and it sounds most passionate!¡±


    A fierce red alien swept into the room, dressed in a black armoured corset with crimson detailing and a long, trailing black cape, carried by several of the monotone figures behind her. She was tall, thick, muscular and, most importantly, curvaceous, just like her consociates.


    Seeth sighed quietly. ¡°Good morning to you, Moltezz.¡±


    Moltezz¡¯s skin was an intimidating, smouldering ruby, with ashen-coloured carapace dotted around her body, often weaved into tight interlocking patterns. She carried herself with an undefiable confidence, as if the world was hers and hers alone. Her fiery dreadlocks started a bright cherry red at the roots, but faded into warm, crackling honey at its tips. The carapace on her shoulders and upon her head were both tipped with pointed amber crystals, perfectly embedded like crowning jewels. Her most noticeable feature though were her eyes. Her flaming amber irises and black pupils were surrounded by brilliant white halos. She had a brilliantly intense stare, as if a pair of molten black holes were locking on to you, fancying you for their next feast. She sat down at the head of the table, directly between Seeth and Leech, her fingers plucking at her chin playfully as she decided on what she wanted to eat.


    The three Controllers were sat around a long rectangular table in the dungeon¡¯s mess hall. The old brutalist architecture of its previous life now covered up and adorned with hanging tapestries and lanterns, giving the room a more dungeon-like aesthetic with its tall ceiling and solid brickwork. The solid steel ¡®I¡¯ beams lining the ceiling made for perfect shelves for candles and colourful, decorated bottles, used purely for their aesthetics. A brief frown appeared on Moltezz¡¯s face as she noticed most of the candles above them were unlit, but all it took was a brief wave of her hand, and the wicks flickered to life instantly.


    A slew of monotone figures scurried about the room, placing plates of meats, breads and various fruits and vegetables onto the table, before quickly departing without a word. In the blink of an eye, the once empty table was now laden with a feast, including a thick, silver goblet of sweet smelling fluid placed right at Moltezz¡¯s side.


    Moltezz grinned around her goblet as she watched Seeth closely, deeply intrigued by her new plaything. Across the table, however, the toxic-green alien from days prior sat with a scowl. Leech glared at Seeth, who calmly stared back, her eyes only glancing away to look down at her meal. She was piling various foods onto a side plate too, very slowly, very deliberately; she couldn¡¯t help but revel only slightly in the satisfaction of watching her friend get more and more triggered, with every piece of food added to the plate.


    ¡°Something bothering you, Leech?¡± Seeth asked calmly.


    Rather than reply to her, Leech instead snapped her focus to Moltezz.


    ¡°I wouldn''t bother wasting your breath. She''s not saying a word.¡± Leech sneered, then instantly snapped her gaze back to Seeth. ¡°Three days you''ve been locked up in your quarters with him! It¡¯s nothing short of a miracle you¡¯ve decided to make an appearance today! And you won¡¯t even spill a word as to why. You won¡¯t even offer me a go on your toy - I thought we were closer than that.¡± She laughed, dryly, without smiling, and her eyes narrowed even further.


    ¡°You have plenty of toys to play with already, Leech; the only reason you want mine is because you can''t have him.¡± Seeth sassed back, then shifted awkwardly in her seat to address Moltezz. ¡°He''s¡­ wonderful, Moltezz.¡±


    ¡°...That''s it?¡± Although Moltezz was warmer in her approach, it was obvious that both of the Controllers weren¡¯t satisfied with Seeth¡¯s lack of details. ¡°Seeth, you know I need more than that! Why all the secrecy?¡± She gracefully raised her arm and propped her chin against the back of her hand, her brilliant eyes staring right into Seeth¡¯s soul as an almost flirtatious smile creased the corners of her smokey lips. ¡°None of our Marks have managed to keep you entertained for more than an hour.¡± She was teasing desperately for more information. ¡°We''ve got dozens of them who are falling over themselves just to spend five minutes with you, desperate to see you! Suddenly, this one man turns up and you lock yourself away with him for three days, and you expect ''he''s wonderful'' to suffice? Come on, now!¡± Moltezz clicked her fingers on her other hand, and one of her servants came running up obediently, and started to refill her glass. ¡°I assume from all the noise you¡¯ve been making that he can keep up with you?¡±


    ¡°Ever the detective, Moltezz.¡± Or, should I say, nosey bitch? Seeth sighed, leaning on her arm and placing more meat onto her side plate, which Leech was now watching closely. ¡°Yes. He was able to stay awake for much longer than anyone else I''ve been with.¡±


    ¡°I hear he was armed with a giant sword on arrival... he must be rather fit to use such a weapon - Oh I wish I¡¯d gone out with the two of you now! It¡¯s just been so boring recently, with hardly anyone left to hunt¡­¡± Moltezz paused for a moment. Her tongue flickered out delicately from between her lips, detecting a slight sweet smell in the air. ¡°That''s... That''s very pleasant...¡± Her eyes widened and she grinned at Seeth. ¡°Is that his aroma? How absolutely delicious! I have to see him, I absolutely insist upon it.¡±


    Oh of course, you have endless playthings of your own in your prison, and now you want mine too?! Seeth stood abruptly from the table; she was absolutely sure she¡¯d washed herself down but apparently, she still smelled of Diego.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ Whatever, Moltezz. Look, I¡¯ve gotta go. I''ll talk to you later about it...¡± She huffed, grabbing the plate of food and quickly heading out the room. Moltezz clicked her fingers again and a squad of figures marched into the room, pulling her chair back and allowing her to stand.


    ¡°Please do get back to me soon. Perhaps your new plaything can entertain us both together.¡± She cackled, stretching her limbs out.


    ¡°Get in line, Moltezz.¡± Leech growled, scraping her chair back and following Seeth out of the room.


    The dungeon in which they resided had been built from the remains of a partially completed nuclear bunker, the majority of which had been situated deep underground. As Leech followed down the corridor, her eyes scanned over the multiple connecting rooms, with more monochrome figures inside. They were completing manual labour tasks and building work. They shuffled under her passing gaze as they finished the reconstruction of a stone wall, hung lanterns from the ceiling and set up rugged pipe networks for sewerage, ever-expanding the dungeon.


    Seeth had quickly made her way back to her private chamber, and was already pulling a key from her corset and sliding it into the heavy metal door. She had pulled it open just slightly, when she heard Leech calling out to her.


    ¡°Seeth! Hey! Wait, stop a second!¡±


    Seeth sighed in frustration, but stopped. She quickly slipped the plate of food inside her room, then pulled the door to. She turned around and stood in front of the door, arms folded as Leech caught up to her.


    ¡°If you¡¯re just going to snap and have a go at me, I¡¯m not interested, Leech.¡±


    ¡°No! No, I¡¯m not¡­ ugh.¡± Leech placed her fingers against her forehead and rubbed her eyebrows. She¡¯s here, you¡¯ve finally got her, right in front of you, just say something! Use your fucking words! ¡°I¡­ um¡­ I¡¯m worried¡­ about you?¡±


    Seeth raised an eyebrow. ¡°That a statement or a question?¡±


    ¡°Seeth! I¡¯m trying here, okay?!¡± Leech snapped, then quickly took a deep breath, and calmed back down. She stared at the floor, her feet fidgeting under Seeth¡¯s gaze. Seeth glanced inside her chambers, then back at Leech, and her face softened. Leech¡¯s attitude from the dining hall had gone. She unfolded her arms and placed a hand on Leech¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Why are you worried about me, Leech?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ Moltezz wasn''t wrong, Seeth! This... you''ve changed since this guy turned up. You¡¯ve barely said a word to me in the last three days. I¡¯ve hardly seen you, and when we are together, at least one of us is acting like a complete asshole.¡± Leech gingerly raised her hand, and placed it on top of Seeth¡¯s. ¡°I''m asking you, as your friend, to please come and talk to me? Just for half an hour! You don''t have to tell me shit about your new boy-toy, we don¡¯t have to talk about sex o-or¡­ any of this. I just want to talk to you, alright?¡±


    A small smile twitched at the corner of Seeth¡¯s lips. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯re right, I probably have been a little too¡­¡±


    ¡°Absolutely obsessed?¡± Leech suggested, grinning as she wrapped her arm around Seeth¡¯s shoulder, leading her away from her chamber.


    ¡°I was going to say preoccupied, but yeah, that works too.¡± Seeth smiled back.


    ¡°I mean, I can only blame myself really. You¡¯ve always been like this when it comes to guys, and I should definitely be used to it by now.¡± Leech teased.


    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to be an asshole!¡± Seeth playfully shoved Leech away and took off down the corridor.


    ¡°I¡¯m not being an asshole if it¡¯s the truth!¡± Leech shouted as she ran after her. The sounds of their heavy footsteps fading away as they made their way towards the lounge¡­


    Unbeknown to Seeth, she¡¯d left her chamber door unlocked. And inside her chamber laid Diego, completely oblivious to the conversation that had taken place just outside. He was snoring quietly on the bed, his lover''s slime still coating parts of his naked body. Despite the noise, he was sound asleep, which was to be expected really, considering this was the first time in three days he¡¯d been given the opportunity to rest. He hadn¡¯t even realised it had been so long. If he wasn''t napping, he was eating, showering or fucking (if not all three at once!) The last seventy-two hours had been an incredible but an exhausting blur, and now he had crashed hard, in desperate need of a proper night¡¯s sleep.


    Unbeknown to him, the denizens of the dungeon had been gossiping furiously about him and Seeth; their three-day session had not gone unnoticed, and there was a lot of curiosity floating around¡­


    ¡­If not a little animosity.


    A figure gently pushed the door ajar following Seeth and Leech¡¯s exit, and was staring at him through the crack in the door. She was an alien creature like the others, only her skin was a bright royal blue. She also looked rather scared; her eyes were wide and her body was shaking slightly. She wasn''t dressed in a corset like the others, either, instead she was covered in large, unflattering rags. She didn¡¯t go inside the room, instead her two beautiful blue orbs stared at him intently from the doorway as he slept. The way his chest rose and fell as he slept, the dark colour of his skin and hair, and his smell... She blinked and the longing expression in her eyes changed. She shook her head sadly and went to leave.


    Moments later however her expression changed again; her eyes narrowed, forming hunter-like slits and her mouth opened wide into a pointy grin as she transformed from a shy, cautious creature, into a ravenous, predatory one. She turned on the spot, pulled the door open and crept silently across to the bed. A snaking tongue slowly slithered out from her leering maw as she towered over his sleeping body.


    She stood over him, inches away from his peaceful face, her tongue tracing his outline as neon-blue saliva dripped over his shoulders. She roughly rolled him onto his front, leaped up onto the bed and stared down at his naked body.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Mine... you will be mine.... MINE-MINE-MINE-MINE! BUT-NOT-yet.... Careful slow... plan...¡± Her voice twisted as she spoke, from a soft whisper to a loud cackle, but still Diego did not stir. She bared down over his sleeping form and planted sloppy wet kisses onto his nose and ears, leaving copious amounts of glowing blue goo behind. ¡°YOU TASTE SO GOOD! I WILL EAT YOU ALL UP!¡± And with that, she leapt gracefully off the bed, cackling madly and dashed back out of the door.


    How he''d managed to sleep through that was a mystery, but there Diego laid, cosy and snoring away.


    He only was allowed a few brief minutes more of peace before a pair of new voices could be heard through the crack in the door.


    ¡°Susie, please just put the knife down! Let¡¯s go back to - ¡°


    ¡°Keep away from me, Trent!¡±


    ¡°Please, Suzie!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it, do you? You don¡¯t understand HOW MUCH I NEED TO DO THIS!¡±


    A small feline lady, shaped not too dissimilarly to Oxyi but sporting shoulder length, brown hair, stormed through Seeth''s chambers, where Diego remained asleep, vulnerable and undefended. Desperation flickered in her jade eyes, a sharp knife trembled in her shaking hands. Her steps were slow and deliberate.


    She approached the bed and stood awkwardly above him, clutching the blade in her grasp tightly. Moments later her partner, a fluffy vulpine-morph with soft orange and white fur and a desperately worried expression, charged through the door after her.


    ¡°I-It''s not fair¡­¡± Susie spluttered,  glaring at Diego with an intense hatred. ¡°Since you showed up, I''ve not had a single minute with her. It''s been all about you... when it should be about me!¡± Her voice broke, a tear ran down her cheek. Her mind was conflicted, that was obvious; her hands were shaking and her body trembled, but there was also a madness in her eyes that remained absolute. She pressed on, had to press on, ignoring the rational thoughts screaming inside her head and listened solely to the ache in her heart. ¡°B-But if I take you out of the picture, it can be me and her again... just like it should be...¡± A smile cracked across her face.


    Behind her hovered Trent, watching the girl in panic.


    ¡°Susie... you can''t fucking kill him just because you''re not getting enough time with Seeth! Are you nuts?!¡± He pleaded in despair, quickly trying to think of how to stop this getting out of hand. ¡°If Seeth finds out, think of what she''ll do to you!¡±


    ¡°She won''t find out! She won''t find out because I''ll frame it on you and kill you too!¡± The pieces of her flawed and broken puzzle were fitting together perfectly in her mind. ¡°Yeah... That''s right... you got jealous of him! C-Came into her room and murdered him, and in revenge, I killed you... Seeth will be hurt but I''ll be there for her... I''ll make her... smile...¡± The last threads of sanity were fraying away in her mind, that much was clear.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t even make any sen- Fine. Alright Susie.¡± Thinking on his feet, Trent quickly changed tactics. ¡°That sounds like a great plan an¡¯ all, one problem though...¡± The fox would have been proud of his next actions, if his heart hadn¡¯t been thumping against his ribs so hard. ¡°...You''ll need to kill me first!¡± He dashed through the door, and the feline scowled viciously after him.


    ¡°Then so be it! I won''t have some mutt stand between me and my love!¡± Susie dashed madly after him, knife gripped between her fingers as they began their chase down the endless corridors of the dungeon.


    *


    The lounge was a large but cosy, nicely decorated space, with numerous oversized armchairs dotted about, several sofas with side-tables, and large red tapestries draping the walls. Seeth was sitting in one of the armchairs.  Leech stood behind her, gently massaging the other Controller¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Things are going so well for us, Seeth! We''ve taken over nearly all villages in these mountains, the city is practically abandoned, we''ve got Nodes and Slaves taking over maintenance and filling our base everyday with more supplies... I know we had that drainage problem a while ago but some of those Nodes we¡¯ve acquired have excellent DIY skills, and we¡¯ve figured it all out... So, what''s the problem?¡±


    Seeth sighed gently. ¡°I just... since the incident, we''ve always acted like this is the way things have got to be. But what if it¡¯s not? Just because we can corrupt people, it doesn''t mean we should.¡± Seeth was relaxing slowly at her friend''s touch, but the cocktail of feelings coursing through her was difficult to defuse. She''d never spoken so freely about their situation before.


    ¡°Seeth... We help and take care of our people, you know this. Look at our Marks! They¡¯re utterly obsessed with us!¡±


    ¡°They''re addicted to the pleasure, Leech, not to us. It''s not the same. And what about the Slaves?¡±


    Leech continued massaging Seeth¡¯s shoulders, but something in her expression suggested that she¡¯d thought long and hard about her answer, long before Seeth had ever braved these questions. ¡°Isn''t that what love is? Being addicted to someone? The universe isn''t a black and white place, Seeth. Look. I''m speaking frankly here -¡± She pressed hard on Seeth''s shoulders. ¡°Fuck the universe. Look at what it did to us. Look at what it took from us. We don''t owe anyone an ounce of remorse or compassion. Life isn''t fair. I understand that you''re still coming around to our new way of life, but you just need to embrace it. You''ve hardly even decorated your chamber! You don''t smile or enjoy yourself like me or Moltezz, or even Plasia...¡± Leech softened her tone a little, but continued to rub her shoulders. ¡°We need - I need you to get more involved. Just look around! Just look at all we''ve managed to accomplish here, this place was a derelict shell before we arrived, but now... we¡¯re definitely redecorating your chamber.¡± Leech said firmly. ¡°Spice up your room!¡±


    ¡°I don''t care about any of that stuff, Leech...¡± Seeth sighed loudly, holding her head in her hands. ¡°I don''t know what I want... I don''t know who I am anymore.¡±


    ¡°You used to care, Seeth¡­ Is this all because of Diego, or....¡± Leech stopped rubbing her shoulders and knelt by her friend''s side instead. ¡°Or is this¡­ something else bothering you?¡±


    Seeth quickly glanced around, ensuring her thoughts could be shared in safety.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me started on Moltezz. She just wants everything, all of the time. She has so many Marks already and still, she wants Diego.¡±


    ¡°Greedy bitch, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°So are you though.¡± Seeth sighed.


    ¡°Pfft! Compared to her I am practically a charity!¡± Leech laughed. ¡°And besides, if you didn''t want me to¡­ You know I wouldn''t, right?¡±


    Seeth paused for a few seconds, thinking, grinding her teeth together.


    ¡°Why are we even doing any of this, Leech? Like, all of it? I don¡¯t want to conquer anyone. I don¡¯t want any of this. What the fuck is my life right now?¡±


    ¡°Hey-hey-hey! That''s enough of that, calm yourself down.¡± Leech spoke softly, resting her hands on Seeth''s enclosed fists. ¡°Sometimes¡­ Sometimes it doesn¡¯t make sense to me either. But this is working for us! Look what we¡¯ve been able to achieve together, right? Nobody commands us anymore, we¡¯re doing our own thing and we¡¯re succeeding!¡±


    ¡°... Apart from Moltezz.¡±


    Leech placed a hand on her thigh and knelt in silence for a moment, then raised her head and looked Seeth in the eye. ¡°I think you need to get some fresh air. Alone. Promise me you''ll go out on a hunt tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Leech, I don''t know if that''s -¡±


    ¡°Just listen for a second!¡± Leech said sternly.  ¡°You need some air, you need a little time away from this guy, this place, so you can actually have your own thoughts. Go on a hunt, the adrenaline and fresh air will clear your head, help you figure stuff out. I hate seeing you like this and¡­¡± Leech hesitated. ¡°...I really need your support, Seeth.¡±


    Seeth thought for a few seconds, watching her friend closely, then sighed reluctantly.


    ¡°Alright. I''ll go on a hunt tomorrow.¡±


    Maybe she¡¯s onto something, maybe she¡¯s right¡­


    Although no matter how much she repeated it in her head, conflicting thoughts and feelings continued to bounce around her mind.


    ¡°Good! We''ll talk after and see how you''re faring then. I reckon you''ll be right back to your old self in no time!¡± Leech grinned, patting Seeth on the back, hard.


    ¡°Yeah... We''ll see, I guess...¡±


    *


    Try as she might, Trent was fast, and Susie could not gain any ground on him. They ran from room to room, bounding over furniture, trying to keep low and quiet as not to alert the Controllers to their chase.


    Slowly though, Susie began to lose her patience; her time was limited, and she grew more and more desperate as her thoughts filled with Seeth. The fox could see it clear as day; she was losing it, her mind and common sense was degenerating, quickly. Her plan wasn''t going to work. She couldn''t catch Trent. But, she could still kill him.


    Their chase took Trent into an empty lounge, he scanned the room, quickly looking for his next move. Susie was hot on his tail but, just as she rounded the corner into the room, they both froze. Heavy, thudding footsteps shook the stone floors; someone was coming. Sensing the danger, they both dived for the nearest cover as Moltezz¡¯s fiery form entered through the doorway, her eyes scanning the room suspiciously.


    Susie was closer to the exit, hiding behind a dark wood dresser unit. Trent was crouched up behind an armchair in the far corner of the room. They both remained silent and still, heads down as not to look at her directly - they knew if you were looking at them directly - listening for any movement.


    Moltezz stood still in the centre of the lounge, her eyes narrowing as she sensed something was happening. But she remained quiet, and simply surveyed the room bathed in a tense silence, listening closely, very closely. Fuck, she knows¡­Trent held his breath, as did Susie who had come to the same realisation.


    The alien towered in the middle of the room, an intimidating obelisk, waiting patiently. She had already won, and she knew it. Trent felt his lungs ache from their chase, desperate for air as his heart pounded in his chest. He struggled against the pain, desperate not to give up his position, knowing what it meant if Susie got the chance to slip away...


    He slowly let out his breath, as quietly as possible and took another, but he wasn''t quiet enough. The alien turned directly to his hiding spot, striding over with a menacing grin on her face. Susie took the opportunity and bolted for the door, but in her haste, she knocked into the dresser. It rocked forward and crashed against the floor. Moltezz spun around, frowning now, and caught a glimpse of the girl''s tail leaving the door. She quickly marched over to investigate but didn''t give chase; by the time she''d reached the corridor, Susie was already gone.


    Moltezz turned back to the armchair, the smugness returning to her face as she yanked it away from the wall¡­ revealing nothing but an empty corner.


    Trent had slipped out through the other door while Moltezz¡¯s back was turned, but he already knew that it wouldn¡¯t do him any good. He couldn''t get back to Seeth''s chambers without passing by her. He cursed under his breath.


    I have to do something¡­ Even if it means getting punished by Moltezz, I can¡¯t just let an innocent man die¡­


    *


    Susie grinned to herself, clutching the knife tightly against her chest; it was all coming together. She arrived back at Seeth''s chamber to see the door as they¡¯d left it. Peering around its metal body, it revealed Diego as he was previously, sound asleep. She looked around to ensure no one was coming, but all seemed to be quiet, so she padded into the room without making a sound, and sat on the bed next to him, taking in his features.


    ¡°I don''t see what''s so special about you... Seeth would be far better off with someone like me. I was here before you. I was her first Mark, y¡¯know. I''m special to her. You''re just a nobody.¡± She raised the blade and rested it against her own face. ¡°M-Maybe it was self-defence? I can¡¯t trust Trent to get anything right, after all¡­ Maybe I just innocently wanted to see her, and you attacked me? I-I just had a knife on me... just in case...¡± Desperation took hold as she tried to make her story make sense -  but nothing made sense these days, not since being locked down here. The only thing that made sense was Seeth.


    She looked over his sleeping form again, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. Was she nervous about killing a man? Or just nervous about killing him right? She didn''t know. But she did know she wanted to leave. Her body was poised at the edge of the bed, tail flicking towards the door, but she couldn''t take her eyes off the lizard¡¯s body - no, not his body, but the slime on it; Seeth. She gently rolled a finger in some of the goop on his arm and brought it to her nose, inhaling deeply. Her legs wobbled and her eyes rolled to the back of her head; that smell was irresistible.


    Her face turned sour again as she wiped the slime away.


    ¡°It''s not fair. I won''t be denied any-fucking-longer.¡±


    She roughly prodded the male''s sleeping form, almost like she was trying to stab him with her fingers, but he still didn''t stir... Fine. She took a final breath, grasping the blade with both hands and standing above him. She held the blade high, exhaled loudly and then drove it down -


    Something grabbed her hands from behind. Two large purple fists were gripped around the blade, as it hovered mere inches from Diego''s neck.


    ¡°S-Seeth!¡± Susie gasped in happiness, and twisted so that she could face her Controller. Her happiness was short lived, however; Seeth was towering over her, holding her arms firmly, her face beyond furious. Seeth quickly glanced at Diego, but seeing him unharmed, went back to the stuttering girl in her grasp.


    ¡°I-I missed you Seeth! Will you f-fuck me now? Plea-¡± Her face contorted into a hollow gasp as Seeth crunched her wrists like a single squeeze, the knife tumbling free. In the blink of an eye, her grip suddenly snapped around the feline''s chest.


    She picked Susie up like a doll and began to crush the life out of her, squeezing her ribs with tremendous force. The feline couldn''t struggle out another word, the grip around her was too tight, too strong, her body went limp in Seeth''s overwhelming grasp.


    Seeth¡¯s mind was in overdrive. What if she hadn¡¯t made it back in time? What would she have come back to? The thought of him cold, lifeless, gone¡­


    Over and over those images played; beside herself in fury she continued to crush, the sound of bones splintering, cracking, crunching, repeatedly rang out around her room.


    What was left in her hands no longer resembled the young girl who¡¯d stood in her room only moments ago.


    In the doorway, both Leech and Moltezz were watching Seeth closely. Moltezz had Trent slung over her shoulder, bound and gagged. Leech was smirking with satisfaction.


    ¡°There¡¯s the girl I know.¡± She cackled, loving the scene. ¡°Well done, Seeth. That was an amazing display!¡±


    The purple alien ground her teeth together and dropped what was left of Susie onto the floor with a wet slap. With a slight flick of her fingers a squad of monochrome figures quickly appeared and set to work, removing the body, cleaning Seeth''s hands and tidying up the room. On Moltezz''s shoulder, Trent breathed a sigh of relief; this place was dangerous enough without Marks murdering each-other. He dreaded to think what Moltezz had planned for him that evening, but she seemed pleased, so maybe it wouldn¡¯t be too bad. His eyes met with the sleepy lizard for a brief moment as Diego finally woke up. With a quiet whine he yawned and stretched, quite unaware of the danger he¡¯d just been in. He smiled wide at Seeth, and reached his arms out towards her. As she sat down beside him however, he finally noticed the other two Controllers in the doorway, watching him. He froze as Seeth lovingly rubbed his neck and ears.


    How many of you lot are there?!


    Seeth¡¯s anger was quickly fading away. She looked over at Moltezz with glassy eyes and a grateful expression.


    ¡°Thank you, Moltezz... if you hadn''t told me... I only just caught the blade in time...¡±


    ¡°No need to thank me, Seeth! Loyalty is everything, I would never stand for such a barbaric display.¡± She stared down at the bloody-stained floor in disdain. ¡°Although, one could say¡­ you owe me, Seeth?¡± Moltezz grinned, tilting her head with a knowing look.


    ¡°I suppose¡­ I do...¡± She already knew where this was going. She sighed loudly and obviously, inviting Moltezz into the chamber. Leech''s gaze flickered from seeth to Diego, and the pair made eye contact for a long, deliberate second, before she turned and left, without a word.


    ¡°Don''t be like that, Seeth! It''ll be fun. Bring your man down to my chambers in a couple of hours.¡± She entered the room and sat on the other side of Diego, Trent still hanging over her shoulder. ¡°Goodness... he is quite the succulent slab of fuck, isn''t he?¡± She watched him closely, and he warily eyed her back. Considering that Seeth had had nothing but her way with him for the last three days, he was surprisingly alert. ¡°I think we''ll have some fun later, I''ll round up Plasia too, and we''ll ensure his every need is catered for... I know what you want, Seeth. We''ll get him settled, don''t you worry.¡± Moltezz winked at her and stood, deciding not to waste any more time. ¡°When we''re done, this gorgeous little hunk will never want to leave your side. Ever.¡±

 Chapter 5 - Sowing the Seeds

    ¡°If what you say is true, Oxyi¡­ then we all need to leave immediately! We''re completely outnumbered by those creatures and they¡¯re pushing their way deeper into the town with every passing night.¡± There was a murmur of agreement from the crowd within the hall. ¡°Your friend was right; you need to leave, too. See if you can find some mercs to come and help you rescue him if you must, but as it stands now, there is no way we have any possibility of solving this ourselves.¡± The vice-mayor flicked his fingers, and the few remaining council guards began to pack their goods up around the town hall.


    Earlier that morning Oxyi had managed to call an emergency meeting and, more importantly, convince everyone left of the danger they were in.  The footage she¡¯d taken on her camera clearly showed the thousands of monochrome figures shambling through the forest after her and Diego, and then, the appearance of the much larger alien creatures. Abject shock ran through the sparser than usual crowd as they watched the footage with horror, of Oxyi and Diego running through the pitch black forest, the creatures coming at them at every angle. They couldn¡¯t help but imagine themselves, if they¡¯d been in the same situation¡­


    ¡°Vice-mayor! Vince... I can''t leave him behind... I don''t know what to do. We can''t just... we have guns! In the armoury, in shops down on Fifth, there''s still a few hundred of us left! We can mount a resistance and push back, I know it!¡± Oxyi pleaded to the council, glassy eyed and shaking slightly under the weight of her gear. The vice-mayor shook his head and gave Oxyi a sorrowful look.


    ¡°Oxyi... This isn''t a fight we can win. Most of the people here aren''t combat trained - they were the first to be taken... I''m sorry about your friend, I really am, but I can''t ask the remaining people to risk their hides to mount a rescue operation for a stranger.¡± He turned off the display showing Oxyi''s camera feed and gently placed the tape in her hands. ¡°You should take this and go to the Prion Eighth station.¡± He paused for a second, then pulled a small metal card out of his pocket and passed it to Oxyi. ¡°Use whatever is left in the city¡¯s funds to buy yourself a force. I can''t imagine there''s much left after all the repair work we did this summer but... it''s something.¡± He patted her gently on the shoulder, and left the room with his remaining guards to pack up.


    She took the card and placed it in her pocket, stifling back tears. Behind her, the crowd were making their own preparations to leave, quickly, rushing back home to gather their belongings and take whatever could be sold, and formulating plans for where they''d live now. She didn''t blame them, but she couldn''t stifle the fury, the injustice building in her chest. Her hands balled up into fists. She pushed through the crowd and made her way back out onto the deserted street. There was nothing further to gain here, but there was no way Oxyi was abandoning ship quite yet.


    *


    Shackled and bound, the cells were filled with the tinny, rattling, disruptive ambiance of a hundred pairs of shackles and chains, every prisoner adding to the metallic cacophony as they rattled and shook their limbs. It was an unpleasant sound, like a droning background conversation that''s too loud and disruptive. It was nigh impossible to hold a thought around them, and yet... Yet when she entered the room, you could hear water dripping down the walls with perfect clarity.


    Moltezz''s quarters were far larger than that of her cohorts, by her own self-declared needs and her demands. She¡¯d had massive prison cells built into the room, full of Marks for her choosing. She was a queen of filth and desire after all ¨C choice was an absolute must. The d¨¦cor alternated between tortuous and bare when it came to the cells, and brilliantly lavish, with richly decorated walls and fixings when it came to areas that Moltezz liked to hang around in. In the centre of her chamber was her throne of sin and sex, surrounded by instruments of pleasure and a litany of restraining devices. A massive red flag was hung against the back wall that looked like it was ever so slightly smouldering.


    She strutted through her prison pen, but this time she wasn¡¯t here to pick someone, rather she was here to drop off one of her favourites. The fox had proven to be really quite good at escaping his cell and Moltezz quite enjoyed their game of cat and mouse, catching him and taking him to her personal chambers afterwards, and making a meal of his body.


    Trent would be lying if he said it didn''t feel good, but that really wasn''t the point; he wasn''t going to spend the rest of his days being this alien''s cock-sleeve, and that was that. But his determination to escape just fuelled the filthy queen more, and more attention was the last thing he needed while he was scoping the place out for an escape.


    She carried him to the centre of the room and with grace and power, she lifted him off her shoulder and quickly restrained him, securing the metal bands around his wrists and ankles. She pulled off his gag, and spoke.


    ¡°Awh, Trent... You did such a brave thing back there. Giving yourself up willingly to tell me about that attempt on Diego''s life.¡± She softly touched his cheek and ran a finger down his chin. Her touch was frighteningly warm, and the gesture made Trent¡¯s fur stand on end. ¡°It''s unlikely Seeth will reward you for all your hard work, and I really am sorry about that... I will, though...¡± She winked slyly at him, slowly falling onto her knees before him, resting at slightly above eye level with the fox, who began to blush. ¡°Your queen always rewards loyalty...¡± She leaned in close to him, breath hot on his fur, her mouth just grazing his ear and sending pleasant tingles through his entire upper body¡­ when she pulled away. ¡°But later.¡± She stood, laughing to herself as she saw her influence, his aching arousal on full display. The other prisoners remained deathly silent as she laughed, but continued to watch intently, as though their lives depended on it.


    ¡°You stay there now, Trent. I promise I''ll make you feel amazing later, if you can stand my heat. Tsk, what am I saying? I know you can.¡± She gestured dismissively at the prisoners, all of whom were watching her every movement with obsessive detail. ¡°The rest of you, take note! Loyalty to your queen will be rewarded! But for now, I have a man to break in.¡±


    *


    Diego was still drowsy but finally awake, the pleasure of the previous three days was beginning to fade and sense was returning to him. As absolutely lovely as Seeth was, he was becoming increasingly aware of what she was attempting to do to him. Her charms were incredibly difficult to resist with a clear mind, never-mind a sexually engaged one.


    Currently nestled between her unbelievable breasts, they cuddled rather sweetly together, but it did make Diego wonder what exactly was in store for him, as they''d been relaxing together now for about an hour or so. She gently played with his hair and ears, gliding her soft fingers over his skin with care and attention, actively feeling his features in a sensual, enjoyable fashion. Had this been anywhere but a mysterious dungeon, this would have been heaven once again. A soft sigh from behind him brought Diego out of his thoughts.


    ¡°You... okay, Seeth? Not getting bored of me already?¡±


    ¡°NO! No. Nothing like that. Don''t be silly. I just- I have a lot going through my head right now.¡± Her hand ran down his chest, feeling his heartbeat. ¡°My cohorts have been very interested in you.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± He wasn''t sure if he was excited or terrified at the thought. ¡°What does that mean for me?¡±


    ¡°It means I''ll be taking you to meet Moltezz very soon. She informed me that someone was -¡± Seeth paused for a brief moment, pondering something rather deeply. ¡°- in my chambers... and I owe her for that. So we''re going to see her, and Plasia too, and I''ll introduce you.¡±


    ¡°What about if I just want to stay with you?¡± He whined, a smirk on his face. He twisted to try and gauge her reaction. He was trying to work out what level of control the two of them had, over each-other, and compared to the others. Diego couldn''t see her expression, however; Seeth¡¯s breasts made sure of that, but his words made her quite euphoric. A massive smile erupted over her face, but she shook herself out of it and, realising she''d been quiet for a few seconds in appreciation, tried to speak.


    ¡°Yo - I mean¡­ Yea- I just - W-What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, what if I would prefer to stay with you tonight?¡±


    ¡°T-Tonight?¡±  Her own heart thumped loudly in her chest, butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Diego felt her tone shift slightly then, she still sounded happy, but there was something else; she sounded thoughtful. ¡°That''s very cute of you, Diego, and I promise it''ll be just us most of the time, but I owe Moltezz. It''ll be fun, I can assure you.¡± At least, I hope it will be¡­ She nibbled on his ear and he blushed bright red, her hands feeling across his chest and muscles.


    Too soon, the time came where Diego was blindfolded again gently and lifted into Seeth¡¯s arms as they made their way through the dungeon. He was at war with himself once again, stuck between knowing that she was obviously trying to prevent his escape, and absolutely loving every second of attention from her - which was strange. He was usually better than this¡­ Appeasing both sides of the argument however, he knew he was in no position to mount an escape attempt yet, and still desperately needed more information. Seeth wouldn''t spill a word on what was going on here, and she was very careful not to reveal anything to him, but this place reeked of something dark and dangerous, no matter her attempts to conceal it.


    Eventually, they reached their destination and he was placed onto his front, strapped down onto what he assumed to be a table, and left awfully exposed. This might have panicked him, if not for Seeth¡¯s constant whispering into his ear, reassuring him he was safe, and to trust her. His ears pricked as he tried to get a sense of his surroundings, listening out for any noises in the background around him, but it was so difficult to remain focused with her silky voice calming him. He could hear something though, the clinking of metal chains dragging against each other¡­ shackles, he was absolutely sure of it.


    ¡°Oh my goodness, Seeth... Look at him! This will be fun.¡± A loud, dominating voice cut through the air and Diego¡¯s heart leapt. His blindfold was removed to reveal the Crimson Queen herself standing in front of him, Seeth right beside her, and another, smaller alien, with a collar around her neck, kneeling down before them. The aliens before him were quite the sight to behold. Diego¡¯s eyes bounced between the hyper-sexual, ultra-curvaceous forms of the towering creatures that were all eying him up in their own unique ways. Amethystine and pristine, Seeth stood to the left, as strong and voluptuous as ever. Moltezz stood next to her, a little taller and playfully plucking the straps of her corset, unveiling herself slowly in a tantalising fashion, more and more of her glistening ruby body appearing with every movement of her fingers. Her smouldering, fierce eyes demanded his attention, partly out of fear, but mostly sheer desire. Finally, there was the new, third alien, on her knees beside Moltezz, clad in loose fitting robes rather than the armoured corsets the others all seemed to wear. She was brilliantly sapphire, saturated and sweet, with big orb-like puppy dog eyes that begged for attention. Below that, her curvaceous body was bubbling with all the same sweet seduction as Seeth¡¯s; plump and beautiful, but deeply powerful.


    As he took the three of them in, Moltezz walked forward and crouched down to his eye level, coming right up to his face. ¡°Such a sweetie boy... How can one be so handsome, and yet so cute? What a find!¡±


    Moltezz reached forward and roughly grabbed a handful of Diego¡¯s hair, pulling it sharply. Diego¡¯s eyes snapped back to hers, a deep growl emanating from his throat.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Oh, and some fight in him! As if it couldn¡¯t get any better.¡± She released his hair and stared deep into his eyes. ¡°This... this is going to be brilliant. Worry not Seeth, he''s never going to want to leave us, after we''re through with him.¡±


    Hazard Warning Level 3 (RED) ¨C Corruption detected ¨C Caution Advised


    ¡°Do you know what you''re strapped to?¡± Moltezz remained close to his face, staring deep into his eyes. ¡°This is a milking table. You''re going to be milked.¡± She sounded half threatening, half enticing. ¡°Everyone in this room is going to do exactly what I say or I will make you suffer. But if you do what I say, when I say it, I promise you-¡± as she spoke, the room began to warm intensely. ¡°-You will cum harder than you could possibly imagine. You think you know pleasure? You know nothing.¡±


    She stood and returned to her alien companions, whispering something to Seeth before grabbing the blue one''s leash quite firmly, who looked rather scared but still couldn''t stop watching him.


    ¡°This is Plasia. She is unstable and difficult to work with, but she''s in a submissive composure at the moment. Both you and her are the cattle today, Diego. But you are more important than her, she will serve you for now.¡± She reached down and gently squeezed the girl''s face, smushing her pretty lips together and making them purse outwards. ¡°Look at these kissable, fuckable lips Diego. Isn''t she gorgeous? Plasia is such a softy, I can tell she has a huge crush on you.¡± Moltezz dragged the now identified Plasia towards him but continued past his head, positioning her under the table. The male felt something shift on the table he was strapped to and his manhood fell through a hole, allowing his cock and balls to dangle freely underneath the table.


    ¡°She''s got an erection already, Diego. She wants to fuck your tight little tailhole but i''m not going to let her. She didn''t do as she was asked, she didn''t serve me. So now, she gets to serve.¡± Moltezz pulled the pretty creature under the table and brought her face right up to the male''s dangling dick, continuing to purse her lips and pushed her towards the waiting manhood. ¡°Cute isn''t it, Plasia? You''re going to wrap your plump lips around this dick and you''re going to drink every ounce of his seed, if I see you come up for air before his first load, i''ll fuck you. If Diego says you''re doing a bad job, i''ll fuck you. If I don''t hear him moaning, i''ll fuck you. If you don''t make Seeth jealous, i''ll fuck you. Do you understand?¡±


    The blue girl nodded, a mixed cocktail of feelings coursing through her, both terrified of Moltezz but eager to please the man strapped to the table.


    ¡°Good. Put those soft lips of yours to use and swallow him whole. You may not touch yourself either until he''s cum at least once. Now, onto Seeth.¡±


    Moltezz came out from under the table and left Plasia with the dangling manhood, Diego''s slightly shiny dick was already at a semi from anticipation and now it was just her and it... her silky fingers ran over its length, stroking the sides of it. She swallowed nervously but watching the dick rapidly harden from just a slight touch was all the encouragement she needed to push on. She rubbed her thumbs over the tip and head and watched him twitch again, a smile growing over her cute face...


    Seeth was intently watching what she could of Plasia''s actions but was snapped out of it by the approaching Moltezz, who held her hand out to guide Seeth into the swiftly growing action.


    ¡°Gorgeous Seeth, cold and mysterious, finally she finds someone she likes and must I say it? What a man! Every second I spend in his presence causes my desire to grow, what a charming little creature he is. Now, I have Plasia acting as his cum dump, one of us simply must devour and fill his rear.¡±


    Seeth''s eyes widened at the thought, as they spoke, they heard him moan causing Seeth''s breathing to become heavier, her desire was aching across her chest as she heard Plasia slurp loudly from beneath the table.


    ¡°Question is, Seeth, do you want his front or his back?¡± Moltezz watched intently as Seeth bit her lip and wondered which she would prefer, but after a few short seconds, she picked quite firmly.


    ¡°Back. I want his ass.¡± Seeth ordered, playing it cool but desperate to be with him.


    ¡°Then his ass, you shall have. Come, let us warm him up...¡±


    The two girls walked around to the back of the table and kneeled down together, at this point, Plasia had decided to go all out, ripping off her robes and accepting the males rock hard manhood into her mouth and was currently pumping her soft lips up and down the entire length, her own throbbing dick was erect and pleading for attention between her thick thighs but she dared not touch it under Moltezz''s orders...


    Seeing Diego''s exposed tailhole between his cute buttocks and his currently unloved balls gave both the remaining alien mistresses an idea though and soon, both Moltezz and Seeth pressed their faces up against his body. Moltezz pressed her head right into his ass and lapped at his rear whilst Seeth slurped both his balls into her mouth and sucked on them gently, causing pre to leak from his dick as he received copious amounts of attention.


    The blissful feeling of warm alien maw wrapped around his genitals was quite enough on its own, but Moltezz''s long, surprisingly hot tongue had a warming sensation to it as she pushed it into his butt gently, eliciting an embarrassed moan from the male. Stubbornly however, he didn''t cum. He knew what they were doing and so he resisted as much as he could, clenching as hard as he could to fight back the building climax. After a couple more minutes of intense sucking, slurping and licking, Seeth and Moltezz both pulled off and stood, quite happy with their pre-fuck warm up.


    ¡°You know what to do, Seeth... Let him have it...¡± She grinned, leaving Seeth with the pleasure of her lover''s ass to plunder as she saw fit. Moltezz sauntered back to the front of the table and kneeled in front of Diego, slowly removing the corset as she watched him closely. He was panting, tongue hanging slightly from his maw, lust laden eyes watching Moltezz with curiosity but occasionally closing tightly as Plasia sucked hard on him, trying to free him of his seed.


    Behind him, Seeth roughly pumped her thick cock in anticipation, already leaking tons of lube goo and pre from it, she lifted his tail and pressed the tip against his moist entrance, watching his hair stand on end as he felt the tip tease him agonisingly.


    Moltezz could tell he was trying to resist as hard as he could and a wicked grin fell upon her pretty face. She finished unbuckling the corset and removed it in one swift motion, revealing her full figure to the male, she wasn''t too dissimilar to Seeth, with a beautiful thickness and muscularity to her but cloaked in finest, fiery ruby. She was smaller in the breast area than Seeth, but still packing a bust on completely unreasonable proportions. Diego was briefly pulled back to reality as his eyes landed on her manhood¡­


    HOLY SHIT, THAT''S NOT GONNA FIT ANYWHERE!


    It was absolutely gigantic.


    It was a fierce, powerful tool that looked like it had milked many an orgasm from its victims, or failing that, beat them to death¡­ It was just plump enough to be sexy, but with a threatening aura that almost made you want to bow to it out of fear alone. Whether or not that was a good idea¡­ was yet to be seen.


    His thoughts were stolen away again as Seeth was rubbing the tip of her own thick tool up and down the lizard''s butt but was waiting for the right moment to penetrate... Plasia stepped her efforts up, placing her lips firmly around the head of his cock and pumping the shaft quickly, her tremendously long snake-like tongue emerged from her lips, sliding under his dick and curling around his balls, coating them thickly in sticky neon-blue saliva that mixed with Seeth''s from earlier and finally, he couldn''t take it anymore, he began to orgasm and pumped a creamy load of seed into the waiting maw of Plasia... this might have been the end of some peoples sex sessions but for this lot, this was just the beginning.


    Diego''s cute moan was the signal Seeth was looking for and without hesitation, she pushed her fat purple meat into his ass, slowly sinking each lubed up, girthy inch into him, a deep bliss washing through both of them as their hips met with a gentle, melting bump.


    The effect was immediate and powerful, his in progress orgasm intensified tremendously and yet more seed oozed forth, which Plasia gulped down hungrily as if her life depended on it, her own initial shyness was now completely rubbed away and she deeply desired to please him more. With his first load blown, she now had permission to touch herself and she did so eagerly, grabbing her own more modestly sized dick and jerking it as she moaned into his dick and pressed her soft, gorgeous lips down to the base of his cock.


    At his front, Moltezz squished her massive breasts together, forming a huge cleavage and pushed it into Diego''s face, burying him in a mountain of ruby tit, it was very hot to the touch, almost scoldingly so but intensely enjoyable, finding one of her tender nipples, she teased it towards his face and moaned loudly when it landed in his warm mouth.


    ¡°Such a good boy... you''re doing amazing... stick with us and we''ll all feel like this forever...¡± She ran her hands through his hair and played with his ears lovingly as he lapped and licked at the engorged nipple in his mouth. ¡°You want to be our slut forever, don''t you?¡± She swapped nipples, making sure to rub as much of her tits against his face as she did so, grinning evilly as she watched his lust broken face seize up again and blow another cum load under the table right into Plasia''s hungry face.


    Seeth began to pound at his ass repeatedly, her heavy fucking shaking the whole table as she drove her love rod into him over and over, copious amounts of goo and cum dripping onto the floor as she groped her own gigantic breasts and wiggled her hips in delight, pressing deep into him. Soon, whatever was left in the male''s pleasure wracked body began to ooze out in a constant dribble from his dick, with occasional thicker bursts as Seeth continued to plough him. The image of her own much wider hips and long, thick cock pressing up against his smaller tush was driving her dominating instinct wild, purple on black, a mistress using her toy.


    Moltezz pulled her tits back and came a little closer, placing her fingers gently in his mouth which he also sucked on without a second thought, filling her with delight.


    ¡°Oh my... such a good boy... you want to please your Queen?¡± Suddenly, Moltezz''s absurdly huge dick appeared in front of him and she roughly shoved it into his mouth, but he was far too pleasure consumed to even try and resist, her dick was so thick and heavy that it barely fit within his mouth, his jaw stretching wide to accommodate the powerful invader, she grabbed his head to keep him still and pumped her tool back and forth slowly, using his head more akin to another fuck hole rather than a blow-job, it seemed like Moltezz was too lust consumed to continue with the playful act of earlier.


    Under him, Plasia finally pulled her warm, gooey mouth off his manhood and laid on her back, thrusting her hips up so her own dick laid parallel to his and she jerked them both off together. Whispering ¡°Cum on me-cum on me-cum on me¡± over and over again quietly as she bucked her hips upwards and rejoiced at the feeling of her dick rubbing up against his. Her dreams came true as yet more seed leaked from his knob and dripped onto her belly, causing her to cum as well, drenching the bottom of the table, his dick and her own belly and tits with significant amounts of sticky blue alien cum.


    Moltezz blew shortly after, her sharp thrusts into his throat causing a swelling load of extremely hot jizz to blast into him, it stung greatly at first but changed into a deeply satisfying warm glow within him as she roughly pulled her meat free of his maw with a loud pop as the seal broke. Seeth, who''d been firing off load after load into her lover continued to do so, driving all 13 inches of beautiful alien meat deep to the hilt with wild abandon... It was too much for him, Plasia frotting and jerking him, Seeth pumping deep into his ass, Moltezz using his mouth and throat like a fuck toy... he was in sex heaven but this was too much pleasure for a single person to handle and he blacked out after firing god knows how many loads over Plasia who was mashing her tits together in sheer pleasure and jerking their dicks together hard and fast. He was completely drained dry, his body desperately trying to find more cum to dump out and found nothing remaining, it would have been agonising if it wasn''t so pleasurable.


    The fucking continued for a couple of hours, Diego floating in and out of consciousness until everyone had had their fill. Plasia laid under the table, panting heavily, covered in her own and Diego''s cum. Seeth pulled her cock out finally with a loud slurping noise and fell backwards, needing to sit for a few minutes and Moltezz stood back, proud, surveying the scene as her cock dribbled out lashings of thick orange seed over the floor. The dungeon flooring was completely plastered in various different coloured goos and cum, dripping loudly from the used man as they all sat around, all that could be heard was the dripping liquids and the furious panting of the group.


    Advisory End


    ¡°I think, with a bit of training... some dietary adjustments and perhaps some help from Leech, we can get this man to the height of absolute pleasure. I simply must sample his rear sometime, Seeth, you looked like you were in heaven!¡±


    The aliens continued to talk. Through the euphoric blur of pleasure and sex Diego tried to understand what they were saying; they were trying to break him, he knew that much, but he still couldn¡¯t see the bigger picture - why were they kidnapping people, and what were they turning them into? Although this sort of sex was without doubt, the best he''d ever had, it wasn''t going to stop him from finding out exactly what was happening, and putting an end to it if need be. But for the moment, he was at their mercy and thankfully, Seeth seemed intent on looking after him.


    He came to properly a little later in a shower room with Seeth, who was washing him down gently, admiring every inch of his body as she did so.


    ¡°Hey, Seeth....¡± He was tired and aching but still felt incredible all over.


    ¡°Diego! I was wondering when you''d wake up!¡±


    He slowly blinked and looked about, and noticed that Plasia was also in the shower room, washing herself down. Seeth saw him looking over at her. ¡°I... felt bad for Plasia and said she could stay with us for the night, seeing as she did such a good job with you...¡±


    Plasia looked over and gave the pair a nervous yet grateful smile, then turned away as she continued to shower, Diego''s eyes fixated on her butt as the bubbles were washed away. How the hell am I still horny after all that?! What¡¯s going on with me?


    ¡°Listen, Diego. I... won''t be here tomorrow. I need to pop out to... to do... to do some... stuff... So I''m asking Plasia to stay with you in my chambers and keep you company. Is that okay?¡±


    He nodded and placed a hand of Seeth''s face, rubbing her cheek lovingly. The warm steam and soft droplets of water were already cleansing away the sins of the last few hours, leaving Diego exposed to what the next day would have in store for him.


    Soon enough, all three were cleaned off and Diego was escorted back to Seeth''s bed by the two towering aliens, a platter of food waiting for them. As he walked back, sandwiched between the two beautifully plump, curvaceous, loving creatures, a forbidden thought seeped into his mind; he wondered if he should bother resisting at all... Tonight he would go to sleep, surrounded by tempting, bountiful, exotic lovers, pinned by pleasure¡­


    Little did Diego know that  all hell was about to break loose, and it was coming straight for his chamber.

 Chapter 6 - The Truth

    Diego yawned a quiet whine, slowly stirring beneath the silken quilts. As he came to, a deep muscular ache began to fill his body. He had to admit, there was some satisfaction to be gained from the pain, but there was something much larger nagging at the front of his mind. His jaw ached too, slack and heavy in his head, a direct reminder of exactly what was troubling him. He grumbled and blinked his eyes open, to see Seeth''s eagerly waiting for him. A small smile crept over her face, but he didn''t smile back. Instead, his tired gaze slowly steeled into a glare, and Seeth¡¯s smile faded into a look of concern.


    ¡°Hey... Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­ no. I''m kinda not.¡± Diego rolled off her front and onto the bed. He turned away, only to be immediately met with Plasia, who was sitting against the wall, watching him closely with her large, curious eyes.


    Fucking hell, there''s no getting away from this lot, is there? He thought, rolling his eyes in frustration. There no privacy in this world anymore?!


    ¡°Why? Did you sleep badly?¡± Seeth blinked and shuffled closer to him.


    ¡°Oh, I slept just fine. It¡¯s nothing really, just that my jaw hurts from... well... Moltezz using my head as a fleshlight.¡± He scowled and sat up, pushing himself towards the headboard and away from both aliens.


    ¡°I can... give you a head massage...? It helps -¡±


    ¡°Not the point, Seeth. Not the fucking point.¡±


    Seeth crossed her legs on the bed and sat forward; it was hard to tell exactly what she was thinking as her face adopted a blank expression.


    ¡°So... what is the point then? You seemed to be enjoying yourself yesterday when you emptied your balls into Plasia''s mouth.¡± Plasia blushed deeply at Seeth¡¯s words, and stared down at the floor.


    ¡°The point is that you put me in a position yesterday where I couldn''t say no. You trapped me.¡±


    ¡°The milking table? I thought you''d like -¡±


    ¡°- Are you daft?! I''m not talking about the sodding table! I''m talking about the situation! I had no idea, or say, in what you were leading me into!¡±


    ¡°Y-You came with me willingly!¡± Seeth raised her voice, rapidly shifting her gaze between Diego''s eyes and mouth.


    ¡°Willingly?! You carried me there blindfolded! I¡¯m not here willingly, you fucking kidnapped me! I didn''t want Moltezz to use my face as her personal onahole! Once I was in, there was no out for me! I was strapped down and used a sex toy for god knows how long!¡±


    ¡°But you enjoyed yourself!¡± Seeth protested.


    ¡°I was fucked unconscious! And I had no say in the matter!¡± Diego raised his voice, baring his teeth slightly. ¡°No, you know what I''m upset with? You weren''t thinking of me -¡±


    ¡°- My thoughts were of nothing BUT you! What the fuck are you talking about?!¡± Seeth matched his volume, throwing her arms up into the air in disbelief.


    ¡°Your thoughts weren¡¯t about my well-being though, were they?! You were just feasting on me! Basking in the pleasure! Who cares what I want, as long as you get what you want and I''m ejaculating, everything is perfect with the world, right?!¡±


    ¡°W-Well, what about her?! I don''t see you kicking off at Plasia!¡± Seeth pointed a sharp finger at the blue alien, tears stinging the corners of her eyes. Plasia visibly shrank away from the gesture as a mix of horror and shyness broke over her.


    ¡°Her?!? She was in the exact same situation as me; forced to participate! Moltezz had her on a lead like a dog, on her knees, barking orders at her, I mean, look at her, Seeth! She¡¯s sitting in the corner of your room, wearing goddamn rags! She was in no position to say no to Moltezz, was she, and she still isn¡¯t!¡± Diego clenched his fists tightly.


    Seeth looked over at Plasia, who was nervously fidgeting with her hands and trying to look small, before looking back at Diego, and sighing.


    ¡°Maybe I wasn''t in a position to say no to Moltezz either, Diego.¡± Seeth¡¯s voice suddenly went flat, and her expression turned cold. ¡°But whatever.¡±


    Diego''s face softened a little, but he watched Seeth with a steely concern as she continued.


    ¡°Look, I need to head out for a bit... to prevent this from happening again, it would be safer for you and Plasia to stay in my chambers. Plasia, can you lock the door behind me as I leave? We can talk about this more when I get back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You bet your ass we will.¡± Diego''s eyes narrowed again, staring at Seeth with a mixture of feelings.


    Seeth sighed again, loudly but decided not to respond, standing from the bed and leaving the room. She closed the heavy door behind her, all the while feeling Diego''s gaze burning into her back.


    Amazing. ¡®Break him in,¡¯ said Moltezz. Brilliant idea. He looked so angry, so upset. I can¡¯t deal with this¡­ He was the one thing here in this place that was right! Seeth¡¯s lips twisted into a snarl as she marched down the dungeon corridor, towards the armoury. Ugh! Fucking Moltezz! I had this under control!


    She had no problem with leaving her lizard in Plasia¡¯s company, but their argument had been far from ideal and, although she maintained her stoic composition, her frustration was quickly churning into anxiety.


    This was never going to work, was it..?


    Plasia was under instructions not to let anyone else into her chambers under any circumstances, and she hoped that would be enough to protect him from any further unwanted attention. She worried that the others would try to gang up on him without her there, and Seeth knew that that would be too much for him, especially Leech. Leech could be too much for anyone to deal with.


    Seeth took a stun rifle from the weapon racks and strapped it to her back, then secured an oversized hand cannon (for emergencies only of course) to her thigh. She wrapped a belt of tear gas grenades around her waist, and finally she sheathed a large knife, easily over a foot long, to her waist. Glistening hints of her purple skin peaked out through the black armoured sections of her gear. Now fully equipped, it was time to get the horde out.


    Armed to the teeth and moving with a surreal silence and grace through the echoey halls, Seeth marched out from the armoury, locking it behind her and thrusting the key deep inside her cleavage, safe from idle hands. She proceeded down several of the dungeons'' identical darkstone corridors, but she knew her way around perfectly, and after taking a set of stairs up a few flights, she arrived at the Slave pen. It was a massive, open room that was filled to the brim with monochrome figures of all sizes, sexes and species, most of whom were engaging in some form of sexual activity, or otherwise eating scraps that had been dumped into the room akin to animal slop. All of their eyes were glazed over a dull purple, all their thoughts replaced with one mantra; ¡®fuck, eat and sleep.¡¯ there was nothing inside the husks of these creatures anymore; whoever they once were, they were long gone.


    As Seeth glanced over the horde, the warmth left her body and the new sense of happiness accumulated from her new favourite person drained completely. What remained was a cold, calculating persona.


    This is what we do.


    She barely even gestured towards them, the hundreds of the figures within the room obeyed her very thoughts instantly, ceasing their previous activities and falling into line, before marching out of their crumbling, filthy pen with a forced urgency.


    She allowed them all to leave first and followed from behind, striding up the remaining stairs until she reached the surface, and entered back into the forest where by the monochromatic figures spread themselves out and began to march together. Seeth stood behind them all, watching their movements, watching through their eyes. Tonight, in the dead of night, the city would finally be picked clean.


    *


    ¡°Oh fuck... Oh fuck! OH FUCK! They''re coming, they''re fucking coming! OH shit... I KNEW I should¡¯ve left... OH FUCK! What have I done?!¡± Panic was setting deep into Oxyi as her perimeter alarms all began to sound in her apartment. She''d set up around about a hundred of the damn things around the tree line and every single one of them just sounded in unison. Her heart was pounding in her chest, it felt like it was trying to break free of her ribs...


    ¡°Just one more night I said! Just one more night! Get more intel! Why am I such a prick?! I should have just gone with everyone else!¡± She stared at her homemade surveillance setup in disbelief, the apartment around her even messier than it was just a few days before, yet somehow she''d managed to fill it with more guns and ammo. She¡¯d been busy gathering supplies, setting up surveillance, boarding up the windows, drawing the curtains, reinforcing the doors across the building... From her little HQ, she had a series of makeshift screens on top of one another, balancing precariously, tapping into the city¡¯s CCTV cameras, watching the streets around her with careful attention.


    Her unremarkable second-floor apartment was now the only occupied building in the whole city. Everyone else had left earlier that afternoon with the daily shuttle service, and tomorrow would bring its last.. It was the middle of night, and following the evacuation much of the city¡¯s power had gone offline, although some of the lampposts were powered with a solar battery allowing a limited amount of warm amber light into some of the streets. To Oxyi¡¯s horror, their glow now only served to illuminate the shadows of the horde pouring out of the forest, and flooding into the streets.


    There was no stopping this attack. If she was going to live, she had to remain undetected. Oxyi drew every curtain and flicked off every light, creeping quietly within her apartment block to make sure every door was closed and locked. Every source of noise needed to be silenced, but that meant knocking off her little petrol generator that was keeping the surveillance going... she stood above the rattly little engine and sighed, staring at the off button with deep concern. The figures weren''t on her street yet, but they would be soon... It was going to be a long night. She steadied herself, taking a deep breath and pushing the button. The sputtering machine coughed into silence and the screens behind her flickered and died; the only light now in the apartment was coming from the lamppost outside, shining through the boards and curtains over the windows. Her weapons were loaded, she had several improvised explosive devices ready to blow in the bottom of the building, nothing earth shaking but certainly flesh shredding. She quietly grabbed her shotgun and sat against the wall below the window, clutching her weapon tightly and shaking as the street began to fill with zombie-like entities. From the outside, her block should look like any of the identical ones that filled this street and if she was lucky, they wouldn''t see any reason to look in this one over any of the others...


    A few blocks away, Seeth stalked through the dead cityscape, stun rifle armed and raised, pointed forward, her eyes scanning the buildings around her, trying to pick up any signs of life or movement. Guiding her personal horde, they spread out and listened for any signs of life, yet everything seemed still within the blocks explored. Despite the dead glaze over their eyes, once every so often would cock its head in such a way, and another would look around with a sense of familiarity. Many of her horde used to consider this place home, and now they were back ready to claim those spared the first time to join their wretched drove. It was sickening to think about and Seeth knew it, yet still, she pressed on. After all, this is what they did.


    *


    ¡°So... It¡¯s Plasia, right?¡±


    The alien nodded gently. She was currently perched on the side of the bed, beautiful orb-like, sapphire eyes darting between the floor and Diego¡¯s own purple ones. She shuffled nervously, hands wrapping around each-other endlessly.


    ¡°You seem a little different to the others, Plasia.¡± He was at the head of the bed, resting against it, watching her intently. She seemed shy and nervous, almost scared. But he felt a great conflict in her, it was obvious she wanted to approach him but something was holding her back... both of them were currently in Seeth''s locked chambers, relaxing and letting the night drift by. It seemed a bit odd to him that Seeth had left him in Plasia''s company but at the very least, it gave him a little break and some time to clear his thoughts.


    Diego¡¯s mind darted back to the first day here, and Oxyi''s request for help (although how long ago that was now, Diego couldn¡¯t say.) Somehow, he was now locked up in an alien sex dungeon, he wasn''t sure where his gear was, or what had happened to the missing people, but these creatures were absolutely responsible for it. Plasia nervously shuffled toward him and opened her mouth, trying to summon the courage to say something, but lost nerve halfway through and cut herself off, looking upset with herself.


    Okay, maybe they weren¡¯t all responsible. Plasia could barely muster the courage to speak to him, nevermind go out and kidnap people. He needed to map the place out and figure out what was happening on this planet.


    Or maybe he could stay with Seeth?


    He jolted a little on the spot. How could he think such thoughts, after what she¡¯d just done to him? Eh. Easily, actually. Since he¡¯d arrived here, it was like a huge, heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He hadn¡¯t had to worry about anyone, or anything since he¡¯d arrived, not even himself. Seeth was almost perfect. He had to admit, he hadn¡¯t been expecting to be the smaller one in bed, but she made it work. The sheer ecstasy they''d both been in since his arrival was testimony to that. It was the kind of bliss that built addiction frighteningly quickly. But he knew it wasn''t right. This place wasn''t right, there were dark, dangerous things happening here, and he was sure Leech and Moltezz were the ones behind it.


    If only Seeth kept better company¡­


    As tempting as it was to relax the day away in the company of Plasia and engage in more¡­ pleasurable activities, he needed to get out of here. Plasia attempted once more to say something, but stumbled once again and just mumbled out something quietly under her breath. She looked disappointed with herself, balling her fists up and shaking a little. It was uncomfortable watching her do this, and so Diego decided it was time to take his fate into his own hands.


    ¡°Hey, Plasia. How about... do you want to come onto the bed with me? You look tense, let me give you a little massage maybe?¡± He asked, shyly rubbing the back of his head as he did so. Much to his pleasure though, the girl beamed at him with a great, big smile.


    ¡°S-S-Sure! Wha-What kind?¡± She asked quietly, turning around and crawling onto the bed. She was dressed in a torn little white slip that stretched tightly over her chest and her hips. Just like Seeth¡¯s, Plasia''s body was absurdly sexual, with smooth curves, hips that could kill and a bust that dwarfed Diego¡¯s entire chest, nevermind his head. She had a wonderfully pleasant blue hue to her skin, and not much carapace on her body either, which gave her a very soft, feminine look. As she crawled over, he got a wonderful view of her jiggling cleavage, which he did his utmost not to look at; but her aroma was chipping away at him again, even if she didn¡¯t mean it to. It took every ounce of mental fortitude he had to stay focused; he had a goal in mind.


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Why don''t you put your head between my legs and I''ll give you a... head massage? Those are great for relaxing!¡± He stumbled his way through the sentence with all the grace of a drunk child but once again, the alien nodded happily and did as she was asked, laying between his legs and facing up, brushing her jelly dreadlocks into a comfortable position with the back of her hand. ¡°So... why don''t you tell me about yourself?¡±


    He placed his ebony fingers on her forehead and began to work her soft skin in gentle circular motions, she relaxed instantly, sinking into it. After a couple of seconds she moaned lightly, and instantly panicked, looking up at him as if to say ¡®I''m so sorry!¡¯ like she''d committed some great offence in his presence.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Plasia! Relax! You can make whatever noises you want!¡± He laughed quite genuinely. She was cute, there was no denying that, those large eyes of hers were bewitching. She nodded and relaxed again, taking a deep breath and he began to massage her head once more, rubbing his fingers over the top of her eyes and down her cheeks slowly.


    ¡°S-So, I''m Plasia... uhm... I uhm... Th-That¡¯s nice...¡±


    ¡°You don''t need to speak if you''re happy relaxing, Plas... mind if I call you Plas?¡±


    ¡°Su-Sure... that sounds good...¡± She let out a little moan again as he ran his fingers down to her chin, he''d given plenty of these out before, they worked wonders for relaxing people. The plan was simple: get her to fall asleep and explore this damn place before Seeth got back from whatever she was doing. From how Plasia was reacting, it wouldn''t take too long. The poor girl seemed dreadfully worked up, and he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he wasn¡¯t the only prisoner here.


    *


    The apartment lay in complete silence. The hazy, amber glow of the street-lights outside filtered through the window and onto the last person left in the city, her shaking figure beneath the window frame being the only thing that made this building unique from the thousands of identical abandoned ones around her. Oxyi could hear their steps outside, it sounded like hundreds of the fuckers, shambling about the street. She wasn''t sure how thoroughly they''d search, but it didn''t sound like they were breaking into buildings at the moment.


    Perhaps if things would continue this way, she''d make it to the morning. She calmed herself as best as possible, breathing in slowly through the nose, out through the mouth. Her every movement was slow and precise, as not to bang anything or knock anything over. She would give them no reason to investigate this place. It was far more important she survive this than try to get a body count, as much as she wanted to.


    A quick glance at her watch showed it was still the very early hours of the morning. She would need to hold firm ¨C that was if they actually retreated back in the morning... the thought dawned on her, perhaps they wouldn''t fall back, the city was abandoned after all! They might even set up an ambush for the last planetary ferry... These weren''t comforting thoughts at all!


    Against her better judgement, she slowly rose up the wall, shifting over to take a quick glance outside at the very corner of the window, she brought her eye up and peaked for a second, seeing the street in all its infested glory...


    Whilst there weren''t hundreds in this street, there certainly were a lot. Most of the figures were stripped naked and were oddly unarmed, idly shuffling about and looking around the city. She recognised several of them... there were some old city guards, she was sure of it, she knew those people, but they looked different. Colour drained from their flesh, eyes glazed over, purple and sunken... whoever they once were, they were gone.


    She sank back down slowly, taking more deep breaths. She didn''t know what process led to them being this way, but these people were clearly indoctrinated or infected with something, corrupted perhaps? Marauding through their old homes without a second thought, these people would have given their lives to hold this place before this happened to them. Would this happen to her? A voice from outside jolted Oxyi out of her thoughts.


    ¡°Controller Seeth says we need to move further into the city! March on, Slaves!¡±


    She rose up once more and peaked over the window, catching a quick look at the one barking the orders. This one was... different. Not like the alien creatures, but a cat girl of sorts. She looked like the daughter of a friend she used to work with; she¡¯d had a slight figure, was barely a young adult, who had been training to be a teacher. Now she stood seven feet tall, striding forth in intimidating heels, built from dark, sexual curves, and her body tainted from the ordinary girl she once was and twisted into some sort of mistress-like figure. Her heaving breasts were barely contained within her corset. She looked more like she should have been dancing around a pole or sitting in a guy¡¯s lap, but there she was, marching the streets of this dead city, and commanding an army. The girl disappeared from Oxyi''s view and around the corner, this mistress of hell marching into the night.


    The minutes ached on, one by one. Oxyi¡¯s hands clutched around her shotgun, her eyes remained fixed on the streets. Aside from the occasional order barking out into the night,the city was filled only with the groaning of the horde. The more they poured down the street, the more of them she recognised. There was absolutely no doubt any-more.


    These were the missing people.


    She felt tears well up in the corners of her eyes, she couldn''t explain what had happened to them or why they were acting this way, but despite her fear and confusion. Oxyi remained absolutely determined to try and fix this.


    The night droned on in this fashion, the creatures weren''t bothered about checking the buildings apparently, more focused on scanning the streets instead. They walked up and down the road, sometimes standing idly, other times walking with great haste towards something... she was watching their movements, the way they walked and stood, jerking around like puppets on strings. Oxyi continued to watch through her window with caution, ensuring she was in the shadow at all times and as much of her was concealed as possible, the odd one would cast a glance up towards the windows, but nothing more. It seemed she was safe. Trapped, but safe.


    After another hour or so of watching the monochrome shamblers, something rather alarming caught her eye; a familiar figure was stalking her way up the far street - the giant purple alien that had attempted to ambush Diego! She was creeping up the junction that connected to Oxyi''s street, holding a rifle up high and dressed in an armoured corset. She seemed rather alone too, with no monochrome figures anywhere near her, she stalked further into the city slowly, watching all around her. She currently had her back to Oxyi and was walking away from her flat, heading further into the city''s deserted innards.


    ¡°That bitch... she''s back...¡± Oxyi whispered under her breath, subconsciously feeling for her shotgun as she eyed the alien up, a fresh wave of anxiety and hatred pulsing through her. Her heart raced as the night before flashed through her mind, the alien¡¯s capturing her friend, and then further back, to the people who had gone missing, who had lost their lives because of this creature stalking the night, her breathe hissed through her teeth as she glared at the back of the alien¡¯s head, as its dreadlocks bounced effortlessly around its shoulders¡­


    The alien froze in its tracks. In the stillness, Oxyi¡¯s blood suddenly ran cold. The alien slowly turned, back towards Oxyi¡¯s street. A wave of panic overcame her, and quickly ducked back below the window, heart pounding in her ears. Something was wrong, something had changed.


    After what felt like an eternity, Oxyi swallowed hard and slowly went to peek over the window again, despite every cell and organ in her body screaming at her to do otherwise. We have to know, Oxyi, we have to look, there¡¯s no way it saw you¡­ She tried desperately to reassure herself she was safe here, that no one had even come close to spotting her. She needed to watch what this alien bitch was doing, if she was in danger, she needed to know, besides, no one could see her up here anyway, right...?


    She mustered up the last ounce of courage she had left, regained semi-control over her shaking limbs,and for just a moment, peeked out of the corner of the window, then quickly slammed her head back against the wall. No, again, we were too fast, we need to look again, a little longer this time. She had to be sure of the impossible blur she¡¯d just seen. She had to know. Again, Oxyi raised her head.


    Her blood ran cold, adrenaline coursing through her veins and her knees almost collapsed below her where she crouched.


    The alien was staring right at her, with cold, unblinking, focused eyes. Oxyi stared right back, eyes frozen in place. There was no doubt this time; she knew.


    Panic threatened to overcome Oxyi¡¯s body as every ounce of her being at once tried to crumple to the floor. No, he was brave, he saved you so that you could do this! We can¡¯t let Diego down now! With arms like lead Oxyi fumbled desperately for her weapons, twisting on the balls of her feet, losing her balance and landing hard on her elbow. This was it, she¡¯d been spotted. She grabbed her shotgun, and forced herself onto her knees, back up to the windowsill, and thrust the nose of the gun outside¡­ only to find that the alien, had vanished.


    For several seconds, there was silence. The only sound in the entire city was that of Oxyi¡¯s breathing. Then, in the distance, erupted a loud rumble that spread its way through the streets below, and into the darkness beyond.


    *


    For Diego and Plasia, the last hour or so had been spent in an idle chatter and pleasant motion. Plasia had really opened up to him in very little time, talking softly about what she liked to do and her favourite things, she seemed incredibly relaxed but hadn''t quite fallen asleep. Diego did still have faith in his plan, however, even if it was a little underhanded for him. It was too important that he make progress, and find his way out of this prison. Without warning however, as thoughts of escape filled Diego¡¯s mind, the conversation took a darker turn.


    ¡°- and I used to do a lot of painting too... but I don''t get the chance to do that here...¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why not?¡±


    The alien yawned wide for a few seconds as Diego''s fingers danced over her forehead and cheeks, working warmth and tenderness into her soft, sapphire skin.


    ¡°Well, I''m either hiding from Moltezz o-or blacking out because of¡­ Leech.¡±


    ¡°Blacking out? What do you mean?¡± Diego¡¯s fingers pressed a little tighter as concern took over his curiosity.


    ¡°I-I become a different person around her... She brings something awful out of me. I-I can''t really explain it very well, and I don¡¯t always remember too much... but the other me is... scary... dangerous.¡± Plasia suddenly seemed uncomfortable talking about this, and moved the topic forward quickly. ¡°Seeth is nice to me though... She lets me stay with her when she''s doing stuff... Only she''s not let me in very much recently... I think she just wanted time alone with you...¡±


    It dawned on him that Plasia may well have suffered greatly as a result of him being with Seeth. That was a punch to the gut he hadn''t expected to receive in this place.


    ¡°B-But I can see why Seeth wanted to be alone with you!¡± Plasia continued quickly. ¡°You''re lovely! No one talks to me really... you''re the first person to ask me about me, even Seeth never has.¡±


    ¡°Plasia... How... How bad are things for you here? Why do you hide from Moltezz? Aren¡¯t you¡­ all the same? Don¡¯t you work together?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not like them. Moltezz just rapes me whenever she wants.¡± The matter-of-fact tone to Plasia¡¯s words stung at Diego¡¯s core.¡°I can''t fight back very well... She''s much stronger than me so I can''t do anything... afterwards she locks me up in one of her cages and uses me as an example to the Marks in her dungeon... punishes me for disobedience, and¡­ stuff.¡±


    ¡°She rapes you?!¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah? That''s just what happens here... M-Maybe I shouldn''t be talking about this...¡±


    ¡°Plasia.¡± Diego stopped massaging her and pressed his fingers to his forehead, processing the words he just heard. ¡°Please, I need to know what happens in this place. I saw these people, the Slaves you have here, they looked strange and weren''t acting right, my friend recognised even one of them. What are they?¡± Plasia went to respond; her eyes flickered open and she paused as she gazed straight into Diego¡¯s eyes. He was leaning over her, eyes staring intently into hers.. No matter how hard she tried, words just would not form in her mouth, seemingly awe-struck by his amethystine eyes looking into her soul.


    ¡°Be honest with me Plasia, because if things are how I think they are... then I want to help you get out of here. We can work together and put things right. But I need you to be honest with me...¡± He was almost pleading, pleading that she would trust him.


    Her eyes turned glassy. She reached up to him with a wobbly hand and he grasped it tightly with both of his own.


    ¡°Y-You mean that? You''d help me?¡± It was heartbreaking to hear the hurt and doubt in her voice, as if she believed it was impossible at this point.


    ¡°Yes. The reason I came here in the first place was to help, and despite everything that¡¯s happened, that¡¯s still what I want to do. But you have to help me too, Plasia; Seeth¡¯s been keeping me in the dark, keeping me¡­ distracted, and I need to know what¡¯s going on. Please, Plasia?¡±


    Plasia stared up at Diego with her large, unblinking eyes, then sighed softly.


    ¡°T-Those grey people you''ve seen... Leech and Moltezz call them our Slaves, t-they''re the missing people. They''ve been infected with the same corruption that me, Seeth, Moltezz and Leech have...¡±


    ¡°Corruption? What sort of corruption?¡±


    ¡°I - we don''t really know... It''s bad though. It¡¯s spread through intercourse and a-as far as I know... it can''t be cured. And anyone who''s been corrupted can spread it.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ A-Are you telling me that all of those people, the townspeople, those Slaves... they were¡­¡±


    ¡°Raped? Sometimes yes. Some came willingly.¡± Plasia whispered, and hung her head solemnly, too nervous to return his gaze.


    Diego¡¯s mind was racing, but he desperately tried to stay calm.


    ¡°So the¡­ the folks here were all kidnapped and raped or whatever¡­ corrupting them into Slaves, you said?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah. My kind, we can control the Slaves directly, we can see through their eyes, tell them what to do...¡±


    ¡°Just you four?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah... uhm... well actually... I think the Nodes can too...¡±


    ¡°Okay... What does that mean...?¡±


    ¡°S-So I heard Moltezz talking to Seeth about it once... So when you get corrupted, if you¡¯re not immune, there''s two p-possibilities. You either become a Slave or a Node. S-Slaves are like... they¡¯re dead on the inside, there''s no-nothing to them. T-They just do what they''re ordered to and like... sleep, eat and have sex, day in, day out. W-Whoever they once were, is gone. Nodes are like... more intelligent... they¡¯re not the same as us, they-they¡¯re still under our control, but they''re able to hold conversations and think and stuff... but they''re still obsessed with spreading the corruption... like the Slaves and... us.¡±


    ¡°My god... this¡­ this is worse than I ever thought it could be...¡± There were too many thoughts to process but one shuddered to the front of his mind too fast to stop. ¡°W-Wait, I''ve been having sex with Seeth! Does that mean I''m going to be corrupted?!¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Plasia shook her head quite firmly. ¡°Y-You''re a Mark, and Leech says Marks are immune to the corruption, s-so they make perfect sex toys for u-us. She has some Marks locked up in her quarters, and Moltezz has loads, th-they just fuck them whenever they want...¡±


    There was a palpable sense of relief that washed through Diego, but this was still horrifying to hear. His skin glistened with nervous sweat as he tried to figure out what best to do. He wasn''t sure if he should ask the next question, but he needed to know..


    ¡°H-Have you corrupted anyone Plasia?¡±


    ¡°Me? N-Never...¡±


    ¡°Thank the ethers...¡±


    ¡°N-Not sure about my other side though... I think she has. I can''t tell... I don''t think I want to know.¡± She covered her face with her arms, the thought rocking her to her core. He threw his arms around her, hugging her close to reassure her.


    They shared in a gut wrenching realisation that twisted them both up awfully. Their eyes met again, it was obvious that Plasia was no monster, at least this side of her anyway.


    ¡°Listen, I - We need to get out of here. You said your ¡®other¡¯ side only comes out around Leech, right?¡±


    She nodded firmly again, her chest rising up and down rapidly as she fought back the tears welling up.


    ¡°Then we need to stay away from her and get you out of here. We''ll put this right. Do you know how much involvement Seeth has had with this corruption stuff?¡±


    As he spoke, he quickly jumped off the bed, thinking best how to get out; this couldn''t wait any further, not Now that he knew what exactly was happening. His sudden decisiveness caught Plasia off guard, and she stared at him cautiously, but then, she felt a bubbling excitement rise within her... finally, she¡¯d found someone who cared, someone was going to do something... and she wanted to be part of this.


    ¡°I don''t know... she''s always seemed so cold and stoic until you turned up... I think she just stuck to using Marks rather than corrupting others...¡±


    ¡°That''s good! I knew I sensed something good about her... just like you.¡± He smiled at her and she returned it as much as she could, sitting up on the bed. ¡°Here''s the plan, we''re getting out of here now. I''m going to grab supplies from around the room, see if I can find some clothes and anything we can use as a weapon and we''re leaving, right now. I won''t let you suffer down here anymore Plasia.¡± He spoke firmly and with confidence, he meant every word. And he did exactly as he said, nipping around Seeth''s quarters to find anything of use.


    ¡°I''ll get the door!¡± For the first time since meeting her, Plasia had a spring in her step and something other than complete despair in her eyes and voice. She leapt up from the bed, ensuring her robes were fitted properly and quickly made her way across the room to the heavy door to Seeth''s chambers, which was firmly locked on their side.


    She flipped the latches open and tugged at the door. It began to creak open, the sound of rusted hinges echoing around the chamber, pulling it open just a crack¡­


    ¡­ And just like that, Plasia changed.


    Diego had his head buried within a drawer, pulling some spare clothes out and chucking them onto the floor, so deep in thought that he did not even process when the room was suddenly plunged into silence.


    ¡°Plas! You need any clothes or anything? Looks like Seeth has some that would fit you!¡±


    She didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°Plasia?¡± He pulled back from the drawer and glanced around at her. She was standing in the middle of the room, back towards him, just staring out through the gap in the door.


    ¡°YOU WANT TO ESCAPE, LIZARD?! NO-NO-NO! YOU''LL BE MY PLAY-FUCK-BOY FOREVER!¡± Plasia spun to face him taking a primal, aggressive stance. Her beautiful orb-like sapphire eyes were now cat-like slits that bore through him. Thick drips of gooey blue saliva seeped from her maw as her whip-like tongue flicked and hissed about her lips.


    ¡°Plasia?¡± Diego couldn¡¯t quite hide the slight quiver in his voice, as he stared in shock at the change that had overcome his friend. ¡°What''s, what¡¯s happened to you? Is this¡­ what you meant¡­ the other you?¡±


    ¡°BE-MINE-BE-MINE-BE-MINE! YOU WILL JOIN US, YOUR BODY WILL BE MY PLAYGROUND, PRETTY MAN!¡±


    ¡°Oh shi-¡±


    ¡°Oh shit indeed!¡± As if from nowhere, a huge green hand slapped around Diego¡¯s neck and hauled him up into the air, effortlessly. Before him stood the imposing form of Leech, pushing him up against the wall and slowly pushing her face towards his. ¡°Trying to escape, lizard? Trying to manipulate my Plasia into partaking in your schemes? And how Seeth had so hoped that she¡¯d managed to convince you to stay.¡± She laughed, staring deep into his eyes.


    ¡°Plasia¡¯s¡­ no-ot¡­ yours¡­¡± Diego¡¯s words choked and spluttered out of his throat, around the tightening grip of Leech¡¯s fingers.


    ¡°You''re coming with me, lizard. For Seeth''s sake, I will break you.¡±

 Chapter 7 - Trapped

    Leech had a firm grip around both of his wrists and the seemingly now insane Plasia had him by the ankles, and the two of them carried him like a prized pig through the corridors of the dungeon. Diego didn¡¯t fight back, or try to resist; rather he tried to stay calm and gather his thoughts, reserving his energy for later on - he had a feeling he¡¯d be needing it.


    As far as he could tell, Plasia seemed to have been telling the truth regarding the Slaves. Monochrome figures loitered about the rooms, staring in awe and desperation at the aliens as they passed. They moved fast; as he was carried down the dungeon corridors, he looked around frantically, trying to memorise where we was going, and keeping an eye out for any potential markers he could use to navigate his way back; He didn¡¯t know what fate awaited him at Leech¡¯s hands, but there was no way it was good, and there was no way he was sticking around to find out.


    He caught a glimpse of a fox-man, hiding in a cluttered storage room. The two briefly made eye contact before Diego was hauled deeper into the dungeon.


    Before too long, he was carried through a heavily armoured door and into a laboratory, filled to the brim with operating tables, cabinets full of tools, and ominous-looking vials in rattling racks. The cool, grey, stone flooring blended with the stainless steel equipment to create a very sterile and rather sinister looking room. There were multiple doorways branching off this main room, most were too gloomy for Diego to see where they led, although the one directly ahead of him had pipes running across the ceiling that shook occasionally. There was a mechanical hum in the background, quiet but steady. The laboratory was lit by cold fluorescent overhead lights, and some more intense, yellow lamps hanging over the desks.


    They dumped him onto his feet and Plasia roughly shoved her fingers into his mouth, prying his maw open uncomfortably. Before Diego even had a chance to wonder what was going on, Leech had grabbed a series of swabs, from a metal desk fixed firmly to the wall, and placed them into his mouth. Plasia retracted her fingers from his maw and began to circle around him menacingly as Leech bagged the swabs, and turned back to the desk.


    ¡°What the fuck was that for?!¡± Diego blurted out, spitting onto the floor, eyes darting between Plasia, who was staring intently at him as she paced, and at Leech, which was currently draped in a long lab coat, and facing away from his person.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I''m still researching our condition, and I need more samples from Marks to get more information.¡± Leech¡¯s tone was stern but matter-of-fact, and she didn¡¯t even turn around, instead she continued to run her fingers over the many medical instruments before her.


    ¡°Might I suggest running cell cultures overnight using a greater range of samples?¡± A meek voice from the other end of the room called out. ¡°The previous batches from saliva weren''t very good -¡±


    ¡°NO YOU MAY NOT!¡± Leech grabbed a scalpel from her desk and threw it across the room with astonishing force. It impacted with a loud twang and narrowly missed a timber wolf man tied to the wall with leather restraints, he looked like he was on a giant wooden target and there were several sharp looking instruments deeply embedded in the wood. ¡°SHUT YOUR FACE, VENTER! One more suggestion out of you today and I''ll pulverise you, you speak only when you are spoken to!¡± Leech growled in frustration, then grabbed another scalpel and pointed it at him. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea though.¡±


    In one sleek motion Leech spun around, and suddenly the silver glint of the scalpel was millimetres away from Diego¡¯s face. She held the handle firmly with two fingers, a thoughtful twitch in her lips as she pondered what cuts she should make. Her face twisted as she imagined, purely for science of course.


    ¡°NO! NO HURT HIM, NOT LIKE THIS!¡± Plasia suddenly yelled out, tugging on Leech''s arm firmly. The giant alien seemed taken-aback for a moment, her thoughts shattered, however she quickly regained composure. As she ran her eyes up and down the blue alien, an evil grin spread over her face.


    ¡°Interesting. You¡¯ve never been so forthright with me before, Plasia.¡± Her head whipped back to the lizard, who was still in awe-struck terror in what was unfolding before him. He felt Leech¡¯s toxic stare, those piercing emerald eyes glaring at him. ¡°I don''t know if I should be impressed or concerned by you, lizard. You''ve managed to gain the hopeless affection of both Seeth and Plasia. And, judging by how she''s been talking about you, quite possibly Moltezz too. Plasia is right though, I shouldn''t just cut a lump off you, I can''t imagine Seeth would be too happy with me, spoiling her prize like that.¡±


    ¡°Is that what I am here? A prize?¡± Can I get out of here? Can I overpower her? Maybe with my psyonics I¡¯ll stand half a chance, but then Plasia might get hurt¡­ God I wish I had my sword.


    ¡°Yes. Yes you are. You''re a fuck toy for us.¡± Leech stated flatly.


    He frowned and prepared a response, but Leech cut him off.


    ¡°Oh come on, Diego.¡± She continued to wave the scalpel around as she spoke and began to pace around her lab. Plasia continued to circle her male, but was also watching Leech''s motions carefully. ¡°You''re going to have an amazing life here. It can¡¯t have passed over your mind or your genitals how attractive we are. And how attractive you are. Seeth is in absolute thrall of you! You¡¯re practically her boyfriend at this point! Ha!¡± She scoffed. ¡°Imagine that, Diego. Would it really be so bad? Spending the rest of your days being ravaged by alien beauties you clearly find attractive? I can smell the arousal on you even now, you''re trying desperately not to look at my figure, at Plasia''s curves... You''re hiding it as best you can, but you''re an animal, and your instincts are kicking in hard. You like us. You try to resist as much as you want, but I know you''ve thought about it... About staying with us... I promise you, we¡¯ll make you feel so much more than you ever thought was possible... Imagine the three of us together¡­ Touching, kissing, breeding, fuckin-¡±


    ¡°-I''ve been thinking a lot about the people who aren''t immune to your... corruption. Doesn''t seem very fair to them.¡± Diego folded his arms, breathing sharply through his nose.


    ¡°Why doesn''t it?¡± Leech scolded him teasingly, pressing her fingers against the steel blade. ¡°We''ve liberated them from their monotony, to join them together into something greater... something more fun, more pleasurable.¡±


    ¡°You''ve fucking killed them!¡± Diego yelled back in defiance. Hair standing on end, he took a step towards Leech as his anger swelled. ¡°Those Slaves, Plasia said there''s no helping them, no turning them back!¡±


    Leech nodded absent-mindedly, her attention still on the blade in her hands, although she did cast a quick glance up at the pipes on the ceiling above her, seemingly uninterested in Diego''s rant.


    ¡°So you admit it! You''ve killed everything about these people that once made them people! Destroyed their personalities, taken their lives?! They¡¯re just walking shells! It''s murder, Leech! No,  it¡¯s worse! You parade their bodies around and use them to corrupt others!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Talk like that really gets me off... keep going, lizard...¡± A cruel, evil smile curled over her plump lips and she flung the scalpel at the wolf on the other side of the room again, missing his head by only a few inches and thumping into a wooden beam.


    ¡°Y-You''re sick. You could just pick a Mark, settle down and live a normal life! Why are you doing this!?¡±


    ¡°Why shouldn''t I? The universe wasn''t fair to me and Seeth when we were corrupted... I was the top of my class at university, Diego, I was going to be an industry leading medical professional. I had a life full of potential and opportunity laid out in front of me, and it was all taken away. One year ago, our lives were completely and irrevocably changed, and that was just our burden to bear. I don''t owe anyone anything. In fact, I think I''m due to dish out some revenge.¡± Leech¡¯s eyes narrowed intensely.


    ¡°The universe isn''t fair, Leech, believe me, I know. But do you really think this is the right thing to do? Build some sort of wretched faction on this affliction you have? Come on! You must be better than that!¡± Diego pleaded with her, trying to get her to see some sense.


    ¡°I really couldn''t give two shakes of a shit if it''s the right thing to do. It''s what I want to do. Fuck everyone else, literally! VENTER!¡± Leech suddenly yelled, shaking the room slightly.


    ¡°Y-Yes, Leech?¡± The timber wolf in the background responded shakily.


    ¡°Do you think this male¡¯s semen sample would do for a culture?¡±


    ¡°Umm, I¡¯d say i-it¡¯s worth a go!¡±


    Diego''s eyes narrowed. He did not like where this conversation was going.


    ¡°PLASIA! Go grab that pack I showed you earlier.¡± Leech''s voice echoed around the room, and with those words, Plasia ran across the lab, giggling maniacally and disappearing into one of the doorways.


    ¡°Y-You can''t just...¡± No, this can¡¯t be happening.


    ¡°Oh, it IS happening. You don''t seem to understand your importance here, lizard. We''re on the precipice of something great here... You don''t need to be scared, just be¡­ open minded!¡± She began to walk towards him, staring down on his body with an aching hunger that chipped away at her psyche. ¡°Now, are you going to do this the easy way, or the hard way?¡±


    *


    Oxyi was frozen, her voice trapped in her throat, as the entire city became aware of her existence. The Slaves, who had previously wandered the streets, were now moving towards her building in full sprint, the street-lights shaking as they approached.


    The feline from earlier was fast on the scene and went straight for the front door of the building. Although it was locked and bolted shut, she pulled hard at the handle and the woodwork cracked with little effort. With a flick of her fingers, a dozen Slaves grabbed at the splintered wood with their fleshy fingers and pulled.


    Two floors above, Oxyi dashed about her flat, her every limb quaking with fear. She kicked her little generator awake and the living room lights flickered on - there was no point fighting blind.


    A nervous trigger finger,  alone in a dead city, no friends by her side, and so far, whith no success to speak of in her efforts to thwart these things, Oxyi waited.


    Jeez, how did it come to this¡­ feels like only a few days ago me and Bream were talking about finally going on our crazy ¡®around the galaxy in eighty days¡¯ trip¡­ I was finally gonna start putting some money together¡­ Lost plans now.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    It sounded like an army was tearing at the building¡¯s front door, ripping chunks of wood with their bare hands.


    She kicked herself, hard.


    Bang!


    Why hadn¡¯t she listened to Diego?


    Bang, Bang, BANG!


    Trying to be a hero had just cost her everything and she¡¯d gained nothing.


    The front door popped from its hinges and crashed to the floor.


    Her finger twitched against the trigger.


    They came, scampering down the hallway like a pack of dogs, hands and feet scraping against the wall as they turned and bounded up the first flight of stairs.


    She took a deep breath, and held it.


    A loud bang rattled through the corridor as her home-made nail bombs detonated with enough force to make the whole building shake, shredding through Slaves as the neatly packaged shrapnel was thrown in all directions. The remaining horde paused, a piercing silence briefly punctuated the violence... Then with a roar they continued on with their assault, more and more of them pouring into the building.


    Oxyi briefly cast a glance out the window as she readied her shotgun. A small whimper escaped through her lips and the sheer number of Slaves yet to even enter her building¡­ There were too many... she had two more nail bombs in the stairwells below, and then it was just the reinforced door to her flat... Another shattering boom rang out, more Slaves fell, bodies stripped and sliced as the metal cut through their flesh in brutal fashion, splattering blood and bone over the brickwork. The building was now rumbling from the sheer number of Slaves desperately stampeding through its narrow corridors, getting closer and closer¡­


    The third and final bomb went off, destroying another handful of Slaves. The shrapnel was not enough to stop them all, several who were wounded continued to make their way through the building, despite the lacerations and shrapnel embedded deep into their skin. Their hunger did not cease to tend to their own wounds. They pressed on as more arrived and pounded down the corridor, eager for their prize.


    A deep boom suddenly emanated from the other side of the door. They were here. Slaves stumbled atop one another as each one scrambled, scratched and pounded against the door.


    ¡°YOU WANT ME?! COME GET ME!!!¡± Oxyi shouted, clacking a shell into her shotgun, her form trembling and terrified, yet still standing. She blasted another shell through the door, pellets bursting through the wood and mauling another Slave who was trying to press its fingers through the barricade.


    The horde seemed endless. Oxyi fired with careful and calculated precision through the same spot on the door, ensuring that she didn''t damage her own defences too badly. Bodies hit the floor as she continued to fire and reload as smoothly as she could, the Slaves gained little progress as each one who tried to pull through the door was met with hot buckshot. She had plenty of ammo too, not enough for the whole horde, but perhaps enough to scare them off¡­ Please, please be enough!


    The sound of shotguns, corpses falling and screaming continued on, perhaps only for a few minutes, perhaps hours, Oxyi had no idea. Bloodied and hungry fingers pulled at the blood stained door, the lioness had her back to the far wall and was giving it everything she had.


    To her horror, a voice suddenly called out from outside her flat''s front door.


    ¡°You¡¯re Oxyi... right?¡±


    A soft and silky voice spoke up from the other side, which was unexpected to say the least, but not enough to throw Oxyi off, not now.


    ¡°WHOS THERE?! WHO THE FUCK IS THERE?!¡±


    ¡°I''m gonna enjoy what happens next...¡± The feminine voice echoed through the corridor as the Slaves slowly began to pull back from the door, filling the hallway instead.


    ¡°SHUT UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP!¡± Oxyi cried out, clacking more shells into her shotgun defiantly.


    ¡°Try as you might, you couldn''t make a difference here... but you could with us...¡± In any other situation the voice would have been soft and alluring, but the adrenaline was pounding through Oxyi¡¯s ears with too much force for her to take notice.


    ¡°I GOT A LOT MORE AMMO AND ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD... SO BRING IT!¡± She reached over to a hand grenade she had on the table, pulling the pin and throwing it out the window, smashing the glass and sending it tumbling into the horde below. There was a sickening splat as the explosion was dampened by waiting bodies.


    And all hell broke loose.


    The Slaves charged her door and a shredded, bloody hand punched straight through the wood, scrabbling at the bolt loudly. Oxyi screamed and pulled her shotgun up again, firing shells into the offending limb and watching it cease activity for a moment, only for several more hands to burst through the wood, bloodied and splintered. Her shotgun ran dry as she emptied her first magazine into the door with several repeating loud bangs. Things were getting out of hand already... Oxyi scrambled to reload, when the door suddenly cracked and burst off of its hinges.


    An imposing body stood, silhouetted in the doorway, easily seven feet tall with a strength beyond its physical size, as it tossed the door aside in one swift motion. It splintered into pieces against the wall.


    ¡°You know... I had a bit of a crush on you in my teens, Oxyi¡­¡±


    Oxyi froze, fingers fumbling over her shotgun rounds. It was the cat girl from earlier, the one she recognised¡­


    ¡°You did some work for my uncle. How lucky I am for this chance, to follow up on a teenage crush...¡± A sly smile spread over her lips as she spoke, and Oxyi snapped back into action. She drew a pistol from her side and fired, one bullet punching straight through the cat girl¡¯s abdomen. The Slaves quickly charged into the room, their stumbling bodies desperately clawing towards her. With a sudden clarity, and acceptance, Oxyi opened fire on the approaching horde as they charged across her living room with perfect accuracy, splattering brains and shattering skulls as empty shell casings dropped from the pistol with a gentle ring. The first wave was over, all lay dead, scattered across her living room. But now the pistol was running dry too, and another wave was already thundering towards her.


    The cat-girl merged into the crowd and charged forward, staying low to avoid the next barrage of bullets that Oxyi was preparing. The lioness quickly loaded the next magazine into her weapon and fired a couple more perfect shots before the approaching horde got too close. The flat was now full of angry, hungry bodies, but Oxyi had one last trick up her sleeve¡­


    Eyes tightly shut, Oxyi reached for her belt and grabbed the detonator, pressing it instantly without even thinking...


    More nail bombs, lined into the wall and the front door, all detonated together, filling the room with shredding metal in one final explosive goodbye. The explosion tore through the flat, sending bodies flying out the window, glass and wood raining down into the street below.


    But this wouldn''t be the end for Oxyi, not just yet. The sheer amount of bodies in the room formed almost a shield around her, preventing any shrapnel from actually hitting her. Although the blast took her off her feet, she was still alive. The room, however, was in ruins, the crowd levelled and spasming on the floor with various levels of injury. In the centre of them, laid the cat girl in all her corrupted glory, badly wounded but still alive.


    The lioness winced in pain from her fall and forced herself up to her feet, using the back wall to support herself, her ears ringing loudly from the detonation.


    ¡°Huh¡­ Didn''t think I would make it through those ones...¡± She coughed, fumbling for her pistol. She checked it over quickly, and seeing no obvious damage, pointed it at the cat-girl. Yet more Slaves were thundering up the stairs.  Oxyi stood, staring down at the monster before her, and hesitated. Seeing these things, what these people had become, the way they were acting... if this is what could become of her, well, that wasn¡¯t a risk Oxyi was willing to take. Her defences were breached, all her explosives used up, and there honestly wasn''t much fight left in her...


    ¡°I... I don''t want to become one of you, whatever you are... I''d rather die.¡± She took a couple of deep, sharp breaths, staring at the pistol intensely. ¡°I had a good run though... fucked quite a few of you up. I just wish I''d just booked that holiday.¡± A dark chuckle shuddered through her. ¡°Fuck... I really liked being alive.¡±


    Her aching limbs stopped shaking for the first time that night.


    She raised the pistol to her head...


    A loud bang rang out, followed by the sound of crumbling drywall falling.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± A voice, right beside her, called out. A hand grabbed her wrist with force and redirected the gun into the battered ceiling. Another huge purple hand grabbed Oxyi around the throat and pushed her to the floor as Seeth appeared directly on top of her, pinning her to the ground. ¡°An impressive defence for a single nomad... not good enough though.¡±


    Oxyi stared up in horror as she came face to face with the menacing alien creature, who stared down at her with cold, unblinking eyes.


    ¡°Y-You! You fucking bitch! You just couldn¡¯t let me have this, could you!¡± Oxyi hissed, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.


    ¡°You''re needed yet.¡±


    ¡°N-Needed?! For what?! You twisted fucking bitch! I''ll never give in to you!¡± She spat at the alien weakly.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t think you have a choice¡­¡±


    *


    ¡°You''re sick... you know that?¡± Diego stared at Leech in disbelief.


    ¡°You think I give a fuck, lizard? I don''t care too much for the words coming out of your mouth... might have to find something to stick in there and keep you quiet!¡±


    ¡°Try it!¡± His eyes narrowed, hair standing on end. He didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d make it out of a fight alive, but like hell was he going to roll over and submit to this monster.


    ¡°Oooh, finally, an invitation! I thought you''d never rise to the challenge!¡± Leech laughed heartily. Her laugh rang loud around the chamber, broken suddenly by the echoes of Plasia¡¯s footsteps as she skipped back into the room, carrying a large case. Happily she pranced past Leech and slapped the case down on one of the operating tables, flipping the latches with a satisfying thunk, and creaking the case open. Leech watched her intently. ¡°I''ve got a ton of fun in there for you. You''re gonna be my - HEY! LIZARD!¡±


    Diego had turned tail and bolted for the door, out of the lab and through the armoured door that Plasia had forgotten to close.


    ¡°Son of a bitch! PLASIA! Get after him! Now! And VENTER!¡± Leech rubbed her hand against her forehead and grit her teeth. ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± The two aliens marched out of the lab and quickly broke into a run, listening for the sound of bare lizard feet slapping against the stone flooring of the dungeon.


    The wolf slumped and shook his head in frustration as they left. ¡°I didn¡¯t even say anything!¡± He whimpered.


    I need to get back to Seeth¡¯s chamber. I can get back and lock the door, but then, what if they can force their way through? Would Seeth be mad? Of course she would be, she¡¯d be furious with them! I need to hold up and hide there until she comes back, I just need to wait for Seeth¡­ Diego¡¯s thoughts came at him fast as he sprinted through the corridors, passing room after room, figure after grey figure. As he ran he noted that most were Slaves, just doing some manual labour. He passed the occasional, or atleast what he presumed was, a Node, a taller, female figure usually clad in something very revealing, with their sexual dominance on full display. They were all turning to take note of him as he passed, and then turned behind him as Leech bellowed at him down the corridor.


    ¡°NOW YOU''RE MAKING THIS FUN, DIEGO!¡± The massive green figure appeared from the shadows and pounded down the corridor towards him with ferocious speed and a grin on her face.


    Diego was still hesitant to use his psyonics, was still desperately racking his brains for the best play here.  He needed to find his equipment, fighting his way out bare handed wasn''t going to happen. He glanced back to see Leech rapidly gaining on him. He skidded around a corner and could see Seeth''s chamber door, dead ahead, but Leech was right behind him, he could feel the floor shake with her every step and bound, he wasn¡¯t going to make it in time¡­


    His heart was thumping in his chest as his muscles began to burn from the chase. He rounded corner after corner through the maze of near identical rooms that occupied the middle of the dungeon. Most of the rooms didn¡¯t seem to be in use and still under construction -  there was plastic sheeting and scaffolding scattered about the floor. Leech''s excited footsteps were echoing in all directions all around him; it was near impossible to tell if she was right behind him or a whole room away.


    Throwing himself around two more corners, he suddenly entered a surprisingly dark room that was filled with more scaffolds, and plastic sheets hanging from the ceiling, creating a maze of dangling plastic that obscured vision nicely... Seeing the opportunity, he slowed right down and quietly crept through the maze, ensuring he didn''t disturb any of the dangling sheets and made his way quietly into the room. The pounding footsteps of Leech arrived shortly behind him and she looked into the room, annoyed.


    ¡°Oh, you little fucker.¡± Leech hissed. ¡°You got me oh so excited, and now you''ve just gone and disappeared in there? Fine. Let''s play hide and seek, lizard... When I find you - And I will find you - I''m gonna push so deep inside you it''ll come out your mouth.¡±


    He continued to quietly creep through the maze, slowly as he was only able to see a couple of feet ahead. Try as she might, Leech couldn''t be as quiet as him, and he could hear the dull thudding of her feet on the stone floor as she got closer, but it was still difficult to tell her proximity. She listened intently for him, the slightest movement. Her head snapped around with the slightest swish of plastic, or creak from the walls.


    She was listening intently for him. Diego¡¯s lack of clothes was actually a blessing right now, as he could move without worrying about the rustling of fabric.


    This room was definitely larger than the previous ones he¡¯d run through, but all too soon, Diego hit a wall. He felt across its surface, barely able to make out the floor in front of him; he kept his hands out and moved with gentle precision, listening close to Leech¡¯s thudding footsteps in the darkness. He couldn''t tell if she was pissed off or excited by their chase, or perhaps it was both, but either way, it sounded like she was getting closer.


    He reached a corner, and with nowhere else to go but backwards, Diego sat himself down and made himself as small a target as possible. Within the darkness around him, he could hear Leech¡¯s hungry prowl. The sound of the plastic sheets rustling, the slightly laboured breathing of the sadistic alien dominatrix desperately searched for her prey. The darkness swirled around him, the walls were closing in¡­


    She moved closer again, stepping towards him carefully. He wasn''t sure if it was luck or something else guiding her, but she seemed uncertain of herself.


    ¡°You''re fucking lucky you''re dark-coloured, lizard... making me wait like this is agonising. Not sure you''ll enjoy me all pent up though!¡± She sounded extremely close now, literally a few feet in front of him. Diego held his breath and prayed for a miracle, wondering if now would be a good time to use psyonics or not... His hair bristled, an electric tingle ran over his skin as she approached. In spite of himself, there was something almost thrilling about all this, like a small part of him wanted her to snatch him out of the darkness and drag him off. Her aroma surrounded him, every slow breath he took drew it into his lungs, over his tongue and deep into his body. Even though he was now perfectly aware of what she was doing, it was all so remarkably enticing.


    Her footsteps slowed as she padded closer, almost teasingly¡­


    ¡­When suddenly, she stopped.


    ¡°Ahh! You''re over there! Trying to get out now, huh?! I thought we were enjoying ourselves! I hope you''re all warmed up! I need my samples, fuck boy!¡± She suddenly turned and ran towards the door they entered through, pushing through the flapping plastic violently and charging back through the corridors.


    Diego sat, stunned. Her hand had practically been touching him! Perhaps his prayers had been answered. Before he could relax for any length of time though, his ears suddenly pricked and his hair once again stood on head. There was someone else in the darkness, reaching out, closing in on him¡­

 Chapter 8 - Take a Stand

    ¡°Easy there, dude! We''re not your enemy!¡± A man''s voice called out softly from the darkness. Diego was mid-way through preparing a defensive psyonic burst, yellow sparks arcing across his naked body as energy coursed through him. Upon hearing the voice however, and the sliver of panic in it, he dropped his guard a little. The sparks faded away, but he remained silent. After a few seconds, the voice spoke again.¡°I was kinda hoping you''d recognise me..?¡±


    With the sharp click of a lighter, a gentle flame flickered into being, the speaker to be vulpine - the same vulpine that''d been in Seeth''s room. Behind him sat a larger crocodilian lady, heavily built and fidgeting slightly, and a smaller feline man, who looked a bit older than the others, with greying fur speckled around his ears and his muzzle, as though he¡¯d just dipped his snout in icing sugar.


    ¡°Name¡¯s Trent! This is Cindy and this is Geralt, and we''re trapped down here... like you.¡± The fox reached out to Diego, offering his hand. ¡°There¡¯s Tivy too, she should be back soon but she¡¯s currently distracting Leech for you. You''ve caused quite the commotion here, I gotta say.¡±


    ¡°That a good thing or a bad thing?¡± Diego was still cautious as he accepted Trent¡¯s hand, but he could already see that these people weren¡¯t the same as Leech.


    ¡°Bad. But it doesn''t matter.¡± Cindy growled through her long snout, which was a rare trait for her species these days. ¡°I need to get out of here. I''m no one''s prisoner, or sex object.¡±


    Trent rolled his eyes at Cindy¡¯s words, but kept his focus on Diego. ¡°We''re going to escape, I''ve been trying to break as many people out of here as I can, but I suspect our time is running out. The Controllers are getting more and more organised with every passing day, and the last we heard, the city above had completely fallen...¡±


    Diego''s eyes widened in shock, he''d taken too long... his mind bolted back to Oxyi, had she been killed, or worse, corrupted? Guilt took over him and he stood sharply from his corner and made towards the exit.


    ¡°Woah there big guy! This isn''t yours or anyone''s fault other than those monsters who¡¯ve imprisoned us here. You can¡¯t just march out there, we need a plan!¡±


    Diego sighed and stopped; Trent was right.


    ¡°Too much of a wimp, lizard?¡± Cindy smirked, tilting her head slightly.


    ¡°Knock it off Cindy! You''re not helping!¡± Trent snapped back.


    ¡°Am I wrong, though? Princess here has been locked up in Seeth''s room from the moment he arrived, getting pampered and his butt fucked whilst these things roam the countryside, taking over everybody and everything!¡± The girl spoke bitterly, glaring at Diego. ¡°Didn''t think he''d have time in his busy love-making schedule to realise that the world is falling apart!¡±


    ¡°Yes Cindy, the guy who turned up four days ago is to blame for all last year of our lives. Forgive me but you didn¡¯t seem too keen to leave Seeth¡¯s chamber either when you first arrived either.¡± Geralt scowled - the mere mention of Seeth¡¯s name causing a crazed look in the crocodile¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Cindy! Give it a break! It''s not like you''ve done anything to help either, you''ve been cowering right along with the rest of us!¡± Trent whispered harshly, trying to stay quiet.


    ¡°S-Shut up! And besides, you keep talking me out of attacking them! I reckon I could take Leech, easy...¡± Cindy growled, flexing her claws and muscles in the darkness.


    ¡°Oh fuck off, Cindy.¡± The feline muttered softly from behind them. ¡°She was literally just in here and you just sat there, cowering. You wouldn''t stand a chance and you know it.¡±


    ¡°I fight on my own terms! Not to save this¡­ this¡­ fucker!¡± Cindy pointed at Diego furiously, her hands shaking.


    ¡°I''ve seen what Leech can do, and you''re all talk and no show. The only reason you''re alive is because Trent keeps talking sense into you.¡± Geralt''s tone had an edge to it as he finished his speech - it seemed that he was even more annoyed with Cindy than Trent was, but the crocodilian wasn¡¯t quite finished yet.


    ¡°Bullshit! I could take her! And why should I lay off him? Why hasn''t he used his psyonics on them yet?! Why hasn''t he taken his big-ass sword and chopped them all up yet?! Cuz he likes getting his precious little ass filled with multi-coloured spunk, that¡¯s why!¡± Cindy snapped, harshly, casting angry glances over at the male in question.


    Geralt and Trent exchanged a worried glance at one another and quickly looked up at Diego, afraid he would react badly to Cindy''s inflammatory comments¡­ but to their surprise, and relief, Diego chuckled gently.


    ¡°Truth be told, Cindy - I am rather fond of Seeth and Plasia.¡± Diego sat down on the floor in front of her, ruffling his hair shyly. ¡°They... aren''t the ones responsible for this, I don''t think. And my sword has been missing since my first night here, not that it would be much good in this dungeon anyway. You tried swinging a large melee weapon in an enclosed space, croc?¡±


    Cindy scowled and shook her head.


    ¡°I didn''t think so. You''re obviously inexperienced in combat, and as such you have expectations of people that just aren''t realistic. The reason I haven''t used my psyonics is because randomly assaulting these things with no real plan of action is just going to get me - and probably others - killed. These aliens are strong... really strong, stronger than they should be for their size. And I get the feeling none of us have seen them truly fight yet. I can''t just fling concussive bolts out willy-nilly and hope everything turns out fine.¡± Diego sighed heavily, eyes drifting towards the floor. ¡°I did fuck up though. You are right about that. If the city is completely gone then that means my friend is gone too... I promised to keep her safe and I reckon I''ve failed. I told her to get off the planet but I doubt she did, didn''t seem like the type.¡± He sighed again, eyes fixed to the floor.


    ¡°Oh boohoo, lizard. Geralt is still looking for his daughter, who''s obviously dead or corru-¡± Cindy immediately stopped, as she felt all three men staring at her intently. ¡°Uhm¡­ Sorry Geralt, I crossed a line there. My temper got ahead of me.¡±


    ¡°You''re like a child, Cindy! You need to start thinking before you speak! I think you owe our new guy an apology too, he¡¯s played it smart and he''s still alive, it¡¯s not his fault he hasn''t single-handedly saved us all yet, is it?¡± Geralt muttered angrily; it was obvious the crocodilian¡¯s words had hurt him. Cindy turned to Geralt and huddled close to him, and the two continued to talk in private. Trent, however, turned back to Diego, giving him a ¡®sorry about that¡¯ look.


    ¡°I get the feeling there is some friction in the ''team,'' Trent?¡± Diego asked quietly, still stinging from Cindy¡¯s words.


    ¡°Yeah... I¡¯m concerned about Cindy, I think she¡¯s got a bit of ¡®Seeth fever.¡¯ Ever since Leech took her, she¡¯s been mad as hell. She''s a loner too, lived out in the swamp lands by herself, only ever came into town to get supplies. Suddenly she''s being forced to interact and work with people, work for people, and it doesn''t come naturally to her¡­ I¡¯m not trying to make excuses, mind!¡± Trent said hurriedly. ¡°She shouldn¡¯t have spoken to you like that!¡±


    ¡°Eh, she had some points. They''re difficult to resist... Seeth is like nothing I''ve ever encountered before¡­ The last three days have just been¡­ Gods, I don¡¯t even know how to describe it.¡±


    Trent nodded, knowing precisely what the lizard meant. He felt his body tingle as memories of Moltezz flittered to the front of his mind. The warmth, the passion, the power¡­ It was absolutely intoxicating. With his thoughts elsewhere, Trent shifted, and Diego noticed the mood change in him quite suddenly; but the fox pulled himself out of his stupor and addressed the lizard firmly.


    ¡°Diego, I need to ask this; do you want to get out of here? You''re not thinking of staying, are you?¡± He asked genuinely, lowering his voice so Cindy wouldn''t hear him.


    ¡°No. Absolutely not. If you guys are planning an escape, then count me in!¡± Diego said firmly; he may have his own thoughts about Seeth and Plasia, but for now, escape was his priority, even from those two if he needed to. He held his hand out and the two exchanged a firm handshake.


    ¡°In that case... I think I know where we can find your sword.¡± Trent nodded, smiling warmly. ¡°And who knows? With you on our side, we might just have a shot at actually getting out of here.¡±


    *


    Oxyi strained with all of her might, trapped underneath the alien¡¯s bulk, desperate to push her away. But Seeth didn''t budge. She stared down at the feline as she struggled. Oxyi''s heart pounded in her chest as she tried to predict her aggressor''s next move. She lay on the wrecked floor, her body aching, her flat bathed in darkness, nothing but the pained, bated breaths of her damaged body and the massive creature bearing down on top of her.


    All the other figures in the room had departed, having slowly walked off in silence, dragging their wounded and dead with them. Seeth continued to stare down at the powerless lioness as the block of flats emptied out, leaving just the two of them in the ruins of Oxyi''s home.


    ¡°S-So what now, huh?! Can¡¯t perform if there are others watching, h-huh?!¡± Oxyi cried out in between pained breaths, shaking all over. Seeth remained silent, staring down at her prey. Her huge amethystine eyes bore into Oxyi¡¯s own, pinging between the girl''s eyes, and her body.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Eventually, the tense silence broke as Seeth quietly spoke.


    ¡°Come on now, Seeth... you know this is the easier thing to do...¡± And yet, she hesitated. ¡°Just... just corrupt this girl and things will... continue as planned.¡±


    Oxyi''s heart thumped loudly in her chest, powerless in Seeth''s overbearing grasp.


    ¡°I just need to finish this and I can be on my way...¡± Seeth was almost whispering, the floorboards creaking gently as her weight shifted a little.


    Seeth suddenly looked off to the side, huffing loudly.


    ¡°T-This isn''t fair. None of this is fair. Why can¡¯t I get it right?¡± Seeth whispered, tightening her grip on Oxyi.


    The lioness stared up at her, trying to process what the alien was saying. Her throat creaked slightly as she went to speak, but stopped herself, and lay silent.


    ¡°If I just... I can... He won''t know. It''ll be fine.¡± She nodded to herself, firmly. ¡°It doesn''t matter if he does know. And there''s nothing he can do anyway. He''s mine.¡±


    ¡°Y-You''re talking about Diego, aren''t you?¡± Oxyi finally spoke up, her voice shaking. The words were wobbly but the message was received loud and clear, and Seeth recoiled back at hearing his name.


    ¡°You¡­ You don''t say his name!¡± Seeth hissed.


    ¡°O-Or what?! You¡¯ve already won!¡± Oxyi snapped back, her every limb was still trembling but she couldn''t help herself. ¡°DIEGO DIEGO DIEGO! I should already be dead! What do I care if you threaten me now?! Why don''t you want me saying his name?!¡±


    ¡°BE QUIET!¡± Seeth snapped. ¡°Or I''ll¡­ I''ll¡­¡± But Seeth''s initial rush of adrenaline was wearing off, hard, and the fight was leaving her. She looked almost¡­ nervous.


    ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you?!¡± Oxyi screamed, tears stinging her eyes. ¡°I''m dead to rights here and you''re banging on about a man!? Is this a game to you?!¡±


    Suddenly, Oxyi was ripped from the floor and shoved backwards into the wall, Seeth''s hand fixed firmly around her neck.


    ¡°You have no idea what''s at stake here!¡± Seeth squeezed, hard, and the room filled with the dying chokes of the struggling lioness.


    Tears rolling down her face, Oxyi''s vision began to blur. She clawed at Seeth''s arms but it was useless, she couldn''t even tear her skin. Although, she could swear that through the dark, she saw the glints of Seeth¡¯s eyes - shiny - as though she was crying too.


    Oxyi¡¯s light began to fade. The strength drained from her limbs. Her legs stopped kicking¡­


    ¡°I CAN''T DO THIS!¡±


    Seeth continued to strain but broke into a heart wrenching cry, her pained sobbing echoing through the ruins of the flats, down the corpse filled and ashen corridors.


    Seeth slowly released her grip and Oxyi crumpled to the floor, gasping loudly for air. Seeth''s heart-wrenching sobs and cries echoed through the ruin of the flats, down the ashen, corpse-filled corridors. She fell back and slumped against the floor, cracking the boards as she did so.


    Oxyi''s blood-shot eyes slowly flicked open. She pushed herself up, painfully. Unsteady on her feet, she stumbled her battered and bruised body to the far side of the room, leaning heavily against the wall. She didn''t once look away from Seeth, didn''t even blink. She watched the alien''s sorrowful display with fear and anger in her eyes. Neither said anything for a few moments; the room was quiet, save for Seeth''s sobs, and Oxyi''s rasping breaths.


    ¡°Are you¡­ okay?¡± Seeth asked quietly, meekly, too ashamed of herself to even look up at Oxyi.


    ¡°Barely...¡± The lioness¡¯ voice was hoarse and sore, growling through her bruised neck. ¡°Why did you stop...?¡±


    ¡°Because I can''t do this anymore. I should never have started.¡± Seeth hung her head low, bathing in the guilt of the new life around her. ¡°I don''t deserve to be with anyone, nevermind him. I don''t even deserve to be alive.¡±


    Oxyi continued to watch the alien cautiously, holding onto the walls and slowly making her way towards the destroyed front door of the flat, limping over smashed glass and splintered timber.


    ¡°What do you mean, you can''t do this anymore?¡±


    ¡°This.¡±  Seeth held her arms out to the room. ¡°The rampaging, the corrupting... This isn''t right... it''s beyond awful. I hate being part of it. My best friend says it''s just what we were born to do, and I just... I did it because I trusted her and I didn''t know what else to do... But nevertheless, I still did it. I¡¯m scum.¡± Seeth sniffed.


    ¡°So... What are you going to do about it...?¡± Oxyi muttered, only half-listening, checking a wound on her midsection and wincing in pain.


    ¡°I... I don''t know.¡±


    ¡°...Well, if you''re serious about hating all this stuff... Why don''t you go do something about it? Stop sitting there like a big bitch and go do something useful.¡± Oxyi snapped. ¡°Ugh who am I kidding, what does it matter anyway? Whole city¡¯s lost, p-planets fucked. You and your friend have won.¡±


    Seeth turned to look back at her directly, running her hands down her face.


    ¡°It''s going to get a whole lot worse.¡±


    Oxyi stopped. ¡°Wha-what do you mean?¡± Even in her gravely wounded state, Seeth¡¯s words sent a jolt of adrenaline down her spine. ¡°How can it possibly get worse?!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a planetary freighter on route; it lands here in a few hours right?¡±


    Oxyi nodded slowly.


    ¡°We¡­ The¡­ They are going to ambush it. And I strongly suspect they will overpower the crew.¡±


    Oxyi''s stomach dropped. Every inch of her body cried out for rest but her brain was wired and awake.


    ¡°I-If they get the freighter... t-then...¡± She was almost too afraid to say it.


    ¡°Then this evolves from one lost nomad city to a potential full scale invasion of all the surrounding systems, stations and planets. A nomad space station has no hope of stopping an attack coming on a freighter like that with no warning.¡±


    They both stared at each-other as grim realisation hit the lioness.


    ¡°It grows out of control, doesn''t it? This won''t stop here... I-Is that what your friends want?¡±


    ¡°They do. They want it more than anything.¡±


    Oxyi paused, deep in thought for a moment, then continued to limp off slowly, dragging her wounded leg behind her as she staggered forward. The sound of her heavy boots scraping across battered wood floors gently rang through the silent building.


    Behind her, Seeth stared in amazement, watching her disappear through the doorway and around into the corridor. She stood sharply and followed her out, to see Oxyi had only made a small amount of progress down the war-torn corridor.


    ¡°W-What are you doing?¡± Seeth asked, stumbling over her words. ¡°You should tend to your wounds, surely?¡±


    ¡°I don''t have time for that, I have to stop that ship from landing.¡± Oxyi replied firmly - shakily - but firm nonetheless.


    ¡°How?¡±


    Oxyi stared up at Seeth and sighed loudly. ¡°Jeez, use your brain! If I can reach the town hall, there''s a hail station there I can use to warn the ship mid-transit! It¡¯s just a matter of getting there.¡±


    ¡°That... That could work. That could work!¡± A plan was already forming in her own head as Oxyi worked her way down the corridor. ¡°I-I think I''m gonna...¡± She stopped, suddenly feeling a tightness across her chest. ¡°I think I''m gonna help put a stop to all this.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Oxyi asked, still inching her way down the corridor. ¡°You gonna carry me there?¡±


    ¡°I''m...¡± Seeth paused, before swelling with a newfound anger and confidence and turned back towards the flat. ¡°I''m gonna do what I should have done when Leech and I first got into all this... I''m gonna kick some sense into her fucking ass!¡±


    And with those words uttered, Seeth charged through the flat and leapt through the window, landing on the ground below with a powerful boom. With a flick of her fingers, the entire horde fled back into the forest and towards the dungeon, leaving Oxyi alone once more.


    *


    ¡°We need to leave today, as soon as possible. I''ve heard the aliens talking, and something big is happening soon.¡± Trent had refocused the group¡¯s attention and he, Diego, Cindy and Geralt were huddled together in the darkness of the scaffolds and plastic sheeting. As they spoke, a small, snake-insect hybrid creature scuttled into the group and leant against Trent¡¯s leg, gasping and out of breath. Diego jumped at the creature¡¯s sudden appearance, but no one else seemed startled.


    ¡°Tivy! You''re back! Everything go ok?¡± Trent asked, rubbing her gently on the back.


    ¡°All good!¡± The creature had a strange twinge to her voice but she sounded rather friendly, if tired. ¡°Oh, I mean, all good!¡± She mimicked Diego''s tone perfectly with her repeat.


    ¡°Holy shit! Listen to that!¡± Diego laughed, taken-aback by the impression.


    ¡°Heh! They like you, boss!¡± Tivy placed her hands on her hips and she recovered her breath. ¡°Soon as I started mimicking you, Leech went crazy!¡±


    ¡°What''s going on then, Tiv? You get eyes on what''s happening?¡± Trent asked, leaning in close to her.


    ¡°They''re really not happy this guy is missing, Moltezz and Leech are starting to lose their patience and they''ve got Nodes searching everywhere. I heard them talking about that planetary freighter too, I think they plan to attack it.¡±


    ¡°That''s really not good.¡± Geralt murmured, ruffling his white, wispy hair. ¡°That was our ticket out of here-¡±


    ¡°And now it''s going to be theirs. Nice. Great job, losers.¡± Cindy huffed, growling slightly under her breath.


    ¡°Do you ever stop, Cindy?!¡± Geralt barked at her, raising his voice a little too much. A sudden panic broke out across the group as they realised what danger they might have put themselves in.


    They immediately went quiet and listened intently. They could hear footsteps scampering about outside the room and a figure briefly appeared at the illuminated entrance, gazing into the darkness, but after a few seconds, the figure dashed off, leaving the group in relative safety once again.


    ¡°Guys. Enough.¡± Trent sighed. Tivy felt for his hand and gripped it tightly; she stood at just over half his height and could wrap most of her fingers around a single digit of his. ¡°Cindy, I appreciate that you hate this, but you''re making this much more difficult at the moment... Could you please, please cool it with the negative remarks?¡±


    As they spoke, they heard more footsteps approaching. A whole group of figures passed by the room, a blur through the plastic sheeting, but they all seemed to be carrying large boxes, and were moving in a hurry.


    ¡°Look at that... how are we supposed to move down a single corridor now?!¡± Geralt''s despair was becoming more and more apparent and Tivy felt for his hand too, holding it tightly.


    ¡°Perhaps we can wait it out?¡± Tivy asked, looking around the team for support.


    ¡°Perhaps you can go fuck yourself.¡± Cindy spat, standing abruptly.


    ¡°Really, Cindy?!¡± Geralt cried out again. ¡°She''s doing her damn best and you''re just spitting insults and making everyone feel like shit! At least she actually did something when Leech was in the room!¡±


    ¡°Guys please!¡± Tivy hopped up and tried to calm everyone, but by now the group was standing. She barely reached the others¡¯ waist height, and was promptly getting ignored by the arguing pair.


    ¡°No, you know what Cindy? You''re going to get us all killed! So why don''t you go off and have your fight with Leech already! See what happens!¡± Geralt was whisper-shouting as quietly as he could, but he was losing what little patience he had left.


    ¡°Sounds good! I can get away from you cowards and actually do something about this place!¡± Cindy barked loudly in retaliation, turning and preparing to leave. As she did though, she felt a strong pull on her arm.


    ¡°Cindy... don''t... please? We can make it out of this together.¡± Diego pleaded, grabbing her hand tightly. ¡°Think about this for a second before you do something you can¡¯t walk away from.¡±


    ¡°Get your fucking hands off me.¡± She hissed back, eyes narrowing. ¡°I don''t want your help, princess. Touch me again and I''ll kill you too.¡±


    Diego let go of her hand, holding his up in defeat.


    ¡°Do us a favour Cindy, try and last more than two minutes will you? Try to be a half-useful distraction for us, yeah?¡± Geralt laughed dryly.


    ¡°Get fucked, Geralt. If I see any of you again, I''ll gut you.¡± The crocodilian stormed her way out of the room, leaving the group behind.


    The rest remained in silence for a few seconds, listening intently for any sign of trouble but thankfully, there appeared to be none.


    ¡°Good riddance.¡± Geralt muttered. ¡°We actually have a chance of escaping now.¡±


    Diego sighed sadly and shook his head. It didn''t need to be like this, but Cindy was in control of her own fate now.


    ¡°Tivy, you know the way to the armoury from here?¡± Trent asked, returning to a kneeling stance and bowing his head sadly. ¡°We can fetch Diego''s sword and some other weapons for us, try to make a break for the surface.¡±


    The charming little snake-bug nodded her head. ¡°I don''t know how we''ll make it past all those Nodes though...¡±


    ¡°Shhh... listen!¡± Geralt pointed at the door. The group inched towards the door and heard... nothing. No footsteps or ensuing violence from Cindy''s storm out. ¡°If a seven foot bitch of a lizard can make it out without being seen, I say we just go, right now.¡±


    ¡°R-Right now?!¡± Trent stumbled, suddenly feeling the pressure of the situation and wanting nothing more, in that moment, than to curl up and hide.


    ¡°Yup! No time like the present! Tivy, lead the way?¡± He asked, seeming much happier now.


    ¡°Okies! I''ll do it!¡± She bounced on the spot, punching some jabs into the air to psych herself up.


    ¡°I-I feel like we need to think about this more!¡± Trent was obviously panicked, but felt a strong hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Trent, I''ve had my ears to the wall since this conversation started and the activity around us is... dying off. I think everyone is heading upstairs. We should seize the moment, it may not come around again.¡± Diego said. ¡°If things hit the fan, I''ll buy you guys time, I promise.¡± He looked cross at Geralt and met his old, wise eyes. ¡°But I think it''s time we take a stand.¡±

 Chapter 9 - Snapped

    Her breath hot with fury and snorting with anger, Cindy bolted from cover to cover, listening closely for anyone following as she made her way into Leech''s lab. For such a tall, muscular crocodilian, she was surprisingly quiet on her feet.


    She knew Leech wasn''t inside the lab; she would have heard her by now. Just to be safe, though, she darted past the main lab and through one of the side doors, entering a chamber that was full of ceiling-height silver storage tanks and buzzing lab machines that were all mid-way through completing their processes. This place was cramped, with many dark corners to hide in, a perfect area to conduct an ambush.


    A quick search through the room revealed a pile of scrap metal thrown aside, full of various shapes and sizes of leftover waste. Cindy scavenged through it quickly and pulled out a large, dagger-like chunk with a sharp point. She stabbed it through the air a few times, and decided it would suffice.


    ¡°I''m gonna tear her fucking throat out... Take me from Seeth will she? Keep me locked up? Well, we''ll see about that, won''t we Leech?!¡± Cindy growled, scrambling to the back of the room and quieting down. She looked over the metal chunk in her hands and played the scene in her head.


    Leech would come into the room, turning to face one of the many machines. Cindy would listen closely, eyes to the floor and ears primed and alert, to confirm Leech¡¯s position, and then, she would strike! She¡¯d lunge at her ¨C no messing around ¨C straight for the neck and face with the metal blade, and get the job done. She could carve her up afterwards and claim her trophy once the kill was secured but she needed to be effective over anything else. She imagined the metal cutting through Leech''s jade green flesh, a smile curling over her face as she did so, thinking about the life draining from that evil bitch¡¯s body.


    She focused again upon hearing voices coming from the lab, but they were too quiet for her to hear what they were saying, and she couldn''t risk coming out of cover to listen. Her clawed fingers shook slightly in anticipation and fear, but the croc¡¯s hunter instincts were kicking in, and she stilled herself quickly and perfectly, breathing slowly and controlled, undetectable under the hum of the machines vibrating in the room.


    It took some time, but eventually, she heard the heavy thumping of Leech''s footsteps, getting closer and closer, one after the other, no idea of what was lying in wait.


    Cautiously, Cindy peaked out from behind the storage in the corner, roughly glancing in Leech''s direction but keeping her eyes fixed on the floor. The alien had her back to her, and was currently fiddling with one of the machines.


    ¡°Bastard thing. Couple of degrees off and it''s practically cooked the cultures. I''ll need more samples and yet more time. UGH. I can¡¯t be arsed with this today.¡± She thumped the top of the machine and brought herself a bit lower to look inside it, presenting her back perfectly for Cindy to attack.


    Everything was matching up perfectly. Cindy was only a few paces away from her and immediately began to tread towards the vulnerable alien, her metal shank firmly in hand as she crept across the cold stone flooring of the dungeon laboratory.


    Leech was still busy focusing on the machine, her head still inside its innards, and Cindy was now just a couple of steps away. Even the seven foot tall Cindy, who''d usually look down on everyone, was intimidated by the size of her, but she steeled herself again, grasping the shank tightly and kept her head down.. She pictured herself grabbing Leech by her long jelly locks, pulling her head to the side and plunging the shank deep into her vulnerable neck.


    Cindy lunged forward into the air, filled with adrenaline and snarling in anger, but Leech struck her leg out backwards in a devastating mule kick, slamming into Cindy''s chest with tremendous force, sending her skidding backwards and thumping into a storage unit behind her. The kick knocked the air out of her lungs and shook the shank right out of her hands. Cindy clutched at her chest, trying desperately to scramble to her feet.


    She wheezed painfully and looked up to see the grinning face of Leech staring straight down at her. Leech seized the back of Cindy¡¯s neck and lifted her straight into the air. Cindy fought back, wrapping her thick, scaly tail around Leech''s shoulders and neck and trying to wriggle free of her grip, thrashing her body around with as much force as she could, but then Leech grabbed her thigh as well, lifting the crocodilian above her head with ease.


    ¡°...C3 should do the trick.¡±


    The ground suddenly rushed towards Cindy, a painful, loud, fleshy slap rang out as Leech brought the girl down directly onto her knee, breaking her back with a single, precise slam. Cindy''s vision went dark, a sudden coldness spread through her limbs. Leech stared down at her collapsed form, watching intently with an ever growing smile as she remained still.


    Is this it¡­ am I¡­ did I lose? Am I dead?


    But slowly, Cindy¡¯s vision began to return, sluggish and blurry but... she was alive and¡­


    Leech''s grinning face slowly came into focus.


    ¡°You have some gall, little crocodile. Attacking me in my own lab.¡± Leech scoffed at her, taking Cindy by the neck again, but this time her body hung limply in Leech''s bastard grip. ¡°Of all the ways you could have handled that... HAH! You genuinely thought you could take me?!¡± She cackled and dragged the crocodilian out of the side room and into the lab. Inside, Cindy noticed a wolf-man, tied up against the back wall. They briefly made eye contact but he broke off nervously and remained quiet. Leech continued on through another side door. There was nothing Cindy could do now, her body just wasn¡¯t responding, no matter how much she strained. All she could feel was a deep, cold tingling in the core of her being.


    ¡°Another Controller might have just killed you, but not me, I''m smarter than that...¡± She laughed again and discarded Cindy''s body down onto an operating table akin to how someone would throw away a used towel. ¡°So kind of you to volunteer your body for science - I promise to put it to good use. Together, we''re really gonna make a difference, you know?¡±


    Terror flooded Cindy¡¯s mind as the realisation hit her. She was no longer just a prisoner in the dungeon; now, she was a prisoner in her own body.


    ¡°It¡¯ll just be you, me and the sound of me taking samples from you. It''s just a shame you won¡¯t be able to feel any of it.¡± The scientist cackled and disappeared briefly, before returning with a couple of hanging bags of fluid and the appropriate medical tubing. ¡°But you are gonna get real familiar with the sounds of scalpels and flesh. So at least there''s that.¡± She leaned in close to the crocodilian''s head, her voice twisted with malice and spite. ¡°You should have listened to them, Cindy. I''m coming for your friends next, and if they don''t give me what I want, I''m going to break them too.¡±


    Leech finished setting up the fluid bags and fed the needles into the poor girl''s arm, before flicking the lights off, leaving Cindy a paralysed mess in the dark with nothing but her own thoughts and failures to keep her company.


    ¡°You should know, I would have handled her irrespective of your help -¡± Leech sighed as she turned back towards the main lab, slamming the door behind her and locking it shut. ¡°- but your¡­ loyalty has been noted, Venter.¡± A slight look of disgust crept over her face as she spoke to the wolf, but it quickly faded away. ¡°I will see you are rewarded for it later. For now though, I have an invasion to organise.¡±


    *


    Diego, Trent, Geralt and Tivy made their way through the dungeon corridors, staying low and quiet, with Tivy in the lead and guiding them through room after room towards the armoury. Hurrying footsteps echoed behind them, intensifying to a low grumble as activity increased. A cloud of anxiety hung over the group, as though there were constantly seconds away from capture.


    Diego remained at the back of the group, ready to break off and distract from the others in case they were found. Each barefooted step was taken delicately and deliberately, they swerved in and out of unoccupied side rooms and nimbly avoided discovery with remarkable guile. After about an hour, they¡¯d somehow dodged numerous patrols and made it to the armoury. However, The armoury door was a heavy metal security bulkhead, securely bolted and locked to the wall with several different mechanisms. The team paused and took cover in a small room just opposite, which was full of random bits of industrial equipment.


    ¡°There''s a bit of luck!¡± Trent happily whispered to the group. ¡°Excellent job everyone! I think we can use these tools to slowly bust open those locks... Tivy, you take point and let us know if anyone is coming around the corners, Diego you stay on... erm... distraction duty and scouting? I''m sorry dude, I hate to think of you as bait...¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry about me. You and Geralt get on those locks, me and Tivy will keep you safe.¡± Diego smiled back at him, putting a friendly hand on Trent¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s all coming together.¡±


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    They quickly looked through the discarded tools and grabbed some pieces that they could use, a couple of things they thought might work. They only needed to duck behind some shelving once, when a lone Node came running down the corridor.


    Everyone took their positions. Tivy peered around one corner, Diego around the other and gave the thumbs up for Geralt and Trent to begin working on the locks. They filed at the metal and gently hammered at vulnerable parts of the door, but activity was building within the dungeon; squads of Nodes were charging back and forth with supplies, passing by the armoury again and again and causing the whole team to fall back and wait for the all clear.


    Work was slow. Any time they seemed to be making some progress on the thick metal locks, someone would turn up and they''d all have to retreat into the opposite room, staying quiet and hidden. Progress was slow and agonising, there was a constant battle between trying to actually damage the door and not make too much noise. Before too long Geralt¡¯s arms were starting to burn with the new strain on his muscles, and without warning, the blade in his hands suddenly broke mid-saw, and it clattered loudly against the stone flooring, bouncing twice before settling to a stop.


    The group went silent and listened intently. Tivy gasped and signalled for the group to hide and they poured back into the dark supply room, waiting with baited breath as the sound of approaching footsteps thudded closer. The team all covered their mouths as the figure approached the door. It appeared to be a Node, standing at seven foot tall, dressed in a flat jacket of sorts and military pants with thick boots on. Her figure was pressing tightly against her clothes and she was armed too, with a rifle strapped to her back and an energy whip hanging off her hips.


    She could immediately see that something was going on. Her eyes darted from the tool on the floor, to the door. She turned away from the group as she began to inspect the damage.


    Tivy nervously fidgeted and felt for Trents hand, holding onto his fingers tightly. Nerves continued to build as the Node refused to move on... Trent grabbed Diego''s arm and whispered as quietly as he could.


    ¡°C-Could you knock her out...? With your psyonics or something?¡± The fox asked desperately. ¡°If she comes over here, it could all be over¡­¡±


    ¡°I can, but it''ll be loud...¡± Diego whispered back, inching forward and preparing himself. This needed to be clean, or things would go south quickly. His body began to crackle with power and he held his palm out, preparing a strike, when suddenly the Node¡¯s head snapped up; some had caught her attention. Diego paused.


    The Node stared down the corridor, great concern sweeping over her face, followed by a look of shock. A tremendous smashing noise rippled through the dungeon, making the whole squad jump, and Geralt stumble.


    The Node suddenly took off, sprinting and disappearing around a corner. Other footsteps followed behind her, heading away, and moments later, silence fell upon the group. It felt as if the entire wing of the dungeon was completely empty.


    ¡°What... the fuck was that?!¡± Geralt exclaimed, staggering to his feet and feeling across his chest, hands shaking.


    ¡°I don''t know...¡± But there was no mistaking the terrible feeling crawling its way through Diego¡¯s body. They needed to leave, now. ¡°You know what they say about seizing the moment and all that shit?¡± He asked, flexing his neck and arms. ¡°Well, I think I''m gonna seize ours. Stand back!¡±


    *


    ¡°SEETH?! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!¡±


    ¡°YOU''RE GONNA STOP THIS SHIT, LEECH! ALL OF IT!¡±


    Another enormous crash shuddered through the dungeon as Leech crashed through the wall and into her lab, masonry dust thrown into the air and buzzing around the room under the clinical white lights. Seeth stormed after her through the fresh hole in the wall, stepping over the smashed brickwork and ripped cables. A terrified Venter watched the two confront one other, cowering in the far corner.


    ¡°HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FUCKING MIND?!¡± Leech screamed, quickly looking around the lab to assess the damage done as she stood back up, blood dripping down the front of her leg from Seeth''s assault.


    ¡°No! No I have not! I am done with all of this horrific shit, and so are you!¡± Seeth lowered her tone slightly, but stood defiant and firm.


    ¡°OR WHAT?!¡± Leech screamed again, absolutely livid; why was this happening, in her lab of all places?!


    ¡°Or, I''m going to end you. This can¡¯t go on. It''s not too late, we can pack all this up and actually try to make something of ourselves!¡± An audience of Nodes was building at the lab entrance, a mixture of terror and confusion across their faces.


    ¡°Oh wow. WOW. You finally decide to grow a spine now, huh?! I am NOT going to let you destroy all my work here just because you''re a weak willed little sissy bitch, who''s fallen for a fat butt lizard that makes your heart go all a-flutter! It''s pathetic, Seeth, honestly!¡± Leech glared across the room at her friend, then continued her assessment of the lab.


    ¡°T-This isn''t about him, it''s about us! Do you seriously think this is the right way for anyone to live their lives?! How far do you think you''ll get before you make an enemy too strong to stop?! You could be killed! And don¡¯t you care at all about the people we trample on in the process?!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t stop me, Seeth! Fuck this planet, and fuck you!¡± Leech gestured towards a Node who promptly marched out into the room, drawing her rifle at Seeth.


    Oh no you don¡¯t; this is between you, and me. Seeth narrowed her eyes and reached deep into the hierclasty, the hivemind which connected the Controllers to their horde, and before the Node could even blink, Seeth had taken control. The Node had become a passenger in her body; her eyes flickered and stared where Seeth wanted them to, her fingers relaxed around the rifle and it clattered to the floor. No, NO! The Node screamed, trapped within the confines of her own thoughts. We can¡¯t disobey Leech!


    Leech could feel Seeth¡¯s intrusion into her loyal Node, and quickly made to override her puppeteering. As the two Controllers fought over her, the Node was left, standing in the middle of the room, shaking violently. The Node''s body began to crumple, creak and crack under the competing forces in her mind, body, and soul. Barely a whimper escaped her mouth, and the lab echoed with the horrible wet noise of a body being ripped in two, as she fell apart into a splintery wet mess on the floor.


    Their fight for control had lasted only mere moments.


    ¡°Oh shit... that was... kinda cool.¡± Leech remarked, curiosity replacing her anger for a moment as she admired the Node¡¯s remains. However, that moment was all Seeth needed, and Leech was filled with an instant regret as Seeth suddenly surged across the room, smacking her right in the face, and sending her reeling backwards.


    Before she could continue her assault, Plasia leapt out from another doorway and pounced onto Seeth''s back, trying to restrain her arms behind her. Leech charged forward and slugged Seeth across the jaw as she was wrestling with Plasia, splattering purple saliva across the lab floor. Seeth launched herself backwards and slammed Plasia against a wall, loosening her grip and allowing Seeth to stand properly again. But Leech was already behind her, grabbing Seeth by the hips and lifting her up into the air. She fumbled with her grip, trying to get Seeth into a good position to slam her down.


    ¡°I don''t want to do this to you Seeth... but I will! C4 perhaps, and-¡±


    Leech¡¯s words trailed off, she glanced up confused as she realised that Seeth was rising out of her grip. Through the glare of the lab¡¯s white lights she saw Seeth hanging from the huge metal ceiling beams and lifting herself up, before delivering a strong kick to Leech''s head and dropping back to the floor.


    Leech stumbled to the ground, feeling her head for injuries and edging away, keeping some space between her and Seeth, but the frenzied sapphire Controller launched herself at Seeth again, tongue hanging loose from her toothy maw as she bared down on her.


    But Seeth was ready.


    Plasia came swinging towards her but Seeth nimbly dodged out the way and slammed three perfect, shuddering hits into Plasia''s mid-section. Plasia had a moment to yelp and stumble, before Seeth followed up with a massive arcing kick that slammed into Plasia''s face, sending her smashing through the same front wall she¡¯d sent Leech through earlier.


    Behind her, Leech had gotten back on her feet and grabbed a scalpel from a desk nearby.


    ¡°If we''re really doing this, then lets fucking go.¡± The furious green alien hissed, eyes narrowing and staring straight at Seeth''s throat.


    *


    It sounded like all hell was breaking loose in the dungeon, multiple shouts and screams reverbing down through the corridors and echoing all together, making it impossible to tell who or where the sounds were coming from. But now was the time to move, not to wonder.


    Diego planted his feet firmly on the floor and roared into the air, a powerful aura blasted out of his core and his skin colour twisted into a deep red, as he grabbed the door handle, pulling firmly at the door with a ear-wrenching screech as the metal tore and ripped like fabric under his new strength.


    The bolts ripped out the walls and he tore the entire door off, calmly placing it to the side and focusing in to relax himself. The aura faded and he returned to normal. He turned to face the squad, who were all staring at him, gobsmacked and a little windswept from the blast.


    ¡°C''mon guys, questions later, guns now!¡±


    They quickly ran into the armoury and found it well stocked, with a variety of different guns, melee weapons and protective gear. Diego''s sword and armour had been left scattered against the back wall, although his crotch plate and shoulder guard were now adorned with several neon-blue kiss marks.


    The gang went about grabbing anything and everything that they could. Most of the armour was far too big for the Marks, especially little critter-sized Tivy, so instead they hastily grabbed some basic firearms and as much ammo as they could strap onto their naked bodies. As Diego bent down however, and started strapping his armour across his body, they couldn''t help but stare at his unusual choice of ordnance. His shoulders visibly tensed and hardened, and a gentle sigh escaped his lips as his hand tugged at the first strap. The glossy red and silver plating had an almost harsh sheen to it, especially beneath the bright lighting in the room.


    Although his armour was scattered with seemingly little abandon, that didn''t seem to be a problem for the lizard. He handled each piece with a clear familiarity, and knew exactly how to lift the plates to begin strapping them to his body.


    ¡°It''s a shame they didn¡¯t leave your under-shirt here too.¡± Geralt said, as he struggled with the rifle in his hands. ¡°I don''t know if we''ve got time, but maybe we could nip into another one of these rooms, try and find your clothes.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, don''t worry.¡± Diego replied, his gaze purposely fixed on his hands as he buckled up the next set of straps. ¡°This is all I came here with.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ So, where¡¯s the underpadding?¡± Geralt asked, raising an eyebrow as he glanced around the room.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t any.¡± Diego¡¯s response was followed by the sound of worn, cold leather being pulled across his scales.


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s gotta be so uncomfortable!¡± Tivy said loudly, her body buzzing in anticipation. She looked almost mesmerised by how the plate slid so expertly into place on his frame.


    ¡°It is...¡± Diego murmured with a serious, almost mourning look in his eyes. He rolled his shoulder, reconciling to the cold heavy kiss of plated steel against his skin. A moment later however, and that look in his eyes was gone, and he turned around to address his team. ¡°Right! You guys go! I''ll be right behind you!¡±


    ¡°Y-You sure you don¡¯t want us to wait?!¡± Trent yelled, hovering at the door as he slung a shotgun over his shoulder.


    ¡°Yep! Just go! Head for the stairs!¡±


    Trent nodded, and the team ran for the stairs, not wanting to hang around and see if Diego''s forceful entry had attracted any attention. This was it, now or never, no second chances. Diego remained behind to slip on his armour, fingers nimbly buckling and unbuckling the clasps and sliding the plates smoothly over his chest. It would have only taken a couple of minutes for Diego to suit up, but right now, every second was precious.


    Whatever was unfolding in the dungeon had attracted everyone''s attention however, and the hallway was empty. There was no one between them and the dingy, cold concrete staircase that would lead them to freedom. Trent looked up the staircase and felt dread in the pit of his stomach. They''d need to pass by several occupied floors, and then it would be a mad dash up the final forty flights or so until they hit the top. Trent, Geralt and Tivy all began their ascent, barefoot on concrete as the madness of the dungeon continued to intensify behind them. Another near deafening screech rattled through the floor and echoed up the staircase.


    Still in the armoury, Diego was just finishing up his plating when he heard the slow, stumbling, heavy, footsteps of someone approaching. He froze. Perhaps he didn''t have as much time as he''d hoped.

 Chapter 10 - Out of the Depths

    <div>


    Diego turned and drew his sword, pointing it towards the door. He eyed up the tight space and braced to use his psyonics. The footsteps drew closer and closer, accompanied with another sound¡­ Sobbing?


    A heavy thud rang out and the hysterical form of Plasia landed on the floor right in front of the armoury door, much to Diego¡¯s relief, and surprise. She looked absolutely terrified, looking back down the corridor she had just stumbled down. Her face was badly hurt, her one eye was cut up and bleeding badly, her skin bruised and weeping across the same side of her face.


    ¡°Plasia?! Are you alright?!¡± Diego rushed forward, sheathing the blade over his back and kneeling down by her, great concern washing over his body and deep into his chest. She turned to face him, hyperventilating and shaking all over. She reached out with a wavering hand, her large sapphire eyes meeting with his.


    ¡°D-Diego?! I... I don''t know what''s going on! Someone hit me really hard and - and - and I hurt and people are screaming and - and I don''t know what to do!¡± A fresh wave of sobs burst out of her chest. She shuddered with every gasp and her body trembled, unable to find her footing.


    ¡°Hey, look at me.¡± Plasia felt a warmth on her shoulder as Diego placed a gentle, reassuring hand on her. He crouched down so his face was level with hers.¡°It''s time to go, Plasia. I¡¯m leaving this awful place, and you''re coming with me.¡± He smiled at her, kindly, standing up slowly and offering his hands to help her up. As she stood, her gaze remained absolutely fixated on him, unable to look at anything but his kind violet eyes.


    ¡°W-wha-w-whu-what? What d-do you mean?¡± She wiped a tear from her eye and slowly came to her feet, trying to the words she''d just heard.


    ¡°I''m getting you out of here.¡± Diego said firmly. ¡°I said I''d help you, remember?¡±


    Plasia stared for a second, her eyes darting from one of his eyes to the other before throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly, nuzzling into his neck and crying into it loudly. She couldn''t believe it was actually happening. He was actually going to help her.


    ¡°C''mon you, we''re not out of here yet!¡± Diego stepped back and gently took her hand, leading her towards the staircase out. ¡°We''ve still got a ton of stairs to climb¡­¡±


    *


    Ahead of them, Trent, Geralt and Tivy had begun their ascent to freedom, and so far, it had been suspiciously quiet. The winding stairwell was dimly lit and carved from solid concrete, with no decoration or hand rails on either side and only the occasional small gap acting as a window that allowed them to see the height they¡¯d already climbed, and the dizzying amount left.


    Every couple of stories would reveal a metal door that spidered out to the upper parts of the dungeon. All these doors had been closed, up until now. The trio slowed down as they approached it, hazy yellow light beamed out from the doorway and the unnerving sound of Slaves hobbling around within was clearly audible.


    Trent signalled for the team to stop, and they gathered on the floor below to discuss quickly.


    ¡°What should we do? If one of them spots us, we could be in for one hell of a fight... there could be hundreds in there!¡± Geralt nervously fidgeted with his rifle.


    ¡°They''re generally not too attentive unless a Node is about¡­¡± Trent replied. ¡°Tivy, think you can see what it''s like up there?¡±


    She nodded and scampered up the stairs silently, edging up to the door and peering around the corner. The room itself looked akin to an underground carpark, a massive open room with random support pillars, little in the way of furnishings or comfort aside from some hay on the ground and what looked like feeding troughs. Thankfully, there weren''t many Slaves in the room, only a few standing around idly. Most appeared to be sleeping, although standing upright. There couldn¡¯t have been more than sixty or seventy.


    Tivy returned to deliver the good news.


    ¡°So I think we''re clear, they seem to be sleeping. Lets just carry on quietl-¡±


    *BANG*


    The team shuddered as Geralt accidentally let a round loose from his rifle. All three of them froze, looking horrified at one another as the ringing in their ears slowly stopped...


    ¡°Tivy?! How many?!¡± Trent fumbled for his weapon and began to ascend the stairs towards the door.


    ¡°Sixty maybe?!¡±


    Trent half leapt out of his skin as a hungry monochrome face leered around the door and stumbled towards him, he took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut as he fired a shotgun shell into the thing¡¯s face as it went to lunge for him. The Slave collapsed. There was no doubt the others would follow.


    ¡°You guys go! I''ll hold them!¡± Trent ordered, clacking the shotgun''s pump action and pushing towards the door. Geralt immediately ran, charging off up the stairs without a second thought. Tivy, however, paused, torn between wanting to help Trent, and saving herself. She bounced back and forth on the spot, then sighed in exasperation and reluctantly followed Geralt, leaving Trent alone.


    Trent fired another couple of rounds at the approaching Slaves, dropping them with ease, but they were quickly picking up their pace, and stumbling towards him at speed. Ah, fuck it. As they approached, Trent fired and downed two of the very closest Slaves, then turned and went to run himself. But as he did, something grabbed his tail... one of the Slaves he¡¯d shot was still alive. Although grounded, and with most of its face missing, its limbs had shot up and grabbed his fluffy tail with remarkable speed.


    The fox reacted quickly and shouldered the shotgun again, blasting another round into the Slave¡¯s chest, causing it to release its grip on him and fall dead. But now the remaining Slaves were closer, and suddenly speeding up, they broke out into a full blown sprint and covered the distance between them and Trent in seconds. He spun around and tried to run again, but was tackled to the ground by three Slaves, who immediately pinned his limbs and weapon down. The Slaves behind them bellowed hungrily and charged up the stairs. Moments later, Tivy¡¯s horrified scream echoed down the stairway.


    No longer were these the shambling creatures he witnessed just a minute or two ago. The Slaves were moving like a grey blur, flowing like water up the stairs, pinning Trent down with overwhelming strength, and preventing him from retaliating in any measure. As the screaming intensified above him, Trent couldn''t help but feel they''d already failed.


    *


    Leech swung her scalpel around and went to stab at Seeth, but the amethystine alien was too nimble and dodged the strikes. After several swipes, she caught hold of Leech''s arm and smacked her hard into the elbow, disarming the furious alien and sending another couple of thudding punches into her side.


    The irate green beast threw herself at Seeth in an attempt to use her larger size to overwhelm her and drag her to the floor, but Seeth was once again two steps ahead, and grabbed Leech mid-way through the charge and hurled her across the room. Leech impacted against the wall only millimetres away from Venter, smashing into a couple of mounted shelves and completely destroying them, sending broken glass and lab equipment skidding across the floor.


    ¡°YOU PIECE OF SHIT, SEETH! AFTER EVERYTHING WE''VE ACCOMPLISHED?! AFTER EVERYTHING WE''VE BEEN THROUGH?! YOU SAID YOU¡¯D PROTECT ME!¡± Leech bellowed, rising to her feet. She took hold of a medical bed from the corner and hurled it across the room. Seeth ducked swiftly as it flew over her head, and rose nimbly.


    ¡°I AM protecting you! From YOURSELF!¡±


    Leech growled loudly and volleyed several trays of surgical tools and specimen samples, as her opponent surged across the room and the two sparred once more, but Seeth had the upper-hand now, and they both knew it. Leech swung desperate heavy fists at her but Seeth dodged and blocked them expertly, then countered with a series of hammer-like blows to Leech''s stomach and torso, purple knuckles crunching into her muscular green skin, knocking the wind out of her.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    With the advantage secured, Seeth went on a true offensive. Blow after blow sent blood and green goo spattering over the walls as Seeth battered into Leech''s head, splintering her carapace with her fierce assault. Leech tried to resist, scrabbling at Seeth¡¯s arms and desperately trying to block her fists with her forearms, but to no avail. Leech was defenceless, her head bouncing again and again against the wall, crunch after crunch with every hit, cracking the masonry behind her.


    ¡°Leave her alone!¡± A voice cried out from behind Seeth and she felt a sharp pain in her side. She spun around to see the terrified form of Venter standing there, with various syringes in his grasp. A quick glance down revealed he''d already stabbed Seeth with a handful of them.


    She yanked the needles out and kicked Venter straight in the chest. He was nothing but a grey blur as he skidded across the room, his skull thumping painfully on impact against a desk as the syringes scattered across the room. But the distraction was enough for Leech to find her second wind; she threw her arms around Seeth and attempted to strangle her from behind, holding her neck tightly within the crook of her elbow.


    ¡°Don''t worry about the injections, Seeth, there¡¯s nothing in here that could hurt you - permanently!¡± Leech laughed, pressing on Seeth''s neck as hard as she could. She spat out a mouthful of blood over her shoulder. ¡°Once I get you under control, we¡¯ll have to work on this terrible attitude of yours! As punishment though, I''ll be having your lizard, seeing as you can¡¯t handle him!.¡± She cackled as blood dribbled down her chin.


    Enraged by her words, Seeth grit her teeth and pushed back as hard as she could, slamming Leech back into the wall and loosening her grip. Seeth spun to face her opponent and pulled down hard on Leech''s head, driving her knee up at the same time and the two met with a devastating crack. Leech screamed out in pain, and collapsed to the floor.


    She was down. Seeth grabbed a scalpel from the floor and mounted Leech''s torso and thrust it towards her former friend¡¯s eye. Leech threw her arms in front of her face and the two locked in a desperate battle of strength, The scalpel hovered perilously close to Leech''s eye as both their arms shook from the strain.


    Despite her situation, Leech laughed heartily, staring up at Seeth with a victorious look in her battered face.


    ¡°Even after all that... you''re pulling your punches. You can hit harder than that! I''ve seen it!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Leech! You can still stop this!¡± Seeth struggled, pushing the blade down harder.


    ¡°You hate everything I do, and yet you can''t bear to live without me! HAH! You have NO conviction at all, Seeth. WEAK!¡± Leech cackled again, as her arms were slowly pushed towards her face. ¡°You''ve destined to be someone''s bitch for your entire life! You had a chance to change that with me, to be at the one at the top for once, but obviously it was too much for you to handle. Happier living under the thumb of a man, huh?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you think this is about - you''re completely fucked up, Leech!¡± Seeth pushed with all her weight over the blade and inched closer to Leech''s face. ¡°Tell me you''ll stop this corruption shit and I''ll stop!¡±


    ¡°NEVER!¡±


    ¡°DO IT!¡± Seeth yelled, the blade practically touching Leech''s eye.


    A sharp metallic crack thundered through the room, and Seeth suddenly lost her strength. A searing pain rippled up her back and she slumped off of Leech and onto the floor. Everything went blurry, and black spots spread from the corners of her vision. Behind her, the tremendously annoyed and disappointed ruby outline of Moltezz appeared. In each of her hands she wielded a length of thick, industrial chain, easily thicker than even the strongest man¡¯s leg, and it was glowing red hot from her touch.


    ¡°Outrageous. To think you''d turn on us, Seeth.¡± Moltezz shook her head. ¡°Take her to my chambers!¡± She commanded, and several Nodes made their way quickly into the lab. Moltezz gestured with her arm, and dropped one of her chains into the hands of eagerly awaiting Slaves. Despite its hissing loudly upon contact with their skin, they didn''t finch, and continued to hold the weapon as commanded. Moltezz strode over and helped Leech up from the floor. ¡°How badly wounded are you?¡± she asked, eyeing the damage to Leech''s head and torso.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I''ll patch myself up. Can you deal with¡­ this, Moltezz?¡± Furious but shaking, just a little, Leech gestured to where Seeth was being dragged away. She couldn''t look up at her though, and kept her head down.


    ¡°Of course, I know just what to do with traitors.¡± Moltezz''s fiery glare stared down at the now incapacitated Seeth, lying amongst the ruins of the lab. ¡°Tragic. Has she set your research back at all?¡±


    ¡°No. Not by any significant amount, anyway. UGH, this is NOT what I needed today. I''m going to move on that freighter.¡±


    ¡°I could lead the assault instead? You''re looking rather¡­ incapacitated right now.¡±


    ¡°NO! I... I need to be away from her, and from this place. I can command the horde from outside the ship¡­ What are you going to do with her?¡± Adrenaline was still coursing through Leech¡¯s veins, and despite the beating she had just taken, she was feeling¡­ confused¡­ She wasn''t really sure how she was feeling.


    ¡°She''s an asset to us, Leech, we just need to get her back under control, and back on board. I''ll just do what we''ve been doing here this whole time.¡± As she spoke, she retrieved the chain she dropped to the Slaves earlier and whipped it through the air, the end cracking loudly at the apex of its whip-like motion. ¡°I need to break her in.¡±


    *


    Geralt continued up the staircase, pausing to fire a shaky shot from his rifle and somehow missing every one as a flowing wave of bodies surged after him. A scream rang out as Tivy was caught by her heels, despite moving as fast as her little legs could carry her. Two of them were holding her down and pinning her to the ground. Her fingers reached out desperately for her weapon, but one of the Slaves kicked it away.


    Panicking, Geralt slipped and fell half-way up the next set of stairs. He glanced behind him only to see that the Slaves had already caught up. They were on top of him before Geralt even had a chance to even fire his gun. He kicked out and struggled with all his might, but he was pinned under the multiple sets of arms squeezing on his every limb.


    *


    ¡°Moltezz is going to be so happy with me.¡± A Node slowly ascended the staircase and stood over Trent, she clad like the other Nodes, standing around eight feet tall in military clothing that was struggling to contain her absurdly sexual body shape. ¡°I have no idea what''s going on today, but I can at least stop you lot from escaping. She rewards loyalty, Trent. You know that.¡±


    The fox scowled back at her, and winced as the Slave¡¯s grip around him tightened.


    ¡°So close this time too! How''d you get into the armou-¡±


    She stopped. Frozen in place.


    They all stopped...


    The Slaves released their grip and all stood, slowly marching back into their room. The Node, with her mouth clamped firmly shut, swiftly made her way back down the stairs, back through the door she came from, and closed it behind her. Tivy and Geralt quickly made their way down to Trent, and helped him to his feet. The group were stunned; speechless, they all stood slowly, wondering at what had just happened.


    Two more figures emerged from the gloomy staircase below.


    Diego led the way, his hand trailing behind him and holding that of the massive sapphire alien that shyly followed him up the stairs.


    Geralt stumbled back down the stairs and raised his rifle at Plasia.


    ¡°Diego! Look out!¡±


    ¡°WOAH THERE!¡± The lizard frantically waved his arms about as Plasia retreated a little, eyeing the weapon pointed at her. ¡°Easy, Geralt! Plasia''s not going to hurt us, she''s a friend!¡±


    ¡°F-Friend?¡± Trent asked, suspicious.


    ¡°Yes. I''ll explain everything when we''re out of here but I have to ask; do you trust me?¡± Diego motioned for Plasia to follow him again.


    Trent thought for a second, Tivy and Geralt waitied intently for his answer.


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Then you trust Plasia.¡± Diego said firmly. ¡°Who do you think called off the horde?¡±


    Plasia gave a shy smile.


    ¡°T-Thank you¡­ I¡¯m not that good at controlling them, b-but it was nothing, r-really¡­¡± the alien whispered quietly to Diego, making his ear twitch.


    ¡°Hey, you''re the one who did it!¡± Diego reassured her.  ¡°Let''s keep moving. We still have a lot of stairs to climb.¡±


    And so they did. The team continued their ascent together, thighs burning and joints aching as they climbed, closer and closer to freedom. Plasia kept the horde away from them completely now, and the rest of the climb was incident free. Hope began to fill the team once again as the ceiling of the stairwell inched closer, step after step.


    Eventually and uneventfully, they reached the top and the team stopped to catch their breath. Another locked heavy metal door blocked in their path.


    ¡°I-I-I don''t have a key... I don''t... Diego?! What do we do?!¡± Plasia began to panic, feeling over the door''s surface and turning to her hero for aid. Tivy, Geralt and Trent all laughed, and looked over at Diego too.


    ¡°This guy¡¯s a door-wrecking machine!¡± Geralt laughed heartily.


    ¡°Yep, we found the one guy in this place that can bend doors in half!¡± Tivy agreed, hopping about happily on the spot.


    ¡°He got us into the armoury in a rather spectacular fashion, you got this one too, Diego?¡±


    Diego nodded and stood from the top step, turned to face the door and bellowed, his skin flushed red as power coursed through him. This time, he booted the door right in its centre with a powerful kick, smashing it right off its hinges and into the open floor of the abandoned factory. He took another deep breath to centre himself, the aura faded and Diego was back to his ordinary self once more.


    Plasia stared at him, open mawed as the others clapped and cheered.


    ¡°The guy hates doors!¡± Geralt did a deep belly laugh as he spoke.


    ¡°I don''t think he hates doors, Geralt... I think he just - you know what. Nevermind.¡± Trent laughed, feeling the weight of the dungeon falling off his shoulders.


    Together, they stepped out into the abandoned factory, Plasia reaching out for Diego''s hand again which he readily accepted.


    Wind gently blew through the cracked windows. Trees rustled outside the decaying brick walls, the wonderful morning sky was visible through the broken sky lights. Fresh autumn air filled their lungs and cooled off their skin.


    ¡°It''s beautiful...¡± Trent remarked, a tear forming in his eye as they made their way to the rusting front doors and into the main forest itself. ¡°I-I¡¯d forgotten what the sky looks like...¡± He suddenly turned around and threw his arms around Diego, hugging him close. ¡°Thank you... Thank you, my dude. I never thought I''d see anything other than dungeon walls and her fucking face ever again.¡±


    ¡°Don''t mention it.¡± Diego smiled warmly, hugging him back.


    The team slowly made their way out to a clearing in the trees, feeling the fresh grass and dirt underneath their feet, and the refreshing air on their skin.


    ¡°I haven''t been out here in nearly a year...¡± Geralt felt tears welling up too. He sat upon a log and stared at the clouds lazily drifting above him. ¡°It¡¯s been so long¡­ A whole fucking year! Cindy was so wrong about you dude! You turn up, and you get us out on the very same day that we meet you!¡±


    ¡°N-Nobody ever even spoke to me before!¡± Plasia piped up, standing in the clearing somewhat awkwardly, and away from the others. ¡°H-He listened to me!¡±


    While the team honoured Diego¡¯s efforts, his ears suddenly twitched. Diego turned. His ears kept twitching and he looked to the sky again, ignoring the increasing celebration building behind him. He could feel the humming of engines in the air.

 Chapter 11 - Upon Deaf Ears

    ¡°You don''t understand! You cannot land that ship under any circumstances! A-Are you listening?!¡±


    The line paused for a few seconds as the panicked lioness made her case over the intercom. She¡¯d spent the few hours painstakingly inching her way across the city, and then climbing the somewhat rickety ladder to the tallest building in the entire city; the Communications Centre. It was no more than a couple of rooms on top of a massive set of metal scaffolds, with many sets of aerials, dishes and wires hanging from its extremity.


    Oxyi had always wanted to come up here; the view was spectacular as the city was actually built quite low to the ground so the comms tower sat above everything, giving it a beautiful view over the surroundings in every direction, including the glorious sunrise that showered golden light in through the building''s windows¡­ and through those of the freighter, which was currently descending slowly towards the drop pad on the city¡¯s outskirts. Under different circumstances, this would have been a lovely way to spend a morning, but right now the wounded and absolutely exhausted Oxyi was sitting in a rickety office chair, glued to the control panels in front of her and trying with all her might to stop the ship from landing. The fate of the entire sector, all the surrounding space stations and planets depended on it. Suddenly, the intercom buzzed alive again and a new voice crackled through it.


    ¡°This is the Captain speaking, my officer has passed communication over to me. Who am I speaking with and what appears to be the issue?¡±


    ¡°Captain! My name is Oxyi Vennit, I''m a security consultant and the last person alive in the entire city. I-I-I must insist that you do NOT land that ship!¡±


    ¡°For what reason, Miss Vennit?¡± The captain spoke sternly through the intercom and didn''t sound impressed.


    ¡°J-Just Oxyi is fine. Captain, I don''t even know where to start, but the entire planet is compromised.  I have spent the last few days under constant assault and I nearly died last night -¡±


    ¡°Oxyi, I need you to understand my situation here.¡± The Captain interrupted. ¡°I have twenty-thousand refugees on board. They urgently need somewhere to stay and they''re insisting that I land. They have very little food and cannot stay aboard this ship much longer. I understand that the settlement has been abandoned, and it sounds like a perfect fit. If you''re struggling with a few bandits or pirates, we have a guard unit on board and I''m happy to dispatch them to deal with the issue. I will delay this journey to ensure the safety of the people on board, but there is nowhere else they can go.¡±


    ¡°Captain, I can''t overstate the scale of the issue, there''s thousands of them, they took everyone here who didn''t run! The city is fucked, and I''ve been shooting my ass off to survive! If you land, they''ll take your ship and all the people on board, and then they¡¯re airborne! That means they can start attacking the nearby systems!¡± Oxyi was nervously twirling with the cable connecting the headset to the control panel, her foot bobbing anxiously. ¡°People have been disappearing for months now, and we found where they were going and - and - and I think they''ve been infected with something that''s driving them crazy, because one of them tried to hump my leg and I used to know him but he was different, and I shot some people in a forest and - and - and they grabbed me from behind and my friend gave his life for me and if you land that ship then it''ll all be for nothing! It can''t be for nothing, Captain... Please...¡±


    Oxyi knew she was rambling, but she was desperate; this was the most important conversation of her entire life and the last few hours were weighing heavily on her. She clutched the headset, listening closely for the captain¡¯s response.


    *


    Diego''s ears bolted upright, listening closely as the others were celebrating their escape, enjoying the crisp, outside air. He could very clearly hear multiple sets of engines in the air, the distant rumble of freighter engines. They were loud, heavy and powerful, designed to lift hundreds of thousands of tons of ship and cargo, sturdy and reliable. Behind that though, there were more rumbles, something leaner and faster...


    Suddenly, the trees around them shook violently and two low-flight assault craft hurtled past, disappearing out of vision as fast as they appeared, shocking the group into silence as they roared overhead. He couldn''t be sure, but Diego was sure he recognised the ships, their sleek shape and that hazy cobalt coloured plasma trails their engines left in the air.


    They¡¯ve found me. How¡­ How did they know I was here¡­


    It took the group only a couple of seconds to notice the anxiety rolling through Diego.


    ¡°You alright, Diego? You look more worried now than you did back down in the dungeon!¡± Trent joked, walking over to Diego. ¡°Any idea what that was about?¡±


    ¡°I think that was the Draconic Alliance...¡± His concern was becoming more and more evident with each passing second as he connected the possibilities in his head.


    ¡°Do you think they''re here to help?¡± Geralt pondered, checking around to see if they''d been followed.. ¡°Finally put an end to it, maybe?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they''ve seen what''s going on?¡± Tivy skirted right up to Diego and gently grabbed his hand, trying to comfort him.


    ¡°They''ve seen something alright.¡± Diego remarked, looking away. ¡°I think¡­ I don''t know how exactly, but I think they¡¯re here for me...¡±


    ¡°For you? Are you wanted by the DA?!¡± Geralt asked, eyes wide.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Diego laughed dryly, and ran a hand through his hair. ¡°I can''t believe it, after all this time they¡¯re still looking for me.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ What for?!¡±


    ¡°Long story. Too long. I need to get out of here, I¡¯ve just escaped one prison, I''m not letting those bastards take me into another.¡± Diego glanced about at the clearing, planning his way off-planet, then turned to face his team. To his surprise, they all stood and smiled warmly at him.


    ¡°That was the plan, right?¡± Trent patted his shoulder. ¡°We''re not exactly friends of the DA, either. Doesn''t matter why they want you, we''re sticking together and getting out together.¡±


    ¡°Right! Fuck the DA!¡± Geralt nodded enthusiastically. ¡°They''re not getting my boy Diego.¡±


    ¡°Fuck the DA!¡± Tivy leapt into the air, pumping her fist dramatically.


    Behind them all, Plasia remained silent, her face covered with worry similar to Diego''s, fidgeting nervously and looking up at him occasionally.


    ¡°So, what are our options then?¡± The lizard felt empowered by his companions'' trust in him, but he was closely watching the nervous alien as he spoke.


    ¡°What about the freighter?¡±


    ¡°We can''t. If Leech is anywhere close, Plasia will lose herself and turn on us - we have to keep her away from Leech. That means getting her as far away from this place as possible.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I bet the freighter''s screwed anyway, this lot haven''t failed to subdue anything they''ve attacked so far.¡± Geralt said with a shrug.


    ¡°You guys good at long journeys?¡± Tivy asked, deep in thought. ¡°I know of an outpost right out on the coast, it''s like a three day drive from here but it has a small space dock and a little fighter jet, it would be enough to get us off the planet if we get cosy?¡± Truth be told, Tivy rather liked the idea of being squished in with the guys.


    ¡°That... would work.... we literally just need to get off this planet. There''s a few space stations and mining outposts in the system, we can stop at any one of those and go from there!¡± The group began to fill with excitement at Tivy''s suggestion, as Trent planned further.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Well, what are we waiting for?! Lets play it safe, stay away from these fucks and find us a vehicle!¡± Geralt turned on the spot, ready to head off immediately and the others almost joined him, when Diego blurted out suddenly:


    ¡°Wait... I¡­¡± He hesitated slightly. ¡°I need to find Seeth, too. I can''t leave her behind. I said I''d help her, and I meant it.¡±


    ¡°Diego... I get that this is what you do... but with all due respect, we have no idea where she even is...¡± Trent seemed genuinely sorry as he tried to convince Diego that going back was a bad idea.


    ¡°The dungeon is huge. You don''t know how involved she is with this stuff either... How do you know she''s not the one leading the attack on the freighter?¡± Tivy was almost pleading with him, desperate to leave and go somewhere safe.


    Geralt however, placed a hand firmly on his shoulder; he understood.


    ¡°As much as I get it, Trent¡¯s right. Without knowing where she is, we can''t do anything... I need to find my daughter, but I can''t do it naked in the forest with a rifle that I barely know how to use... we can come back with reinforcements?¡±


    ¡°I - I just... I said -¡± An internal struggle played out right in front of the group,  and it was painful to watch him battle himself in such a manner... There were a million reasons to leave, and only one to go back... Diego turned towards the group and went to speak, but then he noticed Plasia, welling up with tears again. Her fidgeting was reaching hysteria levels as her hands shook and wrapped around one another endlessly. ¡°Plasia...? What''s going on? You okay?¡±


    ¡°I know where she is...¡± She stammered out, whimpering. She pointed at her wounded face. ¡°S-She did this to me... I remember what happened.¡±


    ¡°What?! Why?! I thought you two were friends?!¡± Diego recoiled in surprise, reaching over to the weeping alien and holding onto her arms to calm her down.


    ¡°W-We are friends. She didn''t hit me... She hit the other me...¡±


    The group went silent again, listening closely.


    ¡°S-She came down into Leech''s lab just before I bumped into you... She was screaming at Leech, told her that she needs to stop all this corrupting stuff... They were fighting... I jumped on her and she hit me through a wall...¡±


    ¡°Through a wall?! How badly hurt are you?!¡± Diego was becoming increasingly alarmed at Plasia''s words.


    ¡°I''m fine¡­ But Diego - She needs help. She''s in trouble.¡± Plasia broke into a full wail, her chest shuddering as she continued to try and get the words out. ¡°I don''t know what happened between her and Leech, but as I was running a-away, I s-saw Moltezz heading over there... Moltezz is so strong, Diego... she can''t fight that... Moltezz doesn''t take kindly to people who betray her...¡±


    The group turned to look at one another, before looking back at the lizard. They knew what was coming; a mix of feelings spread through them but no one was happy at the revelation.


    ¡°I''m going back.¡±


    ¡°Well I''m not!¡± Tivy shook her head, her little body quivering as emotion overwhelmed her. ¡°I can''t do it! We''ve just escaped! I can''t go back down there!¡±


    ¡°Me neither, I''m sorry Diego, but I can''t bear that right now... not to rescue another one of these things¡­ No offence.¡± Geralt gestured towards Plasia.


    ¡°I''m not asking you to.¡± Diego¡¯s body sparked with energy as he prepared his psyonics. ¡°This is my battle, I''m not asking any of you to fight it for me. Plasia, I want you to stay here with these guys and keep the horde off everyone, it''s too risky to have you come back into the dungeon. Guys, you need to keep an eye out for Leech. If she gets to Plasia then her other half will come out and things will turn bad. If Leech turns up, you run. And, if I''m not back in one hour, that means I''ve failed and you need to leave without me.¡±


    ¡°Diego... You can''t - What about the DA?¡± Trent tried to convince him once again to leave, but was cut off.


    ¡°Trent, do you trust me?¡± He held out an armoured hand to the fox.


    ¡°I do.¡± He responded immediately, no doubt in his mind.


    ¡°Then trust me now. I mean it, if i''m not back in an hour, you guys take Plasia and you get the hell out of here. Keep eachother safe.¡±


    Diego went to leave, but Trent pulled him back and threw his arms around him. Geralt and Tivy both joined him, hugging the lizard close. Then, Plasia shyly waddled over and engulfed the group in her grip, squeezing them all. They all broke away after a few seconds.


    ¡°You better make it back, Diego. Tivy¡¯ll want another cuddle!¡± Geralt laughed, just about holding back his tears.


    ¡°Be safe, Diego! You promised us, too!¡± Tivy squeaked, giving Geralt a little thump in the leg.


    ¡°You''re absolutely crazy dude.¡± Trent laughed in disbelief. ¡°I can''t believe you''re actually going back in there. In spite of the DA turning up too. You''re on another level.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me neither. But I believe in her, Trent. I had a connection with her. I can''t give up on that just because it''s the easier thing to do. She needs me right now, I can feel it. One hour, then you guys go, right?¡±


    ¡°Everyone needs you right now, my dude. Do what you gotta do.¡± Trent took a deep breath and patted him on the shoulder.


    The group nodded together, watching the lizard turn his back and jog off into the treeline, back the way they came.


    ¡°So... are we actually leaving in one hour?¡± Geralt asked, already knowing the answer.


    ¡°Not a chance in hell.¡±


    Diego sprinted off into the depths of the woods, alone, without Plasia to keep the Slaves and the Nodes off him, right back into the cage he''d just broken free from... His pace increased, he roared into the air, psyonic plating forming around his body. He drew his sword and charged towards the wrecked factory and he broke into the clearing, his grip firm and steady, blood pumping hot through his veins. Failure was not an option.


    *


    In the comms tower, out of the corner of her eye, Oxyi spotted two moving objects in the sky, descending quickly toward the ground in the middle of the forest. It looked like two assault ships, judging from the speed of their descent, and much smaller than the freighter, usually used for transporting hit squads of marines.


    ¡°Oxyi, what exactly has happened here? If I don''t drop these people off it''s going to cause serious issues, my ship is full and the next stops are high traffic areas. Nowhere else has the capacity for this amount of people. I¡¯ve already called it in and asked; this is the best shot these people have at survival.¡±


    ¡°NO IT¡¯S NOT! Please! You can''t! They''ve taken everyone! There''s no one left, even my friend has gone! I can''t let you land that ship, Captain! You''re just going to feed them more people!¡±


    ¡°Who took your friend, Oxyi?¡±


    ¡°I-I don''t know what to call them! They''re like zombies! But there''s these aliens too. They''re big! They''re really strong! And they control the zombies!¡±


    The line went quiet once more, after a couple more minutes of anxiety filled silence, Oxyi spoke again, desperate to move the conversation forward.


    ¡°Captain! If you land -¡±


    ¡°I don''t believe you.¡±


    She paused, her voice cracking as she comprehended what was just said. It felt unreal.


    ¡°CAPTAIN! I DIDN''T RIG MY APARTMENT WITH EXPLOSIVES JUST FOR FUN!¡± Oxyi yelled down the microphone, tears stinging her eyes.


    ¡°Oxyi, you are an exceptional actor, I truly believe that you believe every word you''re saying. But I can see people waiting on the drop pad for us, and I''ve just been informed that two light craft have entered the atmosphere and are landing somewhere close. Your story doesn''t make sense, my colleagues believe you''re a claim hopper and you''re trying to salvage this city for yourself -¡±


    ¡°NO! NO! YOU CAN''T LAND, CAPTAIN! THEY TOOK EVERYONE AND TRANSFORMED THEM INTO PUPPETS!¡±


    ¡°I will use the guards on board to deal with that, if it''s even true. These people have nowhere else to go Oxyi. It''s your word versus what my crew and the twenty-thousand refugees aboard can see.¡±


    ¡°YOU WILL DOOM THEM ALL, CAPTAIN!¡± Oxyi screamed, standing and knocking over the chair in anger. ¡°IF YOU LAND, YOU WILL KILL EVERYONE ON BOARD, AND EVERYONE IN THIS SYSTEM! THEY WILL COME FOR YOU!!! DO YOU HEAR ME?!¡±


    Oxyi stared out from the comms room in sheer horror as the freighter began to descend.


    ¡°I don''t have time to argue. We''re on a timer here, I trust in my crew. We will handle this.¡±


    ¡°IDIOT MAN! YOU''RE GOING TO MURDER HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IF YOU LAND THAT SHIP!¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry, Oxyi. Please remain calm, I''m sure it''s not as bad as you think.¡± He sounded unsettled, but pressed on anyway.


    In a fit of rage, she threw the headset across the room and hammered on the desk with her fists, looking out over the ship as it continued with its landing procedure.


    ¡°I... I can''t stop them¡­ I couldn¡¯t stop the aliens, I couldn¡¯t help Diego¡­ I can''t do anything right...¡± She gazed vacantly out the windows, utterly defeated, surveying the cityscape. ¡°There''s nothing I can do... is there?¡±


    Oxyi made her way in the next room over, a small break area with a kitchen and rest area. A quick look in the fridge revealed some spare bottles of beer, which the lioness cracked open with a shaky, bloodied hand. She returned to the main room, collapsing into an office chair and staring out across the landscape. The beer stung her throat as it went down, still sore from her fight with Seeth, but she didn''t care. She would watch the planet fall a second time from here, on her own terms.


    *


    The assault craft gently rumbled as it entered the atmosphere, protected from the heat of re-entry by a powerful, teal-coloured shielding. Within the craft, several armed soldiers waited in silence. Clad in brilliant white plating and silver chainmail, their armour bore the emblem of a dragon''s wing, with several bullet holes punctured through the membrane. A faint teal outline coated each one of them, much like the ship. Their helmets were perfectly moulded around their heads, each unique to the fin and horn placement of the soldier within. They each held onto the thick, textured metal bars to their sides, a strong but relaxed grip.


    The most forward soldier had a blue stripe running down his helmet, the initials ¡®RMD¡¯ stamped in glittering cobalt lettering on the side. He leaned forward and retrieved his rifle from underneath his seat; a sleek, if vicious-looking rifle, lined with silver and blue and far beyond anything wielded by the nomads below. Its muzzle was unusually small, barely more than a slither on the end of the rifle''s already neat body, but its midsection held a glass-domed magazine containing hundreds if not thousands of bright silver needles. Every single needle glimmered with a jewel-like polish, but their beauty was marred by their fierce, dagger-like points on, primed and aimed towards the barrel of the rifle.


    The soldier rested his rifle on his lap, raised his visor  and brought his wrist up to his face. A small clasp flicked upwards on his arm pad, revealing a command computer built into his gauntlet. The device''s display seemed to respond to the slightest flicker of movement in the dragon¡¯s irises, rather than the other way around:


    Team Aurilian


    Leader: Drk Yami Kryll


    Panic phrase: Nile


    Anchor stone: Y


    Obj: Retrieve ex Zion Knight - lethal force authorised outside of target


    Team Baxor


    Leader: Wrm Scyler Morge


    Panic phrase: Gale


    Anchor stone: Y


    Obj: Retrieve details regarding anomalous infection - do not engage unless absolutely necessary


    As the ship¡¯s rapid but smooth descent came to an end, and the landing gear deployed beneath them, the soldiers all stood in unison, pounding their fists against their chests as their shields hummed with power, and their weapons whirred to life.


    Smash and grab.

 Chapter 12 - Fire and Blood

    ¡°I regret having to do this to you, but you''re just too integral to our cause.¡±


    A deafening thwack boomed through the room, followed by a harrowing shriek of pain.


    ¡°I do wish we''d been able to stamp this out before we reached this point. Do you know how much damage you almost caused?¡±


    The booming thwack rang out again, then another tormented scream, accompanied with the soft dripping of liquid, pattering against the floor.


    ¡°You''re a damned fool, but I understand. How could you not fall for him? I''ve felt the doubt in you, seen it play out in its infancy and watched it blossom into conflict as it peaked into maturity. He was the catalyst, wasn''t he?¡±


    The same arrangement of haunting noises played once more, like clockwork. Within the prison of Moltezz''s quarters, her Marks remained glued to the bars, staring at the door where the noises were coming from, some staring in horror, others in amazement. Their cell doors had even been left unlocked, following Trent¡¯s and the other¡¯s escape, however none of the Marks inside dared even attempt to leave.


    ¡°Be truthful, you only wanted to impress him, didn''t you? Oh, and on that note, he''s left you behind. He¡¯s gone, Seeth, he escaped not too long ago. And don¡¯t kid yourself into thinking he''s coming back, either. A Node spotted him and some others, including Plasia of all people.¡± The malicious mistress shivered at the thought. ¡°That''s what they do when you don''t break them in. I tried to help you, but you locked him away with Plasia... You should have given him to me. Your selfishness has cost you everything.¡±


    The scream was even louder this time, drenched in agony and echoing through the cold stone corridors endlessly.


    ¡°Honestly though, I really don''t want to do this to you. Not to you. Doubt is understandable, I really do get it. But we''re made to be something greater, and you need to accept that. No one else will accept you for anything else.¡±


    The brutal sounds of torment continued to ring out. The impact noise was so great that it rumbled through the floor and shook the very walls themselves, making the hanging lights sway gently.


    ¡°You must own it, Seeth. We''re monsters. Stop tip-toeing around and stride like you should. We''re made to rule, to separate the weak from the worthy. Until you accept what you are, you will always be conflicted and fragile. Let your inner empress out and rejoin us. I will always make room for you at my table when you''re ready to accept your place.¡±


    Seeth was strung up right in the middle of Moltezz''s main chamber, her arms bolted to the ceiling with huge chains. She hung there, weakly, barely able to raise her head. A trickle of blood leaked from the corner of her mouth as she limply raised her head to respond.


    ¡°I... won''t... be that... anymore...¡±


    Moltezz smiled a knowing smile, power surging through her arms and the massive chains she was wielding began to glow with heat.


    ¡°I really appreciate you not lying to me, Seeth. But, it appears I still have work to do.¡±


    She went to raise the chain, but stopped suddenly. The two met eyes for a second and confusion swept across the room. Moltezz looked across, and then back, trying to place the faint sound they both could now hear.


    ¡°Most... unusual... You stay here, my darling, I will find out what is interrupting our one-on-one.¡±


    Chains still in hand, Moltezz strode out from her chamber and into the connecting corridor. She could feel something¡­ strange through the floor, something was happening close by. There weren''t many people left in the dungeon at the moment, as most had been pulled up to help with the assault on the freighter, but the few remaining Nodes were picking up on something as well, looking around the corridors in a confused manner.


    Moltezz¡¯s confusion would not last for very long.


    Right at the back of the dungeon, down one of the dead end corridors, the far wall began to glow red hot, the stonework spitting and fizzing loudly, turning into a molten amber slurry and dribbling out over the floor, revealing a massive tunnel and a squad of armed figures within it, weapons primed and ready. A single Slave stood before the tunnel, looking at the group, perplexed, but was swiftly cut to pieces by a few precise rounds fired by the squad, blue tracers barely visible as the vulcan rounds shredded him instantly.


    ¡°Team A has breached, Team B is on route, ETA thirty seconds. Proceeding with the primary goal; re-acquisition of The Zion Knight.¡±


    *


    Diego was met with very little resistance as he approached the abandoned factory. A few Slaves hovered idly within the walls and hadn¡¯t yet noticed him, even as he came right up to one of the broken windows and peered in, the Slave didn¡¯t react. They looked like all the other ones, grey skin, purple eyes, a zombie-like demeanour, looking around the room open mouthed and vacant.


    ¡°I can''t let anything stop me... These things are pretty much dead, anyway.¡± He reassured himself. ¡°Killing them would be a mercy.¡±


    Kicking off the ground, he smashed through the window and rolled into the room, drawing the attention of the Slaves instantly, who both looked at him with that hungry, empty gaze before shambling towards him.


    Diego heaved his blade, five foot long and built like an elegant cleaver with a single sided razor sharp blade and an enlarged tip, perfect for cutting into heavy armour providing the wielder was able to wield its heft. With a single swipe left, and another right, he parted their bodies instantly.


    ¡°I''m sorry this happened to you.¡± He bowed his head for a moment, then continued on.


    The bodies slumped apart, oozing with blood and acrid purple goo that spilled out from their sheared bones, but Diego was already charging back towards the door he kicked down earlier. He could hear groaning and shallow footsteps coming from the staircase, and cautiously went to investigate.


    The staircase was mired with Slaves, upwards of fifty, easily. He tapped his blade on the wall to get their attention, the metallic clang causing many of them to suddenly look upwards and fixate on him.


    ¡°You want my ass? Come get it!¡± the lizard yelled defiantly.


    The sound of naked paws and feet scraping on concrete grew louder. Diego retreated back into the factory, if he was going to fight his blade needed space. He waited in the middle of the room with his hands resting comfortably on the huge sword. The rumbling of hungry, desperate creatures enthralled to their instincts filled the room, screeching, panting and aching for his body.


    The Slaves spread out inside the room and charged straight for him, a group of seven first, they lunged for him but were met with a great sweeping arc of metal that cut through them effortlessly, bodies only briefly slowing the blade as they were severed in the same gruesome fashion as their two allies. More arrived, eighteen this time, spilling out onto the damp flooring and quickly leaping over the chunks of their former brethren.


    Once more, Diego hefted his blade, slashing left and right with brutal precision, stopping perfectly in the air and swooping through the crowd with devastating effect. Limbs and bodies were carved and separated, heads decapitated with precise slices, and their stumbling assaults were parried and counter attacked. Diego¡¯s stance remained perfectly planted the entire time. The next wave arrived and faced a similar fate, now struggling to move past the bodies that surrounded him, the arcing assault from the lizard only grew even more devastating as he cut through his would-be rapists in seconds.


    A final two figures thudded up the stairs and arrived, a larger, equine Slave, just taller than Diego, with a horse¡¯s head, a man¡¯s torso and two solid hooves for feet. Large muscles ripped across its body, and it was equipped with, of course, a long, heavy penis, hanging between its legs, erect and ready for what was to come. Behind the creature, a slightly smaller but remarkably more intelligent-looking creature stood, a wolven Node, clad in low tier military gear and wielding a purple energy whip that flickered on as she entered.


    ¡°Oh, nice! I get a Mark to play with whilst the Controllers are all busy... OH SHIT, you''re the one that they¡¯ve been looking for! This is gonna be so much fun!¡± She grinned, unable to contain her excitement. The equine Slave surged forward with unexpected speed and dexterity, stamping through the dead Slaves on the floor and launching a fist right at Diego. As he did so, the Node circled around to the side and lashed out with the whip, attempting to catch it around the lizard''s neck.


    He dodged the whip and swung the blade at the Slave, but it nimbly dodged back and avoided the cleave, before surging forward and grabbing the lizard with one of its massive hands. The Node cackled in joy and pre-emptive victory, but then a sickening crack rang out as Diego uppercut the Slave¡¯s arm and broke its elbow. He jabbed his sword¡¯s handle into its chest, knocked the Slave back a step and finally swung the blade vertically from low, slicing the creature in half, right up the middle.


    ¡°Oh you son-of-a-bitch, that Slave was useful! You''ll pay for that, I''m gonna fuck ya til ya ass bleeds, prick!¡± The Node hissed angrily.


    ¡°That''s a little fucked up. Not entirely surprising though.¡± Diego murmured, resetting his stance for her oncoming assault.


    She lashed out once more with the whip, but Diego shifted out the way and threw his own arm forward. A bright yellow energy whip materialised, seemingly out of nothing and lashed out, cracking through the air and wrapped around the Node¡¯s shoulder. With a firm yank he pulled her forward, and she stumbled, head first towards him and his blade...


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    One final cut through the air separated her head from her body and she collapsed to the floor. The blade had cut through her, but Diego couldn¡¯t help but notice the blade had hit something¡­ harder, more solid in her neck compared to the Slaves.


    The whip he¡¯d formed faded away, and he surveyed the room quickly, confirming the immediate threat was neutralised.The room was now filled with severed parts, mutilated bodies, blood and foetid purple ooze coming from the bones of the Slaves¡­ and Diego, still standing in the centre of his massacre.


    ¡°Such a warm welcome.¡± He sighed, quickly making his way into the stairwell, which now appeared empty. Forty floors stretched down into the depths and he wasted no time, descending them quickly and holstering his sword on his back. As he descended however, he could hear fighting in the depths, and a familiar noise - vulcan firearms. The DA¡¯s weapon of choice.


    His hair was standing on end, sweat thick and dripping across his brow as the repeating, rapid sound of vulcan fire and combat grew louder, and a distant explosion rippled through the stonework. His thoughts jumped back to the two assault craft he spotted earlier.


    ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡±


    *


    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!¡±


    ¡°NILE! NILE! NILE! ANCHOR US OUT! UNKNOWN TARGET HAS ULTRA-CLASS PSYONICS!¡±


    Team A¡¯s squad leader desperately reached for his belt, but a length of chain thicker than his thighs whipped through the air and exploded his entire upper torso on impact, with a thunderously heavy crack. The remaining squad members scrambled for their weapons and opened fire on the furious alien that towered over them.


    Moltezz, her piercing ruby eyes sparkling from the glare of the fire which coated her skin, stared down at the scrambling marines, with pity, annoyance and fury. She prepared her chain, ready to lash out again. The air around her was scorchingly hot, the very stone-work around her was turning amber, and the needle-like vulcan rounds, usually perfect as shredding through any armour, were melting in mid-flight before they reached her.


    She whipped the chain through the air and it impacted another squad member in the chest, obliterating him through his mesh armour and plating as the red hot metal slammed into him. His punished frame rapidly dumped its blood and organs over the floor and walls, which on contact immediately began to hiss and burn.


    There was only one soldier left now. He drew a grenade from his belt, which primed in his hand with a couple of beeps¡­ and then displayed an error light on its head. Its payload was dead, the heat in the air had warped the metal and the only thing that was preventing him from burning alive was the envirashield built into his armour¡­ Hand shaking, he slowly glanced up from the grenade, to Moltezz. He met her eyes. Those bright, startling eyes. For a moment, all was still, the only movement being the grenade¡¯s gentle flashing light.


    She flicked her hand forward and projected an explosive fireball across the room, detonating with tremendous force and blowing him apart.


    Among the molten rubble stood Moltezz with a satisfied twinkle in her eyes. The entire squad lay around her in chunks and ash, pasted across the walls and floors, having not laid even a single scratch on the demonic queen. There was, of course, some collateral, dead Slaves here and there, and a single Node who¡¯d been cut down by vulcan fire, but what mattered, is that this enemy was eradicated. With no time to lose, she prepared another fireball and hurled it down the corridor, exploding in the tunnel that the team had breached through, causing it to cave in. She could see through her Slave¡¯s eyes that a second team was already in her dungeon, they had just breached on the other side, and she would deal with them in the same brutal fashion.


    She quickly made her way across the dungeon, cutting through her quarters and watching them through the eyes of her Slaves. They appeared to be heading towards Leech''s lab.


    *


    ¡°Team A has gone silent, we''re going to proceed to the pre-identified lab, take what we can and get the hell out.¡± Signalling to his team, Scyler glared down at his communicator, his white scales bristling beneath his armour in frustration. His figure was more akin to that of an eel rather than a dragon, with a long white fin riding down the back of his head.


    Weapons drawn, Team B slowly made their way through the labyrinthine corridors, gunning down the occasional Slave and watching the corners closely. After a minute or so of tense marching, they arrived at their intended location. There were large cracks and holes in several of the walls, and the main room was a mess of blood, fluid and smashed equipment scattered all over the floor.


    ¡°Wow. Looks like we missed a party... Alright team, I need to search this, take defensive positions in the corridors outside. Chayter and Knarlen, you search the rooms with me.¡± Scyler tapped a few times on his gauntlet, and deployed two small, dragonfly-like drones out into the air. Rifle raised, he went into one of the back rooms, which revealed a series of medical beds in a dark room, one of which held a large crocodilian female, who was lying completely still. There were various scribbles and drawings on the whiteboards which were pinned to the wall, showing detailed sketches of body parts and ideas. Scyler jotted a few notes onto his tablet, while his drones¡¯ eyes clicked and flashed, taking photos of the scene.


    As he searched through the desks lining the walls for anything useful, vulcan gunfire rang out again, followed by the sound of screaming and the crackling of ashen flesh.


    ¡°Scyler! She''s using high-tier heat psyonics! Our needles are melting before they hit her!¡±


    *THWACK!* ¡°Oh fuck... she just whipped him into bits... Scyler! She''s coming! We need to retreat!¡±


    ¡°Negative, take her out.¡± The dragon spoke back sternly. He did not even so much as glance over at the paralysed crocodilian on the table, nor the fear in her eyes.


    ¡°W-WE CAN''T!¡± *THWACK!* ¡°FALL BACK INTO THE LAB!¡±


    ¡°NEGATIVE! Cancel that order and hold the line, we''re the DA for goodness sake, you can hold a single aggressor off! Or do these scaleless mule-bloods have more fight in them than the lot of you?¡± Scyler sighed in annoyance at his team¡¯s apparent incompetence, then continued his search without a second thought.


    The initial cool-headedness of the squad was rapidly falling apart as their weapons proved to be useless against the creature, and their armour absolutely worthless. Their chain-mail mesh armour was usually effective against bullet based weapons, but the sheer force of this thing¡¯s attacks were pasting them, and the heat... The DA marines weren¡¯t used to this, hadn¡¯t been expecting or even been prepared for a situation like this, they were so accustomed to having the upper hand in their universe. Never had they felt so powerless in the face of danger, as the overwhelming Moltezz made chunks of the squad''s members one by one, a whip here, a fireball there, her mere presence was rapidly degenerating the shields of those close to her. And once that happened, the soldiers promptly burst into flames. Within the space of a couple minutes, Team B had been systematically purged from the corridors.


    The dragonfly drones returned to their leader. As Scyler began to skim through their data, he plucked a bright green vial from a nearby test-tube rack, rolling it through his fingers as another explosion rumbled through the dungeon. He glanced down at his gauntlet, at his team''s vitals, to see all but four of them were dead; one soldier was left outside the lab, the two searching here, and him. He went to return to the main room, but the sound of approaching combat made him stop. Instead, he peered around from behind the door. The last soldier stumbled back into the lab, drawing his side arm and firing several rounds with loud clacks through the doorway. The massive frame of Moltezz appeared moments later, unamused and unaffected by the display. The heat around her scorching the floors and walls, she held her hand out and a massive lance of flame shot out from her palm, bathing the scrambling soldier in a sea of crackling, fiery waves that drowned out his dying screams. His armour, suit and body quickly became a molten fusion on the floor.


    The alien stood for a second and checked around the room, Scyler kept back, not daring to peek back around the door; that pile of molten flesh was not something he needed to see ever again. Quietly, the comms on his gauntlet crackled with a voice.


    ¡°Scyler! It''s just me, you and Chayter alive. We''ll flashbang her and come over to you, can you anchor us all out?¡±


    ¡°Negative.¡±


    ¡°What?! Why not?!¡±


    ¡°Too risky. You''ll lead her straight to me.¡± He stated blankly. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Scyler grabbed the orb from his belt and shattered it on the floor, causing a demonic screech to ripple through the walls as a wormhole opened and swallowed him through. It pulsed with black and purple shockwaves for just a second as it closed, as quickly as it had opened, teleporting Scyler back to the safety of his ship and leaving his other two soldiers behind.


    ¡°SCYLER! YOU FUCKING CUNT! I HEARD THAT! YOU¡¯VE LEFT US FOR DEAD, YOU COWARD!¡± Knarlen screamed down the comms.


    ¡°Easy now, Knarlen. She''ll hear you.¡± He replied, body still crackling with arcs of otherworldly purple energy from the anchor stone.


    That sickening *thwack* played out over the comms as Knarlen''s vitals ceased on Scyler''s gauntlet.


    ¡°Told you. What about you, Chayter? What''s your play?¡± Scyler walked up the main chamber of the ship and straight into the cockpit, preparing to leave the dead soldiers behind.


    A new voice, female, suddenly cackled over the static.


    ¡°Pathetic man. At least you have the brains to recognise defeat.¡± Moltezz scoffed, spying the cowering DA soldier in the back of Leech''s lab, huddled behind some storage tanks and trying not to be seen.


    ¡°I-I surrender... Please... take my equipment and permit me to live!¡±


    ¡°Fine. If I¡¯m lucky, you''ll replace my Node that the other squad killed. I hope you¡¯re a resilient one.¡± Moltezz rolled her eyes and with a snap of her fingers, the flames around her rapidly flickered out, and the air cooled off.


    The comms went silent and after a few seconds, Chayter''s vital signs flicked and the display changed to unknown; not dead, it seemed that he¡¯d been stripped of his gear.


    ¡°Wimp.¡± Scyler scoffed, sitting in the pilot seat and assessing the situation. ¡°Command is going to need to see this.¡± He flicked some switches and pressed his gauntlet up against one of the scanners at the helm, allowing him access to the piloting commands. He quickly prepared the assault craft for launch, then rocketed back into the sky, alone in his vessel.


    *


    At the front face of the dungeon, a slightly out of breath but still pumped Diego came down the final set of the stairs and emerged into the stone corridors. The path in front of him was all but deserted as he made his way towards the Controller¡¯s bed chambers. He passed by Seeth''s room, and couldn¡¯t help but take a peek through the door, still ajar as Leech had left it. The room hadn¡¯t been tidied or changed either, furniture lay about the place from his and Leech¡¯s struggle, and the bedsheets still smelled of him and Seeth, together. He sighed to himself, dropping his guard slightly as he took their scent in. The room still had a pleasant warmth to the air, despite the cold stone underfoot.


    ¡°Am I seriously feeling sentimental about a shag room half a mile underground?¡± He asked himself, out loud as he questioned the feelings pumping through his chest. ¡°Yeah... huh, guess I kinda am...¡± He gently brushed his hands across the bed sheets. He''d grown very attached to Seeth in a very short space of time, and now that he was alone, it was difficult to tell how much of that attraction was the simple primal, overwhelming pleasure of the best sex of his life, and how much was genuine connection. She¡¯d hurt him, betrayed him, but he felt drawn to her nonetheless. He sighed again and glanced around the room, taking it in one last time - he wouldn¡¯t be coming back here again.


    Diego paced quickly through the corridors, the air quickly fading from pleasantly warm into scorchingly hot; his psyonic shielding was the only thing stopping him from igniting on the spot. He encountered a few idle Slaves on his way down, cutting through them one by one. As he drew close to Moltezz''s chambers however, he slowed down to survey the state of the place.


    The corridors leading to her chambers were absolutely wrecked, with stonework blasted to pieces, and half melted corpses sunk into the floor. Despite the damage, he recognised the design of the armour and weapons; these soldiers were definitely DA. Further on he spotted a corpse, a team leader by the looks of the white markings across his helm. His torso was in pieces, but his arms intact, as though they¡¯d been ripped from his body. He took a second to pry the tech gauntlet off the amputated limb and search through it. Still as arrogant as ever, minimal security on their tactical gear, Diego couldn¡¯t help but note, as if no one else would be smart enough to do basic interface hacking, or strong enough to even get the opportunity. Diego was able to breach it easily, and he scanned quickly through their mission data.


    He sighed in dismay as it became blisteringly obvious that this team had been here for him, only confirming his earlier suspicions. As he scrolled through the mission details however, he noticed that the gauntlet also held the data key for the ship they had landed on... presumably, if the team leader was dead, and the gauntlet was here, then the ship was still on the planet too! Diego clicked the gauntlet onto his arm, a smug grin teasing at the corner of his lips¡­ but it quickly disappeared once he¡¯d turned back to the ruins of the corridor, and its ruined corpses.


    Cautiously, he entered into Moltezz¡¯s main chamber. It was large and spacious compared to Seeth¡¯s, compared even to the rest of the dungeon, with more effort put into its design and craftsmanship. It looked like the fighting had avoided the room for the most part¡­


    ¡°D-i-e-g-o...?¡±


    The voice took his breath away, and left him feeling like he¡¯d just been punched in the gut. His heart wrenched in a way that none of this madness had made it wrench since this nightmare began.


    ¡°Y-You... came... back...?¡±


    She barely looked alive. Strung up by her arms in the middle of the room, dripping with blood and barely able to hold her head up, Seeth wearily stared across the room. Despite her grievous wounds, a pained smile spread across her face.


    Diego sprinted across the room, right up to her, staring at her naked, beaten body, desperately running his eyes along her wounds. Her legs had practically been torn to pieces, chunks of her thighs and calves were missing and losing blood. Several deep lashes and burns whipped across her back, and were also bleeding.


    ¡°Seeth! How are you awake?! Holy fuck! I gotta get you out of here!¡± Diego exclaimed, mortified by the extent of her injuries.


    Tears welled up in her eyes and Seeth started to cry, shaking the chains weakly as her emotions poured from her.


    ¡°You... came back!¡± Seeth could barely stumble the words out as blood and tears dripped down her face and rolled off her chin. Despite the overwhelming pain she was in, her big beautiful eyes were staring into his with nothing but pure love.


    ¡°Of course I did!¡± He placed a hand softly on her cheek as he calculated how best to get them both out of here. ¡°I promised you I''d help.¡±


    ¡°- Well, isn''t this wonderful.¡± Moltezz¡¯s laugh echoed from the doorway and around her chambers, filling the room. She made her way inside her quarters with long, definitive steps. ¡°You actually came back for her. And here I thought you''d run and save your own hide, especially after the DA turned up. Oh don''t worry, I took care of them for you. But this is... unexpected, I must say.¡± The sound of heavy, rattling metal dragging against the floor bounced deafeningly through the chamber. ¡°But this ends¡­ now.¡±

 Chapter 13 - Deal with the Devil - Part 1

    ¡°As heartwarming as this little reunion is, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re going to have to end it here.¡± Moltezz''s eyes narrowed and she flourished her chains, igniting the air around her, flames enveloping her voluptuous body.


    ¡°I agree.¡± Diego muttered, removing his hand from Seeth''s cheek and turning to face Moltezz, drawing his blade. As the air around him turned from a pleasant warmth to an acrid heat, he thumped his hand against his chest, erupting a series of electrical crackles over his body to reinforce his psyonic plating. The sparks also jumped over Seeth, protecting her too.


    Diego and Moltezz began to circle one another, slowly, chains on one side, sword on the other.


    ¡°I''m hesitant to admit it, Moltezz, but those fire psyonics of yours are very impressive. Most people can only contain a few hundred joules worth of energy in their souls, and yet here you are, cooking masonry and metal like it''s nothing...¡± Diego kept his eyes firmly on Moltezz¡¯s weapons and stance as he spoke, although she appeared rather calm, despite the fiery appearance.


    ¡°I must say the same! Defensive psyonics are difficult to master and yet, you stand unfazed, Diego. We needn''t fight. We shouldn''t, in fact. I admit I am shocked you came back - shocked, but pleased.¡±


    ¡°You''re¡­ pleased?¡± Diego raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Of course I am! How is your return a bad thing? You''ve shown determination and grit in ways very few could, or would for that matter! Not only are you the first to ever escape this place, you''re the first to actively return, on your own free will! You''ve only cemented my opinion that we need you involved.¡±


    ¡°I-Involved?¡± Diego gripped his sword tighter, but kept his face calm. He couldn''t help it, her words had piqued his curiosity. His opponent before him continued to look relaxed, almost rather happy in a way, although the menacing clinking of her chains was a constant reminder of her ultimate goal.


    ¡°I want you to be honest with me, Diego, and in return, I will be honest with you.¡± Moltezz leaned forward a little, showing off the slightest slither of crimson cleavage between her armour plates. ¡°You like us, don''t you...?¡± She leaned forward a little more, teasing him further. ¡°I know that, in some part, you''ve returned out of conviction to help Seeth, because you think she''s able to... I don''t know, redeem herself? But you''ve also returned because you like her. I can smell the lust on you now, despite the danger and adrenaline coursing through your body, you want to rut with her - you want to rut with me, don''t you, Diego?¡± She watched him intently, pushing out her breasts, eyes admiring his features and muscles.


    ¡°You want the truth?¡± Diego stood, unwavering, and stared right back at her. His swept-back onyx locks waved gently behind him in the humid air.


    ¡°Yes! I want your thoughts, your feelings, Diego. I''m sure we can resolve all this without needing these...¡± She gestured to her chains, shaking them gently. ¡°Unless, you like that sort of thing - ¡±


    ¡°- I am deeply attracted to your kind, Moltezz. And to you.¡±


    The alien''s eyes lit up. She stepped forward, listening carefully.


    ¡°Ever since my first night with Seeth, I haven¡¯t been able to stop thinking about her, or any of you. I can¡¯t explain it, I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s done to me, but the pleasure, the sheer euphoria I feel when I''m with her¡­ I''ve known people sacrifice their lives for highs half the strength of that, I know of no equal and I''m in awe, quite frankly, of you all. And that''s just from our physical interaction! That sort of pleasure is all consuming, and the idea I could get it on demand, from one of the most eager, gorgeous, and pleasurable species, probably in the known world¡­ Well, it¡¯s certainly an enticing one.¡±


    A satisfied grin erupted over Moltezz''s face. A different type of warmth flushed through her body as Diego continued to share his feelings.


    ¡°I - I want to try everything, with all of you. Every inch of me is aching to get close to you, my body is obsessed with your touch. There¡¯s this dark part of me that would happily spend the rest of my days here, experiencing that over and over again - and I''m ageless, so that''s a hell of a long time. So yes, Moltezz, I think you''re attractive, I wouldn''t deny it for a second. But I can''t, and I won''t be a part of this sickness you have. The sex, sure... but what about the thousands of people you kill and strip of their dignity in the process? You think I can just sit back and be okay with the twisted bullshit that''s all around us?! You said you''d tell me the truth, so tell me; what''s the ratio? How many people turn into Slaves, how many to Nodes, and how many are immune like me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ roughly ninety, to nine, to one. Slaves to Nodes to Marks. The Mark percentage varies a lot though, and Leech is still looking into it. ¡° Moltezz rolled her eyes and continued to pace around the lizard, somewhat disappointed in the direction he¡¯d taken their conversation. Just when it was getting so exciting¡­


    ¡°Holy - so for every one hundred people you abduct, ninety end up essentially dead?! I mean, the life of a Node doesn''t look much better, but at least they¡¯re still cognitive, they can still function and talk like a living being! But the Slaves! The Slaves are fucking dead, Moltezz!


    ¡°That is¡­ technically correct, Diego. I don''t see it that way myself, but I''m getting the feeling that you won''t be convinced of my way of thinking...¡±


    ¡°You''re damn right I won''t.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please.¡± Moltezz huffed. ¡°Even the mightiest armour softens with the right amount of heat... So let me sweeten the deal.¡± She bit her lip slightly, looking up and down Diego¡¯s body hungrily. ¡°You cease this little game of yours and come join me, be my dark prince to your filthy queen, and I''ll even forget about Seeth''s little mutiny, and I''ll make her your personal play thing... She''ll do whatever you want, Diego, whenever you want and you''ll have me, Plasia, Leech and whoever else we pick up along the way. You said it yourself; you want us, your body wants us - why not just indulge it? I will look after you, my prince. Your every need and desire will be met.¡± Her words were followed with a subtle flourish of her significant sexual assets, a slight twist of the hips, ruby skin glistening in the fiery warm light of the chamber.


    ¡°Why do you want me so badly!?¡± Diego shouted, suddenly losing his patience. ¡°I don''t understand! You''ve got hundreds of people locked up here! What''s so special about me?!¡±


    ¡°Oh come off it, Diego. You don''t think I see past that heroic... rather scrumptious... exterior of yours? I see a man who has been wronged by the world, someone who has suffered at the hands of fate and the actions of others. I feel the anger in your soul and the fire in your heart; the universe has treated you badly.¡± Moltezz inched forward as she spoke, gesturing grandly to emphasise her words. ¡°You have been wronged.¡± She repeated. ¡°Undeniably so. I am not asking you to commit atrocities, I''m simply suggesting that you take a back seat in the righting of the universe''s misdoings, and enjoy the ride that¡¯s being offered. You deserve a break.¡±


    Diego paused, looking across the room, and then he laughed to himself.


    ¡°I''ll accept your offer - under one circumstance.¡±


    ¡°Name it!¡± Moltezz''s eyes flared.


    ¡°You stop corrupting people. You''re done. One planet conquered is enough. If however many thousand people taken here isn''t enough for you, then I¡¯d figure that the entire world wouldn''t be big enough for you. So you stop this, be happy with what you''ve taken already, and I''ll stay.¡±


    Moltezz stopped, confusion sweeping over face, and she paused in deep thought.


    Diego gripped and twisted his sword, watching her every movement and expression closely.


    A menacing grin crept across Moltezz''s ruby lips.


    ¡°So... What will it be? Me, or your twisted empire?¡±


    ¡°Why would I pick just one of those things¡­ when I can have both!¡± Moltezz laughed with glee. ¡°You''re still putting the universe''s needs above your own, Diego. It¡¯s clear you''re not ready to join me yet, but don''t worry, I''ll break you into your role, and I''ll fulfil my side of the bargain too. Seeth will still be your play thing.¡± She cracked a chain through the air. ¡°Last chance my dark prince. Come willingly, or I will make you come.¡±


    Diego raised his sword into a defensive stance, psionic energy crackling through his hands.


    ¡°En garde, you evil cunt.¡±


    *


    ¡°B-B-B-But I''ve done like ninety-five percent of the work! We¡¯ve just got one more stop, and then I''m done!¡±


    ¡°It''s late. You¡¯re always late. Enough is enough.¡±


    ¡°B-But I''ve done it correctly! And it wasn''t even my fault! We had a Devil¡¯s Meltdown a few stops back and the freighter had to pick more people up! It''s just one more next stop! I just need a few more hours!¡±


    ¡°I don''t care. You''re fired.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?! I... I need this money! I''ve got nothing left, I spent it all on this trip!¡±


    ¡°Not my problem!¡±


    ¡°I can send you what I''ve done - L-Look! See!¡± She tapped furiously on her computer and sent the mostly completed report over.


    ¡°That''s fantastic. Still not paying you. Goodbye.¡±


    The connection cut off abruptly.


    Staring at her screen open mouthed with a mixture of despair and disbelief, the czarite sat in silence in her compact, rented, long-stay room. She was only a little thing; a nomad czarite, standing around four foot nine, her skin an unappealing grey, as was her carapace which gave her an overall dusty appearance. She had large bright yellow eyes that stood out amongst her monochrome complexion like the headlights of a car, which were only emphasised further by her round, thick-rimmed glasses. Her jelly dreadlocks were a similar concrete colour to the rest of her figure, that dulled at their tips. She was gangly and small with thin limbs and a petite body structure, eyes slightly sunken into her head from many late nights of tapping away at her laptop for that fucking report...


    Reaching out with a shaky hand, she grabbed her cane and eased herself off of her creaky chair. Dressed in a dirty looking T-shirt decorated with a cute but faded cartoon octopus on the chest pocket, and a pair of worker¡¯s trousers, she made her way into the living area. Her breathing became louder and laboured from the short journey as she shuffled in, and was greeted by a young human child staring at her angrily.


    ¡°Why are you so ugly?!¡± There was a genuine twinge of hurt in his voice as he spoke.


    She paused for a second as confusion and disbelief washed over her.


    ¡°Wha-What? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°My dad got so excited when he said we''d be sharing a room with a czarite, he said they''re always so pretty and colourful! I was going to have a new mummy! Instead we got you! My daddy says he doesn''t think you''re pretty, there''s no way he would marry you! You can''t even walk or breathe properly! My daddy says czarites don''t get ill, so you must be a freak! Why couldn''t you be like those other czarite¡¯s on the ship?!¡± The child spilled out his pent-up thoughts one after the other with little regard for the girl¡¯s feelings. His words stung.


    ¡°I-I can''t afford my medication! None of this is my fault!¡± She snapped. ¡°And besides¡­¡± She leaned down and whispered into his ear. ¡°Why would I ever want to marry a fat, ugly disgusting man like your father, and become a mother to a selfish snotty sprog like you!¡±


    ¡°Leave us alone!¡± The child pouted and crossed his arms, but seemed otherwise unfazed by her words.


    ¡°Y-You spoke to me! You leave me alone! Everyone, just leave me alone!¡± It¡¯s too much. It¡¯s all just too fucking much. She hobbled with as much speed as she could muster towards the front door and closed it behind her. She leant against it for a few seconds, taking in some air when her stomach grumbled loudly; she had just about enough money left in her bank account to get a meal from the canteen, and she decided that it would be money well spent.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Still hurting, she limped down the corridor, sulking to herself with a wobbly lower lip and glassy eyes. The metalwork of the freighter was well crafted and heavy, with solid metal walls down the various corridors, but with some exposed piping lining its interiors, giving it a dank industrial feeling with its dim lighting. The canteen was only a couple of corridors away, and she was feeling the effects of not eating for a couple days quite badly. Upon hearing a couple sets of footsteps coming down the corridor towards her, she quickly quietened her sniffling and replaced it with the only other emotion she could muster; disappointment.


    ¡°Morning, Lamp! That''s quite the frown you¡¯re wearing!¡± The guards chuckled as they walked past her. ¡°You catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror again?¡±


    She didn''t respond. A small cry escaped from her lips for just a split second, before she stifled it and continued to frown, shuffling her way to the canteen as the laughs from the guards faded away.


    ¡°One day... I''ll make them pay...¡± She grumbled under her breath.


    The canteen was packed with people as she turned the corner and joined the queue. She waited patiently in line amongst the refugees. The queue took about an hour or so to actually reach the till, which was staffed by an overworked and burnt-out-looking freighter member of staff. With the last of her money, Lamp looked at the neon-lit menus on the display boards above her, ran some sums on her fingers and ordered herself a full main meal, plus a couple sandwiches for later. That would have to be it until she could rustle up more money from somewhere... She pressed her card against the till to initiate payment and felt relief wash over her as the payment went through.


    It was another short walk across to the serving table, where more workers were furiously shovelling spoonfuls of requested food onto peoples trays. There was a whirlwind of staff delivering fresh meals to the serving tables and restocking supplies, but they seemed to be coping, somewhat. Lamp licked her lips, her eyes lighting up as she spied some of her favourites.


    Actually getting some food provided quite the challenge though, as all the taller, louder people crowded around her took all the attention of the staff. She was eventually served after tapping her cane on the floor loudly enough for someone to see her, and finally she got her meal - a decent portion too! She turned to go find a place to sit, tray in one hand, cane in the other, and immediately walked into a towering figure who was passing by, splattering her food all over the floor and over his impressive armour. Her tray clattered loudly to the ground.


    ¡°Oh, are you okay?¡± The figure turned, and his face rapidly changed from a look of concern to disappointment. ¡°Oh for fuck¡¯s sake, its you, Lamp. What have I told you? I don''t want to see your creepy ass in here whilst I''m about. If I catch you spying on my guys again I''ll have you removed from the freighter, you understand? It''s only cuz those other czarites were so accommodating to my needs that I¡¯ve let you stay on board this long.¡±


    ¡°S-Sorry, Captain... I-I just used the last of  my mone-¡±


    ¡°I really don''t give a fuck.¡± The guard captain was an intimidating guy; tiger breed, brown eyes with some slight greying around his chin and whiskers, seven feet tall, shoulders as wide as the doors on the ship, clad in massive Orion armour, a huge rifle strapped to his back that fired rounds as large as soda-cans, and a power fist built into his armour on his right hand side. The guard captain was escorted by several other guards who were dressed and armed similarly, none quite as big as him though. ¡°You''re a weird, creepy little fucker and I don''t want to see your face, Lamp.¡±


    ¡°My name isn¡¯t -¡±


    ¡°Your name is Lamp, because you look like a fuckin'' lamp. Big head, small body, yellow eyes - Lamp. Now, clean it.¡± He ordered, pointing at his armour. Someone threw a towel into Lamp¡¯s lap.


    Swallowing her pride, she wiped the pasted food off of his thigh armour and stared up at him, barely containing her bitterness. Her breathing was laboured from her near perpetual exhaustion. She went to grab a still intact sandwich from the floor, but the guard captain stood on it with his armoured boot before she could reach it.


    ¡°Shameful. Are you out of breath from just wiping something up, Lamp? God that''s pathetic. I don''t need this right now, I got serious shit to deal with. On me lads, we''ve got an actual job to do.¡± He turned on his way and continued across the canteen, the other guards following suit and laughing to themselves, leaving Lamp standing at the front of the canteen with hundreds of eyes staring at her. She awkwardly kneeled down, peeling off a squished sandwich from the floor, looking back at the canteen workers hopefully.


    ¡°No refunds!¡± The staff at the till called out loudly.


    ¡°B-But I-¡±


    ¡°No refunds! Get to the back of the queue!¡±


    Gripping her cane and wrecked sandwich with all of her might, she stormed out of the canteen, whimpering loudly as her upset bubbled over, too much to contain. She hobbled all the way back to her room, pushing the front door open and slamming it shut in anger, making her way into her private quarters. It was nothing more than a bed and an on-suite toilet, but it was hers. She slammed her door shut, throwing the sandwich onto her bedside table and herself onto the bed, curling around a pillow and burying her face into it as the tears rolled down her cheeks.


    ¡°I''m not a lamp... I''m not a lamp... I''m not a lamp...¡± She told herself over and over again... None of it was fair. It was never fair. Story of my life. She was used to dealing with this sort of crap from people, but today was really taking a heavy toll on her. As she wheezed and cried loudly into the slightly itchy, over-washed fabric, a loud thump on the door scared her.


    ¡°Ayo, can you shut the fuck up in there? I''m trying to watch these adverts on the TV and all I can hear is your ugly-ass crying.¡± A slightly muffled voice called out; it was the father of the boy from earlier.


    ¡°Just leave me alone! You bully!¡± She yelled back, as loudly as she could. She heard the figure shuffling a little but he didn''t reply; perhaps there was some small victory today after all.


    For a few minutes things remained quiet, just her and her sobbing.


    But there was something else, creeping in the background.


    She couldn''t quite put her finger on it, but something was wrong; there was a sudden tension in the air.


    She heard the man outside her door walk towards the window in their living room. They¡¯d been lucky enough to have a room with a low view of their surroundings, through the plasma glass on the exterior of the ship.


    He gasped loudly, stumbling backwards in the room.


    ¡°Bobby, get your stuff, we gotta go!¡± He yelled out.


    ¡°Dad? What¡¯s -¡±


    ¡°NOW!¡±


    Lamp heard the two furiously shoving things into bags, and within seconds they¡¯d left the room, slamming the front door behind them. There were people charging up and down the corridor outside her quarters, people sounded alarmed, there was lots of shouting and audible confusion. She rolled off the bed, grabbing her cane to support her and plodding over to her door, sighing loudly, before locking it shut. She needed to be alone right now. She went back to her bed again, hanging her cane up and pulling the sheets over her as she laid down, pride wounded and money drained, nibbling meekly at a very flat, dirty sandwich.


    Things continued to intensify outside her quarters, so she grabbed her headphones from the bedside table and placed them over her ears, playing some low quality, fuzzy music through the cheap headset to mask the noise. She had no idea that the shouts outside had already turned into screams...


    *


    Sharp metallic clanks rang out as Moltezz¡¯s chains whipped forward, then parried expertly by Diego¡¯s sword, The shuddering impact sent painful vibrations up his arms with each block, and hot acrid air filled the chamber as Moltezz flexed her psyonic mastery once more.


    ¡°I''d have thought those hits would have turned your arms to jelly, Diego. Most impressive psyonics!¡± She laughed, advancing towards him. He ducked past another chain whip and charged towards her, but she flicked her hands out and a massive surge of heat sent him stumbling backwards. ¡°As impressed as I am, I¡¯m afraid you don''t stand a chance. Bare your rear, and submit to me!¡±


    Diego quickly regained his footing and reached out into the air. Balls of coursing yellow energy formed around his fists and he threw them across the room directly at Moltezz, each impacting their target with significant concussive force and exploding with a shuddering bang, causing the malicious mistress to reel backwards.


    ¡°Fine. You want to play, my prince? Let¡¯s play.¡±


    Seeth''s still dripping blood fizzled and burnt as it impacted the ground, although her body was protected from the blistering heat by Diego''s warcry.


    Moltezz growled loudly, heat intensifying around her and causing the stone under her feet to glow bright amber. The chains in her hands red hot once more, she dropped one to the floor and prepared a handful of firebolts, which she slung around the room in a scattered fashion, each bouncing off the walls erratically and leaving molten marks as they bounced.


    Diego avoided most of the firebolts and used his sword to deflect the last one away with a sharp ping, sending it right into Moltezz''s face. This, however, did little but piss her off further. He threw another concussion orb at her, but she whipped it out of the air and continued to advance aggressively towards him. His eyes narrowed and he prepared a volley instead, throwing multiple orbs at her body. She managed to knock away a couple, but the others impacted directly, sending her skidding backwards and onto her ass.


    Moltezz stood and dropped her second whip, snarling with every breath she took. The chain began to sink into the floor as the stone became soft. Above her, the ceiling creaked and groaned as the support columns sagged. She placed her hands together and formed a large bright red orb. A second later, a tremendous blast shook the entire dungeon and a massive lance of molten energy pierced through the room, melting a man-sized hole straight through multiple of the dungeon walls and narrowly missing Diego. The stonework was completely annihilated, leaving nothing but dripping metal and hissing ruins deep into the earth. The building shook.


    ¡°PLEASE. I INSIST. CONTINUE TO PISS ME OFF!¡±


    ¡°W-Was that a nova lance?!¡± Diego stammered, seeing the devastation unleashed. ¡°Holy hell, Moltezz! You''re going to kill everyone!¡±


    She prepared another orb between her hands, but Diego flung his arm forward and produced his own energy whip which connected to the orb, and began draining its power. Upon feeling her heat leaving her orb, Moltezz raised one hand from it and prepared another load of fire bolts, but the orb became unstable and energy leaked from her palm, causing a series of smaller lances to pour out and scorch holes across the walls and mores. She flung the firebolts across the room to distract the lizard as the chamber filled with more bouncing fire bolts and bright red beams that burned through the foundations of the room.


    Diego''s whip pulsed with power as it lashed out and swiped one of the bolts away from him. As the bolt made contact, suddenly there was bright white light that went off in Diego¡¯s face like a flash-bang, stunning him for a couple of seconds as the orb was neutralised.


    Focusing back into the fight, he turned to see her standing in the middle of the room with multiple of those large orbs now floating around her. There was another loud screech as the room continued to melt and sag from the sheer heat of her being.


    ¡°I HAVE SIX MORE PRIMED ALREADY. STAND DOWN, LIZARD!¡±


    He shook his head in disbelief.


    ¡°Okay, OKAY! I... will submit... I¡¯m stubborn, but I¡¯m not stupid¡­ just one of those things could take a ship out of the sky...¡±


    He held his hands up in surrender, dropping his blade to the ground.


    ¡°I¡­ surrender.¡±


    ¡°YOU LIE!¡± Moltezz screeched, her orbs floating menacingly around her, bombs ready to go off.


    ¡°I''m not! How can I prove it to you?¡±


    ¡°YOUR SWORD! PASS IT OVER!¡±


    He nodded slowly and picked up his sword, throwing it over to her calmly. She snatched the blade out of the air and power surged into her hands. The blade rapidly liquefied in her grip, its once mighty form now reduced to a searing puddle that joined the many others on the floor.


    A cocktail of emotions flickered across the lizard''s face for just the briefest of seconds. Panic and concern, followed by a forced stoicism, then determination, and just, just the slightest hint of solace.


    ¡°GOOD! Good! Good...¡± One by one, the orbs around her shrunk, collapsing in on themselves and fading out of existence. The fiery alien''s fight slipped away and she extinguished her flames. The room rapidly cooled as the source of the heat stopped. It was still blisteringly hot, but no longer actively melting the stonework.


    ¡°That was... scary... and incredibly impressive, Moltezz.¡± Diego stared at her in awe for several long seconds, tongue hanging out slightly between his teeth as he panted, and despite everything that had just happened between the two of them, his cheeks flushed red with arousal.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re incredible. Do you¡­ maybe wanna blow off some of that steam with me?¡± He didn''t even wait for her to respond, he started unclipping his shoulder armour. ¡°There¡¯s nothing like a good fuck to break the tension between two very¡­ passionate individuals.¡±


    Moltezz watched him closely, very suspicious.


    ¡°Yes, well... I told you... What are you doing?¡± Moltezz watched him suspiciously, but licked her lips subconsciously, eyeing his body. The lizard pressed harder, sensing her unease, running his hands over his strong abs and playing with his hair.


    ¡°What, don¡¯t you want me now, Moltezz?¡± He pouted. ¡°Come on, you said you would make me know my place... where would that be, exactly...? Under you, perhaps?¡± He fluttered his eyes at her, and desire gripped the alien her tightly. She took a deep breath and focused hard on cooling her body down, before strutting over to the lizard, eyeing him up. ¡°You''re so pretty up close, Moltezz... Your eyes, they¡¯re like bright, fiery rubies. I can''t wait to look into them as you¡­ fuck me...¡±


    ¡°I wish you had started with that Diego, instead of making me blast my chamber into pieces...¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d like a show¡­ I¡­ I needed to make sure my queen was worthy of her position.¡± Diego flirted relentlessly in the smouldering ruins of her kingdom. He could feel Moltezz dropping her guard. ¡°May your prince make one humble request of his beautiful queen?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. Name it.¡± Moltezz tried hard to play it cool, but she was loving everything that she was hearing.


    ¡°Kneel down and kiss me. Please. I need to feel your heat, your passion.¡±


    The alien grinned, kneeling down slowly to bring her face to his. He gently took hold of her neck and cheeks with his hands, and pressed a kiss against her soft garnet lips. She sunk into his lips and kissed him back, her hands running up his body and over every inch of his skin. After a few seconds, they broke apart, the saliva on their separated lips hissing as it evaporated into the air.


    ¡°Mmm... you''re a gorgeous kisser, Diego, we''re going to smoulder togethe- what are you doin- DIEGO?!¡± She felt a sudden surge in power from him, his skin flushed red and an aura of strength blasted out from his being. Moltezz went to defend herself but she was too slow, and the lizard punched her square in the face, his fist cracking her painfully between the eyes. Her head snapped backwards and she fell, collapsing against the floor with a heavy thump ¨C she was out cold.


    ¡°There¡­ That should keep her out for a while!¡± Breathing heavily, Diego centred himself once more, his aura fading out. ¡°I hope so anyway, don''t think I can do that again today...¡± He quickly turned to check on Moltezz, ensuring she was down, then immediately ran to Seeth, who was still hanging weakly in the middle of the gigantic chamber.


    He stopped and checked Seeth over once more. She couldn''t take her eyes off him the entire time.


    ¡°Hey, you!¡± He smiled warmly at her. ¡°I''m running low on psyonic power, so we gotta go! I don''t think she''ll fall for that again...¡±


    ¡°You''re insane, you know that?¡± Seeth laughed painfully, the two locking eyes again. ¡°You should get out of here... she won''t go easy on you next time...¡±


    ¡°We. We should get out of here.¡± He replied.


    ¡°I don''t deserve that, Diego... You know I''ve corrupted people, right? My ledger is stained... I should burn for what I''ve done, what I¡¯ve allowed to happen!¡±


    ¡°Seeth...¡±


    ¡°No, I don''t deserve your help Diego, I never did. You''re a good guy, and you deserve so much better than me...¡± Her eyes welled up with tears once again and she let her head hang limp in shame.


    ¡°I...¡± Diego sighed and placed his hands on her cheeks. ¡°Now is not the time to feel sorry for yourself, Seeth. And I¡¯m not the good guy that you think I am. I don''t have time to explain now, but trust me, I''ve done my fair share of terrible things... but dying doesn''t absolve you of your wrong doings. It just passes the torch on for someone else to bear.¡±


    Seeth looked up at him again.


    ¡°It takes a monster to beat a monster.¡± He continued. ¡°Right now, you are the most qualified person in existence to stop all of this, so don''t give me that I''m better off dead nonsense; we''ll put this right, together. It''s not about forgiveness, It''s about fixing your mistakes. So come with me, and we''ll fix this together.¡±


    ¡°A-And then what?¡± Seeth whispered desperately, her eyes lighting up at his words.


    ¡°Then... maybe you just... stay with me...? We can be two terrible people who travel the stars together, and try to help those who deserve it... You can''t undo what you''ve done, but maybe we can end up doing more good than harm in the end, you know?¡±


    Seeth broke into a heartfelt cry, tears pouring down her face as she winced in pain and attempted to stand on her feet, but her legs kept giving way, shaking under her as she pushed herself towards him.


    ¡°That all sounds wonderful... but Diego... I can''t walk¡­¡± She let out a laugh in between her sobs. ¡°I want that more than anything, I want to be with you! But Moltezz tore my legs to pieces... I''m going to get you captured if you stay, so you need to leave! Please! Save yourself, for god''s sake! I''m pleading with you!¡± Seeth was shaking from head to toe as she stared into his pristine amethyst eyes, her body still oozing from her deep wounds.


    Diego grabbed the shackles around her wrists and he surged psyonic power, shattering the metal. Now free, Seeth collapsed to the ground and tried desperately to move her legs, but there was no chance they were going to take her weight. Before she could say anything, though, the lizard heaved her up with all of his strength, wrestling her massive frame onto his shoulders with some significant strain. She was tremendously heavy and more than twice his size, even with chunks of her legs missing.


    ¡°I am not leaving you here. And that''s that.¡± He said stubbornly.


    Diego grunted loudly as he took Seeth¡¯s weight as his own, and slowly began to make his way towards the exit of Moltezz''s chambers. With Seeth draped weakly over his shoulders, he took one shaky step, then another, towards his freedom once more.

 Chapter 14 - Deal with the Devil - Part 2

    Too little, too late. Story of my life. Whether it was her own fault or not, Lamp would once again be left to suffer the consequences of just being¡­ herself. She wasn¡¯t sure exactly what was going on outside, but there wasn¡¯t much she¡¯d be able to escape the chaos by herself. She was sat cross-legged on the sofa, leaning over her laptop screen and anxiously flicking through the security camera display that she definitely should not have had access to, not that that mattered much now. The surrounding corridors, the cafeteria, the hanger-bay, the restrooms, private rooms and bedchambers... they all showed the same scene, thousands of¡­ things had boarded the freighter and were assaulting, capturing and¡­ raping the passengers! The lower levels had already been taken over, and the remaining guards were locking security bulkheads down and preparing defences. It¡¯s useless, Lamp thought to herself, we¡¯re stranded, the ship can¡¯t take off while the hanger¡¯s down, and unless we can reclaim it, that¡¯s how it¡¯s gonna stay¡­


    She flicked back to the camera view of the corridor outside her quarters, and a cold shiver ran down her spine. There was a group of them, maybe twenty or thirty, kicking the doors in and checking the private rooms! They were only three doors away from her own, thirty seconds max before they reached her - Lamp¡¯s heart leapt into her throat as she stumbled for her cane and hobbled back to her private quarters with all the speed she could muster, bolting it shut behind her as various thoughts moved through her panic stricken mind.


    Okay, okay, I need to escape, ummm, door¡¯s not an option, I can¡¯t break the windows, there¡¯s the vent hatch above my bed, but I¡¯d need time to unscrew it - do I have time? Shit, this is my only shot¡­


    Lamp scrambled through her bedside drawer for her tool kit, limbs shaking in fear and shuddering with fright as a loud thump came from the front door. There was nowhere near enough time to get the vent cover off.


    BANG!


    The door gave way and the assailants stepped into the living room.


    Lamp collapsed to the floor and desperately reached under her bed, fumbling about for the only thing she had that might make the difference here, her last chance. She hadn¡¯t gone unheard however, and her bedroom door flew open. Two large female assailants burst into her room and grabbed her by the legs, dragging her into the living room. They flipped her over, onto her back, and both assailants immediately took a step back.


    Clutched tightly against her chest, with trembling hands, was a pulveriser grenade, a little thing Lamp had ¡°borrowed¡± from the guard detail on the ship. It was easily powerful enough to kill her and her two attackers. They quickly held up their hands and backed away from the terrified girl, who was slowly making her way onto her feet.


    ¡°S-Stay back! Or I''ll k-kill us all!¡±  Lamp struggled to stand without her cane, but she managed to prop herself up on the furniture, eyes wide open as she tried to understand what was happening.


    The Nodes merely nodded and retreated further back, fear in their own eyes as the terrified Lamp kept her fingers on the pin. For just a moment, as the intruders retreated back out the breached front door, a flicker of a smile teased the corner of Lamp¡¯s lips.


    ¡°You actually looking for a way out, or just to do some damage in your last moments?¡±


    Any confidence Lamp had felt was quickly destroyed. In their place, a much larger creature strolled into the room, with confidence and an air of superiority about her.


    Strong and intimidating, Leech thudded into the room, ducking under the door frame and hunching over to avoid hitting her head on the ceiling. Fear surged through Lamp at the sight of this massive, venomous looking creature. She held onto the grenade even tighter, watching Leech''s every move...


    To Lamp¡¯s surprise, the Controller stopped in the middle of the room, and casually looked around for a few seconds, before turning back to Lamp.


    ¡°Oak''s disease, right?¡± Leech asked, her eyes scanning Lamp''s figure.


    ¡°Wha-What?¡± Lamp stuttered, taken off guard.


    ¡°Oak''s disease. You were born with it, right? Ankles are bowing inwards, I can see you''re struggling to stand without support, although it''s hard to tell if your hyperventilating is due to fear or due to the reduced effectiveness of your bronchi. Go, get your mobility aid; it¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    Lamp craned her neck as she took in what the huge creature had just said. She didn¡¯t know where this was going, but thought it would be a good idea to get her cane anyway. Carefully she followed the walls using her arms to support her, and went back to her room, fetched her cane and hobbled back out. The intruder had not moved, and was still presenting herself calmly.


    ¡°I was born with Oak''s disease too, but the DA cured me with gene therapy. Were you not born in the Draconic Alliance?¡± Leech questioned, still taking in the room.


    ¡°N-No. I¡¯m a nomad. Why do you even care? What does it matter? I saw your horde on the cameras! You''re taking people, and¡­ changing them¡­ I watched you do it on the cameras! I don''t understand what¡¯s happening.¡±


    ¡°What''s your name?¡± Asked Leech, dismissing Lamp¡¯s questions.


    ¡°It doesn''t matter... no one calls me by my name anyway, everyone just calls me Lamp.¡± She sighed, feeling defeated.


    ¡°I¡­ can see why, you do kind of look like a lamp, no offence. It''s the eyes.¡± Leech grinned, appearing unphased as Lamp clutched the grenade tighter in response.


    ¡°Yeah.. well... what happened to your face?¡± Lamp snapped, trying to take the subject of their conversation away from her. It hadn¡¯t escaped her notice that the intruder had several nasty looking wounds, including a split lip and badly bruised cheeks.


    ¡°Oh. Me and an old friend had a¡­ disagreement. She betrayed me... after all this time, it turns out she had no respect for me, apparently. Is that something you find happens to you, Lamp? Do people respect you?¡± Leech could see her words cutting the czarite deep, the hurt of many, many memories painfully reminding her that, no, people did not respect her. ¡°Look. Lamp, I¡¯ll cut to the chase. You know that there''s no way in hell you''re escaping that grenade¡¯s detonation radius with that hobble of yours. This is your last stand. If you have any last words, a grand monologue to cite perhaps, then let it out. I''ll listen.¡±


    Leech¡¯s words struck a chord, and just like that, the dam broke.


    ¡°I am so-so-SO SICK of being treated like crap by everyone around me! I hate it so much! I try and I try and I try and all I ever get is shot down and kicked around by everyone else! I''m ugly! I''m slow! I''m diseased! I have so much to give but people never give me the chance because of my appearance! People shun me, and then because I¡¯m always on my own, people think I¡¯m strange, and then I go and do strange things which makes people shun me more! And it''s been going on so long that I don''t know which was the cause and which was the effect! Is it my fault that people don''t like me?! Or is everyone just awful?! I don''t know, and I don''t care anymore! I''ve had enough!


    I got fired from my job for reasons beyond my control, I''ve got no money AGAIN, I''m starving hungry and I¡¯m tired, the only reason I have a place on this goddamn freighter to stay was because my roommate thought I was gonna be pretty like the other czarites on board, but when he saw me, he laughed in my face! In front of everyone! The guards all bully me, the other passengers say mean things all the time, I''ve got nothing, and no-one to help me! That''s the way it''s always been! So fuck everything and fuck everyone!¡± Lamp was shaking all over, gritting her teeth, cane quaking in one hand and the grenade clutched in the other.


    ¡°That... was pretty good.¡± Leech smiled again, watching the little ball of anger frothing as her feelings spilled over.


    ¡°W-Why am I telling you this anyway! Who the hell are you?!¡± Lamp growled, her bright yellow eyes staring at her with fury.


    ¡°My name is Leech. Now, to answer your questions, there isn''t a simple way to explain what''s going on here, and we don¡¯t really have the time. Put simply, I''m building an empire. That change you saw on the security cameras, you can decide for yourself if it¡¯s a blessing or a curse, but that infection is at the very root of our cause. That''s not important for now, though. What is important is what you were just talking about, Lamp.¡±


    The two¡¯s eyes met as Leech began to pace back and forth slowly.


    ¡°You''re not the only one who''s been the victim of the universe''s cruel tendencies. People are shit, Lamp. Through and through.¡± The smaller girl''s eyes lit up upon hearing the words. ¡°How familiar does this sound? People only respect you if you can command their respect. Until the boot is big enough to stamp their lights out, they will always tread on you instead. Your only crime was being born, Lamp. The cosmic dice that rolled for you decreed that you would be a victim your whole life. A nomad czarite with Oak¡¯s disease? You never had a chance to be anything more than a punching bag. It¡¯s stunted your growth, robbed you of your physical prowess, and made you easy pickings for anyone who wasn''t the embodiment of good itself. Which happens to be most people.¡± Leech''s eyes narrowed as she watched Lamp fiddle with the grenade. ¡°I''m not taunting you. I''m not here to bully you, or make you feel weak. I''m here to offer you something. An opportunity to be the boot for once.¡±


    Lamp¡¯s fingers relaxed slightly around the grenade. She stared at Leech with deep curiosity.


    ¡°Tell me if this is correct. Your whole life, you''ve just wanted someone to take a chance on you. To let you prove what you''ve got to offer and look past your flaws, to build something incredible.¡±


    Lamp nodded slowly, her eyes turning glassy. Those many nights she''d spent hoping someone would appear and rescue her from her hell-hole of a life, and it never happened.


    ¡°I need that, too. I thought I already had it, and I didn''t. I need someone I can trust, someone that isn''t going to stab me in the back and assault me in my own laboratory.¡± She scowled as she spoke. ¡°I need someone who is willing to get their hands dirty with me, to exact some much needed revenge. I will give you what you''ve always wanted, Lamp. Plus, as a little extra incentive, I even have a gift for you! I present to you, the scummy fuck head who you shared this room with.¡±


    A terrified human was dragged into the room by two large Nodes, held firmly by his arms and shoved onto his knees in front of Lamp, who was watching speechless, trying to comprehend the situation as it presented yet another twist.


    ¡°This is him, right? Don''t worry about how I know. But this is the man himself? The one who laughed in your face when he saw you? You said he only let you stay because he wanted to fuck you, right?¡±


    Anger curdled inside Lamp and she limped up to him, her face scrunching up as all those words, all the things she¡¯d wanted to scream at him¡­ finally she would be able to say them!


    ¡°Go on Lamp, let it out. You can do whatever you want to him. I won''t judge. I''d never judge you.¡± Leech urged.


    ¡°Y-you... scumbag... you laughed at me! You and your friends called me names! You stole my food and let me go hungry! You locked me in my room for hours!¡±


    The human was wounded and desperate, he thrashed around and tried to break free, but the Nodes beside him were holding him down firmly, and there was no chance of escape.


    ¡°Look at that, Lamp. He''d rather run than just apologise to you. Disgusting.¡± Leech tutted, shaking her head and moving closer.


    ¡°Please! I''m scared! I''m sorry! My son is missing! You have to let me find him!¡± He pleaded, desperate to find a way out.


    ¡°Do you even care at all?! How much you made me suffer?! I cried every night for a week whilst you and your friends imitated me at your stupid card games! I was watching you through the cameras! You pretended to limp around the room, and you all laughed!¡±


    The man stared at her in disbelief, a mixture of regret and fear echoed through his stress-wrecked mind as he realised she¡¯d been spying on him the whole time.


    Seeing his reaction, Lamp¡¯s anger finally boiled over and she began to hit him with her cane, thumping it against his face and chest. Truth be told, it wasn''t a particularly damaging assault but she put all her heart into it, limply pounding the wooden stick against him again and again, the Nodes holding him still as he tried to get away. After several long seconds, she backed off, panting heavily and staring at him with anguish; despite her attack, he wasn''t much worse for wear.


    ¡°I-I''m sorry... please... I beg you... L-Lamp-¡±


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°He doesn''t even know your real name, even when he''s begging for his life, he can''t recall your name. C''mon man, show a little respect here.¡± Leech crouched down to Lamp''s level, staring her in the eyes. ¡°He''s scum. He''s not sorry he hurt you, he''s sorry that someone bigger and stronger than him has a problem with it. He''s only apologising now because he''s being forced to. Do you think he''d be apologising if the tables were turned? We all know the answer to that.... So, I want you to decide what we do with him.¡±


    ¡°Kill him.¡± Lamp stated blankly, turning to face the human once more. She didn''t even hesitate.


    ¡°No¡­ please, my son -¡±


    Leech reached out with her hand, grasped the man¡¯s head in her fist, and squeezed. There was a crack, crunch, and a sickening pop as the man¡¯s head was quickly reduced to a fleshy, bone riddled mush. Blood dribbled between her jade fingers and onto the carpet. His body was quickly whisked away by the Nodes that held him down. Just like that, a life snuffed out with such little effort.


    Lamp wobbled on the spot and dropped the grenade, leaning on her cane heavily with both hands and taking a very long, deep breath. Her eyes wide and unblinking, skin tingling as what she just did sunk in, her eyes darted from the floor, to the spot where he had knelt just moments ago, and back to Leech. She took a few more seconds to grasp the gravity of the situation and let the ringing in her head subside. This was real. He was dead. All those weeks she¡¯d had to put up with him¡­ this was real.


    ¡°I''ll level with you, Lamp. I don''t think someone steals a grenade from the guard quarters for self defence. I think you had a plan with that grenade. I think you had a plan to exact your revenge on this godless shit-hole for all the crap that everyone on board had put you through. Deservedly so, by the way. But I can give you something far, FAR more powerful than a grenade.¡±


    Leech held out both her hands to Lamp, one was empty and the other held her grenade.


    ¡°Your choice. You can take this grenade back, I''ll let you escape back into the rest of the ship and you can try and escape with the other passengers, or blow them up or whatever your plan was¡­ Or you can take my hand, and I''ll share my gift with you, and together, we can have our turn at being the ones at the top of the universe.¡±


    ¡°What''s your gift...? What will it do to me?¡± Lamp was well aware that Leech was far, FAR bigger than she should have been, and it hadn''t passed by her either that Leech, even in her battered state, was attractive, shapely and highly desirable, even amongst the most enticing and glamorous czarites.


    ¡°It will transform you. I will make you strong and beautiful. It¡¯ll cure your Oak''s disease too, I can promise you that. All I ask is that you are loyal to me, that you remember what I''ve given to you and how I''ve treated you. I''m hurting, Lamp, and you are too, but we can put that right together. All you¡¯ve ever wanted is a chance- I will give you that chance, not just to be the one in charge, but to be loved and desired. To be wanted.¡±


    Lamps bright yellow eyes darted back and forth between the grenade and Leech''s empty hand. Slowly but surely, she reached up and placed her hand softly within Leech''s. Leech smiled down at her gently.


    ¡°You have made the right choice, Lamp. Together, we will be the ink and quill that rewrites the ledger, no longer will we be a victim to cosmic chance. It''s time for some payback.¡±


    ¡°What happens now...?¡±


    Leech placed the grenade down gently on the floor, and scooped Lamp into her arms, slowly taking her back into Lamp¡¯s bedroom.


    ¡°I will make you feel incredible, and then you''ll be reborn into something powerful and beautiful. And finally, together, we will tear this place apart.¡±


    *


    Each step burnt Diego¡¯s muscles to their very core, his joints ached under the tremendous weight, but he pressed on, slowly, one foot forward at a time. His warcry had long since faded now, and the extra strength and dexterity it granted him had left him, at the worst possible moment. He knew that needed to preserve what little psyonic strength he had left, and on the plus side, at least the wounded and deeply humbled alien draped over his shoulders was keeping the Slaves and Nodes away.


    The corridors of the dungeon had never felt so long and endless as they did now, for both of them.


    Seeth wanted to ask him everything, she had questions bubbling in her brain, feelings boiling over, things she needed to say to him, but the poor guy was using every ounce of strength in his body to shift them down the acrid stone-work, and there was no way in hell he could hold a conversation. So, instead, she remained silent and held on tightly, grasping onto his smaller frame to steady herself and keep her weight centred.


    There was still a massive part of her that believed this whole endeavour would fail, but amongst the ruins of her psyche, there was a hope that her lizard could pull through once again, that he''d have another amazing trick up his sleeve. Seeth¡¯s eyes never left his figure as they made their way through the dungeon, he was absolutely determined to get her out, focused and absolute, sweat dripping down his brow, muscles shaking, breathing controlled but heavily laboured.


    They''d just passed by Seeth¡¯s quarters, her home no longer. Her thoughts went back to their first night, bringing him down here, the passion they shared together. She¡¯d wanted to stay in those memories forever, but now, now maybe she¡¯d be able to forge new ones with this incredible man. Why he''d given her a chance she didn''t understand, couldn¡¯t even comprehend, but despite her own self doubt, her skin tingled and her heart fluttered at the thought of being with him.


    Progress was slow but steady, each painstaking step brought them closer to freedom and out of this crumbling, half-melted prison. One foot in front of the other, one step at a time, eventually leading them to the staircase out, just forty floors of concrete stairs laid ahead... if anything, what he''d done so far had just been the warm-up. Diego gently placed Seeth down on the bottom step to regain his breath; he needed to prepare for the next stage of this. He placed his hands together and searched through his own being to find how much psyonic power he had left, but something pulled him out abruptly.


    ¡°Diego... I feel weak...¡±


    Seeth''s body slumped, her face was turning grey, and blood was quickly pooling beneath her. Their journey had ruptured something in her leg and Diego immediately knew what the remainder of his strength had to be used for.


    ¡°Awh fuck, stay with me Seeth, I can stop the bleeding!¡± He rolled her over carefully and saw one of the wounds on the back of her leg was bleeding profusely. ¡°I am not losing you now after all this.¡± He pressed his hands together again and slowly drew them apart; orange web-like strings formed between his fingers and he quickly pressed them onto the wound. They seemed to knit the flesh together akin to a needle and stitches, and Seeth felt a flood of warmth through her lower body. The psyonic aid halted the bleeding immediately and the warmth within her spread into her chest and through the rest of her body, even clearing some of the fog in her head. One by one, Diego repeated the process across her most urgent wounds.


    ¡°I''d have done that earlier if I knew you were gonna start bleeding like that!¡± Diego wiped his brow, thick with sweat and let out a sigh of relief as she stabilised. He took her hand and gently eased her into a sitting position, upright against the wall.


    Her skin tone was returning to its usual purple shade, but she looked rough. The sooner they were out of here, the better.


    ¡°You... saved me in the middle of saving me. That''s twice I owe you now.¡±


    ¡°You can thank me later, you''re not safe yet. I still got like, forty floors of pain to go!¡± Diego glanced over to the stairs, deeply concerned about the mountainous task ahead of him. He sat down beside her, and felt her reach over to grasp his hand shyly. He turned his head to face her; Seeth looked like she was about to burst into tears, and was battling with all her might to keep them back.


    ¡°Was it something I said?¡± He grabbed her hand back and stroked over the top of it with his other one, her skin  still silky soft, despite it being covered in dust and blood.


    ¡°Diego¡­¡± Seeth whispered. ¡°I''m so sorry... about Moltezz, and the table incident... You were right, you were trapped and we used you... You trusted me and I led you into a situation that you couldn''t get out of.¡±


    ¡°Seeth, It¡¯s okay, I understand -¡±


    ¡°-No, Diego, it wasn''t right! I need you to understand that I will never, EVER do that to you again. Never. I need to be better than that. I feel awful that I even tried to justify it.¡±


    He put his arm around her, squeezing her close.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He whispered gently. ¡°I accept your apology.¡±


    Seeth wiped away her tears with her thumb, sobbing quietly. A small, heartfelt silence filled the acrid corridor. Seeth felt some of the guilt lift from her shoulders and with it, a small smile broke over her face.


    ¡°I have so many feelings right now... Diego... I haven''t been able to stop thinking about you since I met you... You looked like such a twat when we first saw you, as well...¡±


    The lizard let out an exhausted but hearty belly laugh.


    ¡°Oh, I did?! That¡¯s not where I thought you were going with that sentence! Can¡¯t say I blame you for thinking that though, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°I mean, come on. You were standing there, wearing this armour that shows your abs off, a sword as long as your entire body strapped to your back, those slicked back locks... I''m not being funny but you look like you do shampoo adverts for a living. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I love your hair, it''s gorgeous, but I couldn''t piece together what you were. A dainty pretty boy? A show-off? An overconfident fuck-boy maybe?¡±


    ¡°Little of this, little of that. What did I turn out to be, then?¡± He smiled warmly at her, still softly stroking her hand.


    ¡°Not what I expected. But everything I think I needed. I mean... you''re great at taking dick -¡±


    ¡°SEETH! You can''t just blurt that out!¡± He laughed heartily again. ¡°Oh, what''s your good qualities, Diego? Anal depth and durability? Oh sure, that''s great!¡±


    ¡°I''m only joking, pretty boy! Well I''m not, you are good at that, but more importantly, you''re my little lizard hero right now, and I think you always were, right from the moment I saw you. You told me right in this stairwell that you''d help me and... you keep your promises.¡±


    ¡°They''re important... I want my words to mean something, so I make them matter.¡±


    Seeth inched closer to him, their eyes meeting as she tried to find the words to match the feelings in her chest.


    ¡°Jeez, Seeth, you keep looking at me like that and I''m gonna melt! Pfft, I should not be flirting with someone who was nearly bleeding out a few minutes ago... feels like I¡¯m taking advantage a bit.¡±


    ¡°The only person who''s taking advantage here is me... Every time I look at you I get tingles all over...¡± She reached out with her other hand and caressed his cheek, taking a deep breath to steady herself. He gazed back at her, his heart thumping against his chest for multiple reasons now.


    ¡°Diego... I think... I think I lo-¡±


    A bloody roar rattled down the corridor and made them both jump out of their skin.


    ¡°SEEEEEETH?! DIEGO?! WHERE ARE YOU?!?¡± Moltezz''s voice boomed through the facility, and she sounded like she was on a warpath.


    ¡°We gotta go, now!¡± Diego leapt to his feet and began to pull Seeth up onto his shoulders once more, grunting loudly from the effort. Once she was settled and up as comfortably as possible, he tread slowly over to the staircase and mentally prepared himself for the ascent; his legs were aching already, but the entire facility suddenly shaking prompted him to make his move.


    Leg up and foot down onto the first step, pain shot down his back and legs, he drew breath in time with the motion and started to ascend, dust shook free from the walls and floated about the air as the staircase rattled violently again and another gut twisting roar echoed up past them.


    ¡°I KNOW YOU''RE HIDING SOMEWHERE! I''M GOING TO BREAK YOU, DIEGO!¡±


    His body quivered from the physical effort, but now, his psyche was shaking too; he was completely defenceless, disarmed, physically drained and exhausted. If Moltezz found them, he had no way to defend himself or Seeth.


    ¡°I WILL FIND YOU!¡±


    More crashes echoed out as Moltezz furiously rampaged through the dungeon, searching room after room and tearing the place apart as she did so.


    ¡°YOU WILL NEVER SEE THE STARS AGAIN, EITHER OF YOU!¡±


    Moltezz''s threats boomed through the stairwell and etched into his brain. Fear began to build in him as he managed to reach the top of the first stairwell¡­ leaving thirty nine still to go. Moltezz was beyond furious, and the sound of tearing the place to pieces was gradually getting closer...


    The stairwell shook again and nearly knocked him over as a tremendous explosion rang out, followed by a near deafening roar from Moltezz, bleaching his ears and replacing everything with a painful white noise. His legs felt like they were made from stone, it was agony to move, but just as everything started to feel overwhelming, he felt a warm, loving whisper in his ear, piercing through the white noise with perfect clarity.


    ¡°I believe in you. You can do this.¡±


    Diego grit his teeth, his breath felt like fire on his tongue and yet, he pushed on, faster this time, towards their freedom.


    ¡°YOU WILL FAIL!¡±


    ¡°You will beat this...¡±


    ¡°WEAK, PATHETIC CREATURES!¡±


    ¡°Strongest man I know...¡±


    ¡°WORTHLESS SCUM!¡±


    ¡°My little lizard hero...¡±


    Without fail, for every harrowing shriek or insult Moltezz would bellow, Seeth would whisper something back in his ear, something to keep him going and he pushed on, ascending a step at a time and clinging onto her with all his strength.


    ¡°TIME IS TICKING AWAY! I KNOW I''M GETTING CLOSER, I CAN SMELL YOUR FEAR, DIEGO!¡±


    Her voice was even closer now...


    ¡°SEETH''S CHAMBER PERHAPS?! AHAHAH!¡±


    ¡°You''re doing amazing Diego... just a little further, my precious man...¡±


    His legs felt like they were turning inside out, but nevertheless, his will was absolute and his pace continued.


    Suddenly and suspiciously, Moltezz went quiet, and the two of them felt a sudden danger. At the next level, Diego stopped for a second and waited, pressed up against the wall, ensuring they couldn''t be seen from below.


    A fireball sailed straight up the central column of the staircase and exploded at the top, but both Seeth and Diego remained silent and still.


    ¡°There''s no way that disrespectful little liar made it up there with Seeth in her condition... maybe they''re in Plasia''s quarters...?¡± Moltezz was thinking out loud at the bottom of the staircase, watching it closely for any sign of movement or noises. She huffed loudly and stormed off, her footsteps getting distant and the terrified couple had a brief moment of respite to rejoice at their luck, before the lizard pressed on again.


    After what felt like an eternity, of counting every single gruelling step, they were almost there. Just one more flight to go. He was so close, and yet, at the most critical moment, Diego could feel his strength fading fast. Moltezz¡¯s power, on the other hand, had only gotten stronger it seemed, and the dungeon, and perhaps even the very earth itself, continued to crumble and melt away. Diego was panting furiously, body covered in a thick sweat, his every limb quivering and just one final set of stairs to go...


    ¡°Come on, Diego... you can do this...¡± Seeth whispered in his ear. He lifted his leg up, slowly, shakily, but he couldn¡¯t do it, couldn¡¯t lift it high enough. His toes bumped against the next stair and he staggered, almost falling backwards. After a wobbly, agonising second, he managed to right himself.


    ¡°Diego... you''re so close!¡± Seeth¡¯s voice became louder and desperate as she began to panic.


    Diego tried again, lifting the same leg, higher, higher¡­ and managed to plant it on the first stair. But no matter how much he strained, he couldn''t find the energy to push off, and bring his other leg up.


    ¡°Diego! Y-you can do this! Come on!¡± The stairwell shook violently as Moltezz''s rage poured into the dungeon¡¯s foundations below them.


    ¡°I-I... I can''t do it...¡±


    ¡°Yes you can! You''ve come this far! It''s just a little further!¡±


    ¡°I - I...¡±


    ¡°Then drop me and leave me behind! You get out of here!¡±


    ¡°Seeth... I won''t -¡±


    ¡°No! I''m not letting you sacrifice yourself for me! You drop me now, and save yourself!¡±


    ¡°I am NOT LEAVING YOU BEHIND!¡± Diego yelled with fury, pushing up another step. Seeing this sudden burst of energy, Seeth changed tactics, praying that Moltezz wouldn''t hear them below.


    ¡°COME ON DIEGO! YOU CAN DO IT!!!¡± She screamed, matching the lizard''s fury. He roared and took another step, and another, and another! The factory door was slowly fading into view. Diego howled as he pushed through the wall of pain that was seizing up his legs, and Seeth howled with him. Another two steps,  and then a few more after that, and then there was just one more... one more step and they were at the factory level... But he feared there were no more words that could encourage him now, Diego tried with every ounce of strength that he had, but there was so little left to give...


    ¡°VERY IMPRESSIVE - BUT YOU''RE NOT ESCAPING ME, DIEGO! YOU WILL DROWN IN MY PASSION, MY FURY!!!¡±


    Moltezz¡¯s bellow echoed all the way along the spiral staircase and deep into their cores. Seeth¡¯s blood ran cold. She¡¯d heard them, had made her way back to the stairwell, and was now charging up the stairs at an absurd pace, gaining on them with every second... Even if Diego made it to the factory floor now, there was nothing they could do.


    ¡°Diego¡­ If this is the end... then... I love you! I love you! I''m so glad I got the chance to meet you and-and-¡± Tears poured down Seeth''s face as she squeezed her eyes shut and clutched onto the lizard''s chest tightly. ¡°I''m so sorry Diego... I love you... please, leave me here! You have to get out of here!¡±


    She felt her body shift as Diego pushed, one final time...


    There was a heart-wrenching crunch within the stairwell.


    The walls cracked and shifted.


    The concrete parted and crumbled.


    The steps under Moltezz suddenly gave away, too damaged from her furious assaults to support her weight. A hoarse and surprised scream rang out as she hurtled to the ground below and landed with a muffled thump, followed by a shrill silence.


    At the top of the staircase, Seeth still upon his shoulders, stood Diego.

 Chapter 15 - Final Plays - Arc 1 Finale + Epilogue

    ¡°Attention all passengers, this is the captain of the freighter speaking. This is an announcement regarding the boarding situation. If you are in any level above the lower decks, please remain within your cabins and follow instructions given by the guard crew. If you''re on the lower decks... things don''t look too good, I apologise for the inconvenience but there is nothing we can do at the moment. If you''re stranded down there, please hide. We currently have every bulkhead door locked down and our assailants appear unable to breach them; currently, we are safe.


    After much discussion between myself and the guard unit, we¡¯ve agreed that it¡¯s too dangerous to release any of the bulkheads, and so we cannot recover any lost passengers at this time. I have requested assistance from the nearby guard post, and they''ve dispatched some Quill-Belly fighter-bomber units to help us dispatch of the intruders and break this stalemate - so, please remain calm and allow the guards and the Quill-Bellies to deal with this. Thank you.¡±


    The captain ended the communication and swivelled his chair around to the central ship display, looking closely at the 3D holographic model of the ship''s interiors, and scrutinising the bulkhead positions. It appeared the assaulting force was lacking in anti-armour weapons or tools, which meant they were struggling with their massive armoured doors within the ship. He¡¯d managed to lock and seal every door to the mid-section of the ship successfully, but the passengers were trapped. And as long the lower decks were occupied by the intruders, the ship would remain grounded.


    Things were about to change, however, as multiple strike craft entered the planet''s atmosphere and honed in on the freighter''s location, as they approached into lower orbit.


    ¡°Appreciate the assistance, 4-1, weapons free on anything outside the ship and within the forest and city perimeter...¡±


    *


    Diego and Seeth collapsed on the slightly damp grass several feet away from the factory entrance, panting loudly and desperately filling their lungs with fresh, clean air. A myriad of thoughts and feelings buzzed through the both of them, and both were yet to say a word.


    After a few minutes of recovery, and a somewhat awkward silence, Diego''s heart rate dropped to something more reasonable and he was able to regain some composure. It had been a very long time since he''d experienced this amount of pain and it was anything but pleasant, but he was proud that he¡¯d managed to get Seeth out of there.


    Finally he looked over to her, to check if she was alright, and found that she had been looking at him quite intently, but she shied away upon seeing him look back.


    ¡°I... think we need to talk...¡± He shuffled over towards her. Seeth was sat and leaning against a thick tree stump, her legs flopped out in front of her.


    ¡°Y-Yeah... Look... I''m... I''m sorry I blurted that out... I-I just, I thought -¡± She stumbled over her words, blushing deeply and looking rather embarrassed. ¡°I mean, it worked!¡±


    ¡°Seeth. Relax. I understand why you said it but... how...? I''ve got a lot of weird thoughts and feelings in my head right now, I also can''t feel my legs but we''ll deal with that later...¡± Diego could hear himself rambling; he was nervous too. ¡°You - you love me? You''ve known me for less than a week!¡±


    Seeth nodded carefully and let out a long sigh, deciding to just let her feelings be free; it made for quite the pleasant change compared to the last year of her life.


    ¡°I know that... it might seem sudden... Look, Diego. Ever since I laid eyes on you, I''ve been damn near obsessed with you, I can''t get you out of my brain. You have ALL the qualities I''ve ever wanted in a partner. You willingly gave yourself up as our prisoner to save a girl you barely knew, a girl you¡¯d only just met. You escaped from the dungeon, and then fought your way back in, just to rescue me! You gave up your sword for my safety, you risked your neck again to get me up those bastard stairs, and you saved my life AGAIN by binding my wounds... I should be dead at least twice over and I''m not - because of you...¡±


    ¡°I mean... yeah... but...¡± Diego ruffled his hair shyly.


    ¡°It''s not just the heroics and the rescuing... You make me feel good again, and I don¡¯t just mean in bed... I haven''t felt anything since I was corrupted, I just had this¡­ thick layer of apathy that coated everything, and brief spikes of pleasure when I indulged in those dark desires... Leech coaxed me into helping her, and I thought that that was me now... just some cold, murderous piece of shit that wrecks other people¡¯s lives... I didn''t know what else to do!¡± Seeth¡¯s frustration was briefly visible as she clenched her fists. ¡°Then you came along, and it¡¯s like you lit a fire in my heart and burned away all this mud that was coating it... You made me feel real again, just looking at you makes my heart flutter! I want to be with you so badly... just to get away from all this and... just be a person again.¡±


    Diego watched her closely as her mood shifted. As she became more and more upset, he reached over and hugged her around the shoulders tightly, pulling her attention back to him.


    ¡°I understand, Seeth. I''ve been there...¡± He hesitated slightly, pausing for a second before pressing on. ¡°I lost my parents, years ago to the DA. They murdered them in a civil war that took place a long time ago... I was only young back then and I became a bitter, angry person who took his rage out on the people around him. I did a lot of damage and I hurt a lot of people who didn''t deserve it. But I broke free from all that, and now look at me! You can bounce back from this, I promise. You can be better.¡±


    ¡°But I''m dangerous, Diego... and I don''t deserve to be with you. And I don''t even know if you like me¡­¡± She paused, but when Diego remained quiet she carried on. ¡°I don''t know what I''m doing any-more. I know I''m not going back to my old life, that''s for certain. I''m just... lost¡­¡± She scoffed loudly. ¡°Pfft. Here I am confessing my feelings to a guy who''s hopelessly out of my league, probably thinks I''m scum too, and I''ve got no friends and no place to go -¡±


    ¡°You think you''re out of my league?!¡± Diego¡¯s abrupt retort made her jump a little; he seemed offended at her words. ¡°Seeth. How the hell am I out of your league? Are you joking? You''re fucking gorgeous, you look like a super model with ginormous boobs, a figure to die for - look, I don¡¯t want to get into this too deep right now, but I really like you¡­ And more than that! You know what you also are? A good person. I know that, I can feel that. You were so stubborn to try and get me to leave you behind because you wanted me to be safe.


    Good people fall off the right path sometimes, Seeth. I know they do, trust me. I''m not pretending to ignore the damage you''ve done, but promise me that you''ll never corrupt another person again and I''ll accept that.¡± He held out his hand for her to take, for her to leave this old life behind, permanently.


    Seeth reached out firmly and squeezed his smaller hand within her own.


    ¡°I promise. I will never corrupt anyone again. Ever.¡±  Seeth stated, firmly.


    There was a brief pause between the two, both their hands tingling pleasantly from the other''s touch, the wind gently blowing through the trees and rustling the foliage. Seeth felt a weight lift from her shoulders; a burden had been shared, and things seemed hopeful, more so than they had in a long, long time.


    ¡°Then I think we can make it work. So, do you¡­¡± Diego hesitated; his burst of confidence had now gone, and he suddenly went rather shy. ¡°You¡­ wanna travel with me? I usually just drift around, seeing what¡¯s what, who needs help. I could really do with the company.¡±


    Seeth¡¯s eyes lit up at Diego¡¯s words.


    ¡°Y-You meant that? I-In what capacity? Like an assistant or...?¡±


    ¡°Eh... I was thinking more like... girlfriend.... maybe? It''s selfish of me but... I really do like you... You''re attractive, you''re brilliant in bed, you''re selfless and self-aware... I get lonely on my travels through the stars, it''s a dark, long road and not many take it. The idea that I could have you by my side? You? I want that more than anything.¡±


    Seeth pressed a wet, soft kiss against his lips, hugging him close as she did so, the two of them humming slightly in one-another''s grasp. After a few seconds, they slowly parted, both blushing furiously and smiling like a couple of love-struck idiots.


    ¡°I... assume that''s a yes...?¡±


    ¡°I''m going to be a lot of work, you realise? My¡­ condition makes me horny, all the time. I''ve been suppressing it as much as I can, but now that I know I have someone willing and able...¡± She ran a finger over his chin and up his ear, and grinned as he shivered from her delicate touch.


    ¡°You think you''re a lot of work? Have you seen all the trouble I got in since I arrived? You gotta deal with that!¡± They laughed, exhausted, but happy. ¡°Besides, you say all that stuff like it''s a bad thing. As soon as we¡¯re out of here, and we¡¯ve got a place that¡¯s just ours, all to ourselves I think we''re gonna have a lot of fun together! Hey... Seeth, can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± She smiled, her heart filled with warmth and love.


    ¡°Can I touch your hair...? It looks so pretty and strange, like jelly dreadlocks...¡±


    She giggled sweetly and held out a few strands to him, which he gripped softly and felt with his fingers; they giggled sweetly together.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s so strange! It''s like wet and dry at the same time! Very soft though-¡±


    ¡°Holy fucking shit bag balls fuck - Diego, you got her out?!?¡±


    From the treeline, the worried forms of Plasia, Trent, Geralt and Tivy appeared, sprinting across the wet grass towards them.


    ¡°Not half - I think he carried her, Geralt!¡± Trent called out, eyeing Seeth''s wounded legs.


    ¡°H-He did. I don''t know how, but he did...¡± Seeth ruffled his hair and ears lovingly, staring at him awe-struck.


    ¡°Well, I don''t understand it, but I''m glad you made it, Diego.¡± Geralt shook his head in disbelief. ¡°So, what''s the plan now?¡±


    ¡°We were going to find a way to that isolated station, right...?¡± Tivy chirped, slowly approaching Seeth and offering to hold her hand as a peace treaty, Seeth smiled shyly, and couldn¡¯t quite meet Tivy¡¯s eyes, but accepted.


    ¡°I have a better idea.¡± Diego tapped the white armoured gauntlet on his wrist. ¡°I got this off a dead DA captain, seeing as this is the key to their ships, we should have a free ride out of here!¡± He tapped on it again to reveal the location of the craft; it was only a klick or so away, fifteen minute walk at most.


    Diego stood from Seeth''s side and wobbled a little on his legs, Trent and Geralt immediately went to help, placing his arms under their shoulders to keep him upright.


    ¡°S-So we just take the DA ship and get out of here, then?¡± Plasia asked, walking over to Seeth and picking her up off the floor.


    ¡°Yup, easy as...¡± Diego stopped mid sentence, his ears twitching once again, there was something buzzing in the sky - a lot of somethings by the sounds of it.


    The group fell silent as the sound of screaming started to echo through the forest.


    Then, several shuddering explosions shook the trees and rumbled through the ground, prompting a new level of panic through them.


    ¡°What the hell is going on now?!¡±


    More explosions rang out, and the screaming promptly stopped. The group could hear buzzing through the air and a strike-craft appeared overhead, visible through the shaking branches as it hovered over them, menacingly.  It was a Quill-Belly fighter-bomber, easily recognisable from its underside which was lined with explosive rocket-bombs, protruding from its chassis similar to an upside-down porcupine.


    Without warning, a salvo of explosive rockets flew out from its underside and carpet bombed a section of the forest close-by, silencing yet more of the unknown crowd. The explosive payloads hit with devastating force, rupturing the ground and blasting the trees into splintered bark.


    ¡°Nobody move!¡±


    Diego had seen this before, deep concern spread across his face as he stared at the flecks of silver lodged in the tree¡¯s ruptured trunks.


    ¡°T-They''re using anti-personnel rockets... we''re gonna get torn to shreds! Quill-Belly rockets have a fifty-metre kill radius!¡±


    Another rocket hit, closer this time, knocking them all but Plasia off their feet. Their one saving grace was the shrapnel did not penetrate through the trees...


    The team began to panic. The sound of more ominous buzzing drew close, and the repeated thudding of impacting bombs intensified. A stray limb hurtled through the air and landed at Tivy¡¯s feet; if she¡¯d looked mortified before it was nothing compared to the expression on her face now. She fell back to her knees, placed her hands over her ears and closed her eyes tightly.


    As the forest quaked and filled with constant explosions, the team looked at one another in disarray... As if things couldn''t get any worse, the air filled with the sound of heavy auto-cannon fire too; the ships were actively hunting targets in the area. They couldn''t know if they were the targets themselves, but it was only a matter of time until someone was hurt..


    ¡°What the hell are we gonna do?! C-Can we make a run for the ship?!¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Can you help me run?¡± Diego asked Trent urgently. ¡°My legs are fucked, I don''t know if I can hold a steady pace by myself.¡±


    The fox nodded, stress worn into his face as he checked on the others.


    ¡°Okay, Plasia''s got Seeth, I''ve got you... Geralt! Carry Tivy!¡± Tivy was still unresponsive and shielding herself from the noise, terrified and shaking all over. ¡°I-I think that''s everyone! Let''s move, folks!¡±


    They began to quickly make their way through the forest, everyone in their assigned pairs, Diego and Trent leading the way, their arms draped over the other as the fox took some of the lizard''s weight for him.


    Another explosion shook the ground, Plasia screamed in pain as a silver speck slashed into her forearm, causing a trickle of blue blood to ooze through the wound. They''d barely been moving for a minute and someone had already been hit. It seemed the further away they got from the factory, the more barren the land became, and shrapnel was flying everywhere.


    ¡°We''re not gonna make it...¡±


    Diego looked around at his crew, the forest was getting bombed into the ground, turning the once mighty conifers and greenery into shredded wood paste. Tivy was having a panic attack in Geralt''s arms, a Quill-Belly was hovering directly above them and opening fire at something in the distance, raining empty shell casings onto the crew as its high-calibre auto-cannons thudded over and over again.


    ¡°GATHER UP!¡± Diego yelled at the top of his lungs, competing with the roar of the engines and gun above him. ¡°There''s a strong chance I''m gonna faint after this so... be ready Trent.¡± Diego paused and shifted slightly away from Trent, standing up straight. He thumped at his chest twice, then again, and his face went from concerned to annoyed when nothing happened.


    Another explosion rang out close by, wood splinters and chunks of dirt flew over the group''s head.


    Diego thumped at his chest again, more aggressively this time and still nothing happened.


    ¡°COME ON!¡± He slammed his fist against his chest twice more and roared into the air, and finally an eruption of psyonic energy zapped out from him, bolting between all the members of the group. He fell to his knees for a second, his eyes rolling back into his head. Trent immediately bent down and lifted him to his feet. After a moment, Diego re-focused; he was visibly weaker following the burst of psyonic power, but he was still standing.


    Thanks to Diego, the team all now felt a little lighter on their feet, their bodies shimmering gently with a golden glow, almost like an after image.


    ¡°That''s the last of my psyonic energy, should protect us from the shrapnel but it was a weak cast, so it won''t last long... we gotta get to that ship!¡±


    A rocket immediately impacted the ground just metres away from the group and silver shrapnel blasted out, but it didn¡¯t penetrate their second skin of psyonic plating.


    ¡°Fuck me! That couldn''t have been any closer, could it?!¡± Geralt was deeply impressed, admiring the silver specks caught in his golden after-image. ¡°We gotta make this count! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    With a faster pace and greater confidence, the team charged towards the ship, multiple bombs impacting close to their positioning. Shit¡­ we¡¯ve been spotted. A volley of targeted rocket bombs landed directly ahead of them, decimating the treeline and sending a massive wave of silver shrapnel at the group. Again, they were left unscathed.


    The team were closing in on the ship. They charged into a small forest clearing, when a Quill-Belly flew directly in front of their path, bringing itself down a little and deploying its auto-cannons. Two sets of twin barrels aimed directly at the team, the pilot barely visible through the tinted cockpit at the front.


    ¡°Diego... can the plating take hits from an auto-cannon...?¡± Trent asked, backing off into the treeline again.


    ¡°I... Those rounds look dangerous... I can''t guarantee that...¡± The team waited for a second as the Quill-Belly didn''t open fire, it remained hovering in the air instead, weapons primed and pointed at the team.


    ¡°Fuck this! Why are they firing on us?!¡± Geralt shook his head in disbelief. ¡°We''re literally just trying to leave!¡±


    ¡°Maybe we just need to tell them that!¡± Trent approached and waved his arms at the Quill-Belly, trying to get the pilot to recognise that this completely naked group of wounded people weren''t a threat. For a few seconds, they could just make out that the pilot, he seemed to be communicating with someone¡­ but then the auto-cannons refocused on the group, taking aim at Trent and Diego in front.


    ¡°TIVY?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!¡± Geralt cried out as she struggled free of his arms.


    Suddenly Tivy was at the front of the group, bounding through the grass. The Quill-Belly to back up a little and fire upon the new threat, sending multiple high-calibre rounds crashing into the ground, kicking up mud and rock.


    Tivy ran as fast as she could, zig-zagging through the open area to get the gunship''s attention, and it worked, the pilot focused on her, struggling to hit such a small, nimble target. The team surged forward, running past the gunship as it unleashed hundreds of rounds into the grass.


    ¡°SHE CAN''T DODGE FOREVER! WHAT THE HELL ARE WE GONNA DO?!¡± Geralt screamed, practically in tears as the gunship honed its aim and got a little closer to her with every shuddering volley of rounds.


    There was a gut wrenching yelp as one of the rounds directly connected with the bouncing figure, sending her scattering into the long grass in the clearing.


    ¡°Plasia... find me something to throw...¡± Seeth and Plasia were a little ways behind the others, and Plasia did as she asked. With one hand, she grasped and pulled a solid chunk of rock from the ground, about the size of her head. Seeth took it in her hands, drew a slow, deep breath and hurled it through the air with astonishing accuracy. The rock slammed into the cockpit and cracked the glass, clearly scaring the pilot as the gunship shook suddenly, but otherwise the rock simply bounced off.


    ¡°Now run!¡± Seeth ordered, still in Plasia''s arms.


    The gunship changed target and spun around to address the rock assault, lining up its guns with the two aliens, when something shook the entire area violently.


    Fire erupted into the sky and an ear bursting explosion ruptured through the area, only Diego''s warcry protecting the team from the deafening blast. Trees were uprooted and sent crashing back into the ground from the shockwave. From within the centre of the forest, a column of fire rose into the sky like an erupting volcano, lighting the already wrecked forest with a blazing inferno. As the pillar of fire faded away, hovering in the sky by two jets of brilliant plasma fire, Moltezz made her presence known.


    Surrounding her were several of her demonic looking orbs. She pointed a finger at one of the many Quill-Bellies in the sky, and a massive lance of pure energy erupted from one of the orbs, annihilating the entire craft in a brilliant explosion...


    ¡°I won''t be beaten so easily!¡± Her eyes narrowed as the Quill-Bellies began to advance on her, dropping their current objectives to begin battle with the demonic terror that had just blasted one of their own from existence.


    The sky flashed with fire and fury, the crackle of energy followed by crashing machinery echoing out over and over again. Auto-cannons were brought to bear against her being as she melted the gunships with terrible efficacy.


    As their gunship departed to face a bigger threat, the team ran over to where they saw Tivy get shot, hearts heavy in their chest as they approached...


    To their collective relief however, Tivy was laid in the grass, clutching at her chest but the bullet had not penetrated the psyonic plating; it had certainly scared her, but she was fine. Before they could celebrate however, the plating flickered across the entire group. Its strength was waning, and their protection wouldn''t last much longer.


    ¡°Tivy! You can¡¯t just go off and do crazy shit like that! Scared the life out of me!¡± Geralt wiped the sweat from around his eyes and lifted Tivy up off the ground. Wasting no more time, the team pushed on towards the ship as the dog fighting in the air intensified.


    Another massive explosion tore through the sky, a nova lance pierced through the clouds and obliterated another Quill-Belly. Another ship immediately took its place, tried to get close, but Moltezz casually held out her hand and a cone of flame erupted into the air, melting the ship¡¯s front in seconds, and causing its ammo and fuel containers to explode in its rear. The entire thing detonated in a blast of metal, glass and scrap. Its immolated carcass plummeting from the sky and slamming through shrapnel-filled trees in a wave of bark, wood and metal.


    Despite the desperate cries of the pilot within the damaged, quickly burning away to ash, the team pressed on; they didn¡¯t have the time to feel sorry for the people who¡¯d just been trying to bomb them a few seconds ago, and any distractions now could be fatal.


    ¡°Seeth, is that -¡±


    ¡°I see them.¡±


    As they limped on, Seeth and Plasia realised that they weren''t the only ones on the run; the forest was rapidly filling with their corrupted slaves. They were chasing down nomads, who were desperately running through the trees for their lives, families, friends, but try as they might, the horde was gaining on them. Their screams grated against the ears of the exhausted lizard, who cast a tired glance out towards the horizon, his tail flicking anxiously as he realised he did not have the strength to aid anyone else.


    More explosions rang out and the distant thudding of guns began to run dry. In the battle in the sky, Moltezz appeared to be winning quite decisively; she took the Quill-Bellies down one by one with precision and tacticity, defending herself from their attacks with a shield of fire and annihilating them with more nova lances, piercing though the dawn with demonic clarity.


    Although the air raid would have wounded and killed numerous slaves, their attack on the freighter would not be deterred so easily. The forest began to fill with thick, choking fog smog that rolled low across the ground, fire and ash spreading through the acrid air as stray fire bolts sprayed through the sky and splattered through the forest''s tree line. The heat was unbearable, Diego¡¯s psyonic defence being the only thing keeping the group alive and moving, even in its flickering state.


    Finally, they burst into another clearing and found the DA assault craft.


    It was a reasonable length craft, with a brilliant white hull and a sleek design to it, with a ramp to the ground halfway across its shielded body. The indents and shrapnel on the ground suggested that the bombing raids had gone right over the assault craft, missiles perhaps even having directly hit the body of the ship, but the DA¡¯s shields proved effective, and it didn''t even have a single scratch on its hull.


    With Trent''s help, Diego limped up the ramp and slapped the gauntlet against a bright blue access panel. The armoured airlock smoothly snapped open. Once past the second lock, the team sprinted onboard and the airlock closed quickly behind and gave them, just in time too - as the door sealed, their shielding faded away.


    Wasting no time, they charged up the plated corridor together. The ship was completely empty. The cockpit had space enough for their whole crew, with multiple comfy looking pilot chairs and an intricate set of control panels.


    ¡°Right, we¡¯re in!¡± Diego slammed his gauntlet against the scanner and the ship came to life, engines activating with a satisfying rumble as its main systems engaged. ¡°Can anyone fly this thing?¡±


    ¡°Jeez Diego, don¡¯t you high-class boys know how to do anything?¡± Tivy winked playfully at the lizard and leapt from Geralt¡¯s arms and onto the pilot¡¯s chair. ¡°A nomad child could fly this thing!¡±


    Diego forced a grin onto his face. ¡°Just as well we¡¯ve got you here then, short stuff!¡±


    The ship was already beginning to rise, and with it rose a strong pang of guilt inside him, right in the guts. Yes, he¡¯d saved a handful of people, but at what cost? And, perhaps worst of all, the very person he¡¯d arrived here to help had likely died, right along with the rest of her city. He¡¯d come here to help, to help pick apart the mystery that had been tormenting this small nomad planet, but instead, all he''d done was fall, face first into it. He just hoped he hadn''t made things worse¡­ As he glanced out of the cockpit''s windows, he considered landing the ship, and keep it there, on the slightest chance that they could say someone, anyone else¡­ But the ship kept rising, and Diego remained still; the raging inferno was quickly engulfing the entire forest, and any unshielded nomads would be dead within minutes.


    Tivy glanced over the numerous blinking lights and colourful buttons that dotted the edges of the cabin and pressed the radio on, flicking through the channels. It was mostly static; the group settled down into the remaining seats as she continued to scan the channels and run her fingers over the controls.


    Attention all cra-


    ¡°WAIT! GO BACK, GO BACK!¡±


    Diego lurched forward. Tivy quickly turned the radio scanner.


    -nd stations within sector 90-50 EXN-2-T. A planetary freighter has been compromised with an anomalous agent. Please exercise caution; if spotted, you must NOT allow this freighter to dock. Attention all crafts and stations within sector 90-50 EXN-2-T. A planetary freighter has been compromised with an anomalous agent¡­ The message was playing on repeat on a local radio wavelength¡­ from a local radio station.


    ¡°Is that... is that Oxyi...?¡± Diego tilted his head, listening closely to the fuzzy broadcast. ¡°I-It must be! She''s still alive?! Where could she broadcast that from?!¡±


    ¡°There''s only one place she could; the comms centre!¡± Trent replied. ¡° Do you think we can pilot this thing over there with Moltezz blasting everything out the sky?¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah I do. I have another promise to keep.¡± Diego sat himself in the co-pilot¡¯s seat next to Tivy, eyes firmly glued to the windows.¡°Plasia, there should be a medical facility on the upper deck somewhere, get Seeth to it and make sure she''s alright. Tivy, take the wheel and stay on that radio, listen out for where Oxyi might be. Trent, Geralt, keep an eye on the ship''s vitals and let me know if anything¡¯s out of hand. Lets grab her and get the fuck out of here.¡±


    The ship rose quickly, picking up speed as it moved over the raging inferno that used to be a forest. Its shields were strong enough to resist the blazing heat but Moltezz was wrapping up now with the remaining Quill-Bellies, driving the survivors into a full retreat. She was surveying her surroundings with a sinister ruby glare and a smug smile, when a DA assault craft sped past behind her. She whipped round and stared after it. Hmm¡­ Didn¡¯t I kill all of those pesky little dragons earlier?


    *


    Within the rickety confines of the comm tower, Oxyi watched the battle unfold. She felt bitter and defeated, but took some solace in her final message to the universe. She watched the tiny figures running about the city like ants underneath her, refugees trying their best to escape from the horde that was hunting them down. There was nothing more to be done now, than wait for her eventual death.


    Just all all hoped had left her, a bright light suddenly shone and hit Oxyi right in the eye. She winced from it and used her hand to cover her face, but turned slowly to find out what had dared to interrupt her final moments.


    A brilliant white aircraft was rapidly approaching the comms tower! Oxyi sat bolt upright and knocked her chair back, as she stared at the giant craft heading straight towards her.


    ¡°What in the fuck is going on now?! UGH! I am so sick of saying that! Can¡¯t I just die in peace?¡±


    The ship slowed on approach, finally stopping and hovering over and beside the roof. Oxyi was overcome with confusion; she recognised the DA¡¯s style and calibre, but there was no way they¡¯d come all this way to rescue her¡­ right?


    The roof was accessible from the main communications room Oxyi was in, via a skinny metal ladder at the back of the room. Her body still aching and tired, she hauled herself up the ladder and pushed the hatch up. She pulled herself onto the roof, and onto her feet. She stood, directly facing the DA ship hovering close to the side. Its airlock hissed open, exhaling great white clouds of air. They slowly dissipated, revealing the silhouettes of two men in the darkness of the craft¡¯s interior.


    ¡°Diego..? GERALT?!¡±


    The last two men Oxyi had ever been expecting to see in this life again.


    Hair whipping around her face, Oxyi¡¯s jaw dropped and her eyes primed with tears as Geralt and Diego held their arms out to her. The ship inched closer to the roof, but it couldn¡¯t quite close the gap.


    ¡°Jump, Oxyi, JUMP!¡±


    Oxyi didn¡¯t even hesitate; she sprinted across the rooftop and launched herself at the aircraft¡­ and landed safely in their arms.


    The airlock closed the moment she was inside. Oxyi stood, breathing heavily, feeling the strength and the warmth in the arms that still held onto her. Immediately she felt her tough facade, her bravery slip away, as she realised that she was safe. She wasn¡¯t going to die today. Choking back tears, she wrapped her arms around both of their necks.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± She whispered. ¡°God, thank you¡­¡±


    Diego gently unwound her arm and placed it over Geralt. Oxyi embraced him, then pulled away as the tears started to roll down her face. She took his hand and shook it firmly, her own hands shaking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Oxyi.¡± Geralt smiled at her, relief deep in his wise and wrinkled eyes. He lowered his hand from her grasp and stepped back, glancing up at Diego. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s this guy you should be thanking.¡±


    Oxyi turned and threw her arms around Diego, resting her head heavily against his chest as she tried desperately to control her crying. He gently hugged her back, glancing back at Geralt with a small smile as the old feline made his way back to the cockpit, and towards the sleeping quarters.


    Oxyi stepped back slightly and looked Diego up and down, fresh tears forming in her eyes and a grateful, heartfelt smile on her face.


    ¡°You look like shit...¡± She went to laugh but quickly it devolved into a sob. She didn''t even give the lizard a chance to respond; she threw herself back into his embrace and squeezed him tightly, burying her face into his neck.


    ¡°And you didn''t leave the planet like I said... did you...?¡± Diego laughed back, hugging her close.


    ¡°N-no... but... oh god.. Diego, it''s so good to see you..! Where¡­ where¡¯s your sword? And why was Geralt naked?!


    Diego laughed, and they felt their weight shift as the spaceship pulled up from the town and ascended into the sky. Only a few seconds later, the craft was already high in orbit, the planet rapidly receding from their sight. The town Oxyi had spent her whole life in had suddenly become nothing more than a dot beneath their feet as the team finally made it to safety, away from the hellish fire and the rumbling hordes below them.


    They¡¯d done it. They were off planet. The dungeon lay in ruins. Safe, for now at least, in the dark and comforting confines of space. Distant stars winked down at them. Galaxy clouds floated aimlessly around in the ether. Tivy gazed out the cockpit¡¯s windshields as Trent celebrated behind her. With the flick of a switch, the craft was set to autopilot, and she spun her captain¡¯s chair around to face them, beaming from ear to ear.


    Geralt emerged from the sleeping quarters with a pile of clothes in his arms of varying sizes. Trent and Tivy made their way over to the ship¡¯s mess quarters, plucking some shirts and trousers from the feline as they passed. The pair raided one of the many well-stocked refrigerators and slumped down together at the lunch table. As Oxyi approached the rest of the team, Geralt, now dressed in a comfortable white polo shirt and grey shorts, took her down towards the lounge, only a room away, where they sat on one of the comfy sofas to catch up. Her mind was elsewhere though; her hero hadn¡¯t followed her into the social quarters of the ship. At the top of the craft, in the infirmary Seeth lay heavily on a medical table as the exhausted lizard tended to her wounds, and ensured she was safe. The two spoke softly to one another, such sweet nothings in this hour of victory and hope.


    Plasia sat in the corner of the room against a large crate, just happy to be in the company of Diego and Seeth as he pressed a damp cloth against Seeth''s head and cleaned her up. He held onto her hand tightly, and Plasia glanced up and smiled as they softly began to giggle.


    In her lap was an A4 notebook and a slightly chewed biro. She¡¯d shyly been scribbling away with the stationary she¡¯d found in the infirmary - the first thing she¡¯d drawn in a long, long time.


    Plasia lifted the notebook up in front of her and held it out. A satisfied smile spread across her face. Considering she was out of practice, she was happy with her creation.


    On the page before her was a scribble of a black lizard with sabre toothed fangs, flowing black locks, cute bat-like ears and an oversized sword strapped across his back. Most unusual for a nomad traveller to be wielding a melee weapon like that¡­ Plasia had quoted below the sketch.


    But perhaps unusual is exactly what we needed.


    <h2>Epilogue</h2>


    ¡°So. The Quill-Bellies have been destroyed and we''re still trapped... but the bulkheads have held strong, and you''ve got a plan, sir?¡± The captain of the freighter was looking visibly more shaken, now that their back-up had been so easily destroyed, but he still had faith in his crew.


    The guard captain, dressed in his full suit of power armour and his squad donned likewise behind him, nodded confidently. He flexed his massive rifle. ¡°Yep. We just need to reclaim the hanger, and then we can take off. Me and the boys will lead the charge and lock the bulkhead behind us and hit the hanger bay quickly, get the door closed which should buy you enough time to get us in the air. Once off the ground, we can work through the ship methodically and deal with the remaining assailants without the threat of constant reinforcements.¡±


    ¡°Excellent! Prep your men, we''ve got some time but the sooner the better!¡±


    Just as some hope filled the room, a desperate scout came running onto the bridge, looking mortified.


    ¡°Captain! They''ve breached a lower security door! You need to see this!¡±


    The crew turned their attention to the camera view before them. The same heavy security door they¡¯d looked at dozens of times before, was now gone, completely destroyed, bent and ripped from the frame with huge, thick, dark trails of murky looking goo smeared over the walls. It was like someone had dragged a series of huge, tar-covered paint brushes against them. As they panned the camera, the remains of several guards came into shot. They''d been torn apart, their corpses barely recognisable through the dark goo that coated their armour and body parts...


    A shudder ran through the ship followed by a deep, monstrous, alien roar. Several alarms suddenly sounded in unison, bleaching the bridge in flashing crimson lights.


    *WARNING*


    *LOWER BULKHEAD BREACHED*


    *WARNING*


    *LOWER BULKHEAD BREACHED*

 Arc 2 start - Separate ways

    ***Three days ago***


    ¡°Requesting a situation report, Captain; over!¡±


    The sound of heavy gunfire rang out through the radio, followed by the captain¡¯s response.


    ¡°Moving towards the hanger! ETA sixty seconds; over!¡±


    The freighter commander slumped back in his chair, sweating profusely and shuddering as the gunfire crackled through the radio. His fingers drummed against the armrest.


    ¡°Radio in when you get there; over.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, Erron, I can''t do my fucking job when you ask me to babysit the mic. Let me concentrate, please. Over.¡±


    There was an awkward pause, followed by more gunshots.


    ¡°Understood. Proceed as you please. Over.¡±


    The guard captain slipped the radio back into its holster, then raised his massive rifle to his shoulder and fired several solid rounds down the corridor. Slugs the size of a human fist erupted from the barrel in a gout of flame and burst through the approaching Slaves, churning their torsos into a chunky meat slurry as the rounds penetrated them, and thudded into the wall behind.


    Safely sealed within his mechanised armour, the guard captain led the way, heavy boots clumping against the metal flooring and his squad following closely behind, their weapons raised and armed, tactically firing at their corrupted attackers. So far the journey had been smooth, the squad encountering little that they couldn''t quickly shoot down.


    He raised his hand, signalling for the team to stop. The scanner in his visor was informing him about an unusual electrical signal coming from one of the rooms nearby, something that didn''t match the ship¡¯s standard profile. They took the next left, and headed through the main doors and to the lunch room. The place had been absolutely wrecked and there were clear signs of a fight; not the tactical combat of a well-trained squad, but a bitter last stand, people desperately using anything on hand to defend themselves. Blood stained cutlery and trays littered the floor, corpses were strewn about overturned tables and chairs, and most of the furniture had been smashed and shoved aside. Broken glass and blood mixed into the still hot soups that bubbled gently in their heated containers.


    ¡°This is gonna be a pricey clean-up, huh lads?¡± The guard captain chuckled, checking his scan signals and moving on. They left out the other side of the room and continued down the next corridor.


    ¡°I think we found our mole... Wait, isn¡¯t that Lamp''s room?!¡± The guard captain growled a little as he spoke. Cautiously, the team approached, and paused outside the cabin door. The guard captain raised his first, and the squad burst through the door, barging into the room with their weapons raised¡­ But it was empty, aside from a human corpse splayed out in the middle of the carpet.


    ¡°What in the stars happened to him?! His head¡¯s fuckin'' mush! Awh, that''s gross.¡± One of the guards turned away from the body, heaving.


    Lamp''s private dorm was off to the side, with the door still closed. Within the living room, a laptop sat open, hastily jury-rigged up to the wall with far more wires than a normal laptop should require. A trail of unidentified black liquid oozed down its screen and keyboard.


    ¡°She hacked our fuckin'' cameras?!¡± The realisation made the guard captain swell with anger. ¡°That is the last straw ¨C I''ve fuckin'' had it with this creepy little shit-stain. If she''s survived this crap, she''s off the ship forever. Ban her ass. Enough is enoug-¡±


    ¡°Boss! You gotta see this!¡±


    One of the guards had pushed open the door to Lamp''s room, which was no more than an oversized cupboard, with a bed and an on-suite wetroom. The same black goo was plastered thickly all over the room, coating its walls and bare furnishings, dripping from its ceiling. The bed was heavily damaged, and had another green fluid pooled around the middle of it. The place was a complete wreck.


    ¡°I''m getting weird readings from this oily goo shit, boss. We''ll need to decontaminate when we get back.¡± The squad¡¯s techie chimed in, holding his arm out and scanning the room, various blue lasers shining out from the optics on his gauntlet. ¡°There was some sort of struggle in here too. There are tracks in the goo, over the walls... I can''t tell what made them though...¡±


    ¡°We''ll deal with whatever the hell happened here later, Veigar. Get the laptop and clean it up, we need to know how much information has been transmitted. The rest of you, with me. Let''s get this ship off the ground.¡± The guard captain ordered, checking his ammo and armour condition quickly.


    Veigar nodded and went back into the other room, looking over the laptop as the others marched back into the corridor. The thudding of their armoured boots and the hissing of their power armour echoed down the empty hallway of the ship as they strode towards their objective.


    Veigar briefly scanned the laptop, took some quick photos of the setup, and then unplugged it from the wall. As he did so, he heard a noise from over his shoulder; just a slight rustle, but he spun around immediately, drawing his pistol.


    Behind him stood a frail looking woman, covered in the black goo. Her hands were gripping something tightly in front of her chest, too smothered in goo to be identified.


    ¡°Is that you, Lamp?¡± Veigar asked, cautiously. The woman lurched forward.


    *Blam*


    The girl''s body dropped to the floor with a thump, going limp as the bullet punched through her skull.


    The object in her hands rolled towards him, and began to bleep as her hands parted. The techie''s eyes bolted open as he recognised the lights, blinking through the goo.


    ¡°BOSS! SHE HAS A PUNISH-¡±


    A thunderous explosion rattled the corridor, shaking the remainder of the squad in their armour. They immediately turned back and charged into the room, only to find its interior completely decimated. Even the metal walls were bent out of shape after the force of the grenade. In the remains of the office, the broken form of Veigar lay dead, his armour destroyed.


    Before anyone could collect their thoughts however, the guts of the ship suddenly bellowed with the angry roar of the horde, as they massed into the corridors nearby. Their shuffling feet could be heard from every direction, and they were closing in on the team. The squad raised their weapons as one, prepared to weather the oncoming storm.


    ***Present day***


    Diego stumbled out of the captain¡¯s quarters dressed in a loose white shirt and cargo shorts, airy and light. His thick mane of hair had a beautiful, glossy sheen to it that complimented his rather happy expression as he propped himself up against the metal walls of the ship, and made his way towards the kitchen.


    In the kitchen, he took a couple minutes to steady himself, leaning against the work surface and catching his breath. I could get used to this... He quickly glanced around the counters, peeked into the fridge, the cupboards, and ran his fingers over the spice rack, plucking out whatever caught his fancy. Something simple and sweet was on the menu today, a nice treat. He scrubbed his hands, wrists and arms thoroughly in the sink before getting started.


    As he began to cut up some fruit and heat a pan, Oxyi peeked around the corner, knocking against the wall as she entered the kitchen.


    ¡°Hey! Diego!¡± Her face lit up upon seeing him ¡°I was hoping to catch you! What are you making?¡± He cooks too?! There anything this guy doesn¡¯t do?


    Like his own, Oxyi¡¯s attire was casual and comfortable; in a dark hoodie and some combat slacks. He flashed a small smile and gestured for her to come over.


    ¡°Oxyi! Grab a stool! You fancy some fried simonfruit?¡±


    ¡°You can fry simonfruit?¡± She pulled up a stool at the breakfast bar and sat opposite him.


    ¡°Yeah, but you gotta be quick, fry for too long and the juices degrade. There''s a trick to retaining the flavour and caramelising the outside.¡± Diego had a sway to his body and a remarkably cute smile as he cut up the fruit, and added a splash of oil to the frying pan.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Caramel-what-now? Eh, it doesn¡¯t matter, you seem to know what you''re doing! Sure, I''ll have some if you''re offering... you seem in a good mood! Did ya'' do something with your hair?¡± Oxyi had caught a glimpse of some multi-coloured marks on his neck, but she couldn''t quite make out what they were.


    ¡°I''m in a wonderful mood! I''m feeling hopeful and things are looking bright!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good! I did want to talk to you about something, though.¡± She paused and angled herself to see down his shirt a little better as he sliced the fruit into several smaller pieces, and gathered them up in his hands. There were definitely some glistening purple and sapphire marks, just slightly visible under his collar, on his sable skin. ¡°Erm¡­ Sorry! So, what is the plan? We''ve been away from all that hell for a few days now and whilst we''re all very glad to be away from it, I wanted to know a little more about what we''re actually going to do now? You said before that you might be able to call in some help?¡±


    Diego nodded and dropped the fruit into the pan. The sound of sizzling oil and the sweet aroma of the fruit filled the room.


    ¡°I have some friends within the Warlocks of Detromus that owe me a favour, when I explain the situation I imagine they''ll jump at the chance to help. I reckon I can wrangle half an army at least now that we know what we''re dealing with.¡±


    ¡°You know the Warlocks of Detremus?!¡± Oxyi¡¯s jaw dropped.¡°T-that would do it! Could we get some Witch Gunners?! Or Wisps?! Mage knights?!?¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah we could. We''ll need to find an outpost though, and speak to someone in person. They¡¯re a bit old fashioned, refusing to take the risk of answering calls with all the imposter tech out there these days. So, here''s my plan. The nearest outpost is about three weeks away at our current pace. I propose we make some short pit-stops at the nomad stations in between to warn them about the corrupting threat, and the lost freighter. Let¡¯s ensure people are informed as we go, and then we head straight for the outpost. It''ll take a few days on top of our travel time for the Warlocks to get forces down here, so hopefully Leech and Moltezz don''t get up to too much trouble during that time.¡±


    ¡°I''m guessing those are the other czarite''s responsible for¡­ this? Leech and... Meltezz? Metnezz? Mehellnez?¡±


    ¡°Moltezz.¡± Diego corrected, flipping the fruit in the pan. ¡°And yeah. They... weren''t too keen to change what they were doing. So, they''re our enemy right now.¡±


    The two heard footsteps in the corridor outside and Plasia appeared in the doorway briefly. Her glassy orb-like eyes looked at the pair and she gave Diego a shy wave, gently biting her thumb as she hid her mouth behind her hand. Oxyi watched the two closely, as Diego shifted ever so subtly towards Plasia¡¯s figure, as though drawn to her. The huge sapphire creature quickly moved on though, seemingly towards the shower room.


    Just from this interaction, Oxyi was burning with questions, but before she could ask any, Diego finished the first batch of fruit, removed the pan from the heat and served the gently seared fruit onto a plate, drizzling thick sauce over the top. He pushed the plate and a spoon towards Oxyi, then re-oiled the pan and began to prepare another.


    ¡°Oh damn, that smells goooood!¡± She grabbed the spoon and took a large mouthful¡­ and immediately began to flap her arms and breathe rapidly through her mouth as she attempted to chew, realising that it was still extremely hot.


    Without missing a beat, Diego grabbed a glass, filled it with water and slid it over to her, prompting a thumbs up from the lioness as she downed it. As she flapped about and tried to cool her mouth down, another set of footsteps thudded down the corridor, and the huge amethyst form of Seeth appeared, ducking under the doorway and politely making her way over to the bar.


    She was wearing a dressing gown that was far too small for her, the bottom barely touching her knee caps. Around her midsection, the belt was tied tight but still struggled to contain the body within, but she was covered at the very least.


    ¡°Hi, Oxyi.¡± Seeth took a seat a little away from the lioness.


    ¡°Seeth.¡± Oxyi''s pleasant demeanour chilled off somewhat.


    ¡°I¡­ I''m sorry again about what happened in your flat. Is your neck doing okay?¡± Seeth sounded genuine, leaning forward slightly and trying to shrink her form.


    For a moment, the only sound in the room was the fresh sizzling of fruit.


    ¡°It''s fine, Seeth. I told ya'', no need to keep apologising. Long as you intend to help us put it right. Besides, I think half my friends and family have tried to kill me at some point!¡±


    Seeth turned in her seat to face Oxyi, and looked at her sincerely.


    ¡°This is no act, Oxyi. Me and Plasia are going to make amends, as much as we can.¡± She paused for a second. ¡°My god, that does smell good. What do I need to do to get some of that?¡±


    ¡°It''s on the house.¡± Diego smiled again and served the fruit in the same fashion as before, bringing a plate over to her.


    She raised a spoonful to her face and blew on it rather seductively for a few seconds, pursing her glossy violet lips, and then taking the fruit into her maw.


    ¡°Goodness, Diego... that''s delicious! A crisp coating and rich body flavour, juicy despite the heat and you kept the delicate flavour through-out my palette! Incredible! My tongue is tingling!¡± She licked the spoon and went for another mouthful. Next to her, Oxyi looked mortified.


    ¡°I - I think it''s awesome too! MHMMMM!¡± She went for another spoonful and forgot yet again that it was still too hot, and immediately began to breathe and chew at the same time, sucking air into her mouth loudly to try and cool it down. ¡°So¡­ *harash-rash-rash-rash* ¡­So good!¡± She cried out, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.


    Diego quickly provided her another glass of water, which she gratefully drank.


    ¡°That''s quite an intense way of eating, Oxyi. Most people would slow down to avoid burning themselves.¡± Seeth said, holding back a smirk.


    ¡°Yup, not me though! I got no time to waste! Apparently...¡± Oxyi sighed in a defeated fashion and stared down at the fruit on her plate. Suddenly, Tivy came bounding into the room, full of energy. She leapt up onto the work surfaces and stared at Seeth intensely.


    The room fell into an odd silence.. Diego turned and frowned at the bare feet standing on the worktop. Seeth and Oxyi were both looking at Tivy, rather confused, and Tivy continued to stare down Seeth, in confusion herself.


    ¡°Is... everything okay, Tivy?¡± Diego asked. ¡°You shouldn''t be standing where food is being prepared...¡±


    ¡°Shush! A moment!¡± Tivy commanded, her eyes never once leaving Seeth. ¡°Most odd...¡± Suddenly her demeanour changed and she relaxed. ¡°Nevermind! Ohhhh! Simonfruit?! Smells good!¡±


    ¡°Have some of mine if you like, Tivy?¡± Seeth offered, eyeing Diego as he began to wipe the worktop around the little bug¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Or mine, Tivy? Be careful though, it''s hot!¡± Oxyi bounced a little on her stool, and Tivy sauntered over to the lioness¡¯s plate. She grabbed a slice off the plate and hopped off the counter, popping it into her maw and running out of the kitchen as fast as she had arrived.


    ¡°AHHHHHHH! SO GOOD! SO HOT! AAAAHHHH! THANK YOU, DADDY DIEGO!¡± Her voice faded as she scampered down the corridor into the bowels of the ship once more.


    The three in the kitchen looked at one-another, Seeth snickering, Oxyi perplexed, and Diego absolutely abashed.


    ¡°D-did she just call me ''Daddy Diego''?!? I think I''m gonna be sick...¡±


    ¡°Any idea what that was about?¡± Seeth asked, taking another slice of fruit from her plate.


    ¡°In the little time I''ve known Tivy, I''ve come to the conclusion that she''s... a wee bit different. Maybe you offended her with your choice of clothing or something?¡± As she spoke, Oxyi''s eyes drifted back to Seeth''s body, noticing how even sat on the chair and leaning over, her chest was pressing against the worktop. Oxyi''s cheeks began to flush red... I-is that what he likes?! Those are gigantic!


    ¡°Maybe! She''s welcome to come talk to me if I''ve offended her somehow. I''ll put it right.¡± Seeth looked at Diego and the two shared a warm smile.


    ¡°Could be anything with Tivy. Breast not to think about it.¡± Oxyi bolted upright in the stool, covering her mouth. ¡°Oh tits! AHH! NOTHING! I better go! T-thank you for the fruit, Diego!¡±


    In less than a second, the lioness had bolted from the chair and departed from the room.


    ¡°Oxyi! It¡¯s fine, come back!¡± Seeth tried to call after her, but the lioness was gone, leaving Diego and Seeth together in the kitchen. He served himself up a final batch of simonfruit, then saw Seeth beckoning him over with a single finger.


    He slid over and felt the coolness of her soft hand rubbing against his cheek, gently pulling him in. She leaned over and gave him a wet kiss on the side of his face, leaving an amethyst coloured mark on his skin, and making the man blush madly.


    ¡°How titillating...¡± She giggled to herself, scooping more fruit onto the spoon and popping it straight into her mouth, unphased by the heat.


    Diego tilted his head; the fruit was still piping hot.


    ¡°You... didn''t need to cool it down at all, did you?¡±


    Seeth shook her head.


    ¡°I didn''t want to show her up... I know it''s hardly a thing to brag about but...¡±


    ¡°You joking? That''ll be the talk of the ship ¨C iron mouth Seeth can eat fruit at any temperature. What a skill!¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Yeah, alright Daddy Diego. I can eat a lot more than just fruit.¡±


    ¡°I DON''T UNDERSTAND WHY SHE SAID THAT! SEETH, HELP ME UNDERSTAND! PLEASE!¡± He buried his face in hands and shook his head. ¡°That better not catch on.¡±


    Seeing his discomfort, Seeth didn''t press any further.


    ¡°I think she just sees how you try to take care of people. Myself included. I think she meant it in a nice way, you sweet thing. I''m going to go lounge about in the bedroom for a few hours, keep the weight off my legs. You''re welcome to join if you want, but no offence taken if you need a break.¡± She winked at him and finished off the last of the fruit, eyeing up what was left on Oxyi''s plate. ¡°Think she''ll want the rest of that? You''re a really good cook, shame to waste it!¡±


    Back in the corridor, Oxyi quickly made her way to the other end of the ship, going straight for the cockpit where Geralt was sitting in the large captain''s chair, looking rather alarmed as he swivelled around on it. He was looking around at the various different screens surrounding him, although they all appeared normal to her.


    ¡°Hey Geralt, something up?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think there is...¡± He continued to stare at the screens, watching all of them closely.


    ¡°Can I give you a hand? Did you spot something?¡± The lioness suddenly felt a lot more comfortable; dealing with security problems was something she could actually handle.


    ¡°I think something may have spotted us. No word of a lie, I was just relaxing here when every single screen blinked on at the same time, black screen with a single blue line in the centre of it, looked a bit like an eye. Just for a split second, then it stopped, and I can''t get it to come back... Nothing has changed on our auto-pilot and the sensors aren''t showing anything close to us, but fuck me, it¡¯s shit me up a bit.¡±


    ¡°Huh...¡± She tapped on the console closest to her and scrolled through the settings; nothing seemed out of the ordinary. ¡°Wonder what that could be?¡±

 Chapter 2 - Dreams and Nightmares

    Snuggled up under the sheets in the captain¡¯s quarters, the cool interior of the ship made for perfect cuddling, nestled within layers of comfy bedding and quality quilts. Two were asleep, one was awake, and concerned. Plasia lay on her side, her huge sapphire eyes watching over Diego with worry as he twitched in his slumber, obviously agitated.


    Despite being held close in Seeth''s encompassing arms and clutched tightly against her warm bust, something that would usually bring him no end of pleasure, he jittered ceaselessly. His lips would curl into a brief snarl, bearing his fangs for a moment. His brow furrowed deeply each time. His fists would curl into balls, accompanying his facial expressions in perfect time. She''d never seen him like this, he was usually so relaxed and calm...


    What troubles you, lovely man? I wish I could see what''s bothering you...


    She sighed quietly to herself, her eyes scanning over his body and face slowly. She reached out softly and went to rub his hand.


    As her hand connected with his skin, Plasia felt a sudden surge through her body, pulling her skin tight and tense. She felt as if her brain had shunted forward in her skull, focusing on him, moving beyond her body and merging into his own. Darkness enclosed her, clouding her vision until there was nothing in every direction.


    For a moment there was silence, save for Plasia¡¯s anxious breaths.


    Wha¡­ What''s happening?


    Slowly, a golden light filled the void. Her vision quickly adjusted to the new light and as it did, the sound of waves lapping at the shore filled her senses. The void peeled away to reveal a beautiful tropical island; patches of emerald grass swaying gently in the warm breeze, a shimmering ocean reflecting the golden hue in the sky that caressed her skin. The tide was gently washing up on the soft, pale sand that stretched on and curved around the perimeter of the island.


    Am I¡­ Is this his dream?


    Serene and perfect, it was nothing short of paradise, with fluffy white clouds that drifted by lazily in an otherwise clear sky. And yet, something felt off.


    Plasia turned around to survey more of the scene, her feet feeling slow and heavy; she was able to move, but something weighed her down. In the near distance, a dark figure stood, staring out over the water as it splashed calmly over the warm sands. He looked a little different, but she recognised him immediately. It was the same lizard that currently lay in bed with her and Seeth.


    Diego¡¯s hair waved gently in the breeze. His unblinking eyes looked out over the water, fixated on something in the distance. It was difficult for Plasia to tell his expression from her angle. He did not move, or acknowledge her existence. She tried to call out, but her voice was firmly mute, unable to vocalise so much as a whisper.


    This isn¡¯t real, is it? At least, it¡¯s not now¡­ What could be troubling you in a place like this, Diego?


    Plasia continued to soak in the moment, blissful warmth on her skin, pristine sands and water, the immaculate sky. For someone who had spent the last year locked up in a dungeon, and had spent much of her life before as a shut-in, this was just wonderful.


    And yet, that persistent feeling of unease began to ache across her body. The warmth on her skin began to feel uncomfortable, as though it were slowly cooking her rather than just warming. Everything was silent yet loud at the same time, painfully clear and yet impossible to make out.


    Something caught Plasia¡¯s eye further down on the beach; an object was washing up on the surface, large and black, bobbing up and down slightly in the foamy waters.


    She inched forward to get a closer look, legs impossibly heavy. The once soft sand began to feel like razors on her feet, every grain pressing deeper and deeper into her skin.


    Her curiosity would not allow her to remain still however, and she pressed on despite the discomfort. The object rolled back and forth in the tide, and eventually fell still, the water still lapping up against it but unable to move it any further. There was a black knotty mess of fur, or perhaps hair, facing towards her and quickly, fear began to fill her chest.


    Slowly, she paced around it and reeled in its details; a pair of bloody, amethystine eyes, a short snout with powerful sabre fangs, sable skin - It was Diego. Mutilated and dead. A giant fresh gash through his torso stained the sands and water a deep crimson red, as blood oozed out of the wound. There wasn¡¯t an ounce of life left in this body.


    Mortified, Plasia turned to look at the first Diego, further up the beach. He had not changed, nor moved.


    T-that¡¯s him! But¡­ this is him too¡­? What¡¯s going on?!


    She looked closer at the standing one, trying desperately to gauge his expression. It was a blank, unfocused stare, detached and haunted, like he was processing something awful. The sequence began to fall apart, and Plasia felt her body being lifted and pulled back into the void. Desperate for more information, she spun around and around, taking in as much detail as possible before it could completely collapse.


    There¡¯s mo-more of them?! More corpses in the ocean?! A-and that¡¯s not a sun, that - that¡¯s an - Diego?!


    Suddenly she was being pulled back into the endless black of the void. Her body ran cold and then, slowly, feeling returned to her limbs, normality filled her senses again, her brain pulled back into her head, her body back into the bedroom, curled up in the sheets, holding onto Diego¡¯s hand. His fingers twitched in hers; he was waking up, eyes fluttering sleepily as he joined the land of the living once more.


    Lying opposite him, Plasia stared, her eyes wide open with shock and fear as she squeezed his hand tightly, trying to process what she¡¯d seen. With a deep groan, Diego slowly blinked the sleep out of his eyes, and looked back at Plasia¡¯s frightened expression. He seemed a bit grumpy at first, his face creased in agitation from having woken up too soon, but his concern for Plasia was much greater, and his face softened. He squeezed her hand back and scooted closer to her.


    ¡°Plas¡­? Everything okay? You look scared...¡± He whispered softly, as not to disturb Seeth behind him.


    ¡°M-me?! I should be asking you that!¡±


    ¡°Wha-what do you mean?¡± He went unusually shy, breaking eye contact as if he¡¯d done something wrong.


    It suddenly dawned on her that, although she wasn¡¯t exactly sure what she¡¯d done, she might have done something rude, gaining access to someone''s personal thoughts and memories like that, and decided it may not be a good idea to question any further.


    ¡°N-nothing Diego, I¡¯m okay. You looked like you were having a bad dream, that''s all... I was worried about you.¡±


    ¡°It''s fine, it was just a nightmare, that''s all. You sure you''re okay, Plas? You look like you''ve seen a ghost!¡±


    ¡°I feel like I have... I''ll let you sleep, I just need to gather my thoughts...¡±


    ¡°Well, alright, come back to bed when you want and we can cuddle up? Your bodies are such a comfortable temperature, I''m usually too warm cuddling in bed.¡± He yawned with a quiet whine and snuggled back into Seeth''s arms. Seeth didn¡¯t stur, and although Diego was none the wiser, their conversation hadn¡¯t left her undisturbed. Plasia pulled herself up from the bed, grabbing her sketchpad and a dressing gown to cover her figure, and made her way to the kitchen.


    Her heart was racing, her mind wouldn''t stop replaying the vision. She fidgeted nervously as she stood alone next to the work surfaces, wondering what best to do. She couldn''t shake it, the heat on her skin, the shards of sand under her feet, the corpses, that thousand-yard stare. It played over and over in her head, and as horrifying as it had been, Plasia couldn¡¯t help but feel it was only the tip of the iceberg. What was he hiding? Was it a bad omen?


    Things are going to get a whole lot worse before they get better¡­


    She slumped down onto one of the stools, decided to draw out the scene to get it out of her head, and down somewhere where she could process it. She roughly sketched the beach, the body and ocean, the scene came together in only a matter of minutes as she scribbled those relentless thoughts onto the paper. With the scene complete, Plasia paused and took a deep breath. She already felt better, the thoughts fluttering around less violently in her head, and her heart rate began to fall to something more reasonable.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    It didn''t make sense to her; likely it never would, unless he explained it to her. Plasia desperately wanted to bring it up with him, and help ease whatever was burdening him but... how?! She had never been able to see into someone¡¯s dreams before! But then again... she''d never actually cuddled with someone in bed before either...


    She turned the page in her pad, scribbled a big messy ball of lines and ink, and labelled it ¡°Mine and possibly Diego''s brain¡± before slapping the pad closed, and getting up to fetch herself a drink. She felt better for the messy scribble, even if she had no answers yet. A goal had come to the forefront of her mind, something to push her energy into. She wanted to find a way to help him.


    ***Three days ago***


    ¡°Romeo, Judas, please report. How is the breached section looking?¡±


    ¡°Not good, Captain, Not good at all...¡±


    Romeo cautiously approached the demolished bulkhead door. What was once a heavy construction of solid, thick metal built into the very hull of the ship now looked as if it had been ripped apart; its meta-steel plating torn and bent, and hydraulic locks dripping fluid over the floor in their battered state.


    Armed in similar fashion to the captain, the two guards walked forward cautiously, weapons raised and flashlights on. More black goo coated the walls and floor, like someone had dragged a giant oiled paint brush through the damaged interior of the ship.


    ¡°This is fucked up, man. It looks like someone let a warshee loose in here.¡±


    ¡°You think a warshee could tear through a metre-thick bulkhead door like that? Cos I don''t. No, whatever did this, it''s dangerous.¡± Judas shone his flashlight around the corridor, and pointed his twin barreled shotgun into its glow.


    ¡°You don''t fucking say, Judas..¡± Romeo muttered and rolled his eyes, striding forward somewhat confidently, and keeping his rifle high. It was eerily quiet; only the stomping of their heavy armour and the dripping of the tar-like fluid down the walls and onto the floor echoed down the corridor.


    They reached a set of doors, opposite one another. With a knowing look, the two split, taking one door each and pushing it open cautiously in unison.


    They both froze in horror at the sight that greeted them inside.


    Standing within the large rooms were¡­ people. They were passengers, their stances awkward and crooked, their heads drifting back towards the ceiling, mouths broken open and hanging wide in an unsettling grin, and coated with that thick black goo, trickling down their faces and lips. Each pair of eyes was a startling bright amber, glowing bright against their dulled skin and blackened maws, and yet, they did not react to the presence of the guards. Each room had a scattered, random formation of victims, around ten in each.


    They stared ahead, vacant and unblinking at nothing in particular.


    ¡°Y-you seeing this, Romeo...?¡±


    ¡°Yeah... This is fucked up, bro. We need to get out of here.¡± As he spoke, a black drip fell from the ceiling and landed on his shoulder, staining his armour.


    ¡°Lets just... take some readings... then get the hell out and stick a sentry in front of the door. Nothing leaves these rooms.¡±


    ¡°These things are messed up, bro. I mean, look at them¡­¡± Judas unsheathed his combat blade and cautiously approached one of the figures, slowly pushing a portion of the metal blade into its arm. As he¡¯d expected, the figure remained motionless and unphased by the injury. ¡°That is so fucked. Fucked - fucked - fucked..¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Judas! We should leave! There¡¯s no one left to save here.¡± Romeo''s voice faded under the echo of his boots as he clumped back into the main corridor. As Judas turned to leave, the figures around him suddenly twisted to face him as one, snapping their heads in a sharp, unnatural motion. The one he¡¯d injured began to gurgle loudly.


    ¡°Holy shit... I swear to the stars I''ll burn all you motherfuc-¡±


    ¡°Youuuu knooow the caaaptaiiinnn...?!¡± The injured creature gargled, spitting out several large black wads from its throat. Thick ooze dribbled down its face and neck as it slurred its words, but the voice was understandable nonetheless.


    Judas spun around to face it, watching closely and raising his shotgun.


    ¡°Fuck off I do. What of it?!¡±


    ¡°WHY ARE YOU TALKING TO THE CREEPY THINGS, JUDAS?!¡± Romeo felt his finger twitch on his rifle trigger.


    The creature remained still. It and all the others continued to stare Judas down.


    ¡°Tell the captain... things have changed... be ready-¡±


    ¡°Be ready for what?! We''re already under attack!¡± Judas barked, his firearm shaking slightly.


    ¡°JUDAS, YOU WANKER! Fall back!¡± Romeo shifted nervously in his armour and turned on the spot, back towards the room he¡¯d just left. He¡¯d heard something¡­ maybe it was just paranoia? No, he was sure he¡¯d heard movement, but nothing had appeared in the doorway...


    ¡°I''m going to bring the darkness to you... You''re going to pay for every word you made me suffer through.¡± The creature began to shake violently, its head twitching. ¡°Every night you tormented me, every second you made my life hell. You will die on this ship. Every last one of you.¡±


    More creatures poured from the shadows at the back of the room, pulling themselves free from the rubble and into the darkness ahead of them. The guard¡¯s initial estimates had been well off, there were a lot more than just ten. More amber eyes flicked open, the room suddenly blinking with glowing orange specks as more and more of them appeared from the darkness.


    The figures suddenly broke into a frantic sprint, charging straight at Judas, He only managed to fire a couple of rounds into the horde before they slammed into him, taking him off feet.


    Romeo went to open fire¡­ then spun on his heels and ran, charging back down the corridor, towards the broken bulkhead they entered through. He skidded to a stop and turned, raising his rifle and firing a volley of heavy shots at approaching frantic bodies with punishing efficacy.


    Down the corridor, he could hear Judas screaming, the sound of several rapid pistol shots cracking through the air, and then a loud screeching noise; flesh pounding against metal with furious anger.


    ¡°FUCK! Judas, come in! What''s your status?!¡±


    Romeo quickly loaded another magazine into his rifle, but it appeared that no one else had followed him down the corridor after the initial wave. Only the broken bodies lay in the halls, and that curious oil-like substance dripping from the walls and ceiling.


    The sound of ripping and tearing continued from the concealed room where Judas was last seen. He wasn¡¯t responding to his radio, and there was no further weapon fire. Thinking quickly, Romeo pulled a tripod mounted sentry gun from his back and slammed it on the ground. The machine buzzed to life and scanned the corridor ahead, an effective weapon against unarmoured targets.


    ¡°Fine. I''ll hold the line by myself. You''ll pay for this, you freaks.¡± Romeo scowled from under his helm.


    A single pair of amber eyes, shrouded in darkness peered around the doorway. The sentry snapped to its target and quickly fired several shots, causing the creature to duck back.


    ¡°Where¡¯re you going! Don''t be coy! I got five-hundred rounds in this baby and ten mags on me!¡±


    Romeo pulled a grenade from his belt, armed it and sent it hurling it down the corridor. The device exploded after a couple of seconds, shaking the corridor violently and showering fresh black goo over everything as it detonated.


    The corridor remained still, aside from the dripping ceiling. Both Romeo and the sentry at his knee watched the corridor closely.


    Another pair of amber eyes peaked around the doorway, just barely in sight. They were too small a target for the sentry.


    ¡°The fuck are you looking at?!¡± Romeo barked, steadying his aim. Then, A muffled thump sent shivers down his spine, as he stared back at the eyes watching him.


    The thumping continued. It sounded distant, at first, but it was getting closer, approaching from down the corridor but he couldn¡¯t see anything.


    His heart slammed against his chest as the thumping approached, faster, frantically he scanned the corridor, scanning eyes wide for anything that could be approaching him, but the only thing he could see was the small amber eyes, staring directly at him.


    He fired three rounds down the corridor. They slammed into the wall at the end of the corridor, still concealed in darkness.


    ¡°What the fuck - what the fuck.... what are you looking at?! Why aren''t you attacking?!¡±


    The thumping sped up. It sounded like something massive was charging right at him, the noise was shuddering through the floor and rattling his armour, and yet the corridor was still.


    ¡°You... you''re...¡±


    The thumping stopped; it sounded like it was right on top of him.


    ¡°Oh... oh no...¡±


    A massive black hand erupted from the floor, punching through the metal and grabbing Romeo by the leg, yanking him through the metal plating and piping in a single motion. As he crashed through the floor, barely visible, he saw a huge pair of amber eyes, and a massive set of menacing teeth.


    Romeo slammed into the ground.


    He felt hot liquid trickling over his face and neck as he shuddered around violently in his armour, the visor cracking and his vision fading from the impact. Before he could completely blacked out though, the creature spoke to him.


    ¡°You stole my cane once, Romeo. I remember you, laughing at me with all the others. You made me search the entire length of the ship in agony. I had to cling to the walls to move because my legs kept buckling underneath me. It''s a shame you can''t die twice.¡±


    The last thing he heard was the sound of his spine being snapped in two, in a singular, decisive motion.


    ¡°If you can hear me, Captain, I am coming for you next.¡± She growled as she plucked the gently crackling radio from the ruined set of armour. ¡°Don''t make it easy for me, please. I want to savour every moment.¡±

 Chapter 3 - Hold them close

    The electricity crackling around his power fist was dying. The arcing current faded and left him with only the retractable blades, held within the armoured gauntlet. All around, he could hear the rumble of the horde, down every dark corridor, from every direction.


    Reactor was holding steady. His armour had plenty of strength left in its synthetic muscles. Spinning on the spot he thrust his power fist out and a pair of scissor like retractable blades erupted from it, skewering a slave, with two sizeable metal blades through the neck.


    He retracted the blades and pulled his fist back in one smooth motion, causing his aggressor to drop to the floor, blood pooling beneath it and dripping through the floor¡¯s grating. His radio played nothing but static as he ran down corridor after corridor. The mission had changed; there was no one left to save, no one left to defend but themselves. The moments leading up to this played over and over in his brain; the sound of metal being ripped apart, creaking, groaning, like the ship itself was crying out in pain.


    He needed to focus. His squad was gone, precisely decimated one by one. Reactor had watched the horde suddenly surge forward, flowing like a river down the steel corridors and push Zaunder off his feet. They had power tools looted from the techie¡¯s quarters, empty eyes and hungry hands as the buzzing saw blades were brought to bear, cutting his armour to pieces with him still in it.


    Reactor had watched as the larger Nodes teamed up and took down his left hand man, Dennis. They whipped at him with bright purple energy whips, then restrained him whilst another ran up behind and pulled his helm off with her bare hands, ripping through the clasps, with little effort. He lasted mere seconds after that, at most.


    The last squad member, Arga, was gunned down by his squad''s own weapons, looted by the Nodes from his fallen comrades. No matter what move they made, the intruders had an answer, working together like clockwork. Reactor had never seen anyone move in such a manner, it was as if someone were controlling them, manipulating them into place.


    What worried him now though, was that he wasn''t being pursued by the horde anymore. He was back on the lower deck, where the fighting had been the most intense, but now, there wasn''t a soul to be seen from either side. The corpses had been removed already, leaving bloody streaks and bullet holes on the wrecked innards of the ship. Aside from the occasional roaming slave, the horde of hungry faces he''d seen tearing his squad to pieces was no where to be seen.


    Reactor paused for a few seconds and rested against one of the bloody walls, checking his ammo and status..


    I''m not letting this beat me. I can still make it out. I deserve that at least.


    His break was cut short as something grabbed his attention. This corridor ran half the length of the ship, and he was able to see more than a kilometre unobstructed. Down the far end of the corridor, someone was coming. It looked like two sets of flash-lights, shining out at him. The two bright, level orbs were visible for just a moment, before they flickered away. He couldn''t make out anything else in the gloom, and the sweat that was accumulating on the inside of his visor reduced his visibility even further, but despite his slightly blurry sight, he knew what he saw.


    I''ve got no time for light signals. You''re on your own. If I can make it to the techie''s den, I can get out via the maintenance exit, but I''ll have to ditch my armour¡­ Or I can try my chances at the hanger and keep my protection... I''ll go wherever the resistance is weakest. Hanger first I think, I don''t want to ditch this gear if I can avoid it, not on this planet...


    He gathered his bearings and started to make his way towards the hanger, sticking as much as possible to the narrow maintenance tunnels, trying his best to avoid anywhere he thought the horde might be. The rest of the ship had long fallen, and he had lost access to the live feeds, so he had to rely on his senses alone to guide him.


    The first few minutes were quiet, aside from the occasional groan of the ship¡¯s piping, or a distant scream. The horde was nowhere to be seen. He felt a pit in his stomach though; something was following him, he was sure.


    Reactor was now under the main corridor leading towards the ship''s hanger. His plan was to exit through one of the main hatches, as the hanger wasn''t directly accessible from here. At the end of the tunnel, as he went to climb the metal ladder bolted into the wall, he heard thumping. It sounded exactly like the sound on Romeo¡¯s broadcast, before he went dark.


    It was loud and heavy but fast, approaching him rapidly. Reactor guessed, hoped, it was in the main corridor above. He held still, knowing he was defenceless within this tight shaft, and waited.


    The thumping approached, louder and louder, but just as it sounded directly above him, it carried on, likely into the hanger he was heading for. A quick ammo check on his helm and visor advised him he had only three magazines left for his main rifle, and decided to take his chances. He waited a few seconds, and then ascended the ladder.


    He pushed the thick metal hatch open slowly and peaked out. He found the corridor quiet, with more of that thick black goo coating the walls. It looked fresh. Rifle raised and ready to fire, Reactor approached the blast doors that separated him from the back rooms of the hanger, and pressed on the panel to open them up.


    The doors hissed open and parted slowly, revealing yet another battle-stained but otherwise empty room. It was a wide, somewhat open space with a set of workbenches in the middle and some cargo crates on the far side. The edges of the room were lined with empty tool racks but otherwise, all seemed clear.


    He took a step through the doors and listened closely with baited breath. As he surveyed the room, black fluid dripped onto his shoulder from above and spatted onto his helm, trickling down his plating and staining it. Without thinking, Reactor aimed his rifle high and fired several rounds directly above, not taking any chances on the risk of an ambush.


    Ceiling tiles and piping fell from above, crumbling to the floor. He paused and squinted in the gloom to look closer - he could see nothing but a black stain and several gaping bullet holes.


    They must know I''m here... where the hell are they?! Fuck it, I''m charging straight for the hang-


    A huge black hand erupted from the floor and grabbed Reactor¡¯s thigh. It pushed and knockered him away as, from the new hole in the floor, emerged a massive czarite. She rose from the ground and lifted the guard captain up with ease, throwing him off his feet and directly into the wall behind him. His rifle was knocked out of his grip.


    He rose to his feet, deploying his arm blades and charging forward with a cry. Fist met fist with a shuddering impact and his blades punctured right through the alien''s hand, but she appeared unphased. Reactor¡¯s eyes flickered upwards as he took in the monstrosity before him. His met hers; she was staring intently at him with bright, unblinking, eyes.


    She was a towering, murky obelisk of a creature, well-built with muscle that lined her dark, curvaceous figure. Oily umber-coloured skin coated her monstrous form, covered only by a thick, charcoal carapace around her head, neck, shoulders, and hips. The carapace sat on her shoulders with massive curved spikes on her shoulders, like a demonic headpiece.


    . Although somewhat dwarfed by her mountainous sexual assets, her limbs were powerful and solid with highly tort muscle. From her back protruded a set of six thick, identical tentacles, oozing with that viscous tar-like fluid that stained everything it touched.


    Her eyes, like two amber spotlights, were bright and sparkled with malicious intellect and intent, glaring down at the guard captain with an unblinking death stare. A single, faintly glowing amber jewel sat within the crown of her carapace on her head, centred squarely in the middle of her forehead, like a third eye. Large violet jelly dreadlocks erupted from the back of her head, glimmering faintly from the silver specks contained within them. Thick glossy black lips and a menacing set of large, bone-crunching teeth gave her face, with its bright eyes and pretty golden freckles, a twisted, unique appearance.


    Reactor shuddered as he took in the creature before him, first from stultifying fear, and then to creeping realisation.


    ¡°L-Lamp...? Is that you?!¡±


    Her smile grew wider and she twisted her wrist, which was currently locked against the guard captain''s blades. The metal snapped cleanly with a loud clink and one of her tentacles pulled the blades free from her skin in a smooth motion. Deep brown goo oozed from the wound, but it was already beginning to heal over.


    ¡°Captain.¡± Her voice curled around his throat, eerily familiar and yet completely alien at the same time, with an almost synth-like bass to it.


    ¡°W-what happened to you?!? Y-you''re huge!¡±


    ¡°You should be more concerned with what''s about to happen to you.¡± She shunted him backwards with tremendous force, throwing him across the room. He slammed back into an empty tool rack. Before he had a chance to stand, she was upon him again, tentacles wrapping around his limbs and binding them tightly.


    ¡°L-Lamp! Stop! We can talk about this!¡±


    ¡°I''m sure we could, Captain. We could talk. We could do a lot of things here, couldn''t we?¡± Her eyes remained fixed on him, staring through his visor and deep into his own.


    She placed a large hand on his helm and danced her fingers over the metal, claws etching into the plating as she did so.


    ¡°Lamp! We can -¡±


    ¡°I''m going to rip you out of that armour, Captain. Then, I''m going to tear you into pieces, slowly.¡±


    Before he could respond, she slammed him into the wall again, knocking the air out of his lungs, then let him fall to the floor. Reactor went to roll away, but she pounced on his back and began to tear sections of his armour away, piece by piece. He struggled and tried to fight back but her strength was overwhelming. His limbs were locked down. The scrapping sound of her hands getting closer to his body as they burrowed through the metal shook him to his very core.


    He felt air on his back as his skin was exposed; the seal had been broken. She became more ravenous as the sound of screeching metal and hissing circuits filled the room. In one swift motion, he felt her hands on his back and shoulders and she yanked him half way out of the armour. His limbs were caught as he held onto the internals of his suit with all his might. but it wasn''t enough. She gripped his limbs tightly and pulled hard again, plucking him from his protection entirely. His skin and fur had been cut and sliced in the process.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    She pinned him against the wall, and held him at eye-level. His legs thrashed about, high above the floor.


    She was growling with every breath she took, a snarl escaping her lips as she stared down his quivering form.


    ¡°Good fucking god, look at you!¡± The intense, familiar voice of Leech called out from the hanger from behind the two, staring at her new czarite with awe. ¡°Absolutely gorgeous! Oh, we''re gonna have some fun later... Is this the douche-bag in charge of the guards?¡± She approached them quickly, eyes darting between Lamp and the guard captain.


    ¡°Yes. Yes it is. I''m going to pull all his limbs off, and watch him bleed to death.¡± As she said it aloud, a smile broke and stretched across her face.


    ¡°That does sound fun, but I have a better idea; you want this guy to suffer, right?¡±


    The guard captain remained motionless, watching the two huge aliens in bewilderment and horror as they discussed his fate.


    ¡°I do. More than anything.¡± Lamp replied, licking her teeth and lips.


    ¡°Then don''t just go tearing his limbs off haphazardly. Start at the base and work your way up, slowly. That''s all good nerve real estate ripe and ready for inflicting pain, you tear the limb off immediately and you''re just losing out. Make sure you lock down the wound too once you''ve finished with the limb or he''ll bleed out before you can get to the others.¡± She paused for a second, looking closely at the tentacles binding the man''s limbs. ¡°Those tentacles of yours have hydraulic action?¡±


    Lamp nodded, listening to Leech carefully.


    ¡°Then you could use those to prevent him bleeding out in a pinch. Every inch of skin has a thousand odd nerve endings you can squeeze suffering out of. Flay the fucker.¡±


    ¡°YOU CAN''T JUST LEAVE ME WITH HER?!? PLEASE?!¡± The guard captain suddenly jerked and struggled, as if from a daze. He looked at Leech desperately, pleading with her to do something.


    ¡°You hear that, Lamp? He''s so desperate that he''s asking the person giving you torture tips for mercy.¡± She chuckled loudly and patted Lamp on the shoulder. ¡°You wouldn''t fare any better with me, pal. For what you''ve done to my friend here, I''d make your life hell. Be thankful she''s granting you death.¡± Her eyes narrowed as she spoke, and her attention turned back to Lamp. ¡°We''re nearly done here though, we have three fresh czarites to corrupt, but Moltezz wants them for herself. I think she''s earned that, so I''m not going to argue with her. I''ll introduce you to her later, but for now, have fun with your new toy, gorgeous.¡± She gave Lamp a cheeky wink before turning around and leaving them alone once more.


    ¡°L-Lamp... I''m sorry...¡± The guard captain spoke meekly, going weak in her steel grip.


    ¡°I know.¡± Her voice went soft.


    ¡°Please... I had my reasons, you know this! I didn''t immediately treat you badly! I helped you onto the ship and you screwed me over!¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you doing this to me?! Why did you kill my men?!¡±


    ¡°Shhh...¡± She pressed a finger against his lips. ¡°Enough talk from you. You do what I say now.¡± She pulled him off the wall, still suspended in the air by her tentacles and brought him close to her. She wrapped her arms around him for a tight hug, and pressed a wet kiss onto his forehead. Her black saliva stained his marmalade fur.


    ¡°You were only doing what came naturally to you, Captain. I understand.¡± She sounded calm.


    Reactor was helpless, trapped between her enormous bust, bound by her tentacles and embraced in her arms.


    ¡°Y-you do...?¡±


    ¡°I do. I just wonder if you¡¯ll have that same understanding, when I do to you what comes naturally to me.¡±


    He felt the grip around his body tighten.


    ¡°Nature is cruel, Captain. Let''s rebalance the scales, shall we?¡±


    ***Present Day***


    ¡°You¡¯re not leaving, Diego. We''ve barely started.¡± Seeth''s eyes narrowed as she spoke.


    ¡°Maybe you should learn how to take ¡°no¡± for an answer.¡± He replied, fists clenching slowly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna just let you walk out of here. You want out? Earn it.¡± She stood up straight, staring down at him from across the bedroom.


    ¡°You''d really do that to me?¡±


    ¡°I would... Daddy-Diego.¡± A sly grin spread across her face as the words left her mouth.


    ¡°Scandalous wench!¡± Diego recoiled dramatically. ¡°I''ll make you pay for that!¡±


    Both naked and posing in a sensational manner, Diego charged across the room and leapt at Seeth, landing neatly in her arms. She spun him around and slammed him on the bed playfully, pouncing on top of him.


    Both giggling loudly, he ¡°landed¡± several fake punches to her stomach, causing her to feign injury and roll off him.


    ¡°Such power! I''m reeling!¡±


    He sprung to his feet, grabbing a pillow and jumping back at her, thumping it against her midsection as she flailed weakly.


    ¡°Fear the feathers, harlot! Bear hug!¡±


    After a few more pillow slaps, Diego leapt on her and grappled around her shoulders, squeezing her tightly. Seeth let out a loud, satisfied moan as she felt him clutch her close, causing him to blush bright red and drop his guard for just a second, enough for her to break loose and reverse the grab, hugging him tightly from behind. Her gargantuan breasts pressed tightly against his back.


    ¡°Not so mighty now, hero! Do you yield?!¡± Their struggle continued, Diego failing to wiggle his way out of her steel grip. Suddenly, he had a thought.


    ¡°No, I do not!¡± He snaked his tail between her legs and whipped her butt cheek with as much force as he could muster from that somewhat awkward angle. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was enough.


    ¡°No! My one weak point! How did you know?!¡± Seeth let her man go and flopped down on the bed, raising her rear up into the air as she collapsed. ¡°Oh no! I''ve fallen and I can''t get up! What will my hero do?! Will he -¡±


    *SMACK*


    The noise echoed around the room loudly, Seeth slowly craned her head around to see Diego, stifling a giggle as best as he could.


    ¡°Did¡­ Did you just spank my ass so hard it clapped?!¡±


    ¡°It was a round of applause for bringing you down. I''ll do it again too.¡±


    ¡°I beg you, do the other cheek, otherwise I''ll feel weird.¡±


    Diego wound up another slap and delivered a huge arcing swat at her exposed amethyst ass. Another ear splitting smack rang out. Seeth dropped to the bed and let out a defeated cry.


    ¡°I am vanquished!¡±


    ¡°I-I think I left some handprints on your butt. Maybe I went a bit hard there...¡± Diego¡¯s laughing trailed off as eyed the pink handprints he¡¯d left behind.


    ¡°Pfft! I¡¯m a big girl, I can take it. Stung a little, perhaps, but it wasn''t painful.¡±


    ¡°So, I didn''t hurt you?¡±


    ¡°Hell no! I kinda liked it actually... You wanna grab a bite to eat though? I could go for a munch.¡± She stood from the bed and turned towards him, another sly grin spreading over her face. ¡°Wanna be my bra? Only for a minute! No one should be up anyway but just in case.¡±


    ¡°Hell yes to both! I think there''s some chocolate for us in the fridge!¡±


    Blushing but feeling mad with excitement, Seeth knelt down to give her hero a kiss, and then picked him up again, draping him over her shoulder as one would a gym towel. She guided his hands down to grab over her nipples, covering them both and allowing her male grab handfuls of her soft, beautiful breasts as well. He couldn¡¯t help but give them a little squeeze.


    ¡°Behave you! Or we won''t make it out of this bedroom!¡± Seeth laughed, adoring the feel of his body and his skin against hers. Her blood rushed to the surface of her skin wherever his body made contact with hers.


    ¡°Fine, fine! Just holding, no squeezing... for now.¡±


    ¡°These girls will drown you once we''re back, don''t you worry.¡±


    Seeth tied a towel around her waist and headed for the door, Diego hanging over her one shoulder, arms reaching down to censor her nipples from anyone who might be walking the ship as they headed towards the kitchen. He was grinning ear to ear at his new role, and the two made their way into the corridor, both warm with lust and love as they giggled to themselves.


    The door slid open and Seeth padded out of the room, taking only a few paces before stopping in her tracks, as a mortified Oxyi appeared at the other end of the corridor.


    ¡°HOLY MOTHER OF FUCK! LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THOSE THINGS!¡± Oxyi staggered a little on the spot, staring at Seeth''s man-censored bust in open-mouthed shock. Tivy popped out from behind her leg, confused at first and then grinning from ear to ear at the sight.


    ¡°Ohhhh! We finally walked in on you! I was wonderin¡¯ how long it¡¯d take!¡± Tivy began a happy little dance on the spot, shuffling in front of Oxyi.


    ¡°W-walked in on them?! Tivy, they''re coming at us!¡± Oxyi''s voice cracked as she spoke, her eyes darting from Seeth''s tits, to Diego''s mortified face and back to Tivy''s gleeful hopping.


    ¡°Sorry guys, we, uh, got carried away, you don''t need to see this...¡± Diego tried desperately to calm the situation down, but Tivy was anything but upset. Slowly, a smile crept over Oxyi''s face too. Seeing Diego slung over Seeth''s shoulder, clinging onto her breasts for dear life, staring like a deer in the headlights, she couldn''t help but break into a stifled laugh.


    This is him, isn''t it? He''s daft, but hell is he fun. Fukkin'' cutie.


    ¡°Well, I uh... Just wanted to give you both heads up that we''re landing in about ten hours on a nomad station. Plasia''s found some salvage onboard for us to sell so we can stock up on supplies¡­ We''ll leave you to it! Have fun!¡± Oxyi gave the pair an awkward but genuine smile, and gave Tivy a little nudge to leave them alone too.


    ¡°T-thanks! Sorry again!¡±


    Seeth hurried into the kitchen and quickly zoomed back out after only a few seconds. Oxyi and Tivy caught a glimpse of two lizard sized hand-prints on her bum cheeks as her towel whipped passed them, and the two had to stifle another laugh. Seeth and Diego ducked back into their room.


    ¡°I bet they have crazy sex.¡± Tivy said, continuing her happy dance.


    ¡°Tivy! You can¡¯t just blurt that out!¡± Cried Oxyi, her face looking like a fresh cherry. ¡°I don¡¯t quite get the physics behind those- those monsters though. I don¡¯t think I could stand if my breasts were even half that size!¡±


    ¡°Mhmm milky milky big fat alien tats! Thiccie lizard dick too! Gimme gimme gimme!¡± Tivy sung her sex brained sentence, closing her eyes and mimicking squeezing various body parts with her hands.


    ¡°Fuckin'' hell Tivy, you horny little thing. You see one pair of admittedly massive boobs and you''re practically drooling!¡±


    ¡°I can''t help mahself, Oxyi! You try being locked up for a half a year in a sex dungeon! It gets into your braaaaaain!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I suppose? Cmon, lets go check on the guys -¡±


    ¡°IT HAPPENED AGAIN!¡± Geralt yelled suddenly from the cockpit. ¡°THE FUCKING BLUE EYE THING! ALL THE SCREENS!¡±


    The girls looked at one another and rolled their eyes, laughing lightly but as they approached. Trent emerged from the cockpit, looking worried.


    ¡°He''s not lying... I saw it this time, too. We need to tell Diego.¡±


    ¡°Oh... He''s a little uhm...¡±


    ¡°He''s getting'' his cheeks clapped!¡± Tivy announced.


    ¡°Yeah. He''s- wait, what?! He''s getting his cheeks clapped?!¡±


    Trent and Tivy both turned to face Oxyi, as she tried to process what she¡¯s just heard.


    ¡°Ayup... Well, we don''t know that, maybe she lets him... you know.¡±


    ¡°Just when I thought I had it figured out, she''s got a dick too?!¡±


    ¡°You didn''t know that?¡± Tivy paused, tilting her head.


    ¡°No! No, I didn''t! I guess I never thought about it! I just -¡±


    ¡°STOP TALKING ABOUT SEETH''S DICK AND HELP ME FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING ON WITH DAMN SCREENS, YOU HORN-DOGS!¡±

 Chapter 4 - Dont give up on me

    Plasia and Diego sat around a small metal table in the staffroom. A single dim, blue light lit the space. Its angle was currently casting a long shadow behind Plasia, but her precious sapphire eyes were locked onto the male, staring at him with nothing but love and adoration.


    ¡°I know I can be difficult sometimes, Diego. I know that. But as long as I''m away from Leech, I should be absolutely fine. I only lose control around her.¡± Plasia sounded confident, reaching out towards Diego''s hands across the table. He gently stroked her skin with his fingers.


    ¡°You absolutely sure, Plas? This is the last time I''ll ask, but I have to make sure; we''re building this all on trust, right?¡± Diego looked into her eyes with both concern, and kindness.


    ¡°Completely. As long as you don''t give up on me, I''ll never give up on you! This''ll be fun, it''ll be nice to stretch all of our legs together... Besides, you''re going to look like such a player with two huge czarites at your side!¡± A sweet smile spread over her perfect face, and Diego couldn¡¯t help but smile back. Even in just the few days they¡¯d been together, her confidence was growing minute by minute.


    ¡°I can''t say my public image aboard this random ass space station is top priority for me. You ain''t wrong, though! As long as I get to be in the middle of you two!¡±


    ¡°You''ll always be in the middle, sweetie boy.¡± Seeth appeared behind him, her seductive voice sending a shiver down both his and Plasia''s back. She ran her hands over his neck and ruffled his hair lovingly, taking a little time to appreciate the silky soft nature of his mane. ¡°We''re only a few minutes away from landing. Oxyi says the station''s security officer wants everyone who wants to alight has to go to the dock, for a safety brief or something, so we should go suit up!¡±


    The three left together to get dressed as appropriately as they could, with the girls dressed in a tight fitting top and a pair combat trousers, shortly appearing alongside Oxyi and Geralt. Tivy and Trent were staying behind on the ship, just to keep tabs on things, but after the craziness they¡¯d endured over these previous months; they were happy for the peace and the privacy.


    Soon enough their ship docked and the airlock hissed open, and the group boarded the station. They entered a modest-sized security room, where three guards were waiting for them. Two were dressed in full riot uniform, complete with visors and bullet-proof vests. The third was a little more dressed down but still protected with heavy flak gear. She was a vibrant white female rat with soft rose eyes; attractive enough, but they were currently staring at the two suspiciously large czarites, far taller than any she''d seen before.


    ¡°Welcome aboard Barru X Station. I''m Head Security Officer Venner. I appreciated your warnings about the freighter, with whom was I speaking to?¡± The rat addressed the party quite confidently and calmly, despite her eyes darting between Seeth and Plasia.


    Oxyi stepped forward and held her hand out to shake, which Venner accepted with a brief smile.


    ¡°That was me, name¡¯s Oxyi. We won''t be here long, just getting some supplies and then we''ll be on our way.¡±


    ¡°No problem, but I do have to insist upon a safety precaution with your... uh.... czarites. You said they had some sort of¡­ infection?¡±


    Seeth and Plasia both tensed slightly at the word, and her tone. Oxyi glanced back at them, then continued.


    ¡°Well, yeah but they can''t pass it onto you unless you bang ''em anyway. And trust me, they''re too busy banging him to want anything to do with you.¡± She gestured over her shoulder towards the threesome with complete disregard. Diego wasn''t exactly a small guy but he was completely dwarfed by the two aliens standing at his sides, with their thighs and hips being larger than his entire torso.


    ¡°Bit too much information there, Oxyi, thank you very much for sharing that with this stranger.¡± Diego sighed deeply and mumbled under his breath.


    ¡°...Be that as it may, I must insist on having the czarites in hazmat gear whilst they are on the station. I''ve taken the liberty of preparing some gear in those two security rooms over there.¡± She gestured towards the far side of the room. ¡°Can I ask for their names?¡±


    ¡°Purple one is Seeth, blue one¡¯s Plasia.¡± Oxyi''s eyes narrowed as she stared at Venner. The moment she mentioned Plasia¡¯s name, she noted Venner¡¯s flickering gaze stop and focus on the girl.


    Something doesn''t feel right...


    ¡°Alright, Seeth if you could go to the one on the left, Plasia, the one on the right. It¡¯s nothing too invasive, just some basic gear for you both to wear, to ensure the safety of the people on board the station.¡± As she spoke, Venner felt Oxyi¡¯s eyes watching her. ¡°I-It''s nothing to be worried about, honestly. Look, your message about the freighter spooked a lot of people here and the top brass have asked me to play it safe. I''ve picked out strider-sized stuff for them too, so it should all fit properly.¡±


    Oxyi went to respond, but felt Seeth''s hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°It''s alright Oxyi, me and Plasia can handle ourselves. Venner, was it? You wanted me to go to the right one?¡±


    ¡°The left! If you would. Plasia on the right, please.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Seeth and Plasia strode across the metal plating of the station, heading to their separate security doors. Venner seemed a little tense, but the other guards barely took notice, seeming rather relaxed in fact.


    ¡°Will there be anything else, Venner?¡± Oxyi asked, her eyes like daggers.


    ¡°Nothing. Your friends will come out and meet you in the lobby area, providing you''re not contaminated. I''m happy for the rest of you to move around as you please. You can find me on the fifth floor of this building if you have any issues. Enjoy your stay on Barru X!¡± Venner glanced back and ensured that Seeth and Plasia had stepped through their respective doors, before taking her guards and quickly departing, leaving Diego, Oxyi and Geralt standing in the security room together.


    ¡°I''m getting suspicious vibes off you Oxyi, what''s going on?¡± Diego lowered his voice to ensure the guards wouldn''t overhear, but it appeared they''d cleared off already.


    ¡°I did not like the way she was eying your girls, Diego. The way she was looking at Plasia, reminds me of sly little fuckers back home, who¡¯d try to pull a fast one on you. Like they''re eyeing up your stuff before stealing it.¡±


    ¡°Any ideas what she might be up to?¡±


    ¡°Well, she ain''t gonna try and mug ''em, I can say that much, you''d have to be a total slop brain to try and mug an eight foot tall czarite.. I don''t think her guards are in on anything either, but let''s be careful. I also noticed she¡¯d already prepped the strider-sized PPE gear for the girls.¡±


    ¡°And what does that mean? Seems thoughtful to me.¡± Geralt queried, stretching his arms out idly.


    ¡°I didn''t tell her shit about Seeth and Plasia¡¯s size prior to landing. So how did she know to get the right sized gear for them before we arrived...?¡±


    ***Three days ago***


    The freighter was once again alive with activity, bodies being dragged away, cargo being counted, inventory taken. The horde was winding down now from their attack and busy repairing the damage they¡¯d done. From outside the ship, a tired and very much annoyed Moltezz marched up the metal ramp. Fire flickered around her feet with every step, but the temperature around her was waning rapidly. At the top of the ramp, Leech was waiting for her, looking rather pleased with herself. She held three long chains in her hand, each one connected to the collar of an uncorrupted czarite, who were all glancing around nervously, and quivering in fear.


    ¡°Finally! We get some luck. How damaged is the ship?¡± Moltezz huffed, spying the prisoners behind Leech''s toxic form.


    ¡°Barely, it''s all surface damage. I''ve got the fresh Node''s we''ve acquired working to repair everything. Turns out a lot of the tech team were adaptable and took to the corruption well, we''ve got a sizeable squad of techie Nodes who are putting the fifteen-thousand-odd slaves we also got to use. All goes to plan, we can get this ship in the air tomorrow... Think we''ll¡­ ever return here...?¡± Leech looked at Moltezz quizzically as she recalled the earth shaking explosion that Moltezz had erupted from, not too long ago.


    ¡°About that. During my battle with my prince, I may have caused some severe structural damage to the dungeon. I think your lab is intact, but we won''t be using it as a base any further.¡±


    ¡°Hold up - your prince...? You mean the fat-butt lizard?¡± Leech raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°His posterior is rather thick... but yes. I do mean Diego.¡± Moltezz drummed her fingers against her palm as she spoke.


    ¡°How did he beat you, by the way? I thought he was finished when he ran into you.¡±


    ¡°I... He...¡± Moltezz''s face flushed more red than usual and she broke eye contact sharply. ¡°I fell victim to my urges. You know how it is.¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Moltezz... Did he get the better of you? I bet he used that thiccy posterior of his.¡± Leech smirked.


    ¡°He feigned surrender and caught me off guard!¡± Moltezz snapped. ¡°I was initially furious, but I can appreciate the play he made and have decided not to take it personally.¡±


    Before the conversation could continue, the sound of loud thudding footsteps rang out, and Lamp appeared behind Leech, plastered with blood and dripping black goo. She stopped beside Leech and looked out over the landing pad.


    ¡°Who is this, Leech?¡± Moltezz tilted her head, taking in the new czarite¡¯s features.


    ¡°Why don''t you introduce yourself, La-¡±


    ¡°Ink. I want you to call me Ink, from now on.¡± She nodded towards Moltezz, and the two weighed each-other up from their respective positions.


    ¡°Ink... I like it. Ink, this is Moltezz, she''s the one who dealt with those bloody Quill-Bellies and¡­ numerous other things. She''s on our side, so play nice.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Anything for you, Leech.¡±


    Moltezz looked at Leech, back to Ink and then at Leech again, comparing the two.


    ¡°Leech, do you think we can pass on any sort of additional gifts when we corrupt? Like, a hereditary corruption or something similar?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Why don''t you fuck these three and see if they turn out like you?¡± Leech pulled on the chains of the three captives and passed it to Moltezz, who eagerly grabbed them from her. The chains warmed fiercely in her grasp. ¡°We could do with some more moody, hot snobs to throw around.¡±


    ¡°I will gladly test that for you. Hopefully your offspring won''t be as mouthy as you.¡± Moltezz spied Ink''s massive teeth behind her black glossy lips. ¡°But then again, maybe not. We shall discover together, no doubt.¡±


    ¡°So... What''s the plan?¡± Ink asked, noticing the squadrons of Slave''s hauling cargo back onto the ship in perfect unison.


    ¡°The freighter had some smaller strike-craft in the hanger, we''re going to use those to hit the nearby stations and outposts whilst we pursue my prince. And, Seeth and Plasia, of course.¡± Moltezz spoke with confidence but her tongue flicked with venom as she spoke.


    ¡°Going straight after the prize, huh? You that sour about losing to him?¡± Leech tilted her head, watching Moltezz with an ever widening grin.


    ¡°Not losing to him - just losing him. I will have what belongs to me, Leech. Beyond that, his potential to our cause is tremendous, I can feel it. He will bring us nothing but good fortune and victories.¡±


    ¡°And massive cum loads. I owe that prick a hate fuck or ten.¡± Leech¡¯s smile dropped into a scowl and she looked away, a mixture of emotions flickering across her face. It¡¯s fucking embarrassing what he did to us. To me!


    ¡°When he is returned to us we can both break him in, do not fret.¡± Moltezz continued. ¡°But he will be mine in the end, you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Moltezz, I know, he''s your precious boy.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°I just want to see him gag on me a few times, okay? Fucker stole my best friend and my assistant.¡±


    ¡°For his crimes, I can arrange some time between you, certainly. But we need to arrange his capture first. I want this ship operational tonight, we waste no more time here. Pack up your lab and come back to the ship immediately.¡±


    ¡°T-tonight?! Fuck me, Moltezz. You''re gonna corrupt these three, get the horde packed up and the ship in the air in the next ten hours? Bit ambitious, don''t you think, considering I have some plans of my own! And shouldn''t you be resting after you melted half the town?!¡±


    ¡°I can rest on the way. And what exactly are these oh so important plans of yours?¡± Moltezz¡¯s intense stare flicked between Ink and Leech.


    ¡°Slave modifications, if you must know. Seeing as they don¡¯t feel any pain, they¡¯d be perfect for grafting weaponised bionics on to.¡± Leech replied, a slight glint of pride in her eyes. The alien''s hands fidgeted slightly, as if she were imagining herself gripping onto a saw.


    ¡° Hmm. Right you are. Well, every minute this ship isn''t in the air, we''re losing him, Leech. We need to get moving immediately. What say you, Ink? I can feel that Leech has given you some authority.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ am deeply curious about this male you seem so interested in, but I have a target of my own I''d like to pay a visit to right now; my old boss, who saw fit to withhold money that I rightfully earned. I would very much like to give him a taste of the new me.¡± Ink licked her lips as she spoke, her tentacles hanging in the air like spikes ready to strike.


    ¡°We''ll give you a strike-craft and you can depart as soon as you¡¯re ready.¡± Moltezz nodded. ¡°I like ambition. Makes a nice change from Seeth moping around the dungeon. I have things I need to attend to so I''ll take my leave of you both, but do not be late for the departure. We have an empire to build, and a man to break.¡± With her words uttered, Moltezz dragged the three captives with her into the hanger, leaving Leech and Ink together.


    ¡°Ugh, bossy bitch. It''s so annoying she wants to leave today.¡± Leech muttered, glancing over at Ink.


    ¡°How so? The sooner we leave, the sooner you get to¡­ ¡°hate fuck¡± this man you''re both after.¡±


    ¡°Because I wanted to spend a few hours with you.¡±


    Ink recoiled slightly in surprise, her tentacles subtly shielding her body from Leech''s gaze.


    ¡°M-me?¡± An intense blush overtook her as Leech''s words sunk in.


    ¡°Mhmm. I don''t know if you''ve noticed, but you''re gorgeous. I usually wouldn''t ask but if you''re willing, I''d love to have some fun together, and we can find out what you''re capable of.¡± She grinned and eyed Ink¡¯s body up and down. ¡°I bet you''ve got a monster down there, like me. Buuuuuut it looks like that''ll have to wait for now, at least until we''re in the air.¡±


    ¡°Th-then let''s get this ship going, and find out together.¡± Ink''s grin returned to her face and she turned to go back into the ship. Her tentacles shyly slipped around Leech''s back and guided her inside, which she accepted with a skip in her step.


    ***Present Day***


    Plasia stepped through the security door, which led into a short, plain corridor and another door at the far end. There was nothing particularly unusual about the corridor, but as she stepped forward, she felt her heart thumping in her chest. Something in her core was urging her not to proceed into the following room.


    Come on... You''re away from him for two minutes and you''re already having an anxiety episode? I can beat this... I can do this, it''s just putting on some clothes...


    She stepped towards the door again and felt the breath drop from her lungs. She clutched at her chest as fear and pain filled inside her, heart slamming against her ribs as if it were trying to escape. She braced herself against the wall, sucking in air slowly and exhaling as calmly as possible, letting the anxiety wash over her.


    That''s it, just breathe it through, you''ve done this a million times.


    Slowly, she regained control over her emotions, the pain in her chest faded and warm station air filled the void in her chest again; although her heart was still racing, she was able to breathe properly once more. She took a few more seconds to steady herself, and then stood up straight, walking to the door on the opposite end of the corridor.


    As she reached it, another wave of anxiety shot through her, making her hands tremble uncomfortably, sharp dagger-like pains shot through-out her chest, making her blood run cold.. The air felt like sand-paper, carving up her throat with every breath she took.


    I-I can''t still be this pathetic, can I? Even though I''m over eight feet tall, I''m still so small on the inside... I still can''t handle the most simple of tasks alone... N-no. I will beat this. I won''t let this control me!


    Plasia steadied herself once more, breathing the air in slowly and blowing it back out through pursed, pained lips. As she approached a little closer, the door slid open and revealed another, small-ish room, with a rack of gear against one wall, a large mirror to her right and another door, that presumably went out onto the station floor straight ahead. There was no one waiting to attack her. There wasn¡¯t anything unusual about this area at all. And still, her anxiety would not calm.


    Pressing on, she approached the rack, seeing a full set of black latex protective gear, including a large gas mask. She didn''t blame them; as much as she hated to admit it, her and Seeth were dangerous.


    The overalls were squeaky clean and she began to pull herself into it one limb at a time. Despite it being sized appropriately for her height, it wasn''t built for a bust like hers and it wouldn''t zip up all the way, but it was better than nothing.


    Always designed and manufactured for men, honestly it¡¯s ridiculous.


    As Plasia glanced at herself in the mirror, her mind went back to the anxiety attack she¡¯d just had; it all felt so silly. This was just some harmless gear, and it put people at ease.


    She huffed loudly, annoyed with herself and looked at the gas mask, would this be her life from now on? Would it be so bad, if it was only in public places? It¡¯s not like she¡¯d have been out and about much anyway¡­


    As she reached out to the gas mask, a final wave of anxiety hit her, stronger than before, bringing her hand to a shuddering stop.


    ¡°No! I won''t let this stupid, unfounded anxiety beat me! Enough is enough!¡± Plasia spoke out loud, projecting her thoughts with definitive defiance. She lurched forward and seized the mask with a single hand, pulling it from the rack.


    As she did so, she saw something fall from its insides, a small glass vial containing green liquid and what looked like a note of some sort. It fell too fast for her to catch, as it had been taped loosely to the inside of the mask, and instantly shattered upon hitting the ground.


    The smell hit her instantly. It was already too late.


    Leech.


    Eyes closed, her tongue flopped loosely from her mouth and she collapsed to her knees. Her anxiety was gone. This creature had no anxiety. When she opened her eyes again, her glassy orb-like irises were replaced with the hunter-like slits of her other half.


    She pressed her face against the floor, licking up the green fluid with her tongue and swallowing as much as she could, picking through the shattered glass and licking it clean. The note caught her eye and she plucked it off the ground, unravelling and reading through it quickly¡­ and then read it through a second, and third time more carefully.


    The hunger was building within her. She could feel so many easy pickings, the choice was almost overwhelming.


    ¡°The note! The note knows! Play along! Be the good girl¡­


    THEY-WON''T-KNOW-THEY-WON''T-KNOW-THEY-WON''T-KNOW!¡±


    She pressed the note into her cleavage and scrabbled for the gas mask, retracting her tongue and pulling it tight over her face, securing it by the straps. Once on, she shook her head around to ensure it stayed put and checked herself out in the mirror. She played the plan through in her head, and spent a couple of minutes refining her body language and posture to more closely mimic her other half, going from a ravenous hunter to a shy bookworm with unsettling ease.


    Cackling madly to herself, she muttered the words with a guttural growl through the muffled seal of the gas mask clasped over the face:


    ¡°IT WILL BE PERFECT.¡±


    Wiping her goo away and leaving the room through the final door, she arrived into the main mall area where everyone was waiting for her, all unaware of what had just transpired.


    ¡°Hey, Plas! What took you so long? We were worried something had happened!¡±


    ¡°O-oh, n-nothing. Just had to c-change.

 Chapter 5 - Minas Proud Whores

    The main floor of the space station was a commercial mall of sorts, an open layout multi-levelled area with many different types of shops for the average nomad to stock up and refill their larders. It was nicely decorated, with various potted plants and displays stationed around here and there, with seating areas and the public conveniences as one would expect. There was an adults-only wing down a large corridor, a ship repair rig tucked off to the side, and another wing entirely dedicated to long stay guests. Several ultra thick space-glass walls gave the mall a breathtaking view of incoming ships, and the endless cold ocean that surrounded them. It made for a great visual feast whilst chowing down on the station''s various delicacies.


    The smooth off-white tiled floor was nicely cleaned, glimmering under the frequent spotlights that dotted the walls and ceiling. It was obvious that the station was well looked after, with every shop staffed, and there being a reasonable number of customers of various species and creeds. But even so, the group was receiving a number of funny looks as the two huge gas mask clad aliens strutted through the centre of the main shopping area.


    Down the adult wing, a skinny, elegant looking bunny girl with curly white hair and brilliant emerald eyes popped her head around the corner, staring at the aliens in confusion.


    ¡°Hey Mina, you ever see anything like this before?¡± The bunny puzzled, squinting at the new arrivals as they sauntered through the mall.


    Mina padded over, a short goblin female, with large lime ears, a cute face and a surprisingly hefty chest for a small creature.


    ¡°Fuck me, Tani, look at that! Giant gimps! Never-seen-a-gimp-like-that-before! They''re bloody huge, too!¡± Mina gasped, her voice distinct from Tani''s more classy tone with a grounded, scavenger-kin common dialectic, her sentences half sung as she watched the group. ¡°Could feed a family of fifty off one of them''s asses!¡±


    ¡°They''ve got to be freaks to walk about like that. Hopefully rich freaks.¡±


    ¡°You think they''re gonna want your girls when you got my goblins next door? Three die goblin knob job is hard to beat baybeeeee.¡± The goblin shot some sarcastic finger guns at Tani as she spoke.


    ¡°Awh piss off, Mina, the stench alone from your place is gonna drive them away!¡± The bunny snapped back with a grin, and shot her the middle finger.


    ¡°They''re wearing gas masks, ya fluffy brained bimbo! Besides, that smell is all pheromones. You get a bunch of horny goblins in a room, it''s gonna smell like horny goblins.¡± She shrugged and continued to observe the group. ¡°Smells lush anyway.¡±


    ¡°Well if they prefer a little class, they got the buns next door, don''t they? If they even come down here.¡± The bunny sighed loudly. ¡°Ohh, wait a second! They have a guy in between them! Check out that cutie!¡± Her eyes picked Diego out from between the aliens and stared at his arms, wrapped around the girl''s thick waists.


    ¡°A guy too?! Ah, I wouldn''t bet he''d need a brothel with those two at his side, to be honest. Still, imma chuck my prettiest girls up front, judging by them giant gimps glued to his side, he likes busty ones.¡±


    ¡°Good call Tani, although looks like he likes them tall too, so you might be out of luck!¡± The bunny stuck her tongue out and skipped off to stand behind her desk.


    ¡°Everyone loves a shortstack, Tani! Everyone! Four foot of fuck, stacked up! That''s me and me girls!¡± Now standing alone, Mina''s ears twitched as she watched the group closely. ¡°AYO! CLARA! VENICE! GET YOUR FINE ASSES OUT HERE! WE MIGHT HAVE SOME CUSTOMERS!¡±


    *


    Seeth licked her lips and eyeing the various different food stalls, dreaming of the meals they could get - their DA ship hadn¡¯t been as well-stocked as they¡¯d hoped it would be - when it dawned on her that they needed money.


    ¡°Hey Plas, weren''t you rounding up some salvage to sell? Do we need to do anything?¡±


    Plasia slowly turned around to face Seeth, cocking her head in a slightly awkward fashion.


    ¡°Salvage... Sell...? O-oh! I... need to deliver it to... the salvage shop...¡± She rubbed her hands together awkwardly as she spoke.


    ¡°Okay, do you need any help or want us to come with you...?¡± Seeth''s brow was slowly furrowing as she spoke.


    ¡°N-no! No! I can do it! I will go do it... I will do it now...¡±


    ¡°Are you alright, Plasia?¡± Seeth asked, quite seriously. Her attention suddenly snapped into focus; something seemed off with her friend.


    ¡°F-fine! Just hungry! Y-you guys go have fun, I will go and sort the salvage!¡± Plasia nodded rapidly and turned away from the group, hurrying off before anyone could say a word. As she left, she spotted a few scantily clad goblins down the corridor of the adult wing, putting up neon signs for ¡°Mina''s Proud Whores¡± at such an angle that wouldn''t get in trouble with the station owners, but would certainly help bring more attention.


    A low guttural growl escaped her throat as she eyed them up from beneath her mask and she licked her lips hungrily, before charging off back towards the ship.


    ¡°She seem okay to you, hun?¡± Seeth leaned down a little, putting an arm over Diego''s shoulder.


    ¡°Maybe the looks from the crowds are getting to her?¡± He suggested, checking around to see if everyone was still staring at them, which they absolutely were. People were staring with a variety of expressions, from admiration, concern, to bewilderment. ¡°We are getting a lot of looks at the moment. Don''t blame her for wanting to go back to the ship for a bit.¡±


    ¡°True. Didn''t really think of that.¡± Seeth sighed loudly, muffled by the mask and grabbed Diego''s hand, taking him towards the adult wing.


    ¡°Whilst Plasia is getting us some money, fancy a peek at the fun stuff? Maybe we can get some accessories...¡±


    ¡°Seeth! Please! You know I''m saving myself for marriage!¡± Diego fanned himself dramatically, feigning embarrassment.


    ¡°Oh, of course sir, I did forget! Perhaps we can find you a nice chastity cage instead so you won''t be tempted by a devil like me!¡± Seeth teased him and the two headed on down towards the adult wing.


    ¡°I know you''re joking, but don''t you dare. I literally can''t think of anything worse.¡±


    The goblins staffing the front were busty and, dressed in super tight latex tops and miniskirts, making sure to flutter their eyes at the pair as they approached. They couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback by the scale of Seeth''s body, gawking at her exceptional figure.


    The two padded through the entrance into the lobby which housed a few shops attached, a strip club and two brothels that were right next to one another, one labelled with bright neon signs as ¡°Mina''s Proud Whores,¡± and the other with a golden metallic font as ¡°The Warrens.¡± A goblin and a rabbit stood outside their respective doors.


    ¡°Is that... two competing brothels right next to each-other?¡± Diego mused, giving the goblins to his side a warm hello but a polite decline as they approached.


    ¡°I think it is... Goblins vs. Rabbits?¡±


    As Seeth spoke, Mina piped up, throwing a cheeky wink at the pair and leaping on top of her stand.


    ¡°Calling us competing brothels ain''t exactly correct, my gorgeous gimp, it''s more of a constant orgy versus a pity party. Awful nice of you to be nice to my girls instead of just telling them to ¡°fuck off and choke on a dick,¡± like most people do to goblin whores when they''re not in the mood.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn''t listen to her, gentlemen like yourself are more well suited to The Warrens than Mina''s prick fiddlers.¡± Tani rolled her eyes and flashed a smile at the pair..


    ¡°Oi! Prick fiddler implies we don''t get down to business! We do far more than fiddle! Don''t mislead them!¡± Mina huffed, hands placed firmly on her thick, curvy hips.


    ¡°I can''t imagine that having an argument any time a customer shows up is good for business.¡± Seeth pondered, unsure of what to make of the scene. She¡¯d felt her urges rising quite steadily since they arrived on the station and gripped Diego''s hand tightly, slowing her breathing down and focusing on their conversation to help starve them off.


    ¡°You''d be surprised actually.¡± Tani chirped, leaning forward. She was a much slimmer creature compared to Mina and certainly Seeth, with a lacy red bra that was just showing around the edges of her black shirt. ¡°A good portion of the patrons here actually like the arguments, they say it makes them feel wanted.¡±


    ¡°I feel plenty wanted already!¡± Diego laughed, squeezing Seeth''s hand back. ¡°I don''t think we''ll be purchasing any services today girls, but thank you!¡±


    ¡°Well, if you change your mind, or just want a drink and some food served by some sizzlingly hot bunnies, don''t be a stranger! There''s a drink on us for being polite to Mina''s girls!¡± Tani smiled at the pair and waved them off, with Diego and Seeth heading into a nearby shop together shortly after.


    ¡°What a cute ass pair of weirdos! Wasn''t expecting a sabre fanged coralith to be so polite!¡± Mina giggled, sitting on her stand and crossing her legs.


    ¡°I know, right? Oomph, the eyes on him too, piercing. Gives me the good shivers.¡± Tani bit her lip as she played the conversation back over in her head. ¡°I hope they come back. I got some free vouchers I could give away. Reminds me why I got into this business in the first place.¡±


    ¡°He''s a total butt slut I reckon.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± Mina''s comment took Tani off guard.


    ¡°Yeah, czarites are herms, ain''t they? No idea how she''s so tall but that girl is packing heat, I promise you. God, the figure on her though! I thought my girls were thick but she is something else! You rarely see figures like that in holovids, never-mind real life! I''d offer them both a job if we didn''t have an exclusivity policy!¡±


    ¡°You can have the czarite, I''ll have the guy. Just need to break the iron-clad policies!¡± The bunny laughed, relaxing a little. ¡°Say, I wonder what happened to their friend?¡±


    ¡°Hold up. My lude senses are tingling...¡± Mina''s ears shot up and she looked back at the shop that Diego and Seeth had just entered, standing on her tiptoes to peer through the glass.


    In the shop, Seeth was browsing through several racks of skimpy clothes, getting a little annoyed at the fact that they were all Roamer sized and thus wouldn''t fit her at all, but she spotted a series of dressing rooms at the back of the shop. There was only a single girl sitting at the front desk, currently flicking through a magazine and not paying the pair very much attention at all. She felt an urge grip her tightly and hatched her own little plan to get a taste of her man.


    Grabbing several items of clothing from the rack, she slung them over her shoulder and got Diego''s attention by clicking her fingers.


    *** Hazard Warning \\\-/// Level GREEN \\\-/// Caution Advised***


    ¡°Hey hun, can you help me try these on? I think some might fit...¡±


    Diego raised an eyebrow but quietly slinked off towards the dressing rooms with her as he picked up on her mischievous vibes.


    At the front of the shop, Mina ducked her head in the door, seeing the tail of Diego disappearing behind a curtain of a changing room, she decided to do the couple a solid and grabbed the attention of the clerk.


    ¡°Hey Debs, I got something I need your opinion on, can you hop out for a few minutes? I''ll get one of my girls to watch your shop if you want?¡±


    ¡°Hey Mina, sure. Be out now.¡± She folded her magazine neatly and popped out, leaving the shop unattended with just one of Mina''s girl''s standing out front.


    I hope they don''t take too long. Not sure I can buy enough time for a deluxe fuck.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    In the back of the changing room, Seeth pulled the curtain across and knelt down, leaving very little room between the two. She unclasped her mask and let out a gasp as the rubber seal popped and the smell of her man filled her mouth, the two were face to face and upon realising it, they both flushed red with excitement and lust.


    ¡°I-is this a good idea...? What if we -¡±


    ¡°Fuck my face.¡±


    Diego felt the bulge in his pants twitch strongly at her words.


    ¡°Bu- Seeth... What if we corrup-¡± He was clearly a little nervous as he briefly peaked out of the curtain to see if anyone was watching, but he felt her press a finger against his lips.


    ¡°Shhh... I''m not removing my clothes or getting my dick out. We''re not going to expose anyone to anything dangerous. I want you to get your cock out and thrust it into my waiting mouth until you cum and then I''m going to swallow it all. We''re not going to leave a trace.¡± Her words were followed with a slow, purposeful lick of her plump, plum coloured lips, sliding her tongue against her soft mouth and mouthing the words with perfect exaggerated pronunciation: ¡°Fuck. My. Mouth. Please.¡± Biting her lip afterwards with pleading eyes that stared into his soul.


    He couldn''t resist an offer like that. Who could.


    Unbelting his pants, his cock rocketed out fully erect already, begging for her attention and she kneeled down as low as possible to bring her head level with it. Pursing her plump lips together, she placed them at the very tip of his cock, giving it a loving kiss but then waited.


    ¡°What are you waiting for, Diego? Permission?¡± She mused at him, staring up with her gorgeous, slightly heterochromatic violet eyes.


    ¡°I thought you were gonna blow me...?¡±


    ¡°Sweetie boy, I didn''t say that. I said - Fuck. My. Face. Imagine my mouth is a pussy for the next few minutes. Grab my head and fuck it like you''re trying to put a baby in it.¡± She resumed her position, glossy lips pursed and staring up at him lovingly, the spotlight of the changing room making the colour of her eyes pop and glisten even more than usual.


    ¡°Good god you''re hot, Seeth...¡±


    He did as he was told, grabbing the sides of her head and slowly sliding the length of his cock inside her mouth, her soft lips accepting the intruder, caressing his length and pressing down to the base of his manhood, kissing the hilt as he pushed in. All eight inches swallowed without a hint of fuss from her, she didn''t even blink as his balls rested against her chin, soft and warm on her skin.


    Gloriously warm and gooey, she was sucking on him as he slowly pulled his length out, leading to a loud pop as he pulled it free, to which both of them giggled gently.


    ¡°Just¡­ tap me if you need a breath, yeah?¡± His one hand grabbing a handful of her jelly dreadlocks and the other holding onto her neck. She winked at him and leaned a little further forward, eager for another taste of her man, her breath hot and heavy, warming the skin of his dick and he happily obliged her to another taste of his prick.


    Thrusting his hips forward, she ate up all eight inches of his girthy cock and sighed in pleasure as she felt him begin to piston back and forth, the feeling of this thick meat sliding against her tongue and cheeks was pleasurable in its own right... Picking up pace as he thrusted deep into her face and throat, his cock fully coated in dark pink slime that made the mouth fuck a beautifully slick and satisfying experience for both of them.


    He felt an intense pleasure build as he worked his way up to a climax, now fully thrusting in and out of Seeth''s mouth like it was a fresh hot pussy begging to be bred, she remained still the entire time, moaning in pleasure which made his meat vibrate and led to even more pleasure, her eyes rolling back as just the thought of Diego using her like this gave her a shudder of ecstasy. She kept the pressure on, lips sealed around his cock, ensuring no fluid or slime escaped her maw and enhancing her man''s experience as he worked his hips back and forth in the limited space they had. His grip remained firm on her hair and neck, ensuring his fuck-hole was locked in place whilst he had his fun.


    Pistoning back and forth, her lips rolled up and down the full length of his cock over and over again, her warm, gooey mouth and silky soft, plump lips were just begging for him to dump his load in her throat, teasing him out of his seed. Looking down and seeing those huge gorgeous eyes of hers staring up at him, that perfectly sculpted face, it was enough to push him over the edge.


    He came hard, thrusting deep and pulling her head in at the same time, the massive alien gave another louder moan in delight as she felt pleasant warmth filling her throat as he shot several creamy loads into her mouth. She swallowed every millilitre without a second thought, letting his thick meat rest in her maw for a few seconds as he regained his breath.


    He pulled back and let his slate coloured member pop free of her mouth, happy with the attention but Seeth was infatuated with his cock still, and she planted wet kisses across its length, letting her tongue dance and roll across its tip and ensure that every drop of his seed was eaten up by her. She cleaned it from tip to base, licking up every drop of fluid and inspecting his length to ensure it was healthy and well loved. Finally, she pushed her face right up against his balls, allowing his dick to rest against her face as she pressed her supple, silky lips against his sack, holding them close with a single hand and giving them a series of slow, wet and sensual kisses, leaving them feeling warm, loved and fulfilled as she pulled back.


    ¡°When we get back to the ship, I want that inside me and I want those balls of yours dumping their load in my ass. And then I want to be inside you... That was...¡± She moaned again, biting her lip and rubbing her hands over his body, gently squeezing his muscles. ¡°That was good. It¡¯s helped with the urges actually. I wasn¡¯t sure it would, seeing as I haven''t fucked anything...¡± She pondered to herself briefly before looking up with a deeply contented smile. ¡°But it did.¡± The warmth in her throat was spreading pleasantly through her chest and abdomen and a great feeling of contentment tingled throughout her body and over her skin, looking into her man''s gorgeous eyes and watching him as he sighed in deep satisfaction.


    As she stood however, her own dick was quick to remind the pair of its existence and stood to attention, pressing against the latex overall and clearly visible, throbbing and pushing up against Diego''s chest.


    *** Hazard Warning \\\-/// Level GREEN \\\-/// Advisory End***


    ¡°Oh dear... You''d better leave me in here for a bit for this to calm down¡­ Any chance you''d fit into any of these outfits though...?¡± Seeth fitted the gas mask back over her face and pointed Diego towards the several school-girl and maid outfits she''d grabbed and hung at the back of the room. Diego raised an eyebrow and slowly shook his head.


    ¡°Uhh¡­ Maybe if you''re lucky, for a special occasion? I am not dressing up like a maid on a regular basis.¡±


    ¡°Didn''t think so, but there''s no harm in asking, is there?¡± Seeth grinned. ¡°You did say ¡®special occasions¡¯ though, which isn''t exactly a no now, is it? Mhmmph, I can picture you now, dressed up and taking my dick like a good little slut - Oh fuck, I gotta stop! This is getting out of hand!¡± Seeth shook her head vigorously; there was no way in hell her arousal would drop if she continued to think of such things.


    The lizard peered around the curtain to see the shop attendant coming back to her station and sitting at the till again, retrieving her magazine and kicking her legs up onto the counter.


    ¡°I''ll give you a few minutes. Fancy a stroll through the non-adult mall? Might help keep your brain off things until we get back? ¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sounds good! I''ll meet you out front.¡±


    Leaving Seeth behind, Diego''s mind leapt to what she just suggested and he slowly browsed through the rack of clothes, looking for something that might fit him.


    There''s no way in hell I''m doing the school-girl outfit, but maybe I could maid it up... Hmm. Fuck it. Could be fun.


    He spied one that might work, complete with white frills, laces and sultry black body and pulled the outfit out from the rack, brought it to the front desk and laid it down. He was unusually shy as he spoke to the cashier, with just a hint of pink flushing through his cheeks.


    ¡°Any chance you could hold onto this for me? We''ll be back later to pay for it.¡±


    *


    ¡°Holy hell, this is a lot more than I expected! Looks like you dragged half a reactor down here!¡± The man wiped his brow with an oily cloth and looked at the industrial sized pull cart with a mixture of awe and fear.


    ¡°You can pay?¡± Plasia towered over the man, staring down at him from behind the lenses of the mask, her organs itching to reach out and grab him¡­ but she kept it together, knowing what was around the corner for her.


    ¡°Yeah, that''s not an issue, I just gotta figure out how much this is all worth. Don''t wanna short change you.¡± He stepped out from behind the rusting workbench and began to examine the piled up equipment, pulling a worn notepad from his breast pocket and scribbling some notes.


    ¡°Can I just check, this stuff was spare, right? Half of this equipment is vital for a ship to run and if you''ve just gone and pulled it out willy-nilly, well, you''ll need it back.¡±


    ¡°IT''S FINE!¡± Plasia snarled from under the mask, looking around to see if anyone was about, it appeared to be just them. ¡°Sorry. Hungry.¡±


    The guy recoiled a little, but then continued his inspection of the equipment, keeping a close eye on the masked giant.


    ¡°Sure... My wife gets cranky when she''s hungry too. How fast do you need the money? I can draw you up a proper price for this lot but it''ll take me an hour or so, or I can do a rough but fair estimate now.¡± He scribbled a figure on the notepad and showed it to her. The alien nodded enthusiastically.


    ¡°Rough is good, yes.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty, as long as you promise not to come down here later and raze hell cuz you think I short changed you. Lemme go sort the payment out.¡±


    He ducked off behind another work bench and into a separate room and could be heard searching through some drawers. Plasia surveyed the room and noticed some cameras in the corners, but they didn''t seem to be on from what she could tell.


    ¡°Cameras broken?¡±


    ¡°Only in here. It¡¯s fine, we don''t get much crime. The boys here are a solid bunch of lads and I know I can trust them.¡± The man raised his voice to talk back from inside the storage room.


    ¡°Alone now...?¡± Plasia asked, creeping towards the door, feeling her urges build.


    ¡°Uh... yeah, the guys are on lunch. Hey, look, I get that you''re a bit different but you can''t be asking people if they''re alone after you''ve just asked about the security cameras, that''s weird. People are gonna think you''re up to something.¡±


    The words had a sterilising effect on her. The note from earlier shunted to the front of her mind and she snapped herself out of her haze, stepping back from the door and back towards the salvage. After a few more seconds, the man emerged, with a pistol now noticeably holstered to his hip and a large bag of cash in his right hand.


    ¡°Are you... scared of me...?¡± Plasia queried, tilting her head slightly, trying to appear smaller by hunching her shoulders together awkwardly.


    ¡°Ma''am, you''re four times the size of me, wearing a gas mask to protect the denizens here, and asking if I''m alone. It''s a little troubling, if I''m honest. I''ve taken some steps to protect myself, but providing you''re just a bit... well, weird and not say, dangerous, then we''re all good. How does this look?¡± He held out the weighty bag of money to her and she grabbed it from him carefully, making sure to not appear any more threatening.


    ¡°Good! I am just weird... Fastest way to adult wing?¡±


    ¡°The adult wing? Oh, is that where you''re from? I thought the mask was a health and safety thing, but maybe it¡¯s just a sex thing after all... Take the corridor to your right out the main entrance, follow the signs, should take you straight there rather than going through the mall.¡±


    ¡°Will leave you now. Thank you.¡± She forced the gratitude out of her trembling body, which was only urging her to take rash decisions that would impede her plan.


    Plasia spun on the spot and marched away from the Salvage Depot before the man could respond. He stared at her in bewilderment as she disappeared through the main entrance.


    She knew exactly where she was going next, though. She cared not for the random looks from passersby, but instead kept a very close eye out for her other half¡¯s little crew; it was imperative that they didn''t spot her.


    She took the most secluded route she could, following the man''s instructions and eventually wound up back at the adult wing. She approached carefully, her predator¡¯s eyes darting around to ensure that the others weren''t around as she marched right up to the combined entrance of ¡°Mina''s Proud Whores¡± and ¡°The Warrens,¡± where both Mina and Tani were gossiping about their day.


    ¡°Oh, hey! Tani! Look at that, the other czarite just turned up! She''s coming over too!¡±


    Plasia¡¯s breathing became more frantic from under the mask as her urges kicked in hard, an animalistic magnetism was drawing every fibre of her being towards them with a potency that was unmatched.


    ¡°How much for services?¡± Her barely contained lust was beginning to crack through the thin veneer of normality she''d so crudely crafted together.


    ¡°Straight to business huh? Don''t blame you! Your friends were super nice earlier so I''ll do you a discount if you want! What were you after?¡±


    ¡°Sex. Want to cum inside.¡±


    ¡°See, Tani would charge you extra for that but not at Mina''s, it''ll be seven dies for a girl of your choosing with that glorious cream pie finish.¡± Mina was laying her sales routine on thick, but it was quickly becoming obvious to her that it really wasn''t required.


    ¡°Seven dies...? How many girls?¡±


    The comment took Mina off guard slightly.


    ¡°One ain''t enough? Eh, I don''t suppose it would be looking at you! I got forty-five girls in total, you can have as many as you want, no discounts for bulk buying though.¡±


    ¡°I want all of them. Now.¡± A deep, lustful growl rumbled out from beneath the gas mask.


    ¡°All of them?!¡± Mina''s jaw dropped and she started to pull her crew together. ¡°Not being funny but that''s a lot of bodies! You sure you''re gonna get your money''s worth? Y-you''re gonna cream pie forty-five goblins?! Hell, have you even got the money?!¡± There were so many questions, but the massive alien kept the conversation pushing forward.


    Plasia slammed the bag she was carrying onto Mina''s stand, silver and golden dies spilling out as she did so.


    ¡°Holy shit, I guess you do! You were right, Tani! She IS a rich freak!¡± Mina and Tani were looking at one another and back to Plasia, a cocktail of feelings coursing through them. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you got what it takes! I''ll make it fun; you finish in every goblin I got and I''ll knock half the price off.¡±


    ¡°How much for the bunnies?!¡± Plasia''s voice was quaking, a bulge rising and pressing tightly against her groin.


    ¡°T-twelve a piece for an h-hour! I-I got sixteen girls and three guys!¡± Tani was shaking on the spot, rapidly switching her vision between Plasia and Mina, trying to make sense of the situation.


    ¡°Them too! All of them.¡±


    ¡°You''re buying out both houses?!?¡± Tani couldn''t believe what she was hearing and struggled to pick her jaw up. ¡°Holy shit, Mina! We''re gonna make an absolute killing here!¡±


    ¡°I want you both, too. Bring everyone.¡±


    ¡°O-of course! Come on in!¡± Tani dashed into the club to immediately gather her people up whilst Mina escorted Plasia into the back rooms of the club, picking out the biggest room for her. Giddy excitement rolled through the room as the massive alien strode in, and the stage was set.


    A wicked grin spread over Plasia''s face as she strode into the room and she began to unzip her outfit. A whole squad of eager goblins licked their lips and waited for their turn behind her.


    They had no idea what was about to unfold.

 Chapter 6 - Connections

    ***Present Day***


    The gentle clinking of chains accompanied the occasional, low, soft groan of male pleasure, and the sound of fumbling, turning pages. The hastily cobbled together lab within the freighter''s many decks only had two occupants today and was otherwise quiet, chosen by Leech as her place of study for that exact reason; not even the gentle hum of the ship''s reactor could be heard here.


    Sitting at a large makeshift desk that was covered in loose papers, reports and other discoveries, she leaned down against her left elbow, resting her chin in her palm as she absorbed the details of the documents strewn about the desk. She strained in deep concentration as her eyes scanned the pages.


    Tracking these guys is a nightmare, their ship runs so lean that its emission trail is getting impossible to trace. It was fine in low traffic areas, but now we''ve chased them to a moderately patrolled section of nomad space, there''s too much background radiation from the other ships. Its fucking great that Moltezz wants to hunt them down, but we don''t know where the hell they''ve gone now!


    Leech sighed loudly, licking her right palm thoroughly and then returning it back to its original position, loosely clasped around the erect penis of the chained up timber wolf male, Venter, who hung next to her like a trophy. A soft jerking motion continued with her hand now more loosely lubed up with her jade green saliva, gliding back and forth with a surprising grace considering her attention was completely elsewhere.


    There were¡­ things in these documents that didn''t even make sense to her, and with her old lab out of commission, she was further away from the answers than ever.


    Does she know she can''t be detected by machinery? Watching over that footage from my lab, it was an absolute joke, I looked like I was getting pummelled by a fucking ghost! The only material that exhibits that property is Shadowmire... It even applies to the clothes she wears and things she carries on her! It should be impossible¡­ I''m also a-hundred-percent certain that Moltezz''s psyonic potency increased when she was corru-


    Venter let out a breathy moan, pulling Leech out of her thoughts. She spun her head around and shot him daggers, ceasing her motion over his manhood and snapping his attention to her instantly.


    ¡°Venter. Do not make me regret having you here. I''m spinning some thoughts out and I need you to be absolutely silent.¡±


    She waited for him to make the mistake of verbally agreeing, but he appeared to be a little wiser than that, and merely nodded from his restraints.


    ¡°Good pup. You can help me brainstorm later, but I want silence now.¡±


    The room fell deathly quiet again and Leech resumed her thought session. She licked her fingers on her left hand to flick through paper easier, and her right palm again to add more slip to her dissociative hand-job. Once more, only the shuffling of paper and the gentle wet motion of her hand disturbed the muted lab.


    Try as she might, she couldn''t keep her thoughts on the notes in front of her. She huffed louder this time, squeezing the dick in her hand and prompting a slight whimper from the wolf.


    How could she just up and leave me like that? Did I really make her that unhappy? Why didn''t she say? Why didn''t she feel like she could tell me? I thought I had what I wanted but... Eh. I can have more. I will have more. Ambition is what we need, Moltezz gets that. I think Ink gets that too.


    Her grip loosened slightly, and Venter relaxed a little. He looked like was trying his damnedest to keep something in.


    Speaking of which - I have Ink now! She''s hot as fuck! Loyal too! Moltezz is already recovering her strength and we''re up about eighteen-thousand more bodies than we were before, we''re building momentum and I should have every reason to feel confident¡­ But I can''t help but feel that having that fucking lizard as an enemy is going to be more trouble than its worth¡­ And yet¡­


    I can''t figure out if I actually like him or not.


    Her thoughts were disturbed again as she felt a warm blob appear on her left hand, drawing her out of her haze to reveal several milky white, gooey blobs on her hand and over the table. She stared forward in disbelief and then slowly craned her head towards Venter, holding her hands out as if to ask him to explain what had just happened.


    Before she could speak, however, a digital clock caught her eye in the background; what had felt like only a few seconds had actually been several minutes, and her face softened.


    ¡°I was about to kick off at you then for only lasting a couple minutes, but that would be factually incorrect of me. But did you have to cum over the papers?¡±


    ¡°Y-you positioned me. It''s not like I had much choice in the matter.¡± Venter retorted in a slight burst of confidence.


    ¡°Ehh, a true enough statement. I will still need to punish you though. Does that seem fair?¡±


    ¡°Not really; but I wouldn¡¯t dare challenge your authority.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, it''ll be fun.¡± Her words caused a bright red blush to shadow the man''s face.


    Leech stood abruptly from the desk and grabbed the chains from above, unhooking him from the rigging and carrying him one handed, like a proud fisherman with her catch of the day. Her urges were rising again and needed addressing, but as she went to leave the lab, something else grabbed her attention.


    She paused in the middle of the floor, her eyes darting from one corner to the other, a deep frown creasing her brow.


    ¡°Leech...? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh, now this... this is interesting.¡±


    *


    Having moved on from the adult wing, Diego and Seeth now found themselves alone on the observation deck. Spotless tiles under foot, empty benches and a huge curved glass wall that allowed the vast visage of space to be viewed directly were all that surrounded them, and it was wonderful.


    ¡°Glad to be away from the crowds, I could feel their eyes on me all day.¡± Seeth pulled at the clasps on her mask and removed it gently, placing it by her side as the two picked a bench to sit on, and cuddled up together.


    ¡°Too right. How are you finding your urges at the moment?¡±


    ¡°Bearable.¡± She smiled warmly at him, squeezing him close. ¡°All thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°Good, I¡¯m glad! I wanted to ask, how does it feel when they come on? Is it hard to resist?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure I should say.¡± Seeth sighed dramatically, staring out over the cosmic ocean in front of them. The stars glimmering against the void always made for a pretty, if humbling sight.


    ¡°Why not? How can I help you if I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re dealing with?¡± Diego shuffled a little closer to her, enjoying the cool temperature of her body.


    ¡°I have two issues with sharing it directly with you. One, I¡¯m a little apprehensive about letting you in, in case you think I''m even more of a monster than I already am¡­ Two, I don¡¯t want you to feel sorry for me and ruin our sex.¡±


    Diego broke the cuddle gently and guided her to look him in the eyes, squeezing her hands as he went to respond.


    ¡°I can understand that. Being uncomfortable revealing things about yourself in case you let a bit too much of your inner demons out and scare the other person off. I get it¡­ I don¡¯t get the other bit about spoiling the sex, though; what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, If I tell you what it feels like, you might be inclined to make exceptions for me, to bang me because you¡¯re worried about my urges rather than because you want to. I don¡¯t want that. I don¡¯t want you to feel pressured into that because you¡¯re worried about me¡­ or anyone else for that matter.¡± She twisted away from him, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes but she stifled them back with a sharp breath.


    ¡°I see¡­ Look, Seeth... Part of this trust between us is you trusting me to be able to speak up for myself and make my own decisions. You¡¯re not going to steamroll over my own wants and needs by just telling me your problems, especially after I asked you first! But I want to know what it''s like in your shoes so I can understand what you¡¯re going through and so I know how to help you.¡± He spoke in a calm tone, his face written with concern and care for her.


    ¡°A-are you sure? I¡¯m just¡­ I want to get this right, more than anything I¡¯ve ever wanted before.¡±


    ¡°Hundred percent. I¡¯m asking you - you¡¯re not forcing anything upon me. And if you¡¯re not comfortable doing that, I understand and I¡¯ll wait until you are. But if you¡¯re just worried about twisting me up, don¡¯t be. And if I do feel different about it afterwards, that¡¯s on me, not you. I asked.¡±


    She nodded slowly, her shoulders relaxing visibly as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.


    ¡°It¡¯s a constant ache. Anytime I¡¯m around someone who isn¡¯t corrupted, I get this feeling inside me. It''s like a cross between hunger and an itch and it builds over time, even if no one is around. You know when you have an itch somewhere on your skin? Have you ever tried to not scratch it for as long as you can, and it starts to drive you mad? Eventually it''s all you can think about and you just battle with it, trying to resist it as long as you can¡­ It feels like that, but it''s coating every organ I have, it''s inside my bones, inside my veins, inside my brain. But the relief I get when it''s sated, when I do get to couple with someone who isn¡¯t already corrupted¡­ T-there''s nothing like it. It''s like every itch gets scratched at the same time in the most perfect way possible, every inch of my body sighs in relief when it happens. It''s why I was surprised earlier when having some fun with you helped. I mean, I wanted more, but it made the itch go away without needing it scratched¡­ I haven¡¯t experienced that before.¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°That sounds¡­ agonising, Seeth. So you just being on this space station is a constant pressure on you? How long does relieving the itch make it go away for?¡±


    ¡°When we do it, it gives me around six to twelve hours of relief before it starts building again. It would be torture without you here. And not just because of the itch¡­ ¡±


    Diego leaned forward, his eyes running over her form. They¡¯re all cursed, aren¡¯t they? She¡¯s going through hell just existing around people without some form of relief; no wonder her ex-cohorts are doing what they¡¯re doing. He thought to himself, watching her shyly rub her arm and stare into space. He threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna look after you, Seeth. I promise. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°So I haven¡¯t scared you off¡­?¡±


    ¡°Me? Never. Provided you don¡¯t start calling me Daddy-Diego on a regular basis, I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    They shared an emotional giggle, Seeth leaning onto his head, and that pleasant warmth spread through her chest and skin again.


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ve done to deserve you, my little lizard hero, but I''m so glad you found me.¡±


    ¡°Ah shush, I¡¯m no hero. Maybe I¡¯m just dating you for your boobs.¡±


    ¡°Being honest, Diego¡­ if you¡¯re just dating me for those, you¡¯re a dumbass, there¡¯s girls with big enough busts out there that have a lot less problems than me. The problem to boob ratio is way off.¡±


    ¡°Never claimed to be a smart guy either.¡± He shrugged, smirking at her.


    ¡°Just promise me one more thing.¡± She turned serious again, feeling for his hand. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll let me look after you too? If you need anything from me, whether it''s space from me, or Plasia, or attention, or help or - or anything, anything at all, that you¡¯ll give me the chance to help you.¡± She turned back to face him, touching his cheek and slowly stroking his ear. ¡°I want you to lean on me as much as I lean on you.¡±


    ¡°I promise. We¡¯re in this together.¡± He spoke with such sincerity, clasping her hands tightly and staring deep into her eyes. When he spoke in that tone, it made her feel like she could achieve anything.


    ¡°Together.¡± She pressed a wet, long kiss against his forehead, leaving a tingly purple patch on his skin. They held each-other close, staring longingly into the others eyes and just basking in their appreciation for one another. ¡°C''mon you, we should go find Plasia. I''m starving.¡±


    *


    Sat uncomfortably on a bench within the main lobby of the space station, Oxyi leant forward intensely, leg bobbing up and down anxiously, foot tapping on the tiles loudly as she pressed her fingers against her cheeks.


    ¡°I don''t like this, Geralt. She''s up to something. Where the hell even is Plasia!? It''s been over two hours already, surely selling salvage doesn''t take that long... I thought she had most of it ready to go!¡±


    The feline man sat next to her and passed her a thick, foil covered wrap, placing a bag full of identical wraps on the floor next to him.


    ¡°W-where did you get those? I thought we didn''t have any money?¡± Oxyi''s anxiety was briefly swept away by confusion.


    ¡°I know a few peeps down here, told them a little about what was up, so they gave me some food for everyone. I''m sure it''s fine, Plasia said she''ll be fine as long as Leech isn''t around. I don''t get the feeling she was lying.¡± Geralt shrugged, unwrapping and taking a bite out of his wrap. ¡°We can go check the ship if you want?¡±


    Oxyi twitched on the spot, feeling a sudden drop in her stomach as she noticed a crowd building. Shocked gasps and nervous chattering filled the mall. More and more people began to notice, pacing over to have a look at whatever was grabbing the attention of the others. Oxyi stood without saying a word, the air stinging her nose as she inhaled sharply. Geralt followed immediately, grabbing the food and running up to her.


    Please be something stupid, please be something stupid, please be something stupid - Oxyi pleaded internally, her limbs stiff and cold. She pushed her way through the crowd that was rapidly gathering in the main lobby and eventually caught sight of what was grabbing everyone''s attention.


    In the centre of the room, slowly shambling forward, a naked doe made her way shakily across the cold tiles, leaving sticky blue footprints behind her. Her lower half was caked thickly in neon blue slime, dripping down her thighs and soaking into her fur. She stood awkwardly, hands balled up and arms curling around her body, almost like she was giving herself a hug. Her eyes were glazed over purple with colourful blue specks within them, and she seemed to be looking around the station, but not paying any attention to the crowd gathered around her.


    Some were shielding their eyes from the naked woman, others were staring in astonishment, but all kept their distance, forming a fixed ring around her as she half-limped further into the centre of the mall.


    Oxyi felt the blood drain from her face as she recognised the condition. As Geralt appeared behind her, the rabbit turned and looked at them, her face cold and empty but it was obvious to everyone that she appeared to recognise him.


    The lioness reached for her combat knife, but felt a firm hand on her shoulder as several security guards showed up, along with the white rat, Venner, who rapidly approached the rabbit and slapped a pair of handcuffs on her.


    ¡°Can''t wait to hear about what made you think it was appropriate to wander out here naked, dripping some sort of glow lube everywhere.¡± Venner looked more bemused than anything else as she addressed the rabbit.  ¡°Ugh. Cmon! In a cell for a few hours whilst you come down from whatever the hell you''ve taken.¡± She glanced up at Oxyi and Geralt. ¡°You two, come with me, now. We need to talk about one of your giant czarites.¡±


    ¡°Where... am... I?¡± The rabbit gurgled as she spoke, slow and unnerving, the crowd going deathly silent as she did so.


    ¡°You''re in the middle of the mall...? How many drugs have you taken?!¡±


    ¡°Where... am... I...?¡± She asked again, slightly more forcefully, the crowd began to back off.


    ¡°Uh... Bar-¡±


    ¡°NO! DON''T TELL HER!¡± Oxyi yelled, charging forward towards the pair, a few guards jumped to attention and grabbed Oxyi by the arms, pulling her back away from Venner and the rabbit. ¡°I - I can''t explain quickly but you can''t tell her!¡±


    ¡°I don''t think I care much for any of this. Take them all back to the fifth floor, see if you can find the others that arrived with them.¡± Venner shook her head, unimpressed. ¡°As for you, rabbit, you can read a sign, can''t you?¡± The rat pointed her thumb over her shoulder and then walked around the rabbit, pushing her forward towards the stairs.


    The rabbit¡¯s head cocked awkwardly, her long ears rising as she stared at the information sign just outside the doorway to the ship docks, reading ¡°Barru X¡± with the station¡¯s coordinates located firmly below. She stared at the sign, transfixed by its details until she was made to walk out of its line of sight.


    It took only a few minutes for the rabbit, Oxyi and Geralt to be escorted by the guard squad to the fifth floor. Its main glass doors opened into a large lobby, with a white and gold humanoid statue in the centre, posing with what looked like a real, if oversized metal sword in a stalwart fashion.


    The rabbit was quickly pushed into a waiting cell, the barred door drawn across quickly as she was forced inside. Geralt and Oxyi were guided into Venner''s office, a decent sized room with a large computer terminal with several CCTV screens hooked up to it and an ornate looking desk with another smaller computer and some scattered paperwork on it. They took a seat on the stools provided and watched Venner sit in her much comfier looking chair and sigh loudly.


    ¡°I should be arresting you two really, but I figured I''d try the gentle approach first. You don''t seem like the evil type, so let''s try this from the top shall we? One of your czarite''s has been giving me quite the headache.¡±


    ¡°W-w-what''s happened? What have you found?¡± Oxyi edged forward on her chair, listening intently and watching the rat¡¯s every movement.


    ¡°What have I found? It''s what I haven''t found that''s getting me worked up!¡±


    The lioness felt another pit in her stomach but for a different reason than previously. I absolutely cannot shake the feeling that Venner is playing us. She focused back into the conversation, weighing up what Venner was saying, versus her body language.


    ¡°Why the hell didn''t you tell us that the purple one can''t be seen on cameras?! I''ve been watching that lizard walk around with his arm wrapped around nothing! She''s completely invisible! There is no bit of kit I''ve got that picks her up. She could be up to anything!¡±


    ¡°T-that''s what you''re worried about?¡± Oxyi did her best to stifle her surprise at Venner''s concerns as the rat continued to look cool and collected.


    ¡°Look, I want you two and a couple of my boys to bring her here along with her lover-boy, so I can put a tracking chip on her whilst she''s about the station. I''ll deal with the drugged up rabbit, we don''t usually have much fuss from the adult wing so it''s a bit unusual, but I''m sure it''s nothing to worry about. You do that for me, and I won''t arrest any of you.¡±


    ¡°There''s nothing else you''re concerned about...?¡±


    ¡°Well. We''re gonna have a chat with this naked girl and make sure she''s okay. She''ll spend the night in the cell and we''ll take her back to ¡°The Warrens.¡± I''ll have a little talk with Tani, too. Don''t really want this to happen again.¡± Venner continued to pick at her fingers.


    Oxyi''s eyes narrowed as she stared the rat down. Venner nervously broke eye contact after a few seconds.


    ¡°Go on, get to it! I want the lizard and his invisible alien here, ASAP!¡± The rat huffed, pulling a drawer open in her desk.


    ¡°Right... we''ll be on our way then. Be careful with that girl in there, she looks a little messed up to me.¡± Oxyi stood from the chair, speaking with a lot more confidence than before, and placed a hand firmly on Geralt''s shoulder. He had been sat in stark silence, trying his best to figure out what the hell was going on.


    Two large guards, well armed and armoured, stood at the entrance to the office. As they approached, Oxyi leaned into Geralt''s ear and whispered as quietly as she could.


    ¡°We''re getting played. I told her about how the corruption spreads, and a rabbit walks out of the adult wing looking like that, and she doesn''t care?! Why aren''t they looking for Plasia?! We need to find Seeth and Diego and tell them what''s going on, if they don''t know already. Just keep your wits about you... I don''t like this one bit. Little rat bitch!¡±


    Back in the office, Venner closed the blinds across her glass walls and locked her door. The room darkened as a call came through on her computer. She grabbed her communicator and popped it into her ear.


    A blue ¡°I¡± appeared in the middle of the screen, and a distorted male voice came through her ear piece.


    ¡°Have you done what I said?¡± He asked gruffly, voice crackling loudly in her ear.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Venner whispered, despite the office being sound proof. Her tail twitched nervously. ¡°Y-you''re putting my entire station at risk. She''s gotten into ¡°The Warrens¡± at the very least... How dangerous are these things?¡±


    ¡°Standard small arms fire should put them down, it''s the czarites you need to worry about. I wouldn''t advise CQC against them but everything else is easy pickings for an experienced crew.¡±


    ¡°I... I... Is this the only way...?¡± Her voice wobbled, a single tear rolling down her cheek.


    ¡°Don''t lose your nerve now, Venner. You''ve sacrificed this much for him, you just need to go a little further, and I''ll get him out and back to you.¡± The voice softened. ¡°He''s struggling without you, Venner. I don''t know how much longer he''ll last in there if we don''t get him out.¡±


    ¡°Please don''t... I don''t want to know -¡± She stuttered harder, tears starting to flow freely from her eyes.


    ¡°He''s only a little guy, Venner. Do you really think he''ll be able to stand up for himself for much longer?¡± The voice pressed harder.


    ¡°I -¡±


    ¡°Not much meat on his bones, but they''ll still eat him. There''s only so long he can evade that fate, Venner. He needs -¡±


    ¡°Alright! I get it! Stop! Just... What else do I need to do...?¡±

 Chapter 7 - Operational Error

    Sitting quietly within his darkened office, the security guard relaxed into his chair, sighing gently as he stared at the numerous screens in front of him. Each one showed the quiet, inactive corridors of the long stay wing; the many long corridors, the potted plants dotted along the halls, and numbered doors designed to look akin to planet-side hotels. Built from cheap lumber, each plain brown door could have anywhere between one and five guests behind it. The corridors had an eerie quietness to them -the carpet muffled the noise from those strutting along its lengths.


    This was a far cry away from the hustle of the mall. The people who came here were looking for somewhere quiet to get away from it all, or to just get some work done from their personal computers, in their own space. This was not the sort of place you¡¯d see any security problems, or any kind of excitement at all and really. Its paltry security force was more a formality than anything else, more used to dealing with minor disputes and lost luggage than any sort of violence.


    It paid well enough, but it was damn boring work.


    The guard sighed again, another shift, another twelve hours of staring at screens and watching absolutely nothing happen. Taking a sip from his coffee, he leaned back into the chair, the fabric creaking slightly under his weight. The security office was small, even with only himself present inside, the other guards were relaxing in the break room, as they tended to between the odd patrol.


    A pair of knuckles rasped against the door to the office. The security guard slowly spun around in his chair, facing away from the screens, coffee still in hand.


    ¡°Come in!¡±


    The door pushed open and revealed a tall bunny female with brilliant white fur, perfect emerald eyes surrounded with black sclera, and a sensual figure; it looked like it was trying to pop free of her shirt and black miniskirt.


    ¡°T-Tani...? Is that you...? You look different!¡± The guard stumbled over his words, eyes zooming all over her features and figure. ¡°W-What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Mind if I come in, sweet pea? Thought you might be bored.¡±


    ¡°Sure, come on in. You can say that again, sometimes I just wish something would happen in this place, every day is exactly the same!¡±


    She strode forward confidently, hips swinging subtly from side to side. There was no denying it, she was a lot taller than the last time he''d seen her. She pushed his chair back around to face the screens and leaned over him from behind. The guard¡¯s skin tingled as he felt her breath dance over him and warm his back.


    ¡°It''s a little quiet down my way too... who''s about tonight?¡± She pushed her hands onto his shoulders and began to rub his muscles and neck.


    ¡°Me, Darel, K.T, a couple of newer guys, they''ve just come back from patrol so they''ll be relaxing now. Gotta say Tani, I like this new goth look you''re rocking. Are those contacts in your eyes?¡±


    ¡°Yeah... Glad you like ''em!¡± She stared at the screens, taking in any information she could. ¡°Say... do you wanna try something for me?¡±


    ¡°I''m on duty at the moment Tani, maybe in a few hours?¡±


    She spun his chair around and perched upon his lap, wiggling her hips as she put her arm around his shoulder.


    ¡°Oh I would never pull you away from your duties... I know how crazy things get here...¡± She giggled cutely and watched as he began to blush, his member beginning to harden as he felt her soft butt cheeks press gently against his legs. ¡°I just want you to try something me and Mina put together, and see how you feel then in a little bit? It''s nothing crazy, should be fun though!¡±


    The guard looked over, intrigued as he heard her pop the lid on a container, and she brought her hand up to his face, two of her fingers covered in thick, neon blue slime.


    ¡°Tani... if you''re planning on getting me riled up so I stop by later... I don''t really have the money right now...¡±


    ¡°Oh shush, I wouldn''t charge you this time if you did pop down after your shift... not after I''ve been winding you up! What kind of shrewd business woman do you take me for!?¡± She followed up her fack play of offence with a dramatic eye-roll.


    Before he could argue back too much, she brought her goo-covered fingers up to his mouth, tracing the edges of his lips before gently pushing them into his maw. He lapped up the goo, sucking on her fingers and making her giggle as she pulled them free, winking at him and wiggling around on his lap again.


    Quickly though, she pulled herself off him and made her way towards the door, making sure to sway her hips once more as she left.


    ¡°God dammit Tani... this shift cannot end fast enough... that stuff tasted kinda good, what was it?¡±


    ¡°Top secret. Can''t say.¡± She winked again, running a hand down one of her ears playfully before slowly closing the door behind her. ¡°See you soon!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, see you s-soon. I uh.. I feel kinda weird...¡±


    Like the drop of a guillotine, her playful expression ceased immediately upon turning away from the guard. She closed the door behind her quickly, grabbing the handle and twisting it sharply until the metal bent out of shape, sealing the door closed.


    ~ ¡°Camera''s will be off in a few minutes once Plasia''s goop kicks in, guards aren''t due to patrol for another couple of hours yet, but they''ll be easy pickings in the break room if you wanna get the jump on them. Waiting on your call.¡± ~


    ~ ¡°CORRUPT THEM ALL! SAVE SOME FRESH BODIES FOR ME! I AM LISTENING TO THEM TALK NOW, BAD-BAD-BAD-BAD, DRASTIC ACTION MAYBE-MAYBE?¡± ~


    *


    ¡°I am NOT letting you put a tracking chip on me; that is NOT the issue here!¡±


    Several worried looking guards were tip-toeing around Seeth as she argued loudly with Venner in the middle of the room, Diego standing to her one side, Geralt and Oxyi on the other.


    ¡°And what would you say is the issue here?¡± Venner stood defiant and calm, even with Seeth staring down at her.


    ¡°THAT!¡± Seeth pointed to the cell containing the corrupted rabbit, who was standing idly and staring at the group, eyes flittering between the different members, but mostly focusing on Seeth. Her ears twitching as the group spoke. ¡°She is feeding them information! This has already gone too far! Why aren''t you taking this seriously?! You need to round up your men and stop this! Or hell, we''ll do it!¡±


    ¡°What is there to stop? I don''t understand what you''re talking about. One drugged up prostitute is not a good enough reason to send the station into lock down.¡± The rat shook her head, placing her hands on her hips firmly.


    Before Seeth could retort, Oxyi spoke up, stepping forward towards Venner with a steely gaze.


    ¡°What did you do to her?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don''t know what you mean.¡± The two locked eyes.


    ¡°Yes, you do. You were eye fucking Plasia the moment we identified her to you, you knew what size equipment to give her and Seeth before they arrived - you''re screwing with us! You did something to Plasia!¡± Oxyi scowled, exhaling sharply through her nose.


    ¡°That is a staunch accusation, I''d suggest holding your tongue before you say something you regret.¡± Venner scowled back, feeling her thigh for her taser.


    ¡°I will not! You''re not taking this seriously! You''re putting the entire station at risk, and you''ve done something to one of our crew mates! I saw how you were looking at her! You wanted her in that specific room! Why would you care about that unless you were doing something to her in that room, specifically?!¡± Her thoughts and feelings had finally bubbled over and Oxyi shouted into the room. Some of the guards looked at her, and then at each other in concern.


    ¡°What the hell did you do to her?!¡± Diego hissed, stepping forward. The group was slowly advancing on Venner. The guards around the room went for their weapons, but hovered awkwardly, unsure of what to do.


    ¡°I didn''t do a god-damn thing! You''re the ones who brought her aboard the station! How am I responsible for any of it?!¡± Venner¡¯s cool composure broke as the group stared her down.


    ¡°Because of you, we need to execute that rabbit in the cell, and all the people she''s corrupted! How is Plasia staying twisted?! What did you do to her?!¡± Seeth raised her voice, her bellow causing several guards to shudder and point their weapons.


    ¡°E-execute?¡± Venner stumbled over her words, losing her aggression instantly. ¡°Wh-what do you mean? We can cure her, can''t we?!¡±


    ¡°No! It''s over, she''s already dead! She''s just a tool for the enemy now! As is everyone who''s been corrupted!¡± Seeth scowled, clenching her fists. ¡°I need to get into those brothels immediately! I can get them to kill themselves and stop this from growing out of control.¡±


    ¡°Is¡­ Is she right?¡± One of the guards piped up cautiously. The group¡¯s attention momentarily flickered over to him.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Diego replied, flatly.


    The atmosphere in the room dropped. They all turned to face the rabbit, who was staring back at all of them, open mawed and empty eyed.


    ¡°B-but she spoke... She spoke to me? She asked me where she was¡­¡± Venner looked at the group with guilt written all over her face, her tone drastically different to what it had been just a mere few seconds ago.


    ¡°She spoke...?¡± Seeth questioned, her mind suddenly racing.


    ¡°S-she asked where she was... I thought that would mean she was like... still with us?¡±


    ¡°Slaves do not speak. Please do not tell me you told her... please...¡±


    ¡°I pointed her towards the sign for the station.... I don''t understand why this is a problem?¡±


    The colour drained from Seeth''s face. Diego looked up at her as it dawned on him what this meant as well.


    ¡°You... you''ve given away our position... they''re coming - they''re fucking coming - You need to evacuate the entire station immediately!¡± Seeth looked around the room frantically, pulling a plan together in her head.


    ¡°Who is coming?!¡±


    ¡°The ones who started all of this...¡± Seeth turned to Diego, getting his attention with a sharp snap of her fingers. ¡°We cannot fight Moltezz on a space station, you saw what she was like planet-side, imagine that in a confined, pressurised container floating in space...¡±


    The guards around the room lowered their weapons and spoke to one another in hushed, panicked voices.


    ¡°I need a d-direct answer- Is there any hope for those corrupted?! For that rabbit in the cell? Anything at all?!¡± Venner was shaking where she stood, fighting to hold back the stinging tears that were forming in the corners of her eyes.


    ¡°None.¡± Seeth replied with a ferocious stare. ¡°The Slaves are as good as dead, and the Nodes will rape you the first chance they get; they cannot be cured, believe me, we''ve tried.¡± Like a deer in the headlights, Venner quivered under Seeth''s glare. ¡°Do you have something you need to get off your chest, Venner?¡±


    ¡°How do I know you''re telling the truth?!¡± She yelled, her voice cracking.


    ¡°You don''t. But I have zero reason to lie to you, and I''m offering to go fix a problem you caused, providing your guards don''t shoot me for leaving this office. What incentive do I have to lie?¡± Seeth folded her arms, her vision still fixed upon Venner, who was looking anywhere but at Seeth.


    Venner took a deep breath, clutching her fists and rocking a little on the spot, building up to something, the room muted as they witnessed her internal conflict peak. It took her a few more seconds before she began to speak again.


    ¡°I... I.... I was blackmailed.¡± Her chest was rising and falling rapidly from under her flak jacket as she attempted to calm her nerves. ¡°An agent from the DA got in touch with me, said he wanted data and details about you and the condition you have. He promised me the corruption was easily reversible... He swore he could fix it.¡± Her tears intensified, streaming down her face as she spat the truth out from between gritted teeth. ¡°The DA have my husband in prison, and this guy said he would release him if I helped! But I - I never would have agreed to do this if I knew it wasn''t reversible!¡±


    The guards glanced at each other, and then at Venner. A few of them shook their heads in dismay, disappointment, but a few looked more concerned, as though they understood.


    ¡°I swear on my life, I never, never would have agreed if I knew how severe it would be...¡±


    ¡°What did he make you do to Plasia?¡± Diego chimed in, his face softening as Venner pleaded her case.


    ¡°He gave me these weird green vials, I don''t know what they were but I stuck them to the inside of the mask I gave to your blue friend...¡±


    ¡°Green vials...? Must be something from Leech to make Plasia lose her shit, but... how did this creep get his hands on them? There¡¯s no way in hell she¡¯s teamed up with the DA...¡± Seeth thought aloud for a moment, then finally shifted her cold gaze away from Venner''s quivering form, and addressed the group.


    ¡°Not important right now.¡± Diego huffed, biting his lip as he mulled the situation over. ¡°What we need to do is stop this from getting any worse and then evacuate the station, the rest of the corrupted forces are coming and there won''t be enough guns on this station to stop them.¡±


    ¡°W-what can I do to help?¡± Venner wiped her cheeks and straightened her back out. ¡°You tell me what you need and we''ll prevent any more damage being done.¡±


    ¡°Have you seen Plasia on the cameras at all?¡±


    ¡°I haven''t seen her leave the brothels in the adult wing, I did see Tani, the owner of one of said brothels, head towards the long stay wing a few minutes ago though... I can''t imagine she''s going there for innocent reasons anymore. She looked different too.¡±


    ¡°Different how?¡±


    ¡°Taller¡­ Bustier, I suppose, with black eyes - like the ones you and him have.¡± Venner gestured at Diego. ¡°Is she a Node now?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like it, tell your guards to shoot her on sight... Right.¡± Seeth began to address the room. ¡°Venner, you need to deal with the rabbit in the cell, just shoot her in the head and make it quick, no need to make Slaves suffer. Can you also get a guard unit together and get them down to the long stay wing? Send your big guns, Nodes can take a punch and won''t go down easy to low tier weapons - you give them an inch and they''ll take a mile. Me and Diego will head to the brothels and deal with Plasia. Oxyi, you and Geralt stay with the guards up here, get them up to speed on what we''re dealing with and keep in touch. If you see anyone corrupted on the cameras, let us know. Once me and Diego have cleaned out the adult wing, we can focus on evacuating the station. Any objections?¡±


    The guards around her said nothing. Neither did Venner.


    ¡°You heard her, get that armoury open! I want scaser cell rifles on everyone and sixty-cal repeaters on anyone who doesn''t have a scaser!¡± The rat addressed her men before spinning around towards Seeth again. ¡°Will you need support in the adult wing?¡±


    The guards dashed off, the distant jangling of keys rattled loudly, followed by the clatter of several armoured cabinets swinging open.


    ¡°No. The corruption and horde pose no threat to me, even if Plasia is there. At short range, our competing influence will cause paralysis in the Slaves, it¡¯s your guards you need to be worried about. None of them are immune to the corruption and neither are you, so stay alert and get some hazmat gear on just in case Plasia tries something dirty. Diego, do you have enough psyonic power to fight or do you need a weapon?¡±


    Diego swivelled around and looked at Seeth with a softening face, despite the serious circumstances. I knew she''d be serious about stopping this! He thought to himself.


    ¡°My psyonics are ready, Commander Seeth! But I could use a melee weapon!¡± Her saluted her, causing her serious expression to break for a split second into a smile but then she nodded and focused back into the situation. A guard marched out and threw Diego a large studded baton made of solid metal, weighty and significant to hold.


    ¡°Will that work?¡± Seeth questioned, watching Diego test its swing and heft.


    ¡°Yeah, I can defend us with this. You ready?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. Let''s gut this infection and save Plasia, shall we?¡±


    The two turned to leave and marched out of the office quickly, heading for the stairs back to the mall.


    In the holding area, Venner had grabbed a bulky looking lever-action shotgun, and stood in front of the bars of the cell, watching the corrupted rabbit who was now pushing herself up against the bars and stretching out with her arms, clawing at the air as she tried to get to Venner.


    The rat looked up with guilt written all over her face, loading shells into the bottom of the gun.


    ¡°I don''t know if you can understand this... I''m told that you talking earlier was someone else controlling you rather than actually you, but... I''m sorry. I put my interests ahead of yours and now... now you pay the price for it.¡± Venner shook her head bitterly. ¡°I let you down. It was my job to protect this station and I''ve done the exact opposite of that.¡±


    She shouldered the shotgun and pointed it at the rabbit, who was still clawing between the bars.


    ¡°But I promise, I will do everything I can to put this right. And I will never, never make the same mistake again. It was wrong. I''m just... I''m sorry you had to be my victim before I realised that.¡±


    She steadied her arm, fingers rattling against the trigger as she tried to pull it, but her muscles wouldn''t move. She shook herself out, lowering the weapon and raising it again, re-aiming and trying again to pull the trigger but once more, she couldn''t bring herself to do it.


    She went to try a third time, but a guard patted her on the shoulder.


    ¡°It''s alright, boss. Let me take care of it. You... catch your breath, we need you focused to help us stop this crap.¡±


    He slowly took the shotgun off her and she nodded, patting him on the back and making her way to the rear of the room, facing away from the two.


    ¡°I''ll uh... just wait for the sound I suppose...¡±


    ¡°We''ll fix this, boss. We''ll get your husband back, too.¡± He smiled from under his helm; Venner could just make out the corners of his eyes soften through the glass visor. The guard turned back to the rabbit in the cell, addressing her. ¡°Sorry about this, hun. It''s not right, but I''ll make it painless.¡±


    He raised the shotgun and pointed it at her head, the weapon just a few inches away from her hungry, scrabbling hands, and he pulled the trigger. The gun unleashed a blast of flesh shredding buckshot that tore through the rabbit''s head. As the pellets cracked and punctured her skull, a blinding white and blue flash suddenly erupted from her form, accompanied by a thunderous CRACK...


    In the blink of an eye, just as the rabbit''s life ended, a vaporising plasma arc jumped from her cracking bones and leapt at the guard, connecting to his shoulder. In an instant, his body was reduced to a burnt, flaming mess. His body armour melted and spilled over the floor. His entire shoulder was gone and his upper body was in ashen tatters.


    It only took a few seconds for the ringing in Venner''s ears to stop, but the sight of her fellow guard''s melted skin and body armour oozing across the floor would stay with her forever.


    *


    Diego and Seeth hurried down the staircase as fast as they could. A distant bang rang out from above them, and they both skidded to a halt.


    ¡°Should we... go back and check...?¡±


    ¡°The longer Plasia gets to maraud unhindered, the worse this gets. We need to stop this at the source. Once she''s out of the picture, you can just control all the Slaves and Nodes anyway, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We''ll go back to check on them after. Lets keep -¡± The two immediately broke their conversation as a stultifying noise echoed up the staircase. An amphoric husk rattled both of them, the crackling sound of slime being pushed through air filters...


    Footsteps approached rapidly from below and the two prepared themselves, Diego bringing the baton up whilst Seeth flexed her shoulders.


    ¡°YOU WON''T STOP THIS! YOU-CAN''T-YOU-CAN''T-YOU-CAN''T! THEY''RE COMING!¡±


    Plasia''s form thudded up the stairs below and stopped at the bottom of the level, just in front of Diego and Seeth. Her mask had a bloody, dripping handprint on its left side, deep blue goo dripping out of its filters on the right, and she stared up at the two with maddened eyes.


    ¡°You know you can''t win against both of us, Plasia.¡± Seeth¡¯s tone was cold and detached as she addressed her friend¡¯s other half. ¡°What¡¯s your plan here, exactly? What do you intend to do?¡±


    ¡°YOU PLAN TO KILL MY ARMY! NO HURT THEM! MUST STOP YOU!¡± Plasia hissed, muffled under her mask.


    ¡°She wants to preserve her forces, I think it''s a last ditch move... I''ll restrain her, you get that mask off.¡± Seeth spoke quietly to Diego as they faced off, watching Plasia''s every move. Despite being outnumbered, Plasia didn''t stand down. Instead, she growled loudly from deep inside her throat and launched herself up the stairs, swinging for Seeth.


    *** Asset is exercising poor decision making skills -/?\- Operational data will be compromised if asset is not preserved -/!\- Emergency protocols activated -/.\- ***

 Chapter 8 - Insane Conflict

    ¡°VENNER! What the hell are those?!?¡± Oxyi yelled out at the top of her lungs, her eyes darting between the multi-monitor station that projected all the CCTV footage on Barru X. All across the station, small dragonfly shaped drones appeared and were flying towards the stairwell, culminating into a swarming mass of perfectly controlled micro-drones.


    A ghostly white Venner appeared behind Oxyi, staring at the screens with sunken eyes, shaking slightly in her armour.


    ¡°D-don''t s-shoot the s-slaves up close... T-tell your team...¡± She mumbled weakly.


    ¡°Is that what the bang was...?¡± Oxyi turned around to address the rat, glancing over her quivering form. ¡°Are you okay? Do you need a few minutes?¡±


    ¡°I don''t... I don''t know if I can do this... It keeps getting worse... I just lost someone else - It should have been me! But he took it for me...¡±


    Oxyi glanced over her shoulder to see a medic standing in the doorway to the cell room, and a barely visible, half melted corpse slumped on the floor. Oxyi sighed loudly, shaking her head.


    ¡°Were you a quota or nep hire?¡± Oxyi asked bluntly, eyes narrowing.


    ¡°A quo..? N-no.¡±


    ¡°So you were hired for your skills then, I assume?¡± She said, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°I guess so...¡± Venner wobbled a bit as she spoke, trying to stay focused. ¡°But I - I just saw a man melt!¡±


    ¡°I watched my cousin melt when I was six years old. Daft fucker stuck his willy into a transformer panel aboard my parent¡¯s spaceship¡­ well, he didn''t really melt, he just kinda liquified with a pop, or a bang.¡± Oxyi shuddered as she recalled the incident. ¡°Scarred me! But you get over it, you have to. You got the rest of your life to get therapy, but right now you need to focus, you have a job to do. You''re on the clock, and you need to act like it.¡±


    ¡°But I -¡± Venner stumbled, but was swiftly cut off by Oxyi once more.


    ¡°- You fucked up today, Venner. But unless you''ve got a second in command you trust to deal with this, your team needs you focused and on their side, or you''re gonna lose more people. Take a few minutes to catch your breath, get your head back and sharpen up, jackass. We''re in this mess because of you. Go vomit in the toilet if you need to, just do what you gotta do to get back in the game. Do you wanna be remembered as the son-of-a-bitch who sabotaged Barru X or do you wanna be remembered as the girl who did her best and maybe turned this thing around?¡±


    They stared at one another, intensely. Venner slowly clenched and unclenched her fists, breathing  heavily through her nostrils, and the colour slowly returning to her face. Eventually, she nodded firmly and headed to the restroom, her steps becoming more confident and determined as she went. With that dealt with, Oxyi hopped back onto the comms.


    ¡°Diego, Seeth, Venner says to not kill the Slaves up close, they''ll fry you or something. Also, I think there''s a ton of drones heading towards you... I think it might be from our resident creep DA agent... Guys...?¡±


    *


    Plasia''s feral screech vibrated through her mask filters, echoing up the stairs as she lunged at Seeth, but the purple giant was well prepared for her assault and caught her arms cleanly, dragging her up the remaining stairs and pinning her against the metal wall behind her.


    Plasia screamed at the top of her lungs, kicking out and thrashing around awkwardly. Her eyes were mad with anger, goo dripped from her blood stained mask, yet Seeth held her strongly, restraining her arms above her head and pressing up close to her.


    ¡°Diego! Get her mask off, I''ll hold her until she snaps out of it!¡±


    The lizard leapt up onto Seeth''s back, hooking his baton into his back strap with a dexterous twirl and reaching over Seeth''s head, towards Plasia''s face. The beast screamed even louder, Diego''s ears flattening as her nightmarish screech shuddered through his brain. Her straining voice grated into his skull like a ton of rusting metal being dragged over concrete, slowly and painfully.


    Struggling as she might, Plasia couldn''t fight her way free of Seeth''s iron grip around her wrists, their bodies pressed together and crushing the panels behind them.As Diego grabbed the first clasp, a buzzing noise filled the stairwell and the lizard yelped in pain, falling off Seeth''s back as several electric blue tasers stung into his flesh.


    ***No target found on sensors ¨C building analogue prediction model-***


    Seeth turned her head as the swarm of dragonfly-like robotic drones charged a barrage of sapphire rounds at her, and immediately fired. The rounds thunked into her skin, and she lost her grip on Plasia long enough for the alien to lash out. Plasia brought her legs up and pushed Seeth back, using the damaged wall behind her for leverage.


    The drones buzzed around the fight in a cloud, zapping at Diego as he attempted to stand. He took a deep breath and pounded on his chest, preparing his psyonics, but was suddenly pelted with orange coloured pellets that erupted into a cloud of sour smelling smoke, breaking his psyonic focus.


    Nulliphine gas?! Diego''s thoughts were panicked as one of his best weapons was suddenly taken offline. The smoke was lodging in his throat, coating his mouth. He tried to speak, but the only sound that came out was a high, painful rasp, completely overshadowed by Plasia''s screeching.


    Seeth regained her footing, narrowing her eyes as she watched the drones scan the area, trying to locate her and hovering above Plasia in a protective fashion. In a fury, Plasia tore some of the panelling off the wall behind her, grabbing two fists-full of thick electrical cabling and tearing it free from the station with several frantic yanks, before turning back to Seeth.


    ¡°BETRAYER WILL BREAK!¡± Plasia cackled. The electronics crackled and sparked as she pulled more and more cabling free from the wall, and wrapped it around her hands.


    ¡°You''re a total asshole when you''re mad, Plasia.¡± Seeth glanced at Diego, trying to see if he was alright, but the drones were still heavily suppressing him. She grabbed a metal panel off the floor and hurled it at the cloud of drones, crushing several of them and dispersing the swarm for a few seconds. At that moment, Plasia threw herself at Seeth, attempting to wrap the cable around her neck, but once again Seeth caught her attack directly, kicking Plasia''s leg to break her guard and slamming a heavy fist into her side.


    ¡°I don''t wanna hurt you, Plasia! But you need to stop this!¡±


    A blast of blue goo erupted from the side of Plasia''s mask as the impact crunched into her torso. The insane alien recoiled in pain, losing her balance but Seeth grabbed her by the collar of her protective suit, reeling her back in. As Plasia was yanked back in, Seeth threw her head forward and the two met with a solid, loud crack. Plasia howling in pain and falling to her knees as the strike hit true.


    Seeth reached out and grabbed Plasia''s head firmly, feeling for the straps when she suddenly felt a rippling wave of stinging pain across her back and legs. The drones buzzed around her menacingly and unleashed another wave of paralysing rounds. Her arms and legs went dead, and froze in place as though made of stone.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    In horror, Seeth watched as Plasia pulled herself free from her petrified grip, seizing the length of cable in her hands and wrapped it around Seeth''s neck, slipping behind her and pulling it as tight as she could.


    Panic slipped into Seeth''s mind as she felt the cold rubber and metal tighten against her throat.


    Diego roared out behind them, his voice cloudy and weak, his mouth filled with choking orange dust. As he attempted again to get to his feet, the drones fired more orange pellets at him, along with a few taser rounds for good measure, pinning him to the floor.


    Seeth and Plasia struggled violently. Seeth threw herself back, trying with all her might to get her limbs to move, and to shake Plasia''s grip off of her, but every time she came close a volley of taser rounds would thunk into her body, punching small holes in her suit and zapping the strength out of her attack.


    Seeth''s vision began to blur as Plasia''s arms strained and pulled the cable tighter around her neck. Her eyes felt like they were bulging out of their sockets as the cable pressed deep into her skin, crushing her windpipe and cutting the air to her lungs off. Seeth kicked backwards as hard as she could, trying to smash Plasia against the other side of the stairwell, but her strength was waning.


    Diego watched with stinging eyes and dry, powdery breath as Seeth began to lose the fight. Her usually strong form started to limp, her movements becoming slower and sluggish as Plasia held onto the cable behind her for dear life. Her mask was cracked down one of its lenses, and goo dripped profusely from its filters over her suit and body.


    Diego heaved himself up in one mighty push. More taser rounds fired into his blood stained skin, his every limb quaking as the drones increased their attack. He slowly reached up and grabbed the baton, inching towards the two fighting aliens with shaky steps as his body trembled violently from the electrical assault.


    One heavy and careful step at a time, he raised the baton up and slowly approached his girls, pain surging through every square inch of skin he had as the drones dumped their rapid fire taser shots into his body.


    Seeth''s face was beginning to run grey.


    Finally, he was close enough to strike.


    she grabbed weakly at the cable, trying to pull it from her neck.


    He raised his baton, and just for a moment, closed his eyes to focus.


    But that was long enough.


    His eyes flickered open, and Diego stopped, baton in the air. In just the blink of an eye, Plasia and Seeth seemed to have shifted, just a couple of metres away from him.


    The drones paused their fire. An otherworldly silence bleached the stairwell for just a brief moment, and in another blink, Seeth and Plasia moved again, still struggling as if nothing had happened. Their struggle seemed to be coming from below now.


    The drones broke their assault on Diego and frantically swarmed the stairwell, splitting up into two streams and flowing both up and down. As the drones surged up the stairs, they were met with high intensity pulse fire from Barru X guards, dispatched to help. Bright red tracers erupted through the air and cut a number of them down, causing the surviving drones to scatter and cloak themselves.


    Seeth and Plasia continued their struggle, but everytime Plasia blinked, they shifted location. Plasia¡¯s body would feel a sudden blast of cold air, before immediately returning right back to its normal temperature. She pulled on the cable, even tighter... FOCUS-FOCUS, I MUST WIN! She thought, feeling fear rising through her chest, as she suddenly appeared with Seeth in a completely different part of the station.


    The phasing became faster and more drastic as Seeth''s life began to ebb, and suddenly, in a flash of bleaching cold, Plasia found herself back within the long stay wing¡­ her cable wrapped around nothing¡­


    And Seeth nowhere to be seen.


    She looked down at the cable to see the length that had been wrapped around Seeth''s neck was heavily damaged and frozen solid, deformed where it had been pulled against her throat. As she stared at the cable, sitting on the floor in the middle of a stock room, she noticed a crack in the lens of her mask, her vision focusing on the imperfection in her sight. A low growl escaped her throat as she stood to her feet.


    As she went to leave, something caught her attention; a beautiful piano melody was tickling her senses, playing from one of the long stay rooms. Try as she might, she couldn''t shake it from her attention. Each note plucked at her willpower and she began to follow the source of the sound.


    *


    Still in the middle of the stairwell, Diego steadied himself against the wall, still holding onto his baton but weak and spitting out mouthfuls of orange dust that clung to his teeth and tongue. Plasia and Seeth were nowhere to be seen now, and yet, he was sure that there was someone here, someone close by¡­


    Two large taser shots stung him directly in the chest.


    Diego gasped in pain and fell to his knees for the last time, as a lone, white figure uncloaked before him, their body melting into existence and charging up the stairs, holding some sort of collar in their hands.


    The figure leapt at him and slapped the collar around his neck. A clear film bubbled around Diego¡¯s head and completely encompassed it, like someone had shoved a plastic bag over him. The air was sucked out his lungs and replaced with a sweet smelling gas that rapidly drained any remaining fight from Diego, and left him close to blacking out.


    ¡°You should have been paralysed ten drones ago, lizard.¡± The figure hissed, watching as Diego tugged at the collar around his neck and slowly choked in the clear bubble around his face. ¡°Will you fucking go down already? I''m on a schedule here.¡±


    As he spoke, Diego rose to his feet again, but fumbled about weakly.


    The figure glanced up the stairs, at the sound of multiple footsteps approaching. He glanced back and forth between Diego''s stumbling figure and up at the approaching footsteps, before charging into Diego, hauling him up onto his shoulder and activating his cloak. The two disappeared into thin air, leaving no trace behind...


    *


    Has he ruined my tastes? My desires? I do not understand. This used to be enough.


    Moltezz stood within her newly chosen quarters, her eyes scanning over a line of naked new Marks, some of them fearful, others excited, but all silent and waiting for her word.


    She had, of course taken the captain¡¯s quarters, the largest on the freighter, and in just the few days they had been on board, she had already made it her own. The walls were adorned with huge, draping, crimson tapestries, cloaking the otherwise plain walls with a fiery hue. The plating on the ceiling had been torn down, exposing the industrial pipework and rigging above, and from which now hung an array of chains and restraints. Several intense spotlights had been stolen from other areas of the ship and installed to shine a dazzling glow over both her throne, and those suspended in the gently clinking metalwork, illuminating their naked, vulnerable bodies for the mistress to enjoy.


    Moltezz stifled a sexually frustrated sigh as she contemplated her new toys.


    They''ll do... but it should be more than that. This merely sates the urge and placates the desire. It doesn''t satisfy. I want him.


    She pointed at two girls and a young man. The others quickly left, marching towards the door on the far side of the chamber where two Nodes were standing guard.


    ¡°Wha-what can we do for you, Mistress Moltezz?¡± They asked in unison, feeling their arousal build as they approached her cautiously.


    Moltezz sat back in her new throne, spreading her legs and undoing her outfit, slowly exposing her curvaceous, charred, ruby body.


    ¡°Not another word from any of you. I want to be alone with my thoughts. If I hear anything other than slurping, sucking or moaning, I''ll have you sent to the slave pens.¡± She closed her eyes and rested her head on her fist and scowled as the three approached her waiting sexual assets.


    She sat back as she felt warm mouths on her cock and balls, deeply enjoyable as it always was.


    ¡°See? It''s not so bad to serve, is it?¡± She relaxed into her throne, placing her hands against the armrests. Her head rolled back as her chosen three got to work.


    ¡°I understand why you ran... It''s natural. Power can be frightening.¡± The three ran their hands over her thighs, working together to pleasure her as much as they could.


    ¡°Easier when you submit, don''t you think...?¡± Her eyes remained closed as she spoke, sighing in satisfaction. She snapped her fingers and pointed at one of her erect nipples; a warm mouth clamped around it quickly.


    ¡°Good boy... See what happens when you serve your queen...?¡± She moaned loudly as she felt her orgasm build, the attention on her breasts was sending pleasurable pangs coursing through her torso and filling her mind with wonderful images as she continued to indulge her fantasies.


    ¡°Seeth may have been good, but now you''re with me...¡± The Marks briefly glanced at each other in confusion, but continued diligently with their duties.


    She grabbed the head of the Mark who was nuzzled at her breast and pulled him in tightly, feeling ecstasy swell through her body as she blew her load over the girls down below. As she slowly opened her eyes, the fantasy ended, and she saw only the three Marks in front of her, on their knees, full of lust and waiting for more.


    Her face soured as she emerged from her dream, glaring down at the Marks with her fiery gaze.


    I need my dark prince. Enough is enough.

 Chapter 9 - Performance of a life time

    ¡°Soph- we need to -¡±


    ¡°- Stage name! We''re practising!¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Rio, we should be out, relaxing! Your fingers must be killing you by now.¡± Karla shook her head, as she watched her partner dance her digits across the keyboard, twiddling over a couple of high notes.


    ¡°We need to nail this piece. I''m still unsure about the bridge, and I know I''m going to mess it up if I don''t -.¡±


    ¡°Sophia. You need to rest. We''ve been playing for six hours straight, I''m surprised the guards haven''t asked us to keep it down yet! You know I want this to be perfect as much as you, but you haven''t eaten since breakfast.¡± Karla lowered her guitar and pressed a couple of buttons on her tech gauntlet, deactivating the surrounding speakers and amps. ¡°You gotta have hands like stone right now. My shoulders are aching from this fucking -¡±


    Sophia winced from behind the keyboard.


    ¡°Sorry. Heckin'' strap. Let¡¯s just... let¡¯s just get some food, okay? Half an hour break, then back to it?¡± Karla tilted her head, half pleading with her partner; her own stomach rumbled loudly as she began to think about the food that Barru X had to offer.


    ¡°You promise it''s just food? Not one of your schemes to try and get me out?¡± Sophia sank a little in her chair, staring at the door to their room in a defeated fashion, slumping from hours of concentration.


    ¡°Promise. Let¡¯s just -¡± Karla paused, and glanced behind her. Someone was coming. The sound of distant, heavy thudding was getting louder, approaching their door. It sounded¡­ unusual, its gait and presence wrong.


    ¡°Karla... are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Shhh! Either someone very heavy and very drunk is coming, or we''re finally getting a guard visit, and they''re in power armour!¡±


    Sophia twitched as she picked up on the thudding coming towards their door.


    ¡°I''m sure it''s nothing... But can you deal with it...? Please? I just... I need to freshen up.¡± Sophia stood from her chair, her back creaking as she stretched it out and waddled over to the bathroom, just off the side of the front door.


    ¡°Sure. You know you don''t need to ask.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Karla, I won''t be long.¡± Sophia gently closed the door behind her and the sound of running water could be heard shortly after.


    The thudding continued to close in, the noise coupled now with a raspy, filter-distorted exhalation. Karla approached the door to look through its peep hole, then jumped back upon as she saw a shadow darken the base of the door. Its breathing was loud and crackly. The noise drowned her senses, making her feel small and defenceless.


    Her body began to shudder, like a sixth sense had a sickening realisation that her brain was still catching up with. Her legs were frozen in place. A brief glimmer of blue reflected through the peephole. Karla turned her head towards the drawer of her bedside table.


    ¡°MUSIC?!?¡±A warped voice called through the door.


    Another obsessive fan...? No, I''m not going through this again. Karla thought as her heart raced in her chest. No... this feels different. She fought against her instincts telling her to stay still and heeded instead to her gut feeling, turning slowly, quietly, and creeping towards the drawer. One foot at a time, softly on the carpet.


    A sickening crunch rattled through the room as a large hand punched through the wooden panels and clumsily grabbed at the chain, tearing it free from the wall in a single tug. The door slammed open, revealing Plasia in her full masked glory. She stared at Karla¡¯s shocked form through her damaged lens.


    ¡°MUSIC?!? YOU PLAY FOR ME! NOW!¡± Plasia screamed at the terrified czarite, rapidly approaching and cornering her in the far side of the room, goo spurting from her mask filter as she panted in excitement.


    ¡°Y-you want me to play?¡± Karla''s mind raced as she realised she was still a few paces away from the drawer and the massive blue czarite was already within arms reach, towering over her, menacingly. ¡°I-I mean, I¡¯m the only one here right now, so I can only play you some s-solo stuff -¡±


    As she spoke, she noticed the mortified face of Sophia peering around the bathroom door, staring at Plasia from behind.


    ¡°I can do some of our hits? Get down and dirty? Play, Help, fight? Leave me alone? Now the party starts? A-any of those take your fancy, miss?¡± Karla''s eyes darted between Sophia''s face and Plasia''s mask as she hoped her message was understood. Barely visible, Sophia nodded and crept out of the room, heart racing in her chest.


    ¡°PLAY BETTER WHEN YOU''RE ONE OF MINE! MINE-MINE-MINE-MINE-MINE!¡±


    Sophia bolted down the corridor, turning her head back towards their room multiple times but forcing herself forward. The sounds of  struggle, clawing and fighting rang out behind her¡­ and desperation. The colour drained from her face as she heard Karla crying out.


    We need help... The guard room! I think there was a camera room just down the corridor...


    She noticed the blue luminescent smudges on the walls had a sickly sweet smell to them, as she fled down the carpeted corridor. There was damage to the walls, drops of blood on the carpet... As the corridor opened into the lobby, Karla paused, then took a sharp left, towards the security office¡¯s old wooden door. The walls felt as if they were closing in on her as time ticked away. A small sense of relief passed through her as she approached.


    Sophia sprinted over to the door, but as she approached, her eyes landed on the door handle. Something wasn''t right; it was damaged and bent out of shape... she could hear moaning from inside, gentle at first, but with each step she took, closer, the person inside shifted. She stopped a few feet from the door, and her confusion morphed into panic as the door suddenly shook. It sounded like someone was pounding on the back of it, their groaning aggressive and hungry.


    That''s... that''s not right at all... I am NOT going in there. I think they had a break room back there...? I''ll check that.


    She turned heel, padding away quickly and quietly as the door rattling intensified behind her. She went back to the crossroads and carried straight on, her hands nervously fidgeting around herself as she went.


    She froze on the spot, she saw something glittering in the carpet ahead, dark red dots speckled over the walls.


    She couldn''t help herself, she knew there was nothing good ahead but she had to check, for Karla''s sake. Her body quivered, her head shaking as she began to pick out more detail. Glass was strewn over the floor, blood splattered everywhere...


    The guard break room was directly connected to the corridor, with several glass panels with blinds that interlaced with the otherwise featureless walls of the long stay wing.


    Every single one was smashed to pieces and within, the break room lay in gory ruins.


    One guard hung loosely from the ceiling, an arm missing and face broken, caught within the ceiling grid.


    Another laid smothered on the sofa, its fabric stained with a sanguine hue around him, torso pierced by his own solid baton, pushed forcefully through his chest and pinning him to the upholstery.


    Two more were crushed into the walls, their armour holding their broken forms together, but there was no mistaking them for anything other than lifeless.


    The last one was laid out on the floor, her arm reaching out towards the door, legs shattered and broken, blood smeared over her visor.


    Words couldn''t find a way into her brain, she was struggling to process the scene in its full, brutal glory.


    There was no help to be found here. Not fast enough to save Karla. She had to take things into her own hands.


    She stepped into the room shakily, keeping her eyes down and away from the gory detail and reached for the dead guard''s side arm, pulling it from her damaged holster and briefly checking it.


    Safety off... It h-has ammo. It has to be enough. It can''t end like this.


    Her stride was weak, the gun clattered in her hand as her finger wobbled against the trigger.


    I-I¡¯m coming Karla! Please... please still be alive...


    A harrowing noise echoed down the corridor as she approached... skin impacting skin, liquid dripping and the muffled rush of the bathroom tap that she''d left running... but not so much as a whimper from Karla''s mouth now.


    Getting closer to the door, the noises suddenly stopped and a growl saturated the air, rumbling through her chest, nearly shaking the gun out of her hand as she held it up and pointed at the door.


    She heard the figure thumping around in the room, and then¡­


    Nothing. Just the quiet rush of water from the bathroom.


    Steadying herself, she approached the door slowly with her weapon raised and peered around the corner. Her eyes scanned the room, trying to locate their intruder. Her heart crawled into  her throat as she saw Karla''s collapsed figure on the bed, luminescent sapphire slime splattered over her skin, clothes torn open and her body exposed.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    I need to know if she''s still alive... I just... That creature is still in there, I know it is... I can''t go in!


    *CLACK*


    All around her, all the lights suddenly popped and died. She stumbled backwards, bumping into the wall opposite the room and held her weapon up, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness.


    From within their room, she could see a blue glow coming off of Karla''s body. All around, she could hear commotion rising, feet stumbling. Something splintered and broke in the distant darkness, back where she had just come from.


    A figure stumbled into the corridor, his face glowing from the same blue goo over his lips. A grey face against a black background, his expression blank but his eyes clearly focused on Sophia despite the complete lack of light.


    More figures appeared down the other end of the corridor, their feet soft on the carpet but audible nonetheless. Several rabbits, barely visible in the dark by the soft blue glow of the goo, soaked into their grey fur and splattered around their nethers. Their eyes were focused. They were staring at the doors to the other rooms of the wing.


    I need to get out of here! Sophia tried to turn and leave, but her body wouldn''t let her. I-I can''t leave until I know if Karla is alive!


    Several loud crashes rattled down the corridor, drawing a shocked gasp from Sophia. Down the corridor, the rabbit''s began kicking down the doors, the blue glow disappearing as they charged into the rooms one by one, screaming and yelling filled the wing.


    People yelled for help, she could hear fighting from inside the rooms, in the pitch black of the corridor where the only light she could see was from the cruel sapphire glow of the goo along the walls. She jumped again, suddenly; the running water ceased without warning. The gentle white noise it had been providing had been cut off at the source. She gripped the pistol tightly and watched closely as another glow slowly emerged from the inside her room.


    The gas masked intruder, electric blue eyes piercing through the darkness, glared down at Sophia with a desperate hunger.


    Plasia surged towards her in the blink of an eye, faster than Sophia could react.


    In the darkness of the wing, she cried out; just another in the horde¡¯s chorus of screams.


    *


    The sound of rushing air, followed by a shill silence, repeated over and over in her head, flashes of bone chilling cold pierced deep into her body, and then faded into nothing, as though someone were injecting icy water into her spine. All in all, it left her feeling quite sick.


    HOW DO I MAKE IT STOP?!?!


    Seeth trembled as her body manifested in locations all over the station, blurry rooms appearing and disappearing in the blink of an eye; it felt like she was falling, but without moving.


    One moment she was staring into an empty warehouse, the next revealed a darkened supply room, the next an empty hotel bathroom.


    She blinked, warping again and suddenly, a frightening warmth blasted her skin, her eyes opened to complete darkness. She was being pressed down in all directions; not crushed, but confined.


    Am I¡­ in a wall?


    The cold returned and she warped once more, lost and out of control.


    *


    In the main security office, Venner sat back in her comfy chair, rubbing her forehead roughly and staring down at the floor with deep concern. A guard popped his head around the door as she tried to scrape together her thoughts.


    ¡°Hey, Ven, the lines to the office are completely full. We''re getting reports all across the station, passengers are reporting assaults, rapes and weird looking people. We''re spread thin enough as it is, we can''t respond to all of them! There''s a flood of them from the long stay wing, any idea why they aren''t contacting the local team?¡±


    ¡°Not sure yet... I hear you though, give me a few minutes and I''ll come up with a plan.¡±


    A light blipped on her computer; the display showed it an incoming external communication coming through. A shot of adrenaline rippled down her back as her eyes scanned through the caller¡¯s details.


    It was coming from the lost freighter.


    Her finger hovered over the decline button, then sharply dropped, and she accepted the call instead. The office darkened and a projector shot the incoming view onto the blank wall by her side.


    Moltezz''s face fizzled into existence, her sharp glare quickly looking around, but Venner¡¯s display remained blank.


    ¡°You''ve not elected to display your side of the call. Understandable, I suppose.¡± She huffed loudly.


    ¡°State your business, czarite.¡± Venner said sternly, taking in Moltezz''s details, her voice disguised by her tech. Another light blipped on her desk computer, her fur standing on end as she realised what the alert meant. A huge ship had just entered the range of the station''s short range scanners.


    ¡°Let me state your situation for what it is. Your time is running out. We have detected that you sent out an SOS signal to surrounding stations for help. The closest station to here is Mesa Sigma, correct?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°Mesa Sigma is fourteen hours away even in a remarkably fast scout vessel. We are two hours away, and counting. It will take me less than half that time to finish what Plasia has started, but let''s be generous and say you have three hours, at most. I''m sure we''ve just entered your short range scanner by now, I encourage you to check it and verify that I''m telling you the truth.¡±


    ¡°You better not have called me just to count down your arrival.¡± Venner growled back, pulling up the emergency control panel on her computer.


    ¡°I have not. I have contacted you to offer you a deal.¡±


    Venner sighed and shook her head dismissively. I think I''ve had quite enough of deals for this lifetime.


    ¡°Some time ago, a party boarded your station, consisting of two large czarites and a black-skinned coralith komodo. Seeth, Plasia and Diego, respectively. Plus some other bodies. If you turn over Seeth and Diego to me, I will permit the evacuation of your station, uninterrupted by Plasia''s forces from within.¡±


    ¡°You''ll call her off, you mean? The big blue one and her horde?¡±


    A concentrated effort without needing to spread my men thin would allow us time to fully evacuate the station within those two hours... But I don''t even know where Diego and Seeth are! She shook her head again. No, no trades. Even if they were here, I''m not screwing this up even more.


    ¡°Yes. We will still be seizing the station you understand, but I will allow you to focus your efforts on evacuation and afford you some... mercy.¡±


    ¡°Okay, deal. Get Plasia''s horde to back off and stop the attack on my station, and I''ll get Diego and Seeth ready to pass over to you.¡± Venner stated blankly, trying to sound cool and collected.


    Moltezz paused, her eyes narrowing. Despite her having nothing to look at, Venner still felt like she was being watched.


    ¡°You know, if you want my mercy, I wouldn''t advise lying to me.¡±


    ¡°I''m not. Diego and Seeth are in the security office right now, we apprehended them recently due to the... ongoing situation.¡±


    ¡°That was better disguised, a truth mixed with a lie, but you''re playing with fire right now.¡± Moltezz paused again, her fiery gaze intensifying as she stared at her blank screen. ¡°Do you even know where they are?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to call off the horde or not? It''s all very well you throwing a temper tantrum because you think I''m lying but you have your own side of the deal to uphold, unless you''re just projecting your own behaviour onto me.¡± Venner replied, dodging the question, concerned that this lady would pick up on more details she was seemingly giving away.


    ¡°Avoidance. Typical. So little honour these days. The deal is off. You''re lying through your mousey little teeth...¡± Moltezz articulated every word spoken with venomous precision.


    Venner shuddered in her chair upon hearing the latter part of Moltezz''s communication. M-mousey?! Can she see me?! H-how is this unfolding so badly?! Why doesn''t she believe me?!


    ¡°We can get to know each-other better when I arrive in a couple of hours... if you last that long. Plasia informs me that you''ve just lost your long-stay wing. Busy little creature isn''t she? Better use those two hours wisely. See you sooooooon.¡±


    The display flickered off and the lights raised back to their normal levels, leaving Venner rooted in her chair, stomach in knots, with no idea what had just happened. She turned her gaze back to the emergency panel on the computer.


    Lock-down saves more passengers now and lets my teams deal with the corrupted people in smaller numbers... but there is no way we can evacuate the station with it in lockdown... If we choose to evacuate now, we''ll lose more people during the chaos but we''ll be able to get more off the station...


    Venner''s weighed heavily upon the options, the local lockdowns or a staggered evacuation, but there so little time to organise and every second was precious.


    Wait... Plasia is still the main cause of our issues... If I can take her out, it might relieve pressure on the evacuation.


    She stood from her desk and marched over to the door, pulling it firmly open and raising her hands to her mouth.


    ¡°I NEED MY KILL TEAM READY TO GO, WE''RE BEGINNING FULL EVACUATION PROCEEDINGS IN FIVE MINUTES!¡±


    *


    In the midst of the mall, Oxyi walked slowly, her head twisting in every direction as she searched desperately.


    ¡°Diego?! Are you there?! Can you hear me?!¡± She called out, cupping her hands around her mouth.


    Her shotgun was slung around her shoulder, and a couple of other weapons were strapped to her legs. She kept a steady pace, and mentally checked off where she''d looked already. Other passengers were talking in large groups, worried about the rapidly spreading rumours that the station had been compromised. The few guards that were available on the floor were desperately trying to keep the crowd calm, but a sizable minority of passengers were already making their way back to the hangers...


    Oxyi''s armed presence did not go unnoticed, and several loud arguments began to break out around the crowded guards. The lioness stayed focused, looking around for her friend.


    I-I''m not losing him again... c¡¯mon Diego! You''re around here somewhere, I know you are...


    A chest-shaking thud rumbled through the mall. The crowd turned towards the adult wing, which had been sealed off with a massive silver metal shutter, several black and yellow caution strips crossing over its bulk.


    The shutter thudded again, causing the once loud and bustling mall to fall into a concerned silence. The guards inched forward, drawing their weapons and stepping through the crowds.


    Oxyi did the same, pulling her shotgun up to her shoulder.


    Not again... Oxyi''s heart shuddered in chest, her tongue resting uncomfortably in her mouth.


    The shutter shook violently once more, some of its caution strips falling off and floating to the ground.


    An inhuman, unified bellow from behind the shutter made the metal vibrate with a stomach-churning screech, and it began to deform. The metal was being pinched and pulled in different directions. The guards ordered the crowd back and aimed their weapons at the door as the unrest intensified, both within the mall and behind the shutter.


    As the shutter rattled loudly, the station was suddenly bleached in red light and a loud alarm blared throughout.


    ¡°Attention all passengers, the station is compromised and a full evacuation is in effect. Please return to your vessels in an orderly fashion and depart the station immediately. If you do not have a vessel, please go to Hangar Bay Two for evacuation.¡±


    The warning went to play again, but it was drowned out by a bloodied arm being punched through the shutter, its fingers scrabbling at the metal for a brief moment before quickly retreating back through the hole.


    Oxyi raised her shotgun and watched in horror as several more arms burst through the metal in similar fashion. Several of the hands were crushed by the impact of their strike, dripping blood over the metalwork and station floor.


    ¡°D-Do we shoot? Venner, they''re doing something to the shutter at the intersection! Shall we open fire?!¡± One of the guards shouted into his communicator. The crowds rapidly fell back and began to push towards the hanger, but every one of them had their eyes glued at the violence unfolding in front of them.


    ¡°Negative, open fire if they''re away from the shutter, but don''t risk damaging it further.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    More hands squeezed through the holes that were made, pushing up to their forearms from behind.


    The shutter began to screech.


    The arms heaved and pulled up together, the jagged metal cutting into their flesh.


    The mechanism groaned under the pressure and slowly, the shutter ascended.


    It crept up inch by inch and, within the crimson glow of the mall''s blaring alarms, revealed a wall of hungry, open mouthed faces, already pressed to the floor and ready to crawl through the second the shutter was high enough....

 Chapter 10 - Control Contest

    I WILL BEAT THIS! I HAVE TO GET BACK ONTO THE STATION!


    Seeth clawed desperately towards Barru X as she slowly floated away from the station, twisting her body awkwardly. There was nothing to grab onto, no way to propel herself forward. The icy chill of the vacuum of space slowly felt its way into her front, while her back was lit with the brilliant orange glow of a nearby star, feeling slightly warmer in comparison.


    She shut her eyes tight, clenching her fists and felt that sudden and abrupt coldness as she warped. Her eyes flickered open; she was closer to the station, but still not inside. Her lungs ached desperately; the shock and panic of her situation had sucked the air out of her almost immediately, and her time was running out.


    Her eyes focused on a spaceport window on the station, hazy white light barely visible through its thick glass against the dull grey of Barru X¡¯s exterior.


    She blinked again, another wave of cold washed over her and the ache in her chest intensified¡­ She felt a bump and reached out, opening her pained eyes to reveal she was just outside the window.


    COME ON!


    Seeth blinked once more, imagining herself in the station, standing on the floor with air in her chest, and felt another cold surge over her form.


    Warmth suddenly tickled her skin, sending shivers up her arms and spine. She gasped loudly and collapsed to the floor, sucking in mouthfuls of dry station air through frost-covered lips. She flicked her bloodshot eyes around the room quickly, finding herself alone and in a seemingly unoccupied area of the station''s office complex. Her heart was pounding in her chest. The thought of brushing so closely with such a tragic, silent death¡­


    The moment Seeth stood, feet firm against the carpeted floor, she immediately warped again into a different part of the station; a power bank this time, surrounded by wires and glowing panels.


    ¡°AWH, FOR FUCK¡¯S SAKE!¡±


    But her frustration only made it worse.


    She warped again and again, various rooms flickered past her vision like a picture reel, each too blurred and too fast to process.


    ¡°A-Am I losing my mind?!?¡±


    The power bank appeared in front of her again but the room felt¡­ taller¡­? A near searing heat blasted her legs and faded as fast as it appeared. She glanced down and tried to twist around; her body was glitched, half buried into the floor. She seemed unharmed, but the floor and whatever was under it, certainly wasn¡¯t¡­


    Seeth warped out and appeared back in an office room, shaking slightly and bracing herself as she expected to shift again.This time she was able to pause and stand for more than a second without finding entirely new ground under her feet. She slowly untensed her body and relaxed her legs.


    This is insane. I¡¯m¡­ teleporting? At least it seems to have stopped for now.


    Her words were only half correct though; she walked forward, towards the door, but was only able to make it two strides before instantly landing back where she started.


    She raised an eyebrow as the room shifted; the rush of cold was feeling more manageable now. Pausing for a brief second and bouncing on the spot for a second, she started walking towards the door again but, once more, she shifted back, unable to make it more than three steps.


    I actually died and this is hell, isn¡¯t it?


    She grit her teeth, grinding them in her jaw and pressed forward, unfaltering in her pace but every time, she would teleport straight back to her starting position. She tried moving in different directions and at different speeds, but it appeared that she was confined to this three-by-three metre box of slightly scratchy office carpet under mellow lighting.


    Her frustration began to build again, her eyes slanted like daggers as a splitting rage overtook her.


    I AM NEEDED! I WILL NOT BE CONFINED TO A -


    More coldness, followed by that sharp heat. But then, something new¡­ An awful splattering noise, the sound of liquid dripping and wet things falling to the ground.


    Blood¡­?


    Seeth quickly checked herself over for injury, but she was fine.


    She was fine.


    Seeth had warped into a hotel room. A quick look around showed her that someone had pushed a load of heavy furniture up against the door to barricade it. A pistol with half a human hand still curled around its grip laid against the floor, partially covered in blood and frost.


    The alien gently brought her hands up to her face. The black rubber suit was now plastered thickly in gore and viscera, chunks of bone and flesh clung to her form. Her eyes flickered down her chest, and saw one end of a string of intestine, slung over the shoulder.


    A lump like a fist stuck in her throat. She had taken lives before, but this¡­ This?!


    Whoever this was, they were gone. Reduced to chunks of meat and liquid, splattered all over her and the floor. The once cream carpet around her was soaking up the rich crimson, as if drinking it.


    Guilt pushed into her heart as she looked down at the scene around her.


    ¡°Fuck¡­ I - I¡¯m sorry. Shit¡­ SHIT! I need to get control over this, now!¡±


    As she uttered the words, it dawned on her that she had not teleported again, since¡­ But, if anything, the fact that she¡¯d had to reduce someone to mush before she was finally able to stop¡­ It made her blood curl.


    I - Is it over¡­ Are we¡­


    *


    ¡°You gotta lay off the pies, Diego. UGH!¡± Scyler huffed and puffed and he made his way down the main corridor and into the brig of the DA Strike-Craft, with an unconscious Diego slumped over his shoulders. He paused for a moment and awkwardly removed his helm, revealing his milky-white scales and cold blue eyes. He had a slightly eel-like muzzle despite the draconic heritage; no ears or hair, a single fin ran the length of his head and down his neck, coupled with a lean but athletic body.


    Scyler wiped his brow of sweat and panted loudly. Locking heavy, square looking metal shackles around his prisoner¡¯s wrists and feet, he heaved Diego up and placed him against the wall within the room. The mag locks clicked into place and Diego was left suspended, pinned cleanly by the many thousands of amps worth of electro-magnetic current running through the wall behind him.


    ¡°That ought to keep you locked up until we touch down.¡± Scyler took a step back and watched as the thin see-through film around Diego''s head slowly moved in time with the male¡¯s breathing. The collar was currently set to allow air in and out, minimally; he was still unconscious. Across from Diego, a small human male with wispy blonde hair and dressed in baggy, tattered clothes was pinned up in the same way, and was staring at Scyler with deep concern.


    ¡°Oh don''t worry, you, we''re almost there now! Just a little -¡±


    Scyler''s sentence was cut off as the door slid open behind him. He spun in surprise; aside from these two, he was sure he was the only person aboard the ship.


    ¡°J-Jace! What are you doing here?!¡± Scyler coughed out in surprise.


    ¡°That¡¯s Chief-commander Koa to you.¡±


    A large, muscular male draconic figure stepped into the sterile prison ward. He had a low, gruff voice, dark chocolate leathery skin with various black spots and tear-drop markings on his body and face, and mahogany eyes with a slight hint of cherry red in the clinical light of the room. His hair was black but greying slightly at the tips, slicked back and short. His slightly greying face plates gave him an older but wizened appearance, and right now, he was looking significantly unimpressed. He made eye contact with the stumbling white dragon, and then the prisoners behind him. Clad in a heavy chest plate and advanced scale male armour across his limbs and legs, he glared down at Scyler again upon seeing Diego''s unconscious form on the wall.


    ¡°I need you to explain what is going on here. Now.¡± Jace¡¯s voice was stern and authoritative, his steel-like gaze focused onto Scyler''s smaller, pale form.


    ¡°I am completing my mission objectives.¡± He replied, eyes narrowing.


    ¡°Really? Explain to me how two assault craft full of DA soldiers leave the hangar, but only you come back?¡±


    ¡°I -¡±


    ¡°- Explain to me why a prisoner who was released from prison three months ago is still locked to the mag wall. Explain to me why you disobeyed direct orders to return to command after Pravus'' squad was incinerated. Explain to me why you''re actively harassing and preying on nomad''s in the middle of nowhere! What are you even doing now? Is this coralith komodo the original target?¡± Jace''s temper was rising as he spoke, but his demeanour remained steady.


    ¡°What I''m doing with the nomads has nothing to do with the Royal Military Division. This is XITD business, strictly. And I single handedly captured the initial target of the smash and grab as well, after squad Pravus'' tragic loss. So yes, this is the original target.¡± Scyler scoffed.


    ¡°We never should have gone after him in the first place. He''s not even attempted to cross DA borders; this is firmly within nomad space. I do wonder why you pushed so hard to get the capture order signed off in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Because I have a big ol'' man crush on the handsome hunk, and I wanted him safely back in DA space.¡± Scyler seethed, his voice dripping with sarcasm.


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Jace grunted. ¡°Better not be any of that filthy Dynasty business. I''ve read some of the transcripts of your communications with them. You''re scum. Beyond that, blackmailing that nomad girl to get her to do what you wanted here? Is that the only way you can get anyone to do anything for you? She''s been sending that human letters every single week since he was taken in. Were you even planning on reuniting her with her husband?¡±


    Behind them, the human¡¯s eyes lit up open and he started listening more closely.


    ¡°What¡¯s that matter to you?¡±


    ¡°It matters to me greatly. Prisoners who''ve served their sentence are to be released, Scyler. Not kept as a tool to blackmail people. This person has done their time, we agreed to release them. We keep our word.¡±


    ¡°Oh please. This fine gentlemen''s extended incarceration has given me vital data on a brand new and potentially extremely dangerous corruptant that''s infecting nomad space. He''s a hero. I couldn''t have done this without him.¡± Scyler flippantly gestured around him.


    ¡°So, that''s what this is about?¡± Jace raised a stern eyebrow.


    ¡°Yes. Fine. You got it out of me. It''s a highly classified business at this present time and I won''t be divulging further details.¡±


    ¡°Were you going to release him?¡± The large dragon motioned towards the human on the wall again.


    ¡°What does it matter? He''s just some nomad.¡±


    Jace winced and shook his head, groaning in frustration.


    ¡°You know, the DA is trying to repair its reputation with the nomads, and it¡¯s people like you who set us back every single time.¡± The larger dragon raised his gauntlet up and tapped on it, deactivating the mag locks with a *thunk* from the human, who dropped off the wall and landed heavily on his hands and feet.


    ¡°Excuse me!? What do you think you''re doing with my resource?¡±


    ¡°You have no authority over this person and keeping him against his will is kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment. Effective immediately, you are relieved of your duties as a soldier of the Draconic Alliance Royal Military Division.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°I will be returning this man to Barru X, and then returning you and this other unfortunate prisoner back to the DA. Seeing as he was an RMD contract, the coralith komodo is under my jurisdiction now.¡± As he spoke, Jace marched forward and gently guided the somewhat shaky human out of the room. His forearm was almost as thick as the poor man''s torso. ¡°I don''t know what exactly your plan was for your new boyfriend, but I''m sure as hell not letting it happen.¡±


    ¡°NO! That''s... Fine.¡± Scyler took a deep, frustrated breath. ¡°Fine. I still have authority as an agent of the XITD and this ship is under my command. You want to play that game, Jace? So let it be. I''d reconsider whether or not you really want to put the human on that station anyway; it''s about to suffer quite the meltdown.¡±


    Jace stopped and turned his back to Scyler. ¡°What exactly do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°That corruption I was talking about, the primary perpetrators are on their way to the station to wrap up some personal business and they have an ultra-class pyro psyker. She was the one who killed Pravus'' squad, and my team.¡±


    ¡°Does her arrival here have anything to do with you?¡± Jace asked, his steely demeanour becoming even more serious.


    ¡°I have data to collect; the future of the DA may depend on it.¡± Scyler matched Jace''s temperament, but it was difficult to tell if he was mocking him or not.


    ¡°There''s always a reason with you. When we get back, I''ll see to it that you are prosecuted to the maximum extent of the law for this, Scyler, you understand? You cannot just lure ultra-class psyker''s around to murder nomads for fun.¡±


    ¡°I didn''t do it for fun. I''m building a report, the psyker turning up is just... bad luck.¡± He sounded a little more sincere now, but Jace knew Scyler better than that; he knew a little bit of humility in this creature meant nothing in reality.


    ¡°You are finding it fun though. I can tell, you''ve got that awful smirk all over your face. I can''t wait until I finally get to wipe it off you.¡±


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Go play hero, Jace. I have one other objective to complete before we depart. I suggest you make your drop off quick.¡±


    *


    ¡°Venner! They''re prying the shutter open!¡±


    A deep thud vibrated out repeatedly from behind Oxyi, as she watched the Slaves at the far end of the mall. The floor was rumbling with the approach of something heavy, something mechanical, but she didn¡¯t dare to take her eyes off the screeching shutter, and its many faces peering out from below it.


    ¡°Venner! What the hell is going on?!?¡±


    The arms holding up the shutter strained to lift it higher, blood oozing from their combined forearms as the metal cut deep into their skin.  It was high enough now for the Slaves to pour through and they began to squirm their way out from underneath. The freshly corrupted customers from the adult wing scrambled and threw themselves at the guards. Their rapid approach was met with volleys of thumping scaser shots; bright red tracers tore chunks out of the first wave.


    Their bodies skidded to a halt as they dropped to the polished tiled floors. The repeated stomping from behind the guards continued its approach. More and more Slaves crawled out from under the shutter. A few seemed faster than the others, and more aggressive, with vibrant neon blue streaks visible in their otherwise violet eyes. They only made it a few metres onto the limb-covered floor of the mall before they were torn apart by scaser fire, but as they died, they partially exploded in a bright cobalt flash, a huge bolt of plasma arcing across the floor and melting through the tiling with a skin curling thunderclap accompanying it.


    The scrabbling limbs of a fresh squad of Slaves wriggled out from under the shutter, huddling close to one another as they stood and charging as a closely knit mass. Oxyi slam-fired her shotgun''s trigger, sending shell after shell into the group, pellets piercing through their bodies, but only downing a couple. A searing crossfire of scaser rounds slammed into the opposite side of the approaching group, peeling away layers of bodies as they crumbled and fell behind, like a snowball losing mass as it rolled over the floor. As their numbers ran dry, the Slave in the centre of the group was struck with a shotgun shell to the head, and his body denonated with a bright cobalt blue flash. A vaporising plasma arc leapt through the air and connected with an unfortunate member of Barru X¡¯s guard, leaving only ash and melting rubber in his place.


    ¡°Venner! We just lost someone!¡± Another guard called desperately down the comms. There was a pause, and for a few long moments only the sound of crackling static emanated from the communicator.


    ¡°Crew, listen up!¡± Venner finally replied, addressing all guards across the station. ¡°I¡¯ve told the regulars about our situation and they''re taking up arms, the stubborn lot. You got a mech on the way to the main mall, and one heading to the maintenance docks as well. If these fuckers want Barru X, they''re gonna have to work for it!¡±


    Another wave of Slaves crawled out from the shutter. Eager, hungry and ready to strike.


    *THUD*


    A meter long metal stake flew through the air, punching into the gut of a Slave in a business suit, and sent him hurtling backwards. He writhed around on the floor, twisted up by the length of metal and screamed out in rage, his teeth gritting in his frothing mouth.


    The ear-splitting thud of a super sized industrial nail driver rippled through the mall as the source of the stomping finally arrived. A bi-pedal construction mech, armed with a super heavy nail driver on one of its oversized arms and a rock breaker drill on its other, marched into the mall on its undersized, stubby legs and triangular, bright yellow hydraulic feet. Its glass cockpit was protected by crudely welded metal plates, but its main armaments were solid pieces of industrial metal, well built and extraordinarily heavy.


    ¡°Y''all should have said we were under attack! Would have gotten this baby out sooner!¡± The pilot called out, taking the centre space within the mall. The guards shifted their positions to cover its flanks, and Oxyi adjusted with them, rapidly clicking more shells into her shotgun. The pilot took aim and the mech¡¯s super-sized nail gun began to spray crude yet extraordinarily effective suppressing fire against the incoming Slaves.


    *PANG-PANG-PANG-PANG*


    The spikes punched into the shutter and stayed put where the flat head of the gigantic nails hit the rattling metal.The left side of the shutter dropped as the Slaves holding onto it were skewered and impaled, and it clattered to the floor loudly. One Slave, who had crawled halfway out of the shutter, was crushed under the impact, but the right hand side stayed up, a few Slaves wiggling under the metal and pushing up with all their might to keep the gate open.


    ¡°This... feels like it''s going better!¡± Oxyi wiped her brow, thick with sweat and took aim with her shotgun. The Slaves were attempting to huddle together, to protect their animate plasma grenades, but the massive nails had stapled their bodies together, slowing them down as they attempted to pry themselves free. This was more than enough for the gun line to cut them down with a flurry of red tracers and pellets.


    With the aid of mech and Nomad reinforcements, the Slaves were unable to breach more than a metre or two of ground before being cut down in a barrage of scaser fire and super sized nails. The shutter clattered to the ground with a resonating bang. What little Slaves were left were dispatched with ease. The threat was dealt with; at least for now.


    The guards and nomad''s cheered together, pumping their fists into the air.


    Oxyi exhaled slowly through her mouth as the Slaves backed off, dropping the shutter to the floor again and disappearing behind its blood-splattered metal frame. She hung her shotgun back on her shoulder, and called out into the crowd.


    ¡°D-Diego?! Has anyone seen him?!¡±


    *


    ¡°Come to kill. Mhe-hah-hah-hah-hah. Mmhmistake.¡± Plasia laughed to herself as she marched through the corrupted remains of the long stay wing. Every door had been flung open, the occupants plucked for her corruptive desires. The lights flickered as she walked. She strutted past a utility room; two Slaves had been placed inside, waiting for their orders.


    She focused her senses, and saw through the eyes of the Slaves she''d left to cover the rear. A full squad of armed guards were rapidly approaching, cutting down the sentries and closing in on the long stay wing. Her vision rapidly blurring as the Slaves were shot down, but they''d already served their purpose. It hadn¡¯t too long ago that these Slave''s were just ordinary people, staying aboard this station and living their lives like any other day...


    ¡°SUFFER WELL! TRUTH OR DARE!¡± She screamed from under the mask, charging off down the corridor towards the breach point; on the far side of the wing was a lounge with maintenance access at the back of the room. The lounge was a little better decorated than the corridors, with a slightly warm, homely feeling to it with comfy looking chairs scattered around, a few pool tables and a large TV screen mounted to one of the walls. It was also a lot more open than the rest of the building, with some room to walk around within its amber lit interior. A single first aid kit was hung up near the door, labelled ¡°Use in case of medical emergency¡± in bright green writing, along with a fire extinguisher.


    The guards were looking to breach in at the very rear, through the inconspicuous ¡°Staff only¡± door. Plasia entered into the lounge, blue goo still dripping from her mask and staining the unmarked floor of the room and listened closely. She could hear the gentle thud of many heavy footsteps from behind the walls.


    ¡°Dare.¡± She growled, creeping towards the door and pressing up against the wall. She had no more Slaves in the area to keep eyes on the team, but she could feel them right through the plasterboard... they were pressing themselves up against the wall too... in a line... the ones closer to the door were fiddling with something...


    This wouldn''t do.


    They would need to be dealt with. As she¡¯d planned.


    She screeched loudly, the sound distorted by her mask filters and she lunged through the wall, her hands smashing through the structure and grabbing hold of two men. She yanked them back through the wall in one mighty pull, ignoring their terrified screams as she quickly mauled them to death, clumsily crushing their bodies with bludgeoning fists as anger overtook her.


    The remaining guards quickly opened fire with their Scasers, pelting Plasia''s form with stinging red rounds.


    They didn¡¯t even hurt her.


    Some bounced off. Others fizzled out entirely.


    Slowly, the scaser fire ceased and Plasia stood defiant, grinning beneath the filters. A crimson afterglow grew around her sapphire body, like a demonic sun setting in the distance.


    She cackled loudly and lunged forward again, ploughing through the wall and crushing another man into the maintenance tunnel wall, then grabbing two more by their arms and hurling them into the lounge in a single, powerful motion.


    ¡°ENERGY FIRE INEFFECTIVE! SWITCH TO BALLISTICS!¡±


    Their bodies span through the air, one slamming into a wall and dropping to the floor. The other she snatched out of the air and slammed him down onto a pool table, smashing it to pieces and sending wooden chunks flying into the air. The guards in the corridor fumbled with their weapons and swapped to their repeaters instead, nodding to one another.


    Bullets began to fill the air, punching into the walls and furniture, their impacts kicking dust and drywall into the fight.


    Plasia grabbed the broken pool table, the guard''s body still embedded within it, and threw it at her now approaching aggressors. The guards moved as one into the lounge, emerging through the massive hole in the wall Plasia had made and the ¡°Staff only¡± door. The pool table missed all the guards and exploded into chunks against the wall and crumbled to pieces.


    Unlike the Scasers, the repeaters stung into her flesh, thumping deep into her skin, splattering blue blood over the walls as rounds grazed her arms and legs. She ducked down and charged forward, terrifyingly fast. She knocked down three more guards, grabbed another pool table off the ground with both hands and held it up like an oversized shield, trying to protect herself. The guards scrambled around her feet, trying to regain their footing, but the monstrous alien stamped over them, her feet crushing bone and armour with a sickening crunch as bullets pelted through her makeshift shield;


    Her eyes suddenly lit up; all the soldiers were in the lounge with her now. The tunnel was empty.


    ¡°~ Now ~¡±


    There was a clack in the distance.


    The lights cut out.


    A faint crimson glow emanated from the tunnel¡¯s emergency lighting as the backup generators kicked in. That, along with the glowing blue goo inside the room, cast the space in a dark, violet light.


    ¡°Where the hell is she?! I can¡¯t see her!¡±


    Plasia cackled again, and a heavy fist punched the guard straight into the ceiling, his spine immediately buckling under the pressure of the attack.


    The soldiers flicked the flash-lights on on their repeaters, shining their beams of light around the gloomy space in a desperate attempt to locate their target, but Plasia was playing sneaky now, stealthy, evasive. She dropped to the floor and snatched another guard by the leg, she grabbed hold with both hands and swung him as hard as she could, no one saw where he impacted, but the thud of his body was clear confirmation that he was gone.


    ¡°Let¡¯s light her up! Finish this!¡± One called out, finally getting a good bead on her. A volley of bullets pierced into Plasia''s stomach, riddling her with holes. She screeched again and galloped across the room, swinging her arms in huge arcs to catch as many people as she could. She felt multiple impacts against her limbs and quickly finished the job on the soldiers she''d knocked down.


    She spun to a stop and drove her fingers into the soft flesh, pulling at their meat. The guards screamed in pain as she tore them apart in a brutal, animalistic fashion. More bullets punched into her abdomen, blood bursting from it and crystallising around the wounds.


    ¡°Venner! Code black! We''re taking heavy losses! We need -¡± Plasia¡¯s head snapped around and she surged at the guard. He dropped his communicator, raised his repeater and fired more shots into her stomach, but the impacts were less and less effective ,as the crystallised blood impeded their penetration. She seized him by the head and drove his skull into the wall behind him, again, and again, and again.


    Only two men were left standing now, and they both opened fire on her together, bullets thudding into her forearms and stomach once more. Pain filled her lead-ridden stomach, she could feel the fight draining out of her.


    ¡°NOT FINISHED!¡± Plasia yelled at the top of her lungs, and charged forwards. The two guards glanced at one another, and with a quick nod they split, moving towards opposite sides of the room. Plasia glared after them, whipping her head around, trying to keep her eyes on both, before choosing her target. Her pace was slower now, the afterglow faded and the blue blood pouring from her gut was leaving a thick, blurry trail on the floor.


    Her target retreated, trying to stay out of her reach. A deep growl escaped her throat and she grabbed a bloody pool cue from the floor, hurling it at him like a spear. It pierced through his thigh, and into the furniture behind him. He yelled in pain, briefly clutching at the wound, but quickly re-focused his attention to his repeater, and held the trigger down on Plasia''s approaching form. Only a couple of rounds had time to erupt from the barrel of the gun, before his pinned form was torn apart by Plasia, pulling him apart like unwanted scraps.


    The final guard''s weapon clicked behind her, its ammo depleted.


    He went for his pistol and fired more rounds at the now stumbling Controller, Plasia''s once vicious and animated form was now rapidly depleting in strength and her stride was weak and slow. She lurched towards him with wobbly legs, shielding her face with a single dripping arm, the other arm hanging more limply to her side.


    With each shot fired, the guard¡¯s face lit up, the spark illuminating the scene around him. Plasia¡¯s blue and blood-stained mask slowly advanced on him. The sight burnt into his core. She backed him further and further into a corner of the room as his pistol continued to *clack, clack, clack* through the dead and empty space. It wasn¡¯t enough to stop her advance.


    She brought her arm down weakly over him. The guard dropped his pistol and raised both of his over his head, to try and shield himself. Their forearms locked together and he fought with every ounce of strength he had left in his trembling body. Plasia¡¯s hand pushed down, past his and locked around his face. She pushed down one more time. A sharp *snap* rang out, and the guard fell.


    The room was quiet now. No more gunshots, no more screaming. Just the pained, gentle gurgles of the last guard, and the drip¡­ drip¡­ drip¡­ of Plasia¡¯s bleeding wounds. Her stomach and forearms were bleeding profusely, her body riddled with crystal lined bullet holes and oozing fluid.


    A bloodied but steady hand reached into her cleavage, and gently removed the rolled-up paper note from her chest. Plasia unfurled the note and scanned it again, inhaling deeply.


    You are stronger. Make me proud - Leech.


    ¡°Am strong. Yes¡­¡± The paper crumpled in her fist¡¯s tight grip, then slowly dropped to the floor. Her sharp eyes darted across her body and along her limbs, examining the fatal wounds that she¡¯d sustained. ¡°Strong¡­ Not me who dies now.¡± A slight cackle escaped her cracked lips.


    She dropped to her knees in the middle of the room, and finally unclasped her mask. Neon-blue goop popped free from the seal and ran down her neck as she laid it on her lap. Slowly, she raised the mask to her face again, and placed a gentle kiss on its forehead.


    ¡°Mhmm... Fun... Been good... Leech proud, maybe?¡± Plasia¡¯s voice was weak and low, gargling slightly as her mouth slowly filled with blood. She closed her eyes and laid the mask in front of her. The lounge was still partially lit by the gentle beams of light, shining from the scattered guard weapons, and from the dimly lit maintenance tunnel. Her eyes flickered open, and they stared about the room, at her gloomy massacre.


    She felt her control fading.


    ¡°Not¡­ failure. Better than that.¡± She whispered to herself. A small smile crept over her face as her eyes closed once more.


    For just a few seconds, she remained silent and basked in her scene, soaking in the blood and the gore. She felt the presence of her horde, all over the station, all placed and waiting. Perfection.


    She wondered what the other her would make of this, and savoured a quiet, gargling laugh.


    Suddenly, her eyes bolted open. Those hunter-like slits had faded already, replaced now with their wide, orb-like opposites. She gasped for breath, clutching at her stomach and looking around in the room in sheer panic.


    ¡°Diego?!? Seeth?!? Guys¡­ Anyone?¡±


    Plasia¡¯s eyes filled with tears, pain flooding her stomach and arms. She glanced down at herself, at the bleeding bullet wounds, and a dark trail along the floor that led straight to her. Another noise caught her attention immediately. She saw a broken man, lying on the floor before her. His torso had been bent in half, and yet somehow, he was alive. Barely alive, but alive. He limply pawed at his pistol, which lay just out of reach.


    Weakly, she crawled over to him, barely able to see through the tears clouding her eyes and kneeled above him.


    ¡°Hey! W-we need to- get you help... I can get y-you help!¡±


    His eyes, panicked, pained and confused, met hers.


    ¡°D-did I do this t-to you...?¡± Guilt surged through her, a feeling one hundred times more painful than the deep bullet wounds that bore through her body. ¡°I - I can fix this... H-hold on, sir! Stay with me!¡± She pleaded desperately, grabbing his hand and squeezing it.


    She strained with all her effort, and just made it onto her feet, clutching at her stomach.


    Across the room, her gaze landed on the first aid kit at the room¡¯s entrance, its green signage glowing brightly in the dark. More guilt rippled through her, and her stomach rose up into her throat as she finally noticed the numerous corpses around the room. Her eyes widened. Try as she might, she couldn¡¯t look away, her eyes flickered from one, to another, to another. Her vision bounced from body to body as she desperately searched around for any other survivors, but there was no more life to be found here.


    ¡°W-what have I done?!?¡± She placed one shaky leg in front of the other, but she was so weak... Her legs felt like cold stone; heavy, unresponsive and limp.


    ¡°I won''t let him die like this... not like this...¡± She stumbled forward a little further, but the pain was beginning to blur her vision. Her foot kicked against something in the dark and she crashed to the floor. A fresh surge of pain erupted through her body as her stomach splattered against the stained carpet.


    ¡°I c-can''t...¡± She glanced back towards her survivor, she went to reach for him¡­ but noticed that his chest now rested, completely still. His eyes were glassy, empty, and still looking right at her.


    Plasia turned back and curled up into a ball, as a numbness began to spread through her limbs.


    ¡°I''m sorry...¡±


    Illuminated as if by spotlight, from one of the repeater¡¯s torches, she noticed the object she stumbled on... A gasmask, with a cracked lens, blue goo dripping out from its filters, and a neon blue kiss mark stained on its forehead.


    Dark fluid continued to pool around her. It was warm at first, but now, it was rapidly starting to chill.


    She tried to move once more, but there was just nothing. What little strength there was continued to pour out of her perforated abdomen.


    ¡°I-is there anyone here...? Hello? C-can someone help me?¡± She called out, as loudly as she could, but the air in her lungs wouldn''t move; her voice came out as barely a whisper.


    Slowly, in the darkness, surrounded by the victims of her delirium, she let her eyes fall closed. It felt fitting.


    Maybe this is for the better...


    The room rested into an uneasy silence as the dust, blood and goo settled. Plasia¡¯s breathing slowed; it was painful now to get air in, and out, but she didn''t mind. It would be over soon.


    But as her body slowly stilled, a small tingle rippled through her skin.


    Someone was staring at her.

 Chapter 11 - The Time Has Come

    Moltezz and a slender feline Node moved together through the upper decks of the freighter. Although standing at seven feet tall, the Node had to half-jog to keep up with the Controller, who spared no thought to her current companion¡¯s ability to keep up with her long and confident stride, through the freighter¡¯s numerous industrial hallways. The alluring sway of Moltezz''s hips kept dragging the Node''s eyes away from the paper pad of notes in her hand, and she gulped quietly as a mixture of feelings made just this one simple task rather difficult.


    ¡°Preparations for our assault are nearing completion. We''ve arranged the Slaves as requested but we''re still waiting on Leech''s ¡­ uh... reinforcements.¡± The Node said, scratching absent-mindedly at the bandages around her midsection and doing her best not to look at Moltezz''s imposing figure.


    Moltezz strutted along with her head held high, a long crimson cape flowing behind her. Two of her Slave''s carried the ends a few paces behind her, to ensure it didn''t drag along the floor.


    ¡°Has your wound healed yet, Node?¡± Moltezz asked calmly, her eyes wandering around the ship''s industrial interior.


    ¡°I think so¡­ Why do you ask?¡± The Node shifted about nervously.


    ¡°It has not eluded me that you were the Node with Seeth in that dreadful woman''s apartment; the one who shot you?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, my queen...¡±


    Moltezz broke her stride and stopped to face the Node. The light seemed to drain from the corridor as the Node stared into Moltezz''s piercing, fiery eyes. At that moment, it was as if she and her queen were the only two people on the freighter¡­ No, the only people in existence. She felt a deep warmth on her skin where Moltezz''s glaze landed.


    ¡°Let your truth out, Node. How do you feel about what happened?¡±


    The feline pondered for a second, wondering how best to answer, and then sighed dramatically. She straightened her back and stood tall as she replied.


    ¡°I blame myself for Seeth''s dissertation.¡± Her eyes remained firmly locked onto Moltezz''s. ¡°If I had subdued the nomad and corrupted her, Seeth wouldn''t have had her crisis of confidence.¡± Her lower lip wobbled a little as she spoke, but she held firm.


    ¡°Hmmm. Very bold of you to admit. I like that.¡± Moltezz looked down at the Node''s bandages; there was still a little blood seeping through them. ¡°Perhaps things aren''t quite that simple, darling, but I can understand your thought process. Do you wish to be in the spearhead? I can sense your need for some revenge on that nomad girl.¡±


    ¡°I would like that... deeply, my queen.¡±


    ¡°Then consider that your primary objective.¡± Moltezz nodded, drawing a deep breath in. ¡°Once we''re aboard the station, take some Slaves and track her down. Make her pay for how she wronged you. Break her. I want you to savour the experience as her body twists and reforms around your seed. Hopefully she''ll make a good Node, and I''ll keep her under your command.¡± Moltezz leaned down and gently unwrapped the bandages from around the girl¡¯s stomach, revealing a bloody crater planted neatly on her muscular abs. Her breath was exceptionally warm against the Node''s skin, making her vibrate under the intensity. ¡°Remarkably well healed for just a few days, but this will slow you down.¡± Moltezz tutted.


    Her hand began to glow bright orange and she looked at the Node briefly. The grey feline nodded and closed her eyes, her muscles tensing as she felt a searing heat approach her. The Controller''s palm met with the Node''s skin with a loud hiss, then she quickly retracted her arm, scrutinising the seal closely. The wound''s once deep crimson hue was now a dull brown; crisp and clean.


    ¡°There. Only a minor thing but I want you fully prepared. Do this for me, and I''ll see to it that you become one of my primary go-to Node''s. Wouldn¡¯t you like that?¡± Moltezz straightened up, her gaze returning to the Node''s eyes, in all its intensity and warmth.


    Yes! Very much so, my queen.¡± She nodded enthusiastically.


    ¡°Good. Let us continue, Let¡¯s check in on Leech and ensure she''s prepared.¡±


    The two moved on down the corridor, towards the gentle sound of drilling and dripping from a few doors down.


    ¡°McFUCK! VENTER! GET ME GAUZE, NOW!¡±


    Moltezz and the Node paused for a second, glancing at one another in a concerned fashion as the commotion intensified, but then they continued together and peered around the door into Leech''s makeshift lab.


    In the middle of the gritty lab, Leech stood over a Slave, a surgical multi-tool in her one hand, a power drill tucked under the same arm, and her other hand firmly clamped around the Slave''s shoulder, squeezing it tightly as blood seeped between her fingers.


    The Slave had numerous prongs on metal sticking out of it and multiple long wounds, stapled shut across its raggedy, naked form.


    Venter came hobbling across the lab floor, his hands full of clean dressings for wounds.


    ¡°How... are... things...? Leech?¡± Moltezz stared in a mixture of awe and confusion, half frowning.


    ¡°GO -¡± As she went to speak, her grip on the Slave loosened and something snapped. The Slave dropped to the floor like a rag-doll, completely limp and dead. ¡°MOTHERFUCK!¡±


    Without missing a beat, Leech grabbed the dead Slave with her hand and threw it across the room, its body cartwheeling through the air and disappearing through another open doorway, landing with a muffled thump.


    ¡°It¡¯s fucking USELESS! The medical equipment on this freighter is BOLLOCKS! Their scalpels are DULL!¡± Leech threw her hands up in the air dramatically, shooting a middle finger towards the door she threw the Slave through. She was currently dressed in a badly blood stained apron that barely covered her torso.


    ¡°Are... you ready for the assault?¡±


    ¡°Hell no! No modified Slaves are avaliable for combat yet! I wasn''t joking! This shit needs precision! The blades these people have been using are like, 0.85 millimetres thick and made from badly tempered steel, I might as well be making incisions with a fucking hammer!¡± Venter stifled a laugh as Leech continued her rant. ¡°Their drug stores were mostly depleted, likely by fucking drug addicted guards who were raiding the place so they could finally get enough blood in their cocks for a good jack-off in the showers, the fucking - I had to take a staple gun from engineering because the one in medical was  LIMP JACKASS SHIT!¡± She pointed at a mangled staple gun that was embedded in the wall across the room.


    ¡°I was supposed to be done hours ago! I had some private time scheduled with Ink! I WAS SCHEDULED TO CUM BUT INSTEAD I GOT CUCKED BY A STAPLE GUN! MY BALLS ARE HEAVY, MOLTEZZ!¡± Venter tried to stifle another laugh, but this time he didn¡¯t go unheard. The massive green alien''s head snapped towards him. The wolf¡¯s laugh cut out abruptly, but it was too late.


    ¡°YOU!¡±


    ¡°Leech, I -¡±


    ¡°I AM TOO FUCKED OFF AND TOO HORNY TO CONTINUE WITH THIS!¡± She lurched towards him, slapping her hand around his throat with a loud GLURK from the male and lifting him off his feet. ¡°WE GON'' DO SOME WEIRD SHIT UNTIL I FEEL BETTER!¡±


    She stomped out of the room with the wolf in her hand, disappearing through another doorway, her stomping slowly fading away to leave the slightly creaking lab in peace.


    ¡°I wonder what¡¯s through there?¡± The Node asked, peeking her head slightly further into the lab, towards the doorway the Slave had ended up.


    ¡°Ugh, if you value your sanity or your lunch, I suggest you go no further.¡± Moltezz spun abruptly, turning away from the lab''s dripping interior. ¡°Anyway... What¡¯s next? Shall we make our way to the new Controllers?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes! Down the corridor on the left.¡±


    The pair continued as they were, leaving the lab''s entrance and swiftly putting Leech''s craziness behind them. They arrived together at a large pair of open double doors which revealed a repurposed meeting room, for the old executive class of the freighter. It was nicely decorated and spacious, with a massive oval table in the centre and a long plasma glass window that looked out into space. At the back of the room, Ink was standing next to a large heap of discarded paper and looking through some stacked up boxes. She was pulling out handfuls of paper work and taking in the details, before throwing them onto the ever growing pile behind her.


    She was dressed in a make-shift combat outfit, with heavy flak plates strapped crudely to her body along with some tight slacks. Despite her makeshift look, her spotlight glare was intimidating as it always was.


    ¡°Is everything okay, Ink? I understand you''ll be joining us for the initial assault and then leaving once the station is secured?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That is true.¡± She continued to look through the paper. She was seemingly uninterested in Moltezz and the Node, and was more concerned with ensuring her goo-dripping tentacles didn¡¯t stain the yet-to-be-examined documents.


    ¡°Do... you... require help, Ink? What are you doing? We can get some Slaves to search through that with you?¡±


    ¡°No. I will do this personally. I¡¯m looking for details about my old boss.¡±


    Moltezz''s initial frown eased into a growing grin as Ink continued to stare at the documents with an intense level of scrutiny, processing each page into her corrupted cortex.


    ¡°Oh, now this I like. Someone mistreated you, Ink?¡± Moltezz threaded her fingers through one-another, her eyes widening with interest.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ink responded blankly.


    ¡°... That''s it? That was an invitation to divulge your desire for revenge.¡± Moltezz''s frown returned sharper this time. The Node beside her rocked back and forth on her heels, nervously.


    ¡°And I decline. I will savour his defeat, not you, or anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Really now? This is how you choose to be?¡±


    ¡°I know your type. People like you would always talk about me - old me. They would always want to know the drama, the story, the gossip. And I would feed them from time to time, just for the contact and reaction. But they were never there when I needed them, and so, I regret it deeply. Leech gave me a chance to be something new - I will not be that same person.¡± Ink¡¯s tentacles curled and flicked behind her, as if they were flexing around someone''s neck.


    ¡°How very stoic of you.¡± Moltezz scoffed, rolling her ruby eyes. ¡°Well, if you do require any assistance though, Ink, I am open to you. Despite your strangely defensive attitude, there is space for you at my table.¡±


    ¡°Noted.¡± Ink''s huge fangs slipped out from behind her lips as she forced a grin at Moltezz, with as much enthusiasm as she could muster, before continuing to search through the boxes with an increased vigour.


    ¡°We''re landing in thirty minutes, if you''re joining us. Enjoy your revenge, Ink.¡±


    Moltezz and the Node turned and left the dripping behemoth to her own devices, opting to head to the next stop on the list. As they approached the next metal door, Moltezz shook her head, sighing loudly.


    ¡°Despite her attitude, I do like Ink. Seeing what Leech made of her, I was actively salivating at the thought of corrupting the other three czarites on the ship...¡± She sighed again. ¡°I must say, these three weren''t quite what I was expecting. I corrupted them fresh, expecting some psyonic powerhouses, and what I received were... these lot...¡±


    The door retracted and revealed a med-bay. It had been ransacked for all its goods, all the cabinets pulled open and raided for their contents some time ago, but a few medi-beds were still standing, positioned neatly at precise intervals. In the centre of the room stood three naked corrupted czarites of slightly varying heights and wildly different figures. They were currently reaching for some fresh clothes which had been provided for them.


    The one in the middle of the trio stood defiantly, her crimson body muscular and defined, with an impressive chest and a sharp, curling ashen carapace on her head and shoulders. She had some additional carapace on her hips and thighs, like sharp talons, almost as if a great clawed beast were grabbing her from behind. Long and wild jelly dreadlocks sprouted from her head, starting with a peach tint but fading into a raspberry hue. Some of them were reigned with a metal band. Her peach-coloured sharp eyes stared at Moltezz as she stepped forward, between the Controller and her two friends.


    Behind her, to her left, the czarite''s was a deep violet, her skin soft and shiny. Her figure was much curvier than the first, with thunderously heavy hips, a chubby belly and perky but smaller breasts, compared to any other corrupted czarite so far, but still plenty large by any reasonable person¡¯s standards. Her carapace was gentle and decorate, covering patches of her thighs and draping over her shoulders and wrists like finely crafted jewellery placed purposefully on her skin. Her bright, polished jade eyes were also staring at Moltezz, a hint of confusion furrowing her brow. Her dreadlocks were long and deep blue, flowing down to her gigantic butt and curving slightly over to top of her cheeks.


    The final girl was a bright candy pink, with a thicker charcoal carapace than the last, curling over her body akin to ornate wood carvings. Her figure was heavy, with a bit of a belly on her and some powerful thick thighs and hips, but they were somewhat dwarfed by her prior¡¯s. Her chest, however, was absolutely massive, packing a pair of perfectly soft and squishy boobs that made Moltezz do a subtle double take at their sheer size and presence. Her bright bubblegum eyes were glancing around the room idly; a quiet hum escaped her lips as she bobbed up and down slightly. A brief licking of her lips revealed a silver stud pierced through her tongue. Her dreadlocks started out a milky pink at her scalp, but faded into a deep purple at their tips which stopped at her shoulders, and bounced playfully along with her.


    ¡°Well, you''re certainly all attractive... We may yet have some use for you.¡± Moltezz tried to smile but couldn¡¯t hide her disappointment, even as she surveyed the groups varying but beautiful sexual assets.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°What the hell is your problem?!¡± The red one stepped forward, but was immediately held back by both her friends. ¡°I''m not gonna be talked at like that! We don''t owe you anything!¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Quite the spicy attitude there.¡± Moltezz shook her head dismissively, which only further angered the red one. ¡°Introduce yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Name¡¯s Cherry.¡± The red one spat, still glaring at Moltezz.


    ¡°Plum.¡± The bottom heavy, purple one said sweetly, her voice caressing Moltezz''s senses.


    ¡°- And Bubblegum!¡± The pink one sung, showing some jazz hands.


    ¡°Okay¡­ I think I can work with this.¡± A sly grin grew across Moltezz''s face, ideas forming in her mind.


    Cherry went to speak but felt Plum''s soft hand on her shoulder, and cut her response off.


    ¡°What can we do for you, Moltezz?¡± Plum asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I like to hear. Serve me and you''ll do well. I''ll admit, I was anticipating some psyonic strength, following your corruption. But I can still see plenty of potential, despite your lack of psyonics and... tentacles¡­ I want to forge you three into capable lieutenants for our rapidly expanding crusade.¡± Moltezz¡¯s fist erupted into a bright, dancing flame as she spoke and she held it out in front of her. ¡°We are spreading our gift to the local nomads, searching for a place to call our headquarters and most importantly, recovering some lost personnel of interest. Another Controller, and my prince.¡±


    ¡°And what do we call ourselves...? Our group?¡± Plum asked quietly, shuffling closer to Cherry and running her soft fingers down Cherry''s chiselled back.


    ¡°The Rewritten.¡± Moltezz affirmed. ¡°I''ve thought about the name for quite some time now, and I believe it¡¯s quite fitting for us.¡±


    She clasped her fist and extinguished the flame. The room rapidly darkened, leaving just her searing eyes the only vocal point the three could focus on.


    ¡°I want you to focus on bringing my prince back to me. Make him your primary directive. Succeed, and I''ll think about introducing you to him. Once he''s earned his place at my side, that is. Other rewards will be provided to you, but I can guarantee that he is the most valuable.¡±


    ¡°Special guy, is he?¡± Cherry quizzed, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°He may very well be the key to the Rewritten''s success, believe it or not.¡±


    ¡°I sense there''s a bit more than that going on.¡±


    ¡°Oh, there absolutely is. But we''re landing soon and I don''t want to start gushing over him.¡± The room''s lights surged back to their original brightness, and Moltezz turned to leave. ¡°Can''t a queen just have her crush?¡± She muttered.


    ¡°We''ll get right on that!¡± Bubblegum nodded enthusiastically and blew a large, blue bubble from her mouth. A soft, wet bang rang out as it popped over her lips, and Cherry elbowed her sharply in the ribs.


    Moltezz and the Node continued down the corridor, leaving the trio alone in the med-bay. The three of them turned to one another and huddled close once Moltezz was out of earshot.


    ¡°What are you thinking, Bubble?¡± Cherry flexed her neck and rolled her shoulders, her muscular form lethal and ready for action.


    ¡°I think we should go along with it for now... Let''s see what this mysterious guy is about first. Moltezz might be stuck firmly up her own butt, but it seems like she''s pulling the shots around here. We should get more info before doing anything rash.¡±


    ¡°Plum?¡±


    ¡°I agree. If Moltezz wants him, we should get him. We can make better decisions from there.¡±


    Both Plum and Bubblegum stopped and looked at Cherry, worried. They both placed soft hands on her shoulders to comfort her as Cherry''s face twisted in anger.


    ¡°I don''t like being told ¡°You''ll do.¡± If Moltezz wants this fucking guy, then I want him more. I don''t care how we do it, make him or break him. She wants to be some stupid, theatrical queen? Fine. But royalty rarely survives a revolution.¡±


    *


    The sound of tearing rubber and fabric filled the space as Seeth¡¯s blood-stained hands clawed at her suit, desperate to remove it.


    Her amythine fingers gripped tightly onto whatever fabric they could grasp and ripped it off without mercy. Scraps of viscera-riddled rubber fell to the floor, making the already war torn hotel room look like a hell hole. It was all too much. She cried out a little with every rip and tear as her clothing was revealed underneath, just a simple t-shirt and trousers, untouched by the blood that coated her. Stitching ripped and rubber squealed as it was pried off.


    Eventually, she finished removing the suit, panting loudly as she stumbled into the room¡¯s ensuite bathroom, turning the taps on and splashing herself with water, washing some of the blood off her coal-coloured carapace.


    Her hand fumbled over the tap and shut the flow off. Slowly, her eyes came to stare at herself in the mirror above the sink.


    You¡¯re a fucking monster.


    Look at you.


    Need a hazmat suit just to visit a space station with your boyfriend, can¡¯t even save yourself without murdering someone in the process.


    She didn¡¯t even dare to speak aloud. She wanted to crack and smash the face before her; who knows what she¡¯d do if she heard the creature¡¯s voice.


    I swore I would be better, but I -


    She sighed loudly, turning the tap on again more gently and splashing more water on her face.


    Be better. Do some good. Gotta figure out how to stop doing bad first.


    Cupping a handful of water into her slightly trembling palms, she gulped it down and turned the tap off, the water having a cleansing effect on both her mind and throat. Turning back to face the front door and striding over to it, her confidence returned to her step as she approached.


    People are in danger. My identity crisis can fucking wait.


    The furniture was easily tossed aside, but that only solved part of the problem. She needed information. Seeth huffed loudly and rubbed her arm anxiously. She needed to open herself up to the network again.


    Having closed herself off from the corrupted network, she had been isolated and disconnected from the others ever since departing from their factory, operating as if she¡¯d never been a part of it in the first place. But now, she needed to know the damage Plasia had done.


    Standing with her back straight, she closed her eyes and lowered the wall in her mind. The rush of information hit her like a drug. The eyes of Slaves, the thoughts of Nodes, it all became available for her picking, a rich tapestry of real time, organic data for her to absorb. The station revealed its secrets in an instant, and the extent of the infection; she could see Plasia¡¯s slaves hunting down their targets, their eyes fixed on the uncorrupted in the cramped corridors of Barru X.


    Six-hundred odd already? Another three-hundred mid way through corruption, too late to stop. I think I can -


    Her heart jolted in her chest. There were more.


    T-the freighter?! Twenty-thousand?!


    She strained and attempted to push some control over the corrupted crew, trying to get them to turn the freighter around, or take their own lives, but she could feel an interference; they were being protected from her direct control.


    Fucking Leech and Moltezz! UGH! If I can get close enough, I can override their control but¡­ I need to move! Now!


    Strong hands ripped at the furniture and flung it across the room carelessly, the drawers and bedside tables smashing as they hit the floor. Seeth yanked the door open and threw herself down the dimly-lit corridor. They were running out of time.


    *


    ¡°Who the hell is docking at the station?! We''re literally in full evacuation! We''re broadcasting it, for star¡¯s sakes! And more than that, what idiot allowed them to dock?!¡± Venner was charging back and forth through the security office, scrubbing data from the consoles and ensuring there was nothing for the enemy Controllers to salvage.


    There were only a few guards left in the office now; pretty much all of them were busy defending choke-points or guiding people off the station.


    ¡°Ma''am... We made an exception.¡±


    ¡°What?!? WHY?¡± The station shook suddenly, and distant alarms rang out. Venner charged over to her work station, leaping over her desk and pulling up the emergency panel on her terminal again. ¡°Oh my god... life support and artificial gravity have completely died in the long stay wing... I think there''s a breach in the hull too... Bulkheads have already sealed though, so it shouldn''t impact the evacuation.¡± Her mind went to the guard unit she dispatched there, and to Plasia. Last she saw on the cameras, they¡¯d killed each-other... She wondered how Diego and Seeth would take the news, if they were even still alive. ¡°Gah! It''s all happening too fast! Uhm, the craft that docked! You said you made an exception?¡± She turned her attention briefly back to the other guard, who''d followed her anxiously.


    ¡°He''s coming up now... I... I better leave you to it.¡±


    ¡°What the hell does that mean? Oi! Get your ass back here!¡± Venner called after him, but the guard had quickly departed, turning the corner and heading for the stairs.


    He better not be leaving me with more people to -


    Her heart leapt into her throat, stinging tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She cupped her hands to her face as emotion overcame her.


    ¡°R-Robin?!?¡±


    At the entrance to the security deck a small human male waivered, with wispy blonde hair and a cute button face, dressed in barely more than brown rags. A uniformed draconic commander stood nearby, alert and attentive. They had both been looking around the office, before sharply turning their attention towards Venner at the sound of her voice.


    ¡°Venner!¡±


    They sprinted across the room to one another, falling into each-other''s arms and burying their faces in the other''s shoulder.


    ¡°I-I thought I''d never see you again!¡± Veneer sobbed, choking on her tears.


    Robin stayed silent, shuddering slightly in Venner''s arms and holding onto her tightly. Before they could share their moment for too long however, Jace cleared his throat behind them. Venner held onto her husband, and addressed him from over the smaller male¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°A-are you the asshole that-¡± Venner''s eyes narrowed, and she felt her temper begin to rise.


    ¡°No. I would never stoop so low as him.¡± Jace met her eyes, but remained calm.


    ¡°You know about all this...? What he did?¡±


    ¡°I do. Or, I know enough anyway. I know it doesn''t fix anything, but I promise you that I will seek justice for his actions. I understand you''re evacuating the space station?¡±


    ¡°We are. Why do you ask?¡± Venner remained cautious; her previous run-in with the DA hadn¡¯t exactly gone well, and she dreaded to think what he could gain from her information.


    ¡°I¡¯ve docked with a small, independent vessel, I can evacuate up to fifteen people on it. I''d like to offer those seats to anyone left aboard the station, yourself and your husband included.¡±


    ¡°I don''t need it; I''ve got my own ship, but I know it''s a bit of a squeeze on the pods... if you''re truly intent on helping, get your ass down to the primary hangers and tell ''em Venner sent you.¡±


    Jace nodded and turned to leave.


    ¡°Wait! What''s your name?¡±


    ¡°Commander Jace Koa, Ma''am.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Commander Koa. I wish you a safe passage.¡±


    ¡°You''re welcome, Ma''am.¡± With that, Jace left the two alone and headed back down the stairs, following the signs toward the hanger.


    Venner turned her attention back to the smaller human in her arms, finally prying herself off of him and getting a good top-to-bottom look of him. Her eyes took in every detail, from his scruffy hair to his baggy shirt and trousers. He was shorter and thinner than Venner, rather meek even by human standards, but his amber eyes portrayed a sly intellect. A weak smile crept over his face as he eyed her back.


    ¡°It''s so good to see you, Robin!¡± Venner choked back more tears and pulled him in for another hug. Before he responded, Robin quickly glanced around to ensure they were alone.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Despite the smile on his face, his grip around her was loose, and he seemed¡­ unimpressed. ¡°It''s good to see you too, Venner.¡±


    ¡°I-is there something wrong, Robin? Are you hungry? Did they hurt you...?¡± As she spoke, her comms unit buzzed loudly with multiple incoming call requests, but she silenced it and focused her attention back on Robin.


    ¡°It''s fine, nothing, really.¡±


    ¡°No, really, Robin, what''s going on?¡±


    ¡°I just¡­ Well, I think you could have done a little better, that''s all.¡±


    She paused, her throat croaking quietly as the words choked her.


    ¡°I - I tried, Robin! I really did! You got caught by the DA! What was I supposed to do?!¡±


    ¡°Don''t. Let''s get out of here first, then we can talk. You said you have a ship?¡± He pulled away from her, looking around the room.


    ¡°I... Robin - I can''t leave yet. I''m going to be one of the last off the station, I need to make sure this evacuation goes as smoothly as possible. I can arrange an escort to my ship if that makes you feel safer?¡±


    He sighed loudly and shook his head.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. You do your thing. I''ll wait here.¡±


    ¡°O-okay. You just... sit tight. I''ll, uh...¡± She turned around, her shoulders slumping as a weak sigh escaping her lips. She glanced back and took another look at him as she paced into her office. He sat down on a chair away from her and stared around the room, looking anywhere but at her.


    She crept back to her chair, slowly pulled her headphones over her ears, and pressed to accept the next call.


    ¡°Venner here... what''s up?¡±


    Time ticked away as the Controller freighter approached. Passengers were guided onto ships and quickly departed from the station, with the guards holding key locations. The attacks from the corrupted passengers remained weak and ineffective, unable to breach the line of scasers and pistols, soldiers and nomads.


    As each ship launched, Venner watched the total number of habitants about the station dropped, clinging to her desk as the time they had ticked away. She bounced between different calls from her guards, registering the departing ships, and keeping a close eye on the station''s critical systems. Although the long stay wing had completely collapsed, the rest of the station remained in working order.


    Despite their amazing progress - over half the station had already been evacuated - the clock continued to count down, and every second meant the freighter was coming closer. Soon enough, it became apparent that the evacuations would not be completed in time ¨C the freighter was too close ¨C they only needed a few minutes more, but it was time they simply didn''t have.


    Venner relayed the message to her guards, explaining the situation as best as she could.


    ¡°There¡¯s no easy way to say this, but I need volunteers to defend the hanger. Just thirty people could save the lives of six-hundred others.¡±


    Across the station, the guards began to relay the message, across their choke-points and amongst the nomads who were committed to defending the station. It was an open message, and an honest one.


    They looked at each-other in silence, all across the station, then conversations played out, all the same. Some broke, shaking their heads and continuing to board the departing ships. Some paused, as though mulling it over, eyeing up their supplies and the station¡¯s defences. But a few gathered their weapons, taking supplies and extra ammunition from the guard force as they made their way to the hangar.


    Venner watched over the cameras in amazement as several nomads strode across the station, their faces all grit with the same steely determination. Some looked more nervous than others, but none of them turned back. Two of Venner''s personal guard units joined them. Trolleys of weapons, armour and provisions were loaded and brought by spare nomad hands.


    Solemn thanks escaped the lips of every person they passed. This would be a one-way trip. Whoever entered that hanger, would not be leaving.


    The guards took the names of every person who was offering their lives, and passed them along to Venner. She would ensure that they would not be forgotten.


    They quickly formed defensive positions, stacking up crates and spare ship plating into defensive positions, along with the two construction mechs, both armed with their heavy nail drivers and rock breakers. A mixed line of guards and nomads, dressed in a mixture of salvaged guard armour, flak plates, space gear and worn mechanic outfits. Those who had brought their own sidearms were provided with beefier armaments but, more importantly, the very best Barru X had to offer was given in full.


    A tray of food left over from the station''s restaurants and a mug of ¡°Bold Nova¡± brand whiskey was given to every defender.


    They laughed together; ¡°Bold Nova¡± was an acquired taste and it showed in the various reactions around the hangar. Their hearts beat together as they ate their last meal and enjoyed the prestigious drink, watching the distant lights fade through the hangar doors. Ships and pods escaping the station visible to them via the hanger doors, like shooting stars escaping to burn bright another day.


    But one star drew closer.


    It was time.


    Nova was necked, weapons were drawn. They took their positions. A line of rifles, scasers, repeaters and two huge nail-guns were waiting for the coming assault. The order was just to hold for as long as possible.


    The massive metal ship encroached on their vision, its silhouette becoming more and more pronounced as it closed in, blotting out the stars.


    They all shuddered in their boots as metal hit metal, the sound of hydraulics sliding, airlocks sealing and hundreds of tons of securing mechanisms interlocking to bring the docking ramp of the freighter into the hangar.


    Slowly, the hanger doors clunked, hissed and unveiled the freighter''s dreaded cargo.


    The defenders all raised their weapons and waited as Moltezz appeared, standing tall above the line of Slaves in front of her. They were armed with clubs, knives and tools, and each stood perfectly still under Moltezz''s control.


    In one eerie movement, the Slaves parted and Moltezz confidently strode down the ramp alone, a shield of dancing flames slowly forming around her. The hangar was already beginning to heat up. Fingers twitched on triggers. The mech''s readjusted their aim towards her.


    Moltezz''s twisted glare glanced over the line of guns pointed at her and slowly, a disappointed scowl broke over her face.


    ¡°Hmm. I deserve a stronger response than this.¡±

 Arc 2 Finale - Spade

    ¡°OPEN FIRE!¡±


    The wall of bodies met a line of bullets, scasers thumping loudly as their red rounds zipped through the air, repeaters unleashing metal hell from their fortified positions. Slaves crumbled and fell under the attack, their bodies punctured melting, slamming to the floor and tumbling down the ramp of the freighter.


    The distinctive metallic clank and thump of the nail drivers rang out the loudest of the firearms, punching through multiple invaders at a time, sending many skidding backwards from sheer force alone.


    ¡°Oh please. Really. Nail guns?¡± Moltezz smirked, standing tall over her horde as they charged past her. She concentrated for a moment; focused. Her hand shot up and snatched a nail straight out of the air with a satisfying clap, inches away from penetrating her chest.


    ¡°Unacceptable.¡± Her eyes narrowed. The metre-long nail clasped tightly in her fist suddenly surged with heat, glowing bright orange from tip to head. She reeled back and hurled it forward like a javelin. It was a direct hit, the nail skewered one of the defenders, their crudely built cover falling to pieces as the red hot metal punched straight through it.


    ¡°I''ll take her out! Keep the horde off me!¡± One of the mech pilots called out, pushing his mech forward through the wave of incoming bodies. The huge rock drill on its right arm began to swat back and forth, carving through the flesh before it with grisly efficiency. The swarm suddenly parted out of its way, like a river around a stone, leaving a clear line of sight to Moltezz.


    The mech advanced as fast as it could, stomping forward on its heavy triangular feet. It opened fire.


    PANG-PANG-PANG-PANG


    The air around Moltezz grew dark and heavy, and formed before her a pitch black ashen shield that halted the nails in their tracks, their metal bodies unable to penetrate through the air¡¯s sudden, rocky density. She advanced confidently with her full body ashen shield, walking forwards to meet the mech in close quarters. All around them, Slave''s torn to pieces by gun fire, stray limbs flying through the air like confetti, celebrating the queen¡¯s arrival.


    Moltezz and the mech met in the middle of the battlefield. The mech launched its blood dripping drill towards her. Her cloak of ash dropped to the ground to reveal her imposing figure, her hand rising to meet the drill''s body and grabbing it, just behind its spinning, jagged head. The mech hissed and pushed forward with all of its might, trying desperately to crush her, but the alien stood defiant and firm, her muscles quivering slightly under her clothes. But the metal body of the drill was already beginning to creak, and deform around her parry.


    ¡°Meek. My expectations were low, and still, they have not been met.¡± Moltezz scoffed, meeting eyes with the pilot through the mech¡¯s thick, tinted glass.


    Her free fist glowed with blinding white and orange light, searing and brilliant. She threw it forward and it impacted the glass of the cockpit with a deafening crack. Bleaching white noise and blinding light filled the hanger in a rippling shockwave.


    As the world blinked back into existence, only two smouldering yellow metal feet, half welded to the floor, sat where the mech once stood. Bits of rock drill were embedded in the wall more than a hundred metres behind them. Any exposed flesh from both the horde and the defenders had been half roasted by the heat flash.


    The mech was gone. Scattered, melted, destroyed.


    The defenders scrambled around, as did the horde, both levelled by the attack. The pain of their burnt skin was slowing them, some had even been blinded. But the horde was quicker than the nomad soldiers; much quicker. They didn''t care for the pain, and as long as one of them could see, they could all see.


    The second mech turned to face Moltezz, its arms whirring as it brought its nail driver down at her, but her response was overwhelming. A clustered volley of fire bolts flung from her palms drowned the mech''s frame in scorching orange fire. Its hydraulics burst, circuits failed, the pilot melted into his flaming, leather chair.


    The mech collapsed to the ground with a chest shaking thud, half liquefied by her volley. Molten glass, metal and flaming oil oozed from its immolated carcass.


    The heat coming off the flaming mech warmed the air too much and the fire suppression system kicked in. Several small nozzles emerged from the ceiling and sprayed the hangar down with white foam, dousing it into a grey unrecognisable slurry.


    There were screams from across the hanger, rapidly muffling as the horde seized the last defenders. Most were still alive, if not a little burnt.


    Moltezz turned her attention towards the far side doors which led to the civilian hangars, where the evacuations were in progress. She continued in her stride once more as more Slaves and Nodes poured out of the freighter, heading through every door, vent and access way they could.


    ¡°Preserve the station, but pick it clean. Bring back as many as you can alive.¡±


    *


    Trent¡¯s foot bobbed anxiously as he waited by the airlock door, armed with a vulcan rifle he¡¯d looted from their ship, his face twitching slightly.


    Moltezz is coming, Moltezz is coming¡­ The words repeatedly echoed through his head. The heat, the pain, the pleasure, it all came flooding back at the thought of her name alone. He hated that part of him, the part that wanted to go back to her. He longed desperately for that part of him to die forever, but the more he pushed it down, the more immortal and hungry it felt.


    His thought trail was swiftly derailed as the doors hissed open and revealed Oxyi and Geralt, both of whom had a hue of exhaustion and dismay upon their slumped shoulders.


    ¡°A-any luck?¡± Trent asked quietly, peering behind them both briefly. Oxyi pushed past the fox, her eyes glassy and lip wobbling, leaving Trent and Geralt standing in the airlock.


    ¡°Nothing. They¡¯ve both just vanished into thin air, and Plasia¡­¡± Geralt paused for a second to gather his composure. ¡°Venner says her guards have fatally wounded her, and the entire wing''s life support died a few minutes after her video footage ended. The chances she¡¯s still alive are¡­¡±


    Trent ruffled his hair awkwardly and nodded. It all seemed to be falling apart so fast. They could both feel the pulsing vibrations running through the metal underfoot, buzzing through the airlock¡¯s connection to the station. They exchanged a knowing, sorrowful look.


    Behind them, Oxyi yelled, her voice stuttering.


    ¡°W-we gotta go! now! That freighter has just docked! There is n-no more time!¡±


    *


    ¡°GET IT OFF! IT¡¯S TRYING TO RAPE ME!¡± A terrified young girl cried out, pressing her forearm against the throat of the Slave, digging her elbow desperately into its windpipe. The creature clawed at her clothes, its eyes boring down into her soul as it stared its victim down. She pushed hard and tried to fumble for the small blade she kept strapped to the outside of her calf, but the Slave fought harder and managed to pin her down. It was actively salivating at the thought¡­ no, not thought, urge racing through its mind. Lilac saliva dripped onto her face as its arousal rose further.


    The girl cried out again. Her wide and frightened eyes stared straight up into the dead, empty irises of her attacker¡¯s.


    Please don¡¯t¡­


    A flicker of movement in the corner of her eye caught the girl¡¯s attention. Someone was heading towards them, heavy footsteps thumping at a heart-rising pace.


    The Slave suddenly stopped and bolted upright, releasing the girl instantly. She wriggled away immediately and paused a few feet away as an amethyst blur rocketed by. She stared in relief and confusion as a massive fist impacted the Slave¡¯s head. Then, as fast as the figure had appeared, she was gone. The Slave¡¯s body had been launched several meters down the corridor, its head only hanging onto its neck by a small fold of skin.


    Hold on guys¡­ I¡¯m coming.


    Seeth charged down the station¡¯s corridors, seizing control of any and all nearby Slaves, and killing those that happened to be in her path. A couple more stood ahead of her, illuminated by the slightly amber hue of two wall lights in an otherwise plain corridor. She leapt into a dropkick, both feet forward, one for each Slave. The impact was thunderous, as if a train had crashed into them. Both broke in an instant, their necks whiplashed and their already dead bodies smashed into the wall ahead of them, flesh embedding into the steel.


    She landed on her feet and regained her speed, casting a brief eye towards the signposts, watching closely for the way back to the docks. She had a hell of a way to go yet, but she grit her teeth and cracked her knuckles. She would make hell for them on the way.


    *


    ¡°I - I couldn¡¯t find him¡­¡± Oxyi¡¯s chest shuddered with each breath and tears rolled down her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m just a failure¡­ There¡¯s no other word for it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Oxyi!¡± Tivy hopped on the spot, shuffling closer to her, feeling her own eyes beginning to sting. ¡°Don¡¯t say that about yourself!¡±


    The lioness thudded her head back against the seat and shook it vigorously in disagreement.


    ¡°I - It is, though! I knew Venner was up to something from the beginning! I should have said something! I should have¡­ I - It doesn¡¯t matter. We need to get the ship off the station. Now.¡±


    Tivy exchanged a hurt look with Oxyi for a few, endless seconds before sadly turning around and hopping up onto the pilot¡¯s chair, slowly pressing the correct arrangement of buttons to initiate the main engine start up.


    But the engine didn¡¯t start. It didn''t even try to.


    Tivy tilted her head and stared at the control panel, pushing her tongue against the inside of her cheek.


    She pressed the sequence again, more forcefully this time, ensuring each button was firmly tapped, but once again, the ship did not roar to life¡­ there wasn¡¯t even a splutter. Concern crept over the damaged crew as Tivy¡¯s actions became more frantic, she hopped up onto the control panel from the chair and repeated the sequence once more, every button push deliberate.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Tiv? We got a loose wire or something¡­?¡±


    ¡°W-we need to check the reactor! There¡¯s no ignition surge to the primary chambers!¡± Tivy spun around to address the guys, her pupils tiny dots in her eyes, her little body quaking as she stood on the controls.


    Trent, Oxyi and Geralt stood and all made their way silently through the bowels of the ship to the lowest deck, nothing but the clanking of their boots on the metalwork and the various paces of their anxiety-stricken breath to fill their ears. The engine would usually be humming loudly by now, but it was silent, just creaking slightly from behind its armoured door.


    Trent approached the door first, letting it slide open and reveal its inner workings, his breath silent as anxiety crept through his chest.


    ¡°Tivy! It looks like it''s been ransacked!¡± The three gawked around the room. Various chunks of intricate machinery had been torn out, leaving it gutted and stuttering. Wires sparked against unresponsive, hissing panels, and a sudden splitting *CLANK* made the three of them jump backwards, staring around the damaged reactor with increasing concern.


    ¡°I-is it fixable? Can we undock from the station at least?!?¡± Trent felt increasingly small as he stared into the large and empty engine room. Behind them, a scuttling noise revealed Tivy as she came bounding down the corridor, skidding to a stop in the middle of the room.


    Her body physically stuttered, mimicking the conflict in her head. She alternated rapidly between looking at the door and glancing around the ruined reactor. As the group all looked around, they noticed together the small blue drips, on the floor in the middle of the room. It was suddenly clear what had happened.


    ¡°Tivy?!¡±


    ¡°W-we gotta get off the ship!¡± Her eyes focused briefly on a panel on the other side of the room; the gauges on it were anything but encouraging.


    ¡°We can¡¯t! We¡¯re one of the last ships docked and the freighter has landed! There¡¯s no way we can find another ride! Can¡¯t we just plug those wires together or something? Just get enough power to undock?¡±


    ¡°NO! You want to die slowly in a metal box?!? You plug a surge capacitor into the ship''s systems and you¡¯ll fry the air support! We¡¯ll die from an overload before Moltezz can even get to us! W-we¡­ Maybe we can - I¡­ T-that!¡± Tivy¡¯s eyes spotted something, and she jerked towards it, the others following her closely. ¡°I - I need tools! I might be able to use the charge in this capacitor to -¡°


    Her words were cut short by a thud coming from upstairs, the distinctive hiss of the airlock, opening and closing¡­


    They all stared at each-other in silence. Oxyi and Trent instinctively reached for their weapons.


    ¡°Tivy, can you and Geralt make a start on your plan? Remember, we just need to undock and get away from the station, even if it¡¯s just a few metres. We can radio for pick-up if we¡¯re lucky¡­ Trent, you come with me.¡± Oxyi pointed at the ceiling. ¡°Let¡¯s hope this is a friend, but if it¡¯s not, I might need back-up.¡±


    The team split into pairs; Trent and Oxyi raced back through the ship¡¯s corridors, leaving Tivy and Geralt to attempt to salvage some power from the wrecked reactor; they just needed enough to break their connection from the station.


    Oxyi brought her shotgun up to her shoulder and took the lead, Trent a few paces behind her, mimicking her stance with his vulcan rifle. Exiting the lowest deck, they cautiously paced down the corridor into the main deck of the ship, ears twitching as they listened closely for noise.


    There were multiple sets of quiet footsteps throughout the ship.


    The pair made their way down the ship¡¯s main corridor, with a few blind doors on each side of the wall, leading to the different areas of the ship. The first two were just bunks for the ex-soldiers of the craft, the third was the lounge and kitchen area, the biggest room on the deck.


    Oxyi turned the first corner, shotgun at the ready - and she shuddered in her skin as a monochrome Slave stood in the centre of the room, facing away from her, currently staring around the bunk.


    *BANG* - *CHU-CHINK*


    The slave dropped to the floor instantly, the back of its furry head full of steel buckshot.


    ¡°Not friends, then?¡± Trent gulped, but was met with a firm shushing gesture from Oxyi, who immediately turned towards the next door. She readied herself and waited next to the opening for a second, before pouncing around the corner. It was the same as before, but this time, the Slave was turned around and looking at her.


    *BANG* - *CHU-CHINK*


    More buckshot through more flesh, the Slave dropped to the floor with another thud, blood slowly pooling around its head.


    The room appeared clear and so Oxyi moved on again, a gentle haze of smoke wafting from the barrel of her weapon.


    The lounge and kitchen was next and Oxyi carefully crept down the corridor once more towards its door, pausing next to it and cleanly leaping around the corner with her weapon ready.


    The room initially appeared empty, but then Oxyi caught sight of something huddled behind the white, glossy breakfast bar directly ahead of her.


    ¡°Show your hands or be shown your innards!¡± She yelled, strafing into the room, her weapons sights fixed on the crouching figure.


    It grunted back and crawled around the bar, keeping cover between it and Oxyi.


    ¡°Trent! Flank this guy!¡± Oxyi yelled, having made her way into the middle of the room.


    Trent appeared in the doorway, took aim with his weapon and opened fire, the vulcan rifle spitting a handful of needles in a loud roar. In less than a second, the Slave collapsed, cut to pieces.


    ¡°Hell yeah! Teamw-UGH!¡°


    The air was immediately punched out of his chest; something had ambushed Trent from behind, and was dragging him away from the door and out of Oxyi¡¯s line of sight.


    ¡°Trent!¡± She ran to the door, shotgun raised.


    She heard Trent¡¯s rifle clatter to the floor, followed by two thumping noises and a sickening, muffled crack.


    Before she had any time to think, Trent suddenly reappeared in the doorway, held up by a much larger figure behind him. The two rapidly approached the lioness.


    ¡°Hello again, Oxyi! Let¡¯s try this one more time, shall we?¡±


    Behind him, a feline Node held Trent¡¯s limp form up in the air as a shield as she approached Oxyi. The lioness¡¯s eyes bolted open as she recognized her.


    It was the Node from her flat!


    Oxyi tried to get a good shot at the feline, but she held the knocked out Trent in front of her perfectly and charged across the room.


    The lioness side-stepped the charge and flicked her shotgun towards the Node¡¯s form, but felt it twist violently in her grasp as the Node grabbed the front of the barrel and pointed it away from her. A wicked grin spread over her face as she dropped Trent to the floor with a thump, and yanked the shotgun out of Oxyi¡¯s hands.


    Oxyi let the weapon go and went for her pistol strapped to her side, rapidly retreating from the Node as far back as the room would let her, but the feline followed. Her larger size made her no less nimble, and Oxyi could only fire a couple more glancing rounds into her stomach before the Node had grabbed her wrist.


    Her options were running out. She fumbled for her knife, unstrapped it from her thigh, and thrust it as hard as she could with her free hand, but the Node caught that too, now holding both of Oxyi¡¯s wrists with overwhelming strength.


    In the blink of an eye, the Node wrenched Oxyi¡¯s arms to her sides and headbutted the lioness in the face, and let her fall onto her back with another thud. She immediately pounced over her body and knelt on her shoulders, preventing Oxyi from fighting back.


    Oxyi kicked and thrashed around but the headbutt had left her dizzy and disorientated. Her ears were ringing and pain surged through her forehead. Blood dribbled from her nose and down her chin. Her eyes slowly focused, but was only met with the victorious grin of the Node, staring down at her with insidious jade eyes. Try as she might, she couldn¡¯t shift the seven foot tall feline off of her. She kicked out with her legs again, but it was useless; the Node was perfectly balanced and overwhelmingly strong.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to savour this. Moltezz sent me directly, to rectify my little mistake from last time.¡± She brought her head low and licked the blood dribbling from Oxyi¡¯s nose, in a slow, taunting fashion. ¡°The Rewritten will not be denied! I will not be denied!¡±


    Slowly, the Node reached down with both hands, her fingers dancing against the sides of Oxyi¡¯s neck. She pressed her fingers against the lioness¡¯s fur and skin and slowly formed a grip around her neck, applying an increasing pressure against her throat. Her smile widened as her grip tightened.


    Oyxi kicked and fought back again. Images raced through her mind, flashbacks of the attack back in her flat. The Node was too strong to move. Pinned down, she would feel the fight drain out of her, strength fading. She began to turn a pale blue as the veins in her neck bulged between the Node¡¯s fingers; she could hear her flesh and bones creaking under the pressure.


    Watching the life drain out of her prompted a seductive, soft giggle from the feline Node.


    ¡°Mhmm, look at that, you¡¯re turning blue! Such a perfect colour for you. Matches your eyes.¡±


    It was a slow, deliberate strangulation. She inhaled every detail of Oxyi''s struggling form, closely watching the pained creases around her eyes; oh, how the lioness¡¯s skin deformed around her grip.


    The Node bit her lip and let out a satisfied moan.


    Just as Oxyi looked fit to faint, she relinquished the grip and Oxyi sucked in a long, desperate gulp of air; just enough to keep her conscious.


    ¡°Enough foreplay. Let¡¯s -¡±


    ¡°LET HER GO! NOW!¡± A familiar, alien voice called out.


    The Node stopped and shuddered, going weak for a second and leaning on the breakfast bar to her side.


    ¡°S-Seeth? W-what are you doing here?¡±


    She stood from Oxyi, prompting the lioness to take another huge gasp of air and cough it back out, twisting on the floor in pain.


    Slowly however, the Node¡¯s shock faded. Her temper steeled and she snorted loudly.


    ¡°Hmm. Good try.¡±


    The remaining Slaves aboard the ship charged out from the far rooms following a brief commotion, and the struggling bodies of Tivy and Geralt were dragged into the room. Tivy screamed out with Seeth''s exact tone, but it faded back into her own as the Slave held her out like dirty laundry.


    ¡°Gotta admit, that was pretty creative. You had me for a few seconds.¡±


    Geralt fought and twisted in his captor¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°Let us go, let us go you fucking -¡±


    He looked up at the Node, and froze. All colour drained from his face, and he went limp in the Slave¡¯s arms.


    ¡°N-Naomi?¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    The Node grinned, looking him up and down.


    ¡°Hey, dad.¡±


    A billion thoughts hung shrewdly in the silence that followed. Geralt choked back tears as best he could.


    ¡°Y-you''re not immune?!? I - I thought it might run in the family! Naomi, I''m so sorry -¡±


    Naomi rolled her eyes at the old man.


    ¡°Oh shut up, will you? You don''t need to feel sorry for me, dad. I''ve achieved more in a few weeks with the Rewritten than I ever did before with you. We were a family of underachievers, you know that.¡±


    Geralt couldn''t summon the words. His eyes kept bouncing around her new body. He barely recognised her.


    ¡°And now, you get to see what a big, strong Node your daughter has grown into whilst I corrupt your friend!¡± She paused for a second to meet his eyes. Her face softened for a brief moment as she watched him retch in pain. ¡°Moltezz is going to make me her go-to Node after this, dad. I''ll get her to treat you right, better than the others.¡±


    She turned on the spot and picked up Oxyi from the floor, holding her by the neck with a single hand and pressing her against the wall, the other hand began ripping at Oxyi''s clothes.


    ¡°Naomi... please... I''m begging you, leave her alone...¡±


    She tore off Oxyi''s belt and flung it across the room, then ripped at her pants.


    ¡°Stop it, you thug! Stop! Stop! Stop! That''s our friend!¡± Tivy yelled out, trying to claw at her Slave with all of her might, but it held her firmly from behind.


    ¡°You don''t have to do this!¡± Geralt tried to wrench too to his arms free, but once more, the Slave''s iron grip held tight.


    She tore Oxyi''s underwear off in one clean motion, exposing her womanhood and Naomi''s grip intensified; a deep hunger surged through her and she quickly pulled out her thick manhood, already erect and buzzing with excitement.


    ¡°Seems a bit unfair doesn''t it?¡± Naomi laughed, her breath hot and body trembling. ¡°Go on, fight. Give it everything you got, Oxyi.¡± She cackled, releasing her grip on the lioness¡¯s neck, and pressing herself up against her.


    Oxyi pushed as hard as she could, her heart pounding against her ribs. She pushed with every ounce of might her oxygen starved brain could muster, her muscles straining and she clawed helplessly at the Node''s chest.


    Naomi didn''t move an inch. She stood firm, unimpressed and unmoved.


    ¡°Shhh, it''s okay. It''ll be over soon.¡± Her hand seized the lioness¡¯s throat again, brushing Oxyi''s fumbling defence aside and seizing one of her legs, yanking it upwards and around her waist.


    Naomi buzzed with excitement and hunger, half drooling as she pitched the tip of her cock against Oxyi''s nethers. ¡°For the record, I hope you become a Node. It¡¯ll be such fun hunting together.¡±


    She angled her hips and moved to thrust deep inside her, her body quivering, her every nerve and cell aching to couple with Oxyi. The tip of her dick was just starting to part Oxyi''s lower lips when -


    *CRUNCH*


    Naomi froze. The noise was coming from down the corridor, where she¡¯d had her last slave on guard.


    Suddenly, Naomi jolted backwards and lost her grip on Oxyi, like an unseen hand had pulled her back.


    The Slaves around the room all let go of their targets, and turned to face the walls. Simultaneously, they placed both their hands against the panels, reared back their head and slammed their faces into the metal with as much force as they could muster. Each head split and splattered with the same awful crunch they had heard just moments prior. Their dead bodies dropped to the floor, blood oozing down the wall.


    Oxyi spluttered for air and fell to the floor, reaching for the nearest solid object and holding it up in front of her for defence. Geralt and Tivy ran over, Geralt immediately pulling his jacket off and wrapping it around Oxyi¡¯s torso. They helped her to her feet, then went to check on Trent¡¯s unconscious form, all three of them watching Naomi closely as she stood in the middle of the room, perfectly still, her posture awkward and stiff.


    An amethystine hand appeared around the top of the doorway.


    ¡°You should have stayed aboard the freighter, Node. Moltezz has sent you to your death.¡±


    Seeth rounded the corner. She had ditched her mask and biosuit, and her purple skin was stained in dried blood and blue slime. She surged towards the Node and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her into the air effortlessly. Naomi''s neck cracked audibly as Seeth''s fingers dug into her flesh.


    ¡°FUCK YOU! DO IT, SEETH!¡± Oxyi spat through gritted teeth, snot, tears and dribble clinging to her fur.


    ¡°DON''T DO IT, SEETH! THAT''S MY DAUGHTER! PLEASE!¡± Geralt cried, reaching out towards the pair.


    Oxyi and Geralt clung onto each-other for balance as they both screamed at Seeth, neither paying any attention to the other.


    Seeth paused, and she turned her icy stare towards Geralt.


    ¡°There is no helping Nodes, Geralt. I''m -¡±


    ¡°No! There has to be a way! She could stay with us, you can control her!¡±


    ¡°You can never trust a Node, Geralt. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Seeth¡¯s voice was firm. ¡°It¡¯s far too risky, especially with Oxyi. We can¡¯t put her at that kind of risk!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I know!¡± Geralt doubled over, tears spilling from his eyes and splashing softly against the metal floor. ¡°I know, It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m her dad.¡±


    ¡°I can make it quick.¡±


    Geralt slowly raised his head and stared longingly at his daughter, then at the large purple hand that clung to her throat. His gaze followed her arm and across the Controller¡¯s body, until his eyes locked with hers. Seeth¡¯s eyes stared right through him, cold and angry. He quickly looked away.


    ¡°No, it should be me to do it¡­ I¡¯ve let her down, I let her get corrupted... I -¡± He took a deep, painful breath in. ¡°I should have been better. I should be the one to end her suffering. It''s not what I want, but it''s the only peace I can give her.¡±


    Seeth stood still, deep in thought as Naomi''s statue-like posture remained firm in her grip.


    ¡°Fine. I understand.¡± Seeth let the Node drop to the floor, still puppeting her form on landing. ¡°Take her somewhere private, I''ll make her walk with you. If she tries anything, just call out and I''ll end it.¡±


    ¡°T-thank you.¡± Geralt gathered his composure, passing Oxyi over to Seeth to support her, and grabbed a pistol off the floor. He left the room without so much as glancing back. Naomi followed, her walking was mechanical and forced, and left behind a strained, difficult silence.


    Father and daughter walked in a painful silence through the ship, stopping in front of the airlock which still connected them to Barru X.


    ¡°Okay Seeth, make her kneel down!¡± He yelled out. ¡°Then a moment of privacy, if you would!¡±


    Naomi knelt down and placed her hands behind her head, still stiff and awkward for a moment, but then her body shuddered violently, and her motion became more organic again.


    ¡°You¡­ back in control, Naomi?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± She stated bluntly, looking up at him with hurt, dagger-like eyes.


    ¡°I''m sorry, Naomi. I''m so sorry. It''s not your fault that you''re this... thing.¡± Fresh tears welled up around Geralt''s eyes.


    The Node stared at him for a long moment, and then her face softened.


    ¡°For what it''s worth, dad. You did well by me. None of this was your fault.¡±


    ¡°Yes it was!¡± Geralt yelled back, his fist tightening around the pistol.


    ¡°No it wasn''t. It wasn''t even your night to look after me, it was mum''s night. It was her best friend''s birthday, she¡¯d gone out and I had some friends over, we got drunk and we went off into the woods even though we knew people had been going missing... You couldn''t have stopped us even if you tried.¡±


    ¡°Naomi -¡±


    ¡°- Dad. It''s okay. I mean it. If you had tried to control me, I would have ended up corrupted one way or another.¡± Naomi signed; the venom in her voice had faded completely. ¡°Promise me you''ll move on with your life? And find someone, better than mum, someone who actually makes you happy. You deserve better after the way she treated you.¡±


    Geralt stared down at his daughter, his eyes frozen in place. His hand was shaking as he raised the gun.


    ¡°I will.¡±


    *BANG*


    The round pinged off the floor next to her. Geralt reached over and pressed the button to open the airlock, revealing the empty corridor back to Barru X. The sudden warmth of the space station wrapped around them both like a blanket, as Naomi looked at her father in shock.


    Geralt threw his arms around her, hugging her close. Slowly, unsure at first, Naomi reached around, and hugged him back.


    ¡°You listen to me, baby girl. You turn heel, you leave and you never, never come back. Seeth will kill you if you do, you understand!? I''ll get myself a nice new wife if you find yourself a nice Mark, somewhere away from all this and just be... just be whoever you are now. Just promise me you''ll never come back!¡±


    Naomi took a deep breath and nodded slowly, staying close to him the whole time.


    ¡°Now, you gotta go! Just run, okay? I love you, baby girl! Be safe!¡±


    They broke their hug, and Naomi stood, shyly. She turned to leave and sprinted down the corridor, then stopped half-way to look back.


    ¡°Go! Before the others find out!¡± Geralt fired another two shots into the floor. ¡°I love you, Naomi!¡±


    She smiled.


    ¡°Love you, Dad.¡±


    And then, Naomi was running down the corridor, bolting through the hanger without pause and into Barru X¡¯s now abandoned middle decks. Her long legs carried her quickly, and it only took a couple of minutes before she was out of sight - and earshot - of anyone.


    Naomi came to a stop in the dead centre of an empty corridor, with nothing but blank, silver, metal panels on either side of her. Her legs stood stone still, and slowly she placed both her palms up against the wall. Her eyes stared at its featureless surface, shaking in their sockets as she awaited what would happen next.


    Deep within her, Seeth''s voice manifested, as if it spoke from within her spine.


    ¡°~ Disgusting little thing. You deserve so much worse than this. ~¡±


    ¡°~ You¡¯re going to let me go now, right¡­? ~¡±


    ¡°~ You¡¯re awful. You wouldn¡¯t even say goodbye to your own father. ~¡±


    ¡°~ How could I? You wouldn''t give me control of myself! ~¡±


    ¡°~ You would have assaulted him the second I let you go! I''m just glad he bought it. ~


    ¡°~ STOP THIS! Haven¡¯t you humiliated me enough?!? You don¡¯t even know what I would have done! ~¡±


    ¡°~ Do not LIE to me, Naomi. You cannot conceal your intent or your feelings from me. ~¡±


    ¡°~¡­~¡±


    ¡°~ The fact you would even consider doing that to him. That. After he saved your life - after he begged me to let you live. There is no hope for you. ~¡±


    ~ ¡°He¡¯s a fool! He¡¯d have done the same in my shoes!¡± ~


    ~ ¡°The thief thinks that everyone else also steals. He is a good man; a damn idiot, but a good man and an even better father. He showed his heart to you, and you wanted to tear it out.¡± ~


    ¡°~ Y-you¡¯re not seriously going to do it, are you? Betray your own kind? ~¡±


    ¡°~ This isn¡¯t about that. I¡¯m giving him the closure he deserves. I¡¯m sorry, but you can¡¯t be helped. ~¡±


    ¡°~ Please don¡¯t¡­ Seeth. I¡¯m begging you! DON¡¯T MAKE ME- ~¡±


    *


    The quiet chatter between the group immediately ceased as they finally heard Geralt padding slowly back into the room. His shoulders hung low and he wore a defeated grimace, and dragged his feet heavily. As he entered however, he exchanged a look with Seeth and a small, thankful nod; the most he could muster. She returned it gently, and turned to face the others.


    Trent was up on his feet now, but his left arm was broken and he looked anything but battle ready. Oxyi was wheezing loudly; she¡¯d found herself some new trousers, but looked rough as all hell. Her eyes were red and glassy, her posture weak and battered, but she still had her shotgun, clasped in her hands tightly. Tivy stared straight at Seeth, shaking from tip to toe. Her eyes bolted around the purple giant¡¯s figure to avoid the bloody messes pasted over the walls and floor.


    ¡°I assume the ship isn¡¯t working?¡± Seeth pushed on.


    ¡°Tivy had a plan, but it didn¡¯t work.¡± Geralt spoke softly, placing a hand on Oxyi¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Then we need to get back on the station and find new transport.¡± Seeth paced out the room and glanced back to see the rest following her movements, in their various states of injury. ¡°We¡¯ll beat this. Just stay with me.¡± Seeth tried to sound upbeat, but her voice lacked heart. She wanted to push them on in the same way Diego had done, but she just wasn¡¯t him. And he wasn¡¯t even here¡­ Keep it together, Seeth, we can do this¡­ But she just wasn¡¯t sure that everything would be okay this time.


    They all approached the airlock and hit the button. Nobody noticed, or at least had the heart to mention, the bullets embedded into the floor, and the lack of blood. The airlock hissed open and the group were immediately hit with a wall of acrid air, and the distinct smell of burnt fur and skin. Even though the walk-way back into the hanger was empty, the distant sound of struggle and violence was clear as day.


    Seeth strode ahead as the group shuffled along behind her, pushing into the hot air with all the might they could muster. The three Marks in that moment all shared one, uniform and terrifying thought; Moltezz. As Seeth approached the end of the connecting walkway, she stopped and pressed herself up against the wall, peering around the corner into the hanger bay.


    Her heart skipped a beat and she threw up her hands towards the group, ushering them back onto the ship with urgency. Right in the middle at the lowest level of the hanger, Moltezz stood, a pillar of ruby and flame. Her eyes glanced around at the various different spidering walkways and potential paths in the huge hanger bay, each a potential hiding spot for her targets.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re here, Seeth. I¡¯ll have my Nodes check every dock until I find you. I¡¯ve got all the time in the world.¡± Her voice bellowed out, echoing around every corner of the hanger. She held her hand out and produced a bright orange fireball, clasping her fist around it to extinguish it and opening her palm to reveal the hell ball again, repeating the action in a calm, almost bored manner. ¡°I¡¯ll smoke you out soon enough.¡±


    The Nodes began to split up and search the hanger¡¯s upper decks, jogging quickly from dock to dock. One thing was certain; their time was running out.


    The gang kept their voices as low as possible, whispering as quietly as their panicked states would allow.


    ¡°Back on the ship, now!¡±


    ¡°Bu-but it¡¯s a dead end! She¡¯ll find us! We need to run!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s out to kill me or not! Maybe we -¡±


    *HISS* - *CHUNK*


    The airlock closed loudly behind them.


    They all froze.


    After a moment, Seeth peered out behind the corner once more¡­ and was met with Moltezz¡¯s hot glare.


    ¡°Ah! There you are. Don¡¯t fret, I¡¯ll come to you.¡± She flicked her palms out and produced two brilliant plasma jets from her hands, pushing her up towards the highest level in an elegant, if utterly horrifying fashion.


    Oxyi threw herself forward and took aim with her shotgun, firing several shells in quick succession at Moltezz mid-flight. Her aim was true but the pellets vapourized long before impact, fizzling out of existence and sending bright sparks scattering around the hanger. Oxyi stared in disbelief, but fumbled for her pistol in defiance.


    Moltezz landed on their hanger level with a meaty thump, shaking the walkway slightly and halted her plasma jets. Instead, she now held out her hand, and continued her idle fireball play menacingly as she strode towards the group.


    Seeth grabbed Oxyi by the collar and pulled her back into the airlock tunnel, rounding up the rest of the group and charging back into the ship. Her brow thick with sweat and heavy with worry as the airlock opened, and then closed behind them.


    ¡°What the hell are we gonna do?!¡± Trent cried, panicked as he looked around the ship''s interior desperately for anything of use.


    Seeth tore some piping off the wall, and tried its swing. Before they could formulate any further plans however, the ship rocked and a bright red firebolt punched straight through the airlock, melting an amber-lined, head-sized hole through the plating.


    Moltezz stood at the end of the corridor, still playing with her fireball, a cocky smirk plastered over her face beneath her coal carapace.


    ¡°This has been fun, but the act is nearly over. Surrender yourselves to me, and reveal Diego''s location.¡±


    ¡°We don''t know where he is!¡± Oxyi screamed, her voice hoarse and raw, hot tears welling up in the corners of her eyes as she loaded more shells into her shotgun.


    Moltezz rolled her eyes, and let a cascade of fireballs roll over her hands and forearms.


    ¡°Odd¡­ I thought that would be a lie.¡± Moltezz pondered for just a second, then her steely gaze refocused sharply. ¡°Surrender now. Drop your weapons and walk out with your hands behind your heads, and I may consider some mercy. I''m going to count down from ten! For your own sake, I suggest you do not let me reach zero.¡±


    It felt as if their brains were being pressure-cooked inside their skulls.


    ¡°Th-the DA weapons we have are useless against her! What do we do?!¡±


    ¡°Ten.¡±


    ¡°There''s nothing! The reactors are dead!¡±


    ¡°Nine.¡±


    ¡°C-can we- will this...? I-¡±


    ¡°Eight.¡±


    ¡°Tivy, I need you! Mimic my voice again, I think I can -¡±


    ¡°Seven¡±


    ¡°She''s going to fucking boil us! There''s only one way out and she¡¯s right there!¡±


    ¡°Six.¡±


    ¡°Seeth, can you pile stuff up at the doors?!¡±


    ¡°Five.¡±


    ¡°We should surrender... We can''t take her!¡±


    ¡°Four.¡±


    ¡°W-would she really kill me...? I don''t understand!¡±


    ¡°Three!¡±


    ¡°Hey, guys!¡±


    The crew jumped and looked about as a new voice hit their ears.


    It felt impossible. Their hearts dropped to the floor and shot straight back into their open mouths.


    ¡°Two!¡±


    ¡°V-Venner?!¡± Seeth stuttered.


    The milky white rat peeped her head around the corner, her soft rose eyes meeting the panicked expressions of the entire squad.


    ¡°I uh... I docked on the other side of your ship, I guessed you were having trouble, since you''re the last ship docked at the station... You... need a lift?¡±


    ¡°ONE!¡±


    The gang dropped everything and ran for the other airlock. Moments ago this side led only to the deep vacuum of space, but Venner had flown close with her private ship and opened an energy tunnel between the two. A hazy web of blue particles connected the two ships, and it was just one no gravity jump between them. Seeth scooped Trent, Geralt and Oxyi under her arms, and Tivy grabbed onto her neck and she pounded across the airlock, clearing the several metre-long gap in a single bounce. Venner floated along after them.


    Seeth landed cleanly in the opposing ship and dropped everyone gently to the floor, letting herself breath again only once Venner had landed, closed the lock and cut the net.


    ¡°...Zero?¡±


    *


    Moltezz waited and listened closely, but couldn¡¯t hear anything coming from the ship. She struggled for a second, unsure of what to do - an unusual state for her to find herself in. Their conversation had been muffled and blurred, and she¡¯d hardly caught any of it.


    ¡°Nothing?¡± Her face twitched; she seemed almost hurt.


    ¡°I... guess this is where it ends for you, Seeth. I expected more. But I won''t be subjected to another ambush, I meant what I said.¡± She steeled herself, taking a long, deep breath and slowly surging with heat. ¡°Fine. If you won''t meet me halfway, I cannot extend my kindness any further. I shall not be mocked or underestimated!¡±


    *


    Venner''s ship pulled away into space, and the group watched from the drop bay as their old ship began to glow bright orange before exploding into shrapnel, a visible shockwave rippling through the area. Venner''s craft was far enough away already to prevent any damage to them.


    They all looked at each-other, still processing what could have just happened. The bright orange fireball faded into nothing as their ship pulled away, becoming just another dot in the atmosphere as both it and Barru X shrank away.


    ¡°What¡­ does this mean?¡± Trent asked, wincing in pain at his limp arm. ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°This means war, Trent.¡± Seeth stated bluntly, her breath hot over her lips. ¡°This means -¡±


    ¡°Stop, stop it stop it stop it!¡± Tivy waved her arms around frantically. ¡°Just... just breathe and relax for a second, everyone!¡±


    Venner came back into the room, a med-kit in one hand and a box of rations in the other.


    ¡°Your cuttle is right, just wait a second. Let''s get you lot somewhere safe first, and then we can talk about offing the bastards who did this. I don''t mean to be rude, but you all look a state, including you, Seeth.¡± Venner gestured broadly to the broken group, and eyed the dark purple-black bruises around her neck. Seeth¡¯s gaze dropped. Trent cradled his broken arm, Geralt stared dead-eyed at the floor, Tivy was vibrating all over and eyes were bolted open, and Oxyi wheezed and clung to her shotgun as if her life depended on it.


    They were safe, for now. Venner''s cosy little ship would get them somewhere far enough away from here that they could recover and recuperate, but the damage was already done. Barru X was lost, hundreds more lives lost to the Rewritten, but above all else, their team was incomplete. Plasia was gone, probably dead, and they¡¯d lost their black-scaled lizard, who¡¯d rescued them only a few days ago.


    But that now felt like another lifetime.


    They rested their weary bodies for a while, trying to calm down and get their breaths back, sitting in the drop bay of Venner''s ship, nothing more than a couple of lines of wall mounted seats and luggage racks, bare and minimalist. They sat in silence, each staring at the particularly rusted floor, until finally, Seeth spoke her thoughts.


    ¡°I ran across the entire station. After I teleported... Don''t ask about that right now. But - I couldn''t find him anywhere.¡±


    ¡°H-he was just gone, wasn''t he?¡± Oxyi replied, leaning forward in her chair. ¡°I looked everywhere I could, but he¡¯d just vanished!¡± She weakly thumped the empty chair next to her, her hands curling up into fists.


    ¡°We need him back.¡± Seeth looked the lioness in the eyes, tears threatening to spill. ¡°I need him back...¡±


    ¡°We all need him back.¡± Trent sighed, slumped low on his seat. ¡°He had a plan to fight back. Without that, we''re just a bunch of nobodies.¡±


    They all went silent again.


    Each pondering their mistakes and what they''d do differently if they had the chance.


    Lost loved ones.


    Missed opportunities.


    Consequences and hindsight.


    Their burden was shared but it was of little comfort, that was, until Tivy hopped off her chair.


    She cleared her throat.


    ¡°Rah! I hate doors!¡± She twisted and pretended to kick a door off its hinges, and then threw her hands up in the air triumphantly. They all recognized the impression instantly.


    A series of sad but soft giggles filled the room, as frowns eased into small smiles.


    ¡°He doesn''t actually hate doors, you know.¡±


    The group settled again, the tone a little lighter than before, each one clinging to a shed of hope. They didn''t know what the plan was, or what they should do next, but none of them were ready to give up yet.


    ¡°Whether he hates doors or not, maybe¡­ maybe we should think about opening some.¡±


    *


    Back in the cockpit on the ship, Venner sat with her husband, both in comfy  pilot¡¯s chairs and looking out over the endless space ahead of them. An awkward silence had hung in the air between them for quite some time now, but it was finally broken when something caught Robin''s attention.


    ¡°Hey, Ven, we got a ship in close proximity... Oh shit, it''s the DA!¡± He went into a panic, scrambling for the new pistol strapped to his leg. His panic shifted into confusion as another light flashed on at their station.


    ¡°It''s hailing us...? They don''t do that. What do they want?¡±


    Slowly, consciousness returned to him. He twitched his fingers. Feeling gradually prickled its way up his limbs, tingly and painful.


    His eyes came into focus, but all around him he could see was black; complete darkness. He wasn¡¯t alone, though. There was something there, he was sure of it.


    He tried to move, but felt his arms tied behind his back. He was kneeling on the floor. Cold metal was secured fastened around his ankles, wrists, thighs and tail. A collar was tight around his neck.


    Suddenly, there was a light.


    A figure appeared in front of him, held in exactly the same fashion as himself. Chained to the floor, kneeling and collared, bathed in a cone of brilliant white light shining down from above against the darkness. He couldn''t make out the figure''s species, but he was reptilian at the very least, and stripped naked.


    A zero appeared above his head, along with a single green light.


    For a while, there was nothing, just this lone figure in their spotlight.


    Then, a loud clack rang out and a second figure appeared, a few metres away from the first. Held in exactly the same fashion and illuminated the same, with the same zero and green light, this one was a female tiger, also naked and vulnerable.


    A soft chime played.


    The zero above the first figure had changed.


    One hundred and fifty.


    The chime played again, but this time, it was for the number above the second figure.


    Sixty.


    The chime sounded again, the number above the first figure increased.


    Two twenty-five.


    One final chime played, the first¡¯s number increased again.


    Two fifty.


    Then, nothing. An agonising silence.


    Another minute drifted by and a second amber light flicked on above both figures'' heads.


    More nothing.


    A loud, harsh buzz filled the room and a red light appeared above both of them.


    The first figure''s number flashed to green. The second figure''s number flashed red.


    Another loud buzz filled the room and the lights dropped, leaving only the floating numbers and the traffic-light-like arrangement visible against the darkness.


    Then, those details faded too.


    A few more cold minutes dragged by.


    Suddenly, the light bathed him.


    He heard several clicks and clacks. He tried to glance up, but the spotlight was blinding. He looked down at his arms, and noted that his black scales had stopped bleeding, at least.


    Diego took a deep, slow breath and waited. That was all there was to do.


    A chime sounded.


    There was a brief pause, but then, after a few seconds, another chime played.


    Followed by another, faster this time.


    And another, faster again.


    And another.


    And another.


    And another.


    And another.


    And another¡­

 Arc 3 - Chapter 1 - Welcome home

    ***Six months later***


    The airlock doors hissed open to reveal a brilliantly white, pristine corridor. Thick but clear plasma glass horizontally lined both the far walls, revealing the surrounding stars and the rest of the XITD space station in its full, clinical glory.


    You have: Six thousand, nine hundred and twenty-two unread messages at your terminal. A generated, emotionless voice announced from the speakers above her in a crisp tone.


    Her eyes scanned the corridor carefully.


    What is that? She thought, her eyes squinted sharply as they focused in on something.


    Two dust particles were floating gently before her, caught in the flow of the air system and drifting through the air like dinghies on a slow river.


    She sighed loudly and stepped through the door. Her heels clacked on the floor with a sharp pinch.


    ¡°Eight months away and this place is falling apart. System request: Archive all messages received. If it''s important, they¡¯ll send another.¡± Her voice was quiet but crisp, every word articulated with great clarity, a tone that was soft yet cutting at the same time.


    She moved with a mechanical-like grace, her strides calm and perfectly uniform. Standing seven feet tall, she was a wyrufal dragoness, split in colour down the length of her entire body. Her left side was a dazzling crystal white, her right a shimmering onyx black. Her two large, almost sad looking eyes had a chilling icey blue hue but a fierce intellect hidden behind them; they were constantly watching everything. She was dressed in a sharp, tight-fitting feminine suit that complimented her long and elegant figure. Her figure itself  was a more traditional draconic body shape, as per the typical wyrufal species, with a slender neck and functional wings, that were currently folded up as neatly as possible against her back. Her long tail did not sway as she walked; it merely bounced slightly as her heels hit the floor.


    She followed the corridor until she hit the pair of automatic doors ahead of her, which parted to reveal a giant laboratory within, bustling with smartly dressed Draconic Alliance XITD scientists in their sharp white lab-suits. The lab was several hundred metres long, with every inch of wall stacked with loud clicking computers, whirring analysis equipment and whiteboards covered in notes. Scientists quickly paced back and forth the room, checking notes and conversing hurriedly with one another. Upon her entry, however, that definitive clicking of her heels suddenly silenced the room. The entire floor stopped whatever they were doing, and raised their fists collectively into the air, sticking their thumb and outermost fingers out whilst their other fingers remained clasped against their palms. The dragoness repeated the gesture and after a few seconds, the floor resumed as it was.


    ¡°Evangeline! Perfect timing.¡± A sly-sounding voice called out from behind her.


    ¡°Scyler! Am I relieved to be home! Such tiresome business dealing with the Royal Military Division.¡±


    ¡°I bet. You can do us all a favour and keep any details of your escapade to yourself.¡±


    Evangeline smiled, showing a brief glimpse of her milky white teeth.


    ¡°I see even eight months isn¡¯t enough time to refine your people skills, Scyler.¡±


    The white dragon stood up from the bench he¡¯d been resting on, currently dressed in a tight-fitting grey shirt and pair of black trousers.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need them. People are shit. Anyway, did you receive any of my messages about the on-going project?¡± They began to walk together, tracing around the outer walls of the lab.


    ¡°I did. I must say, I am deeply intrigued. An anomalous plague? Truly anomalous that is, and you believe it to be biologically engineered? I dare say, this is a first for the DA and possibly the entire universe. Oh, before we go on -¡± She placed a slender hand on his shoulder and plucked at his shirt, one of her claws tugging at the stitching. ¡°You must wear standard issue XITD uniform going forward, Scyler. Seeing as you¡¯re under single employment now.¡± She laughed as she spoke, half playful, half deadly serious.


    ¡°Oh? Did it all go as planned?¡± Scyler tried to hide it, but there was a hint of concern in his voice.


    ¡°It did. You have been formally terminated from the Royal Military Division, effective from when Chief-commander Koa announced it.¡±


    Scyler paused for a second.


    ¡°... Anything else¡­?¡±


    ¡°No. You¡¯re still my loyal, effective XITD agent. This present you¡¯ve brought me was motivation enough to keep you onboard.¡±


    ¡°Jace was furious, Evangelene. I mean, I knew you¡¯d pull through, but even so -¡±


    ¡°Oh he tried. Believe you me. He is on your tail, Scyler. You need to keep your nose clean and stay aboard the station, no more field assignments for the rest of the year. I¡¯ve also agreed that the RMD are allowed to inspect the station - within reason to - ensure cooperation between the divisions.¡±


    ¡°There it is! I knew there was going to be some terms and conditions lurking. No more field assignments? Seriously?¡± He huffed loudly, a scowl flickering across his face.


    ¡°I know you love your field work, Scyler. But this is better than being imprisoned.¡±


    ¡°You sure about that? The cake selection in the canteen is pretty dire at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Do they still have the cream slices?¡± Evanagline shuddered to a stop, an unusual amount of urgency in her voice.


    ¡°Of course, it''s one of the few things that stayed. The crew knows it''s your favourite.¡±


    ¡°Good! Then all is well. Now, enough about your personal business, you¡¯re fine, I took care of it. Tell me about this¡­ corruption.¡± Her pace suddenly continued and the two exited the large laboratory through another set of sliding doors, continuing down another corridor and into a much smaller, darker lab, alone.


    ¡°It¡¯s fascinating, the more we¡¯ve learnt, the more it¡¯s revealed its true power to us. This isn¡¯t just some random nomad plague, this is the real deal.¡± For once, the dragon sounded genuine.


    Scyler stopped in front of a rack of shelves. Stacked neatly on them were several identical medical aids, each one made from solid white metal, with a vial of blue liquid worked into the front of the design. Attached to the front and sides of the shelves were bright yellow and black warning signs, showing a skull split in half down the middle; one side normal, the other side melting and cracked. Danger of corruption.


    ¡°Do tell.¡± Evangaline prompted, flicking a dust particle off her cuff.


    ¡°Experimental first response pack. Provokes extreme regenerative response when used, near death subject brought back to complete health.¡±


    ¡°Time?¡±


    ¡°Two minutes. Including bone regeneration.¡±


    The dragoness recoiled slightly, but immediately regained her composure.


    ¡°Two minutes? That''s¡­ remarkable. There must be a draw-back, otherwise we¡¯d have sent this for full, mass-scale production already instead of sitting it in storage.¡±


    ¡°Can only be used on someone already infected or immune to the corruption. If you¡¯re not immune, this will corrupt you.¡± As Scyler spoke, he dropped the pack back onto the shelf with a slight hint of disgust.


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m sure we can figure out a way around that. How many of these have been produced?¡±


    ¡°Standard batch.¡±


    ¡°One hundred and fifty in storage¡­ Hmm, okay. Take me to her.¡±


    ¡°Already? We have a couple of other prototypes you may be interested in?¡±


    ¡°We can look at those after. I want to see what we¡¯re dealing with.¡±


    ¡°Right you are. This way.¡±


    Scyler led the way out of the darker lab and through the bowels of the facilities. They walked in silence now, Evangaline drumming her fingers against the pocket of her suit. Their journey took them through a series of heavily armoured doors, each guarded by uniformed XITD soldiers, all of whom greeted Evangaline in the same way the laboratory staff did, and quickly granted passage for the two.


    Several bulkheads later, they arrived into a small observatory, overlooking a larger surgical room via a wide, one-way mirror.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Goodness! Is this her¡­?¡± Her dragoness composure dropped again, but a brief shake of her head placed her back in her cool state.


    ¡°Indeed it is. She corrupted over two hundred nomads personally in the space of about four hours. Quite the appetite.¡±


    Strung up in the middle of the room, surrounded by spotlights and pumping pipes, the blue and bloodied body of Plasia hung like a puppet, her limbs strung up and pulled apart by huge mechanical grippers. Her mid-section was cut open, with strands of intestines pulled free and suspended by much smaller robotic apparatus, hovering in front of her bisected torso like an in-progress crime scene investigation. From her mutilated form, several needles had been pressed into her soft skin and were either drawing fluid, or pumping things into her. She had several loosely bandaged wounds across her legs and arms, but despite the gruesome nature of the exposed organs and in progress examination, not a single drop of fluid hit the ground; everything was perfectly contained and monitored to the nth degree. Her every angle was lit by intense spotlights, and a series of beeping cameras were rigged to the ceiling, recording everything.


    Her head hung limp, eyes closed and breathing slowly, defeated and broken. Dried tears stained her face.


    Around her, several XITD scientists whisked away trays of bottled blue samples and cuttings taken straight from her body, wheeling the extracted material into another lab, through more heavy, guarded security doors.


    As Evagaline took in the scene, she opened her mouth and went to speak, but cut herself off as Plasia¡¯s weak head looked up, her tired sapphire eyes flicked open and stared right at the dragoness for just a few brief seconds, before falling again and hanging limply in her restraints.


    ¡°She just made eye contact with me¡­ through a one way mirror¡­ was that coincidence?¡± The dragoness mused, scratching her pocket again.


    ¡°It is not. It appears that corriphite-infected czarites are able to detect when they¡¯re being watched. We¡­ don¡¯t understand the mechanism right now. She couldn¡¯t see you, per say, but she knew you were there.¡±


    ¡°Incredible.¡±


    Scyler stared at Evangeline for a moment, then turned his gaze to the czarite through the glass.


    ¡°Your orders?¡±


    ¡°Intensify the research, as much as the subject can withstand. We must unravel this condition.¡±


    *


    The loud sound of bubbling liquid filled the kitchen. Several pans filled with various soups were laid out on the hobs over the oven, a couple just starting to boil over.


    A pair of antennae bobbed into view, just barely visible above the kitchen¡¯s work surfaces.


    There was a sudden screech, metal against the tiled flooring.


    A stool was pushed across the floor and, after a split second, the hyper-active form of Tivy bounded up and quickly turned the temperature down, stirring the boiling soups with a frantic energy.


    Her head had a bob of curling, fluffy golden locks, hiding the base of her antenna that stood on her head like rabbit ears. She wore a white pinny to protect her clothes that had a cheeky smiley face on the front and emblazoned with the words Ask me about my buns! It was covered in thick splatterings of orange soup.


    She pushed a chopping board up onto an empty surface space. She leaned over a little precariously, standing on the stool on her tip-toes to reach as she dropped a handful of vegetables onto the board. To her left, a knife rack was fully stocked with a wicked variety of tremendously sharp cutting instruments, most of which had a fine layer of dust on top. She reached out carefully and grabbed her old trusty knife, with a bright pastel pink handle and completely rounded point, closer to a butter knife than anything else. But, it was sharp enough to cut through the selection of multi-coloured veggies below her. Just behind the chopping board were several small bowls filled with spices and seasoning, perfect to pinch up and drop into the delights she was whipping up.


    She bobbed up and down gently, swaying from side to side with a pleasant hum; no music today though, she wanted things a little more quiet than usual.


    *Tak-tak-tak-tak-tak-tak*


    ¡°Mushroom soup for Venner and Robin! I¡¯ll never know how people tell which mushrooms are poisonous and which are delicious, you know? Trial and error maybe? Wow, people are crazy!¡± She scooped a handful of freshly and finely sliced mushrooms from the board and stretched across to the hobs, dropping them into the already boiling broth, following up swiftly with several pinches of spices and flavourings. ¡°And some extra love for the married couple!¡±


    Once satisfied, she moved onto the next boiling pot, chopping and dropping in some tangy onion-like vegetables.


    ¡°A little spice for the feisty cat, help keep that throat clear! Six-spice soup for Oxyi!¡± A more generous sprinkling of bright orange powder was sprinkled into the gently bubbling pot, followed by a vigorous, two handed stir.


    Back to the chopping board then, and more ingredients were fetched from around in the kitchen, accompanied by Tivy¡¯s gentle humming and the light patter of her feet on the ceramic tiles.


    ¡°Full of energy! Save some for me! Lion¡¯s stew for Trent!¡± A handful of larger mushrooms and other fresh greens were dropped into the next pan, along with some salt and pepper, pinched from the piles neatly arranged in front of her.


    ¡°Warm and loving, for my dear friend, Geralt. Roast nuts with a hint of chilli.¡± Her face dropped a little as she spoke, crushing the selection of small nuts with the side of her knife and dropping them into the next boiling pan. After a couple of seconds though, she resumed her pace, smiling at the pan. ¡°I¡¯ll look after you, my friend.¡±


    Next, she glanced across at a smallest pot in the middle of the others.


    ¡°Mhmmm, spinach and broccoli soup for me! Yummy yummy!¡± She giggled to herself, looking at the next pan of bright green, bubbling soup. She gave all the pans a good stir and returned to the cutting board, when she suddenly felt a shot of anxiety through her stomach, her face turning to stone.


    ¡°SEETH¡¯S CHICKEN?!!¡± Her voice cracked as she spoke.


    She craned her neck to look at the fridge on her far left, its bright silver body standing tall above her, almost as if it was challenging her.


    ¡°OH NO!¡±


    Hopping off the stool, she stood in front of the fridge with deep concern, shifting left and right slightly as if she was imagining herself opening it.


    ¡°I just gotta - I just gotta cut up her the chic - *URK* the chick - *URK* the chick- *URK*¡±


    She stopped herself, holding her hands up as if to say ¡°no more¡± to her own mind. Four dry heaves were more than enough.


    Before she could proceed any further, a gentle creak in the background revealed the cautiously approaching form of Geralt, who looked over at Tivy with tired but concerned eyes, currently clad in a dark navy dressing gown and matching slippers.


    ¡°Tivy¡­ you okay?¡± He asked quietly, padding over to her.


    ¡°Uhm.. yeah, I¡¯m - I¡¯m fine, I just¡­ I forgot about the chic- *URK*, I forgot about the chicke- *URK*, I just forgot about the chic- *URK*, I just forgot to prepare Seeth¡¯s chick- *URK*¡±


    ¡°- Hey Tiv, listen, why don¡¯t you let me deal with the meat and you can carry on with the rest of the preparation?¡± Geralt¡¯s shy smile was met with immediate glee from the smaller girl, and she dashed over to him, throwing her arms around his body for a close hug.


    ¡°Oh Geralt, yes please! My hero! If you can just blast it in the air fryer, you would be such a big help!¡±


    ¡°No problem at all, Tivy. What are you cooking for me today?¡± He reached into the fridge and grabbed the plate of chicken breasts with both hands, placing it down on the other side of the kitchen, away from Tivy and her various soups and shielding her from the sight of the raw meat with his body.


    ¡°Ahhh! You¡¯ll have to see! It¡¯ll be delicious though! Promise!¡±


    They worked separately, Geralt grabbing one of the larger knives, gently brushing the dust away and cutting the chicken into strips, while Tivy kept the soups cooking, tasting each one and adding more seasoning where it was needed. Tivy kept far away until she got the thumbs up for Geralt to confirm that the raw meat was now safely away in the fryer, but a clatter at the door before too long broke up their pleasant small talk.


    ¡°Hey Tivy! I¡¯m home! Think I could get a little ki- Geralt!¡± Trent appeared in the hallway, cutting himself off as he noticed that Tivy wasn¡¯t alone in the kitchen. ¡°N-Nice to see you up, my friend!¡± The fox flushed red with embarrassment and quickly busied himself, pulling his jacket and shoes off.


    ¡°Th-Think you could get a-a-a little kick in the leg?¡± Tivy stumbled, hopping down off her stool and approaching Trent with both embarrassment and determination.


    ¡°Y-yeah! A little kick in the leg, why not.¡± Trent replied, quickly ruffling his hair nervously.


    ¡°Why are you both acting so weird?¡± Geralt laughed, watching as Tivy booted Trent in the shin and quickly hurried back to her stool, both their faces bright red. Seeing Geralt¡¯s smile and laughter immediately brought a warmth into Tivy¡¯s chest.


    ¡°N-no reason, I better go get ready for dinner, that smells lovely, Tivy!¡±


    ¡°You knows it! I made you something to give you that fighting energy for your shifts!¡±


    ¡°Ugh! Thank goodness! I have had enough of idiot customers. Whoever said ¡°the customer is always right.¡± should be shot. The customer is always wrong. Always.¡± The fox vented, flapping his arms about the air. He yanked at his tie firmly and dashed off towards the bedrooms, eager to remove the uniform he¡¯d been trapped in all day.


    A few moments later, the door clacked again as yet more people returned home. Three sets of footsteps this time.


    ¡°Hey folks, welcome home.¡± Geralt smiled again as Oxyi rounded the corner first. The lioness had grown her hair out into a full side bob, with the right mix of elegant and feisty captured in its blonde curls.


    Behind her, Venner and Robin also appeared, whilst Oxyi and Venner were clad in their security gear, Robin was dressed in a light pink shirt and smart trousers, with a slight sweet smell to him as he walked in.


    The girls took their gear off quickly with a breathy sigh and a moan, as they dropped the heavy armoured plates to the floor.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that guy said that to you, Venner. Seriously, I''d have clocked him one for suggesting that. Nevermind say it.¡± Oxyi laughed, pressing a quick hug into Geralt¡¯s back as he continued to help Tivy with the cooking.


    ¡°Eh. It''s fine. I¡¯ve had worse said to me. That smells wonderful, Tivy! How long will dinner be?¡±


    Tivy bounced on her stool, taking a small spoon and sampling the mushroom soup after a quick blow across its steaming surface to cool it down.


    ¡°Mhmm! Tastes good! Mayhaps a little more pepper? I¡¯d say ten minutes for everyone.¡±


    ¡°Enough time for a shower!¡± Oxyi nodded, heading towards the back of the room. ¡°Glad to see you up, Geralt.¡± She turned back and smiled at him, the older cat returning the smile with equal, heartfelt vigour.


    ¡°I had to give Tivy a hand, you know what she¡¯s like around raw meat and blood. Although typically chicken isn¡¯t sold bloody but¡­¡± He sighed softly as he realised he was rambling. ¡°Just happy to help.¡±


    Before they could continue though, there was another thump at the front door, the sound of the hinges opening and closing again with a loud slam.


    ¡°SEETH!¡± Tivy squealed with a great big grin, darting off her stool and heading towards the front door.


    She skidded into the hallway, whereby her grin swept off her face.


    Her face turned a ghostly white as she clasped her hands to her mouth in shock.


    She went weak at the knees and fell backwards but Oxyi was already there, scooping her up before she could land on anything.


    The thudding, towering form of Seeth appeared in the hallway, along with the slight patter of liquid filling everyone''s ears.


    She stood tall and strong, hunched over so she didn¡¯t walk into the door frame, the yellow latex surface of her hazard suit was streaked with blood, still fresh and dripping. Clasped tightly in her left hand was a suit-case, also dripping in blood. Oxyi greeted Seeth with a small smile as she helped Tivy back into the kitchen, ensuring her body was between her and the czarite. Both Oxyi and Venner were unfazed at the sight of so much blood at this point; it wasn¡¯t a rare occurrence that Seeth came home looking like she¡¯d single-handedly fought a war - and won. Geralt seemed a little on edge however, and kept his eyes down at the chopping board before him.


    The alien looked around the room as she unclasped her mask, revealing her model-like czarite face.


    ¡°Hey, Seeth. Job go alright?¡± Venner asked quietly, avoiding Seeth¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Got paid.¡± She held the briefcase out in front of her. ¡°Sorry, Tiv. Didn¡¯t get a chance to clean off. I¡¯ll uh¡­ go clean up.¡±


    *


    ¡°Ninety-seven¡­¡±


    He exhaled slowly through pursed lips, bringing his body down to the floor and pushing it back up again, controlled and strong.


    ¡°Ninety-eight¡­¡±


    He repeated the action precisely with deep, slow breaths.


    ¡°Ninety-nine¡­¡±


    But as he went down for his final push-up of the set¡­


    ¡°Diego! Breakfast please! I¡¯d adore some of those wonderful kerin-gar eggs you make so perfectly, if you will!¡± The feminine voice called out through the collar fastened tightly around his neck.


    He broke form and collapsed onto the soft mat below him with a slap, sighing loudly.


    ¡°Of course, Karen. I¡¯ll get right on that.¡± He replied. Anything for you, Karen. Bah.


    The collar beeped, signalling she had cut the communication.


    I hate this.


    He pushed himself to his feet and took a look at himself in the mirrored wall of the personal gym. This had been built for him a few months ago, to use as he pleased; she wanted him to be in top physical shape after all. It was one of the only things he liked about this place. But it wasn¡¯t enough to make him happy.


    His ears flicked slightly as he posed half-heartedly for himself, tail swishing from side to side in annoyance.


    Admittedly, he hadn¡¯t looked this good in a while. His amethystine eyes glanced over his form quickly; he¡¯d bulked out, it was obvious now.


    The fresh, high-quality food Karen bought was doing wonders for him, plus the abundance of physical duties to keep him busy had resulted in a thicker physique than he¡¯d had in all his years of travelling. Every inch of him was thicker and more muscular. His hair was sleek, silky and well groomed, his sable skin was supple and well maintained, but his eyes?


    His eyes were tired.


    So very, very tired.


    He focused and pushed a fake smile onto his face. There were worse places to be than this, he knew that. He bloody well knew that. But this wasn¡¯t him.


    People would kill for a set-up like this. He was surrounded by hi-tech, cutting edge, quality pieces of personal fitness equipment, in a glass and mirrored room in a private estate that was surrounded by pristine emerald fields, snowy mountains and crystal rivers. This was how some nomads could only dream of living; fresh air in their lungs, eating well, surrounded by the beauty of nature and housed in a sleek, advanced and rather cushy mansion. Absolutely, there were worse places to live.


    The collar buzzed alive again.


    ¡°Oh, the pool needs cleaning today too, Diego. Could you see to that sooner rather than later? I think I fancy a swim this morning.¡± The voice cooed again.


    But this?


    ¡°Actually, do it straight after breakfast please.¡±


    This was hell.

 Chapter 2 - Situational Awareness

    Easy does it¡­ I just finished cooking these bloody things and I am not doing another batch; I¡¯ve seasoned these perfectly! Diego thought to himself as he carried a breakfast tray of lightly seasoned eggs, full-fat buttered toast and freshly squeezed juice through the main lobby of Karen¡¯s mansion, and up the stairs.


    It was just sunrise, and the staircase was brilliantly lit by dazzling white-golden rays, pouring in through the thick, soundproof glass panels that made up a good portion of the mansion''s architecture. Diego¡¯s bare feet sunk into the rich, steel-coloured carpet beneath him with every soft step. He was currently dressed in a sharply cut turquoise shirt and plain black trousers; uniform.


    Admittedly, this was some super comfy carpet. Thick enough to sleep on, in fact. It was a better quality than most nomad beds.


    The breakfast tray rattled gently as plates and cutlery clinked against one another, the juice slipping and sliding around inside its glass precariously and threatening to spill as Diego carefully climbed the stairs, and reached the gently-warmed landing. He paused for a moment and looked over at the view before him, through the glass walls to the surrounding estate.


    This place was gorgeous. This area had only recently been terra-formed and grass only recently sown, and as such, acres upon acres of brilliant green, sweeping fields surrounded the mansion. The grass sparkled in the morning sun, thanks to a passing seeder barge (a low-hovering DA vehicle designed to spread seeds and water over large areas automatically) spraying fresh water from its sides in large, life-bringing arcs.


    Hell, the grass was more comfy than a lot of nomad beds.


    Watching the planet¡¯s sun rising over the distant mountains and lighting up those fields was a joy. And Diego got to witness it pretty much every day, seeing as part of his new life involved preparing his early-rising keeper¡¯s breakfast every morning. It was a picturesque and brilliant scene, with naught a single soul in the area besides himself. It was just¡­ peaceful, in every sense of the word. No wonder she¡¯d chosen to have her estate built here¡­


    He arrived at the master bedroom, and tapped his knuckles against the door gently to signal his arrival.


    ¡°Come in, Diego.¡± A feminine, well-spoken voice called out.


    He pushed the door open slowly with the tray, and went inside. Somehow, the carpet was even thicker in here.


    Karen was sitting upright in her massive bed, looking out over her balcony and enjoying the morning sunrise as well.


    She was a pleasant dragoness to look at; brilliant golden skin that faded to a lighter, almost white, ghostly hue towards the end of her limbs and her snout. A pair of dazzling teal eyes sat just above her smoothly scaled muzzle, which was a little short for her species. She had sharp ears of a medium length, and a sleek set of horns that rested parallel above them. Her silvery-white hair was currently messy and curling around her face and neck, but usually she ensured to keep it straight and sharp. She had three teal marks on her face, one centred under her lips, and the other two, just under the outer corners of her eyes.


    On her back sat a large and impressive set of wings, currently stretching out from either side of her as she relaxed in bed, as though reaching out for an embrace. They were coloured just like the rest of her, but covered with a splattering of teal pellets, as though someone had flicked a paint brush at her.


    She met Diego with a sleepy, comfortable smile.


    ¡°Oh, those smell wonderful, Diego! Uh, just lay it on the bed for me here, please.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± He smiled back, half forced but also half not, and lay the tray down as she¡¯d asked. Her bed was gigantic; even with her wings stretched out, she couldn¡¯t reach from one side to the other.


    ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind about the pool this morning. Don¡¯t worry about it. Instead, I''d like you to pop down to the village and pick up some shopping for me. Feel free to take your time, enjoy the morning, I know you like to go out and splash your feet around a little in the fresh dew!¡± She giggled softly and leaned over the tray, taking in the scent of the food. ¡°Oh, look at those! Seasoned to perfection!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Karen.¡± His smile didn¡¯t falter, but he could feel his face reddening. She¡¯d obviously been paying even more attention to him than he¡¯d realised, and now he just felt embarrassed.


    ¡°Clean yourself up and head out straight after, if you''d like. I have nothing else for you to do this morning, and I¡¯ll send you the shopping list later on - oh! Before I forget, I''m hosting a party at the end of the month, so we¡¯ll need to get you a brand new suit, tidy up that hair of yours as well, have you looking less like you¡¯ve spent the last six months just running through my hedges!¡±


    ¡°O-of course, Karen. Is that it then, for this morning?¡± He grit his teeth together slightly; the hair was a sensitive subject.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t pout. We¡¯ll keep your hair long, it just needs to be tidied up!¡± She giggled again and reached a hand out towards her breakfast, causing the blanket to roll down her body slightly and show off her silky dressing gown, with just the slightest hint of soft, golden cleavage.


    Diego immediately averted his eyes and took a step back.


    ¡°W-will that be all, Karen?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, for now. Ugh, I¡¯ve got a meeting later tonight with a nomad anomaly hunter and he is such a spineless hog! UGH! I will want a hot bath when I get back, so please have it ready for me¡­ Right, that''s it for now. On your way!¡± Her face had creased in frustration for a moment, but it swiftly smoothed into a satisfied smile as she hummed and chewed on a mouthful of toast.


    Diego retreated from the room sharply and made his way straight back to his living quarters on the basement floor.


    He walked quickly through his bedroom and into his small ensuite. Splashing his face with cool water, he rested his arms heavily against the sink, sighing loudly.


    I do not need a reminder of what I''m missing. Or what I''m not doing. Or what I am doing! This is difficult enough as it is. He tugged at the thick metal collar, sat snugly around his neck.


    I can¡¯t even jack off with this bloody thing on, not without Karen ¡®checking in,¡¯ asking me if I''m having a freakin¡¯ heart attack! I have no privacy in this place, she¡¯s made sure of that!


    He stared at himself in the mirror, watching the water drip down his face and muzzle. His eyes narrowed, the briefest hint of a snarl curling at his lips.


    I would have torn this place apart.


    He jolted, shaking his head vigorously.


    No! No. He grabbed a towel from the rack nearby and dried himself off.


    The basement was less cushy than the rest of the house, but by no means was it a terrible place. The grey, stone walls were thick, heavy and pleasantly warmed, and he had several nice pieces of dark wood furniture, a generously sized single bed, a wardrobe and a chest of drawers for storing clothes, plus the ensuite. It was spacious, nicely heated and it felt rather homely, in a weird sort of way...


    His eyes flickered briefly to the printed note that had been securely stuck to the wall above his bed.


    ¡°Any further escape attempts by the labourer will result in him being removed from the premises and re-auctioned after behavioural calibrations.¡±


    The words ¡®behavioural calibrations¡¯ had been underlined several times and circled in thick, red ink. It wasn¡¯t pleasant to be reminded, but it was useful. He remembered quite clearly the ¡®chat¡¯ he¡¯d had with Karen that night¡­


    * ¡°Diego, stop  it! That¡¯s enough!¡± Karen  snapped and glared down at her labourer for a moment, then furiously continued pressing buttons on the remote device in her hand. The collar around Diego¡¯s neck beeped and flashed in correspondence; she was re-calibrating it, following his latest - and hopefully last - escape attempt. Diego growled threateningly through his molars and stared straight down at the floor. There were fresh cuts and bruises all down his arms and torso, and blotchy, red marks around his wrists. The collar tightened its grip for a moment around his neck, and instinctively he went for it, clawing and yanking at the metal ring.


    ¡°You¡¯re behaving like a child! There, we¡¯re done!¡± Karen sighed in frustration and placed the device down on the coffee table, locked and well out of Diego¡¯s reach. She looked over at the two DA enforcement officers, who had been watching their interaction from the far side of the room the entire time. ¡°You can go now, I¡¯ve got him from here.¡±


    ¡°You better hope you do! The enforcement division won¡¯t tolerate strays meandering around a beautiful place like this!¡± One chortled. ¡°I hear the pet store down the village is having a sale on leashes, maybe you should invest in one!¡±


    Diego turned his furious glare towards the guards and made to stand, but Karen quickly placed a hand on his knee.


    ¡°Good boy, settle for your mistress now!¡± The guards continued to laugh as they made their way down the hall, and left the building. As the front door closed, Karen leaned in towards him, feeling the heat and anger rising off his skin.


    ¡°If you try and escape again, you better make sure it¡¯s a success, because I won¡¯t be able to help you again!¡± She hissed into his ear. ¡°They¡¯re already starting to laugh at me, ¡®only one labourer, and she can¡¯t even reign in him¡¯ and the like! If the authorities catch you again, that¡¯s it! I don¡¯t know exactly what happens to repeat offenders, but trust me, they do not come back the same. So I suggest you get a hold of yourself, and go run me a god-damn bath.¡± *


    A deep growl vibrated through his throat. His next escape attempt needed to be successful, or he¡¯d be in for a whole lot of trouble... But those were thoughts for another morning; for now, it was time to go shopping.


    He pulled some fresh clothes from the wardrobe in preparation for the walk, a solid hour each way, along with a backpack. He glanced down at the walking shoes at the bottom of the wardrobe, and after a few seconds, decided to leave them be. Karen was right, he did like the feeling of the dew on his feet.


    Before he could be alone for too long though (privacy wasn¡¯t a thing for him here, after all) the sound of small, pattering feet could be heard, rapidly approaching him. A pint-sized petshee suddenly bounded down the stairs and burst into his room, running circles around Diego¡¯s feet. It was akin to a gecko-puppy hybrid, with all the enthusiasm, daftness and love of a golden retriever puppy, combined with the aesthetics of a long-legged leopard gecko. There was a deep midnight hue to its little body.


    ¡°Yes, hello Morby.¡± Diego sighed. ¡°Ya know, I still can¡¯t tell if you actually like me or not. Are your brothers and sisters awake yet?¡± He kneeled down to pet the hyperactive bundle but it actively avoided his hand, still sprinting around him like a cracked-up lunatic. The rush of more feet suddenly echoed down the hall towards him.


    ¡°Oh yeah, you only like me when I feed you! How could I forget? C¡¯mon, let''s get you some lizzy-kibble, you adorable little twat.¡±


    *


    ¡°Fuck - FUCK!¡± Seeth slammed her hands down against her bed and collapsed onto it, curling up into a ball on the grey sheets.


    She glanced up at the alarm clock on her bedside table - 3:45am.


    Her room was the largest in their flat, with a king sized bed pushed against the far wall, a large metal desk against the right side, accompanied by a bin full of tissues and broken pens underneath. It was also the only room with a private bathroom, the door situated next to the desk. It was currently being used to dry out her freshly washed bio-suit; it hung limply over the glass door to the walk-in shower.


    Seeth¡¯s skin was clammy, her forehead thick with sweat. She hugged herself tightly.


    ¡°Nothing to do - nothing to do, no distractions!¡±


    She remained frighteningly still on the bed for a few seconds, before bolting upright and charging over to her desk, pulling the drawer open furiously and retrieving a battered notebook. She slapped it onto the metal surface of the desk with a loud *pang*.


    Biting hard on her lip, she flicked through the notebook, scanning its crumpled, ink-scribbled pages until she got to a fresh one.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    She grabbed a pen and pressed the nib up against the page¡­ yet she could not make it move any further. Her fingers were trembling. She squeezed the pen harder until eventually, the plastic snapped in her grip. Quickly, the pen was thrown into the bin with all the others and she grabbed another from the drawer.


    Indecision gripped her. She flicked back one page in the notebook.


    From top to bottom, the words ¡°IT DOESN¡¯T HELP - IT NEVER HELPS¡± were scribbled in an aggressive, sketchy fashion over and over again, taking up all the lines, the header and footer and every inch of spare space.


    Seeth gripped the pen in her fist and traced the words on the page, taking long, laboured breaths as she did so.


    She could feel them through the walls.


    Her body ached for it. They were so easy to overpower. She could take any one of them - hell, she could take them all! She knew that.


    ¡°M-maybe I could just ask if T-Trent or T-Tivy just¡­ if they¡­ if -¡±


    She stopped herself again. The pen crunched in her hand, ink splattered all over her palm, and she dropped it into the bin.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve made it this far. That means something. He believed in me. I can do this.¡±


    Clasping her hands together tightly she attempted to meditate, closing her eyes and slowing her breathing. But, in all honesty, her mind was no good company right now.


    Please, just come back to me¡­


    Suddenly, a gentle pinging noise broke through the chaos, sweat and desire of Seeth¡¯s unique and personal hell, like a ray of sunshine. It was a sound that made Seeth exclaim with joy every time she heard it.


    ¡°OH THANK FUCK! OH MY STARS! YES!¡± Seeth cried out, her huge amethystine eyes turning glassy with relief.


    She clambered over to her bedside table, where her data-tablet was bleeping.


    One new message.


    Still trembling, her fingers unlocked the tablet and quickly flicked through the main menu screen:


    Seeth - Need you at the Fixer Den if you¡¯re available - Situation ongoing - Non-lethal takedown at the den - NON-LETHAL TAKEDOWN!!! - Wife made pie - COME QUICK! - Garnet.


    She stared at the tablet, holding it in shaky, sweaty hands.


    O.K. Coming.


    Just those two words had to be deleted and retyped several times, as her shaking fingers hit the wrong keys time after time.


    The moment her message was sent though, she charged into her bathroom, snatched up the still dripping hazard suit from the door and squeezed it on. In the space of just a few minutes, she had adequately dressed herself, but as she turned to leave, she caught a glance of herself in the mirror, and stopped.


    Her hair was wild; an all too honest representation.


    ¡°This won¡¯t do.¡±


    She quickly reigned her dreadlocks in and tied them together into a huge single plait, ensuring the braid was as tight and clean as it could be.


    ¡°Better.¡±


    Quietly, she tapped on the panel next to her door, deactivating the sound shield and sliding the metal door open to reveal the empty corridor, linking to everyone else''s rooms.


    Seeth nipped out, walked down the hall and past the kitchen, where she heard a quiet fumbling. She paused and looked in, and saw the crouching form of Venner, pulling her security gear out of the washing machine. She was dressed in a loose-fitting, plain yellow nightie, rather unflattering considering her fit, well-kept physique.


    Seeth averted her eyes, unwilling to look at her directly.


    ¡°Hey. I got a message -¡±


    Venner leapt out of her skin and bolted upright with a gasp, clutching onto her uniform as a deep red blush spread over her tired face.


    ¡°S-Seeth! Fuck! Eugh! You scared me! W-what are you doing up?¡± Her shock faded into confusion as she eyed Seeth¡¯s biosuit. ¡°A-are you going back out already? You only came back today!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I got a message from Garnet, he needs me now. Not sure when I¡¯ll be back, might just be a quick one.¡±


    ¡°You taking the ship?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if that''s okay with you?¡± Seeth asked, rubbing her forearm.


    ¡°No problem. you¡¯re the one earning the big bucks, better you use it than me.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Seeth turned to leave, then looked back. ¡°What are you doing up?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Just some laundry, Tivy doesn¡¯t do it right so I''m just¡­ sorting it out.¡± The rat suddenly went shy, shrinking a bit where she stood.


    ¡°Right. She would likely change what she was doing if you spoke to her about it. Save you being up at four in the morning for some washing... Anyway, gotta go.¡±


    ¡°B-bye! Be safe!¡± Venner called out as Seeth resumed her pace, leaving the flat quickly and locking the door behind her.


    The journey itself was a blur as she made her way through the housing complex to the dock, and quickly embarked on her routine journey to Garnet¡¯s den in Venner¡¯s ship.


    Non-lethal? That¡¯s¡­ specific. And unusual. I wonder what¡¯s got Garnet so worked up to message me like that? He has guards at the den too; why does he need me? Seeth sat back in the pilot¡¯s seat and wondered to herself as the stars drifted past her. It was only a short trip, and within a few minutes her ship had docked at the den, a converted asteroid that now functioned as Garnet¡¯s heart and home.


    She grabbed her somewhat blood-stained equipment from the weapon¡¯s rack within the cargo hold - just a studded metal bat and a stun rifle - and cautiously exited the ship. Each landing pad had been positioned within easy walking distance (and view) of the den¡¯s main reception, which was smoothly decorated with white and grey tiling. The reception was always warm and nicely lit, and usually bustling with bounty hunters looking for their next contract, or visiting old friends from Garnet¡¯s military days. Now, there was a distinct lack of people inside. Something was very wrong.


    Seeth entered the lobby slowly and noted its empty chairs, the drops of blood on the floor. The receptionist was nowhere to be seen, and there was a strange noise¡­ a mechanical noise, almost like drilling.


    Seeth approached cautiously, bringing her stun rifle up to her shoulder and following the sound to its source.


    Ahead of her was a heavy security door, operated by a code panel on the wall. Her eyes flickered to the panel, and the faint speckling of red blood on the metal numbered buttons. As she approached, however, a light above her head flashed green and the doors parted automatically, revealing a large storage bay.


    The bay itself was very grey, sterile and metal. The floor was mostly empty, except for several large metal crates stacked up in the corners and against the wall, illuminated by industrial white lights hanging from the multi-meter tall ceiling.


    The sound of the drilling intensified, and the source revealed itself quickly. On the opposite side of the storage bay was a second security door, which was currently being bored into by a mechanical drill, fixed up with some scaffolding to keep it in place.


    Standing guard, currently huffing and swinging a kanab¨­ club, an intimidating and deeply irritated woman patrolled the drill and the bay, hustling between the whirring machine and a small group of bound hostages, including Garnet¡¯s receptionist.


    ¡°I swear to fuck, I didn¡¯t want to do this. But if you don¡¯t believe I can¡¯t FUCKING HANDLE MYSELF, then I¡¯ll just have to show you, won¡¯t I? YOU WATCHING THIS GARNET?!¡± She paused and stared intently up at the corner of the bay, where a small, silver security camera was watching her. ¡°I¡¯ll get those fucking contracts, whether you let me have ¡®em or not!¡±


    The woman was a strider class oni-demoness, standing at seven-foot-nine, with blood-red crimson skin. She had a humanoid face with sharp but attractive features, piercing copper eyes and brilliant white hair in a messy, fluffy and chaotic bob cut. Her body was heavily muscular, donned in armour designed to deliberately expose her carved midriff and thunderous thighs, although most of her body was well protected, and armoured in heavy metal plating. Her slender tail, fists, and feet were wrapped in a white fabric, giving her a strong sense of physical prowess. The fabric around her knuckles were stained with pink splatterings of blood - likely someone else''s.


    She pounded her fist against her chest angrily with a menacing thump, and flashed a middle finger up to the camera. As she turned back towards the drill, she caught sight of Seeth¡¯s frame, peering around the door.


    ¡°You¡­!¡± She scowled, spitting at the floor and seizing her massive club with both hands. ¡°Well, don¡¯t just FUCKING stand there, you massive purple bio-hazard cunt! I shoulda known Garnet would send for his favourite strider hoe!¡±


    Seeth sighed loudly, dropped her rifle gently to the floor and reached her for the club instead, before walking quite calmly into the bay.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Tora. We don¡¯t need to do this. Why don¡¯t you tell me what this is about?¡± Makes sense why Garnet wanted non-lethal now¡­ Seeth thought, casting a quick glance over to Tora¡¯s hostages. Although they were a little beaten up, they all seemed fine.


    ¡°Fuck you - trying to appeal to my reasonable side! Garnet is FUCKING HIDING SOMETHING FROM ME! He thinks I''m not up to the task! He¡¯s TESTING ME.¡± Tora snarled, gripping both her hands around the club tightly, twisting them around its handle.


    ¡°Tora. Don¡¯t make me kick your ass.¡± Seeth stated firmly. Her eyes stared directly into Tora¡¯s, but the demoness wasn¡¯t to be intimidated so easily. The drill continued to work in the background.


    ¡°FUCK YOU - DON¡¯T MAKE ME KICK YOUR ASS!¡± Tora yelled, pointing the club directly at Seeth with one hand, and flexing her other arm, her muscles pressing tightly against her armour. ¡°I KNOW WHY YOU WEAR THAT SUIT! I DID MY RESEARCH!¡± She yelled again, and began a slow stride around the room, Seeth mimicked her pace and the two began to circle one another.


    ¡°Watch your words, Tora. I haven¡¯t wronged you. If you need more money, we can work toge-¡±


    ¡°FUCK YOU! You¡¯re a corrupted czarite! That weird sex thing that''s doing the rounds - That''s you! That¡¯s why you¡¯re so fucking big! It doesn¡¯t fucking matter though -  you think you¡¯re hot shit, but you¡¯re not, I¡¯m gonna take you down - wait, am I immune? You can tell, right?¡± Her demeanour suddenly changed, and a sharp grin erupted over her face.


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re immune.¡± Seeth answered uncomfortably, her fist gripping her club tightly. The material shifted between her fingers.


    ¡°Ahh-hah-ha-ha. YES. I¡¯m gonna make you my bitch after this! You¡¯re single right?!? It don¡¯t matter, I''m gonna take you from whatever bitch boy OR GIRL you got anyway! Gonna prove Garnet wrong, get those contracts, get YOU between my legs, and shit will be tight! TIGHT-TIGHT-TIGHT!¡± Tora chanted triumphantly, her eyes focused on Seeth with predator-like vision.


    Seeth shook her head and huffed angrily, flinging her now bent club across the room. Her breath was like fire on her tongue.


    ¡°Garnet did say you get a tongue on you when you¡¯re pissed.¡± She drove her fist into her palm with a meaty clap. ¡°Stop shit-talking already and put your club where your mouth is.¡±


    ¡°FINALLY! BRING IT ON, BIOHAZARD BITCH!¡±


    The two giant girls threw themselves at each-other, pounding across the surface of the bay with thunderous strides, where they clashed dead centre.


    Tora swung her club straight at Seeth¡¯s head with a huge sweeping arc, but the czarite ducked below it and sent a strong punch into Tora¡¯s abs. Her fist crunched against the crimson skin with a solid thump, and Tora retaliated with a flurry of club swings, trying to slam the studded metal into Seeth¡¯s limbs. The alien proved too nimble up close, and she managed to catch the club in her bare hands.


    In mere moments, Seeth had pulled the club and its wielder towards her. She flung her head forward, the crown of her carapace smashing into Tora¡¯s nose with a bloody and sickeningly loud crack.


    Tora tumbled backwards, landing solidly on her rump and looked up at Seeth, who stared down at her and tossed the club aside.


    ¡°You down, or you want more?¡±


    ¡°Oh get fucked, I¡¯m just getting started!¡± Tora placed her hands either side of her nose and crunched it back to its original position, blowing a wad of blood from one of her nostrils and leaping up to her feet. She charged at Seeth, and made to grapple her around the waist, but the czarite met her charge and the two locked arms. For a few seconds, they both struggled, bodies quivering and shaking as they tried to overpower one-another.


    Tora¡¯s legs quaked as she began to fall backwards, slipping and sliding against the metal floor as Seeth pushed her back. Realising her position, Tora suddenly dropped back to Seeth¡¯s midsection, reaching around and grabbing her plait firmly with both arms, yanking it downwards like a church bell. Seeth¡¯s head jerked backwards, and she was thrown off-balance. As Seeth stumbled, for just a second, Tora released her grip, reeled back onto her heel and kicked out, knocking Seeth off her feet and onto the floor, with a sharp scrape and a thud.


    As she tried to scramble to her feet, Tora suddenly pounced on top of her chest and sat there, feet pressed down on Seeth¡¯s forearms, flexing her knuckles threateningly, as though she¡¯d already won.


    ¡°Told you! You don¡¯t gotta worry though, being my bitch is gonna be fun! GIVE IT UP ALREADY! I¡¯m gonna - NUEFH -¡±


    Seeth pulled her arm free, clamped her hand around Tora¡¯s armoured neck brace and yanked her head down, driving her carapace crown into Tora¡¯s nose once more with that same shiver-inducing crack. As Tora recoiled, Seeth kicked her legs up and pushed her feet against the demoness¡¯ trunk, heaving her off her chest in a single swift motion. She kicked her legs out and Tora flew through the air, and landed with a meaty thud as she hit the ground.


    The two of them rose to their feet, Tora stumbling, Seeth¡¯s stance absolute. As Tora attempted to nurse her nose once more, Seeth brought her fists up and bullied her backwards, jabbing at the demoness until she was pinned against the wall, not far from the drill. With Tora¡¯s back to the wall, Seeth suddenly stepped up her game and began a cold, methodical, staggering assault, throwing punch after relentless punch against Tora¡¯s rapidly bruising frame.


    It didn¡¯t matter where she hit, against her armour or flesh, each hit landed caused a shuddering, breathless gasp from the demoness as she desperately tried to block the hits and defend herself, but it was startlingly obvious to anyone in that room that Tora was thoroughly outclassed. She looked clumsy and weak as Seeth drove several, bone breaking punches into her torso, each one smacking into her body with a shuddering, splitting efficacy.


    The last one struck her dead centre in her chest with a mighty crack, leaving a visible and lasting impression on her skin. The demoness bounced off the back-wall and collapsed to the floor, winded.


    After a few seconds of silence, Tora finally gasped as her lungs started to work again. She spread her battered body out against the cold floor.


    ¡°You down?¡± Seeth demanded, standing tall over her.


    ¡°I¡¯m down.¡± Tora responded between gasps, weakly pawing at her armour. ¡°I get it¡­ Sorry. I might have let my temper get a hold of me there¡­¡± She coughed out weakly, but genuinely.


    ¡°You need first aid?¡± Seeth asked bluntly.


    ¡°Nah. I¡¯m gonna wear this beating for a while. Hey - say sorry to Mel for me, I roughed her up a bit to open the hanger, she didn¡¯t deserve that.¡±


    Seeth merely nodded in response, and began to survey the room.


    Tora didn¡¯t move from her defeated position on the floor, whining a little as she reached for her nose again. As Seeth went to untie the hostages, a distinctly southern, enthusiastic voice called out across the bay.


    ¡°Seeth! Is that you? I swear I just watched a ghost beat up Tora on the cameras! My den¡¯s haunted!¡±


    ¡°Garnet!¡±


    A somewhat short, portly, otter stepped out from the door on the other side of the bay. He had traditional brown fur and a round belly. Both his tail and left foot had been replaced by dark grey, rustic-looking bionics, and both his eyes were sewn shut; he relied on a small red optic attached to the side of his head just above the ear  to see instead. Dressed in a plain white t-shirt and brown cargo shorts, he appeared a rather casual, if unusual man, standing just shy of five feet tall.


    ¡°Well darn howdy, look at that! She was drilling into my safe! I don¡¯t keep no contracts in there, just guns and armour and bombs and stuff. Glad you came, Seeth!¡± He spoke quickly, and was staring in the complete wrong direction of his addressee. He held a hand out and Seeth came over, meeting it with her own and guiding him to face her.


    Two of Garnet¡¯s assistants came out to untie the hostages and stop the drill. Soon enough, things seemed to be back under control again, with the otter seeming rather unphased by the whole incident. He made to leave the storage bay, and gestured for Seeth to follow.


    ¡°You wanna tell me what that was about, Garnet?¡± Seeth asked the otter as he made his way back through the door and into his office, a small but comfy space with a solid wood desk in the middle of the room. The office was kept delightfully warm and the smell of a fresh pie gave the room a wonderful, cosy feel. Seeth sat down in one of the chairs closest to them.


    ¡°Bah, I will! Just gimme a second here!¡± He waddled over to his oversized seat on the other side of the desk and sank into it with a sigh, drumming his fingers against one of the leather arms. ¡°Firstly, I¡¯ll wire you a sum for dealin¡¯ with Tora. She¡¯s a good egg, but she was being fried on both sides and frankly, she was overdone! I don¡¯t blame her none and we¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s alright but either way, many many thanks to you for turning up so quick and dealing with that nonsense non-lethally. Lord knows I¡¯d hate to see you do to her, what you did to those two brothers! Although those brothers had it coming, mind you!¡± He continued to ramble idly, twiddling his fingers faster against the arm of his chair.


    ¡°Garnet. I can tell you¡¯re avoiding something.¡± Seeth sighed, flexing her neck a little. ¡°Why was Tora mad? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The otter paused, his head sinking a little on his shoulders.


    ¡°C¡¯mon Garnet. You know you can trust me¡­ Is it about my condition? Because you know i¡¯ve got it under contr-¡±


    ¡°What? Seeth, darlin¡¯, Seeth- No! Absolutely not! Hell no! Don¡¯t you be silly, we already spoke ¡®bout that. Hell no.¡± He paused again, his nervousness obvious, and looking slightly past her, in the wrong direction.


    ¡°Maybe it''s not my business then, that''s fine.¡± Seeth pivoted. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you look so uncomfortable before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cuz I''m not really comfortable with what I''m about to ask you.¡± He hopped off the chair and walked towards a narrow door on the far wall of his office. He opened it slightly, just enough for him to slip through, but Seeth could just make out the inside - it seemed to be a simple supply room.


    ¡°We need help, Seeth. Tora was mad because she thought I was keeping some high payin¡¯ and classy jobs from her.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    ¡°Truth be told, Seeth. I was savin¡¯ her life. I do trust Tora, I think she¡¯s a total hotshot, but she ain¡¯t ready for this.¡± He came back out holding a substantial cardboard box, filled to the brim with filed paper contracts. Garnet popped it onto the desk with some effort; the box was practically as big as him.


    ¡°You know I look after my mercs. I don¡¯t send ¡®em where they can¡¯t handle themselves. I know all too much ¡®bout that.¡± He remarked sadly, his mechanical gaze landed on the less original components of his body. ¡°But these contracts keep coming in by the shitload. These ain¡¯t just odd jobs for cash. They¡¯re a necessity, people are dying because these contracts are unfulfilled. And now I''m stuck between a rock and a real hard place and I''m stressin¡¯ Seeth, I really am.¡± A slight glint of tears appeared in the corners of his eyeless sockets.


    ¡°What are they, Garnet? What¡¯s going on?¡± Seeth stood from her chair, deeply concerned.


    ¡°Truth be told, Seeth, y¡¯all might be the only person I trust who can deal with these. And even then, I got my concerns.¡± He paused again, leaning on the box and flicking through the files with a pair of trimmed claws. ¡°Have you ever heard of them Vora Barons¡­?¡±

 Chapter 3 - Strength and Weakness

    ¡°Well, I still ain¡¯t comfortable with this, but I appreciate ya¡¯ bein¡¯ all cool about it, Seeth. Would upset me greatly if something happened to you out there.¡± Garnet turned his gaze back towards the czarite briefly, still looking slightly in the wrong direction, as they made their way towards his armoury.


    The Fixer Den functioned as Garnet¡¯s home as well as his place of business, and built only a little deeper into the asteroid were his living quarters. For what he¡¯d tell you was security reasons, but was actually more for the convenience, he¡¯d located his armoury only a corridor away from his quarters. The pleasant, gentle tone of his wife¡¯s humming could be heard faintly in the background, reverberating from the kitchen. Even from here, in the cold, metal corridor, you could feel the welcoming warmth from the kitchen that, as far as Seeth could tell, was almost in constant use. The mouth-watering smell of freshly baked goods was to be expected now, as the sweet scent slowly filled the den.


    Reaching into his pocket, the otter produced a heavy ring of keys. He flicked his fingers through and stopped on an ornate-looking bronze one, and quickly unlocked the heavy, indistinctive metal door. As the key clicked and turned in its lock, a metal handle suddenly popped out from the seemingly featureless exterior. He placed his hands on it firmly and pulled, but the door only moved an inch, despite the otter straining with effort.


    ¡°Let me give you a hand, Garnet.¡± Seeth reached out and pulled the door open slowly, as to not startle or throw the man off.


    ¡°Very much appreciated, missy.¡± He laughed, as he watched the door swing open with ease. ¡°I¡¯d get one of those automatic piston systems, but I just don¡¯t trust like that.¡±


    The armoury revealed itself to be an extremely well kept, steel environment, with numerous racks and the outer walls all lined with caged weapons. It was more than obvious that Garnet took his weapon-keeping seriously; it would take a sustained effort from a competent crew to breach this place. As the pair stepped into the armoury, a clinical coldness swept them both - the warmth from the kitchen couldn¡¯t follow them in here. Garnet shivered briefly as he adjusted to the new temperature.


    ¡°Honestly though, seeing you handle Tora out there like that has given me some faith that I ain¡¯t just sending you to some early grave. I can tell you wen¡¯ easy on her, I think she knows that too. Say, you hear the nicknames my crew came up with for you, after that wolf brothers contract?¡±


    ¡°They have nicknames for me?¡± Seeth recoiled a little, a mixture of emotions flickering across her face.


    ¡°Hell yeah there were. Seeth, muffin, you don¡¯t just lift a man up by his spine without people takin¡¯ notice. Some of dem nicknames were a little¡­ uninspired, but nice intentions none-the-less!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? I¡¯d like to hear your favourites.¡±


    ¡°Spinal. Triple B, stands for boy-bone-breaker. The Chiropractor. Erm¡­ what was that - HEY LOVE-OF-MAH-LIFE!¡± Garnet called out, suddenly switching to his outside voice.


    After a brief delay, an equally southern but higher pitched voice replied from somewhere within the den.


    ¡°WHAT¡¯S UP, SUGAR?¡±


    ¡°WHAT WAS THAT NICKNAME FOR SEETH YOU LIKED AFTER SHE DID THE BROTHERS IN?


    ¡°OHHH, MEL CALLED HER THE ADJUSTER CUZ IT WAS LIKE SHE ADJUSTED THEIR SPINE AN¡¯ THEIR ATTITUDE AT-THE-SAME-TIME!


    ¡°OH YEAH, THAT WAS THE ONE. THANK YOU, DARLIN¡¯¡±


    ¡°YOU¡¯RE MORE THAN WELCOME, MAH¡¯ SWEETIE PIE!¡±


    ¡°The Adjuster! I liked that one too!¡± Garnet quickly swapped back to his inside voice.


    For once, Seeth was glad Garnet couldn¡¯t see her, as a sour cringe creased over her face dramatically for a couple seconds as ¡°The Adjuster¡± carved its way deep into her soul.


    ¡°Now then, I think it was locker forty-five!¡± He turned on the spot but immediately face-planted into Seeth¡¯s tit as the czarite briefly leaned forward to peek down at the weapons. He half-bounced back off as his forehead collided with her substantial breastage, and he fought to keep balance. ¡°Dammit! Sorry, Seeth! What I walk into that time?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s my bad Garnet. I shouldn¡¯t be so close. You¡­ walked into my arm.¡± She feigned, trying to save the otter some embarrassment.


    ¡°Well damn, you got soft ass arms!¡± Not one to ever be embarrassed, Garnet smiled knowingly, and looked directly at Seeth. ¡°I might need your help with the next locker though, these babies are heavy as hell.¡±


    They quickly navigated their way to the correct locker; this one was much taller and wider than the majority of the other lockers they¡¯d passed. The otter, with no hesitation, selected another seemingly random key from its ring and popped the locker open, revealing a three-metre tall, metal case within.


    ¡°You mind lifting that for me and bringing it over to the table,just over there!¡± He went to point, but quickly stopped himself. ¡°I uh¡­ ain¡¯t gonna be poking you in the arm if I point, am I?¡±


    Seeth chuckled softly and went to grab the case. ¡°No, you¡¯re good Garnet. I¡¯m at the locker.¡±


    ¡°Good! I ain¡¯t makin¡¯ no habit of walkin¡¯ into ya¡¯. No matter how soft your arms are.¡± He laughed heartily and made his way over the large metal desk bolted against the wall. He pulled a couple of chairs out as Seeth gently placed the case down.


    As Seeth sat down, Garnet ran his claws over the metal shell in front of him, sighing softly and taking a few seconds to compose himself.


    ¡°Everything okay?¡± Seeth asked, for what felt like the hundredth time that day. ¡°We don¡¯t need to do this if you''re having doubts.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alright. Look, here¡¯s the deal.¡± He spun and fidgeted around on the chair, trying to address Seeth as directly as possible. ¡°Imma lend you these things, free of charge, plus ammo, for your first five Baron contracts. You do five of those things, I''ll give you these weapons to keep forever, plus free ammo for every Baron contract you do beyond that, and I mean free. I ain¡¯t gonna sly charge you for it, which is going to cost me a pretty penny because these things are rare as all star¡¯s hell.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I''m with you so far. What¡¯s in the case?¡±


    Garnet popped the latches and barely inched it open, teasing the contents.


    ¡°Overkill, to be honest! When I said rare, dammit I meant it. They just don¡¯t make weapons like these anymore!¡± He flipped the lid with some substantial effort, and revealed the weapons inside, both cradled perfectly in jet black foam, holding them in place.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way in hell I can lift these things without popping somethin¡¯, so feel free to handle them yourself, I¡¯ll stay seated so you don¡¯t gotta worry about bumping into me. Go on, try ¡®em out!¡± He smiled, urging Seeth to inspect them.


    The first weapon was a massive, upscaled, pump-action shotgun. Cast completely from high-grade titanium alloy, the weapon was more akin to artillery than your typical small arms, built squarely and with a tremendous amount of weight to its solid body. Carefully, Seeth stood and worked her fingers under the foam that encased the gun and pulled it free; it was almost as long as she was tall.


    ¡°That is an Ox-Forge, strider class, pump-action shotgun built to fire shells the size o¡¯ god-damn pint glasses. They¡¯re actually better used by loomer class folk due to its weight and recoil, but I know you¡¯re sturdy as hell. It saw a very short production life due to lack of customers, Ox-Forge went bust a few years ago but they made hella¡¯ good stuff! Quality over quantity, that sorta¡¯ thing. I got friends who can make the ammo for you without too much hassle.¡±


    As Garnet explained, Seeth quickly double checked to ensure the weapon wasn¡¯t loaded and raised it to her shoulder. It was huge, even by her standards, but Garnet was right; she was able to lift and aim it easily enough. Every single element of the weapon was chunky and built to last, a bold statement of craftsmanship forged in fine metal, designed to clear both streets and skies in a single, thunderous blast. This thing had been made to be wielded by monsters, not soldiers.


    ¡°The weight helps a li¡¯l with the recoil, but it''s still a terror to handle. They called these things ¡®surface-to-air fuck you¡¯ cannons, or just SAFU cannons for short, because you can take down a low orbitin¡¯ ship with them. I¡¯m in awe they ever made these things to be honest with ya¡¯.¡± Garnet reached down for an ammo case and popped it open, pulling out a standard, traditional shotgun shell and pinching it between his fingers, holding it up for Seeth to see. As expected, it came complete with the tomato-red body and brass metal trim.


    ¡°Here is your typical triple zero buckshot load I''m sure you¡¯re familiar with, weighs around thirty five grams, give or take.¡±


    He placed it on the table, and then reached into the case with both hands, grunting with effort as he pulled out a massive shell. With a loud thud and a sigh of relief, he placed the second ¡®shell¡¯ onto the table.


    The pint glass comparison was apt, with the second shell looking more like a thermal flask of death than anything close to a standard, roamer-sized munition. Its body was a darker red than its tremendously smaller cousin, but it had the same brass trimming around the base.


    ¡°This is a standard shell for the SAFU, it weighs around six kilograms and fires a payload of tungsten ball bearings that can punch through reinforced metal and traditional body armour with over one kilometre effective range against small targets. Just one of the pellets in the SAFU shell when fired contains more kinetic energy than the entirety of this piddly thing.¡± He prodded at the smaller shell. ¡°One pellet is enough to kill a man-sized target, even with a grazing shot, and it¡¯ll punch through multiple targets with ease. Each shell contains... hmm¡­ maybe around fifty balls?¡± He scratched his chin briefly. ¡° By all means, the SAFU cannon is a war crime to use on anyone who neither isn¡¯t made of stone, nor trying to kill your whole family. But thankfully, the Vora Barons are just the sort of sick fuckers who would really benefit from rapid and destructive perforation on that sorta¡¯ scale.¡± He chuckled in delight at the thought of the carnage a weapon like this could cause.


    Seeth rapidly moved through several different firing positions with the SAFU cannon, emulating a firefight the best she could. Its size certainly needed taking into account, but she shifted the cannon with ease, her hand fitting comfortably onto its shaped foregrip. She cycled it, pulling the grip back and forth with a bassy ¡®CLACK-CLACK¡¯, closely listening to its mechanisms. Despite its size, it was smooth, at least when wielded by someone of her strength.


    ¡°As per all shotguns of this nature, its payload is adaptable and the size of the munitions means that this thing is practically a tank cannon in all but name. You want explosive rounds, chemical rounds, gas rounds¡­ hell, the only thing I can¡¯t get you is non-lethal, there just isn¡¯t a way to throw six kilograms of bean bag at someone without splitting somethin¡¯ important to their bodily capacities. So¡­ what do ya¡¯ think?¡±


    ¡°It''s¡­ well¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say, Garnet. Feels like it could rupture a ship''s hull rather easily.¡± Seeth thought aloud, frowning slightly as she glanced back at the literal pint-sized shell on the table. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I actually rather like it, but I thought the Barons lived aboard ships?¡±


    ¡°It absolutely could! And they do! But Baron ships are built to withstand hell because the dumb bastards shoot each-other all the time with their own hand artillery. I would still keep an enviroshield on you, don¡¯ get me wrong, but you shouldn¡¯t need to worry about that too much. Besides that, we don¡¯t tend to try and recover Baron ships as much as we burn ¡®em, there''s no resale value in those things. You like it though¡­?¡±


    ¡°I do. I really do. Something that actually fits my size for a change! Companies rarely cater to striders¡­ What about the other weapon?¡±


    Seeth turned back and replaced the SAFU cannon back into its foam, sharply focusing her attention to the second weapon in the other half of the case. Her eyes immediately landed on its huge, shiny frontal blade. It was a massive double-bladed axe, easily as tall as Seeth. Its frontal blade was the dominant one, with the back blade smaller but equally thick and sharp. The head was larger than Garnet¡¯s entire torso and its construction was heavy, solid and robust, like the previous weapon, with a slight blue tint to its body.


    ¡°Ox-Forge again, but they collabed with Orion Industries to make this thing. I don¡¯t know how many there are in existence, but it can¡¯t be that many. It''s made from some classified, patented metal composite that belongs to Orion but it¡¯s neigh on indestructible, if you can actually lift the damn thing. Usually melee weapons like this would be damned useless in the confines of a ship, but again, Baron ships are huge to accommodate their awful girth, so you¡¯ll have plenty of room to swing this thing.¡±


    Seeth stopped for just a brief second, her heart skipping a beat. Of all the places, she wasn¡¯t expecting to feel Diego¡¯s presence in a giant axe¡­ but it seemed like the sort of thing he would wield¡­ She quickly took a deep breath and composed herself, gritting her teeth as she pulled the axe free of its foam casing and held it up high, with a single hand clasped firmly just under the head.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    I have a job to do¡­ This is to get him back¡­ Come on Seeth, you can do this¡­!


    ¡°It¡¯s got some counter balancing weight on its tail but I hear they still a bit unbalanced, no real weak points though so feel free to smack with any part of it. The blade self-sharpens with heat, some sort of memory alloy in the blade I think, and there''s a button under the handle to flash heat the blade during combat. Absolutely useless to most folks on account of it weighing as much as two men, but in your hands..?¡±


    Seeth practised some slow sweeps of the blade, quickly adjusting to weapons balance. Despite its size and weight, she handled it with no issue.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to use that thing as a shield either; the giant head on it will deflect anything that ain¡¯t a railgun. This weapon didn¡¯t get a nickname though - didn¡¯t see enough use. So, what you think?¡±


    ¡°I think I could chop down a whole forest with this thing. With a little practice to adjust for its weird balance, I¡­ like it.¡± Seeth smiled, and returned the axe to the case.


    ¡°You sure? I don¡¯t mean to pry - hell, I can¡¯t even see you! But¡­ I dunno darlin¡¯, I got some unusual vibes from you for just a second.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I just¡­ I used to know someone who would¡¯ve loved this axe. I¡¯d rather not go into it. I do like the axe though.¡± Seeth sighed, running a finger up the side of the front blade.


    ¡°Say no more. I¡¯m glad you like ¡®em, these things have been collecting dust for years now! I just have one more thing I need to run by you.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Seeth sat back down in her seat and tapped the otter gently on the shoulder to let him know. He spun around to address her as best he could.


    ¡°Just¡­ this is personal now, not a contract thing.¡± He squirmed on the chair a little. ¡°Promise me if you take these weapons, you¡¯ll only use them on people that deserve their wrath. This personal crusade you¡¯re stockpilin¡¯ for, I know I ain''t entitled to know your personal business and all that, but can I sleep easy tonight knowing that you¡¯ll be putting lead towards those who oughta¡¯ receive it, and not those who can¡¯t do anything ¡®bout it? If you catch my drift.¡±


    ¡°Garnet.¡± Seeth reached out and gently took the otter''s smaller hand in her own. ¡°The people who¡¯ll be eating SAFU shells deserve far more than a quick death. But I will grant them the mercy of this personal artillery instead. I¡¯m not gunning after people who don¡¯t deserve it. Trust in that.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it. So -¡±


    A shy knock at the open armoury door broke their conversation. Slowly, the now-bandaged form of Tora appeared in the doorway, holding a small food container in one hand and an ice pack in the other. Her face had swollen up and now looked quite round rather than sharp, her red pigment now even more pronounced than usual.


    ¡°Hey.¡± She mumbled sheepishly at the door.


    ¡°Well howdy, Tora! How''s the chest feeling?¡± Garnet chirped, eyeing the clearly visible fist-shaped impression on her chest, despite the generous amount of medi-gel that had been slathered over it.


    ¡°All considered? I¡¯ve been worse.¡±


    Garnet waved her in and Seeth stood up, folding her arms and leaning against the back wall.


    ¡°You came here to say a piece or two?¡± The otter asked, his nose twitching slightly as the smell of pie began to fill the room.


    ¡°I did. I need to apologise to you both, now, whilst you¡¯re still here. I hurt people who didn¡¯t deserve it and let my temper get the better of me, I will pay for the property damage done here today, Garnet. Can I put this right?¡± The demoness¡¯s accent shifted slightly towards a more well spoken tone as she spoke. The way her body language tightened made Seeth think this was something she had practised.


    ¡°Awh now, don¡¯t you worry.¡± Garnet replied, caving immediately. ¡°I know how these things be sometimes. I ain¡¯t gonna ban ya¡¯ from the den, Tora. I¡¯ll give you the chance to make amends, and mean ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°Thank fuck for that¡­¡± Tora breathed a gentle sigh of relief. ¡°This is one of the only places I¡¯ve been able to get steady work¡­ I¡¯ve spoken to Mel already, and we¡¯re cool, so that just leaves¡­ well¡­ you, Seeth.¡± Tora rubbed her arm anxiously, and stepped a bit further into the room. The demoness felt prickles across her skin as Seeth¡¯s cold stare intensified on her. Shyly, she glanced up to meet the gaze of the amethystine alien.


    ¡°I, uh¡­ I said some really, REALLY shitty things to you back there. You¡¯ve been nice to me and I regret everything. I nearly ruined everything I''ve worked so hard on here and now that I know what it''s about, I feel even worse. So¡­¡± She ruffled her hair shyly and broke eye contact with Seeth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the fight and the things I said. B-but-¡± Suddenly her face flushed, more red than ever. ¡°I-If you did maybe want to grab a bite to eat sometime or-or a drink out, it would be my treat! Just hit me up if you fancy me - IT. If you fancy it.¡±


    ¡°Apology accepted, Tora. I¡¯ve had bad days too. I¡¯ll think about your proposition.¡± Seeth replied coolly. ¡°No need to feel bad.¡±


    ¡°Cool. Right, thanks both. I¡¯m uh¡­ gonna find somewhere quiet to have this slice of pie and go about fixing that door¡­ Speak to you both later, maybe?¡±


    ¡°Thanks for makin¡¯ amends, Tora. Glad to see I wasn¡¯t wrong about you.¡± Garnet smiled, as the oni backed out of the room, wincing in pain as she left. ¡°See, that''s what I like, a nice, happy endin¡¯! Glad to see those classes are workin¡¯ out for her, she¡¯s always had one hell of a temper! Anyway, no need to make a decision on these weapons now if you need a little time -¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m good. I¡¯ll take them. I can start now.¡± Seeth replied firmly.


    ¡°Seeth¡­¡± Garnet spoke softly, reaching his hand out for Seeth to help guide his gaze. ¡°Y-You just finished a job today; hell, two jobs! Look, I¡¯ll let you take the weapons with ya¡¯ but just¡­ get a good sleep before you take these bastards on, please? Just rest a bit? Hell, you can sleep at the den if you¡¯re avoidin¡¯ home! We can make a bed up for ya!¡±


    Seeth paused, letting a quiet sigh escape her silken lips.


    ¡°I¡­ Fine. But I''m heading out tomorrow on my first contract. Send me the details, usual time.¡±


    A warm smile creased the otter''s face, wrinkling at the corners of his sightless eyes.


    ¡°Atta¡¯ girl. I¡¯ll pick a good starter contract for you. Ah shit, you¡¯re gonna need some holders for the SAFU shells! Six K-G a piece, even just a triple load is seventy-daaaaamn-two kilograms of lead! Or tungsten I suppose. Cmon¡¯, let''s find you a couple of bandoliers and some pouches! You got a favourite colour? I think I got some hot-pink ammo pouches if you want the style points! Oh! You¡¯re gonna need a harness for the axe! I MIGHT HAVE A HOT PINK HARNESS TOO!¡±


    *


    A fierce sigh hissed from between Scyler¡¯s dagger-like teeth as he walked the length of the pristine white corridor. Several small dragonfly drones were flying up and down its length, cleaning the surfaces with relentless vigour as they scanned the corridor with bright blue lights.


    He tugged at the collar of his uniform, stretching his neck out as the fabric clung to his skin a little too snugly for his liking.


    ¡°This is shit. I hate these scratchy bloody things.¡±


    He stared out of the corridor¡¯s glass panes and over the station. Another annoyed sigh escaped his lips.


    ¡°Too small here. Stupid fucking Jace. You know what? Fuck this. I need some stress relief.¡±


    He turned on the spot and quickly made his way back towards the anomalous labs. Every lab he passed by was either dark or only had one or two people finishing up some late night projects. Those who spotted him waved a quick hello as he passed by.


    Before long, Scyler arrived at the heavy security door that led to the ¡®stress relief¡¯ in question. A single guard in traditional DA armour was stationed outside, and waved him over.


    ¡°Hey Scyler. Late night work, huh?¡± The guard mused, tapping on his gauntlet to activate the door controls.


    ¡°Yeah. Feeling itchy.¡±


    ¡°Reason for visit?¡±


    ¡°Reason?¡± Scyler cocked his head, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Oh, Evangaline is keeping track of why people are visiting the lab, nothing you need to worry about.¡± The guard shrugged, seemingly unbothered.


    ¡°Hmm. Morale enhancement. She¡¯ll know what it means. You know if anyone is in the observation bay?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I think it''s completely empty, the team cleared out a few hours ago. You¡¯ll have the place to yourself. You want the defences online?¡±


    ¡°Please. Camera¡¯s off, too.¡±


    ¡°You got it. Have fun.¡± The guard smiled and opened the doors behind him.


    Several tons of reinforced metal rolled back to reveal Plasia, still strung up like a puppet. She didn¡¯t seem to have moved. The laboratory lights flickered to life automatically upon Scyler¡¯s entry. The room was silent aside from a small machine sat in front of Plasia, whirring away with a mechanical determination. It appeared to be hooked up to her veins, with a couple of needles fastened into her wrists.


    Plasia weakly raised her head to look at Scyler as the door locked behind him, and the cameras around her died. She seemed unfazed, however, and let her head hang limp again.


    The dragon''s eyes looked over her defeated form with a wicked intent.


    ¡°Good evening, Plasia.¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond.


    Slowly, he approached the pump machine in front of her and glanced over its slightly shaking body as it whirred away.


    ¡°Horrifying little thing, this.¡± He remarked. ¡°Under normal circumstances, this would be little danger. Posing absolutely zero threat to anyone, nevermind a creature like yourself. But here, now? This little thing is slowly draining your life away. One pump at a time, draining your blood in a slow, constant drip. Such a tragic, awful way to go. Beaten by a syphon and a bit of electricity. Leaked to death. Does it drive you mad to know that? To listen to the life being sucked out of you for hours upon hours, alone in the dark.? No less than you deserve really, is it?¡±


    I agree.


    He continued., despite her silence.


    ¡°What an absolute piece of work you are. What you did to those poor nomads¡­ I mean, wow. Two hundred people?! And that''s just your personal body count. Those prostitutes, I can¡¯t recall their names -¡±


    Mina and Tani¡­


    ¡°-You bought them out, deceived them and corrupted them. All by your little loathsome self. The worst part was, they were likely enjoying themselves, until their bodies broke under the weight of your degenerate disease.¡±


    Suddenly, his shocked demeanour broke and a sly cackle erupted from him.


    ¡°Still, I''m so glad I recovered you. This condition you have is the real deal, we¡¯re making breakthroughs already - nothing that would cure you, but¡­ all-in-all, very good things. There¡¯s real potential there.¡±


    Maybe you¡¯ll learn something that saves lives. Maybe I''ll have contributed to something good before I die¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up, though. It''s looking pretty bleak for your victims at the moment. This corruption is persistent once it infects someone.¡±


    ¡­I¡¯m better off here¡­ I can¡¯t do any more damage locked up in here. I will not corrupt anyone else, ever again.


    Suddenly, Scyler¡¯s scowl returned, more intense this time.


    ¡°Rotten sack of pig-foul. Because of you, my field work has been suspended. I¡¯m stuck aboard this station with you for the next year.¡±


    I don¡¯t understand why he¡¯s blaming me¡­


    His temper rose again; Plasia hadn¡¯t moved, hadn¡¯t reacted, hadn¡¯t even acknowledged his presence since he¡¯d first entered the room. Angrily, he placed a hand on the pump and turned the dial up, just a little. The machine groaned and whirred as its pace quickened.


    She didn¡¯t even flinch.


    His eyes scanned over her closely, watching her face, searching for any sort of response. His eyes twitched at their corners as he tried to figure out what to say next. Suddenly, a brief grin spread across his lips, and he turned the pump back down.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t deserve him.¡±


    Plasia shuddered in her restraints.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way in hell he¡¯d have ever accepted you. Not after what you did. You¡¯re a fucking monster.¡±


    Her eyes flickered open and met his scolding stare, tears building in the corners of her giant sapphire orbs.


    ¡°Oh wow. Wooow. You really are that self-absorbed? I¡¯m here, telling you about the two-hundred nomads that you personally raped and corrupted, and you just sit there, not giving an absolute shit. But then I start talking about your precious little lover-boy and suddenly, oh boohoo, woe is me! You really don¡¯t give a shit about anyone else but yourself, do you?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Stop it!¡± Plasia suddenly cried out, her bottom lip wobbling as fresh tears streamed down her face.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re the ¡®good¡¯ half,  but you¡¯re just fucking awful. Selfish.¡±


    Her cry broke into a deep, wrenching sob, her chest shuddering, her restraints shaking slightly.


    ¡°There we go! Ahh!¡± Scyler smiled, repositioning himself against the far wall. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m just here to remind you that you murdered your boyfriend in a fit of jealous rage. His blood, your hands.¡±


    ¡°Please¡­ stop¡­ just - just¡­¡±


    ¡°He died on Barru X after your little performance, in the arms of another woman he loved more than you. Don¡¯t want you forgetting that either.¡±


    Plasia¡¯s eyes slowly drifted down to the floor, she tried to form noises from her throat but nothing would come. Slowly, her head bowed again, broken and defeated. More crystal tears dripped down her face, pattering against the sterile floor.


    The room fell quiet. The persistent churn of the blood pump throbbed in both their ears.


    ¡°Sigh. You¡¯re boring me. Let''s speak to your other half.¡±


    Scyler pressed a series of buttons on the door panel. The vents in the ceiling opened, and a low hiss emanated from within. After a few seconds, a familiar, intoxicating scent filled the room. Sweet, rich and dark.


    Plasia briefly shook and struggled in her restraints, then her body jolted, stiffened, and relaxed, and she was calm again. When she opened her eyes, her round irises were gone, replaced with those predatorial slits, sharp and intimidating, and staring straight at Scyler through the lab¡¯s mellow lighting.


    Scyler walked back over to the pump and began to fiddle with it, turning his back to Plasia as he idly played with the machine.


    Slithering out from her parched throat, Plasia¡¯s tongue slowly emerged between her lips and began to snake its way towards Scyler, reeling up in the air to strike him.


    Just before she could reach him, a high-powered amber laser beam erupted from the corner of the room and struck the tongue, causing it to rapidly retract. A gurgling growl escaped Plasia¡¯s throat.


    ¡°You know, for her supposedly unpredictable side, you are disappointingly predictable.¡± He sighed, turning back around to face her.


    She met him with a furious scowl, twitching in her restraints.


    ¡°Am I immune?¡± He asked casually.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we find out?¡± She hissed back, bearing her blunted fangs at him.


    ¡°Hah. I like that. You¡¯re much more fun than your other half.¡± He¡¯d asked the same question in every ¡®interview¡¯ he¡¯d held with Plasia to date, and was yet to get an answer.


    ¡°You lie to her. Other me. Tell her I KILL pretty lizard. Why? NOT MY HANDS. NOT MY HANDS!¡±


    ¡°Because it''s fun. You¡¯re a murderer all the same, what''s the harm in one more?¡±


    ¡°You LIE and LIE. Maybe you LIE about pretty lizard!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s dead, Plasia. He¡¯s dead, and it¡¯s your fault.¡± Scyler smirked as Plasia fought against her restraints.


    ¡°BREAK FREE AND FUCK YOU! BREAK UNDER ME, UGLY EEL MAN!¡±


    Scyler laughed. ¡°Wrong. Wrong, wrong, and wrong. You¡¯re going to die in this lab.¡±


    ¡°DO IT! STOP WASTING-WASTING-WASTING-WASTING TIME!¡±


    ¡°You are going to die in this lab¡­ when we decide so.¡±


    Plasia hissed and tugged harder on her mechanical bonds. The machinery began to creak.


    ¡°And it gets better! You know your weak other half? She is glad that you¡¯re both dying in here, because that means you won¡¯t get to hurt anyone ever again. So she doesn¡¯t fight back, she doesn¡¯t resist, because she thinks this is the best thing for both of you! I know you like to think you¡¯re the one in charge, but I think she still has her hand on the controls. She¡¯s holding you back! It¡¯s brilliant, I think.¡±


    ¡°STOP THIS!¡±


    ¡°Bah. You sound just like her.¡±


    ¡°EAT YOUR TEETH! SNAP YOU!!!¡±


    A guttural, stomach churning roar emanated from the captive alien and she gnashed her teeth together furiously, snapping them together repeatedly as her eyes glared at the dragon with an unblinking death stare.


    ¡°Whelp! I feel much better after that. See you tomorrow! Remember, you¡¯ll only die when we decide you¡¯re no longer useful. Remember that, czarite. Byeeeee!¡± Scyler turned gleefully back towards the door. The mechanism parted and allowed him to exit as Plasia continued to gnash her teeth furiously, and shake in her restraints.


    ¡°Looks like you got some pep back in your step, Scyler!¡± The door guard remarked.


    ¡°I do indeed, my good man! Feeling refreshed! Right, I have some late night reports to do¡­¡±


    The two continued talking as the door locked behind them, sealing Plasia back within the lab. The lights flickered off, and she was enveloped in darkness again.


    But, she wasn¡¯t alone. Not completely, anyway. From within the lab¡¯s observation room, a single occupant stood in the dark, clutching onto her lab notes, absolutely horrified.


    She knew she wasn¡¯t supposed to be there. More than that, she knew she wasn¡¯t supposed to have seen any of that.


    She didn¡¯t even know what that was.


    But she knew it wasn¡¯t right.


    Her golden wheat-coloured wings wrapped around herself as she stared down at Plasia¡¯s trembling form as Leech¡¯s scent evaporated from the room.


    Her eyes were wide and her body quivered in her self-embrace. A tear formed in the corner of her eye.


    That was awful! Just awful!

 Chapter 4 - Cat and mouse

    He can¡¯t treat people like that¡­ I have to say something! That wasn¡¯t right!


    Mooki was sitting at her desk. As she contemplated what exactly it was she¡¯d witnessed last night, she reached a shaky hand out for her hot cup of cocoa, that read ¡®One Smart Cookie!¡¯ on its side. She couldn¡¯t hold it steady; the chocolate lapped at the edge of the mug, threatening to spill at any moment.


    ¡°Mooki! How''s that material report coming?¡± A voice barked from behind her.


    She leapt out of her skin, spilling the warm brown cocoa down her uniform.


    ¡°Bu-bi-erm¡­ N-needs more time!¡± She responded hastily, brushing at her legs with her oversized sleeves.


    ¡°Alright. No rush. Let me know if you need any help.¡± The voice called back calmly.


    It was impossible to focus. She didn¡¯t know exactly how much trouble she¡¯d be in if she admitted to being in a level-five-access lab, alone. Students were only allowed to be in there when they had assignments to do, and always accompanied by qualified scientists to ensure their safety¡­


    But this felt bigger than a university assignment.


    T-that was malpractice! I know it was! You can¡¯t treat someone like that. And the way he spoke to her! T-that was torture! H-her guts were hanging out!


    She gagged as the image passed through her mind again.


    ¡°Muh-Martin, sir?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mooki?¡±


    ¡°I n-need to s-speak to Evangeline!¡±


    ¡°Evangeline? What, now?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, now.¡±


    ¡°Mooki, did something happen?¡± He responded, a worried edge in his voice.


    ¡°Y-yes. It did.¡±


    Her chair scraped back as she stood up shakily from her desk, and she felt a gentle hand rest on her shoulder, but besides that, the majority of the trip to Evangaline¡¯s office was a blur. A merge of white corridors, white lab coats, white armoured guards, and her heart hammering against her chest every step of the way. Her eyes couldn¡¯t focus, and the voices around her muffled and faded out into a droning hum.


    All of a sudden, a jet-black streak broke through her trance. It was as if her ears suddenly popped, and the world was snapped back into focus just as quickly. The slight whirring of the gentle overhead fans was deafening in her ears. Despite the thick padding underneath her rear, she shifted about uncomfortably; she couldn¡¯t even recall having sat down in the first place. There seemed to be no comfortable place to rest her limbs either, despite the generously large armrests on either side of her. Mooki hadn¡¯t seen the inside of the Head Administrator¡¯s office before, and she hadn''t really known what to expect, but it was sleekly decorated with an impressive half-stone, half-metal desk that looked back-breakingly heavy, and sufficiently regal. There were several curling jade-coloured plants in the corners of the surprisingly expansive room, and it was pleasantly warmed with air that smelled very¡­ sterile.


    Behind her impressive desk, the tall and imposing form of Evangeline stared down at Mooki, tilting her head just ever-so-slightly to the side, so slightly that Mooki had to question whether she did it at all. Her brilliant white and black physique was so startling, it was difficult to focus on her in totality; Mooki found that her eyes kept focusing on one half of her face, then quickly darting to the other to try and compensate. After the cold, clinical nature of the XITD¡¯s labs, she really did stand out rather boldly.


    ¡°We took a risk bringing you aboard the station, Miss Rye. But, your test scores were excellent and your tutors spoke extremely highly of you, especially considering you¡¯re a yuskol. My team has nothing but  praise for your work and the quality of your reports, and no one appears to have an issue with you. And yet, suddenly you say the work is¡­ too difficult..?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes.¡± She feigned, her big candy pink eyes briefly locking with Evangeline''s icey blue glare.


    The elder dragoness sighed softly, tapping a single finger against the notebook on her desk.


    ¡°I am happy to arrange your transport back to your university campus, although this will result in a failure for your module here.¡±


    ¡°O-okay.¡±


    She shifted again in her seat, trying to look anywhere but Evangeline¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Mooki, you can leave this office today and go home, no questions asked, but I will be direct with you and advise that it will severely damage your future career opportunities within this sphere if you proceed in that manner. You¡¯re a smart, young girl - honesty is the best policy here. Why don¡¯t you tell me what happened and let me see if I can help? Consider me an ally here. I wouldn¡¯t have brought you aboard my station if I didn¡¯t believe you were capable.¡±


    The young dragoness continued to twitch in the chair, her skin glistening with sweat. She gulped audibly and twisted herself towards Evangeline.


    ¡°I - I saw something¡­ but I was somewhere I wasn¡¯t supposed to be!¡± Mooki¡¯s fists clenched as she spoke, anticipating a verbal dress-down.


    ¡°Go on.¡± Evangeline spoke softly.


    Mooki was visibly shaking in her seat, and she did a mental double take as the icy glare of Evangeline softened in response.


    ¡°... I - I was in one of the anomalous labs last night. I went into one I''ve not been in before¡­¡±


    ¡°E-Lab 15? The one with the czarite?¡± Evangeline asked.


    ¡°Y-yes! How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Educated guess. That lab is the talk of the station among the more veteran staff here. Please, continue.¡±


    ¡°I - I saw her, with her¡­ her organs were splayed out in front of her, but she was still alive! She must have been in agony! B-but that wasn¡¯t all! Another researcher came in, alone¡­ He started talking to her¡­¡±


    Their eyes met as Mooki continued. She was still shaking, but she was determined now.


    ¡°S-Scyler¡­ He said some awful, awful things to her! He made her cry, and he threatened her! It was torture! That czarite is mentally ill, she has split personality syndrome or-or something! She needs help, and Scyler¡­ Was¡­ he was¡­ he was threatening to kill her! Everybody around here says he¡¯s a hero for discovering this new corruptive threat, but he was just acting like a total bully!¡±


    Evangeline nodded understandingly, slowly rising from her chair and walking over to the large balcony window of her office.


    ¡°The imperial mandates have changed regarding czarites¡­ It''s not just immoral to do that to her, it''s illegal! I know what I saw!¡±


    ¡°I understand, Mooki. That explains your sudden shift in persona. What you saw upset you greatly, it has made you question the integrity of the XITD, its personnel and its goals.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah. I guess so! I just¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡± Her shoulders slumped as she spoke.


    ¡°Bless you. A young yuskol, trying her best to make her way in a tough, unforgiving world of education and politics. I sympathise with you, Mooki. You remind me of myself, many moons ago.¡±


    The dragoness clasped her hands behind her back and sighed softly, still staring at Mooki¡¯s reflection through the thick glass of her well-decorated office.


    ¡°I-I do?¡± The young dragoness¡¯s gaze slowly rose up, a twinkle visible in her eyes.


    ¡°Let''s address the first issue you¡¯re worried about.¡± Evangeline responded sharply, ignoring the question. ¡°You were in a restricted area and that caused you harm, which means it''s your fault. I did not restrict those areas of the station for fun, Mooki. I believe in access to knowledge as a principle of our empire, which means I would only stop you from going places to protect you.¡±


    Mooki shrunk down into her chair, her wings curving around her body.


    ¡°But, I understand the curiosity and desire to learn more. Truly. In this instance, I will not be punishing you for straying from the path set. I think you have been punished enough, judging by your current demeanour. The question is, what do you want to do now? I will politely but firmly remind you of the NDA agreement you signed when you accepted the position here, which renders you unable to talk about ongoing project work you¡¯ve seen at the station, for the security of our entire empire. But, personally, I don¡¯t believe this is the end for you.¡±


    Evangeline spun on her heels, turning to face Mooki whilst slowly walking back to her desk, and returning to her throne-like seat.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I want to see you succeed. As I''m sure your parents and friends do. Providing you do not violate your NDA, I see no reason to expel you from the facility. If you would prefer to work on the quieter side of the station for the rest of your time here, I can arrange lower priority work for you. It will be boring work, but safe work. If you wish to leave immediately, we can do that but you will receive a failing grade. Or, you may continue as you were. Your choice.¡±


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°But.¡± Mooki felt her heart race in her chest. ¡°You - you¡­¡± She swallowed hard and grit her teeth, her wings wrapping around herself tightly. ¡°You have staff members engaging in the illegal torture of a captive here! T-that is what I came to address!¡±


    Evangeline blinked twice but continued to stare at the student, stone faced.


    ¡°I will speak to Scyler about his inappropriate behaviour and rectify the situation.¡±


    ¡°Y-you will?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I appreciate your dedication and courage to raise this issue to me. I will reprimand Scyler once a full investigation has been conducted. Once completed, I will personally ensure the czarite is treated more fairly. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°G-good. That sounds good! Thank you, Ma¡¯am. May I finish my placement with the lower priority work you mentioned?¡±


    The elder dragoness smiled and nodded.


    ¡°You may.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll¡­ get out of your scales¡­¡± Mooki quickly stood from the chair, bowed to Evangeline and departed from the room sharply. The air tasted a little less bitter now, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel that there was something¡­ off about their whole encounter.


    *


    ¡°I need those nomad reports back ASAP. Our borders are on fire and I need to know why. Yes, thank you.¡± Jace closed his communicator and huffed loudly, his gruff voice echoing through the massive dragoon hanger he was working from.


    He stood from his desk and began to pace around the hangar. His eyes scanned over the several dragoon chassises that were lined up, uniform but unpowered, and idle in their bays. Each one was a testament to the Draconic Alliance¡¯s engineering. These were elite models, standing around ten metres tall, full to the brim with weapons, shields and armour. The head plate of each chassis were hand carved from a brilliant platinum alloy, known as gaussinite, able to weather fierce bombardment, withstand the heat of an atmospheric entry, and still retain its brilliant, near blinding shimmer.


    Dragoons were deeply feared across most of the known universe by enemies of the DA. Functioning more like super-sized soldiers than a tank or walker, they were agile and deadly. Even the most basic versions were still equipped with a macro-vulcan rifle, a weapon capable of punching straight through several buildings in a row in a deafening roar of giant ¡°macro-needles,¡± making a mockery of armour and shields.


    Useless. We have all the firepower in the world and it¡¯s sitting here, collecting dust and tourist money. Jace sighed, rolling his shoulder blades and tugging on the collar of his uniform. What''s the use in having all this might and technology, if we just sit on it and let people die?


    Suddenly, a familiar friendly voice echoed across the hanger.


    ¡°Jace! Thought I''d find you here! Needed somewhere quiet to work, huh?¡±


    ¡°Theo! Good to see you, my friend! I trust you¡¯re keeping well? Did you recover the nomad reports?¡±


    Ever brief, always work with you isn''t it? Theo smiled. His walk was punctuated by a soft but firm footstep, and an alternating metallic clank. Theo was a sapphire rhargnorn dragon; well muscled, with rough skin covered in scars as deep as his history, and a thick, singular horn on his head, similar to that of a unicorn, if much thicker and more imposing. His right leg had been replaced with a heavy cybernetic just above the knee, as had his tail, which swung heavily behind him. He could be heard approaching from a mile away, but it rarely mattered. Theo hadn¡¯t exactly been the stealthy type before.


    ¡°The nomads are getting ravaged at our borders, Jace.¡± The two men met with a strong handshake, and began to pace through the hanger together. ¡°They¡¯re getting squeezed on two sides. Vora Barons on the one, some weird sex cult thing on the other, calling themselves the Rewritten. They the ones you ran into before?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Barru X. What can you tell me about it at the moment?¡± Jace clasped his hands tightly behind his back, his left hand squeezing the thumb of his right.


    ¡°Well, the Rewritten seem to be moving away from the borders, going deeper into nomad space. It''s really hard to get intel on them, entire areas go dark once they hit, but it looks like it''s moving out of our control; perhaps on purpose? Keep getting wind of some key players that everyone¡¯s scared shitless of: Moltezz, Ink¡­ Leech¡­? I think? They¡¯re approaching Darkpaw¡¯s borders right now, that¡¯ll slow them down for a bit, I reckon.¡±


    ¡°And the Barons?¡±


    ¡°Fierce fighting with the Nomads, close to the borders but not close enough for our forces to take action.¡±


    Jace stopped and raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°How¡­ frequently does that happen?¡±


    ¡°What, the ¡®close but not close enough¡¯ shit?¡±


    Jace nodded.


    ¡°All the time.¡±


    The two men looked at each-other in silence for a few seconds, Theo went to speak but stopped himself as Jace subtly shook his head, and mouthed the words ¡°not here.¡±


    Theo nodded back, and the two continued as they were.


    ¡°How are the nomads faring against the Barons?¡±


    ¡°Badly. You know Barons, they¡¯re fucking huge, wielding low-tech but high-yield shit. They¡¯re getting eaten alive out there Jace, literally. Worse still, the Barons have gotten their nasty fat hands on some new ships.¡±


    ¡°New?¡±


    ¡°New.¡±


    ¡°Right. Someone is feeding the Barons. What degenerate low-life would do such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Degenerate¡­ or desperate.¡±


    The two men made their way back to Jace¡¯s desk, which was currently covered in paper, the edges surrounded by a stack of holo screens floating at all angles.


    ¡°So¡­ When do you want me out there? Haven¡¯t taken out a Vora Baron for a while, would make a nice change from sitting around, posing for magazine photos with these useless things.¡± Theo flexed his knuckles and flicked his head towards the dragoons.


    ¡°Soon, soon¡­ I¡­ need you to do something else first though.¡±


    ¡°You sure? The Baron stuff is preeeetty time sensitive. I was hoping you send me to kill some of the fat fuckers, they¡¯ve earned a grave or five.¡±


    Jace chuckled quietly and shook his head.


    ¡°I need you to do a spot check on the head XITD research station, a couple of sectors from here.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. Those cunts? What you thinking?¡± A brief hint of disgust creased Theo¡¯s face.


    As they spoke, Jace rolled his shoulders again and turned to face one of the many stacked-up crates behind him. He pried off the lid and grabbed a fresh vest from inside and quickly slipped his current one off, revealing a massive pair of vertical scars on his back. Soon enough though, he was covered again and sporting a grey vest speckled with fine silver dots, that briefly shimmered in the light before fading away.


    ¡°You should really consider some regen¡¯ therapy for those scars, Jace. You wouldn¡¯t need a whole damn crate of medicated vests if you did!¡± Theo rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of concern in them. It was a conversation he had tried to start with the commander for years, and one he would never let go, despite knowing that he wouldn¡¯t get a response. He never did.


    ¡°I¡¯ve recently re-reviewed the reports and footage from the incident six months ago - the corruption incident.¡± Jace continued. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t seem right. The XITD reported that no live specimens were recovered, but there is an unaccounted party. I¡¯ve been in touch with some of the survivors from Barru X¡¯s capture, they supposedly lost one of their own czarites in the incident but never confirmed her death. My gut is telling me there is foul play. Those assholes have been locked up in their station for too long for them not to be working on something.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You think they grabbed a czarite and didn¡¯t report it?¡±


    ¡°I do. I know Evangeline. And I know Scyler too. They play fast and loose at the best of times. The rest of the XITD will follow suit, you likely won¡¯t get any of them to spill, so it¡¯ll need to be a physical investigation of the station.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any evidence I can bring?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Circumstantial at best.¡± Jace sighed.


    ¡°They could have just recovered a corpse, I suppose. Want me to just lay it on thick?¡±


    ¡°Please. I don¡¯t know what it is, something about these reports feels fabricated, the whole thing from top to bottom is a king''s mess. Hell, even that komodo that got auctioned off into slavery, I''m sure they manufactured his crimes, or at least modified them.¡± Jace scoffed, crossing his thick arms. ¡°My intuition is telling me they''re concealing something. They¡¯ve been too quiet for too long, something or someone has their attention.¡±


    ¡°You know you''re supposed to call it a ¡°labour sentence¡± now, not slavery?¡± Theo chuckled. ¡°As if that makes it any better.¡±


    ¡°You do know I do this political bullshit for the royals every day, Theo..?¡± Jace smiled, shaking his head.


    ¡°Too right. I trust your gut, I¡¯ll go shake some nerds, see if I can find this lost czarite you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Make Evangeline think we know about the czarite, rather than just suspect. She is difficult to catch unprepared, but I know your rhargnorn charms will sway her somewhat.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll crack some of them big ol¡¯ heads.¡± The dragon turned to leave. ¡°What about the Barons though?¡± Theo asked, suddenly turning back as a concerned look swept over his scarred face.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to formally request some border extensions and see if I can get some strike teams out, but I doubt I''ll get them; I''ve already pushed my luck on that front.¡± Jace sighed again, loudly, resting his forehead against his thumb and index finger. ¡°Those nomads will need a damned miracle to halt the Barons. I just don¡¯t see how they¡¯re going to do it.¡±


    ¡°Roger that. Stay sane, Jace. You¡¯re doing good work.¡±


    ¡°It''s never enough, Theo. It¡¯ll never be enough.¡±


    *


    Mooki shuffled alone through the corridors of the XITD station, clutching several overfilled notebooks in her hands as she made her way to her new workspace, feeling better for having spoken to Evangeline, but still a little unsettled.


    Her journey took her past a set of meeting rooms, usually concealed by auto-darkening glass, but this time, the occupants were quite visible. Aside from some graphic detailing on the glass. Evangeline stood one side of the room, glaring at Scyler, who was currently sat across from her, looking rather timid and shy, a remarkable change from how Mooki had last seen him acting.


    She slowed down for just a second to keep them in view. Her ears twitched a little as she tried to hear what they were saying but it was useless; the privacy glass was far too thick.


    The knot in her stomach eased a little.


    Quickly, she scuttled off towards her new office; it probably wasn¡¯t in her best interests to spy on her boss.


    But maybe Evangeline had taken her seriously, after all?


    *


    ¡°Now, I''m going to keep staring at you and shaking my head in disgust until she leaves. Continue to look stressed.¡± Evangeline spoke sternly, folding her arms.


    Scyler twisted his head away from the glass, doing his best to conceal a smirk.


    ¡°Honestly. What were you thinking¡­?¡± She huffed again. ¡°Good, she''s moved on.¡± A brief flicker of a grin appeared on the dragoness¡¯ face, but it faded as fast as it appeared.


    ¡°Pfft! Was this really necessary?¡± Scyler leaned back in his chair, reaching towards the panel behind him and activating the privacy glass.


    ¡°It was. I needed the yuskol to see that she has been heard. I don¡¯t intend on taking any actual action against you, I just can¡¯t have her knowing that. Ideally, she completes her course, leaves the station and never says a word to anyone.¡±


    ¡°Did you scare the shit out of her with the NDA crap?¡±


    Evangeline scowled slightly at Scyler¡¯s words.


    ¡°An NDA is not ¡®crap,¡¯ Scyler. They serve an incredibly important function. But yes. I reminded her of what was at stake. And, speaking of, I think it would serve you well to remember what¡¯s at stake too.¡±


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t nag me, I was having a bad night. I¡¯m a field agent, stuck at base for the foreseeable future, doing admin, for goodness sake. And besides, none of the guys are gonna like that yuskol after this, people already know she¡¯s tattled to you on the ¡®hero¡¯ of the station. No - you know what? I¡¯m pissed about this. I want to raise a grievance!¡± A tremendously smug look stretched over Scyler¡¯s face as he drank in his own words. ¡°A king''s-damned newbie is trying to drag my good name through the mud! I won¡¯t have it!¡±


    ¡°You cannot raise a grievance against someone else''s grievance, Scyler.¡± The dragoness rolled her eyes, sighing dramatically. ¡°Moving swiftly on, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a candidate for long term employment here any further. Her ethics are too rigid. I¡¯d hoped she would be more malleable but she was unwavering; it was rather impressive for a student.¡±


    ¡°Not everyone is built to do what we do.¡± Scyler remarked in a serious tone.


    ¡°There¡¯s certainly truth in that. If she keeps quiet, I see no reason to take further action. I will watch her closely, and ensure she doesn¡¯t put herself or anyone else in danger. I -¡±


    Suddenly, Evangeline stopped. Her eyes slowly swept across the room, deep in thought and heavy with concern.


    ¡°Is¡­ everything alright? Having a seizure? Need a cream cake?¡± Scyler asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°We¡¯re overdue.¡± Evangeline uttered softly. ¡°I¡­ need you to scrub your reports.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Scyler stood from his chair, irritated.


    ¡°Scrub them! I need our reports bulletproof. We recovered a corpse from Barru X, Scyler, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve already done -¡±


    ¡°- Then double and triple check your work. Jace is like a dog with a bone, he will not let go if you give him so much as an inch. Send me everything once you¡¯re done. I must ensure the other teams have completed their reports stating that the corpse has since been destroyed. Our timeline must be immaculate.¡±


    ¡°Jace? Wait, do you know he¡¯s coming?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t, but I strongly suspect. What I do know is how that man thinks. Mooki¡¯s little rebellion is a timely reminder of what we¡¯re doing here. We might understand the weight of our work, but the Royal Military Division will not see it in the same way.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Bulletproof.¡± Scyler nodded, taking his leave from the room sharply.


    He¡¯d better not send Theo. That rhargnorn always scratches the floors with his ridiculous leg. She thought to herself, tapping the pocket on her waist coat.


    ¡­It''s going to be Theo.


    *


    It''s a little cramped in here, cosy though! Mooki thought, ducking under a shelf welded onto the wall. Her desk was firmly bolted against the wall in what felt like an oversized utility cupboard, but it had an odd, old-fashioned sort of charm to it; just as well really, as this would be her new office for the next six months.


    She paused as she noticed a brown stain in her thigh from earlier, sighing loudly as she realised that Evangeline would have most definitely seen that.


    Not the best first impression¡­ at least she seems to be doing something though!


    She shuddered uncomfortably as the memories of seeing that czarite in the lab hit her again¡­ The gore, the torture, the sound of the Scyler¡¯s voice¡­ She jolted up, and banged her head painfully on the corner of the shelf.


    ¡°Ouch! Dammit!¡± She sucked some air tightly in through her teeth and felt the side of her head for


    injury, but she seemed fine. She ducked again and sat down in her new old creaky chair, clearly bought from some sort of clearance sale some time ago. At least it was quiet here.


    But she couldn¡¯t help but feel that she was suddenly very, very alone.

 Chapter 5 - Truth and Consequences

    Evangeline¡¯s brow scrunched, and her face creased ever so slightly in time with the approaching noise.


    *Clomp¡ªClomp¡ªClomp*


    He better not -


    A sharp metallic crack echoed out from the other side of the lobby¡¯s main doors.


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯ll buff out!¡± A muffled but gruff voice announced.


    The dragoness¡¯ eye twitched, but she forced a smile as the doors before her parted with a rush of steam, revealing the source of the fuss.


    ¡°Officer Kintrax. So pleased to see you!¡± She called out. Her eyes briefly flickered between the perfectly polished white tiles of the lobby and the heavy mechanical foot that looked more like a hoof made from a car engine than an actual foot, that was just about to touch down within the station''s premises. He was dressed in a sharp black shirt with oversized cuffs, a pair of tough-looking black combats, and an armoured waistcoat, thick with metal and stamped with one of the RMD¡¯s emblems; a gold-laced dragon wing, with several golden bullet holes through its membrane.


    And, of course, the Kintrax trademark look - a single black boot for his single organic foot.


    ¡°So formal! We¡¯re all friends here! Theo is fine, Evangeline!¡± He smiled a smile that was all too wide and all too knowing. His walk had a sway of confidence to it, if a bit of an odd gait.


    ¡°Of course. How could I forget? So! What brings you to my humble little station without so much as a day''s notice?¡± Evanageline gripped her hands tightly behind her back and spun to walk side-by-side with Theo as he strode towards the huge, semi-circular, brilliant white front desk in the middle of the lobby. He was gunning for the small bowl of sweets with increasing vigour.


    Evangaline herself was clad in her usual affair, styling a long white lab coat and suit underneath, with a deep blue hue to the fabric.


    Within seconds, the rhargnorn had unpeeled a couple of chocolates and was munching on them loudly, turning back to face Evangaline¡¯s unflinching demeanour with chocolate-covered teeth.


    ¡°Inspection time, as requested by Commander Koa!¡± He pulled what was once a neatly folded, but now a scrunched-up mess of a letter, bearing the same RMD logo in the header, out of one of his trouser pockets and thrust it towards Evangeline. ¡°Gotta see what you egg-heads are up to! Make sure you¡¯re following all the laws and decrees, as set by our wondrous and ever-generous royal family!¡±


    ¡°Mhmm, so -¡±


    ¡°- Now, an inspection is when your place of work is investigated - a term defined as examining something and putting it under great scrutiny, - to ensure that it is following lawful conduct.¡± Theo interrupted passionately, puffing his chest out. Despite standing a full head shorter than her, his gaze remained absolutely fixed to her icey, emotionless eyes. ¡°In order to ensure your safety, and everyone else''s aboard this Draconic Alliance XITD, or ''Xeno Threat, Investigation and Dismissal'' regional headquarters, I will leave absolutely no stone unturned.¡±


    There was a brief silence as Theo grinned at Evangeline, waiting for her to speak. The dragoness¡¯ gaze intensified, and she opened her mouth, taking the bait. As expected, Theo immediately continued to speak the moment her throat began to creak the slightest hint of a word.


    ¡°I can understand, you being head of this facility and all, that you must be feeling some pressure from this sudden visit. Well, rest assured, any complaints you have about the process will be duly noted and passed on to my superior, Commander Koa, for action. In the meantime, as long as you¡¯ve been following protocol, everything should be dandy! Shall we?¡±


    He gestured towards and started to make his way over to the entrance leading to the E-labs, which were protected by a heavy security door and guarded by a single soldier (as most of the labs were), but not before grabbing another handful of chocolates from the bowl.


    ¡°Of course. Thank you for your wonderful description of a workplace investigation, consider any doubts I may have had clarified! I will need to escort you through the high clearance labs, but I cleared my schedule this morning the second we got your communication, so that should be no issue at all.¡± Evangeline spoke with a perfectly practised enthusiasm, perfectly mirroring Theo¡¯s exaggerated tone. ¡°I take these inspections very seriously, and I can¡¯t wait to see the outcome!¡±


    ¡°How brilliant! Your cooperation is expected, but still greatly appreciated!¡± The two began their journey together with equally forced smiles, walking through the pristine bowels of the space station together. The occasional scrape of Theo¡¯s mechanical tail against the station''s floors and walls would make the dragoness vibrate with frustration, but there was little to be done about it; she knew he was trying to antagonise her.


    ¡°Provided all your reports have been correct, I imagine this is going to be a quick visit.¡± Theo unwrapped another chocolate and popped it into his mouth, and continued to talk whilst chewing.


    ¡°Excellent. Then it shall be a quick visit.¡±


    ¡°Glad you think so. I¡¯d love it to be quick too. Would be a real shame if I were to, say, stumble upon a prisoner who hadn¡¯t been declared and was being mistreated as a scientific object instead of a living being.¡±


    ¡°That would be awful.¡± Evangeline agreed, nodding her head solemnly.


    ¡°It would. Would be worse if the prisoner in question was a czarite, too. Considering that czarites have been leaving the DA in droves lately, and the royal family has seen fit to declare all czarites as true draconic citizens to try and encourage them to return, regardless of their place of origin -¡±


    ¡°- A true horror, that would be -¡±


    ¡°- Which means that a nomadic czarite would still be fully protected by DA law, despite not originating from DA space, which means any form of non-consensual practice - including study and research, irrespective of any medical conditions they may or may not have - would be absolutely illegal and punishable by the maximum extent of the czarite protection decree. Which carries a title stripping and a prison sentence of up to one-hundred and fifty years.¡±


    ¡°As it should. I¡¯m so very glad you¡¯re fully up to date on your royal decrees, Theo; a true hero to the empire!¡±


    ¡°So, naturally, the discovery of a mistreated or falsely imprisoned czarite would be utterly disastrous for everyone involved. Does any of that¡­ ring a bell, Evangeline...?¡±


    ¡°Not a single word of it.¡±


    Theo¡¯s grin dropped off his face as he turned his head back briefly to glare at the dragoness.


    ¡°Well maybe it fuckin¡¯ should!¡± He growled, ceasing the polite act suddenly and turning back to face the first lab on their journey. ¡°You think you¡¯re gonna get away with this? You¡¯re not. I¡¯m gonna find that girl, and if I can¡¯t find her, I¡¯m gonna sweat it out of your fuckin¡¯ lackeys here. One of them is gonna fold, I know it.¡±


    ¡°Girl? Theo, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re referring to, but I can assure you that the primary project work the station has been engaged with has been done on the back of a corpse, recovered from the truly tragic incident at Barru X!¡±


    ¡°And that corpse is located where¡­?¡± Theo hissed, unimpressed.


    ¡°Destroyed. I ordered its incineration just two days ago, as the station reports detail.¡±


    ¡°Well. We¡¯ve reviewed your reports versus some external survivor accounts about the incident, as you so casually put it, and something ain¡¯t right. Someone is concealing something.¡±


    Despite his sudden change in demeanour, Evangeline remained completely calm, and continued to guide the dragon down the identical, stainless white corridors of the station. Shortly, they arrived at the first lab.


    The security doors parted to reveal E-lab 1, where a team of XITD scientists were hard at work. Currently, they were analysing a selection of unknown AI hardware, discovered on the edge of the DA border. The head scientist was carefully dissecting a brilliant platinum-coloured drone, and another was recording their discoveries. This team included Scyler, who was standing close to the door, watching and idly and making notes. Upon seeing Theo enter however, he quickly went to shy away, attempting to hide his face behind his notepad, but the sapphire rhargnorn spotted him instantly.


    ¡°Speaking of! Here is the hero of Barru X, everyone! You trying to hide from me there, Scyler?¡± Theo announced loudly, quickly trudging over to the lizard and wrapping a thick arm around his shoulders. The entire team stopped what they were doing and watched closely, as an awkward silence overtook the lab.


    ¡°...Oh, shucks, I''m no hero, Theo!¡± Scyler feigned, getting some quiet laughs from the others.


    ¡°Hell yeah you are, bro. Let''s talk about your incredible mission! The way you manipulated that mentally- ill czarite into attacking a station full of unprepared nomads really screams the word ¡®hero,¡¯ doesn¡¯t it? And to think, that station nearly had a normal day without you there! Good thing you were there, fucking about in nomad space after losing your entire RMD field-team just a few days prior, instead of coming home as ordered, isn¡¯t it?!¡±


    ¡°I mean -¡±


    ¡°- No-no, it¡¯s your turn to shut-the-fuck-up now.¡± Theo uttered the words in the same way a parent might talk to a toddler. He brought his face close to Scyler¡¯s, still with his arm clamped strongly around the smaller male''s shoulders. ¡°I lost friends on that mission you led. I had to look into their children''s eyes and tell them that daddy wouldn¡¯t be coming home this time, all because of you. I was there at your trial, too. You got so very, very lucky. Oh! I was also a huge fan of the way you lured the very same ultra-class psyker who killed the squads, to Barru X! Very brave of you. Naturally, you died heroically trying to help stop a completely accidental situation that you directly caused, right? Saving innocent lives from the hell you brought to their fucking door - OH WAIT! You¡¯re standing here, in front of me, healthy, paid and free to do whatever you fucking want.¡± Theo suddenly pushed him away and Scyler stumbled back slightly. Theo turned to face the rest of the team, marching into the middle of the lab and glancing around at the rest of them with equal contempt.


    ¡°Anyone else think the guy is just an absolute hero? A true example of what the DA should stand for? Can¡¯t be just me? King of the nerds, ain¡¯t he? Should be in FUCKING JAIL!¡± Theo¡¯s bark in the middle of his sentence made the team jump as he stormed around the lab. ¡°Rotting away, behind bars! Be a nice change of pace for you, being someone else¡¯s bitch for once. Cowardly fuck-scum.¡±  He spat. Despite his anger, as Theo paced he completed his search of the room in a methodical manner, taking in every detail of their operation.


    Scyler went to respond, but stopped his tongue just as the breath began to leave his mouth after catching sight of a very subtle head shake from Evangeline, in the corner of his eye.


    ¡°You have an issue with the high court''s decision regarding my staff?¡± Evangeline raised an eyebrow, standing at the door patiently as Theo continued his ranting inspection. ¡°Are you questioning the integrity of the royal courts, Theo?¡±


    ¡°I absolutely am. Seeing as the RMD were on the prosecution, my bias and emotion over the result is allowed and permitted.¡± He stated loudly, pushing through some hanging plastic curtains at the back of the room. ¡°Feel free to put it in my feedback if you want, Evangeline. Give Jace a giggle.¡±


    The researchers remained glued to their spots, afraid of antagonising the rhargnorn who was easily more than twice the width of any of them. However, after a few more seconds of intense searching, he made his way back to the front of the lab and rejoined Evangeline¡¯s side.


    ¡°Looks all clear. Next lab then! Ta-ta you lot. Stay safe. Don¡¯t eat any vials or beakers.¡±


    Just as they left the room, Theo quickly leaned back in, pointing a strong finger directly at Scyler.


    ¡°Fuck you. Cunt. Please, stick that on your fucking report, I¡¯d be happy to have my name on it.¡±


    And with that, he ducked back out and carried on down the sterile corridor with Evangeline to lab E-2.


    ¡°Somewhat unprofessional, Theo.¡± Evangeline stated blankly, unlocking the next lab by pressing her card against the door-pad. This one was mostly empty, but the rhargnorn was quick to begin searching it. ¡°I would prefer it if you didn¡¯t go around molesting my staff. You may disagree with the outcome of Scyler¡¯s trial, but the courts have stamped their decision already...¡±


    ¡°I can assure you, it won¡¯t happen again.¡± Theo huffed, searching through some stainless steel drawers in the darkened lab. ¡°That asshole is the only one on this station I care about. The fact that you¡¯re still employing him speaks volumes.¡±


    ¡°Innocent until proven guilty, Theo.¡±


    ¡°He was proven guilty. He was fired from the RMD and banned from any form of field work for a year.¡±


    ¡°Punishment enough. I am no judge, but I see no reason to act any further. He did not violate any XITD policies, so it would be remarkably unfair to action anything from my side.¡±


    ¡°Considering you lobbied in favour of him and his actions on Barru X¡­ Let''s move on, shall we?¡±


    The next few lab inspections went by quickly, and Theo behaved as promised, only throwing some shade Evangeline¡¯s way. But, room after room, each ejectable laboratory was clean, and everything so far was to standard. Labs E-1 to E-10 were docked and checked, but E-11 to E-15 were all currently ejected and being transported between the different XITD stations. As such, their doors would only lead out to the vacuum of space. Evangelene provided Theo with the relevant documentation to show where the missing labs were, their reason for being ejected and where they had gone. Nothing particularly suspicious stood out to him.


    They continued without issue until the pair approached a security door that was guarded by two XITD security personnel, with hazard tape stretched over its exterior and a couple of waist high barriers around its front.


    Evangelene went to pass by without so much as glancing at it, but Theo immediately stopped in his tracks, scowling at the taller dragoness.


    ¡°Uhm, excuse me? You seem to be ignoring a lab here? What is this, E-16?¡±


    ¡°That is off limits, there was -¡±


    ¡°Off limits? Ex-fucking-scuse me?¡± Theo raised his voice, frowning sharply at Evangeline.


    ¡°We¡¯ve had an accident within the lab and it''s dangerous to enter without hazard gear.¡±


    ¡°Then get me some hazard gear¡­?¡± Theo sighed, exasperated.


    ¡°Really? You want to inspect an accident? No one was hurt, I have the report all ready for you.¡±


    ¡°I want to do my damn job. Make sure you¡¯re not hiding something in there that you shouldn¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°Theo. This is a waste of time.¡±


    ¡°OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!¡±


    ¡°Ugh. Fine. You!¡± She pointed at one of the on-duty guards. ¡°Get him a burner EN-modular shield from the armoury.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± The guard quickly left his post, his armour rattling loudly as he charged off to fetch the requested gear. The remaining three stood in a steely silence, until the guard eventually returned with a shield module in hand, which he passed to Theo.


    The device powered on with a warm hum and encompassed the dragon''s body with a multi-layer shield, visible faintly with a dark blue hue once it had simmered down.


    ¡°Open the doors for him. We¡¯ll need to disinfect you afterwards, for everyone''s safety.¡± Evangeline sighed, frustration visible in her body language now as she tapped on her suit pocket with a single finger.


    Slowly, the doors parted in the same fashion as the other labs, and Theo stepped into the dark.


    ¡°Any lights?¡±


    ¡°No, Theo. The lab is damaged and needs repair. We can fetch you a torch if you -¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± He rolled up his trouser and reached down into his bionic leg and pulled a small metal torch out of it from¡­ somewhere, clicking it on and shining the beam of light around.


    The floor showed some form of heat damage, and there was damaged circuitry hanging from the walls and ceiling, with some blue glowing fluid at the very back of the room, dripping from broken vials.


    He shone the light around the lab but revealed little else of concern, just more damage.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°What caused this?¡± He asked calmly, trying to piece the scene together.


    ¡°Security malfunction. Ceiling turrets fried the place when a student broke those vials at the back. Those are the most dangerous objects in this room, potentially the entire station, procured from the Barru X corpse we were discussing earlier.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Theo sighed and turned to leave, when he spied a new figure outside the lab, looking at him. He was a gas mask-equipped XITD agent with a large liquid-filled container on his back and a hose-like weapon in his hands, connected to his backpack via a thick, metal tube. ¡°Well, that''s fair enough I suppose.¡±


    He stepped out of the lab, replaced his torch back into his leg and held his hands up, shutting off the shield module once firmly out of the lab, and the door sealed.


    ¡°Just standard procedure. I did warn you.¡±


    ¡°That you did.¡± Theo sighed, shutting his eyes and taking a deep breath.


    The gasmasked guard pulled the trigger on his sprayer and unleashed a torrent of high pressure, clear liquid at Theo. The fluid hissed loudly as it fully soaked his clothes and skin, filling the corridor with billowing steam. The rhargnorn did a slow spin on the spot, to ensure he was hosed down thoroughly. Despite the copious amounts of fluid sprayed, within seconds, the cleaning agent had evaporated entirely, leaving Theo¡¯s form completely dry, if somewhat steamy.


    ¡°Ready to continue?¡± Evangeline asked, glancing over him to ensure he had been fully cleaned, nodding in thanks to the guards around her.


    ¡°Ayup. All clean. Next lab?¡±


    From top to bottom, Theo¡¯s inspection proceeded without issue. Despite searching every drawer, every rack and every cupboard he could find, the station yielded nothing of any criminal intent. All the reports made sense, and the station appeared to be running as promised - flawlessly.


    Once his search of the high security areas and E-labs was complete, Evangeline left his company to return to her office, with Theo being given full access to the rest of the station without requiring an escort.


    Try as he might, and try he did, Theo just couldn¡¯t get any of the staff to admit anything. They all replied with similar, almost practised answers, all reciting the same information. They recovered a corpse from Barru X, and had burned it recently. That was all.


    The rest of the station was boring compared to the E labs at the start, just room after room of computers, standard machinery and whiteboards. Sprinkle in some restrooms, break rooms and meeting rooms and suddenly, this felt like every other station he¡¯d inspected. There certainly was no sign of any falsely imprisoned czarites.


    Eventually, his search led him to the very most quiet areas of the station; the storage and utility floor. Few people came down here as it was nearly completely automated; there was likely little of value here but he wouldn¡¯t rest until every stone was unturned.


    Hopeless. They¡¯ve cleaned house and baited me with that damn damaged lab. Ugh. I¡¯ll have to tell Jace that the czarite is -


    *Bang!*


    ¡°Ow! Ugh!¡±


    Theo stopped and turned towards the noise.


    ¡°Hey, you alright?¡± He called out, clomping down the corridor in his own unique manner.


    Beating her wings in frustration, a small, cute, wheat-coloured dragoness stumbled out of her office, dropping a stack of papers over the floor. Initially she looked annoyed, but her face quickly flushed bright red with embarrassment as she caught sight of the taller rhargnorn staring at her.


    ¡°Eek! I-erm-I-Yup-yup! I¡¯m fine! Just fine, mister..?¡± Her large, candy pink eyes rapidly darted around the corridor, trying to look anywhere but at the muscular male ahead of her.


    Calmly, Theo approached her with a warm smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m Officer Kintrax, but you can just call me Theo. I¡¯m here on an inspection from the Royal Military Division. You sounded like you hurt yourself, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡­ I just bumped my head, that''s all. W-what''s the inspection about?¡±


    She feels different from the rest of the creeps here, remarkably less ghoulish. Is that why she¡¯s down here by herself?


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you in a second, let''s have a look at that head of yours first.¡± Theo spoke softly, gesturing for the student to turn her head.


    She followed his orders, buzzing with embarrassment before him as he spotted a sore red lump on the side of her head. He peaked around into her ¡®office¡¯ and noted the shelves directly above her seat, the cramped interior and the dated furniture.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± He asked, laughing to himself.


    ¡°Wha-what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re working out of a cupboard, alone, on the utility deck. You did something. I was young once too, ya¡¯know? I might look like a pair of jeans got into a fight with a lawn mower now, but I swear!¡± Theo laughed again, kneeling over and pulling a multi-tool from a slot in his leg. ¡°Tell you what, you go grab yourself a drink and a bandage for that head of yours, I¡¯ll get these stupid shelves down and fix this place up a bit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m n-not sure you should be doing that¡­¡± Mooki mumbled, picturing all the trouble she could get into for this.


    ¡°Nonsense! It''s literally what I''m here for. This workspace might technically be up to code, but I can certainly make it more comfortable for you! Go get your ass something sweet already! I¡¯ll have whatever you¡¯re having.¡±


    *


    ¡°- So it was only a few more seconds until the dickhead swung at me¡­ with the statue of himself, of course.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t!¡± Mooki gasped, her mouth hanging open with shock.


    ¡°He damn well did. Chance knows how much that self replica cost him, but I wasn¡¯t about to let a skinny, self-absorbed asshole knock me out! So I laid him and his dogs out, and ended up keeping the statue as a trophy! He was smuggling over half a ton of contraband through the borders! Weird shit too! Pheromones!¡± Theo took a sip of his drink and nibbled the air as the super sweet chocolate tickled his throat.


    Mooki giggled and rolled back on her chair, currently sitting in the middle of the corridor, outside of her ¡®office¡¯. Theo had removed all the shelves and cabinets, and they were now lying about on the floor outside. There was something immensely therapeutic about watching the older officer tear down those stupid shelves, like she was finally regaining some control over her life. He was just about done reconnecting her desk and computer, making the once cramped space suddenly a lot more workable and a lot less dangerous to the student¡¯s skull.


    Just as she relaxed though, the familiar voice of Mooki¡¯s superior called out, shocked to see the impromptu building work currently on-going, and a series of shelves and filing cabinets now sat in the once empty corridor.


    ¡°Mooki! What the hell are you doing?!¡±


    The dragoness bolted upright and clutched her oversized sleeves around her mouth, but before she could respond, the muscular form of Theo popped out from the doorway, his sleeves rolled up and battle scars on full display.


    ¡°She ain¡¯t doing shit, pal.¡± The manager''s eyes bolted wide open with fear as he heard the bark of Theo¡¯s voice and realised what was on-going. He quickly ducked away with a mumbled apology, and shuffled back down the corridor. ¡°I¡¯ll have your lanky ass cooking fries for the rest of your life if you interrupt my work again! Those shelves were a workplace hazard, asshole! Think about your life decisions!¡± Theo shouted after him, completely unphased.


    As she watched her manager flee, a cute, hopeful smile graced Mooki¡¯s face.


    ¡°They¡¯re that afraid of crossing you?¡± Mooki asked quietly.


    ¡°Damn straight they are. The RMD carries punishment authority. If I want your manager gone, it¡¯ll happen, and he knows that. I can make you untouchable, just get your work done and get out of here; leave these creeps as soon as you can.¡± Theo dusted off his hands, quite pleased with the handiwork he¡¯d completed. ¡°You¡¯re too good-hearted to be here, I can tell.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr Kintrax.¡± She blushed gently, still holding her slightly chocolate stained sleeves up to her face.


    ¡°I keep telling people, Theo is fine!¡± He laughed, shifting the last metal cabinet out of the room. ¡°This crap from your office can live out here, there is more than enough room for people to get past, and I can assure you the XITD¡¯s atrocious idea of a habitable office space is going in my report, in detail. Listen though, I¡­ have something to ask you, before I go back.¡±


    Mooki bolted to attention, her eyes fixed on the rhargnorn¡¯s. Unlike his tough and worn body, his eyes were soft, and a warm buttermilk colour.


    ¡°My superior, Commander Jace Koa, sent me here to investigate some odd happenings. I don¡¯t want to preempt anything from you, but¡­ have you seen anything weird on this station at all in the last few months? Anything that didn¡¯t seem or feel right? Anything that made you feel uncomfortable?¡±


    Mooki ducked behind her sleeves, her heart thumping in her chest so loud she could barely make out what he was saying. The czarite in the lab shuddered to the front of her mind. The sound of that pump. Scyler¡¯s venomous tongue¡­ But before she could stew in her own anxiety for any length of time, the dragon''s bassy voice continued softly.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t sweat it! I -¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I-I don¡¯t know!¡± She interrupted, shaking in her seat. ¡°I si-signed an NDA when I arrived, and -


    ¡°- An NDA? Oh, the non-disclosure agreement thing? Miss Rye, I can fully assure you it is entirely legal to report any concerns you¡¯ve got to the RMD, irrespective of any NDA you might have signed. Those things are only to stop you spilling division tech or knowhow, not to stop you reporting crimes¡­¡±


    Mooki continued to shake in her chair, burying her face in her sleeves and shielding her body with her wings.


    ¡°Look, I can see you¡¯re nervous, it''s okay, there''s no rush, or pressure. Let me give you mine and Commander Koa¡¯s C-Add, and you can message us if you want to? Just make sure you message us from your personal C-Add and through the sector relay, not the station relay, okay? If there was anything here that made you feel uncomfortable, pop it over to Commander Koa and I promise, we¡¯ll sort it out.¡±


    Mooki suddenly reached out and threw her arms around Theo. There was a brief flicker of confusion and surprise on his face, but it quickly faded away, and was replaced by a strong smile. He slowly returned the hug as Mooki sniffled loudly into his shoulder, her curly, sugar brown hair tickling his neck.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll think about it!¡± She shuddered in his grasp, fighting back tears.


    ¡°Remember, no pressure alright? I¡¯m not here to get you in trouble, just to fix problems.¡±


    ¡°O-okay¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you going to be safe here? Do you need me to escort you off the station?¡±


    ¡°N-no. I¡¯m safe¡­¡± She took a deep breath and nodded gently. ¡°T-thank you for sorting my office out.¡±


    ¡°Alright. As long as you¡¯re sure.¡± Slowly, Theo pulled away from her and she dried her face with her top, her frantic heartbeat slowing down as she felt the fog clear from her brain a little bit, the weight on her shoulders lifting by just a smidgen.


    ¡°Look, I gotta run, I used up the last of my time down here, but remember what I said. If anything comes to mind, just give Jace a message, or if you need more immediate assistance, message me and I¡¯ll get my leathery ass down here in a jiffy, alright?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you again!¡± She rubbed her eyes and nodded as Theo turned to leave, giving her a friendly wave goodbye as he stomped down the corridor. She watched until he had disappeared up the stairs, smiling warmly as his mechanical tail scraped against the floor.


    Gently, she wheeled her chair back into the room, flinching for a second as she braced to hit a shelf. The room was still small, but she had some space now! The knot in her stomach began to undo, but regret immediately filled the void. Now alone, the last weirdly fun couple of hours were fading away, and that bubbly feeling in her chest subsided, leaving her kicking herself.


    I should have told him about the girl!


    But that didn¡¯t make sense in the first place. She paused and pondered deeply, spinning slowly in the chair.


    Why didn¡¯t Theo find the girl?! She was here, I saw her only two days ago! E-15! Mooki was absolutely sure. The knot in her stomach intensified as the pieces of the puzzle fit together.


    They must have hid her! I know it! Evangeline was fobbing me off! She isn¡¯t going to do anything about it at all!


    She pondered chasing after him, like a scene out of a movie. Calling out to him desperately just as he was leaving the station... She shrunk in her chair, there was no way she had the confidence to do that, in front of everyone. She felt silly for even thinking about it.


    Remembering Theo¡¯s advice though, she pulled her personal communicator out from her pocket with a serious look in her eyes and swiped through the settings, ensuring she was connected to the solar sector¡¯s relay, rather than the stations, and began to type out her thoughts. A cocktail of competing feelings bubbled through her quivering hands as the message took form.


    "I¡¯m really doing this¡­ I''m snitching on my boss and my colleagues¡­ Yes. I¡¯m doing this. If Theo didn¡¯t find her, they must be hiding her. And they wouldn¡¯t hide her unless they knew they were doing something wrong. I¡¯m sure of it."


    Dear Commander Koa,


    I was given your details by Officer Theo Kintrax.


    I have information regarding what I believe to be an illegal activity within my workplace in the XITD.


    I witnessed a live czarite being tortured within the facility¡­


    *


    Mooki sat within her dormitory, bobbing her leg up and down at her personal computer as she watched the clock tick by. Every minute passed painfully slowly; she didn¡¯t even really know what she was waiting for.


    Most of the XITD¡¯s staff, including her, had long retired for the night, taking the auto-shuttles back to the orbiting dorm-barges that surrounded the station. Although not invited, she knew there was a large party happening on the second ship. From what she¡¯d gathered, it was a celebration after a successful inspection. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if her lack of invite was due to her actions just a couple of days prior, or if¡­ it was due to her actions today?


    No, she had followed Theo¡¯s instructions, using her personal C-Add and the sector¡¯s relay, so it wouldn¡¯t go through XITD infrastructure. Commander Koa must be busy, I imagine he gets thousands of messages a day. She thought.


    Not being invited to the party stung at first. But the more she thought about it, the more she was glad she wasn¡¯t there. A sickening feeling crawled up her legs and into her chest.


    What if she had never discovered the girl in the lab? She could have been partying in that ship right now, with no idea why everyone was so happy. She shuddered and turned away from her screen, gazing out the small window in her cabin, her vision landing on the XITD station in all its glory.


    Or¡­ maybe she was wrong?


    The dorm ships would orbit the station much faster than it would spin naturally, allowing a good view of all of its sides over the course of the day. She had a deep admiration of the engineering prowess that went into these facilities. It was a fascination she¡¯d had since she was a child.


    She sighed loudly and reached for the cup of cocoa on her desk, sipping it quietly as she mulled over the day.


    E-labs were ejectable, often used for dangerous experiments or high risk subjects so that in the event of an emergency, that could just be ejected, usually containing the problem on the spot without compromising the whole station. The ones on this station had engines built into them, allowing for remote piloting and control, usually between different stations. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for XITD stations to swap labs to continue experiments, and get an alternative station''s viewpoint on a theory.


    Suddenly, she felt a cold shiver up her spine and leaned forward in her seat. An object was docking at the station, on its cargo bay side.


    She scrambled closer to the window, dropping her mug on the floor and kneeling on her bed, pressing her nose up to the window.


    E-15.


    Clear as day, in bright white writing on the side of the vessel. It was docking. That was the lab, she knew it!


    They must have ejected it whilst Theo was on the station! Falsified the lab details so it looked routine! That''s why he couldn¡¯t find her! That lab has been docked for months and suddenly it''s off site, today of all days?!


    She watched the lab closely as it finished its docking procedure on the far side of the station. The cargo bay was low security clearance as opposed to the E-lab¡¯s usual docking spot, which needed much higher clearance to access most of the time.


    As the blood rushed through her face, a sudden noise made her jump out of her skin.


    Her laptop cheeped in the background; one new message.


    She stumbled over to her desk, stepping in the chocolatey puddle on the floor and half-collapsing into her chair.


    It was a message from Commander Jace Koa.


    Dear Miss Rye,


    Thank you for your message. However, as my officer has just conducted a search of your station, it will be difficult to take any further action, as his lack of success will weigh against us. Can you get me proof of the treatment you¡¯ve described?


    If so, I will see you removed from the station, and ensure your future prospers at another facility.


    Hope you¡¯re keeping well.


    Commander koa.


    Mooki glanced back out the window, at the docked lab.


    She could access the cargo bay. She knew it.


    If I can just snap a picture of her, they won¡¯t be able to deny her existence any more! I can fix all of this!


    Her heart felt like it was being pulled in two. Part of her believed she could do this, that she should do this. But another part of her felt like this was just a terrible, awful idea, that she should just keep her head down, get her module completed and just leave.


    Despite her internal battle, she pulled her work clothes back on, slipping her communicator into her pocket, and grabbing a thermal flask of hot chocolate to go.


    I-I shouldn¡¯t be long. Just need a picture, and then I can go back to my dorm¡­ If a guard asks why I''m out, I''m just working. Just¡­ finishing a material report. I - I have authorization to be in the cargo bay! I shouldn¡¯t need to prove anything!


    Once suitably dressed, she departed from her dorm and made her way back to the ever-waiting shuttles that ferried staff between the station and dorm ships. On her way there, she passed by one of the larger, shared dormitories, and could hear the dull but loud booming of music coming from inside. There was laughter and cheering, as several shadows flickered underneath the light of the dormitory door.


    That could be us¡­ That could still be us¡­


    But her legs walked on, and suddenly she was sitting on the hard leather of the shuttle¡¯s seats, clutching her flask tightly. Its warmth in her hands was the closest thing she had to moral support.


    Alone, the shuttle took her right to the midsection of the station, just like it always did. As she arrived, the guard at the shuttle station waved to her casually but didn¡¯t approach, happy for her to go about her business.


    Good¡­! They have no reason to suspect I''m up to anything¡­ I''ve come into work at these hours before! Just.. Just be normal Mooki! Be normal!


    The station did not look any different, but that odd feeling of being in work outside of official work hours was unsettling. The lack of familiar faces, the darkened offices and corridors¡­ It was startling how eerie and different a place could look with just a change in the lighting.


    As calmly as she could, she headed towards the cargo bay, and to her relief, the walk was entirely uneventful. There were rarely guards down here anyway, but the cargo bay was completely devoid of staff tonight and was mostly dark, with only some white downlights against the walls to add a limited visibility. The cargo bay was a gigantic open space, with some huge green crates on the far side and some palettes of plastic-wrapped equipment in the middle of the room. Opposite the huge vehicular entrance she came in through however, was the airlocks to the docking drones.


    Oh dammit! I can¡¯t remember where it docked! It has to be one of these three!


    Cautiously, she made her way across the smooth, grey flooring of the bay and stared at the three airlocks in front of her. They were identical from the outside, with no markings or signage.


    Wait, I lost sight of it as it docked, so it couldn¡¯t be the one on the left; I could see that one from my dorm!


    She fanned her forehead and went towards the one in the centre first, pressing her keycard against the reader and holding her breath as the doors creaked, then pulled open with a frighteningly loud hiss. In a panic she spun around, and waited for someone to appear.


    But no one came.


    The bay remained empty and quiet.


    Clutching onto her flask, she peeped into the airlock, standing on her tip-toes as her wings curled up behind her to better balance her stance.


    Wrong one. This container held nothing of interest. Just more palettes of plastic wrapped boxes, some racks of weapons, a few lockers.


    She swallowed loudly and nodded to herself, tapping her card to close the airlock and shuffling over nervously to the final airlock.


    Repeating the process, her toes curling in her shoes, the doors hissed open. Her breath was suddenly still, and her wings weighted like stone on her back.


    Through the darkness, two orbs of bright plasma blue were visible, looking at the open door in confusion.


    There she is! I''ve found her!!!


    As Mooki reached for her communicator, she suddenly locked eyes with Plasia. The two of them stared at each-other, a strange mix of feelings coursing through them both. It was difficult to see into the lab, but the czarite still seemed to be strung up. There were several small, faint, silver glimmers running in a line down the length of her body.


    I¡¯m going to get you out of here!


    Mooki¡¯s hands were quaking, making her fumble for her communicator even more clumsy. She missed her pocket several times, and finally she needed to look down at her lab coat to find the break in the fabric, but eventually she managed to pull the device free, and hold it out in front of her.


    She looked at Plasia¡¯s eyes again as she crept closer to the entrance of the airlock, trying to ensure her picture would be of good enough quality in the gloom. Two blurry blue blobs would be proof of nothing, after all.


    She raised the device up to her face and tapped the screen as calmly as she could, trying to adjust the resolution of the shot. Finally she managed to get the camera to focus, and her eyes drifted back towards the lab. But, as she glanced over at Plasia, she noticed Plasia¡¯s eyes drift, ever, ever so slightly...


    Before she could turn, something firm hit her in the back and Mooki stumbled forward, collapsing into the darkness of the lab, her flask clattered to the floor and spilled walm cocoa as the lid popped off.


    ¡°Ooof! Hey! Who was that?!¡± She called out, picking herself up off the floor just as the doors closed behind her, immediately cutting off the faint light of the cargo bay that had helped to illuminate the lab.


    Mooki stumbled to her feet and quickly backed up towards the door. She stared at the captive czarite in the middle of the room, blinking desperately as she tried to adjust her eyesight to the sudden darkness. Plasia stared back intently. She seemed just as confused and afraid as Mooki.


    A tense silence fell within the tartarean lab, illuminated only by neon green buttons and dials of the various machines that lined the back of the room. Mooki¡¯s throat creaked, but she couldn¡¯t quite bring herself to speak. What would she even say anyway?


    The knot in her stomach writhed uncomfortably as the alien continued to stare at her in a startled, confused silence.


    Don¡¯t panic Mooki¡­ You can find a way out of here, she¡¯s restrained and -


    A loud clack broke her trail of thought, and the alien shuddered in her restraints. Her legs touched the floor and her limbs fell free of their bondage, likely for the first time since she was captured.


    Mooki pushed herself up against the wall, desperately pressing her card against the door-pad, but to no avail. The door stayed firmly shut.


    Plasia shyly rubbed her fingers over her wrists, feeling over the bruises from where they had been locked in for so long, but quickly turned her attention to the other occupant in the room as her skin began to prickle.


    ¡°Y-you sh-shouldn¡¯t b-be here¡­¡± Plasia¡¯s shaky words came out as little more than a hoarse whisper, and in the deafening silence, Mooki had to strain to hear her.


    Mooki wanted to shout, cry, scream for help, anything, but even in her terrified state, she knew it would do nothing to help her. These labs were airlocked. While the door was still closed, she could yell until her throat was bloody, but it wouldn¡¯t do a damned thing. Her heart was pounding against her ribs, but she had to admit that the shy-looking corrupted czarite in the room really didn¡¯t seem to pose a threat to her.


    ¡°We¡­ n-need to get you out of here.¡± Plasia said softly, inching slowly towards the terrified student. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you. But other me¡­.¡±


    She glanced over the czarite¡¯s form again, noting the line of staples up her torso; at least her guts were back in place now. She still had numerous wounds however, all over her body, and she looked awful. Doing her best not to spook Mooki, Plasia approached the airlock on shaky legs, gently pawing at the construction to see if she could get it open. She towered over the terrified Mooki as she inspected the door closely.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand why my card isn¡¯t working. It let me in, why won¡¯t it let me out?¡± Mooki continued to press the card against the reader fruitlessly, bouncing between desperation and irritation¡­


    When a worrying sound started to play.


    A teasing, gentle hiss. Coming from the back of the lab.


    They both turned their heads towards the noise, fear in their eyes.


    I need to get out of the lab.


    Now.


    As they turned back, for just a split second their eyes met, reading each-other¡¯s thoughts, before Plasia began a desperate assault on the walls around the door.


    She tore at the panels, digging her fingers into anything that looked like it could give. Blood leaked from her stapled scar as she started to tear chunks of the door out. Cogs, wheels, pistons and gears were tossed across the laboratory floor as she tore away at the plating, clattering loudly against the sterile tiles. The sound of screeching metal filled the room, making Mooki wince as it scratched at her ears.


    As Plasia ripped at the door, Mooki fumbled desperately with her communicator, tapping repeatedly for the direct line to Theo. Every time however, the screen would flash bright red; failed to connect. The thick lining of the lab was preventing any signals to the sector relay from ever leaving the room.


    With a gentle wheeze of air, one half of the airlock loosened; the mechanism was failing.


    Mooki dropped the communicator and stumbled across the lab, grabbing a steel rod from the floor to try and help pry the door open, when the smell hit her nose. Sweet, rich and dark, almost¡­ comforting. For the briefest of seconds, her nostrils flared, and she craved more of it, before sense kicked back in and she charged towards the airlock.


    Jamming the bar between the doors, she pulled back on it as hard as she could, flapping her wings out as the door slowly gave an inch, and allowed her to push the bar in further through the gap. Light from the cargo bay crept in through the crack.


    She strained again and pulled on the bar as hard as she could but she wasn¡¯t strong enough to shift it; the metal only creaked slightly as her arms quivered.


    ¡°Let me! Quick!¡± Plasia cried out, seizing the bar and digging her heels in as she prepared to pull.


    Mooki put her sleeves over her head, bracing for something to go wrong, watching the crack in the door desperately, pleading for the inch of freedom to suddenly open wide.


    But nothing happened.


    Plasia didn¡¯t move.


    The alien''s breathing intensified in Mooki¡¯s ear, followed by a deep, stomach-churning growl.


    It took every ounce of strength in Mooki¡¯s body to twist herself, and look at the czarite¡¯s face. Plasia¡¯s soft eyes had changed dramatically. Two cyan slits of death were staring down at her, with a deep hunger.


    A hunger that had not been sated in a long, long time.


    ¡°P-please¡­ I just¡­ wanted to help you!¡±


    A half-growl, half-cackle filled the dragoness'' ears.


    ¡°NO WORRY¡­ YOU WILL!¡±

 Chapter 6 - Whiplash

    Plasia was pacing, back and forth, back and forth, in front of the washroom door. The sound of rushing water and soft humming resonated from inside.


    She fidgeted with her fingers, wringing them out, then tapping them lightly against her knuckles. Her heart was pounding in her chest, blood rushing through her veins, urging her forward.


    Come on, Plasia. You¡¯ve done the hard part! She¡¯s agreed¡­ I just¡­


    She stopped and leaned against the cold, metal wall, taking a deep mouthful of warm recycled air and blowing it back out, through pursed lips.


    I-I should probably wait for him to get out of the shower first¡­ But¡­


    A bulge was forming at her crotch from the mere thought of him, pressing tightly against the soft fabric of her black leggings. A glimmer of guilt flickered through her mind, a rush of desperation pulled at her, it felt like her skeleton was about to be pulled from her body if she refused to move towards him. Through the blood rush, however, she remained where she was and shook her anxiety out, flapping her hands in front of her.


    Back in control, she straightened her back out and stood before the door with a firm nod, moving to tap on it gently. But, just as her hand finally raised to knock against the metal, the door suddenly retracted, opening to reveal the washroom.


    It was a pleasantly clean room, with large, dazzlingly white tiles that slanted just slightly into a polished metal gutter which divided the room in two, no more than a silver slither. The floor intermittently pulsed with a flash of blue light, cleaning it thoroughly and instantaneously. There were no random puddles of cold, nasty water, or leftover dirt and grime from the feet of other visitors - just the self-cleaning, dazzling shared shower unit. The walls were lined with a couple of silver shower heads each, with a control panel below each, as was to be expected. Water from this washroom would be pumped out into the ship¡¯s water cleaning systems, which the gang had confirmed already could flush the czarite¡¯s corruptant out without issue; it seemed to cause a little extra strain on the filters and dump tanks, but nothing that the system couldn¡¯t deal with.


    Plasia¡¯s hands shot up to her face, trying to cover her eyes as her gaze landed on the lizard. Diego was currently bouncing between two of the shower heads, swinging his tail around with one hand like a singer might with a wired microphone. His ears sprung to attention as he heard the door open and he spun around, half-coated in bubbles and soaking wet.


    ¡°D-Diego! I¡¯m so sorry! I-meant-knock-first-I-just-the-door-just-¡±


    ¡°Oh, hey, Plas!¡± He chirped happily, seemingly unphased, washing the bubbles off his skin in one of the steamy streams. ¡°Always enjoy a nice, hot shower! You popping in for a clean?¡±


    ¡°I-Is it a good time? To talk to you?¡± Her cheeks flushed cherry red, as she peeped through her fingers at his abs - and his manhood - before landing quite firmly on the tiles of the washroom. The redness across her face only intensified the longer she stood in his presence.


    ¡°Sure! Is something up?¡± He shuffled slightly so that one of the two streams was landing squarely on his back, and wriggled around on the spot as the water tickled his smooth scales.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ Maybe? I-I have a proposition for you¡­¡±


    He tilted his head sharply, a small blush now gracing his face.


    ¡°A-A proposition?¡± He asked, his lips barely moving.


    Plasia steadied herself, clenching her eyes shut but taking one step further into the washroom. Despite Diego¡¯s enthusiastic shower tactics, the tiles under her feet were completely dry and warm.


    ¡°I-I have spoken to Seeth, just now. A-About our situation. O-Our urges...¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Is she, uh¡­ how¡¯s she doing? Her legs holding up okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh, y-yeah she¡¯s healing really well!¡± Plasia replied. ¡°She said she was gonna take a nap after I left, I-I think this whole¡­ thing has really t-taken it out of her. B-But¡­¡± Plasia gripped tightly at her t-shirt, digging her fingers into the fabric. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know how you¡¯ll feel about it¡­ but Seeth has agreed t-that -¡±


    She took another deep breath, blowing the slightly steamy air out through her pursed lips once more. Diego watched her closely.


    ¡°If y-you agree¡­ that we can¡­ you know¡­ she¡¯s cool if we¡­¡±


    This-is-so-stupid-I-can¡¯t-believe-I¡¯m-doing-this-I-should-have-let-him-finish-his-shower-I¡¯m-such-a- dumbass-he¡¯s-gonna-say-no-this-is-gonna-be-really-awkward-afterwards-I¡¯ve-fucked-up-so -


    She suddenly felt a warm, reassuring pressure enclose around her hands.


    Her trembling eased. The intrusive thoughts stopped.


    Slowly, she opened her eyes to see Diego stood right in front of her, his fingers squeezing hers.


    ¡°You¡­ asked Seeth if it''s okay if we have sex?¡± He asked, greeting her worried expression with a shy smile.


    ¡°M-More or less.¡±


    ¡°Plas¡­ are your urges hurting you? I can help, I''m happy to be your relief!¡± He smiled, showing a little fang.


    ¡°N-No. No. It''s not just urges -¡±


    WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!? YOU HAVE WHAT YOU WANT, STOP TALKING! Plasia¡¯s brain screamed at her, but she continued to run her mouth ahead of her thoughts, grasping the smaller male''s hands tightly and leaning down, bringing her face closer to his.


    ¡°I¡­ I really like you, Diego. I don¡¯t really know how to express it¡­ but¡­ I don¡¯t want this to just be¡­ relief¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t even know what I''m saying. I just -¡±


    A pair of soft lips pressed up against her own.


    Heat rushed to the surface of her skin.


    His scales were so smooth against her body, and it was getting too much to handle. The bulge in her pants began to throb painfully. She kissed him back without hesitation, pushing her plump sapphire lips against his face and, in just that brief second, her anxiety was quelled.


    Gently, Diego pulled back with a quiet *smack* as their lips parted, leaving both of them blushing furiously in the bright fluorescent light of the washroom.


    ¡°I get it, Plasia¡­ For the record, I was hoping you¡¯d like me, too. I know I haven¡¯t known you for very long, or Seeth for that matter, but that time we spent together, cuddled up on her bed, I just¡­ I felt a real connection with you. And I¡­ I¡¯m not sure how this was going to work, but, I mean, I''ve been in weirder relationships!¡± Diego laughed, a little awkward, but cute. ¡°For the record, I believe that if anyone can make a three way relationship work, it''s us.¡±


    Plasia¡¯s heart swelled, blood rushing to the skin of every limb she had.


    ¡°T-Three way relationship¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t see why not! I¡¯ve spoken to Seeth about it a little, too. I¡­ look. I¡¯m being selfish as hell, but I really like the both of you.  You¡¯re both so¡­ unique! I feel a connection with both of you, a-and I¡¯ve been lucky enough to be immune to this corruption you¡¯re both suffering with. A-Am I silly for wanting to take full advantage of that?¡±


    ¡°N-no! Not at all¡­ You mean that though? You feel it too?¡±


    ¡°I do. Cross my heart.¡±


    ¡°What did Seeth say to you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, she made me promise a couple of things. One, that I''m honest about everything¡­ thoughts, feelings, needs¡­ including if I need a break. And two¡­ that she still gets some time alone with me.¡±


    ¡°I-I can understand that¡­ I would really a-ask the s-same o-of you. N-not that i¡¯m asking anything of you but-but¡­ you¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I''m rambling¡­ This sounds¡­ amazing¡­¡±


    ¡°These things can get messy but¡­ I have a good feeling about this. But - Let''s not focus on that right now, the details can wait.¡±


    He took a step back and glanced over her body, the twist in her hips, her nipples hard and pressing against her shirt, just begging to be freed. Her tantalising, saturated, hour-glass figure was difficult to take your eyes off at the best of times, but his gaze rested on the throbbing bulge pressing against her leggings.


    ¡°Let''s focus on that. Am I right in thinking that maybe¡­ you don¡¯t just wanna bang... You wanna make loooove. We can do more than just sate your urges.¡± He grinned up at her, flicking his tail from side to side and offering his arms out. ¡°You up for some love and fun?¡±


    Plasia¡¯s round sapphire pupils dilated, beaming down at the lizard with an insatiable intensity, like a cat about to strike. It''s like he knew the words to say to make everything better, he eclipsed her worry more perfectly than she could have hoped for. The air in her lungs buzzed with an electric anticipation.


    ¡°Maybe we should¡­ lock the door this time though?¡± He giggled. ¡°Or maybe not! It seems to have worked out for me.¡±


    ¡°I want you to myself, Diego. I-If that''s okay? I want you.¡±


    I think I might love you.


    *** Hazard Warning \\\-/// Level AMBER \\\-/// Caution Advised***


    Plasia shyly pawed at the controls behind her and the door slid over and clicked, locked, confirmed by a red light just above the panel.


    Their hearts both leapt in time with the click, privacy confirmed.


    ¡°S-So I was thinking maybe I¡¯d kneel down and let you¡­¡± She traced a finger over her lips. ¡°L-Like at the table in the dungeon? You seemed to like that.¡±


    To her surprise, the male shook his head, his piercing royal-purple eyes staring deep into hers.


    ¡°I¡¯m not using you like that. We can fuck like animals later. Right now, I want those soft lips of yours on my face and my body, like this -¡±


    He grabbed at her t-shirt, soaking it with his wet hands as he pulled it up, exposing her soft midsection. Unlike Seeth, who had a rippling set of abs, Plasia was completely cushy, with just a little bit of chub to her sapphire skin. He ran his smooth hands over her stomach and placed a long, loving kiss right on her tummy, savouring the sweet taste of her skin as she embraced him back, wrapping her arms around his form and pulling him close. His wet body soaked her clothes, causing them to cling tightly to her skin.


    ¡°A-Again. Please¡­¡± She moaned, biting her lip as she sunk back against the closest wall, pulling him with her.


    He did as she asked, but a little lower this time, playfully lapping at her perfectly soft tummy, sending shivers up her body with every tickling lick. Her hunger grew with each kiss as he placed them tenderly, and with great care.


    Plasia¡¯s hands drifted. One caressed his neck tenderly, and the other grasped at the edge of her t-shirt, slowly peeling it up further as it clung desperately to her breasts.


    ¡°M-maybe you could¡­ kiss these?¡± The desperation in her voice battled with her shyness, but she pressed on, staring transfixed at him with those large, diluted blue orbs.


    She pulled at her top, slowly exposing the underside of her enormous bust, heavy and soft. Her kittenish manner was provocative, the white fabric was pulled back to reveal her now slightly damp, but utterly massive, glistening breasts. Each one was as big as the man''s torso, with a beautiful, sharp nipple placed squarely on each one, a little ¡°suck me¡± button that was just begging for attention.


    Diego stopped and stared at her heaving rack in awe. With a shy but coy smile, she pulled him in softly, aiming his maw directly at her giant boobs.


    ¡°More¡­ L-Like you did my tummy?¡±


    He did as he was asked, eagerly, placing several loving, slow kisses across the immense surface of her tits, moving his smooth hands over their sides. Their luxurious soft, ample surface was alluring and felt divine on his lips and nose, and he pushed a little more into them with every kiss.


    The effect was immediate. She moaned softly and pulled him closer, keeping one hand on his neck and the other on his hand, guiding his digits over her soft, heaving breasts, pressing him on to touch and kiss her more.


    Several soft *smacks* filled their ears, followed by a teasing whimper from the larger alien.


    His maw finally landed on her nipples. He started slowly, with a few loving licks, electing a louder moan from her with each one, before drawing her erect nipples into his warm mouth.


    Plasia gasped, biting onto her lower lip and pulling his head straight onto her tit.


    ¡°M-More! Suck harder!¡±


    She felt a wave of pleasure hit her, that feeling of his soft lips, his sabre fangs pressing against her, the suction. It was too much.


    A delicious, sweet flavour seeped onto Diego¡¯s tongue, accompanied by a sharp gasp from the girl.


    The lizard paused, and pulled away slightly. Embarrassment on her behalf quickly set in.


    ¡°I-I DIDN¡¯T KNOW I COULD DO THAT! I¡¯M SO SORRY! I -¡± She stared down at his face with worry, barely visible above her breasts¡­ but he didn¡¯t seem upset in the slightest.


    ¡°Did y-you like that¡­?


    ¡°I think I did¡­¡±


    Plasia swallowed audibly, her breathing intensifying.


    ¡°T-Then if you want to¡­ It felt really good¡­¡± She pushed her elbows into the sides of her bust, pushing them together and out towards the lizard, a slight dribble of sweet-smelling, crystal-blue fluid seeping from her nipples.


    He gripped around her waist strongly, pushing her back against the wall and buried his face into her breast, latching strongly on the succulent nipple with eager glee, drinking down Plasia¡¯s milk without a second thought. She pushed back against him, feeling the male grip around her thick hips and start to tug her leggings down, grinding his wet body against her.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Several minutes went by as they wriggled and groped one another, Diego buried in her tit and drinking her intoxicating taste. Plasia held his face against her with a soft but firm grip on his hair and grinded against his thighs, pushing her huge, soft breasts out, utterly captivated by the sensation. Pure bliss shivered through her body as she fed him, but she wanted more. So much more.


    ¡°Diego¡­ I want you to fuck me¡­¡± She moaned out, throwing her head back as he groped at her tits again. He broke the seal around her nipple with a loud pop, neon blue fluid staining his maw; he seemed almost in a daze as his breast lust subsided.


    Plasia pulled her leggings down further, far enough to expose her butt and her thighs, turned around to face the wall and pushed her plump ass out towards him.


    The lizard took a step back for a moment, to admire the view. A glorious, smooth, fat pair of asscheeks that were more than thrice the width of him. Her pussy and asshole were absolutely immaculate, with a slightly chubby pair of pussy lips that were glistening, stained a slightly darker hue than the rest of her. Under that, a cute but still large trio of balls hung under her, motionless right now but were sure to be rocking back and forth in no time at all.


    ¡°I get all this to myself? Fuck¡­ Plasia, you¡¯re gorgeous¡­¡±


    He approached Plasia¡¯s curved form, squeezing handfuls of her massive butt as he guided her hips to the correct height. He watched closely as he brought the thick tip of his erect cock to her pussy lips.


    ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t be shy¡­¡± She smiled, closing her eyes as she pressed her fat tits against the wall, the cold tiles a sharp change from the warm mouth that had been on them not too long ago. A small pant escaped her mouth as she felt his manhood tease her, rubbing up and down the tender lips of her pussy.


    His hands caressed her back, sliding down the sides of her hips and back to her butt, a hungry growl escaping his mouth as he admired her curvaceous form, still two heads taller than him, easily.


    Listening to her soft moans was too much for him; she¡¯d asked so sweetly after all, he lined up his throbbing cock with her hungry taint and began to push it in, watching as it parted her glistening sapphire lips.


    He gasped as he felt her grip around him, but the noise she made¡­


    The noise¡­


    A perfect porn-star moan, caught somewhere between angel and devil, oozing with pure desire. A noise that said ¡°More. Give me more.¡±


    She was deliciously tight, but slippery. Grippy but somehow lubed, like she was pulling him in, milking the seed right out of him¡­ He was barely a few inches inside of her, and Diego felt her desire for him, her need for him. He pushed deeper, urged on by her silken moans until his hips bumped against the cushion of her giant ass, gripping her hips tightly as he ensured he was as deep as he could get, squishing against her significant cheeks, his balls resting against hers.


    An ooze of neon blue goo dribbled from the tip of her cock, running down its shimmering surface and spreading out over her trembling thighs, like the branches of a tree, oozing over her plump balls in thick, tantalising drips.


    Watching his dick get eaten by her glistening, smooth pussy was enchanting. It was practically sucking him off, pulling his hips closer with a powerful muscular suction that clamped tightly around his throbbing meat, demanding he release his load into her. He placed several loving smooches up her back, a tickle of honeydew sweat gracing his tongue.


    He began to rock his hips back and forth, slowly at first, watching the penetration with absolute glee, sinking all eight inches of his dick into her deliciously soft and fat ass with a cushy *palp* noise as their bodies met. She ate every inch with quivering glee, feeling every curve and bump of his manhood as her pussy gripped him tightly. Only a few seconds into his fuck and she clenched hard with a breathless moan, her cheeks squeezing around him as another rush of gooey blue cum dribbled over her thighs and dripped off her balls.


    But he didn¡¯t give her pause to enjoy her mini-gasm, instead, he kept thrusting, his ears twitching with every moan and gasp that escaped her silken lips, like a symphony to his instincts.


    He gripped her hips tightly, pressing his fingers deep into the luscious curves and bringing his hips against her ass with a wet clap. They panted together, moaned together, as he started to pound her perfect pussy, feeling his balls rock and slap against her larger, softer ones. Her super tight snatch sucked him in closer with every thrust, clinging tightly to him as it stretched her out.


    Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes as bliss rocked her, another rush of cum dribbled down her legs, dripping around her calves and feet, the floor now soaked in her seed as it pattered against the tiles.


    Diego made love to her ass, straightening his back out and slamming his hips against her, with a strong undulating motion that drew the delicious milk and cum right out of her. His thick, onyx dick squeezed and loved tenderly by her snatch. The clap of her soft cheeks and heavenly moans were building him quickly, his balls were aching to dump their load deep into her ass.


    He slowed down to pace himself but she pushed her butt out more, curving her back and clamping her hands around her tits, squeezing them tightly, prompting another rush of milk to spray over the walls.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re going to cum soon¡­ right? That''s what happens next? Cum in me¡­ I want you to cum in me¡­ please¡­¡± She panted with glassy eyes, thighs trembling as his hips bumped against her repeatedly.


    He did as he was asked. Gritting his teeth, he sped up, slamming his dick into her with wild abandon, the clap of their bodies rang loud in the echo of the washroom.


    A fresh wave of intense pleasure hit them both.


    Diego buried his dick as deep as he could, hugging tightly onto her ass as he moaned in delight, dumping a thick load of creamy white cum into her as Plasia oozed another load over her legs, her thighs now thoroughly soaked in her own glowing cum, her skin glistening with sweat as her plump pussy was pumped full of his love and seed.


    But this was not the end. After a few seconds of furious panting, he resumed his original position, pulling his dick back out to the tip and driving its rock hard length back into her, eliciting the same eager, hair-raising moan from her sweet lips as before.


    They fucked on every wall and tile of the washroom, changing positions to suit, both completely obsessed with watching every inch of his smooth dick disappear into her eager, hungry fuck hole. Their hips grinding against one anothers, their bodies sliding against each-other. It was impossible to know just how many loads they¡¯d both shot, the pleasure came as easily as a blink or a breath, freely exchanged as the smaller male clapped his hips against hers. But if they weren¡¯t staring at the sex, they were staring into each-other¡¯s eyes, lost in the moment, an eclectic mix of bliss, lust, love and ecstasy.


    Diego pushed her legs up as they fucked on the floor, holding her soft, plentiful thighs open, her body his playground. Her tits were shaking, dribbling with sweet honey milk as he thrust deep inside, addicted to her love pot.


    But, after so many orgasms, Plasia¡¯s dick throbbed. It had been jacked off and played with over the course of their romp, but it hadn¡¯t been fucked¡­ Despite Diego¡¯s dick hitting the spot inside her, she wanted just a little more¡­ Her eyes flickered across his wet, slimed up form, the shine of the lights on his skin drove her crazy.


    She needed to be inside him.


    They were writhing around on the floor together, covered in each-other¡¯s sweat, cum and lube, when Plasia suddenly found herself on top of the lizard, pressing her massive breasts down onto his face when her hands suddenly found their way to his legs, slowly pushing them up and out, as he had done to her.


    She reared up a little up and found herself at the tail end of the lizard, holding his legs apart with her throbbing dick grinding against his own, a slow dribble of cum oozing from both of them. Truth be told she wasn¡¯t that much longer than him, but certainly thicker, with a heavy head that looked like it was designed to make its partner cum a bucket''s worth... As she rubbed their dicks together, her cock had an almost electric tingle to it, buzzing slightly as their skin touched. She stared down at his panting form, his glistening, goo-slathered abs, his ever so cute but perfectly handsome face and felt an overwhelming urge¡­


    Yet, she couldn¡¯t push herself forward.


    She was scared. A deep blush returned to her face.


    I don¡¯t know what to do¡­


    But just as her anxiety started to creep in,  Diego smiled up at her, with a playful grin.


    ¡°Do it. I want you to! Stop worrying, it¡¯ll come naturally. I promise.¡±


    And so.


    She did as she was asked.


    Gently, she placed her hands around his hips and held him steady, whilst slowly aiming the tip of her own thick cock at his ass.


    The tip of her dick pressed against his ass, pushing his rear open with an intense groan from the male as another dribble of cum was forced out of him, and trickled onto his muscular abs.


    They moaned in unison as she stretched him out, his ass accepting of her slimed-up length. The electric-like feeling intensified the second her pointed tip penetrated his tail-hole. A strong tingling effect engulfed his fuck-hole and played with his nerves, adding yet another element of overwhelming pleasure.


    A fresh wave of ecstasy gripped their exhausted bodies as she gently bottomed out, sinking the entire length of throbbing sapphire cock into him, moaning in her sweet, angelic tone as she made a mockery of all things good deep within him.


    Her super-soft form squished down on him as they fucked missionary on the floor, his legs splayed out wide to accommodate the curves and width of her body. She was slow and gentle, gasping with every motion she made as she explored both herself and him, the feeling of him pinned under her, sucking on her tits and groping every inch of body available to him, whilst her dick was buried deep in his squeezing rear, eager for her seed.


    She let out another delightfully breathy moan as she clenched once more, and shot her cum deep inside him, his tail flapping excitedly at the tip as he came too, barely dribbling up her soft tummy as he tried to keep up with her.


    Her motion did not increase in pace. Instead, she steadied herself, pushing herself back and forth with great care and love, keeping their orgasms in twine as she continued to dump mini-load after mini-load into him, all whilst smothering him with her giant tits and feeding him more of her sweet milk, still freely leaking from her nipples¡­


    It was slow and passionate, Plasia relishing in the moment, wriggling her goo-slathered body over his, feeling their mid-sections slip across each-other. A warm maw on her breasts and a tight hole around her dick, his twitching manhood and empty balls squished between them both¡­ She cried out again, burying her fat cock as deep as she could until her silky soft balls squished up against him, churning and unloading their love with relentless abandon. She wanted him to have every drop, she wanted him to feel as loved as he made her feel¡­


    She continued for as long as she could, thrusting lovingly into him until her thighs burned and her back ached, occasionally pulling her breasts up only so he could take a hungry gasp of air, before quickly drowning him again in her seemingly endless bust.


    By the end, they were both cum soaked, panting messes. Lying on the floor of the washroom and barely able to string a sentence together, filled and leaking with each-other¡¯s seed, and thoroughly satisfied.


    Everything they could have wanted, and then some.


    *** Hazard Warning \\\-/// Level AMBER \\\-/// Advisory End***


    Shyly, Plasia felt for his hand as they panted in unison on the floor. Their eyes met; she never wanted this moment to end. For the last hour or so, he¡¯d made her feel like she wasn¡¯t a monster, like maybe there was a chance at happiness, at something resembling normality again. Then again, maybe normal wasn¡¯t the right way to describe it, as there was no way she could have imagined doing something like this prior to her corruption¡­


    But it had been glorious. It was as though he had taken something awful, and made her whole again. More than that. She could do this every day¡­ hell, she wanted to do it every day. Maybe she¡¯d never be ¡®normal¡¯ again but they could make this work. Together. Perhaps it was better than even normal -


    ¡°KEEP YOUR HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM, CZARITE!¡±


    ¡°WE HAVE A STAFF MEMBER DOWN, I REPEAT, WE HAVE A STAFF MEMBER DOWN, AGGRESSOR IS COMPLYING WITH ORDERS!¡±


    Suddenly, Plasia was snapped out of her protective dream, her vision blurring back into focus as she quivered against the cold floor of the lab, blue goo splattered across the walls and floor.


    Several soldiers were pointing vulcan rifles at her from across the room, their intense spotlights half-blinding her. She managed to catch a brief glimpse of someone being carried away on a stretcher by four bio-suit equipped personnel, marching quickly towards the exit as the body began to convulse...


    Stinging tears ran down her face as Plasia shuddered on the floor, curling up into a ball as several more soldiers stampeded into the lab, fixing cuffs around her hands.


    I just want to be back with him¡­ I just want this to end¡­ Why do these things keep happening to me¡­?


    ¡°ON YOUR FEET, BACK IN THE RESTRAINTS!¡±


    She did as she was ordered, standing to her feet and allowing the robotic arms to clamp onto her limbs again. Pain shot through her torso as the arms hoisted her up and off the ground. The movement was straining the stapled wound down her stomach. Hot tears stung her eyes and rolled down her face.


    She was still coming out of her love-drunk daze as she was secured, checked and double checked by the several dozen soldiers now crowded into the small lab, guns trained on her, eyes unblinking. She could feel the intense, angry, frightened stare of every last soldier in that room, and it made her skin itch, made her want to duck her face behind her arm and hide away.


    But there was nowhere for her to go.


    Slowly, the soldiers backed away, out through the door. Their boots were heavy on the metal floor, their armour rustled and their guns clunked as their fidgeted and adjusted position, eyes on her the whole time. The squad captain (she assumed anyway; she couldn¡¯t say she was paying much attention) was talking into his communicator beside her.


    ¡°Czarite is secure and back in containment. Only one casualty, also detained.¡±


    Casualty..? Plasia blinked and shook her head out slowly, shaking the comforting fog of her daydream away and trying desperately to remember what had happened. She watched the captain with sad eyes as he re-attached the long, sharp needles of the blood pump, deep into her veins. Without so much as a glance towards the czarite, he turned, and made his way back down the ramp.He paused, just outside, and pressed some buttons on the outer door panel.


    ¡°W-w-wait!¡± Plasia stuttered. ¡°The g-g-irl? Where is sh-she?¡±


    The captain, stone faced and cold, raised a slow eyebrow at the czarite, as the station¡¯s airlock doors slowly slid shut.


    ¡°Gone.¡± He turned back to his communicator and began to walk away. ¡°Prepare for transfer of -¡±


    The doors closed with a heavy boom. After a few, motionless seconds, the bright LED lights overhead flickered off, and Plasia was left alone, again, in the darkness, with just that loud, rhythmic sound of her own blood being pumped out of her body.


    She wasn¡¯t in complete darkness though, not this time. Strewn across the broken lab was her bright blue corruptant, glowing faintly but glowing enough for Plasia to see the damage that she¡¯d caused. The claw marks running down the walls. Equipment destroyed.


    There was a thick blue puddle at the base of her feet that smelled strongly sweet, like milk and honey.


    She didn¡¯t know how long she stayed like that, motionless, in the dark, eyes darting around the lab, her face sticky from dried tears.


    But, as the pain in her torso dulled and her breathing calmed, a realisation occurred to her.


    Someone had done this to her. Again.


    She was feeling something she hadn¡¯t felt in a very long time, not since she¡¯d been imprisoned here; Relief¡­


    And that feeling made her feel sick.


    Plasia ground her teeth together as a fierce heat built in her chest.


    How could they let me do that¡­? I was supposed to be safe here! I wasn¡¯t supposed to hurt anyone! Who released me?!? Who did this!?


    She scowled intensely and glared at the seal running down the length of the security door.


    They let this happen. All of them. You horrible people! You¡¯re no better than¡­ than¡­ them!


    As she hung, uncomfortably in the air, she thought back on the last six months here, the pain she¡¯d tolerated, the suffering she¡¯d endured, willingly, for what she thought was everyone else¡¯s safety. Those¡­ people had done whatever they¡¯d pleased with her body, with no thought for her.


    Or anyone else, apparently¡­


    The anger in her frothed up her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut, her jaw stretched open and a bone-chilling screech roared out from her parched mouth.


    Her eyes opened wide as her screech ended, her irises flickering between the hunter slits of her one half and the gentle orbs of her other.


    I-If you¡¯re not going to take this seriously¡­ then we shouldn¡¯t be here. We - not - helping - We still not helping. Am¡­ not¡­ suffering this - this torture any further!


    Her skin tingled, and a long shiver ran down her back.


    Maybe we should try¡­


    Plasia hadn¡¯t ever felt like this before. Her body was trembling, her eyes narrowed, and she felt so¡­ awake. She felt like, for the first time since her corruption - no, in her entire life, her brain had been switched on. She could feel electricity sparking and jumping across her synapses, drawing power from her innermost core.


    This is like¡­ Diego, and his dream¡­


    A crackle of energy shimmered through her body.


    Don¡¯t care what they do. Shoot us, end us, I don¡¯t care. They¡¯ll never let us leave, anyway. Chop us limbs into pieces, steal our blood, slice our skin and take our organs, it''s not for good, it''s for them! All for them-them-THEM! I am just a cog in their awful machine!


    The shimmer around her body intensified, her restrained, bloody body now glowing with a bright cyan glow, arcs of piercing lightning zapped between her and the bonds, scarring the white metal-work with black soot.


    WE WILL PUT AN END TO THIS, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER!


    *


    Evangeline sat behind her impressive desk, curling her fingers over her chin as she watched the lab footage play on a personal holoscreen. It showed Plasia, hunched over Mooki, pinning her to the ground.


    She watched intently, tilting her head slightly as she took in the details, her mouth hanging just ever so slightly agape. Her communicator on her ear bleeped, again, and she declined the call without so much as looking down.


    ¡°Wow. You¡¯re like, actually fascinated. I¡¯ve never seen your mouth drift like that.¡±


    Evangeline snapped her focus to Scyler with a harsh, icy glare. For a moment, she actually seemed embarrassed.


    The milky-white male dragon was sitting on the other side of her desk, with a cheeky, shit-eating grin on his face.


    ¡°You are in NO position to be smiling at me like that.¡± She hissed.


    ¡°You like what I brought you, though.¡±


    She sighed loudly, pushing her fingers against her head.


    ¡°Indeed. This is fascinating footage. Footage that will need to be destroyed. In case you¡¯ve conveniently forgot, this shows an apparently cremated corpse, raping one of our staff members. You realise the absolute catastrophe-in-the-making this footage is? You have brought a metaphorical landmine into my office.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but -¡±


    She raised a single finger, silencing him instantly, the black side of her face twitching as she stared down at him.


    ¡°I had a plan for Mooki, Scyler. So that she would not draw further attention to us. Now, I have to file a report that says a member of staff has died and I need to fabricate a scenario that will stand up to the rigorous scrutiny of Commander Koa, AND I need to align the entire station''s narrative. I have but one question for you. Why did you arrange this fate for her?¡±


    ¡°Because she ratted us out to Jace already.¡± Scyler replied instantly, matching Evangeline¡¯s serious tone.


    Evangeline stopped in her tracks, one of ears flicking briefly, the anger visibly draining from her as she evaluated Scyler¡¯s words carefully.


    ¡°Explain.¡±


    ¡°I imagine you¡¯re aware that I''ve hacked the sector C-relay? Nothing too invasive but I scan for keywords and block certain communications until I approve them. On and off of course, I can adjust the wall.¡±


    Evangeline practically slapped her forehead with the force of her facepalm.


    ¡°I was aware you were monitoring it, not that you were actively blocking communications¡­ I know that we play a little close to the collar on occasion but if the RMD discovers you¡¯ve tampered with a sector C-relay¡­ Just¡­ Ugh. Go on.¡±


    ¡°She sent a private message from her personal C-add, through the sector relay. Addressed to Jace. It was a tell-all document, directly name-dropping both of us and confirming the czarite¡¯s existence in full. I reckon Theo coached her on what to do. Would¡¯ve worked too, if it wasn¡¯t for my sector hack.¡±


    ¡°Continue.¡± The frown easing off her face.


    ¡°I got an alert, saw the message, blocked the transmission but sent a response back, asking her for proof, spoofing Jace¡¯s C-add. She took the bait. The rest is on that recording. I figured she was a time bomb, had that message gone out, you¡¯d be fucked. Me too. We were lucky she didn¡¯t blab to Theo directly yesterday.¡±


    Evangeline drummed her fingers against her suit pocket, staring into space for a few seconds before a small sigh escaped her mouth.


    ¡°Very well. It appears I underestimated her. This is my responsibility. I should have sent her away. I¡­ appreciate your response in this situation, Scyler. If Jace had received that message, we would be in a very different situation right now. I would likely be behind bars by the end of the week. I knew she wouldn¡¯t inform Theo directly however, or else I¡¯d have had her removed from the station for the day.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you''re welcome, asshole.¡± Scyler smirked, shaking his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t just do this for fun, despite what you might think.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well. You can understand my initial frustration. A student died within my station immediately after an inspection, I had reason for concern.¡±


    ¡°A useless student. Wasted effort. I don¡¯t see why you offered her a job in the first place.¡± He mimicked carrying a cup of cocoa in his hands, shaking in the chair. ¡°Y-Y-You did a bad thing! I¡¯m telling on you! What a little twat. That yuskol was out of line, big time.¡±


    ¡°Did she get under your skin, Scyler?¡± Evangeline smirked, adjusting in her seat and turning to watch the lab footage again, her tongue briefly tickling her lips.


    ¡°I just wanna know, who the fuck she thought she -¡±


    They both suddenly froze, bolting uptight in their chairs.


    Their scales prickled, a chill seeped into their bones.


    They both looked around the room frantically, hearts thumping in their chests. The gentle hum of the station drained away from their senses, leaving only the sound of their blood pumping through their ears, and the suddenly uncomfortable ruffle of the fabric on the chairs against their clothes.


    Something felt wrong.


    Both were hyper-focused on every little detail in the room, searching desperately for¡­ something.


    It was like something was clawing at their brains, raking through their neurons.


    It may have only lasted for a couple of seconds, but the moment seemed to drag on for an eternity, neither able to speak a word as they battled with an animalistic instinct to run.


    Slowly, the hum of the station returned, their senses unfocused and a rush of normality resumed, as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Did you feel that, Scyler?¡± Evangeline murmured, her eyes narrowing.


    ¡°Yeah, I did... What the fuck was that?¡±

 Chapter 7 - Business as Unusual

    ¡°Hold still or I''ll make you hold still!¡± Tani sighed loudly, holding her hands above the digits of the rabbit opposite her.


    The Slave garbled a nonsense response from her throat, staring back at Tani with dead, purple eyes; thoughtless, lost and hungry.


    Slowly, the Slave¡¯s claws began to grow as Tani focused, turning from an off-grey to a deep black as the claws enlarged, an ominous purple sheen visible in the right light. Once they reached an appropriate size, Tani broke away, her shoulders slumping but her expression satisfied.


    ¡°Look at those! We can get them all painted and gorgeous again, just like in the club, Henny! But remember, we don¡¯t use these claws on friends, okay? They¡¯re super sharp! Only use them when I tell you, okay?¡±


    The Slave¡¯s eyes wandered, searching around the abandoned shop fruitlessly.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that. I didn¡¯t mean to leave you until last, Henny. I swear! Mina had me forging her lot too! Between that and Moltezz running us around like headless chickens, I''ve been busy! C¡¯mon, let''s get you back with the pack. Oh, and stop bullying Monday, Henny. There¡¯s plenty of ass to go around, we can all get our fair share.¡±


    Henny garbled again, almost in response.


    ¡°I mean it, keep your grabby hands off her. Don¡¯t make me puppet you! I got my own claws! I¡¯ll make you my bottom bitch for a week!¡±


    Tani stood from her stool, the tips of her long ears licking the ceiling. Between her ears she now had a pair of upright horns, their complexion the same as Henny¡¯s new claws. Her once pristine white fur was now a jet-black to match her sclera. Every curve of her body was bolder, thicker, her once modest breasts now fully packing her crimson shirt and stretching the buttons out tightly.


    Henny shuffled towards the back of the shop, and out the backdoor to the innards of the station. Tani closely watched every step she took.


    Be careful, darling. Stay with the pack. Tani thought to herself, concern gracing her pretty face. She casted a glance towards the clock on the wall. Ugh, it''s briefing time. I was hoping for a cheeky fuck before then.


    She departed from the shade of the shop and headed back into the bright lights of Barru X¡¯s main mall, currently filled with various crates, weapons, Slaves, Nodes and freshly acquired prisoners. The leering, wine-red form of Cherry stood head and shoulders above them all, dragging a line of chained-up Marks deeper into the space station. Half of them looked terrified and quivered as they walked, while the other half seemed caught between staring at the czarite¡¯s shapely butt, and the various naked figures around them.


    ¡°~Tani, you¡¯re late. Get the fuck in the briefing room, before I choke you out again.~¡± Cherry¡¯s voice boomed in her head.


    She shouldn¡¯t threaten me with a good time. She has no idea how hard I -


    ¡°~I can hear you, dumbass.~¡±


    For a split second, Tani swore she saw a grin flash on Cherry¡¯s face as she left with the line of new Marks. After a few seconds of internal silence, Tani carried on.


    I don¡¯t think I''ll ever get used to my thoughts not being my own. Still. Cherry can choke me, anyday.


    She decided to heed Cherry¡¯s ¡®warning¡¯ however, and make her way quickly to the room in question. It had been a rentable meeting room in Barru X¡¯s olden days, but now it was strewn with weapons, papers and plans. Tani pushed through the glass door and took the nearest seat at the large oval-shaped table, in the centre of the room.


    At the head of the table Plum stood, stroking her chin with a single finger. Her eyes slowly scanned the various other occupants of the room. Most were Nodes like Tani, but also sat at the table were three Marks, all dressed in military gear, half smirking, half serious. Their gaze flickered between Plum¡¯s immense hips, and the various bodies of the Nodes. Of the Marks, there was a human girl wearing a red beret, a black rat male with shimmering green eyes, and a thin, pale crocodilian man with a great scar along his snout.


    ¡°Tani. Thank you for coming. Looks like we¡¯ve got a full house of Nodes and Imprinted. For the benefit of the Imprinted, I''ll vocalise.¡± The room darkened and a hazy projector flickered on, shining a map of the local sector onto the wall beside her. ¡°Our raking on the local moisture farms and fuel dumps has gone as planned, with Cherry bringing back the latest spoils just a few minutes ago. We¡¯ve been focused on cleaning out the sparsely populated areas up until this point, but now we¡¯re about to hit our first real challenges. Everything up until now has been easy.¡±


    Tani tilted her head slightly, taking in the details of the map as Plum continued. Her silky voice sent shivers down the rabbit''s spine, despite the serious discussion.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got more fortified areas of nomad space to our local west. They¡¯re prepared for war it seems, as they¡¯re being pressured by Vora Barons on their other flank. Me and Bubble both agree that this area of space is medium risk, low reward. People are good but equipment is what we need if we¡¯re to break out of the mega-corp triad. To our north is Darkpaw industries; they¡¯re heavily equipped compared to the nomads and our intel suggests that they just spent on something big. Even by their standards. Geographically speaking, Darkpaw are blocking us from their two biggest competitors, so we¡¯ll need to go through them before we can expand any further in that direction. They¡¯re shielding us from their competitors, but Darkpaw are the biggest of the triad, which means¡­ It means a lot of things. We¡¯re penned in by the DA border to the south and the east, with only more nomad¡¯s between us and them.¡±


    Plum tapped on the wall with a pointer, her glowing locks of hair hanging rather tantalisingly in the dim light of the room. Tani was finding it increasingly difficult to stay focused on her words as her mind wandered.


    ¡°We¡¯re all in agreement that engagements with the DA are to be kept to a minimum and incursions into their territory are only to be done when absolutely necessary. Which leaves us with two main choices for our next move. We push to the west and start fighting the alerted nomads, and potentially Vora Barons, or we push to the north and start working our way into Darkpaw.¡±


    ¡°DO NOT TOUCH DARKPAW!¡± Tani suddenly yelled out as if she was being murdered, bolting upright in the chair, her body stiff.


    Plum squinted at her for a moment before rolling her eyes, placing her hands firmly on her absurdly thick hips.


    ¡°Ink. If you want to join in, you must be physically present. Moltezz made that quite clear, didn¡¯t she? You can¡¯t just use Tani as your stand-in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯M BUSY.¡± Tani yelled again, a passenger in her own body. ¡°YOU CANNOT ATTACK DARKPAW YET.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t suggest any outright assault anyway. They¡¯re a much tougher target, we need to get intel on them first.¡±


    ¡°I AM WORKING ON THE INTEL. DO NOT TOUCH DARKPAW. OR I¡¯LL RAPE THE LOT OF YOU.¡±


    Tani relaxed back into her seat, stretching her jaw out as her body became her own once again. The rest of the room looked around at each-other awkwardly before focusing their attention back on Plum.


    ¡°Right. I¡¯ll¡­ talk to Moltezz about that later. Let''s focus on the nomads then? Kross, am I right in thinking you can advise us on that?¡± Plum¡¯s pretty eyes landed on the human girl, who flicked her curling black hair over her shoulder and nodded firmly.


    ¡°The Barons are winning every fight they pick. It''s open season on the nomads out there.¡± Her voice came with a thick slavic tint, highly unusual for this part of space. ¡°My scouts are being routed but they tell me that the nomad militia are losing their will to fight, they¡¯re scared shitless and lose people every time they clash. Considering what Barons do to those they capture, it''s not really a surprise.¡± She chuckled softly, but her hand gently drifted over to the pistol strapped at her side. ¡°They¡¯re trying to recruit mercenary aid but the few mercs that do take the jobs don¡¯t make it back. The stories of the Baron¡¯s victories are travelling far. With the mercs bailing the sector and the nomad¡¯s in full defensive isolation, I think we should be making plans to deal with the Barons rather than the nomads, for when we eventually collide with them - if we¡¯re not to proceed north.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Kaiden? Any advice on that front?¡± Plum asked the rat, turning to view the map again.


    ¡°Barons are heavy hitters, slow but effective.¡± He said softly, his voice practically a whisper. He folded his arms and stared at the map intensely, eyes focused on the coloured borders. ¡°From what I''ve seen, small strike teams of well-equipped Nodes would fare much better than a swarm of Slaves. Baron ballistics are often augmented with explosive secondary weapons; killing groups of Slaves wouldn¡¯t be difficult for them. I¡¯d advise the Nodes keep their distance though, Barons can be pretty beefy and are perfectly comfortable with close-quarter combat. I¡¯m sure someone like Tani could hold her own pretty well, but I lost a squadmate to a Baron who bit his head off. Gnarly sight. They fight dirty. Stealth would be my first choice, pick them off in their own ships. Open combat against them is a nightmare.¡±


    ¡°What about ship to ship?¡±


    ¡°Difficult. Starting ship to ship combat against them causes them to open fire with their guns, which they usually try to avoid. Considering the size of their roamer fleets, unless we can bring as much armour and weapon-power as them, we¡¯d be signing our own death warrants. Ideally, we pick the scouts off and leave the fleet blind, then stab at them until either we pry them apart or they retreat.¡±


    ¡°Understood¡­ Right, let''s review our position after some food and a fuck. I need to speak to Moltezz about Ink.¡±


    A warm series of excited smiles broke out across the table at Plum¡¯s words, including Tani who fanned her pretty face, her urges beginning to intensify. After mere seconds a series of controlled Slaves entered the room, carrying plates of food and leading a couple of Marks in chains, who were dumped in the room, much to the delight of the Nodes, towering both over them, and their Imprinted allies.


    *


    ¡°GOD-DAMN! LOOK AT THAT ASS! You got an all-you-can-eat buffet back there! And girl¡­ Mama¡¯s hungry.¡± Leech yelled, slapping her hand against Ink¡¯s firm, shapely ass as the curvacious girl bent over to admire more of the new ship they¡¯d acquired. This latest acquisition to the Rewritten arsenal was a high speed, corvette class ¡®Radon¡¯ astral ship, designed for stealth, rapid engagements and high speed travel. It was only a small ship, certainly compared to the freighter, with room for a handful Controllers and Nodes at most, but its remarkable speed allowed for lightning fast deployment, when fuelled anyway. Compared to the long distance, fuel efficient engines of the freighter, the Radon was a gas guzzler.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    A satisfied grin crept over Ink¡¯s face as she straightened herself up. Her towering figure was only just able to stand upright in the corridor.


    ¡°I have never heard you refer to yourself as ¡®Mama¡¯ before, Leech.¡±


    ¡°And no one will ever believe that you have. I called myself that strictly for the purpose of the line and nothing more.¡± Leech replied, with a slight growl.


    Both girls were dressed in heavy black laboratory coats, black boots and bodysuits that covered their forms from neck to toe, with a slight glow visible around their oversized busts, and amendments to Ink¡¯s outfit, for her protruding tentacles.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we should mess this place up, just yet anyway.¡± Ink laughed. ¡°Barely a few hours into our ownership and we¡¯re threatening to paint it. You think the Slaves could clean it before Moltezz arrives?¡±


    ¡°Fat fucking chance with how much you blow.¡± Leech squeezed the larger alien¡¯s butt tightly before carrying on down the ship''s corridor. Unlike the industrial lengths of the freighter they¡¯d acquired six months ago, this craft was sleek and dark, clearly built with a different clientele in mind. The hum of its reactor was more intense, so much so that the czarite¡¯s could feel it on the upper decks, through their heavy boots, as they padded around the fresh-smelling interior. ¡°You have any idea how many gallons of goo I''ve made Venter clean? That guy has been huffing your scent alone for days. He said he¡¯ll never look at dark chocolate the same.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me he eats it.¡± Ink joked.


    ¡°Oh, he definitely eats your jizz. Slurps it all up and gets it all over his chops, like a fuckin¡¯ animal.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, nasty!¡± Ink replied sourly, but a small smirk teased her lips. ¡°And that¡¯s the closest he¡¯s ever going to get to me! So, you make him clean your lab over the Slaves?¡± Ink turned, her wide, lamp-like eyes perfectly visible at any distance.


    ¡°I do. He gets off to me telling him what to do. A bit like you.¡±


    ¡°Leech¡­ Please, stop..? You know I¡¯m very easily swayed by you.¡± Ink asked, quite genuinely, her tentacles curling around her body. ¡°Moltezz already dislikes me, and I might want to use her highness¡¯ new ship, so I can¡¯t afford to make it messy. I can¡¯t spend all night playing though. I have matters I need to attend to.¡±


    What the¡­ fuck? Moltezz dislikes you?! She¡¯s been trying to connect with you from the moment you joined us! Projecting much?!?


    ¡°Oh, your boss, right? Old boss. You found him?¡± Leech disappeared through one of the curving doors down the corridor, but her voice was still audible.


    ¡°You¡­ remember?¡± Ink stumbled over her words slightly, tilting her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would care.¡±


    ¡°WHY DO PEOPLE ALWAYS ASSUME THAT?!? Of course I remember! I can remember the exact radioactive half lifes of all the nuclear fuel used in the damn freighter, on a per fuel rod basis! Time¡¯s ticking, we¡¯ve only got fifty thousand, two hundred and five years before those babies are half-spent! Remembering that your boss was a crusty old cunt ain¡¯t hard.¡±


    ¡°I just - I¡¯m not used to people caring. I¡¯m still not used to you caring.¡±


    Leech popped her head out of the door with a confused look on her face. As they made eye contact, Ink¡¯s face broke into a wide grin, baring those massive teeth of hers, her expression caught somewhere between creepy and heartfelt.


    ¡°Fucking hell, I was horny as fuck and now it¡¯s turned all soppy. You¡¯re as polar as me sometimes. Stop grinning at me with those massive twatting chompers of yours and tell me what you¡¯re gonna do to that nasty boss of yours when you find him. Idiot. You¡¯re getting the pump tonight, can help me refill all those tanks we used last week.¡± Leech shook her head and ducked back into the door, and the sound of her rummaging around filled the corridor.


    ¡°As you wish. When I find him, I''m going to pull his little body apart, piece by piece. I want to hear his joints pop, his flesh creak. I will not grant him our gift, he does not deserve our love. He does not deserve¡­ this.¡± She flexed her arms, the corners of her lips twitching into a proud smile as she admired her own muscles bulging, a long way from the once fragile creature she used to be.


    ¡°You better not be fucking flexing in there.¡± Leech barked, prompting a startled jump from Ink. ¡°I¡¯ve walked in on Cherry doing that too damn much, zero shits given. That girl loves her mirrors. That and boy butt, she just looooves breaking men in. I have to fight her for the new arrivals these days. How close are you to finding this prick then?¡±


    ¡°Close.¡± Ink¡¯s tongue pushed against the inside of her teeth as she made her way down the corridor, her feet thumping against the cold, metallic flooring. ¡°I have a few more piles of invoices to look through, once I can cross-reference the ship number, I can narrow it down to a single location. Then, it''s time.¡±


    ¡°Odd how it''s taken so long to find him, don¡¯t you think?¡± Leech mused, scratching her chin.


    ¡°I do. I suspect he was worried about being found, he has made significant efforts to conceal his identity.¡±


    ¡°You think he might have been worried about revenge? Perhaps you weren¡¯t the only person he treated badly.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right to be worried. I will hang his unwashed corpse for the universe to see. I will let it decay unceremoniously until he is nothing but worms and split bones and his lasting message will be nothing but a testament to my strength. A coward of a man, hidden behind fake names and useless addresses, pathetic in both stature and soul, a parasite in every meaning of the word.¡±


    ¡°... I mean, counselling is also an option. Perhaps a hobby. Maybe knitting?¡± Leech sniggered, sarcasm thick in her voice.


    ¡°My hobby is fucking smaller, weaker people.¡± Ink laughed back, the corridor vibrating more as a proud growl rumbled from her throat.


    ¡°Makes me wonder why you¡¯re so happy for me to hook you up to my milking machines. There is no way in hell Moltezz would ever, EVER agree to a session in the lab. The first - and last time I asked her, I thought she was going to give me the ¡®Seeth'' treatment.¡±


    Ink didn¡¯t reply straight away. Her tentacles flicked and her mouth twitched slightly at the mention of Seeth¡¯s name. She followed Leech around the corner and the two continued their pace around the ship, looking through its various rooms, most of which were in low-power mode, dark and slightly cold.


    After a few moments, Ink gave a long, heartfelt sigh, her gaze landing repeatedly on Leech and completely unable to focus on their inspection.


    ¡°When I woke up, after you converted me, the first thing I noticed was how clear everything was. I could see again. I used to have glasses in my teens but it didn¡¯t take long for someone to target them. I couldn¡¯t afford to replace them over and over again, so I just dealt with it for the most part. I went for years without being able to see properly, and it took me months of saving to finally get myself a new pair.¡± Ink suddenly laughed. ¡°And then you came along, literally! I barely got a chance to use them.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t your job writing up reports? You know, screen work?¡± Leech raised an eyebrow, a hint of concern in her eyes.


    ¡°Yes. It was. It was hell.¡± She chortled softly. ¡°I had a piece of cardboard with this tiny hole in it, when my eyes got really bad, I''d close one eye and stare through the hole with the other¡­¡±


    ¡°You made a pin-hole lens for yourself, clever little thing!¡±


    ¡°I had nothing, Leech. Nothing. Cardboard and stale sandwiches. Couldn¡¯t afford fucking glasses because jackasses like the freighter guards would end up breaking them.¡± Tears stung the corners of her eyes briefly, her fists clenching tightly. ¡°I had to pick between eating and seeing. The headaches I would get were so intense, they¡¯d make me dizzy¡­ You understand how bad falling over is for a czarite with Oak¡¯s? I was pathetic.¡±


    ¡°We czarites don¡¯t get very many genetic issues but when we do get them¡­ Oak¡¯s disease is thoroughly shit. You were dealt a bad hand.¡±


    ¡°But the corruption¡­ you¡­ fixed that. I woke up and I realised just how small my room was. I saw pipes in the corner of the room I''d never even seen before. Hah. I woke up. You woke me up. I haven¡¯t had a single headache since. And now, I can see the stars in all their glory, the night sky has never looked more rich. I can see how beautiful and attractive you are, every curve and detail on you. I can see the life leave my enemies'' eyes in a clarity and detail I never dreamt of prior to meeting you. I can see every vein bulge in their fragile neck, every capillary pop under their bruised skin¡­ You woke me up, gave me vision, gave me strength and purpose and have helped me tear apart those who took advantage of old me. So yes, you can do whatever you want to me, because I trust you with every fibre of my being. Every fresh breath I take into these powerful new functional lungs of mine. I owe it to you. So milk me to your heart''s content, because making you happy makes me happy.¡± Ink stated proudly, her shoulders visibly relaxing as she recounted her feelings towards Leech.


    Leech stopped in her tracks, turning to face Ink properly, several emotions visible briefly over her confused face.


    ¡°Awh, Ink. You¡¯re gonna give me an erection with talk like that. You sweetie-boo!¡± Despite her somewhat sarcastic tone, Leech had a glimmer sincerity in her toxic-green eyes. Her tone shifted suddenly to a more serious one.


    ¡°Look¡­I¡¯m¡­ glad I found you. After what Seeth pulled on me¡­ I¡¯m crap at soppy shit so don¡¯t expect much more than that. But yeah, good. We stick together, we get what we¡¯re owed. God, I¡¯m gonna milk you so fucking hard tonight. Did you know I had to get larger pump tubes in for you? Your ma-hoosive weapon of a dick was too big to fit in my previous apparatus!¡±


    Ink smiled, showing every flesh shredding fang in her maw and the two continued to inspect the ship, both walking with a little more bounce in their step.


    ¡°Have you decided what you¡¯ll do if we find¡­ her?¡± Ink asked, her shoulders tensing back up slightly.


    ¡°Seeth? Honest to god, no. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do. I¡­ I kinda miss her.¡±


    ¡°Y-you do?¡± Ink¡¯s tentacles flickered more violently, the corners of her mouth twitched.


    ¡°I do. I don¡¯t know if I should or not¡­ I miss Plasia too. Don¡¯t tell anyone else I said that or I¡¯ll fuckin¡¯ have you. Life was a lot simpler back in our dungeon and, to an extent, I miss it.¡± The venomous czarite¡¯s eyes narrowed as memories of her last few days in the dungeon flashed in her mind. ¡°Fuuuucking Diego. UGH! How the hell did that pretty little fuck boy come into our dungeon and leave with two of us?! Nearly three! Moltezz thinks about him everyday, she¡¯s utterly obsessed! Something ain¡¯t right with that guy. I tell you what, Ink, if we find that little shit-twit, we¡¯ll spit-roast him until our dicks kiss in the middle, see him talk his way out of that. Gobble gobble, bitch.¡±


    ¡°Can dicks kiss?¡± Ink paused and pondered the thought heavily for a few seconds.


    Really, Ink? Really? I serve up a scandalous thought like that and that is your response? I am wasted here. Leech thought to herself.


    ¡°You say the weirdest things sometimes, Leech.¡± Ink continued. ¡°Do you blame Diego for what happened?¡±


    I say the weirdest things? Mrs ¡®I LIKE TO WATCH THE VEINS POP WITH MY SPECIAL EYES?!¡¯ Good grief.


    ¡°I abso-fucking-lutely do. I should have insisted on first dibs with him, and broke that bitch in. Instead, he broke us. We invited a bomb into our home, Ink. A fucking stupid, stupidly fuckable, crazy sex bomb - look, the metaphor is falling apart, but my point stands. That guy has done more damage to our cause than anyone else. I know you didn¡¯t know Seeth, but she was a fucking asset, that girl got shit done. Now she might be working against us and honestly, that''s a scary thought.¡±


    ¡°I will subdue her if she works against us.¡± Ink said confidently. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want her dead -¡±


    ¡°Cute that you think you could take her.¡± Leech interrupted with a grin. ¡°But you might not get a chance to choose what sort of fight you¡¯re having. I hope it doesn¡¯t come to that, Ink. I wouldn¡¯t want you two to fight. A cockfight, sure. You can rub those fat girls together as much as you please! But an actual fight? I don¡¯t like the thought of that. Not one bit.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Ink frowned, almost offended.


    ¡°Because you might lose, Ink. And the Seeth that I know? She wouldn¡¯t hesitate for a second.¡±


    *


    Sat on her throne of steel and leather, Moltezz stared at the line of fresh marks pushed into her new chambers, each one of them stripped naked and bound at the wrists, chained together by thick, heavy brass chains that rattled as they shuffled in.


    Curiously, all of them were male with a black exterior, whether that be fur, scale or skin, all similar to the complexion of a certain lizard. Various states of fear and arousal were present, with some looking eager to impress, others looking more uncertain of their future. Despite their similarities, Moltezz vocalised her disappointment loudly.


    ¡°UGH! No! None of these are him! Half of them aren¡¯t even close. Shrimpy imitations.¡± She grumbled loudly. ¡°Still, you may serve some use. Mina, do any of these take your fancy?¡±


    Standing next to the throne, Mina twiddled her thumbs. She was still shorter than the average roamer, but had gained at least half a foot in height since her corruption. She was remarkably bustier than before, with tits that spilled out of her already stuffed corset, her skin a more blue hue than previously, and a noticeably, heavy looking bulge currently clad in jet-black leather at her pelvis. She bit her lips as she started to pick out her favourites.


    ¡°Hmm. I can see us having some fun with this lot. Do you want me to arrange the same get-up as last time, my queen?¡±


    ¡°Fetch two, five and¡­ twelve. They¡¯re the closest.¡± Moltezz ordered, curling her hands over her knees as her fiery halos for eyes burned into the retinas of the captured Marks.


    ¡°Right you are, my queen. And the rest?¡±


    ¡°For you and your girls. For all your hard work aboard this station so far.¡±


    Mina pumped her fist at her side subtly and marched down from Moltezz¡¯s stand. Her heels clicked on the black floor of the chamber, hips swaying side to side with significant swagger in her bouncy step, when her stride was suddenly interrupted.


    The goblin¡¯s body jerked. She bolted upright and slipped awkwardly, collapsing to the ground as if her spine had a will of its own.


    Moltezz raised an unimpressed eyebrow and stared at the collapsed goblin. After a few, silent seconds, Mina pulled herself up and turned to face the molten mistress, confusion and concern etched deeply into her once confident face.


    ¡°Who¡¯s messing with you now, Mina? Was it Ink?¡± A flicker of flame danced over Moltezz¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°No, my queen! I - I -¡±


    ¡°No? Then, what happened?¡± Moltezz puzzled, leaning forward in her throne.


    ¡°It¡¯s Plasia¡­ She¡¯s alive.¡±

 Chapter 8 - Disrespected

    ¡°Twenty minutes ago, every Node and Slave on the station seized up and collapsed. Every single one of them experienced the exact same phenomenon.¡± Moltezz was pacing back and forth within the  softly dimmed meeting room, with a stern expression to match her stern, strong voice. Her shoulders were unusually tense. Sat around the heavy, round table, Leech, Ink, Cherry, Plum and Bubblegum all watched her closely. Every face held a different expression; some were wearing their thoughts clearly, others, not quite so much.


    ¡°Plasia screamed inside their heads.¡± Moltezz continued. ¡°She begged for help. While I have an increasing number of questions regarding this¡­ interaction, the only one that really matters is this; do we respond?¡±


    Currently situated on the uppermost deck of Barru X, the Controllers had ordered every Mark and Node off the floor, leaving the six of them alone. Surrounded by comfy, if undersized chairs, they had a clear view of the surrounding stars through the thick pains of glass surrounding them, all of which felt like just a hand¡¯s reach away to Moltezz.


    ¡°I.. think we should help her.¡± Plum spoke up softly, rubbing her hands against her thighs. ¡°I know that most of us here have never even met her but¡­ more Controllers are better than less. And it¡¯d be nice to have more of us about.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Leave her!¡± Ink¡¯s lip curled into a snarl as she instantly snapped back. ¡°She was given our gift, and she squandered it. She should be strong enough to look after herself. If she can¡¯t, she¡¯s already a liability.¡± The monstrous Controller''s vision was glued to Moltezz, although she seemed unfazed by Ink¡¯s intense glare and was staring thoughtfully out at the stars. Upon hearing her words however, Moltezz¡¯s stare instantly snapped to Ink, the fury captured perfectly in her twisting face.


    As quickly as her temper rose, it fell, and with a brief flicker of visible confusion, her anger was quenched. She cleared her throat gently.


    ¡°...Harsh, Ink. But understandable. What about the rest of you?¡±


    ¡°Never thought I''d agree with the big-ass tentacle creep, but I kinda do.¡± Cherry said. Immediately, she felt both Bubblegum and Plum smack her back in protest. ¡°What? I do! Plasia should be fending for herself!¡±


    Bubblegum¡¯s usually happy-go-lucky demeanour had slipped dramatically off of her face, and she shook her head in disgust at Cherry¡¯s comment.


    ¡°Cherry! Asshole! If we don¡¯t look after our own, who will?! Controllers should stick together!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t respond to the ¡®creep¡¯ comment, Ink.¡± Moltezz mused, listening as the Trio bickered amongst themselves.


    ¡°Why would I care what a second-hand weakling thinks of me?¡± Ink smirked, flicking her dreadlocks dismissively.


    ¡°EXCUSE ME?!¡± Cherry stood from her chair, furious. ¡°Who the fuck you calling a weakling?!¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± Moltezz snapped her fingers, and the two settled down immediately without protest, however Cherry continued to shoot daggers at Ink from across the table.


    ¡°So, Plum and Bubblegum both vote to assist her¡­¡± Her gaze rested on Leech, who was deep in thought, gently biting on her fingernails and staring off into space. ¡°You¡¯re being unusually quiet, Leech. Share your thoughts.¡±


    ¡°I know where she is. Down to the sector.¡±


    ¡°You do¡­?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in DA territory. I KNEW those fuckers had a hand in it.¡± Leech growled, her hands curling into fists.


    ¡°The DA?¡± Plum repeated in surprise. ¡°Haven¡¯t we spent the last few weeks working out how to avoid DA territory?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, we have.¡± Moltezz murmured thoughtfully, her eyes focused on the teal-green alien, trying to read her every moment, every blink, every shift of her feet and flick of her wrists. ¡°Continue, Leech.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m not sure exactly how she did it, but it looks like Plasia was able to break through the restrictions and physical limits, into the hierclasty. We shouldn¡¯t have ever been able to hear her, or reach her; the Nodes certainly can¡¯t now, she¡¯s too far away. When Plasia sent her message, it had pin-point accurate direction encoded within it but not distance. So, every Node, in their own unique placement, felt a pull towards the same point, but from minutely different directions. I just¡­ trawled through the sensory data of enough Nodes until each line intersected at a certain point; that¡¯s where Plasia is. I¡¯m still figuring out this sensory sharing and decoding stuff, but it is bloody accurate.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­ impressive. But you still have not answered what I asked you.¡± Moltezz frowned. ¡°Although, I suppose it does answer for you, if you¡¯re thinking about where she is.¡±


    Leech clicked her tongue and stood sharply from her seat, pushing it back with a screech.


    ¡°I¡­ think we should go get her.¡±


    A smirk graced Moltezz¡¯s face as she watched Leech walk slowly to the window. She stared out through the thick glass panes, past her reflection, past the stars, to the point where the lines intersect.


    ¡°Do go on. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s an incredibly complex and compelling reason just bubbling away in that brain of yours.¡±


    ¡°Controller numbers are small, and even if you count our Slaves, Nodes and Marks, our place and impact on the universe is a small one. We¡¯re not even a faction yet, we¡¯re just not numerous enough. Two Controllers have already deserted us, and one of them is captured. That¡¯s not a good look for someone currently trying to put themselves on the map.¡± Leech spoke carefully, slowly, feeling the words roll off her tongue. ¡°I¡¯m concerned about us looking weak in the face of our enemies. We are the strongest part of the Rewritten; the Controllers. We should be feared and respected. If something is happening to Plasia, it could reflect badly on us, reveal a potential weakness, even. Do you want Plasia to be the face of the Rewritten, Moltezz?¡±


    Moltezz¡¯s smirk intensified into a mocking grin. A tense silence fell over the room as the remaining Controllers observed with a cautious interest.


    Slowly, Moltezz approached Leech, with heavy, thudding footsteps, and slapped a hand onto her shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about looking weak, my dear. Anyone who has the audacity to think that will quickly find the heat too hot to bear. Rumours can be quickly dispatched by a scolding brand. Moreover, you really shouldn¡¯t lie to me, Leech. It''s unbecoming of you.¡± She whispered teasingly, leaning in close, her breath wickedly hot on Leech¡¯s skin.


    Leech went to respond, but Moltezz pressed a single finger against her lips.


    ¡°To lie to yourself however... Unfit behaviour.¡± She pulled her finger away slowly, caressing Leech¡¯s cheek as she did so. ¡°I can tell you care about Plasia, Leech. You needn¡¯t hide that. I would imagine you feel somewhat responsible for her, after all.¡±


    Leech took a sharp breath in, but held her tongue. A few more tense seconds ached by until, eventually, the molten mistress turned away, and addressed the room again.


    ¡°Nevertheless, I think I agree with you. It''s time for a show of force. United we stand a better chance, we¡¯re about to brush shoulders with some heavier players. Recovering her alive would bolster us again, providing Leech can keep her under control. Would be good to have my concubine back, too.¡± Moltezz nodded firmly and relaxed her shoulders a little. ¡°I will leave the station in the capable hands of the Trio. Ink, you¡¯re coming with me and Leech. Gear up, we¡¯re leaving in the morning. And for goodness sake, do something about that before then.¡± Moltezz cast an almost disgusted look down at Leech¡¯s crotch, where a bulging semi had been pressing against her tight trousers ever since she and Ink had entered the room, and hadn¡¯t shown any signs of going away any time soon. ¡°I know the two of you are just desperate for some alone time, some, ugh¡­ milking.¡± Moltezz grimaced as she mimicked Leech¡¯s dialect. ¡°I am astounded that you¡¯re happy to be treated like cattle, Ink - a girl of your calibre!¡±


    ¡°It''s not all bad!¡± Bubblegum cheeped in the background. ¡°Leech runs a tight ship in her lab! Plenty of fun to be had!¡±


    She tried to hide it, but a proud grin etched its way onto Leech¡¯s face at Bubblegum¡¯s testimony, and she winked at the girl cheekily, who poked her tongue out in response, showing off her bright silver stud for just a second. To their side, Ink¡¯s tentacles flicked in annoyance as she watched the pair¡¯s interaction, but her glare at Bubblegum was intercepted by Cherry, who slid in between the two and pointed her fingers at her eyes, and then at Ink, a clear message of ¡®I¡¯m watching you¡¯ conveyed by her fierce scowl.


    ¡°UGH! Whatever!¡± Moltezz snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know. If your deal is glass, tubes and machines then so let it be, but I will burn that place to the ground before you attach anything to my body. My passion cannot be farmed. If Leech knows where Plasia is, we¡¯ll take the Radon and leave in the morning. Any objections?¡±


    The others all shook their heads, but the scowl on Ink¡¯s face remained heavy as the Controllers stood to leave. It eased slightly, only as she felt the caress of Leech¡¯s touch on her shoulder beside her.


    ¡°Good. Have your fun, prep your stuff. Bring your armaments too, we¡¯ll be fighting the DA on their home turf and I anticipate they¡¯ll be using pryst plasma weapons, so bring the best shields we have; unlike me, you¡¯re not plasma proof.¡± Moltezz mocked in a teasing fashion. ¡°See you in a few.¡±


    She and the Trio left the room, and after only a few seconds, Ink and Leech were left alone, together. Once they were sure that the others were out on ear-shot, Leech leaned over and gave the pouting giant a kiss on the neck.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t look like that. You got out-voted, so what? It happens. Besides, this will be fun!¡±


    ¡°Hmm. If you say so. But I told you! Moltezz doesn¡¯t like me. Did you see the way she looked at me when I spoke my thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I have to admit, that was strange¡­ I¡¯ve not seen her react like that before¡­¡± Leech shook her head suddenly and squeezed Ink¡¯s shoulder tight. ¡°ANYWAY, WHO GIVES A SHIT! LET''S GET YOU TO THE LAB!¡±


    An intense blush filled Ink¡¯s cheeks. One of her tentacles began to fan her freshly warmed face.


    ¡°N-Now?¡±


    ¡°Fuck yeah. We¡¯ve been flirting up a storm all day! My balls are fucking aching, aren¡¯t yours?¡±


    Leech waltzed behind Ink, who was still sitting in her chair, and placed both her hands on the girl''s neck, rubbing her muscles teasingly. Just as Ink relaxed into the shoulder rub, she felt the tip of one of her tentacles slip into Leech¡¯s mouth.


    The blush over her face intensified as she felt Leech¡¯s soft lips suck the tip teasingly, akin to how one might enjoy a cool ice lolly. The titan bolted upright in the seat, a growing bulge visible through her clothes.


    Leech wrapped her arms around the Ink¡¯s muscular midsection and hugged her from behind, and the curling embrace of Ink¡¯s tentacles pulled her closer.


    ¡°See? All it takes is a little tenta-suck and you¡¯re like putty in my hands. Muscular, fuckable putty - I gotta stop doing this. Why do I do this?! I called Diego a fuckable bomb not thirty minutes ago and still - LETS JUST GO, C¡¯MON, GET YOUR FAT BOOTY INTO MY LAB!¡± Leech pushed against the giant from behind and the two eagerly made their way through the station''s deck to Leech¡¯s labs, located not too far from the ship maintenance facility.


    Similar to her dungeon-based facility but much more expansive now, Leech¡¯s laboratories were a half-clinical, half-kinky array of whirring equipment, scribble-covered white boards, humming computers and racks of brilliant silver tools. The blend between industrial equipment and sex toys was hard to define, the two almost blending seamlessly, with spotless bone saws and knives laid next to sets of beads and anal plugs.


    Ink glanced around the room in fascination as Leech led her straight to her private quarters, her eyes landing on a slave housed in a glass chamber in one of the rooms they passed through. Metal equipment was grafted cleanly to her body, including an antenna of some kind. But there was little time to observe as Leech pulled her by the hand, already undressing on route to their playroom for the next few hours.


    *** Hazard Warning \\\-/// Level BLACK \\\-/// Caution Advised***


    ***Potentially hazardous content identified - Humiliation and Urethral play - Proceed with humility***


    By the time they reached her room, both of the czarites had stripped off to nothing, leaving their full sexual packages on display for the other to enjoy. Both of them were sexual powerhouses, dominating any room they happened to be in.


    Leech¡¯s quarters were a clinical affair, lined with white tiles and various adjustable tables and racks against the walls, which were packed to the brim with various toys. For a moment however, the two just stood in the middle of the room, staring at one another with a fierce hunger.


    Leech¡¯s figure had an almost elegant look to it, with long legs and thick thighs that were begging to be wrapped around someone''s face. Her tits were certainly heavy and full-looking, but smaller than perhaps Seeth¡¯s or Plasia¡¯s. The potential elegance of her figure was halted quite abruptly however, by the massive cock that bobbed threateningly in the air, bright emerald in colour, dripping with her numbing lube-slime that dulled the pain of those it slathered, perfect for making that ego-ending, monstrous weapon of a dick squeeze into people¡­


    Opposite her, Ink¡¯s muscular, powerful form was also standing to attention, with breasts so heavy and large they could kill a lesser person, if not handled correctly. The deep chocolate brown of her skin was complimented nicely by the dainty golden bar piercings through her large nipples. Her intoxicating figure was every bit as shapely and muscular as Leech¡¯s, and just that bit more too. It was as though someone had given her a little extra in every department. The star of the show had even Leech stood, licking her lips; despite her own girth and length she¡¯d been gifted with, Leech stood short of Ink¡¯s behemoth.


    The length of Ink¡¯s penis had a series of tantalising ridges, stopping just short of the bulbous, super-thick head that wouldn¡¯t look out of place if it was breaching a castle''s gates. It faded from the rich walnut brown to a teasing violet at its tip, not that the colour change made it look any less threatening¡­ Thick black goo had already begun to seep from its tip, dribbling down its mighty length and over her plush, watermelon-sized testicles.


    Their breath was rapidly warming the room, both of them buzzing with anticipation, jolts of excitement shooting through their bodies.


    There was a silent understanding between the two; they both knew what to do.


    Ink stood in the middle of the room, reaching towards the ceiling and grabbing onto a bar that was hanging there just for her, leaving her towering body exposed and her legs apart, allowing her dominatrix full access.


    Leech strode towards her and pressed their heavy dicks together, tip to tip, vibrating with excitement as far, far too many ideas hit her all at once. She rubbed their heads together, watching every bead of slime mix and drip between them. A breathy gasp escaped from Ink¡¯s mouth as a teasing, pleasant tingle followed every movement Leech made.


    ¡°It''s not fair, Ink. Chance gave you a dick this big¡­ but its not big enough for me to fuck.¡± Her words were followed by a spit, right onto the heavy head of Ink¡¯s cock, which she rubbed over it, in a half-loving, half-pissed fashion.


    Ink¡¯s tentacles reached up and curled around the extra ceiling supports that were provided. She stood there, quiet and willing, happy for Leech to use her as she pleased.


    Voluntary bondage.


    ¡°I fancy some humiliation play today.¡± Leech stated firmly, a wicked grin spreading wide over pretty, toxic-coloured face. Her eyes were intense and focused. Ink raised an eyebrow, concerned but excited.


    In a flurry of activity, a set of pumps were pulled out from the dark corners of the room - breast pumps to be exact. Leech showed them off briefly to her willing victim before licking around the rims of the cups with her slender, black tongue, coating them thickly with her saliva. She wasted no time and immediately pressed the cups to Ink¡¯s nipples, which were only barely able to cover her areola. The glass was cold on her skin but within seconds, a pleasant, unending, rhythmic suction played with her nipples, teasing them out further and forcefully. Each mechanically enforced suction would tug on her nipples, visibly drawing them out for just a split second.


    It was a pleasant feeling for the giantess; another black bead of precum oozed from the tip of her dick.


    Another machine was brought in front of her; she¡¯d seen this one before; it was some sort of fuck machine, custom designed to piston a toy back and forth with unending, mechanical precision, currently not equipped with anything. But Leech had never brought it in front of her before... Ink felt a weird pang of excitement vibrate through her body. For every part of this that was belittling and weird, in the presence of Leech, it was deeply, deeply enticing.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    The toxic dominatrix suddenly disappeared and reappeared in front of Ink again, carrying a rack of various coloured dildos. She placed them down and fell to her knees in front of Ink¡¯s erect, fat cock. She immediately sunk her soft, emerald lips over its bulbous head and sucked on it strongly, prompting more drips of delicious, dark chocolate-flavoured goo into her maw. A pleased growl escaped from Ink¡¯s throat as Leech grabbed the base of her cock and squeezed it tightly, hungrily. Ink only continued to hum with delight, her cock pulsing in Leech¡¯s mouth, stretching the girl''s jaw wide to accommodate for its absurd girth. Even for a nearly nine-foot tall Controller like Leech, Ink¡¯s cock was just gigantic.


    Then, a new feeling graced Ink, one that made her shiver unexpectedly. Leech¡¯s nimble tongue teased the tip of her dick, licking her urethra and pushing its way slightly inside of it. It wasn¡¯t pain she felt exactly, but it was a surreal sensation.


    Their gazes met. Ink stared down into Leech¡¯s venomous eyes, eyes that said ¡®we''re only just getting started.¡¯


    Her slim tongue pushed deeper, coating the inside of Ink¡¯s dick with saliva, meeting with the drips of pre that were slowly leaking out. The inside gripped tightly around her tongue, only prompting further excitement from Leech. A warmth filled the massive cock, and it felt oddly pleasant, but just as the giant began to moan in pleasure, Leech pulled off and stood up in front of her, grinning with pure satisfaction.


    ¡°Promise me, Ink, that you¡¯ll only let me do this to you. I want this to be our special thing.¡± Leech murmured seductively, her hand stroking the metal rack by her side.


    ¡°If anyone else tried this, I would snap them in half.¡± Ink panted back. ¡°But I¡¯ll do Anything for you.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now then¡­¡± Leech¡¯s grin intensified, showing her fangs. ¡°Who is fucking your cock?¡±


    Ink¡¯s eyes widened, suddenly realising what was about to unfold. A weird cocktail of feelings spiralled through her, but she remained where she was, curious as to what Leech would do, and only a little apprehensive.


    Leech¡¯s fingers ran over the hanging dildos of various colours, some small and thin, others heavier and thicker in their girth. Some were curved and sharp, others ridged and¡­ unusually shaped.  Her hands found their way to a distinctly plum coloured dildo, it was heavy and thick with almost bead-like thickness variations, larger than most men''s arms but smaller than the two real dicks in the room.


    She plucked it off the rack and placed the head of it against Ink¡¯s, comparing the size. Although Ink made the huge dildo look modest, a brief frot and push confirmed Leech¡¯s suspicions; the thick purple dildo merely rubbed and slipped against the tip of Ink¡¯s dick, too large to fit. The feeling on the cold rubber pressing against the lips of her cock was still enough to make Ink shiver.


    ¡°No¡­ Plum¡¯s too big. She would be a punisher, not a starter¡­ You¡¯ve been too well behaved for me to start with that¡­¡±


    She replaced the dildo on the rack and continued to dance her fingers across the rest, her fingers landing on a much smaller dildo, something more normally sized¡­ It was the smallest one on the rack with a dark grey tint, being thickest at the tip, still reasonably sized for any ordinary person but looking rather humble compared to everyone else¡¯s.


    ¡°Venter? Ohhh, now that would be something. Imagine my little lab assistant fucking your cock! Hah!¡±


    She held the base tightly and pressed the tip up against the smooth, lip-like urethral opening of Ink¡¯s dick, watching her tense up as the dildo barely pressed inside her. A deep, unusual pleasure tingled through Ink¡¯s body¡­ and yet, Leech retracted it, only teasing the entrance of her cock further by gently stroking the dildo up and down, as if she were teasing a pussy rather than a dick. The dildo looked tiny compared to Ink¡¯s meat, almost in danger of getting lost.


    ¡°No. Too small. As much as I''d love to see him actually do this to you, I wouldn¡¯t want you to snap him in half¡­¡± Leech stroked her chin thoughtfully for a couple of seconds, before her eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°Ohhh, I know¡­!¡±


    She replaced the grey dildo and reached for a cherry red one at the end of the rack, caught between the previous two dildos in terms of size. Lengthy and thick without being too large, its red surface had a sparkling shimmer to it and it was thicker in the middle than at the tip, like an elongated barrel.


    ¡°I think you know who this is¡­.¡±


    Once again, Leech seized it at the base and brought herself down to Ink¡¯s cock level, kneeling and bringing her face to the side as she aimed the tip of the synthetic dick at Ink¡¯s much larger member. Gently, she pushed them tip to tip, feeling her own cock throb in elation as gradually, Ink¡¯s dick caved in and slowly began to swallow the smaller dildo. The head slipped inside her cock in one smooth, satisfying motion and one slightly worried moan.


    Ink¡¯s tentacles tightened around the bars above her as pain and pleasure mixed. The weirdly erotic feeling of her dick being breached and used as a cock-sleeve by the only person she¡¯d ever let treat her in such a manner caused a panicked blush to spread over her face.


    Leech continued to gently work the dildo in with great care and precision, her own dick oozing fiercely as she watched the thicker midsection of the dildo push against the sides of Ink¡¯s urethra, stretching it out in a fashion that Leech found absolutely irresistible, like watching your favourite porn star¡¯s pussy get worked in by some irresistible stud.


    She worked it back and forth a few times, keeping the same pace as the breast pumps still securely locked onto Ink¡¯s heaving rack, her free hand stroking up and down the length of Ink¡¯s dick as if to say, ¡®good girl.¡¯ She placed several heartfelt kisses on the side of it, still gliding the dildo back and forth.


    She continued to work Ink, keeping the dildo moving in her lubed up cock-hole and showering the heavy body of Ink¡¯s cock with soft, loving attention, gently groping her balls, giving her love bites, wrapping her tongue around its girth. It was a soft, tender approach, gently coaxing the giant¡¯s seed from her pent up nuts, but the softness had an underlying determination: Leech would get this girl to cum, one way or another.


    More kisses were given, more tender strokes, slowly pumping the overweight length of Ink¡¯s fat cock until after a few minutes of attention, Ink gasped loudly, her abs visibly clenching. Leech pulled the dildo out smoothly to see Ink fire several large loads of jet black cum over the floor, barely missing the fuck machine in front of her.


    ¡°Oh, good girl¡­ Does the thought of Cherry using your dick like a fuck-hole turn you on? It turns me on. You like turning me on, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Ink nodded gently, briefly stretching her hands out before firmly clamping them back onto the grips above her.


    ¡°Good. But it¡¯s time to milk you now. I didn¡¯t wheel this stuff out just to tease you with it, bitch.¡±


    Leech stood from her position and wheeled the fuck-machine to Ink¡¯s front, adjusting it so that the arm lined up perfectly with Ink¡¯s dick.


    ¡°This is gonna be fun. Can you hold this position, with your legs open?¡±


    Ink nodded again, staring at the machine with a mix of fear and excitement.


    Quickly, Leech attached the now dripping dildo onto the front of the machine¡¯s arm and brought it to the tip of Ink¡¯s dick, fighting with the giantess'' cock to bring it horizontal to the machine. The grin on her face intensified as she heard Ink gasp. A light collar was fixed tightly around Ink¡¯s cock, just behind its head, and attached to the machine via a rigid pole to ensure it remained level.


    Leech quickly bent over and planted a sloppy, warm kiss on the side of Ink¡¯s dick head, leaving a bright emerald kiss mark.


    ¡°I want you to stare at that kiss on your dick and imagine that Cherry is about to fuck the ever living shit out of your cock-hole. Your dick is now her plaything, and you¡¯re powerless and weak.¡±


    Leech stood and wandered, carefree but alluringly around to Ink¡¯s rear, roughly pumping her own thick, rock hard cock with one hand and tracing a finger across her back with the other. She lined herself up against Ink¡¯s slightly purple asshole.


    ¡°And, I want you to imagine that this thick cock pumping inside your asshole is Bubblegum¡¯s. You are their plaything, nothing more.¡±


    Leech spanked Ink¡¯s shapely ass hard as the girl growled in response, but remained fixed, nodding slowly as she panted a furiously hot breath.


    ¡°Good. Have fun!¡±


    With the words uttered, the machine in front of her whirred to life, gently but firmly pushing the cherry red dildo into her trapped cock. The two dicks met with a firm kiss, before the smaller one slipped neatly but snugly into the larger one. Her cock pulsed, squeezing tightly against the collar and threatening to break free, but the bondage held, leaving her oversized cock at the mercy of the machine.


    From behind, Leech grabbed handfuls of Ink¡¯s dangling hair and pushed her thick, lubed-up cock deep into Ink¡¯s hot ass, squealing with delight as the giant moaned and clenched around her, feeling Leech¡¯s girthy monster of a manhood make short work of breaching her tight little asshole and begin milking the pleasure out of her. Leech knew how to work her hips; despite the brutish nature of her cock, it was obvious that she was an expert at manoeuvring it, and making the most of its many inches.


    The dildo at her front pushed in deep until the entire thing was inside her cock, stretching its new fuck-hole wide, her cock gripping tightly onto the intruder. Its barrel-like shape forcing Ink¡¯s pecker wide open in an invasive, demanding way, fitting for the roleplay.


    ¡°Such a massive dick you have, Ink. Perfect as a sleeve for another, much better dick.¡± Leech teased, listening to the heavy, breathy moans escaping her toy. ¡°You¡¯ve joked that your dick is big enough to eat the other dicks, seems like you should choose your words more carefully.¡±


    The machine retracted and with it, a flood of pleasure hit her. The insane feeling of ¡®Cherry¡¯s¡¯ dick invading her, the humiliation of being humbled by a much smaller, weaker cock, using her as nothing more than a cum dump, whilst ¡®Bubblegum¡¯ filled her ass to the brim, packing two foot of super thick, warm, slimed up cock deep in her... She felt Leech¡¯s balls slap against her as the dominatrix pistoned her giant dick in and out, from tip to hilt, causing Ink¡¯s tits to shake on her chest, still being fruitlessly milked by the cups that were only really there for Leech¡¯s pleasure. She rammed every pleasure centre Ink had, filling the giant''s ass with a plump, rock hard meat that seemed made to break the minds and wills of others.


    The cock-fucking in front picked up in pace, going from a slow, gentle thrust to a more deliberate fuck, pistoning in and out with a forceful, semi-aggressive nature to it. The dildo would now peak out barely from her cock-hole, breaking the seal and pushing back in fresh each time, but a delicious, seeping ooze of black cum would now leak out every time it did, only able to leave Ink¡¯s abused cock when her dick-hole was left briefly empty, before being plugged back up again, every time.


    Leech grabbed handfuls of Ink¡¯s ass and buried her pulsing cock as deep as she could into the captive giant, the feeling of Ink¡¯s hot, tight, and deep pucker able to take Leech¡¯s cock had her howling in pleasure as her balls churned and she dumped several massive lashes of green-goo cum deep into Ink¡¯s body, causing the girl¡¯s once chiselled abs forcefully bloat and stretch, now featuring a small, plump mound. A proud present from the still thrusting Leech who only took more glee from the act, feeling around the girl¡¯s mid-section to her new cum-tummy.


    ¡°A proud, expecting mummy, are you? That''s all you¡¯re good for, after all. Being someone else''s breeding bitch. If you could get pregnant, you¡¯d be Cherry¡¯s little whore, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Leech laughed, squeezing the cum hump and continuing to drive her meat deep into Ink, losing herself in ecstasy.


    A pissed growl shook the room, but it was quickly cut off by a shuddering moan as Ink came, hard. The feeling of ¡®Cherry¡¯ abusing her once prideful cock and ¡®Bubblegum¡¯ dominating her was only made palpable by Leech¡¯s infectious personality but the sweeping waves of pleasure made the experience bizarrely tolerable, even if Ink¡¯s cock was being misused.


    The dildo making a whore out of her cock was getting thoroughly soaked in her cum, every time it pulled out of her worked urethra, a gush of black love seed would spew out, soaking both it and the machine, but it did not stop, it would once again sink deep into her cock, plugging the hole tightly and stretching the sides of her dick out until it was again, pulled free and followed by another torrent of fluid, every time, without fail.


    Her shuddering, constant orgasm threatened to topple the giant but Leech grabbed around her waist and held her steady, still pumping her fat, aching, thick cock into her the girl¡¯s used asshole without mercy. Leech¡¯s own oversized nuts were rocking back and forth, slapping into Ink¡¯s and tenderising them from behind, adding yet another note of sexual control. The soft slap of their juicy balls added to the music of the room, which was mostly dominated by the plunging of Leech¡¯s huge cock in and out of Ink¡¯s ass, followed by the purr of the fuck machine which almost sounded like it was enjoying its job of pumping and plugging Ink¡¯s cock.


    Leech reached up and pushed Ink¡¯s massive tits together, squeezing them tightly.


    ¡°You gonna be a good little mummy and give us some milk today? Hmm? C¡¯mon! How are you gonna feed Cherry¡¯s litter if you can¡¯t lactate?¡± Leech taunted, aggressively groping at Ink¡¯s tits.


    She kneaded the giant''s breasts roughly, pushing them together and feeling all over their massive, soft surface, the cups on her breasts still relentlessly sucking away but much to Leech¡¯s annoyance, they did not yield so much as a drop. Despite the frustration, every suctioned pull on the giant''s nipples was music to Leech¡¯s sex addled brain.


    ¡°Pathetic. You¡¯re better off as a giant cock sleeve anyway. A urethra that big and plump is just begging for someone to put things in it. I¡¯m surprised your nipples aren¡¯t fuckable, you giant, cock-addicted, useless whore.¡±


    Leech groped her breasts aggressively again, digging her fingers into the velvet-feeling tits before eventually pulling off and slapping Ink¡¯s ass again, the cum still flowing freely from her everytime it was allowed to exit.


    She pulled on Ink¡¯s hair once again, yanking her head back as the machine purred away even faster, now pumping the completely cum covered dildo with relentless speed, making Ink¡¯s once proud dick truly feel like a used fuck-toy. The dildo slipped out and pushed back in a smooth, satisfying manner, completely lubed up by Ink¡¯s own cum.


    Suddenly, the brief pause she had to ejaculate was stolen from her. The machine pushed in deeper, fully sealing her as it stuffed her distainted cock-hole with lubed up silicon. She clenched tightly as she felt the corrupting seed attempt to leave her body, but was unable to pass by the intruder. Her dick clung tightly to the invading cock in protest and bulged against the collar pinning it down, the fabric creaking loudly as it strained against the immense surface of Ink¡¯s wang.


    Leech pistoned her fist-thick cock from tip to hilt into her ass over and over again, watching as the chubby, stout head of her manhood was eaten up swiftly by Ink¡¯s willing pucker. She dropped the dirty talk and began to relentlessly pound every single inch of cock she had into the giant, with an addiction-induced desire.


    The pleasure from Ink¡¯s stuffed ass combined with the pressure from her front. That feeling of her own gooey cum being built up, unable to break free, her balls felt full, ready to burst. Just when she thought they couldn¡¯t feel any more pent up, they got a little worse, a little more full. The collar creaked again, straining against the seemingly swelling body, but it refused to yield, keeping Ink¡¯s cock locked in place to continue being fucked relentlessly by the dildo pistoning into its soft, fuckable slit.


    Leech was working herself now, refusing to cum, edging herself to build up her own pent up climax. She would pull her dick out, panting heavily and wait for a few, endless seconds, before driving her meat straight back in and pounding Ink again, only to stop and repeat the process whenever she neared climax.


    Ink panted furiously, clenching her teeth as the pressure in her cock and balls continued to build. She was being blue-balled by that dildo that was still treating her cock like a pussy. A little more full, a little more full, it just kept building until -


    Leech pulled her cock free one final time, and rushed round to the front of Ink. In one smooth, calculated motion, she pulled the machine and the dildo away from Ink, a loud *pop* sounding out as the dildo¡¯s seal was broken. Then, she pushed the tips of their dicks together and frantically jerked both herself and Ink off.


    Leech¡¯s fat cock was far too large to penetrate Ink¡¯s still tight hole, so the two massive alien cocks pressed tightly against one-another instead, sharing a cum spewing ¡®kiss¡¯ as both girls finally let their loads loose, absolutely soaking one-another in a state of overloaded bliss. Ink unleashed a massive, furious torrent of pent up seed, Leech continued to smear and rub the tip of her dick against Ink as she painted her thighs and stomach with her seed.


    Finally, after a solid minute of ejaculating over one-other in thick lashes, they started to come down from their insane sex high, panting furiously. Slowly, Ink released her grip on the bars above her, allowing her trembling body to relax. She stumbled back and leant heavily against the wall, which felt cold on her prickling skin.


    The floor was absolutely soaked, practically flooded in their ooze, but it was already starting to drain away; although Leech loved watching Venter clean up after her escapades, he¡¯d have little time for anything else if she didn¡¯t at least put some thought into the practical design of her sex chambers.


    As Leech¡¯s breathing finally started to return to normal and the shivers running down her body lessened, she turned her toxic-green gaze over to her toy, now all used up and messy. A cheeky and satisfied grin spread across her face.


    ¡°So¡­ what do you think? You enjoy that?¡± She asked softly, almost teasingly.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ it turns out, dicks can kiss.¡± Ink breathed, still slumping in her state of euphoria.


    Leech rolled her eyes, but laughed. ¡°I think they can do a lot more than just that!¡±


    *** Hazard Warning \\\-/// Level BLACK \\\-/// Advisory End***


    *


    ¡°You¡¯re fucking obsessed, you know that? If I was him, I''d star-hop for the rest of my life to get away from you.¡±


    ¡°Mhm. You can keep your little observations regarding my personality to yourself, Venom.¡± Moltezz sighed, staring at the display in front of her.


    A pained whimper echoed from behind her.


    On the screen, two Controllers were visible, currently sitting in a cushy-looking lounge room of a night club. Despite the dim nature of the lighting, Moltezz could see several slumped figures in the background, curled over seats and draped over tables.


    The one was an androgynous, relatively monochrome Controller who struck a cutting edge between handsome and pretty, with a sharp ashen carapace crowning her copper dreadlocks. The other was a highly feminine and colourful teal-blue Controller, with a petal-like arcing carapace around her face. Soft, glossy, pursing lips and piercing midnight lilac eyes and hair, with heavenly freckles lining her cheeks giving her a breathtaking, irresistible gaze.


    ¡°Stop back-chatting me and tell me what you¡¯ve found. Rio, anything? Seeing as Venom is just mouthing off.¡± Moltezz demanded, the orange halos of her eyes intensifying the moody darkness of her private chambers.


    ¡°She¡¯s only mouthing off because she has nothing else to say.¡± The teal Controller spoke softly. ¡°Sassy is Venom¡¯s default attitude.¡±


    ¡°Another sassy Controller? Fantastic. As if Cherry and Ink weren¡¯t enough.¡± Moltezz frowned. The moaning behind her broke into a soft cry.


    ¡°Your man hasn¡¯t eloped into this area of space. He has been here previously though. The people who have encountered him speak remarkably highly of him. Something of a local hero.¡±


    ¡°Hit and miss.¡± Venom smirked. ¡°All of those who get to know him, either love him or become his enemies.¡±


    ¡°Enemies?!¡± Moltezz stood from her seat. ¡°Who?!¡±


    Venom broke into a hearty laugh. Rio next to her managed to stifle hers, but a smile creased the corners of her lips.


    ¡°Not like that. They¡¯re mostly husbands.¡±


    ¡°Either you two are terrible at explaining, or I''m missing something. Explain!¡±


    Venom shook her head dismissively. ¡°It''s mostly the husbands of women who fell for the guy, idiot! And some upstaged local mercs who had their reputation demolished by him. Turns out, half-a-job looks pretty awful compared to someone who actually gets shit done.¡±


    ¡°It would appear your goody-two-shoes love obsession has drawn the ire of those who are jealous of him, and the hatred of those who¡¯s significant others prefer him over them.¡± Rio added.


    ¡°How often has that happened?¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s kept a mostly low profile, he¡¯s not a super celebrity or anything, but where he is known, feelings over him are strong. Astoundingly strong. He leaves one hell of an impression, apparently. Mostly positive.¡±


    Moltezz ground her teeth in her jaw, her eyes narrowing.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re acting so pathetic right now, it feels like a teen drama up in here.¡± Venom rolled her eyes. ¡°The guy can have a few ex¡¯s before you, Molty. Besides, he kept it pretty professional. No unattended offspring and no actual wife-stealing.¡±


    Moltezz relaxed a little and nodded subtly. Behind her, a figure crawled into view on the floor, curled up in a ball away from her, trying to reach the door at the back of the room. The smell of burnt fur was filling the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised your man kept it together. Some of the vixens pining after him were pretty attractive. He doesn¡¯t seem to want to settle down though, either he¡¯s running from something or trying to make amends; that''s my bet.¡± Rio¡¯s eyes glanced towards the figure on the floor behind Moltezz briefly.


    ¡°Were attractive?¡± Moltezz questioned.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t stay to watch the aftermath.¡±


    Behind Moltezz, the figure collapsed onto his back, showing a massive, black, still smouldering hand-print on the centre of his chest, smoke still rising from the acrid smelling skin. He cried out in pain again, feeling weakly over his chest and wincing as his fingers fumbled over the deep burn.


    ¡°Right. But no sign of him at all?¡± Moltezz continued, ignoring the figure behind her.


    ¡°None. He didn¡¯t come this way. Trail went cold at the station. Anyway, you said Plasia has reached out?¡± Rio raised an eyebrow, nibbling on the corner of her lip. Behind her, one of the figures slumped over a table began to convulse violently, eventually sliding off the table with a bang and continuing to shake on the floor.


    ¡°Yes. I fail to see how that''s related.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not. But if you find her, thank her. We¡¯ve been thoroughly enjoying the use of her gift.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Next time I call you, I expect a sharper response. You -¡±


    The connection dropped, terminated by Venom quite obviously, leaving Moltezz frowning and holding her hands out in front of her.


    ¡°Such little respect.¡± She sighed loudly and stood from her chair, turning to face the whimpering male in the middle of the room. ¡°It''s not right. I let them prowl the galaxy as they please and this is how they talk to me? I really wish people wouldn¡¯t force me to get so heated with them. It only makes things worse for everyone else. Now, where were we?¡±


    Her hands rippled with searing heat, making the air around them wavy and distorted. To her left, a barred off, makeshift cell contained the many horrified faces of imprisoned Marks, all of whom were watching with wide-eyed, frozen horror as Moltezz approached the collapsed, isolated figure.


    ¡°Look at your exemplar, people. There is a lesson charred into his skin, one you should heed closely.¡±


    She strode towards him in her usual, confident manner, shaking the room with her presence. Her hand fixed around his neck and she hauled his naked, quivering body up effortlessly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever, EVER tell anyone that you¡¯re my favourite. I bestow that title. Me. You speak only for yourself, Mark. Never for me. NEVER!¡±


    Through the searing pain, he nodded frantically, fighting his instincts to reach for the ruby hand clasped around his throat.


    ¡°Say you understand.¡±


    ¡°I-I understand! I s-speak for myself!¡± His voice cracked repeatedly, his legs kicking as he dangled from her iron grip.


    ¡°Good. Because if it happens again¡­¡±


    The room continued to watch with bated breath as she moved her free arm under him.


    He felt a sudden warmth underneath his exposed manhood, rising in intensity. Within a matter of seconds, it went from a pleasant tingle to a near scolding pain. Moltezz held her palm flat underneath his pride, amber flames dancing on her hand, mere inches from licking his flesh.


    ¡°I will be forced to take more drastic action.¡±


    He squealed in horror and clenched his eyes shut as Moltezz¡¯s strength shifted. A tremendous pressure gripped his testicles, squeezing them tightly, her claws pressing slightly into his skin. His brain took a moment to process the situation, his nerves still catching up with his frantic panting. She¡¯d extinguished her flames,  leaving her palm hot, but not scalding. Although it was enough to renew the smell of smouldering skin in his nose.


    Sweat dripped from the Mark¡¯s forehead as he breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The molten mistress simply squeezed his genitals, before slowly letting go. She gently placed him back onto his trembling feet, staring down at him with fierce eyes.


    ¡°I will get you medical aid for your burn; I think you have learned your lesson. But I swear, I will cook your testicles and make you eat them if you disrespect me in my own chambers again.¡±


    She huffed loudly as a couple of Nodes marched into the room with medical gear strapped to their back, turning her attention back to the other Marks in the room.


    ¡°Tomorrow cannot come quickly enough. I need to find out if Plasia knows anything.¡± She paused for a second as her eyes danced over the captives, and disappointment slowly crept over her face.


    ¡°MINA! FETCH ME THE DOPPLEGANGERS!!!¡±

 Chapter 9 - Anticipation

    Jace flipped open the lid of his grey, metal lunch box, and blinked slowly as he stared down at the tightly wrapped, precisely sliced sandwiches.


    He pinched at the cling film gently with two of his large claws and tugged at it, scuffling the previously pristine plastic.


    The wind howled and rushed through his horns, and the thick, red scarf around his neck flapped violently behind him, like a flag in the punishing breeze.


    A loud, deep *buzzzzz* echoed through the air. The sound was followed by five electronic pings in his ear.


    He sighed loudly and shook his head. He raised his communicator close to his mouth.


    ¡°Tighten that aim, please. You¡¯re firing several kilograms of hyper-sonic scale-steel. That level of deviation at this range is unacceptable. Heart in the game, eyes on the target.¡±


    Jace sat upon a small wooden bench on the edge of an impressive cliff face. The sheer, vertical rock wall below him had several large hover drones lining it, shining bright red lights into the air. Below him, the turbulent waters crashed against the soft, pale sand of the beach. Thick, grey clouds hung heavy in the air, threatening rain at any moment. The grey rock face of the cliff was broken only occasionally by clinging, puffy shrubbery, growing anywhere their roots could take hold.


    Laid out on the beach was an oversized obstacle course built from freshly cut logs and surrounded by drones, all for the training Dragoon pilots to sharpen their skills on. Five mechs were stomping about on the sand, their sharp white chassis standing out against the grey of the water, but blending with the soft foam that collected at the tide¡¯s break.


    The trainee in question strode back to the start of the course. Her Dragoon stood twenty feet tall and carried a huge macro-vulcan rifle, clasped firmly in one of its powerful, metallic hands. A guide drone gave her the green light and she surged forward; the audible crunch of the sand underfoot, followed by a heaving mechanical rush as the mech sprinted forward and vaulted over the first log, placing a hand firmly on the soaking wood and leaping cleanly over the obstruction. The spray of the sea fizzled away as it landed on the grated vents on the back of the Dragoon¡¯s chassis.


    She leapt through the various obstacles in front of her. The moment she was clear, she raised the giant rifle up, its sleek body and barrel painted with orange and black stripes, firmly signalling it was a training weapon. She aimed it at the hovering drones further down the beach and slowly, the Dragoon squeezed the trigger, the same way a traditional soldier would wield and fire a rifle.


    Another loud buzz shook the beach, and Jace counted twelve pings in his ear. He nodded.


    ¡°Much better.¡±


    The Dragoons moved with a bizarre mechanical grace, caught somewhere between organic and robotic. The mannerisms of their pilots were visible in each movement, even if subtly, but they remained devoid of the little things that make a person seem¡­ alive. It didn¡¯t matter how many times he witnessed these towering metal soldiers in action however; Jace couldn¡¯t help but feel a rush of pride in his chest at the sight of the Dragoons erupting from the coastline, splashing through the waves in a mix of bubbles, foam and fusion-powered might. These machines were some of the finest feats of engineering the Draconic Alliance had ever produced, and their service record was testament to their effectiveness. There were few problems that couldn¡¯t be solved with a salvo of macro-needles from a Dragoon.


    With the training going well, he turned his attention back to the sandwich on his lap, his frown easing at the sight of the wrinkled sheet of cling film.


    He plucked at it softly and unwrapped his sandwich, before taking a slow bite.


    All the ingredients in the empire and I still can¡¯t make it taste as good as hers.


    He chewed his food in a timely, methodical manner, sighing gently to himself and casting a tired gaze over at the Dragoons. The ones standing deeper in the ocean were visible only by their headlights, shining through the water, illuminating the rising bubbles with a warm yellow glow amongst the grey, stormy depths.


    Before too long, a call came through on his communicator. Jace quickly finished his current mouthful of sandwich, dusted his hands off and accepted the call.


    ¡°Jace! It''s Theo! Where¡¯s everybody at? I¡¯m at the hanger and there''s no one here.¡±


    ¡°Dragoon training - we¡¯re at Velk bay. What''s up?¡±


    ¡°I was just wondering, did you manage to pull anything from the inspection report on the Zits I submitted a couple days ago?¡± Theo asked. He seemed to be breathing a little heavier than usual, and Jace could hear his tail scraping gently against the hangar floor in the background, as though it were swishing around restlessly.


    ¡°Nothing, I''m afraid. Their documents were clean. Everything followed compliance and I couldn¡¯t find a hint of fabrication. As per usual, Evangeline is running lean and clean.¡±


    ¡°UGH!¡± Theo growled down the line, huffing loudly in frustration. ¡°I thought that might be the case, but I was so hoping your expert eyes might find something I missed. Fucking bastards.¡±


    ¡°No such luck, I¡¯m afraid. Sorry, Theo.¡±


    ¡°Well, luck is all it is, Jace. We¡¯ll catch them out, one day, one way or another I¡¯m sure¡­ Hey! Speaking off, has anyone reached out to you?¡±


    ¡°What, about the inspection?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe so. Were you expecting someone to?¡±


    The rhargnorn didn¡¯t reply straight away. He seemed lost in thought for several long moments, which was long enough to twist the pride in Jace¡¯s chest into a knot of anxiety in his stomach; if Theo was quiet, something was probably wrong.


    ¡°Was it the student you helped out?¡± Jace pressed. ¡°I read that you renovated her, uh¡­ ¡®office,¡¯ if you could call it that.¡±


    Theo remained silent, only the quiet whistle of his nostrils could be heard.


    This is not like Theo. What in Chance is going on?


    ¡°Theo, I need you to speak your mind.¡± Jace commanded.


    ¡°I¡­ think I¡¯ve fucked up? I think? Jace, I got a dagger in my guts, metaphorically this time.¡±


    Jace straightened his back. Eyes narrowing, he placed his half eaten sandwich back in its box.


    ¡°Well, let''s talk it out. What''s troubling you?¡± Jace spoke calmly.


    ¡°That student, Mooki Rye¡­ she knew something. I didn¡¯t want to put it in the report, because, y¡¯know, Evangaline also gets a copy and she seemed stressed enough as it was¡­ the last thing I wanted was the poor girl to be challenged on something I¡¯d written, which may not have even been correct¡­ But I swear Jace, something had scared her. She was shaking, and tearing up¡­I¡¯d go as far as to say traumatised her; her eyes had that look to them, you know?¡±


    ¡°You anticipated the girl getting in touch?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Theo replied with no hesitation. ¡°I told her to keep herself safe from prying eyes, and I gave her both mine and your C-Add. She was this close to telling me but she was so anxious, Jace. I didn¡¯t want to pressure her, not after the phazire incident, but I knew she was going to message us. God-fucking-DAMN IT! I shouldn¡¯t have left her there like that, I knew something was wrong!¡± A loud clang rang out across the connection - it sounded as though Theo had just smacked his fist against the wall.


    ¡°How sure are you?¡± Jace asked firmly. ¡°How unlikely is it that she just changed her mind?¡±


    ¡°No way she changed her mind, no fucking way. Hand on heart. She saw something, and it was cutting her up.¡±


    Jace stroked his chin, deep in thought.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m happy to send her a message if you¡¯re worried about her safety. How¡­ worried are you?¡±


    ¡°Very. Jace, I want to go and check on her, now. I''m worried something¡¯s happened. I was convinced she was going to message us the second I left that station, and there''s been nothing for three days.¡±


    ¡°Then I need you to give me something so I can support that theory, Theo. If I send you back to Evangeline¡¯s station with nothing but a gut feeling, we¡¯re handing her a loaded gun if we¡¯re wrong. You saw her at Scyler¡¯s trial, you give her an inch and she¡¯ll lay a minefield in it.¡± Jace clenched his jaw as he thought back, but shook himself free of the anger after a few seconds, relaxing his shoulders as his scars twitched on his back.


    ¡°Shit¡­ SHIT.¡± Theo was frantically wracking his brains for any clue he could, the stress in his voice clearly audible. ¡°She was¡­ she was scared! She told me she was worried about an NDA agreement, and didn''t want to violate it, I couldn¡¯t get much more out of her!¡±


    Jace slowly raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Calm down, Theo. We¡¯ll get to the bottom of this. Now, you said she mentioned her NDA..? That''s unusual.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Think about it - You¡¯re telling me, hypothetically speaking of course, that she witnesses something so awful that she can¡¯t even talk about it to an RMD officer, because her biggest concern is a piece of paper she would have signed several months ago? That isn¡¯t how people react to trauma.¡± Jace stated bluntly. ¡°She would have signed that NDA months before even starting her placement on the station. No one goes around actively thinking about them. I simply do not believe that is a logical trail of thought - unless, someone conveniently reminded her of it.¡±


    ¡°You think the Zits knew she¡¯d found something?¡±


    ¡°She was working alone on the utility deck, correct? You thought she¡¯d done something wrong, perhaps broken a machine, or gotten on the bad side of her manager?¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah. They were outright punishing her.¡± Theo confirmed.


    ¡°Maybe she tattled. Maybe she found something she wasn¡¯t supposed to and raised it with management¡­ whose response was to threaten her with her NDA. Before you know it, she¡¯s conveniently working alone on the basement floors days before an inspection, and scared shitless thanks to the legal guillotine hanging over her head. You know the XITD division, Theo. They¡¯re all firmly rammed up each-other¡¯s asses, and don¡¯t appreciate people who rat on them.¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°That¡­ sounds¡­ plausible. I never considered the NDA thing.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past them, Theo; someone threatened her with it. And they wouldn¡¯t have done that unless they knew whatever it was she saw could get them in trouble. Mooki is new blood there, and hasn''t proven she can be trusted yet. Moreover, there was no mention in Evangaline¡¯s documents about an admin relocation, or a small disagreement, or even a minor accident with Mooki¡¯s name next to it. Which means, either we¡¯re vastly overstating and over-analysing what¡¯s going on here, or -¡±


    ¡°- Or they¡¯ve covered something up, and sent us false documents.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Jace paused for a second, staring out over the stormy waters of the bay.


    ¡°Theo, if I send you back out there, you must come back with something. I¡¯m putting my reputation on the line here, if you come back empty handed¡­ the next court case might be about us.¡±


    ¡°Roger that, sir. I don¡¯t think I''m wrong about this though; something has happened to her, I can feel it.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Off the record, Theo - I don¡¯t think you¡¯re wrong either. Rarely is your gut wrong. I¡¯m getting twitchy too just thinking about this. Oh, and do me a favour on your way back¡­¡±


    ¡°Mhm?¡±


    ¡°Check the sector relay for tampering. I don¡¯t think Evangeline would mess with one, but I can easily imagine that one of her little cronies might. Perhaps the student did send a message, but it never made it.¡±


    ¡°You got it. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°No. Head off as soon as you can and keep me updated on everything. If Evangeline so much as sneezes, you tell me. I¡¯ll need to react fast if we¡¯re wrong here.¡±


    ¡°If I''m wrong, Jace, I''ll take the hit. You can say I acted on my own impulse.¡±


    ¡°Whilst I appreciate the gesture, Theo, I''m your superior. And if I allow you to make bad judgement calls and act upon them, that is on me as much as it is you. We will stand shoulder to shoulder, not single file. We will bear the consequences of failure together, if it should be.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Jace. I¡¯ll drink to that, or at least I would if I wasn¡¯t about to hop in a hyper-fighter.¡± Theo¡¯s words were followed by the sound of him frantically rustling around, and that distinct sound of his metal leg clanking against the floor as he rushed about the hanger to fetch what he needed.


    ¡°Stay in touch, Theo. Let me know what happens.¡±


    ¡°You got it, thanks, Jace.¡±


    The communication ended abruptly, leaving Jace with that uncomfortable knot in his stomach. He flicked the lid of his lunch box shut; those sandwiches didn¡¯t look quite so appealing anymore.


    It''s not impossible that the student just¡­ forgot, or changed her mind, but I can¡¯t help but feel it all fits together too well. If she did rat about something potentially damaging to their cause¡­ Evangeline wouldn¡¯t dare hurt a student of the empire though, would she?


    *


    On the XITD space station, Scyler sat in his office chair alone, staring at his forearm intensely.


    Laid out in front of him was a metal tray with a bandage, a medi-gel sprayer, and a scalpel.


    He ran his small, curved claws up and down the fabric of his cuff, a bead of sweat visible on the side of his head as it slowly ran down his face.


    His eyes briefly shot up towards the door, confirming for the hundredth time that it was locked securely, and that the glass wall had been darkened to privacy mode.


    Nodding gently to himself, he exhaled slowly and rolled his sleeve back, exposing his milky, white, scaly skin. His other hand carefully reached for a scalpel, clasping it tightly between his thumb and forefinger.


    His eyes focused as he ran his middle finger up and down the exposed skin, up and down, up and down until he found it.


    A minute deformation, barely noticeable to the naked eye.


    Scalpel gripped securely, his other hand balled into a tight fist.


    His breath slow and controlled, he pressed the blade to his skin and made an incision slightly to the side of the bump in his skin. Blood immediately began to seep from the wound. Half an inch long he stopped, and quickly pressed the pointed tip into the wound, wincing in pain.


    It tapped against something hard.


    The blade caught something and, gently, he pulled it free; a small black and gold slice, barely a slither of circuitry.


    He sucked air through his teeth and quickly dropped the artefact onto the tray, reaching for the bandage and tightly binding it around his wound. Once the bleeding was halted, he quickly cleaned his arm and the object off, dabbing up the blood.


    His gaze did not stray even once from the artefact as he clamped his wrist computer back on, over the bandage.


    I wonder what they want¡­ Never thought I''d hear from them again.


    He tapped at the light controls on his desk and the room dimmed quickly, leaving only a warm, golden glow in the corners, behind the potted plants.


    Gently, he picked the device up and slipped it into a slot in his wrist computer, holding his breath as a holo screen flickered on in front of him.


    It was blank. Just a dull black colour, as if it was dead input.


    Unphased, Scyler briefly scratched his chin before grabbing the scalpel and, using its other end, gently tapped against the communicator''s keyboard.


    He took his time, calm and slow. Tapping one key after another.


    One on the one-hundredth input exactly, the screen suddenly flickered awake.


    A figure, concealed by a golden mask, with dancing flames reflected in the perfectly polished surface of its face appeared on-screen. They were dressed in pure black robes that concealed their body. The background only showed low resolution; murky brown colours with the occasional slither of brilliant blue, but it was impossible to make out further details.


    ¡°You remembered.¡± The figure croaked, its voice modulated and fuzzy.


    ¡°I would never forget.¡± Scyler whispered back, casting another nervous eye back at his office door, which was still firmly locked.


    ¡°Your dedication has been noted.¡±


    Scyler nodded, another bead of sweat seeping down his head.


    ¡°Correct me if I''m wrong, but isn¡¯t this unusual -¡±


    ¡°- It is.¡± The figure interrupted. ¡°Highly unusual. You failed. That would typically be the end of your initiation.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ may I request an explanation?¡±


    ¡°Is this not enough to satisfy you?¡± The crackly voice hissed through the speakers. ¡°Are you not grateful for the lenience we have already shown you? Do you insist on questioning us, your elders, for information you are decades away from being privy to?¡±


    Scyler took a sharp, deep breath in through his mouth, his lips quivering slightly.


    ¡°I am incredibly grateful to you all. I am humbled. But I want to understand. You have gone back on one of your strictest and infamous rules for me, and I need to know why. So, I gently request, again, an explanation.¡±


    There was a slight pause, as the cloaked figure pondered Scyler¡¯s response. Scylar¡¯s heart was beating heavily in his ears for what felt like an eternity, when the figure finally spoke.


    ¡°The unexpected circumstances surrounding your first trial resulted in several members requesting a new task for you. A second chance.¡± Although Scyler couldn¡¯t know for sure, he was almost certain he could hear a smirk as his superior spoke. ¡°Your recent actions have convinced enough of us that you deserve one. Your previous task had unexpected factors that complicated the goal.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­ very fair of you. Thank you, Minister.¡±


    ¡°Hold your gratitude, initiate. You do not know your new task.¡±


    Scyler¡¯s heart was thumping in his chest, his body buzzing with a mix of excitement and panic.


    ¡°Please. I request my task details.¡±


    ¡°You know what''s at stake, so let''s not delay. Initiate, your task is as follows -¡±


    Scyler sat forward, staring at the screen intensely, his legs bobbing up and down nervously.


    ¡°-You must plant a monitoring artefact on the personal communicator of Commander Jace Koa without being detected, or arising suspicion upon yourself or our people. In the event you succeed, we will grant access with you as a reward for your espionage, in addition to the other benefits previously discussed. Do you accept?¡±


    His heart leapt into his throat, threatening to choke him where he sat.


    ¡°I-I do.¡± He half coughed, stifling it back down.


    ¡°Good. We look forward to seeing your victory. A monitoring artefact will be left for you to retrieve in a secure location. Ensure you¡¯re not followed during its retrieval.¡±


    ¡°D-do you have any guidance, Minister?¡±


    The figure paused for a second, only the flames dancing on its golden surface confirming that the connection hadn¡¯t frozen. Scyler stumbled to find some words.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s just that Jace is ver-¡±


    ¡°- Jace is remarkably difficult to catch off guard, and extremely attentive. I never said that the task ahead of you would be an easy one. However, it is the anniversary of his daughter¡¯s death in two weeks. In his grief, you may find opportunity.¡±


    ¡°T-thank you, Minister.¡±


    ¡°Soar high, strike low, Initiate.¡±


    The connection cut immediately, and the screen flickered dull and black once more.


    As though it had been holding its breath, the room suddenly relaxed and came back to life. The privacy blinds parted to reveal the offices opposite, and the lights faded back into their bright white, usual selves. Scyler recoiled in his chair. His eyes looked lost. They darted from the floor, to the ceiling, and from wall to wall. Gently, half-shaking, he pulled his wrist computer off and plucked the chip back out. He pulled the bandage back, and slowly, painfully inserted it back into the wound. Once it was nearly back under his skin, he grabbed the medi-gel and sprayed the wound generously. He seemed distracted as the gel knit the cut back together again, with a slight fizzle.


    I have to bug Jace fucking Koa?! On the anniversary of his daughter''s death?


    Suddenly, a sly smile crept over his face as the pain in his arm faded.


    That''s filthy. I love it.


    *


    A few floors above, Evangeline stood in her own office, drumming her fingers against her breast pocket as she closely examined the lab-coat hanging in the middle of the room.


    Strung up by energy tethers, she slowly circled around it, taking in the details; brown chocolate stains on the sleeves and front, some light wear around the collar, and some pen marks on the inside of the pockets.


    Did she really spill hot chocolate on every damn lab-coat?


    The dragoness sighed in frustration, returning to her seat after a couple more rounds of the coat. Her fingers danced above her keyboard, but didn¡¯t press a single key.


    Her tongue pushed against the back of her teeth. Her eyes squinted at the screen.


    It was supposed to be a simple, easy report. A tragic accident, but just that, nothing more.


    And yet...


    Tsk. I simply wouldn¡¯t allow it to happen like that. As if such an egregious breach of common sense and security would happen on my station.


    She deleted her current entry and started afresh.


    ¡°Dearest colleagues, I am deeply saddened to report that we have lost a valued member of our team today. We - ugh!¡±


    Evangeline shook her head, glaring at the screen.


    An accident. A damned accident. On my station! I¡¯ll never live this down, the other board members will remind me of this for years, they¡¯ll think I¡¯m as graceless as the damned Yuskol! Ugh, I''ll come back to it, I need something cold and creamy.


    After just a couple of button presses, a drone was dispatched to her office. It came buzzing in through the door, carrying a selection of cakes and desserts on a silver platter.


    ¡°Leave the tray, please. I¡¯ll need all the sugar I can get to finish this.¡±


    The drone beeped in response and carefully lowered the tray onto her desk, before nimbly flying back out the way it came.


    If I get this wrong¡­ Jace will tear it to pieces. He¡¯ll have that damned rhargnorn back here too, scraping his awful tail on my floors¡­ UGH! SCYLER!


    Her long, slender claws squidged deep into a fresh cream cake.


    I¡¯ll just have to suck it up. An accident happened on my station. It happens. It was the girl¡¯s own fault anyway, clumsy little thing.


    She hummed quietly as the sweet cream hit her tongue, a nice contrast to the bitterness that has been swilling around her brain for the last few days.


    I wonder how she¡¯s doing?


    She pressed on her communicator in between mouthfuls of soft cake.


    E-16. The response was instant.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am! How can we help?¡± A XITD scientist asked promptly.


    ¡°How¡¯s our newest subject holding up?¡±


    A muffled, angry voice echoed in the background.


    ¡°She''s pretty feisty. Are you sure we shouldn¡¯t dispose of her?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not.¡±


    ¡°If you insi- HOLY SHIT SHE¡¯S BREAKING OUT!¡±


    There was a shuddering crunch, and the sharp tearing of fabric sounded across the line. She could hear shouting, and several stumbling feet before a new voice yelled out through her speakers.


    ¡°IS THAT EVANGELINE?! I¡¯M GONNA WATCH YOUR BRAIN MELT INTO GOO YOU FUCKIN¡¯ ASSHOLE, YOU¡¯RE GONNA BE MY SLAVE! YOU AREN¡¯T IMMUNE! YOU¡¯RE MINE! YOU HEAR ME, EVANGELINE?! I¡¯LL HAVE YOU BENT OVER YOUR FUCKIN¡¯ DESK, SCREAMING MY NAME BEFORE I BREAK YOU! YOU - MMGHMM-MHMM!¡± The feminine voice was suddenly muffled again, as several loud clacks rang out.


    ¡°Sorry about that, ma¡¯am. We¡¯re still figuring out the right way to keep her down. The subject has extremely elevated adrenaline levels, all the time.¡±


    As Evangeline continued to converse with her team, the muffled kicking and screaming rang through the call, with little pause for thought.


    ¡°I can imagine. I very much doubt she¡¯s happy to be there. Still, let''s continue our investigation. Has the czarite done much since her little incident?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, ma¡¯am. E-15 reports she¡¯s been quiet since we ramped up our pre-mortem research.¡±


    ¡°Mhm. How interesting.¡±


    Suddenly, the comms line fell quiet. Although it had only been muffled, the sudden absence of the scuffle in the background made Evangeline¡¯s office feel rather empty.


    ¡°Finally, a moment of peace. What¡¯s she doing?¡± Evangeline asked as she gazed out the window, considering a walk down to the lab.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am¡­ Erm¡­¡± The scientist sounded uncomfortable.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tease me like that. Tell me. I want to know.¡± She grinned eagerly.


    ¡°She¡¯s, uh¡­ stopped. She¡¯s gone completely blank, ma¡¯am. She¡¯s just staring at us.¡±


    ¡°Blank? Is that unusual?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s spent the last three days snarling, threatening us, and trying to break free, but now she¡¯s just looking around the room. Her eyes are darting all over the place, though I¡¯d describe her expression as¡­ vacant, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°She hasn''t had a seizure, has she? Or popped a blood vessel or something?¡±


    ¡°Vitals are strong. We have got some unusual brain wave activity, but to be frank we¡¯re not sure what we¡¯re looking at, or what we should be looking for. It doesn¡¯t look like anything is medically wrong with her though.¡± The scientist''s voice trembled a little as he spoke. ¡°Eek, she¡¯s looking at me now. It''s a bit unnerving, if I¡¯m honest, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Suddenly, a new call came through on Evangeline¡¯s communication line.


    ¡°The security team? Hold on, I need to take this.¡±


    She switched the channels and accepted the new call.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, we have a situation.¡± The guard spoke sternly.


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°We have an approaching ship, at high speed, heading directly towards us - showing DA serials.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit.¡± Evangeline frowned. ¡°Is it the damned RMD?! Theo can¡¯t be back already, can he?!¡±


    ¡°It is Royal Military Division, ma¡¯am -¡±


    She interrupted him with a growl from her throat, bolting upright from her seat.


    ¡°This WON¡¯T do! Not one bit! Get ready to eject the E-labs!¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am! That isn¡¯t it! You need to see this.¡±


    A holoscreen popped in front of her, and a serial code flashed into view.


    She paused and stared at the code intently, blinking twice. She went to speak, but couldn¡¯t form much more than a low croak. She tilted her head slightly and read it several more times, mouthing the characters in silence.


    ¡°That¡­ that is an RMD ship serial code. But¡­ That was¡­ That was the ship destroyed on Barru X!¡±


    ¡°Your orders, ma¡¯am?¡±


    Evangeline felt a pit open in her stomach as she turned to look out of her window, out into the void of space.


    It shouldn¡¯t have been possible - the station''s environmental conditioning was fully operational - but she could swear that the room was getting warmer¡­

 Chapter 10 - Red, Black and Blue (Part 1)

    ¡°They appear to have noticed us...¡± Leech sighed, disappointed but not particularly surprised. She stared at the space station through the thick, green-tinted glass of the Radon¡¯s cockpit. The white shell of the station was surrounded with a faint cobalt-blue bubble, rapidly saturating in colour as increasingly visible hexagons crackled to life over its transparent surface.


    Power to shields.


    It was taking every ounce of willpower she had in that moment to keep her hands from shaking. Her stomach was in knots, although whether that was because of the literal hell she was about to waltz on into, or was more due to the fact she¡¯d been on a small, fast-moving ship for three days and had spent most of that time throwing up, she couldn¡¯t say. Everything that the corruption had changed about her, everything that the corruption had taken from her, and she still got space-sick. Just one final fuck you from the universe.


    With a deep breath, Leech flicked open the transparent covers over the weapon controls, exposing the two bright, red buttons on the ship''s leather-covered yoke. After a few precision flicks of seemingly random switches on the extensive control panel in front of her, two double-barrelled cannons deployed from the front of the Radon¡¯s sleek body, aiming directly at XITD¡¯s space station.


    The hum of the reactor shifted slightly, accounting for the new drain on its supply.


    ¡°Will that work?¡± Ink leaned forward, resting over the top of the cushy pilot¡¯s chair that Leech was currently sitting in.


    Wasting no time, Leech hit the big red buttons, and the song of the Radon¡¯s cannons vibrated through the ship. Several bright, pear-coloured pulses of energy erupted from their barrels, splashing jaggedly against the station''s shields.


    Both Controllers watched closely. After several seconds, the fiery green explosions died away, to reveal the station''s shield untouched.


    ¡°Apparently not. I mean, we didn¡¯t secure this thing for its bombardment capabilities.¡± Leech sighed again, nervously, but before she could do anything else, a warning flashed up on her right. The radar flickered to life over the top of the glass surrounding her. ¡°Ahh shit! We have interceptors on route!¡±


    Ink stared up at the approaching blips on the screen blankly. Leech couldn¡¯t tell if her seemingly uninterested, unconcerned expression was due simply to her inexperience or just plain ignorance, but either way, her reaction made the anxiety already in her stomach churn worse.


    ¡°How long?¡± Moltezz called out from behind them. Her voice was stern and loud as usual, and equally unconcerned.


    ¡°One minute to contact! Do I need to start evasive manev-¡±


    ¡°You do not.¡± Moltezz replied, cutting Leech off firmly.


    The mellow hum of the ship''s interior and the slight internal panic occurring from within the cockpit was punctuated by a solid, weighty footstep of metal on metal. Ink and Leech both looked over their shoulders to see the molten mistress walking towards them, clamping a sealed mask to her face. Those gleaming, searing yellow halos for eyes shone through the darkened, featureless visor. Her shoulders and arms were covered in thick, black, metal armour which linked together via several cables to a glowing utility pack on her back. The most notable component of her array, however, was her knuckles, which had a set of glowing blue ports each, contrasting to the ruby red palms of her unprotected hands underneath them. She stopped beside a sturdy-looking ladder, which led up to a sealed hatch in the roof of the ship.


    ¡°Open the top hatch. Thanks to that Node, I know precisely where to aim. I will endeavour not to incinerate either her or Plasia, as we agreed.¡±


    ¡°You both remember the plan? Ink, you¡¯re heading down to the basement levels, we have our Nodes on the ship to keep her running whilst we board. Molt-¡±


    ¡°Leech, please.¡± Moltezz interrupted again. ¡°Just follow my lead -¡± Moltezz smirked behind her visor, gracefully lifting her foot onto the first rung -


    ¡°- and you¡¯ll survive this just fine.¡±


    *


    ¡°Shields at ninety nine-point-nine-eight percent, Ma¡¯am! Should be completely regenerated within a few seconds. Local interceptors due to hit within forty seconds.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± Evangeline nodded from behind her desk, rising from her seat to view the aggressing ship from her window. ¡°I very much look forward to seeing that piece of scrap torn apart for daring to attack us.¡± She scoffed, tutting loudly. ¡°What are they thinking? And to take the black box from our fallen craft too, assumingly to try and sneak their way in¡­ honestly, it¡¯s just a thoughtless, inept strategy.¡±


    She tapped gently against the window and a holoscreen display appeared before her. She swept her fingers across it, and the display smoothly zoomed in on the ship as it was scanned by the station''s equipment. A small grin was creeping over her face, when something caught her attention.


    Someone was emerging from inside the craft. They stood on top of the ship, arms folded, and glaring directly at the station.


    ¡°Oh how quaint. A surrender perhaps?¡± She laughed quietly to herself. ¡°Denied.¡±


    ¡°Interceptors entering local space, fifteen seconds, Ma¡¯am.¡± Her security detail updated through her comms again.


    Evangeline¡¯s eyes were glued to the figure standing on the ship, watching her every movement with deep curiosity as the computer scanned and cleaned up the resolution. Her tongue briefly licked the corners of her lips.


    The lightning blue trail of the interceptor engines bolted onto the horizon, rapidly homing in on the intruding ship from opposite flanks. There was no getting away now.


    The figure slowly, gracefully unfolded her arms, and raised them out either side of her, fists clenched, aimed towards the approaching interceptors.


    Do your worst.


    A bright blue flash stung Evangeline¡¯s eyes as Moltezz uncurled her fists and two massive beams of cerulean energy erupted through space like a pair of flaming lances, spearing through both interceptors instantly. The attack was swift, the consequences immediate; the ships were reduced to nothing, the orange embers of their hull spraying out into the dark, black void.


    The comms lines filled with a panicked chatter of the guards as Evangeline struggled to pick up her jaw.


    ¡°INTERCEPTORS ARE DOWN!¡±


    The figure turned back to the station. She didn¡¯t know how - their attacker was still miles away, and there were hundreds of windows besides hers on this floor alone, but she could feel her gaze, unflinching, unwavering, directly on her.


    ¡°Shields at one-hundred-percent. We¡¯re fortifying the docks; prepare to board!¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, may I suggest a relocation to the station''s panic room?¡± A guard had suddenly appeared in Evangeline¡¯s office, completely unnoticed as she watched the ship draw closer. She jumped slightly, but quickly composed herself and turned as he continued to speak.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be under much -¡±


    A blinding, magnesium flash cut his sentence short, carving his jet-black silhouette into the glass behind.


    The guard screamed from deep in his throat, he clutched at his face and braced himself against the wall. His world had suddenly been thrown into total darkness, as his eyes burned.


    Evangeline snapped her fingers, causing the window to tint and she spun back around to face this latest attack. She felt a wave of panic shiver through her scales as she realised what the figure had unleashed.


    A curling volley of white, comet-like missiles were closing in, spreading out through the void of space like the brilliant burning fangs of a cosmic beast, biting down on the station. Her station.


    They collided with the shield in a series of trembling explosions that shook everyone on board to their core.


    ¡°Medic to my office immediately! Shield status?¡± Evangeline barked into her comms device.


    ¡°SIXTY-FIVE PERCENT, MA¡¯AM!¡±


    ¡°Sixty¡­ five?¡±


    The hexagonal shimmer of the bubble shield was already starting to crack. The once stable, blue sheen that protected their base was now flickering, far more violently than just a few seconds ago.


    Her heart thumped in her chest as she raised her arm to shield her eyes from several more near-blinding flashes, erupting from the figure in spectacular fashion. The cosmic skyline was bleached a pure white with the sheer amount of energy on display.


    The station began to shake violently, nearly knocking Evangeline off of her feet, but her stumble was caught by another guard who pulled her out of her office. Evangeline couldn¡¯t help herself; as they made to leave, she turned and watched through her office window as the new round of missiles peppered the station''s shield, cracking through it cleanly.


    ¡°SHIELDS AT thirty-five - fifteen - SHIELDS DOWN! BRACE!¡±


    The bubble shield popped. A deep groan vibrated through the floor from the station¡¯s reactor.


    Evangeline braced herself, tensed her body for what was surely mere milliseconds away - the complete and total destruction of her work, her livelihood, her station, and the loss of thousands of lives¡­


    But the remaining projectiles curved away from the station. They missed. Barely missed, but still¡­ Moments later, several more flashes of explosive white light erupted across the darkness, so they must have hit something.


    Evangeline¡¯s brain was working overdrive. There was so much to calculate, comprehend, so much that simply didn¡¯t make sense¡­ She stood in a daze as a small squadron of guards formed around her person and forcibly removed her from her office. Finally, she came to her senses, her world snapped back into focus and she quickly moved with her escorts, towards the emergency hangar, when a loud crash shuddered through their feet.


    Something else had hit the station.


    A second impact sounded, this one louder, closer, shaking several of the guards violently.


    Then one more.


    The walls behind them heaved and bulged outwards.


    Evangeline watched in awe and horror as her office was hit. The corridor filled with shredding metal and glass, followed immediately by the forcible pull of the vacuum of space from the breach. Everyone in the corridor was sent stumbling backwards, just for a few paces before the station''s reactionary shield kicked in, preserving their environment and stopping the vacuum pull. Shards of pulverised glass had punctured Evangeline¡¯s wings, and bright red blood was seeping down her black and white form. Luckily, the rest of her body had been physically protected by the guards around her.


    The ringing in her ears was drowning out the sudden, frantic alarm that was sounding out over the entire station. Evangeline, unsteady but never one to be stopped, found her way to her feet, and the guards pushed her forward, towards the next security door.


    ¡°S-Status report¡­?¡± She stuttered.


    Her comms line crackled for a few seconds like an eerie silence, but after a few seconds, a small bleep played and the same guard from before replied.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am. They''ve taken out the utility deck, comms centre and your office; we¡¯re on local lines only.¡± The guard paused, her voice shaking as she continued. ¡°They''ve also bombarded the dorm-barges¡­ they¡¯re all gone, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°All the dorms?!¡± Evangeline visibly stumbled, her eyes bolting open wide with shock.


    ¡°Y-yes, ma¡¯am. We can¡¯t see any survivors¡­ We recommend immediate evacuation with what ships we still have docked. Environmental regulation is disabled as well, we only have what is stored in the tanks.¡±


    The dragoness¡¯ firm expression faltered for just a second. Her breath felt like lead in her lungs, but she knew she had to keep it together.


    ¡°Confirmed, get everyone off the station. Are our attackers still firing?¡±


    ¡°Negative ma¡¯am, they appear to be getting ready to board. Top-side figure is¡­¡± The guard stopped, desperately trying to comprehend what she was seeing.


    ¡°STOP FUCKING WITH ME AND JUST COME OUT WITH IT!¡± Evangeline yelled, the stress visible on her face and AUDIBLE in her voice as her surrounding guards plucked glass out of their armour, and sprayed her bleeding wings down with medi-gel. It clung to her wings in thick cyan blobs. ¡°WHAT DO YOU SEE?!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re about to land, ma¡¯am. They¡¯re heading directly for your office! The ship is landing at the communication centre breach!¡±


    The words were followed by two bright amber jets behind them, lighting up the ruined office and exposed corridor with what looked like the roaring flames of a jet engine.


    *CLOMP*


    Evangeline froze.


    A pair of heavy feet landed firmly on the creaking metal floor.


    ¡°Oh, Evangeline?¡± A regal voice called out mockingly. ¡°A little Mook asked me to pop by and introduce myself.¡±


    Moltezz strode out into the corridor. She was immediately greeted by several vulcan rifles aiming directly at her from down the corridor, as Evangeline was hurried through a security door, they locked eyes for just a moment, one pair filled with fire and rage, another icy and cold. The security door clunked shut, leaving Moltezz alone with the cornered escorts. A grin stretched over the mistress'' face as she caught sight of the dragoness¡¯ increasingly terrified expression.


    ¡°There you are! I¡¯m so looking forward to the feel of your ash against my skin, against my tongue.¡±


    The tension broke and the corridor suddenly filled with the vicious *BUZZ* of the vulcan rifles, soldiers emptying their magazines of razor sharp, hypersonic needles into the intruder. And yet Moltezz stood, unharmed, each needle burning away into a mere spark as it approached. They may as well have been firing little sparklers at her.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Standard needle munitions ineffective due to heat shielding! Advise the guards to upscale their calibre, deploy cryo units.¡± The squad leader called out, standing taller than the rest of his troop. ¡°Fall back and re-equip! I''ll hold her.¡±


    Moltezz¡¯s burning eyes stared down at the lead guard, visibly amused by his words.


    He unsheathed a silver blade from his back, curved and wickedly sharp. He briefly straightened his back out and made to stare her down right back, before charging down the corridor at their towering intruder.


    He swung high, his blade cutting through the dangling wires and loose metal of the station¡¯s once-inner circuitry with ease, but his slash was immediately halted. A blast of heat from one of her palms erased his sword hand, her other palm struck him in the stomach-


    *BANG*


    The guard¡¯s liquified insides exploded out of his spine, burning furiously as his legs and torso were separated in a single, explosive strike. The other guards unleashed another volley of Vulcan fire, desperately but again, fruitlessly. The stress was easily visible in their sunken eyes and worn brows as Moltezz clapped her fists together, causing an explosive shockwave to ripple through the corridor.


    The deafening thunderclap filled the air and, just like that, the guards were no more. They had been reduced to a liquid slurry of melting scales and armour. The once pristine white tiles of the corridor were now a smouldering charcoal, as the station''s insides began to warp under her heat.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to take a lot more than that, Evangeline, darling.¡±


    *


    Leech hugged the station walls tightly as she made her way up through the space station. She was wearing a black combat-modified lab-coat, with a thick utility belt around her waist. Her body was surprisingly unarmoured, aside from a flak plate over her chest. She knew fully well that the scavenged nomad armour they had access to would have only served in weighing her down; the DA¡¯s vulcan weapons were brutally effective versus physical armour. Her hands were clasped tightly around the warm handles of her custom-built weapon. The rounded, brushed metal handle was slipping slightly against her palm as she tried to maintain her grip.


    I¡¯m rubberising this bloody handle when I get back - less slippage. Daft.


    Her portable laser cannon was long and unwieldy in the tight corridors of the station, its barrel hard to move quickly, but the effectiveness of the weapon was undeniable. A guard stumbled out into the corridor ahead of her, looking back over his shoulder. As his head turned, he stumbled to a stop, locking eyes with her and fumbling for his vulcan rifle.


    A searing beam of amber erupted from the front of her weapon with an aggressive hum, cutting straight through the metallic scale armour, and the flesh inside. He fell with two distinct thumps, steam rising from the precision cut. A cloud of toxic smoke began to seep out from a fresh, gaping hole in the wall behind the guard¡¯s body with a sharp hiss.


    Leech pushed on through before pausing again, as the corridor opened into a blind junction. There was noise coming from all around her. Hundreds of steps of footsteps were moving towards the back of the station, towards the escape pods. Faint but piercing, she could also hear the distant boom of Moltezz¡¯s laugh, echoing throughout.


    Moments later, the entire station shook, threatening to bring Leech to her knees. She steadied herself against the wall and, as the shaking subsided, reached for something clipped to her belt.


    It was a severed Slave''s head, functional and very much alive, despite the obvious lack of organs or anything else really, that the average person needs to stay alive. The head had been attached with a surgical presion onto a new, robotic spider body, the neck cleanly sealed to the chassis underneath. Its hungry eyes were still constantly flitting about, searching for victims, despite the obvious lack of any meaningful way to spread its corruption. Unfortunately, the final execution of Leech¡¯s¡­ creation was actually rather crude. The head was far too large for its body, and no amount of precision cybernetics could disguise the fact that this was simply a severed head with spider legs, even if it was impressive on a technical and biological level. She held it out at arm¡¯s length in front of her by a thin slither of cable, similar to how one might hold a lantern.


    Carefully, Leech inched it around the corner, just enough so that one of its eyes, and as such her own, could look around without physically exposing herself.


    Ah shit¡­ Ten guards, all in full tactical gear blocking that stupid door, and aiming down here of course! If I try to cross in front of them, I¡¯ll get torn apart.


    Sweat was beading down her forehead. She quickly wiped it away with the palm of her free hand, but she wasn¡¯t fooling anyone; her breathing was fast and heavy, her legs were trembling slightly, and the stress in her eyes was plain as day.


    I am way out of my comfort zone here. What the fuck am I doing, this isn¡¯t my thing, this is Seeth¡¯s thing! Seeth is supposed to go charging into chaotic and dangerous situations, whilst I sit back and judge her for it as she inevitably gets her ass kicked¡­ Oh fuck.


    ¡°~Moltezz! I need some back-up! I can¡¯t carry on without being gunned down. Look at this shit!~¡± She shook the Slave¡¯s head impatiently.


    Leech waited a few seconds for a response, but nothing came back through the hierclasty.


    ¡°~Moltezz?~¡±


    Suddenly there was a commotion from down the corridor.


    Leech watched through the Slave¡¯s eyes as the guards scrambled away from the centre of the room, their perfect formation broken as the ceiling above began to glow bright orange, the room billowing with an unbearable heat.


    That¡¯ll do!


    Leech gripped her laser tightly, clipping the head back onto her belt and charging across the corridor to the other side. She made across and pressed back against the wall out of the line of fire of the guards.


    Or so she¡¯d thought.


    Searing pain filled her arm as the unmistakable *BRRRR* of a vulcan rifle rang through her ears.


    She glanced down at her arm, then back towards the corridor, then immediately shot back to her arm, eyes wide with shock. Her forearm was barely clinging on; both her bicep, and the purple black crystalline bone within, had been completely shredded.


    OH SHIT!


    Moments later her damaged arm had gone numb. The last remaining strands of muscle, tissue and skin tore and peeled away, and the limb fell from her body with a wet thud as it hit the floor. Her laser cannon clattered to the ground with it. For once, she was left utterly speechless.


    M-MY ARM¡­! FUCK!


    She ducked down with a yelp as the sound of the vulcan rife rang out again. She fumbled on her belt for her medi-spray, and quickly and generously sprayed over the oozing wound, halting the relentless flow of blood and goo from the shredded muscle.


    The station was shaking again, and Leech lost her balance this time. She fell back against the wall, her eyes transfixed at the site of her twitching, severed arm, splattering across the floor. Words continued to fail to find a way to her mouth.


    Their needles cut through bone¡­ which means my carapace and armour won¡¯t protect me¡­ SHIT! I¡¯ll never make it to the labs if I keep hitting pockets of guards!


    ¡°~MOLTEZZ, YOU NEED TO PULL MORE OF THEM!~¡±


    *


    Evangeline and a refreshed crew of escorts quickly pushed their way through the station, marching underside towards the lifeboats.


    Every few steps they took were accompanied with an explosive shudder. The dragoness winced at every one as she pictured the damage to her station, to her people. The distant cackle of their assailant seemed to follow them, no matter how far across the station they went.


    Their march was barely short of running, and it didn¡¯t take them too long to reach the lifeboat dock. The lifeboats were dark, sleek, well armoured spacecrafts, designed to hold and protect around a couple of hundred people each. They made the most out of every inch of space within them, so they felt a little cramped inside, but it was a small price to pay for the safety they provided. Five of them were docked ready to be fired - literally - from the station when required. Evangline was immediately led towards the biggest, centremost one. Moments later, she was being pushed down into a comfy, if snug chair, and several safety belts strung across her body. She blinked rapidly as her eyes adjusted the surprisingly dim interior of the lifeboat.


    ¡°Your orders, Ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t launch until we absolutely need to.¡± Evangeline fought hard against the panic rising in her chest and her voice remained calm, if a little louder than usual. ¡°Show me the intruders.¡±


    Several holo-screens flickered on around her, projected from the ceiling of the lifeboat.


    The first showed a stumbling XITD guard in one of the many, many white corridors on the station.


    A bullet slammed into his shoulder, knocking his rifle out of his hands. Several more shots followed in rapid succession, thumping hard against his armour. They didn¡¯t penetrate the metallic scales of his suit, and only succeeded in making him fall over as he desperately reached for his weapon.


    ¡°Where is that?¡±


    ¡°Server room door, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Several more shots collided with him, each one sure to leave a bruise, but none of them causing any real injury to his body. The data feeds indicated that he was alone down there.


    The gunfire halted and the guard tried to pick himself up, clutching at the many points of impact when a new figure stomped into view, taking up most of the camera''s view, her long, numerous tentacles licking at the walls as she stomped towards the guard. Evangeline¡¯s eye twitched slightly as she stared at the thick, black trails dripping down her walls by the intruder.


    She tossed an oversized handgun to the ground and reached down to grab the guard instead, who went for a knife on his thigh but fumbled as the czarite hauled him up in the air, and immediately slammed him down into the floor, repeatedly. The crack of shattering bone and screaming sounded through the lifeboat¡¯s speakers with a disturbing clarity. The sound was only drowned by an annoyed growl from the alien as she pulverised him in several, clumsy slams, reducing the poor man to near liquid in his armour. His body had fallen limp after the second pound but she continued to pulverise him, denting the floors with his face.


    Such violence¡­ my poor guards. Ugh, I don¡¯t want to watch this anymore.


    She swiped at the screen, scrolling through her CCTV feeds until she landed on a distant shot of another czarite, who seemed to be stripping down her laser cannon with a single arm, a tool of some kind gripped between her teeth. She watched the czarite intently for a few moments, when something else caught her eye, staring back at the camera directly with its two beady little eyes.


    Evangeline shivered in her seat.


    I-Is that a head?! Mounted on a spider drone architectu- WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?! At least someone shot this one¡¯s arm off, with any luck she¡¯ll just bleed out now.


    ¡°W-Where is this one?¡± Evangline asked, desperately trying to mask her growing anxiety.


    ¡°Below the E-labs, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Below? Didn¡¯t she board at the comms centre?! Did we scramble the signage around the station?¡±


    ¡°As per standard procedure, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    This can¡¯t be a coincidence. How did she know where to go so precisely? Has someone been feeding them information? Have¡­ they..?


    Evangeline paused, lost in thought  for a few seconds before swiping through the rest of the cameras, all of which were blank.


    ¡°What''s happened to these?¡±


    ¡°Destroyed, Ma¡¯am. We can¡¯t get a good visual on the other intruder. We think she¡¯s right in the middle of the station, likely heading to the reactor.¡±


    ¡°Reinforce the reactor immediately; we¡¯re still evacuating.¡± Evangeline commanded. ¡°I want as many people off this station as possible.¡±


    As she spoke, more XITD personnel began to shuffle their way onto the lifeboat, strapping themselves into seats around her. She couldn¡¯t help but notice a particular agent sitting down right next to her, pulling the straps across his milky white body¡­


    ¡°Scyler.¡±


    ¡°Evangeline.¡±


    They sat for a few brief, silent seconds as he clicked the straps into their locks.


    ¡°This had better not have anything to do with you, Scyler.¡±


    *


    ¡°~Are you moving again, Leech?~¡± Moltezz asked, flinging another scattered handful of firebolts down the empty corridor behind her.


    ¡°~Y-Yeah. I¡¯ve, uh, had to remodel my weapon - only just fucking built the damn thing too - but I¡¯m on route to the E-labs. There were guards ahead of me but they¡¯ve moved, I think they¡¯re heading towards the reactor.¡±


    ¡°~Good, then my rouse has worked. I''ll reduce them to slag. Now, we¡¯re on the clock so get your butt moving, darling.~¡±


    The firebolts bounced repeatedly off the walls, up and down the corridor, leaving scorch marks with every impact. There was no getting past, the corridor had become an impassable wall of bouncy fire, threatening to melt the skin off anyone who dared approach.


    Despite the carnage around her, Moltezz was keenly in-tune with her surroundings, feeling the body-heat of the various soldiers close by, cowering in choke points as they waited for their turn to face the molten mistress. She strode down the corridor and stopped in front of a closed set of blast doors. She could feel an abundance of heat from inside.


    There must be at least fifty guards in there¡­ Wonderful! Hmm¡­ What is this place, then?


    She looked up at the sign above the door, but its electronic lettering was scrambled.


    Hmm. Based on that Node''s memories, I believe this is the lunch hall¡­?


    It took only the briefest of moments for her to confirm.


    It is! There¡¯s only the emergency life bay behind it, nothing too important¡­ So vastly irritating that I must stride a narrow line between killing enough personnel to draw their attention, but not too many as to truly piss the DA off¡­ Well, I can think of no finer way to dispose of these mutts in tune with their surroundings.


    She pressed the unarmoured palm of her hand against the door, the curve of her grin rising in time with the clicking and warp of the metal as it began to glow a bright orange.


    It started with a single scream, muffled behind the door, then suddenly a chorus of kindred agony erupted from the other side. Several bursts of needles shot through the walls fruitlessly, either missing and punching into the wall behind her, or melting away before even coming close to her.


    She pumped more heat into the room. The door sagged in its frame, coming away from the wall in sloppy chunks. The volleys of desperate retaliatory vulcan fire began to die off, followed by many, many muffled thumps.


    After a few more seconds later the door gave out completely, collapsing into the mess hall as molten slag, taking most of its ruined frame with it. Moltezz briefly peered inside. The air was wavey and painfully dry. The soldiers were gone, slumped over their makeshift cover, stone still. Their faces were wet with their own melting flesh.


    She turned and continued on down the corridor, satisfied.


    Not too long into Moltezz¡¯s continuing rampage, she felt the warmth of another large group of guards somewhere ahead, seemingly waiting in ambush. She could hear the faint hum of their environmental shields.


    She was half way down another blank corridor when a guard jumped out at her. The guard was wielding a pressurised sprayer and wearing a gas mask over her face, to protect herself from whatever she was carrying inside the tank of milky blue fluid on her back.


    She pulled the trigger and unleashed a thick jet of icey fluid, which collided with Moltezz¡¯s heat shield to create a massive blast of billowing steam with a furious hiss. The corridor was immediately blanketed in a cloud of steam. A second guard, equipped with the same gear, jumped out from behind and followed suit.


    The steam made it impossible for Moltezz to see, but she could hear more guards arriving to help, their eyes landing on her, kneeling beside their allies and firing their own jets at her, the room was thick and heavy with water vapour as a stormy haze was unleashed around her.


    Through the steam, Moltezz¡¯s heat shield flickered. A jagged hole appeared at around her knee height, visible to the guards even through the fog. It closed after just a second, but more sprayers quickly arrived, now fully surrounding the mistress on both sides.


    ¡°KEEP FIRING! WE NEED MORE TANKS! HER SHIELD IS FAILING!¡±


    More jets sprayed at her and the hole appeared again. Like a bullet hole in glass, new ones began to open up, as her shield appeared to be cracking.


    *CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK*


    Several Vulcan pistols opened fire through the fog, but their needles still burned away, unable to harm the giant alien but getting closer to Moltezz than before.


    ¡°STILL NOT ENOUGH! WE NEED MORE! QUICKLY!¡±


    But just as the soldiers seemed to be getting the upper hand, just as they seemed to be holding an edge over their pursuer¡­ the steam began to swirl.


    A sudden, ominous buzz drowned out the hiss that had filled the soldier¡¯s ears since their cryo ambush, and a black orb materialised, as if from nowhere, between them and the mistress. It started sucking the steam into it faster than the cryo jets could fire, and as the fog began to pull away, the guards could see the alien¡¯s armoured hands hovering around the orb, almost cradling it.


    ¡°A valiant attempt¡­ scum.¡±


    The orb suddenly collapsed with a deafening *BURRRR* and a beam of nightmarish energy erupted from it in a brilliant black flash. In the blink of an eye, the guards in its way were just¡­ gone, nothing but some scattered remnants in the air and over the floor, barely more than a whisper of ash. It was as if they¡¯d never existed in the first place, but the blackened walls and angry clouds of copper vapour erupting from the cracks in them was evidence enough of her assault.


    The guards behind her stumbled backwards, their cryo jets still honed on her in sheer desperation.


    ¡°You still won¡¯t yield? Please. You¡¯re thoroughly out-classed here. Allow me to show you.¡±


    She raised her hand up, her palm facing towards them.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t run. Commit to your decision.¡±


    Searing heat began to encroach down the corridor, battling with the jets of icey fluid. As the fluid impacted the wall of heat, it hissed violently into superheated steam.


    The guards looked on in horror as the wall of steam approached them slowly, creeping down the corridor inch by inch.


    ¡°Hold your ground! We need to buy time!¡±


    The wall crept closer, completely concealing Moltezz from view, but still the soldiers kept their sprayers up, increasing the flow as their tanks quickly drained, but it did nothing to impede the creeping fog wall.


    The most forward member of the squad, kneeling at the front, shuffled backwards slightly as the wall of steam licked at her boots.


    ¡°Hold!¡±


    The wall pushed forward again, and it swallowed the girl in front, her environmental shield cracking and failing with a blue flash as soon as her silhouette was eaten.


    Through her lenses, all she could see was red hell.


    ¡°HOLD!¡±


    The rest of the squad were slowly consumed by the fog, their weapons spluttering to a stop as the cryo fluid now hissed from the nozzle as steam. The girl in the front began to desperately flail, clawing at the tanks on her back as the metal began to glow, the rubber of her mask ran down her armour in thick black lines. She pulled the emergency release strap on her equipment, hoping the tank would fall to the ground, but it remained fixed to her - fused to her skin. A jet of gas erupted from the tank with a rising squeal, the glass cracking as her screams began to battle with the horrendous cacophony of noise to be heard.


    The other squad members made to copy her, and pulled their emergency release straps, but their suffering was cut short as the girl¡¯s tank exploded, showering her team with hot, molten shrapnel, cutting through them like hot coal through paper. In the spots where they were killed, their boots remained fused to the floor.


    The entire corridor was left sagging and melting. Moltezz remained where she was stood, palm up and grinning as the ceiling began to drip onto the floor. Her shield was already back to full integrity.


    She spun around on her toes and continued her journey as if nothing had happened, slamming her gauntlets together with a sharp metallic *crack* and scattering more firebolts into the surrounding corridors as the station''s blaring sirens began to warp and pitch shift, her grin wider than ever.


    *


    ¡°Ma¡¯am! There is a new ship on approach, a DA hyper fighter; we think it''s parked up at your office!¡±


    The lifeboat was now full of XITD staff, all of them strapped in and clearly shaken. Evangeline sat at the front, with some room to command her staff.


    ¡°Oh, fantastic! This is great! Someone else wants a piece of us?! Forget them! How many people are left on the station?!¡±


    ¡°We still have a sizable amount of staff left aboard, but they cannot proceed. The psyker has left traps that they cannot pass, and she¡¯s destroyed key sections of the middle deck that leaves other routes impossible. The cafeteria is still showing an internal temperature of over a thousand degrees, so we cannot get any staff through there. That only leaves the maintenance pathways to the side, which have severely limited through-put.¡±


    ¡°Well get them through there! We¡¯re on the clock! She¡¯s going for the reactor!¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, we can¡¯t, we-¡±


    ¡°Wait. Wait¡­ Why is she going for the reactor¡­?¡±


    The guard¡¯s response drained away as Evangeline contemplated her own words.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Assailants will usually only attack the reactor if they lack the bombardment capabilities to destroy their target outright, but she clearly has the firepower to destroy us¡­ Why would she board us, to then threaten us all with a reactor attack? It''s like boarding to plant a bomb when you have a damned psyonic missile battery ready to fire! Just fire the missiles! They have exposed themselves for a reason.¡± The dragoness spun around in her seat to face Scyler. ¡°Why do I feel like this has something to do with you?! This isn¡¯t a random attack at all is it?!¡± Her temper rose sharply as she addressed him.


    The guards around her looked at her as if she was going insane, but the cogs in Evangeline¡¯s head were spinning, putting the pieces together.


    ¡°That ultra-class psyker on Barru-X, what did she look like!? Is this her?!¡±


    ¡°I-I haven¡¯t seen¡­ Big, red czarite?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Big! Red! Amber eyes with white rings!¡±


    ¡°Sounds like her!¡± Scyler nodded, cautiously. He¡¯d never seen Evangeline lose her temper before, and he wasn¡¯t sure what to expect.


    Evangeline leaned over, pulling at the belts strapped over her until she was right up in Scyler¡¯s face, a growl audible in her breath.


    ¡°WHY IS SHE ON MY STATION, SCYLER?!¡± Evangeline screamed. Her voice reached even the personnel at the back of the lifeboat, over the blaring alarms in the background.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know!¡± He yelped back, squirming in his seat.


    ¡°DID YOU LEAVE ANYTHING THAT COULD BE TRACED TO US?!?¡±


    ¡°N-Nothing!¡±


    ¡°You mark my fucking words, Scyler, I KNOW this had something to do with you and that damned student!¡± She jabbed a finger into his chest, hard. ¡°The dorm ships are destroyed and ninety percent of my staff are going to die, melted to the fucking floor by some hell-bitch who you have a personal history with!¡±


    ¡°Evangeline, I swear to you, I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s here!¡± Scyler pleaded, genuinely upset and a little bit fearful.


    Evangeline was screaming at the top of her lungs, her claws digging into the armrest of her chair. ¡°IT''S BEEN LESS THAN A WEEK SINCE MOOKI WAS CORRUPTED! We¡¯ve had nothing for six months! But only days after you shove your beak in, they¡¯re here, knocking down our door!¡±

 Chapter 11 - Red, Black and Blue (Part 2)

    Crisis module activated.


    Elevated voice detected, enhancing profile. Assistance may be required. Processing:


    *zzzt* ¡°LESS THAN A WEEK SINCE MOOKI WAS CORRUPTED¡± *zzzt*


    Detected south of your current position, approximately two-hundred and fifty metres. According to station schematics, this area is designated as the emergency lifeboat bay. Voice profile matches that of XITD station head administrator - Evangeline Caizer.


    No further voices detected in the vicinity.


    Theo hushed the AI operator with a quick tap on his gauntlet. He paused and stared around the remnants of Evangeliene¡¯s office, taking it all in, trying to process what he¡¯d just heard.


    ¡°Since what?¡±


    Guilt chilled him to his bones. He rubbed his hands down his face, which was riddled with stress, and tried to keep calm. The gentle buzzing sound from the crisis module attached to his arm brought him out of his thoughts, and helped him focus his attention back to the rapidly deteriorating station around him. The melted corpses of XITD guards were visible in any and every direction he looked, their scale armour reduced to a molten slush of silver.


    He swiped at the display on his gauntlet until he found Jace¡¯s name, and hit ¡®connect.¡¯ A loading screen flashed up for a few seconds, but then promptly flashed orange, sending bristles of adrenaline through the rhargnorn¡¯s scales.


    ¡°Fuck. This is bad.¡±


    He tapped again, trying to reach anyone he could on the local lines now, but a new flicker of red across the holoscreen confirmed that he was on his own.


    Comms centre is down, it¡¯ll take at least two hours for my messages to reach him¡­ SHIT! Guess I''m the only back-up coming!


    ¡°I gotta help anyone I can.¡± He breathed in deeply, trying to keep calm, and quickly checked his environmental shield battery and armaments before stepping out of the office. His metal leg clomped against the floor, and the rubber of his other boot began to soften.


    Every corridor he ran down yielded more of the same. His gauntlet blared with danger at every corner. Sealed doors were glowing amber with heat, prompting a warning of imminent death should his shield fail. It was a blessing in a way though; no one could survive in a room that hot, so there was no need to check and risk a hit on his shields.


    Several corridors were blocked off by a series of bouncing flaming bolts, forming a weird but effective barricade; Theo¡¯s gauntlet kindly reminded him with every one that even a single one of these bolts would drain a significant amount of envirashield, and hitting zero meant almost certain death. Even for a rhargnorn like Theo, inhaling air over three hundred degrees was suicide.


    He pressed on down the only corridors he could, which seemed to be leading him quite purposely across the top of the station. All he found along the way was more death and destruction; multiple pairs of boots welded to the floor, some with their owners still inside, and others who hadn¡¯t quite been so lucky, and had welded with the floor around them. Some of the bodies appeared a little more intact, with no apparent cause of death. From the temperature his gauntlet was detecting in the area, Theo¡¯s best guess was that these people had suffocated on the scorched air filling their lungs.


    Not usually one to be fazed by ¡®collateral damage,¡¯ Theo couldn¡¯t help but fear for his safety at the clear demonstration of strength from the attackers, and the safety of anyone else left alive. After not too long, a new type of warning flashed up on his gauntlet:


    Environmental shields at seventy-five percent, please remain vigilant.


    The carnage seemed unending as yet another explosion shook the station, but he couldn¡¯t help but notice the sudden change in carnage ahead of him. He was approaching the entrance to the E-Labs, but the door had been cut through by a laser rather than melted off, breached cleanly into an oversized rectangle that was much larger than any typical XITD staff. Brandishing his pistol, he stepped carefully through the hole, cautiously looking down the curving corridor which all the E-Labs were currently docked into. The corridor flashed with bright crimson light from the alarms, but otherwise seemed still and - curiously - untouched by the damage that had permeated the rest of the station.


    Slowly, he made his way down the corridor, passing by the entrances to each E-lab, starting at E-30.


    Weird, my envirashield isn¡¯t being drained here¡­ whoever¡¯s attacked the station seems to have spared this place.


    There was no sign of life so far but, not one to be put off, Theo continued on his way.


    There must be someone around here, this feels too precise. Every other room melted to a sludge but this place is just sitting pretty?


    After walking for what felt like forever, but can¡¯t have been for longer than a minute, he noticed among the line of tightly secured E-Labs that one had its door wide open. He slowed down slightly as he approached, and noted the number E-16 on its side.


    Although the open door may have been what Theo noticed first, it wasn¡¯t what held his attention. He stared in disbelief and a little bit of disgust at what appeared to be a severed head with spider legs, standing on a rolling shelf outside of the doors.


    ¡°What the actual fuck is that?!¡± He blurted out, squinting at it.


    The Slave head spun around on its legs and looked up at Theo. He raised his pistol and made to shoot the damn thing, but a voice called out to him from within the lab, and he froze.


    ¡°Theo?! Is that you?!¡±


    He didn¡¯t recognise the voice, but whoever it was clearly knew him. Cautiously, he crept closer, maintaining eye contact with the Slave head and staring at it with an increasing disgust, but it did little other than just watch him right back.


    The corridor yielded little, and his gauntlet advised Theo of a heat signature coming from within E-16.


    He approached the open door, weapon drawn and held an arm¡¯s length away. He turned the corner and quickly scanned the lab''s interior; it was mostly intact, but seemed hastily abandoned. Papers and various bits of equipment were scattered about the floor. As he examined the room, his gaze came to rest on a figure, tucked away at the back of the lab; a large draconic woman, who was restrained on top of a surgical table by several thick metal brackets around her limbs and neck. Her skin was a deep cosmic blue, as was her hair, which was currently messy and splayed out underneath her. She also had a beautiful pair of wings, which were bundled up and restrained, just like the rest of her.


    She stared over at him with large midnight eyes, swirling with purples and blues and surrounded by black sclera. They slowly began to tear up as the rhargnorn stared at who he believed to be a complete stranger.


    ¡°T-Theo?¡±


    ¡°Miss¡­? I¡¯m trying to help with the evacuation of this station. You¡¯re under siege. Can you explain why you¡¯re restrained in this lab¡­?¡± Theo asked softly but cautiously, casting a glance over his shoulder.


    ¡°Y-You don¡¯t recognise me at all¡­.?!¡± The girl broke into a quiet cry, and let her head thump back against the metal behind her. ¡°W-What have they done to me?!¡±


    ¡°Should I know you, Miss?¡± Theo took a few slow steps forward and looked over her body for injuries. A slight, uncomfortable shiver ran up his spine as he realised she was naked.


    ¡°I-I made you the sweetest hot-chocolate you¡¯ve ever had¡­ A-And you saved my head from the evil shelving in my office¡­¡±


    Theo¡¯s heart nearly stopped in his chest.


    ¡°Mooki?!¡±


    ¡°Y-Yup!¡± She fought back the tears in her eyes, forcing a smile onto her pretty face. ¡°I think?¡±


    ¡°What happened?! Why do you look like this?!¡±


    Another explosion shook the station, taking both the dragons by surprise. Mooki squealed as the table rocked.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, Theo! I just - I¡¯m so glad to see you, I thought I was going to die in this lab! As soon as the attack started, the researchers just abandoned me, left to die here, alone I suppose¡­¡± She sniffled again, watching him closely, desperately with her large eyes.


    He visibly shuddered at her words, and shook his head furiously.


    ¡°Oh, like hell are you dying alone in here! Let''s get you out, did they hurt you?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, they were sticking things in me, scanning me! They wouldn¡¯t tell me what''s wrong!¡±


    Theo holstered his weapon and marched across the room, still silently processing the situation as he searched to release her bindings.


    ¡°I overheard Evangeline say that you''ve been corrupted. I don¡¯t know much about what that means, Jace has had me busy with the nomad colonies, but I swear to Chance, Mooki, we¡¯ll put this right.¡± He said firmly, poking at the various controls on the table.


    The restraints suddenly opened with a loud clack and Theo turned to find a spare medical gown for her. As she sat up, feeling her wrists awkwardly, Theo dropped his gaze quickly to the floor.


    ¡°Can you walk?¡±


    ¡°I - I think so.¡±


    She pulled the gown over her curvaceous form, hunching over as she placed a foot onto the ground, then yelped loudly in pain as she rolled her weight onto it.


    ¡°Oh shit, here, let me help!¡±


    He ran over and put an arm around her back to support her, but suddenly, something felt wrong.


    The moment his skin made contact with hers, something changed in him. The scales on the back of his neck bristled, and his every instinct was screaming at him to run. He felt an abstract sense of extreme danger, every nerve ending in his skin tensed with anticipation, like he¡¯d just taken hold of a live bomb.


    Mooki straightened herself out, putting her weight onto her feet slowly. The size difference between them became suddenly and readily apparent as Mooki stood up straight, towering over the rhargnorn. Her wing restraints clattered loudly to the floor as she stretched them out, and touched both sides of the lab with ease¡­


    ¡°Y-You seem¡­ fine¡­ Mooki.¡± Theo remarked nervously, his heart thumping in his chest. His free hand began to drift towards his pistol.


    The dragoness stared down at him, unimpressed.


    ¡°Now now, Theo. Let''s not make this more difficult than it needs to be.¡± Her soft voice had changed sharply, and in the blink of an eye she¡¯d seized his wrists. ¡°It''s so much better on this side, I¡¯ll treat you right, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Oh fuck, fuck everything about this!¡± He tried to pull his wrists free but her grip was overpowering. He narrowed his eyes, reeled his head back and pounced up at her, headbutting her straight in the face.


    He felt a solid crack, almost like he had headbutted a wall, and Mooki¡¯s neck lurched backwards. Her grip loosened. But as he went to turn and pull himself free, he felt her hands snap around his shoulders.


    ¡°LET ME SHOW YOU HOW IT''S DONE, SOLDIER!¡±


    She smashed her forehead into his with a thunderous blow, sending him tumbling towards the ground, blood dripping from his mashed scales.


    As he stumbled, she lurched at his legs and ripped his pistol away from him, chucking it into the corner of the room behind her.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Theo quickly found his way to his feet, swaying slightly, and spat a trickle of blood out of his mouth. But the dragoness was pouncing on him again, pushing him onto the floor and trying to pin him down.


    They locked arms on the floor, Theo¡¯s muscles shaking as she pushed his arms over his head. Mooki stared down at him with an evil grin from ear to ear.


    ¡°I wonder how the corruption will mix with a male-only species like yours, Theo? I hope you end up a Node, it would be such a waste to see you become a Slave.¡±


    She clamped her hands around his neck, pressing all of her considerable weight down onto him.


    She didn¡¯t want to corrupt him when he was fighting like this, it would be far too messy, and after all, she didn¡¯t want to accidentally kill him. She choked him hard, waiting for him to go limp enough to corrupt, but the rhargnorn continued to pull at her hands with all his might. The fight in his eyes was anything but fading.


    Mooki sighed with frustration, shaking her head.


    ¡°Ah, I forgot. Fucking rhargnorns will asphyxiate before they pass out, all those years of genetic engineering were good for something¡­ guess it¡¯ll need to be blood loss instead!¡±


    She reeled back for just a second and drove her claws into his neck, punching straight through his scales.


    Theo winced in pain as blood oozed out around her fingers, but she drove them in deeper, preparing to pull out as much of his neck as she deemed necessary. He seized hold of her arms, trying to keep them locked, but he knew it was a losing battle.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry¡­¡± Theo grit his teeth, remorse clear in his pained, bloodshot eyes.


    She frowned for a second before feeling the male kick up underneath her. Something solid hit her the stomach and a loud, muffled *BANG* shook the room.


    Mooki clutched at her blood-splattered stomach and rolled off of him, curling up on the floor as blood pooled around her body.


    Theo shot to his feet, two small gun barrels now visible within the kneecap of his cybernetic. He kicked his leg forward and the cap closed with a *chunk,* not dissimilar to how one would cock a shotgun.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be alright. Should be non-lethal with some medical aid.¡± He was breathing heavily, feeling the injuries on his neck. As he pulled his hand away, he noted the blood on his palm. He clenched his fist and stared down at the dragoness, a mixture of fury, fear and guilt in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that, but please, just tell me what¡¯s going on. What happened to you? Why are you fighting me? I want to help you!¡±


    ¡°You fucking should be sorry!¡± She coughed, pressing her fingertips into the blood pooling around her as she pushed herself up, slowly. ¡°You did this to me! You knew I was in danger, you felt it! But you just walked away and left me on this godforsaken station!¡±


    ¡°You promised me that you were okay! I told you to contact us! If you didn¡¯t feel safe, you should have said! You should have left with me! W-What happened to you?! Why do you look like¡­ this?!¡± He gestured to her absurdly sexual frame, heavy with curves and muscle, far from the once ordinary, slender girl she once was.


    ¡°No. You led me into a trap by my neck and assured me I would be fine!¡± She hissed, slowly straightening her back out. The blood dripping between her fingers had slowed to a mere trickle, and was crystallising around the wound rapidly. ¡°I had no idea what I was getting myself into!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand!¡± Theo shouted desperately, glancing down at the gun behind her. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Mooki. I fucked up, you¡¯re right. But I want to fix this! Please! I have some medi-gel with me, I can fix your wound and we can put this right! If you come with me to Jace and tell us what happened - ¡±


    Her wings unfurled with a loud flap, cutting Theo off from his pistol.


    ¡°Oh no. No. It''s far too late for that. There''s no undoing this.¡±


    ¡°Mooki¡­ please. I want to put this right. I let you down. Let me help you.¡± Theo pleaded, slowly backing away. He could see that her strength was already returning.


    ¡°To every person I spread this to - I will whisper in their ear that they can thank you for their fate, Officer Kintrax.¡± Her eyes remained locked on him, and her mouth began to salivate.


    Theo shrunk down, pained by her words, but raised his fists up to defend himself.


    ¡°If that''s how you see it. I can¡¯t help you, if you won¡¯t let me.¡±


    She bared her teeth, showing the bright white of her fangs, and then lunged at him, surging across the room with blinding speed¡­ However, before she could land a blow, she jerked back as violently as she had surged forward, as if someone had pulled on an invisible leash. She stopped, as if glued in place several feet away from him, her face blank, her stance awkward.


    ¡°YOU NEED TO LEAVE! NOW!¡± She barked at him, her voice so loud it echoed down the corridor and clawed at his ears. ¡°GO! BEFORE I HURT YOU!¡±


    Theo shook his head, eyes stinging with tears as he tried to figure out what was going on. Nevertheless, he began to back out of the room as Mooki stared him down, glaring at him with furious eyes.


    He opened his mouth, but words failed him. In that moment he felt torn, and the pain he felt in his head was nothing compared to that in his chest. His fists clenched down by his sides. He was angry at Mooki - why hadn¡¯t she contacted him? What had he missed? And he was angry at this¡­ creature for attacking him. And he was angry at himself, for failing, for walking away, for being more concerned with fucking Royal Military Division protocols than protecting a young girl¡­


    Although his mind was still racing, his legs retreated back, as ordered. He made his way back along the corridor, and through the breach on the main door¡­


    No.


    He ducked down in the corner of the other side of the door.


    I can still help her. She changed her mind, after all... She doesn¡¯t want to hurt me, not really¡­ She has to leave through here, maybe I can follow her.


    *


    ¡°~E-15, right?~¡±


    ¡°~Yes! That¡¯s where she was last!~¡±


    Leech stepped through the breech she¡¯d just made in the reinforced metal door, careful not to touch the searing hot edges. Once through, she hoisted her laser and dashed down the corridor until she found the lab she was looking for.


    The door to E-16 had been left open. As she approached, she could hear Mooki struggling from inside as the station started to shake.


    ¡°~I can¡¯t get out of these restraints! I¡¯m right here, please!~¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come get you in a minute!¡± Leech snapped out loud as she crouched down in front of the keypad on E-15¡¯s door and pulled a small disk out from a pouch on her belt. She pressed it up against the pad and rotated it slowly, as it started to flash and numerous potential combinations flickered across the keypad screen.


    Plasia first.


    A few moments later, the door hissed - it was open. Leech reached over awkwardly, pulled the doors apart and stepped into the poorly-lit room. She slammed the door shut behind her and stood for a few moments, trying to calm her breathing as her eyes adjusted to the gloom.


    Her heavy breathing twisted into a sharp gasp.


    Her eyes flickered rapidly around the room as she tried to comprehend the scene in front of her. She glanced down at a metal instruments table, and sat, in a silver tray, an eyeball stared straight back at her. Delicate rings of blue and swirls of green encaptured perfectly inside a large orb. Blood was dripping from the optic nerve, and hitting the tray with a slow, gentle, rhythmic *ping.*


    ¡°What have they done to you?!¡±


    She moved further into the E-lab, glancing behind herself quickly to double check the door was closed. She slapped the small whirring machine to the floor, pulling its cables free of Plasia¡¯s torn and broken skin. It spluttered out remnants of the blood it had been drinking as it smashed on the floor.


    Small drops oozed from the needle points in Plasia¡¯s skin but it was barely a dribble; there was hardly anything left.


    Leech grabbed her medi-gel and quickly sprayed it over the wounds, then placed it down on one of the trays nearby, and clicked her fingers in front of Plasia¡¯s limp face.


    Her one remaining eye did not open.


    ¡°Fuck¡­ You¡¯re not fucking dying in here, Plasia, you hear me?¡±


    The scene in front of her was like something from a nightmare. There she was, hanging up like a part-dissected puppet. Living autopsy was the first thing that entered Leech¡¯s head as she raised Plasia¡¯s head, and tried to get a closer look at some of the more serious-looking wounds.


    Serious, precision-cut wounds.


    The work was clean, flawless, for lack of a better word. There were deep, straight cuts all across her body. One of Plasia¡¯s legs had been removed entirely at the thigh. There were various chunks of flesh and skin missing from all over her torso, but even these seemingly random chunks looked surgical.


    Some people just had a gift for inflicting pain.


    Leech had seen from Mooki¡¯s memories that, at least at one point, Plasia¡¯s stomach had been opened and her intestines taken out. Thankfully, most of her organs seemed to be back in her body now, or they¡¯ve at least been given a chance to grow back, Leech thought, as she eyed a faded scar over ribcage, right about where her liver would be.


    Leech pressed her fingers to the girl''s neck, searching desperately for a sign of a life.


    After a few seconds of tense searching, she found it. It was gentle, barely more than a blip, but she had a pulse.


    ¡°~We need to get Plasia out of here. We have equipment on the Radon that can help her, now give me a hand.~¡±


    There was no response from the Node straight away. Leech grit her teeth in frustration as she started to fumble one-handedly with the restraints, and focused in on Mooki¡¯s vision.


    ¡°~Not the time, asshat! We have plenty of toys you can play with on Barru X!~¡± With a simple thought she flung Mooki away from the dragon.


    Why do I have to do everything? How am I the one with the most self control here? This fucking lot, honestly¡­


    A few seconds later, the door opened up behind her and Mooki limped into the room, clutching her abdomen.


    ¡°Finally! Get the restraints, I -¡±


    A new, screeching alarm blaring into the room, interrupting Leech and making both of them jump. It was higher pitched than the previous one had been, more desperate and urgent, and far harsher on the ears.


    Almost like a cry for help.


    The station shook, hard, and a deep, unsettling groan vibrated through the metalwork.


    ¡°~Moltezz! What the fuck is going on?! Did you blow the reactor?!~¡± Leech snapped at her through the hierclasty, desperately trying to stabilise Plasia¡¯s wounds with her one arm.


    ¡°~I absolutely did not. It must have been the DA, trying to get the last word as usual. I¡¯ll syphon some of the plasma from the reactor, and buy you some time.~¡±


    Moments later, several smaller quakes rippled through the station; Moltezz was on the move again.


    ¡°~Fucking hell! We gotta go, now!~¡±


    Mooki hit the release button on the laboratory¡¯s control panel, and Plasia fell limp into Leech¡¯s waiting arm. With Mooki¡¯s help, she carefully lifted her up onto her shoulder. Plasia¡¯s skin was like ice against hers, her body floppy and weak, but she was alive. Barely, just clinging on, but she was alive.


    Leech stood up slowly, adjusting to the significant weight on her one shoulder and the complete lack of it on her other, and made her way with Plasia out of the E-lab. Together, with Mooki right behind her, they began their journey back through the station.


    *


    Shit, they must¡¯ve hit the reactor! I need to leave, no-


    - Holy fuck, IS THAT HER?


    Theo crouched down into the corner behind the breached door as the thunder of fast, heavy footsteps drew closer. He raised his fists in front of his face (although he wasn¡¯t sure he could do much if Mooki decided to attack him again) and braced himself¡­


    Wait¡­ is that¡­?


    An emerald czarite leaped through the breach in the door, crouching heavily as she landed on the other side, but quickly adjusted and continued on with her sprint. Mooki followed behind, right on her tail. Theo slowly straightened up, heart hammering in his chest as he stared after them.


    Holy shit¡­ Is that..?


    She was carrying another of her kind, slumped over her shoulder. Her body had a rich sapphire hue, and even from the fleeting glance Theo caught of her, he could see that she had been tortured. One of her legs was missing, and her body was covered with dripping surgical wounds.


    That¡¯s Jace¡¯s czarite! He was right! They had her here the whole damn time! FUCK!


    *


    The station groaned again and shook violently underfoot. Leech and Mooki were both hit with a fresh wave of panic.


    A reactor meltdown has a very distinct set of tremors to it.


    The first wave comes from the reactor¡¯s internal shielding breach.


    The second wave, from the safety rod overload. Both of these are punctuated with an unsettling, groaning vibration.


    There is no third wave.


    Furthermore, there is no count-down until detonation. The reactor could blow just a few seconds after that second rumble, or not for several hours. There is no way of knowing, there¡¯s just that impending threat of annihilation hanging overhead.


    ¡°~W-What do we do?!~¡± Mooki asked, following Leech closely as she looked all around the station.


    ¡°~We keep fucking running, dumbass!~¡±


    Leech led the way, moving as fast as she could with Plasia still slung over her shoulder. She knew the way back, but the corridors felt remarkably endless, one lifeless, identical walkway after the other.


    The station was ceaselessly rumbling under their feet now, threatening to knock them to the ground, but they pressed on, battling the very ground itself as their hearts pounded in their chests.


    They rounded the next corner. They were close now! just a couple more corridors away from the breach in the comms centre, where the Radon was waiting -


    - But death had other ideas.


    At the end of the corridor, a trio of desperate XITD guards were leaning against one other, anger and desperation thick on their stressed faces.


    ¡°THEY¡¯VE FIRED THE LIFEBOATS! THEY¡¯VE LEFT US HERE TO DIE! ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!¡±


    They bared their vulcan weapons like teeth, preparing to fire, and Leech¡¯s life flash before her eyes -


    She was a little girl, she sat, slumped against the floor, leaning her back heavily against the wall. She picked at the bright, colourful stickers decorating her walking cane, as her parents argued in the other room.


    ¡°Maybe if we pick up double shifts¡­ and I can cancel the holiday at the end of the year¡­¡±


    ¡°This is ridiculous!¡± A hand slammed down on the dining room table. ¡°Her oak¡¯s gene therapy is costing us double this year, everything is going up! Everything but our fucking wages.¡±


    ¡°Keep it down! The kids¡¯ll hear you!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, though! All Liena¡¯s done since the moment she was born is take take TAKE! The little fucking leech.¡±


    - but she held her sprint and clung onto Plasia -


    ¡°You can have them if you want!¡±


    A pair of faint lilac hands thrust the studded, black boots into Liena¡¯s anxiously awaiting arms. Her big, young eyes darting between Seres, and the impressive boots.


    ¡°W-W-Wha-what? Really? B-But they¡¯re yours! I don¡¯t think I''m cool enough to pull these off!¡± The rush of excitement flowing through her dulled the pain of her cuts and scrapes.


    ¡°The first rule of cool: stop caring what other people think! They¡¯re getting too small for me anyway! You¡¯ll look hella-sick in platforms like these, trust me.¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you! Oh, a-and thanks for dealing with¡­ those older kids, too¡­¡±


    ¡°No problem! And if they look at you again, I''ll make ¡®em piss their pants!¡±


    - as she charged towards the defenders, tensing her shoulders as she prepared to be torn apart by vulcan fire -


    ¡°Well, I.. think I found something! A company in one of the nomad sectors reached out to me. It''s¡­ a lot more money than I thought nomads could pay! But that¡¯s on me I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°That''s fantastic, Liena, great news! You seem a bit apprehensive, though? More apprehensive than usual!¡± She laughed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel comfortable travelling out there by myself¡­ which brings me to you.¡± Liena ruffled her dreadlocks, nervously. ¡°You¡¯ve finished your last tour now, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I have.¡± Seres nodded. ¡°With no intentions to re-deploy any time soon.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ ugh.. I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll just come out and say it. I-want-you-TO-COME-WITH-ME. A-As like, my escort OR-OR¡­ bodyguard. You¡¯ve got the experience for it, and I''ll have the money to pay you! I-If that sounds good.¡±


    Seres glanced away for a couple of seconds, then quickly looked back with a growing smile.


    ¡°You know, Liena. That¡­ sounds pretty good! I accept!¡±


    ¡°R-Really?! Just like that?!¡± Liena stuttered in surprise. ¡°You - you¡¯d actually up and leave your life here, for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s do it!¡± Seres leaned forward excitedly. ¡°It¡¯ll be great, just you and me! It¡¯ll be like an adventure..!¡±


    - when a blinding light filled the corridor, followed by a deafening roar. A rush of coldness launched Leech straight back into the present as it hit against her skin, followed by a flash of searing pain.


    A massive streak of brilliant blue and orange, like a giant blow-torch, sliced straight through the hull of the station from underneath the guards, dead centre. And just like that, they were gone, swallowed by a giant, molten hole that had sliced diagonally through the station from deep below, cutting through every floor with ease.


    ¡°~JUMP! NOW!~¡±


    Leech didn''t even hesitate, she leaped into the space where the corridor and the guards used to exist. Mooki stopped, locked in place behind her.


    For a split second, a flash of fiery ruby flickered in the corner of Leech¡¯s eye, blasting through the freshly made, molten tunnel on a wave of amber flame.


    A strong pair of arms grabbed her waist from behind and carried her with blistering speed through the hole, into the refreshing, quiet vacuum of space, before landing on the top deck of the Radon.


    Leech turned for just a second before ducking into the Radon¡¯s access hatch, watching as Moltezz hovered in the air with her brilliant plasma jets erupting from her hands and feet as she flew back into the station.


    Moments later, Leech heard a thud on the top deck as Moltezz landed, cradling Mooki in her arms. She dropped the Node down into the hatch and turned.


    ¡°INSIDE! BRACE YOURSELVES!¡±


    Moltezz pushed her palms out away from her and her heat-shield enveloped around the Radon as it  engaged its engines and began to leave, pulling away quickly from the station.


    The station started to collapse in on itself. It crumbled briefly - bits of metal and concrete drifted about its orbit aimlessly - before exploding, into a brilliant white nova. The shockwave passed over the Radon, but thanks to its new shielding, was left unharmed.


    On board, Leech¡¯s heart slowly retracted from her throat. Her hand was still gripped tightly around Plasia¡¯s body, clinging onto her for dear life, when she heard a heavy thud from behind her.


    ¡°What took you so long?! You were making me worry!¡± Ink huffed, glancing up briefly as the hatch opened and Moltezz began to descend into the ship.


    ¡°And what happened to your arm¡­?!¡±

 Chapter 12 - Release

    You deserve better than the way she treated you.


    Her twisted voice echoed through his head, the sickening similarity between what was once was, but wrought into something new. He both did and didn¡¯t recognise her.


    For what it''s worth, dad. You did well by me. None of this was your fault.


    He tried to find comfort in her words. They were the only things keeping him going right now¡­


    But words could only do so much.


    Geralt was sat on the far side of the living room, wedged into the corner of their second-hand sofa. He teased the tie of his tatty grey dressing gown through his fingers absent-mindedly, distracted.


    He was staring, as though entranced, at the flames of their small electric fireplace. The bright but soft reds and oranges flickered and shone in his dull, grey eyes, and was currently the only source lighting up the dark room. Across from him, at the window, the curtains had been drawn, but not completely. The cold, artificial glow of the space station¡¯s Sun-Lamp had been switched off some time ago, and the pitch blackness outside curled and threatened to slip its way through the cracks in the window, and envelop him. That gentle flicker of the fireplace however, kept the void at bay.


    Just on the other side of the hall, in the kitchen, Geralt could hear the others. Pots and pans clattered across the kitchen surfaces and cupboard doors slammed open and closed as Tivy, Trent and Oxyi put the washing up away after dinner. He could hear girls chatting, but their words were muffled through the living room door, which Geralt had pushed-to when he came in. He wasn¡¯t sure how long ago that¡¯d been.


    And so, he simply continued to stare, far into the flames, completely lost in thought. He didn¡¯t acknowledge any of the noises around him. Perhaps couldn¡¯t acknowledge them¡­


    ¡°Geralt!¡± Oxyi suddenly popped her head around the door and Geralt jumped. He struggled quickly to sit up straight, and dragged his gaze away from the fireplace to meet the lioness¡¯ as her warm voice floated around the room. The flames flickered a lingering, inviting red in the corners of his vision.


    ¡°Y-Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been calling you for ages!¡± Oxyi chuckled lightly. Her eyes briefly glanced over his attire; that was the same pair of pyjamas he¡¯d been wearing for the last, four, five days now? And that dressing gown had certainly seen better days. Hadn¡¯t it been blue when they¡¯d bought it?


    ¡°We¡¯re, uh, we''re having some cake for dessert.¡± Oxyi glanced away from Geralt and back over her shoulder, towards the kitchen. ¡°D¡¯you wanna piece?¡±


    ¡°What kinda cake?¡± Geralt asked. Despite himself, he felt the tiniest tug at the corner of his lips - as if he even had to ask.


    ¡°Chocolate!¡± She grinned. It was always chocolate.


    ¡°Alright, just a small piece for me though.¡±


    ¡°A small piece, of course.¡± Oxyi¡¯s grin teased into a cheeky little smile as she padded softly back into the kitchen. She was greeted by the sound of more clattering, of porcelain scraping across porcelain as presumably a new set of plates were pulled out of the cupboard, and placed on the counter.


    ¡°D¡¯you want cream?¡± Oxyi called out.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Geralt did his best to call back.


    He slumped back down against the sofa and slowly, purposely shifted his gaze past the fireplace, and towards the window.


    Venner and Robin had gone to bed about an hour ago. Seeth had been gone on her latest job for a couple of days now, and wasn¡¯t due back until tomorrow at the earliest. He was sure she¡¯d told him what her latest contract was (or maybe it was the one before?) but either way, he¡¯d be damned if he could remember any of what she¡¯d said, and he hated asking anyone to repeat themselves, just for his sake.


    The microwave started beeping, drawing Geralt out of his thoughts as the door was *clunked* open. The girls laughed and more cluttering scraped against Geralt¡¯s ears, but the sound was quickly replaced with Tivy¡¯s over-excited voice as they served up dessert.


    Tivy entered the living room first. She came bounding through the door holding her plate precariously above her head. On the plate sat a massive slice of chocolate cake. She hopped up onto the armchair across from Geralt, and curled up underneath the throw rug. As Oxyi and Trent followed her into the room, it quickly became clear that Tivy¡¯s slice was easily twice the size of everyone else¡¯s.


    Trent sat down on the floor, in front of Tivy. He positioned himself in such a way that even though he was leaning back against the armchair, he could still see her. Oxyi sat down on the other side of the sofa with Geralt. She fidgeted about with the two bowls of cake and cream in her hand, and awkwardly passed him a spoon through her fingers.


    ¡°We warmed it up, should be just how you like it.¡± She smiled.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Geralt went for a smile back - and almost managed it this time.


    No-one spoke for a few minutes. They were happy to sit in a comfortable silence, enjoying their desserts, but also the calm of one another¡¯s company. Geralt glanced across at Tivy as he chewed on a sticky mouthful of cake; rather than using the spoon Trent had so kindly offered to her, she chose instead to shovel large handfuls of cake and cream into her mouth with her fingers, leaving crumbs all over her blanket in the process.


    ¡°So, uh, did you make this cake or buy it, because it tastes really good.¡± Geralt asked, pushing another spoonful into his mouth.


    ¡°Nope, it''s home-made! Me and Oxyi baked it this afternoon!¡± Tivy smiled wide and proudly, showing everyone the chocolate buttercream stuck to her teeth.


    ¡°Oh, please!¡± Oxyi laughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t bake shit. I just stood around and reached things off the high shelves for you!¡±


    ¡°Ooh look at you, little Chef Tivy!¡± Trent teased, gently moving to tickle her feet. Tivy squealed and curled away, tucking her toes safely underneath her legs.


    ¡°She¡¯s a good cook!¡± Oxyi exclaimed. ¡°Maybe one day you¡¯ll get your own TV show!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, Soups with Tivy maybe?¡± Trent laughed.


    ¡°Meh meh meh meh, Soups with Tivy I¡¯m so funny!¡± Tivy mimicked Trents voice, adding a deliberate, mocking, high-pitched squeak. She lurched forward with a grin and shoved her half-eaten cake in front of Trent¡¯s face.¡°IS THIS SOUP, TRENT?! DOES THIS LOOK LIKE SOUP TO YOU?!¡±


    ¡°We have had soup five times this week, and it¡¯s only Wednesday!¡± Trent sassed back.


    ¡°CAN YOU BELIEVE THE NERVE OF THIS GUY!¡± Tivy gestured dramatically, but also quite seriously, around the room.


    ¡°You do make a lot of soup.¡± Geralt teased softly. Oxyi tapped him gently on the wrist, but she was smiling too.


    ¡°Geralt, you have no right to talk about anything cooking related. I still remember that sorry excuse for a casserole you made years ago.¡± Oxyi pulled a face. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to stomach casserole since!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re sticking up for Tivy, Oxyi.¡± said Trent, as he started to pick at the crumbs on Tivy¡¯s blanket. ¡°The state she leaves the kitchen in, that we have to tidy up! Maybe your show would be called World¡¯s Messiest Chef¡¯s instead!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that messy!¡± Tivy protested with a pout, her antennae twitching.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Tiv, you¡¯ve got like, seven different cooking aprons? And there¡¯s at least five in the laundry basket right now.¡±


    ¡°BE QUIET, TRENT!¡±


    Oxyi looked back over at Geralt as Tivy and Trent continued to play-fight.


    ¡°I used to love casserole. I swear you were trying to poison me, trying to get out of paying me or something!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not smart enough to be that cunning.¡± Geralt replied lightly. ¡°I should be good at cooking, that¡¯s the worst part.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, didn¡¯t you used to be a farmer?¡± Trent asked, just as Tivy slammed a pillow straight into his face.


    ¡°I did! Worked the land for, geez must¡¯ve been over thirty years? And I still know nothing about food. Guess I¡¯ll always be a pot-noodle and ready meals kinda guy.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you used to be a farmer!¡± Tivy piped up, half-interested in the conversation, and half-more-interested in the chocolate buttercream she was currently licking off her fingers.


    ¡°That¡¯s how I know Oxyi, Tiv, didn¡¯t I ever tell you?¡± Geralt sat back in his seat thoughtfully, tapping his spoon against his thigh.


    ¡°Nope!¡± Tivy replied cheerfully, drumming her fingers against the arm of the chair.


    ¡°Oh, well, it¡¯s nothing particularly interesting.¡± Oxyi said. ¡°Geralt was having some trouble with bandits on his farm, stealing and damaging crops but also taking bits of his farming equipment. Before he hired me to help, Geralt was up patrolling through fifty acres of land by himself, day and night with a sawn-off shotgun he couldn¡¯t aim for shit!¡± Oxyi laughed and looked over at the feline warmly. ¡°He was actually one of my first contracted pieces of merc-work after I left school.¡±


    ¡°You really did me a service there, Oxyi.¡± Geralt chuckled half-heartedly. ¡°You sorted those kids right out. God, that must¡¯ve been about five years ago now. Doesn¡¯t time fly.¡±


    ¡°You should¡¯ve reached out to someone for help long before me.¡± Oxyi continued. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been so stubborn you wouldn¡¯t have had to go through all that stress! And even then, it was only because Naomi rea-¡± Oxyi froze, and slammed her palm up to her mouth. Her face immediately blushed a deep red, and she dropped her gaze to the floor. Across the room, Tivy and Trent glanced awkwardly at each-other, then down at the floor as well. Geralt hadn¡¯t moved at all, hadn¡¯t reacted; he continued to sit, slumped in the corner of the sofa, gazing out into nothing.


    ¡°G-Geralt, I¡­¡± Oxyi made to try and apologise, but Geralt interrupted her.


    ¡°It''s alright, Oxyi.¡± He replied calmly. He stuffed his hands into his dressing gown¡¯s pockets, but not quickly enough for his shaking fingers to go unnoticed. ¡°I-I mean, you¡¯re not wrong! Staying up, all night every night, i-it was starting to drive me crazy!¡±


    The group visibly relaxed as Geralt continued their conversation. Trent shifted about on the floor, as to face Geralt more directly. The flickering of the fireplace kept catching the corner of his eye. He fidgeted with his fingers as he tentatively opened his mouth to speak.


    ¡°If you lived on a farm then¡­ I guess you must¡¯ve lived up around the outskirts of town?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Had a small cottage right on the edge of the forest. Was beautiful out there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Because you were¡­ there before me and Tivy were, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°There? What, d¡¯you mean the dungeon? The Controllers?¡± Geralt asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ sorry, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s appropriate or not to ask, but it¡¯s not something you really talked about, and¡­¡± Trent¡¯s voice faltered, and with a sudden shake of his head deliberately looked away from the fireplace.


    ¡°Would you¡­ mind talking a bit about it, Geralt?¡± Oxyi asked, softly. She shifted a little closer to him on the sofa, but then addressed the whole room. ¡°None of you have really talked about what that was like, or how it happened...¡±


    Trent was suddenly very interested in one particular spot on their wood-laminate floor. He kept his gaze fixed firmly upon it, and ran his nail across the material. He said nothing. The small burst of confidence he¡¯d had, and the need to speak about it, had gone. Tivy looked from him, to Oxyi, to Geralt and then back to Trent restlessly, as if unsure of what to do next. Just as Oxyi¡¯s ¡®oh shit, I¡¯ve crossed a line here¡¯ blush started to return to her face, Geralt sighed deeply.


    ¡°I was one of the first Marks that the Controllers¡­ captured. I think in total, I was in the dungeon with them for around ten months.¡±


    ¡°Ten months?!¡± Trent spluttered suddenly, his head shooting up. ¡°Me and Tiv were only there for about five!¡±


    ¡°Yep. I found out afterwards that the raid on my village was the first of the Controller¡¯s co-ordinated attacks. They had about half-a-dozen Nodes, if that, and maybe a few dozen Slaves. It was just the three of them too; Moltezz, Leech and Seeth.


    ¡°I can still recall it all so clearly, that night. Me and my wife had just finalised our divorce. Of course, she¡¯d tried to rinse me for everything I had, which wasn¡¯t much, and she managed to make off with most of it. I was sitting in the living room of my little cottage, which was no longer mine. It¡¯d been in my family for four generations, and I was about to lose it for some tiny two-bedroom flat in a dodgy neighbourhood. I couldn¡¯t afford anything better, and that fact was eating away at me.


    ¡°There were cardboard boxes all over the floor, and most of mine and Naomi¡¯s stuff had been packed away. I¡¯m sitting in my old armchair, cider in one hand, and a pen in the other, reading through the property sales contract in my lap for the umpteenth time. My wife had already signed it, and I couldn¡¯t stop staring at those fancy, swirly stupid letters of her signature at the bottom of the page. I just sat there, I don¡¯t know for how long, when suddenly, I could hear this commotion from outside. Now, I feel like I don¡¯t need to go into too much detail as to what I saw exactly, you already know what Slaves can do¡­


    ¡°Anyway, I went up to the window, to see what was going on, and I see the three of them standing right there, outside my front door. I didn¡¯t even get the chance to react. The door flew off its hinges and all three of them storm into my house. We had pretty high ceilings, and I remember being pretty alarmed at how close Moltezz came to catching her head on the wooden beams¡­ god, I was a mess. My front door had been kicked in and I was worried about the intruder bumping her head¡­? I hate to admit it, but honestly, despite the commotion and the destruction they were causing outside¡­ they could have knocked, and I would have let them in¡­


    ¡°I remember this¡­ warmth filling the room, and Moltezz staring down at me with those bright, intense eyes of hers, and I just stood there. I was awe-struck. She¡¯s got that personality that just fills out the space, throwing her arms out wide as she talks like she¡¯s a gladiator or something. She was loud and¡­ enticing. Her words hooked me.


    ¡°They talked amongst themselves, mostly, and most of what they said meant nothing to me at the time. They were saying shit I didn¡¯t understand, calling me ¡®Mark¡¯ and such, but even an old coot like me managed to clock pretty quickly that¡­ she wanted me. They all wanted me. I remember Moltezz saying that they¡¯d finally found a ¡®good-looking Mark,¡¯ and those words lifted me.


    ¡°Then they started to argue. They argued over me! The woman I¡¯d married hadn¡¯t wanted anything to do with me in years, and now I had three gorgeous woman literally kicking my door down to try and sleep with me. Moltezz was insisting on having me to herself, despite both Seeth and Leech hissing at her - and Leech looked pissed¡­ but all I felt was excitement. I mean, that¡¯s the dream, right? I was giddy as all hell, under the fear I was just¡­ bubbling with excitement. Felt like they blew the cobwebs off my life. I mean, I admit the sex itself wasn¡¯t quite what I was expecting, but¡­¡±


    Geralt sighed loudly, sinking deeper into the sofa. Tears pricked in the corners of his eyes.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°I really do hate to say it. But¡­ I didn¡¯t hate what they did. Not at the time. And I¡¯m not sure if I do now. A violation of my home, my family, my life¡­ sure, what did it matter? But to feel wanted again? To actually have something other than passive-aggression and malicious indifference? That was like gold-dust to me. They could have taken me, fucked me and killed me that night, and I would¡¯ve died happy. I almost wish they had¡­ Would¡¯ve been a lot simpler.¡±


    The rest of the group stayed silent for a few long, but not uncomfortable moments, letting Geralt¡¯s words sink in. Geralt found himself quietly trying to choke back a mixture of tears and chocolate cake. Finally, Oxyi cleared her throat gently.


    ¡°Well I''m glad that they didn¡¯t kill you, Geralt.¡± She reached over and took his hand. The others nodded solemnly in agreement.


    ¡°What¡­ what was life actually like, with the Controllers?¡±


    No-one said anything for a few moments. However, Geralt¡¯s story had ignited something in Trent; there was a pressure in his chest that he just had to speak, or he might just burst.


    ¡°W-Well, I became one of Moltezz¡¯s personal Marks too, which is how me and Geralt met. Tivy sorta bounced between all of the Controllers, but spend most of her time in genpop -¡±


    ¡°- Genpop?¡± Oxyi asked.


    ¡°With the Nodes.¡± Tivy explained, smiling. ¡°I think Leech and Moltezz actually quite liked me, but I was a little too small for them unfortunately!¡± A little giggle escaped through her lips, but she quickly composed herself as she looked around at Trent and Geralt¡¯s sullen faces.


    ¡°Seeing Moltezz on Barru X¡­ that was absolutely terrifying.¡± Trent continued, unfaced by Tivy¡¯s outburst. ¡°And the worst part? I wasn¡¯t scared that she would kill us, or kidnap us and force us back into her service¡­ it was that, if she had whistled, I would¡¯ve gone running right back to her. Just the sound of her voice, ringing out across the station¡­¡± A long shiver ran down Trent¡¯s back. ¡°It was so hard to resist her.¡±


    Geralt glanced over at Trent with a look of pain, but also relief. It wasn¡¯t just him, he wasn¡¯t the only one¡­


    ¡°It was like pure ecstasy with Moltezz. It didn¡¯t matter how tired I was, or how much I ached, how much I burnt, being with her filled me with a feeling that I hadn''t had for¡­ years. I felt desired, wanted, maybe even loved, a little. I¡­ I¡­¡± Geralt started to choke and stutter over his words, and his hands shook violently. ¡°I was there for weeks before I even remembered Naomi. It might have even been months. I just¡­ woke up one morning and the reality of my situation just came crashing down on me. The bubble had burst; I¡¯d lost friends, I didn¡¯t know where my daughter was, and with the more frequent fresh hauls of Marks the Controllers were bringing in¡­ I was too scared to ask. I was too scared to look. I felt so awful that I hadn¡¯t even spared her a thought, in all that time¡­¡± Geralt couldn¡¯t hold them back any longer, tears started to roll down his face. Oxyi shuffled closer to him and put her arm around his shoulders.


    ¡°They¡­ are intoxicating.¡± Trent murmured. ¡°The Controllers themselves are an addiction. Out of the dozens, maybe even hundreds of Marks in the dungeon, only us three and Diego were able to make it out. Most of them didn''t want to leave and at times, more times than I¡¯d like to admit, I didn¡¯t want to leave either.¡±


    Geralt shuddered a small nod of agreement. Oxyi looked around and, to her surprise, Tivy was nodding too. Out of the three of them, Tivy had seemed the most¡­ okay, and coping well with their new life compared to the boys and what they¡¯d left behind. You¡¯re our positive little powerhouse, Tiv, Oxyi thought as she rubbed Geralt¡¯s back gently. Don¡¯t change. We can¡¯t afford for you to change.


    She cleared her throat softly. ¡°So¡­ how does¡­ all this work with Seeth? You seem to get on with her okay, but¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a constant reminder of what we lost. And what we¡¯ve left behind.¡± Trent sniffed. Tivy reached out and tentatively placed her hand in his, glancing over at Geralt as she did so. ¡°It¡¯s such a relief when she leaves - for me anyway, I don¡¯t know about you guys¡­ But just being around her, I get both anxious and really pent up¡­¡± Trent laughed dryly. ¡°I¡¯m so happy when she leaves, but then, I worry that she¡¯s never going to come back, and¡­ geez it makes me feel sick, sometimes.¡±


    The word seemed to resonate with Oxyi; her ears pricked up and her eyes widened a little. ¡°Have you heard her at night? Throwing up and stuff? It¡¯s been happening for months, but lately she seems to be getting worse.¡±


    ¡°The corruption the Controllers have¡­ I don¡¯t know a lot about it, and as far as I know, they don¡¯t either.¡± Trent said, gritting his teeth slightly at what he was about to say. ¡°But I do know that the things they do, the rape, and the kidnapping, and corrupting those who aren¡¯t immune¡­ It¡¯s not just this simple, evil, carnal desire. What Seeth is going through, I¡¯d say, is basically withdrawal.¡±


    ¡°So if a corrupted czarite isn¡¯t having sex¡­¡± Oxyi¡¯s words trailed off. ¡°God. She looks absolutely awful sometimes too! I thought it was just because she was missing Diego. I bumped into her one night, when I was going to the bathroom and her eyes were all puffy, her skin was all clammy and pale, and she had this look in her eyes¡­ As I walked past her, she just stared at me with this sharp, hungry expression, before going into the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she is missing him. And Plasia.¡± Geralt said, wiping his nose in his sleeve. ¡°It¡¯s not just that, though. And it makes me feel awful, y¡¯know, after what happened with N-Naomi, and that stupid dungeon and-and ev-everything else¡­ But I feel sorry for her. She¡¯s clearly in pain.¡±


    Nobody said anything for a few long moments. They all sat around, deep in their own thoughts, before Trent spoke up again.


    ¡°Oxyi, you didn¡¯t know Diego, did you? Before he arrived to help you?¡±


    ¡°No, that was the first time I¡¯d met him, why?¡±


    ¡°Because, well, he saved our asses, we can all agree with that. We wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape without him. But¡­ we let a complete stranger bring along not one, but two of our captors.¡±


    ¡°Plasia wasn¡¯t really -¡± Geralt started to protest gingerly, but Trent abruptly cut him off.


    ¡°Being around her still triggered the same feelings, Geralt!¡± He cried out, suddenly. He balled his fists and his eyes narrowed. ¡°Her eyes, her smell, her body! All he told us was to trust him, and that they were coming with us. And we just let it happen!¡±


    ¡°Seeth hasn¡¯t hurt us, Trent.¡± Tivy said, her voice trembling with worry. ¡°She¡¯s clearly suffering, and not once has she asked any of us to help with that! She sits in her room, alone!¡±


    ¡°Just her being here is enough, Tiv! Don¡¯t you guys get it?!¡± Trent shook his hand out of hers and stood up, running his hand through his hair. ¡°Everytime I see her, I¡¯m reminded of what I could be having, the sex, a-and Moltezz, and¡­ oh fucking hell!¡± He put his face in his hands and his shoulders started to shake.


    ¡°Trent, it¡¯s okay.¡± Geralt said quietly. ¡°I¡­ feel the same sometimes.¡±


    Trent took a few slow, shaky breaths. ¡°Yeah?¡± He asked through his fingers. Tivy stood on the chair and gently reached up for them, and squeezed his hands tight.


    ¡°The truth is¡­ despite everything¡­ if Seeth came home, right now, and asked me to have sex with her, I¡¯d do it in a heartbeat.¡±


    Trent stood still in the middle of the room, still covering his face in his hands. But Geralt''s words seemed to trigger some sort of release in him, and his shoulders relaxed.


    ¡°I think we all would.¡± He whispered.


    Oxyi dropped her gaze to the floor and moved away from Geralt. Now that she¡¯d finally said it out loud, she couldn¡¯t get that moment out with Seeth out of her head. That look of deep, desperate desire in her eyes¡­


    And in that moment she knew that, despite everything she¡¯d been told, despite what her friends and family had been turned into, despite the very real, and very serious consequences¡­ if Seeth, one night, were to ask her¡­


    She wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d still be here in the morning.


    *


    I have never put so much thought into eggs in my entire god-damn life.


    Diego weighed up the two pastel-coloured boxes in his hands, shopping basket slung around his shoulder. One box held smaller, speckled eggs with a slight golden hue to their shells. The other had larger, with a gentle colourful twist to its earthy colour palette. Their flavours were similar but the larger ones tended to have a more distinct aftertaste, which could be carefully manipulated with a blend of herbs to bring a rich warmth to the palate of the taster.


    Fuck it, lets go with the big boys.


    With a gentle sigh, he placed the box in the basket and shuffled deeper into the shop. It was the third time this week Karen had sent him out for groceries, but despite the hour¡¯s walk each way into town, he couldn¡¯t complain. He loved being out of that house; that illusion of freedom, however brief, was one of the few things keeping him sane.


    Not that Regalia Gardens was a particularly large town. Most of the shops were situated in what was called a ¡®Neo-village,¡¯ a term used to describe the hyper modern architecture that the Draconic Alliance favoured but on a smaller, village-like scale. Seeing the iceberg blue glass structures of shimmering silver in their small, quaint fashion had an odd charm to it. Usually, this type of design was reserved for monolithic mega-cities and towering skyscrapers that punched into the horizon, but this shop was a mere two story building, situated a comfortable distance away from its neighbours in the village¡¯s centre. Each building had an oddly crystal look, as if each building was a jewel in a crown.


    The shop was quiet; it always was. Diego could hear the soft giggle of the clerk behind him as she flicked through her phone, complimenting the soft trickle of the various water features that lined every wall. His ears twitched in anticipation as he headed further towards the back of the shop, where prying eyes might find it difficult to see.


    The collar around his neck bleeped once, quietly.


    He¡¯s here.


    Several aisles behind him, a metal door that read ¡®staff only¡¯ clicked open. A cautious set of footsteps padded towards him against the ceramic tiles, meandering around at first, not to draw attention.


    Diego waited at the back of the shop, looking over the shelves of glass casually until finally, the figure approached.


    He was draconic, dressed in a blue shirt and black trousers, hardly anything out of the ordinary. He had a pair of long whiskers protruding from his snout which bounced as he walked. His eyes were sharp, watching everything around him closely.


    ¡°Sorry I''m late.¡± He whispered, his voice well-versed to speaking in silence. ¡°Are you still interested?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Is the collar off?¡± Diego shuffled slightly away, plucking at more items for his basket.


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re faking its signature so all looks good from your handlers perspective, but they won¡¯t hear a word until I depart.¡±


    ¡°Sweet. So, what''s the plan?¡± Diego swallowed quietly, tapping his claws against the shelves.


    ¡°Two weeks from today, our transport will pass through the area. It will jam your collar as it approaches so you won¡¯t need to worry about that, when is best to pick you up? Day or night?¡±


    ¡°Karen¡¯s a heavy sleeper, so night time is best.¡±


    ¡°Can you make it to the road?¡±


    ¡°If the collar is being jammed, then yes.¡±


    ¡°Then be ready at the roadside for 3:30am. The transport cannot loop around or wait, you understand? If you¡¯re not there at that time, you¡¯re not getting picked up.¡±


    ¡°Understood. What about payment?¡±


    ¡°A man like you understands the debt of gratitude, all you owe us is your good favour. If you see any of my Solar Seraphim kin in need, aid them.¡±


    Diego felt a buzz of excitement rush through his body; this was really happening.


    ¡°You have my word.¡±


    ¡°Then we will see you soon. Take care.¡±


    The figure didn¡¯t depart immediately; he continued to shop and casually mosy around the store.


    Two weeks from today, Diego would be swept away on a transport ship and, if the Solar Seraphim were able to deliver, he would be released back into Nomad territory, firmly away from the DA border. He stifled his grin as best he could as he finished his shop and whisked the basket to the clerk with a definitive bounce back in his step.


    ¡°Hey, Diego!¡± She smiled warmly at him as he approached, her eyes quickly flickered up and down his body, before firmly landing at his eyes. ¡°Do you want the usual along with that?¡±


    ¡°Hey! Yes please!¡±


    She reached behind the counter and grabbed two thick, sweet treat bars.


    ¡°You know, you don¡¯t look like the type to enjoy fruit and nut, I figured you¡¯d prefer something with a little more¡­ body.¡± She gestured towards his sabre fangs as she scanned his items through.


    ¡°Oh, they¡¯re not for me.¡± Diego smiled back innocently, but his mind clearly elsewhere.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be seven fifty-five please, handsome.¡± Her tail swished back and forth behind the counter as she held her hand out for him.


    Diego popped the dies into her hand with a metallic jingle and stuffed the goods into his rucksack, ensuring they were safe and snug. He thanked her and quickly headed out the store, still struggling to contain his glee.


    Finally there was an end in sight! He wasn¡¯t going to be here forever, working out a life sentence in the confines of the Draconic Alliance. The thought of being back with his girls, and the gang, and bringing an end to the corruption¡­ It was all coming back to him, the thoughts that he¡¯d not dared allow himself to think, feelings he¡¯d not dared allow himself to feel. But now, his heart hummed for his two alien girls; every pulse was drawing him closer to them.


    With every aching second that ticked by, he was that little bit closer.


    The journey back to Karen¡¯s house was a pleasant one, an unmarked path across those beautiful emerald fields, surrounded by fresh, snow capped mountains and lush trees. He stopped for a few moments, leaning against a tree to pull his shoes and socks off, then stuffed them into his bag too.


    His first step onto the wet grass was a little kiss of freedom on his feet.


    He couldn¡¯t help himself, he broke into a run through the field, clinging onto the bag straps closely as the grass wet his feet, splashing dew over his calves. Tree after tree flew past him, the wind rushing through his hair, fresh air in his mouth. His heart thumped with a renewed strength in his chest, hot blood pumping through his muscles.


    It was perfect.


    Almost perfect.


    The collar beeped quietly around his neck, its connection reestablished.


    Ugh. Not quite free yet.


    He slowed back down, as the field came to an end and connected with the road that led up to the mansion. He sighed loudly as the road crawled closer with each step, and eventually stopped again, to find a place to retrieve and put his shoes back on his feet.


    I¡¯m sure some part of me is going to miss the peace and quiet of this place.


    Trudging down the road, the iron fence of the new neighbours began to appear on the horizon, surrounding their expansive plot with a black, spiked wall. He could see two figures working the grounds within, tending to the garden in an endless battle.


    A sad, pained sigh escaped his lips.


    Or maybe not.


    Eventually, he drew close to the fence and the figures nervously looked around, ensuring they had a few minutes to spare before limping towards the fence.


    They were an equine brother and sister, both with a chocolate brown coat and various white patches blotched across their body. They were both lean - leaner than they should have been - with the brother being the shorter and smaller of the pair.


    Diego approached the fence and pulled the rucksack off his shoulders, grabbing the two bars he bought out of the bag and passing them through the fence to the two waiting figures, who clasped at the food eagerly, passing the wrapper back to Diego before eagerly stuffing it into their waiting mouths.


    ¡°T-Thank you, Diego! I-It¡¯s good to see you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Katie. You both doing okay?¡± Diego¡¯s eyes landed on her brother, who had a significant welt on his face and some faint bruising across his neck and shoulders. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look good, Darin¡­¡±


    ¡°I-It¡¯s fine.¡± Darin replied sheepishly, rubbing his small hands across his neck. ¡°A-As long as they¡¯re hitting me, they¡¯re not hitting Katie!¡±


    Darin held up his skinny fists, boxing the air in front of him in a manner that suggested he¡¯d never actually hit anyone before in his life.


    Seeing his cuts and bruises made the anger in Diego swell in his chest like fire.


    ¡°B-But thank you again for the food! W-We should go, before we get caught.¡± Katie nodded, giving Diego a warm, thankful smile before turning away from the fence, her shoulders visibly slumping as she guided her younger brother back into the grounds, supporting his slight limp the best she could.


    Diego quickly padded away from the fence and continued back to Karen¡¯s mansion, accompanied by a deep pang of discomfort that jabbed at his chest and limbs repeatedly, cold and uncomfortable.


    As the gates to Karen¡¯s estate rolled up, every emotion he¡¯d felt over the last couple of hours merged and mixed uncomfortably in his stomach.


    He¡¯d be free soon, sure¡­


    But they wouldn¡¯t.


    His ears flicked suddenly; he could hear a third party in the house. A high-pitched cackle echoed through the grounds, like a little giggling demon was loose in the mansion.


    His hands subconsciously curled, as if he were clasping at a handle or a hilt, but hearing Karen¡¯s voice continue the muffled conversation calmly at least confirmed it wasn¡¯t an intruder. His shoulders relaxed slightly.


    Almost there, Diego. Just keep calm. This is nearly over.


    He approached the mansion by its curling metal gates, taking the meticulously groomed path to the front door and removing his shoes before entering.


    ¡°Oh, it sounds like he¡¯s just come home, speaking of the little agelet!¡±


    He didn¡¯t recognise the voice, but it was the same person that made that awful laugh from earlier.


    Diego wiped his feet on the mat outside, then gently rounded the corner into Karen¡¯s impressive front room to see Karen and her visitor sitting on the seemingly endless L-shaped sofa within.


    ¡°Well well well! Just look at those fangs and ears! He¡¯s very exotic, isn¡¯t he? Goodness, you must have paid quite the sum for him! A coralith komodo¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen one alive before.¡±


    She was a taller dragoness than Karen, with a faint purple tint to her skin and a pair of beady eyes that seemed to perpetually stare you down, whether you were shorter than her or not. She was currently clad in a loud summery dress that had almost certainly come with an extreme price tag.


    Karen quickly turned to face Diego and forced a smile.


    ¡°Diego! This is one of my favourite clients, Fairylin Thornscale. She¡¯s moved in just across the road from us with her wonderful husband, I''m sure you¡¯ve seen their stunning grounds already!¡±


    Despite the forced enthusiasm in her voice being rather convincing, Diego could quite clearly see the desperate ¡®help me!¡¯ expression in Karen¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Fairylin.¡± Diego smiled back as best he could, but he was feeling a strong dislike for Karen''s guest immediately.


    ¡°Ooh, well spoken, too! Quite the find, Karen! I see you look after him too, look at those muscles! Do you have sex with him?¡± She asked with a blatant disregard, still staring at Diego.


    ¡°F-Fairylin!¡± Karen spluttered, her face flushing bright red in embarrassment.


    ¡°Of course, a silly suggestion. My apologies. There is no way a pure breed like yourself would ever allow a creature of his blood make contact with you.¡± Fairylin shook her head dismissively. ¡°Must be something else. Still, for his kind, he is a bit of a looker. You must appreciate the eye-candy on the estate.¡±


    ¡°I-I guess.¡± Karen was struggling to maintain her professional persona; her eyes kept darting over to Diego who continued to stand at the door, flabbergasted.


    ¡°How much do you want for him?¡± Fairylin asked bluntly.


    ¡°He¡¯s not for sale, Fairylin.¡± Karen laughed awkwardly. ¡°You should put the shopping away, Diego. Then come sit with me for a bit, please.¡±


    ¡°Why not? If you just want eye-candy, there are plenty of hunks you can buy out there, for a much cheaper price! Name a price - name a species! I¡¯ll get you whatever or whoever you want as a replacement.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I''m not looking for a replacement right now, Fairylin. Diego fits into my routine very nicely and his skills are difficult to find, so I am quite pleased with my current arrangement.¡± Karen spoke a little more firmly now, and shuffled forward on her sofa.


    Fairylin flicked her fingers dismissively, but the disappointment was obvious on her face.


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    Diego quickly ducked off to put the groceries away, but listened closely as they continued their conversation.


    ¡°So how''s things otherwise, Fairylin?¡±


    ¡°Oh, simply marvellous! I¡¯m so glad you recommended Regalia Four to us. I do adore the smell of freshly terraformed air, and the grounds around us are just so humble!¡±


    ¡°Indeed! And I¡¯m so glad you built your estate so close to mine! All these thousands of acres of land around us for the taking and you chose to live right next to me. We can see one another from our bedroom balconies!¡±


    Diego stifled a snort from in the kitchen as the sarcasm in Karen¡¯s voice slipped right under the radar.


    ¡°Of course! We can wave to one another with our morning coffee in hand! I just couldn¡¯t bear to be apart from my number one event planner! Are you still holding that party at the end of the month?¡±


    ¡°I am, should be quite the turn-out!¡±


    Diego finished putting the food away and made his way back to the front room to join Karen, sitting close to her on the sofa. Fairylin immediately locked eyes with him, staring at him intensely. Diego refused to back down, and stared right back at her.


    ¡°He¡¯s got some fire in him, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Fairylin grinned in amusement. ¡°You know, if my staff looked a guest in the eyes, I''d have them disciplined on the spot. Would you like me to administer some corrective punishment, Karen?¡±


    ¡°N-No. I would not. Diego doesn¡¯t need ¡®corrective punishment,¡¯ he is just¡­ protective of me.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh! I understand now! The physique and the species!¡± Fairylin cackled loudly. ¡°He¡¯s your bodyguard! Goodness, you got quite the bargain there, with a bodyguard and a cook in one! Still, I had no idea you were so concerned with your personal safety.¡±


    ¡°B-Bodyguard? Yes! Bodyguard. Let''s roll with that.¡±


    ¡°Well, Karen, I can say to your face that I''m quite disappointed with your lack of discipline and treatment of this¡­¡± She gestured dismissively towards Diego. ¡°...man. But I don¡¯t suppose I hire you for your choice in men, bodyguards or house-keeping. You don¡¯t fuck him, you don¡¯t seem to hit him, I can¡¯t help but feel you¡¯ve been ripped off for how expensive he was. But as long as he¡¯s kept in check, I can¡¯t say much more I suppose.¡±


    Diego couldn¡¯t help but raise an eyebrow at the mention of his expense, but didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Well, you know I''ve always appreciated your honesty, Fairylin.¡± Karen forced another professional smile onto her lips, and her hands clasped together firmly on her lap.


    ¡°The truth should always be our top priority, as friends and colleagues.¡± Fairylin smiled back. ¡°And now, I can come see you every day! Oh, all the gossip I can share with you!¡±


    ¡°What joy! I¡¯d appreciate the company. I might struggle to fit you in though! You know me, always working.¡±


    ¡°Ever the productive little dragoness, aren¡¯t you?¡± Fairylin slowly stood and brushed herself down. ¡°Well, I''d better get back to my estate. My husband will be home soon and he¡¯ll want some relaxation, his job is terribly stressful you see. My wifely duties have no end!¡±


    ¡°So nice to see you, Fairylin. Pop by whenever you like!¡±


    The taller dragoness gathered her belongings and departed from the room from her host, continuing her lines of derogatory small talk aimed at Diego and other non-draconics in general. The slam of Karen¡¯s front door prompted a shared sigh of relief from both Karen and Diego.


    ¡°Oh, thank Chance. She¡¯s gone! UGH! WHY DID SHE HAVE TO MOVE RIGHT NEXT TO ME?!¡± Karen pressed her palm against her forehead tightly. ¡°Diego! Can you make me something sweet and heavy? I need some sugar, now.¡±

 Chapter 13 - Lead Eater

    Tungsten breakshots - check. Meta-steel slugs - check. Explosive rounds - check. Low penetration buckshots - check.


    A gentle sigh escaped through Seeth¡¯s lips as she ran her hands over the cold metal body of the SAFU cannon. She was staring, determinedly out of the cockpit window, her eyes fixed on the small vessel she¡¯d been locked on and observing, for the last twenty-four hours.


    Not that she¡¯d been able to observe much; the vessel had no windows, not even privacy ones. She¡¯d spent the last day tracking a metal box as it drifted lazily about through space, without a worry or care in the world. From the outside it looked like any other small cargo vessel, unassuming and quiet.But the inside¡­


    But the inside was anything but.


    Seeth¡¯s leg bounced in anticipation, the weight of the SAFU shifting onto her other thigh. Her gaze remained firmly locked on the Vora Baron meat barge. She¡¯d be going into this one cautiously, and slowly if she could. When she¡¯d been a part of the Draconic Alliance (which felt like a lifetime ago now,) the DA military had been outright dismissive of the Barons; low threat, low priority, little more than vermin. Even after she¡¯d joined the military, she never once had a run-in with them, nor did the attitude towards them change.


    But Garnet had told her a very different story.


    To the nomads, the Barons were an unstoppable force of guns, blubber and teeth. They devoured everything and everyone in their path, stripping down system after system to the bone, and picking at the carcass with their yellow-stained teeth.


    Thinking about it now, as Seeth watched that small, dull cube float around through space, undisturbed and unchallenged, it suddenly hit her; the Vora Barons were bullies. To the might of an empire like the DA, of course they were no threat; bullies punch down, not up. Sitting on their vulcan throne, protected by the millionth fleet and shrouded in starfire plasma, the DA were untouchable, undesirable by the Baron¡¯s standards. The nomad¡¯s scraped-together fleets, in comparison, cobbled together by those who needed to fight, were low hanging fruit. As Garnet put it, the barons don¡¯t want to fight¡­


    They want to feed.


    Seeth had intended to observe the barge for longer, but had learnt nothing of any real value. A few days ago this barge had been a part of a much larger Baron fleet, according to Garnet¡¯s intel, but after their raid, the barge had moved away from the other ships, and didn¡¯t show any signs of joining back up. Seeth felt pressed now to act, sooner rather than later. The spoils from their last attack were fresh, and every moment mattered.


    Seeth glanced quickly around the rest of her ship, and for a moment, in that little pocket of space which held just her, and the Barons, she felt a pang of loneliness ripple through her chest. Although disappointed, Seeth couldn¡¯t say that she was surprised that no-one else had come to help her on this one. The other mercs just weren¡¯t willing to put their necks on the chopping block (or chopping board, as one had joked) and go up against the Barons. Hope was gone, the Barons were an uncontested force, and they knew it; there were only so many excruciating losses the average nomad could take before just abandoning their post. The risk was high, but someone needed to take a stand.


    Seemed fitting it would be her.


    She sighed quietly again, nodded to herself and stood from the cockpit chair.


    Her body gear was slim in its appearance, and not particularly striking. Just a sealed mask and black, tactical body armour tightly fitted to her body (as most outfits were,) with patches of exposed skin around her arms and calves. She also wore a pair of black fingerless gloves, for extra grip.  Strapped to various locations on her body were bandoliers and pouches filled with SAFU shells, which would have been completely unmanageable, unmoveable  to most. They contained hundreds of kilograms of tungsten and meta-steel, ready to punch oversized holes in anything the wielder desired. But Seeth moved as if they weighed nothing at all. Her new axe and SAFU cannon were holstered on her back, along with a tactical enviro-shield and omni-directional mobility module, perfect for slow, precise navigations through space. As she tweaked her armour however, she couldn¡¯t help but run her fingers along it, as she stared out at the space between her and the barge.


    I could always try teleporti-


    She shuddered, and furiously shook the thought out of her head.


    No.


    A fierce, self-loathing scowl spread across her face.


    Time¡¯s ticking. Let''s do this.


    Before she had the chance to second guess herself again, she pulled open the first airlock door. She pulled her mask over her face as the hiss of air escaping filled the ship, and solidified her decision. She was doing this, and doing it now. There was a hatch on the bottom of the barge that looked like it could be pried open from the outside. Failing that, she would go loud and use a breaching shell from the SAFU to punch a hole through. This was the back-up plan though; a quiet entry would allow her far more tactical flexibility.


    The second airlock door hissed open. and the silence of space enveloped her. Gently, she stepped out into the void, and the lock closed behind her.


    Seeth had paid a small fortune to have Venner¡¯s ship fitted with a decent-grade cloaking module, allowing her to stay perilously close to the ship without being spotted. It hurt to take that amount of money from their ¡®Find Diego¡¯ savings fund, but an investment like this would only result in more money later down the line, or so she hoped anyway.


    A pulse of cobalt-blue fire erupted from her mobility module and a brief flicker of blue flame from her back pushed her through the cold vacuum of space towards the barge. Only minutes later her hands were brushing up against the dull, metal exterior. She found the handle of the hatch and she pulled herself up to it. Wrapping both her hands around the handle, she pushed with her feet against the hull until she felt a sharp clunk from the panel, as it came loose.


    The barge¡¯s internal shielding cast a visible blue haze over the hole which prevented the air from being sucked out, but posed no threat in stopping Seeth from boarding. Her observations had been correct too, it was large enough for her to squeeze into. The pull of the ship''s artificial gravity hit her suddenly as she wiggled through the hatch, carefully ensuring that her weapons did not catch on the metal. As she climbed slowly to feet, she looked around the room she¡¯d found herself in with keen and determined eyes, taking in everything. It looked like she was at the end of a dark maintenance tunnel, with a single junction exit straight ahead. The walls and floor had an unnatural brassy colour to it, as though it had once been a silver that had become dulled with oil and grease over many years.


    Listening closely, Seeth unclipped her mask and her tongue flickered out from between her lips like a snake, tasting the air. She flinched as she tasted blood, staunch iron on every flick of her tongue.


    With her current surroundings seemingly empty - the only thing she could hear was a repeating, distant drip - she slowly padded down the grated tunnel. Before long, she¡¯d reached the junction. Pressing her back against the cool metal tiles, she cautiously peered around the corner.


    Directly in front of her was more corridor, dark and bloomy. It seemed to lead further up into the ship, perhaps towards the sleeping quarters.


    Behind her was a door, partially open, with a bright white LED light shining through the gap. After a moment''s deciding, she turned and made towards it. Her breathing was calm and composed. She unholstered the SAFU and held it out infront of her, ready to fire. Slowly, with the gun¡¯s nose, she pushed the door open.


    Her eyes watered and she fought, hard, to stifle a cough, as the smell inside the room hit her.


    She seemed to have entered a butcher''s kitchen. The room¡¯s surfaces were stained, and littered with bloodied cutting tools. In the centre of the room was a steel trough, full to the brim with blood. The trough had a draining tap at the bottom, with several glass jars, pre-filled, stashed around its base.


    Several nomads were dangling from chains, upside-down, their heads hanging over the trough and their necks slashed.


    Drip¡­ drip¡­ drip¡­


    Seeth swallowed. The nomads were long gone, the life having left their bodies likely several hours ago.


    I waited too long¡­


    The room presented her with two new doors, one on her right and one directly ahead.


    These people might still be alive¡­


    She could hear a faint bubbling through the door on her right as she softly padded over, SAFU first.


    No. Forward. Always move forward.


    She pushed the door open, heavy on its hinges and was hit immediately with a wave of uncomfortable warmth, accompanied by a slightly sweet taste on the tip of her tongue.


    It was another small room, with nowhere else to go but back the way she¡¯d came. The room was far from empty though. Her gaze moved over the large, sealed tanks lining all four walls of the room. Each one was filled to the brim with thick brown or orange fluid, and was covered in a misty layer of condensation. Cautiously, Seeth moved towards one, leaning over to peer into the tank, but it was impossible to see through the murk and condensation.


    She released her ever-tightening grip of the pump of the SAFU, and gently wiped the tank with the palm of her hand with a soft little squeak.


    There was someone inside.


    A young, adult human floated helplessly, suspended in the thick fluid. There was a mask clamped around his unmoving face, Seeth could just about make out the silhouette of pipes, running from the mask upwards, to the seal of the tank.


    Slowly, Seeth tapped her finger against the glass. The man¡¯s eyes immediately opened wide, and stared at Seeth in fear and trepidation. Seeth¡¯s head lurched back, but her hand stayed pressed up against the glass. She had no idea how this man was still alive. His sickly, brown-stained hand reached out towards hers. As his fingertips pressed against the tank, a chunk of flesh fell away from his palm, and drifted aimlessly about in the murk.


    The Controller retreated away from the tank, focusing hard on keeping her breathing calm, and her breakfast down. She looked around the rest of the room, at the numerous other tanks, trying hard not to picture what would be inside¡­ who knows, maybe they were empty? Her heart sank though as she noticed that each tank had a red numerical counter by its side, including the one in front of her. The timers were all counting down. The timer was accompanied by a set of hand-scribbled notes hanging from a small hook. By the looks of it, every tank contained a person, and each was alive. It had been calculated so. The notes all said the same thing, with only some minor variation between them:


    89KG - MARINATE FOR 336 HOURS - 40 DEGREES - CHEFS SAUCE - SERVE ON RELEASE, SHOULD FALL RIGHT OFF THE BONE.


    This is where the warmth was coming from. Seeth stumbled back from the tanks, her eyes darting between the notes, the timer and the silhouettes of the people within.


    They were being slow cooked¡­ alive.


    Her hands squeezed around the handle and foregrip of the SAFU.


    If there was anyone who deserved to feel her wrath, it was the Barons.


    There didn¡¯t seem to be an easy way of releasing the captives from their slow cookers without making a lot of noise. The young man¡¯s eyes had remained locked on her, and she had to pull herself away from his desperate expression. She turned and left without a second look, marching back to the other door within the butcher¡¯s room, and gently pulling it open.


    The door opened into a wide, metal corridor, with a large barred jail cell directly on one side. Immediately she was hit with the loud scraping and clanking of metal chains, along with the muffled sounds of crying, sobbing and screaming.


    The small cell opposite her held a group of around thirty nomads, chained to the floor and walls, and all in various states of despair and loss. There was no political agenda or racial preferences amongst the Vora Barons; food was food, and every single prisoner, no matter their size or species, was suffering the same.


    In the distance, she could hear the clatter of cutlery, hearty chuckles followed by the deliberate crunch of feasting mouths, all concealed by the doorways further down the corridor. The monstrous comradery could almost be enticing if divorced from the reality of the meat barge. Of all the things the Barons could be accused of, not knowing how to enjoy themselves wasn¡¯t one of them.


    An oddly positive feeling rippled through her despite the suffering in the air. Slowly, she realised that her corruptive urges were at the lowest they¡¯d been in what felt like an eternity. And despite what she was walking into, she couldn¡¯t help but embrace that feeling. The thought dawned on her that maybe, maybe the corruptive beast lurking within her was tamable.


    If only it hadn¡¯t taken a cannibal¡¯s floating chop shop for her to realise it.


    Next door to the cell was an armoured door with several thick electrical cables pressed into its outer walls, which connected to a series of cameras throughout the cell and the corridor. A security office. A good target to neutralise, she thought.


    She felt the eyes of the captives land on her, slowly at first, but then a disinterested hush fell over the crowd. She stared back. She could feel the wide variety of emotions of the prisoners as their eyes rested on her person; fear, at first - of course, these people would have been expecting a Vora Baron, and in the gloom, she could imagine that her formidable size and strength gave her the same, rough appearance. Their brows lightened though as Seeth didn¡¯t move, didn¡¯t react, and they came to see her more clearly. She did not match their understanding of a Baron. As their curiosity bubbled, Seeth raised a finger to her lips, and then pointed at one of the cameras. They followed her movement closely, and stared at the camera for a second before realising what she meant. They fidgeted about, and made their gaze more subtle.


    ¡°She¡¯ll probably die, like the others¡­¡± One of them whispered.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s alone too. She¡¯ll end up on a skewer, with the rest of us.¡± One answered, a cackle escaping through his dried lips.


    There were a handful of prisoners, she noted, that hadn¡¯t even looked up at her. Their eyes were inhumanly wide and bloodshot, staring straight down at the floor. Their breaths came heavily from their chests. Their faces were gaunt and grey, their limbs skinny and skeletal, malnourished and starved. Their stomachs, however, told a different story. Each prisoner was carrying a heavy-looking and bloated pot-belly. As she examined their condition, a memory suddenly popped into Seeth¡¯s head, of when she¡¯d been a child and first learnt what fois gras was.


    She shuddered.


    Seeth walked slowly over to the security door and tugged on its thick metal handle. She was surprised to feel it move on its hinges. She pushed the door open slightly and, peering inside, confirmed her suspicion. It was just a small security office, filled with monitors and staffed by a single guard, who was leaning back heavily in an undersized chair.


    Her first Vora Baron.


    A wolf - he was a portly creature, somewhat short but heavy with fat and dressed in cured leathers - was staring at the screens with a bored, vacant expression, A single line of dribble oozed from his mouth. On his control panel rested a metal cleaver and a severed leg, half eaten at the calf.


    Seeth slowly inched the door open, keen to keep her advantage¡­ when the door creaked. The wolf casted a confused glance behind him as a blur of purple blur flew into the room. He bolted to attention and went for his cleaver but Seeth had already wrapped her arm firmly around his neck, pulling him away from the controls and ensuring his voice was muffled. Her arms were like steel around his throat as she lifted him cleanly off the floor by his neck. He scrabbled at her arms desperately, his cheeks bulging as the pressure around his head increased¡­


    His struggle ended as abruptly as it had started, punctuated by a sharp snap.


    She lowered his limp body to the floor and dumped his corpse in the corner of the room, shutting the door behind her and looking over the monitors closely. Something caught her attention immediately. One of the cameras showed a much larger, open butcher¡¯s room than the one she¡¯d previously been in, filled with several tables that had been modified with restraining equipment. The room looked like it had been a small hangar before the Barons had gotten hold of it, likely for launching shuttles or fighters, but now it hosted row after row of restrained nomads, strapped down to the tables with a¡­ significant amount of room between each one. The far wall looked to be a giant, retractable security door, with a ruby red alarm above it and several bright yellow warning signs welded to its metallic exterior. Spray painted in blood red writing, the words ¡®STARVING DOGS¡¯ had been crudely spelled out just under the warning signs.


    Two huge Vora Barons were wandering around the room, looking over their captives with a mouth-watering glee.


    Both of these men were giants, around Seeth¡¯s height, round and thick. Their stomachs jiggled with every heavy step they took. Their barbarian attire allowed their ample bellies plenty of room to swell and grow with each feast. One was a half-breed of serpentine origin, with a smooth, reptilian head but walking heavily on poorly-grooved hooves. The other looked to be a boar, with thick tusks protruding from his jawline.


    Their hands teased at the knives and axes that hung from their belts, occasionally bending over to taunt and prod at the terrified nomads, cackling madly.


    Seeth turned her attention away from the monitors for a moment. A brief glance at the map layout conveniently pinned to the wall revealed that the hangar was just beyond the cellblock, protected by another thick, metal door.


    She felt a surge of adrenaline at each of the Baron¡¯s unwieldy movements, flaunting their power as they threatened to butcher another nomad, with a twiddle of their chunky fingers. She needed to act now, or she¡¯d be watching the slaughter happen, live.


    The corridor was still empty and she rushed over towards the hangar. The door had a glass panel which she could bend down and peek through. The snake, who was closest, currently had his back to her. The boar, however, was facing towards her door, on the other side of the room.


    There was a fire extinguisher unit installed in the wall beside the door, solid, heavy and thick with dust. Quickly she grabbed it in one hand, then unsheathed her axe and held it in the other, close to the blade.


    The snake suddenly seemed to spot something. He lunged towards a restrained young girl, who began kicking and screaming in her bonds as the Baron pulled what looked like a large blob of orange gel off of her. He teased the nomad with it, shaking the blob over her face before raising it high into the air, opening his jaw wide and threatening to drop it into his mouth.


    That¡¯s enough. Time this lot took on someone their own size. Axe gripped in one hand, fire extinguisher in the other, she pushed open the door and surged across the room.


    ¡°Pupa!!! Leave her alone! She never hurt anyone!¡± The nomad was screaming, tears streaming down her face as the Baron let his tongue flop loose off his maw, dangling the orange slime over his vacuous mouth.


    In the blink of an eye, Seeth had driven the blade of her axe straight into the skull of the snake in a single, vicious slam, splitting his skull with ease. In a smooth, follow-up motion, she swung the extinguisher and flung it across the room, in a perfect straight line at the boar.


    The snake collapsed to the ground and dropped the slime, but the other Baron hadn¡¯t been caught so off-guard. He raised his heavy arm up to protect himself as an ear splitting thwack rang out and the metal impacted his underarm, punching into his flesh and embedding itself firmly into his ribcage.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Oh shit. It didn¡¯t kill him.


    The boar squealed at the top of his lungs, then let out a deep, pained grunt. His arm was broken and fixed in place, stapled by the giant metal protrusion. His hand loosely flapped about as he twisted on the spot and began to shuffle towards the alarm behind him.


    Oh no you don¡¯t.


    Seeth sprinted across the room, expertly leaping over the rows of tables as the Baron desperately plodded over to the alarm, reaching towards a small red button on the back wall with his stubby fingers. He grunted loudly with every stumbling step he took, his various knives and tools shaking furiously on his belt, but just as he reached towards the button, his second arm was severed clean off and hit the floor with a wet slap. Seeth had thrown her axe across the room. The blade punched cleanly into the wall and stayed there, with a splatter of blood along its silver blade.


    The Baron spun around to face Seeth, just as she charged and knocked him off his feet. With her one arm over his shoulder, and her other under him, she heaved him up and lifted him off the ground, his immense mass shifting uncomfortably as she held him horizontally, and then drove his entire body into a protruding support column on the wall, spine first.


    The hangar shook slightly from the sheer impact of the Baron, and a bassy metallic thud echoed around the room. The support column was left with a hefty dent in the multi-inch thick metal as the boar went limp in her grip. Seeth dumped him on the floor, head first, watching as his vast bulk collapsed onto his head and neck, turning his already mangled spine into more of a mess than it already was.


    Seeth spun on her heels and quickly checked the rest of the room. The other Barons hadn¡¯t seemed to have heard her. All around her were only the bewildered expressions of the various nomads, as they slowly realised what had just happened. Pulling her axe from the wall, she addressed the nearest prisoner, carefully bringing the blade down on his restraints in such a manner as to not spook him. The restraints clinked cleanly as he was freed, on limb at a time.


    ¡°Do you know how many Barons are on this ship?¡± She asked sternly, her eyes taking in every detail of the hangar as soon as he was free.


    ¡°M-Maybe ten!¡± The nomad sat up slowly, rubbing his wrists, his body trembling. ¡°B-But they have a horde of Famished behind the door!¡±


    ¡°Famished?¡±


    The nomad pointed at the giant hangar door, plastered with warning signs.


    ¡°I-If the Barons find out you¡¯ve killed one of their own, they¡¯ll set them free! And if they set them free with everyone still tied down¡­ we¡¯ll get butchered!¡±


    ¡°What are the Famished?¡± Seeth demanded, crouching over the boar Baron¡¯s body and pulling a large ring of keys free from his belt.


    ¡°I-I¡­ They used to be prisoners, l-like us, b-but¡­ they¡¯re not anymore!¡± The nomad¡¯s voice was rising, and Seeth was quickly becoming concerned now that he might start acting hysterical. She spied the biggest, most-ornate looking key and unthreaded it from the ring.


    Master key.


    ¡°Start unlocking the others.¡± Seeth ordered, throwing the ring over to the nomad.


    He fumbled but caught the keys, and moved towards the closest prisoner.


    ¡°T-That was incredible, though! I¡¯ve n-never seen someone lift a Baron like that¡­¡±


    Seeth didn¡¯t reply; she slipped the master key into a pocket on her suit and moved towards one of the other rows of prisoners, axe-blade lined up with their restraints. She cut through the metal cleanly with every strike, but her eyes kept drifting to the warning signs behind her.


    STARVING DOGS.


    It wasn¡¯t long before all the nomads in the room were freed. They all appeared confused and extremely anxious, as they stared up at Seeth and struggled to process the situation - was this actually happening? Were they actually going to¡­ live?


    The young girl, who had been kneeling on the floor, stood up and walked over to Seeth, unsteady on her feet. She was clutching the orange blob to her chest. She cradled it carefully and gave Seeth a teary, wide smile.


    ¡°T-Thank you! You saved us! You saved Pupa from being eaten!¡±


    The orange blob stretched out a small, shaky appenditch. Unsure of what to do, Seeth reached out gently towards it and the blob rested its shaking limb on her hand, as if to say ¡®thank you.¡¯


    Everyone then began thanking her together. They stayed behind the girl but began to crowd around Seeth, practically crying with relief


    All, except one man.


    On the outside of the group, someone had broken away from the rest. His eyes were sunken and heavy in the back of his head. His face twitched as he shuffled towards the back of the room, towards the shiny red alarm panel at the back of the room.


    ¡°N-No, n-n-o. Too laaaaaaaate,¡± the man muttered to himself, in an odd little sing-song voice. His voice was harsh, and a single bead of saliva trickled down his face. He stared down at his large swollen belly, unable to see his feet.


    Seeth was overwhelmed by the sudden rush of praise. She stood about awkwardly, eyes on the floor, her fingers playing with the end of her plait.


    Nobody noticed the man until it was too late.


    ¡°Always to laaaaaaaaate¡­¡±


    He stepped over the dead Baron, completely transfixed by the button. The harrowing screams of his children, of his wife, echoed through his head. His eyes like pin-pricks, he reached out and pressed the alarm with a single, stone-solid finger.


    The alarm above the door blared loudly, bathing the room in a red haze as the huge door began to retract into the floor. The prisoners, and Seeth, jumped out of their skins. The man held his finger on the alarm, as though his life depended on it, turning to look at the door with that same lost expression.


    ¡°We¡¯re not waiting to see what''s behind that door. Get into the corridor!¡± Seeth yelled, guiding the nomads back through her point of entry.


    The terrified group shuffled out through the door as fast as they could as the room filled with the rumble of the retracting door, and the gurgle of its concealed occupants.


    Seeth turned, and made to go back for the man.


    Under the crimson glow of the alarm, a figure clambered out on top of the door, despite being only half-retracted into the floor. His body was a mess of industrial bionics and badly grafted flesh. Several vials of clear fluid were attached to his back, feeding into what little organic matter was left inside his body. His hands had been replaced with blades, which he rubbed together with a sharp, piercing screech. Despite the awkward, unbalanced nature of his body, he moved with an unsettling grace, well accustomed to his abhorrent body.


    More and more sets of blades, hooks and hands latched onto the door as more of the beast''s kin emerged, eager to make the most of this given opportunity. The first jumped over, landing with a metallic thump and turned to face the single, quivering nomad, still holding down the button.


    The Famished surged towards him. Its blades cut straight through his flesh and bone, severing his arm at the shoulder. In a curl of blood, it snatched the limb right out of the air and clamped its half-metal jaw onto the warm flesh, crunching into it with a distinct, loud, synthetic purr as the blood hit its tongue.


    A blood-curdling scream filled the room as the man collapsed to the floor.


    More of them were clambering on top of the door, each one mangled and deformed in their own way, their bodies a twisted husk of sharp metal, with desperate eyes and organs clinging onto life. The most mutilated of them had their organs held in clear, plastic sacks, which hung from the frame of a completely bionic skeletal shell. They eyed Seeth with a mixture of confusion and hunger, with the hunger taking precedence as more of them emerged into the room, and began to spread out like a pack of dogs.


    Seeth stood in front of the main door, separating the nomads from the monsters inside the hangar.


    The smell of blood had filled the room, and prompted an excited wave of mechanical savagery from the Famished.


    Their somewhat calm demeanour began to change quite dramatically however as the smell of blood began to fill the room. The first one, who was chomping at the man''s arm, only became more vicious as he continued his feast. Its bites became more aggressive, and lashed out as some of its kin crawled over, and began to tear into the nomad¡¯s body. They reacted as a pack to the scene as a ripple of excitement ran across their bodies, tapping their blades together with increasing vigour.


    The hangar only continued to fill with more of them as the door eventually fully retracted to the floor, revealing a secondary hangar filled to the brim with malice and metal. They clung to the walls and crawled over the floor in a disorganised horde, each as hungry and ravenous as the last.


    Seeing over a hundred opponents, Seeth¡¯s heart was pounding in her chest. She was confident about taking on one, maybe five without injury. But this?


    The Famished began a chorus of half-organic, half-rusting voice boxes, united only by their hunger and their suffering. Their malice was aimed directly at the Controller, watching, waiting for the slightest hint of weakness.


    Seeth¡¯s eyes quickly darted around the room, deciding on her next move. Then, as quickly as she could she backed out of the room, closing the metal door behind her sharply and wedging her axe into the handle, to keep it closed. The Famished charged towards her the second she moved. A blade punched through the glass panel millimetres from Seeth¡¯s face and she jerked back to avoid it, narrowly dodging the blade.


    They clawed and teared at the door, metal scraping against metal, but for the time being, it seemed to be holding.


    The prisoners had gone down the corridor and opened up the cell by the smaller butcher¡¯s kitchen. They all stood together in the corridor, unsure of what to do next, and as Seeth approached them, they all immediately turned to her. She could hear the sounds of several Barons in rooms further down the corridor, apparently still unalerted. Their hearty laughs and chewing echoes from one side of the corridor, the synthetic growl and metallic scrabble of the Famished from the other.


    ¡°There are people in tanks through that door; get them out.¡± Seeth ordered. A group of nomads quickly broke off with the keys, and did as she said. Seeth then turned to address those remaining. ¡°I need you all to stay out of sight and look after your own, give me room to fight. Don¡¯t die from stray shots.¡±


    The nomads immediately did as she asked and hid low and quiet. Most moved into the now open cell, or back into the kitchen and ducking behind the tables. Seeth started to move towards the sound of Baron laughter, when a new set of footsteps from down the corridor made her stop in her tracks.


    An overly muscular wolf appeared in the corridor. He initially seemed to just be passing from one side to another, but he slowed down and his ears pricked as the sound of the scrabbling Famished reached him. He was shorter than Seeth, and looked a little more well kept than the other Barons she¡¯d encountered; his upper body was overflowing with bulging muscle rather than that, making his normal-sized legs look a little anaemic in comparison. He had a bionic grafted onto his back between his shoulder blades which fed small tubes into his arms and into his neck. The bionic whirred quietly as he turned to address Seeth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I''ve seen you before¡­ Are you a new Baron?¡± He asked, head cocked and eyes curious.


    Seeth faltered for a second, stumbling over her words.


    ¡°Y-Yes. I¡¯m just having a wander about the ship.¡±


    The bionic on the wolf¡¯s back began to hum louder, like an angry bee. His face twitched.


    ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re having a wander? The fuck is there to look at?! We¡¯re in a windowless metal box!¡± His temper was rising quickly as he spoke, rising in volume with the increasing aggravated whirring emanating from his back.


    ¡°I was checking out the latest captives, picking my prize.¡± Seeth feigned, staring the wolf down calmly. He seemed briefly convinced; the persistent whirring noise dropped in volume, but after a few seconds he suddenly snapped back at her.


    ¡°If you¡¯re a Baron, you¡¯ll know who runs this barge! Give me a name!¡± He hissed, his eyes narrowing, the bionic increasing in volume once again.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t talk to a fellow -¡±


    ¡°GIVE ME A FUCKING NAME!¡± He screamed, his eyes practically bulging in their sockets.


    ¡°Ah shit.¡± Seeth muttered, bracing herself.


    ¡°WE HAVE AN INTRUDER!¡± He growled, grabbing a bladed club that hung from his belt. ¡°THEY¡¯RE TAKING OUR FUCKING FOOD!¡±


    ¡°Rager! I-It¡¯s a Rager!¡± One of the nomads called out from behind the czarite. The Rager¡¯s hands clamped around his bat, squeezing it so tightly that they could hear his joints clicking from down the corridor. The wolf¡¯s entire body began to shake, blood oozed from nose as his eyes locked onto Seeth with a violent madness. The feasting and laughter on the other side of the ship suddenly cut out, and was replaced with the sound of scraping chairs and heavy stomping.


    ¡°YOU¡¯RE GONNA - YOU¡¯RE GONNA - GONNA - DIE!¡± The wolf screamed, half choking on his own frothing words as he launched himself down the corridor as fast as his legs could carry him, gunning straight for Seeth with his bat at the ready.


    The nomads were screaming. The Famished were screeching. All around her was aggression, anger, and fear. But Seeth was calm.


    ¡°I hope this packs the punch Garnet said it did.¡±


    As the wolf charged her, she lunged forward and met his charge with a kick to the stomach, hitting him like a cannonball and sending his shaking body skittering back down the corridor. His bat clattered to the floor and Seeth quickly drew the SAFU, which was currently strapped to her back. One hand on the pump, the other on the trigger, she took aim at the spitting Rager who was clambering back to his feet and screamed at her again, blood squirting from his eyes and underneath his claws.


    He was trying to speak, to unleash a few slur of insults and threats onto his opponent, but his shaking maw could only scream froth and blood, and all that stuttered out were broken syllables.


    A thunderous roar erupted from the barrel of the SAFU as a flesh-splitting barrage of tungsten launched down the corridor.


    Multiple ball bearings connected with the Rager. The sound of pulverised flesh was immediately preceded by the ear splitting *ping* of tungsten slamming into the ship''s floor and walls. And just like that, as the cloud of smoke cleared, the Rager was gone. He had been reduced to smouldering, bloody chunks on the floor, an unrecognisable mass of gristle and bone, like someone had dumped a can of dog food onto the ship''s plating. The SAFU had also left a visible spread of deep craters, puncturing deep into the ship''s carcass like a halo around the wolf.


    A weapon like this didn¡¯t leave corpses. It left mulch and scraps.


    The silence that followed was deafening. The nomads didn¡¯t even dare breathe. Seeth cycled the weapon with a beefy *clack-clack*, ejecting the spent shell which thudded to the ground, smoke gently wafting from its interior.


    The silence was broken by the howl of Vora Barons as they came pouring out of their various rooms ahead of her, each of them as fat, blood stained and smelly as the last. The floor shook with every stumbling, ravenous step they took. Fury and hunger was plastered across all of their faces, but as they got closer, and eyed up their perpetrator, their demeanour shifted slightly.


    ¡°That''s a delicious looking piece of meat, look at those thick thighs!¡± One of them cackled, reaching for a hook on his belt. ¡°Leave her unmarked by lead, I want her meat unfowled.¡±


    The others didn¡¯t seem to agree with their fellow Baron¡¯s approach, and reached for the oversized pistols and other weapons they had on hand.


    Seeth did not even acknowledge their threats.


    *BLAM*


    Another flesh-shredding wave of tungsten filled the corridor, with plenty of flesh to hit. The noise was unlike anything Seeth had ever heard before. The sound of multiple kilograms of ball bearings punching through what was literally metres worth of flesh, fat and leather. Beyond the crunch, there was a sickening sound of gushing blood and hell knows what else, as gallons of bodily fluid evacuated through the fresh, gaping holes in the Baron''s wall of bodies.


    Seeth emptied the SAFU¡¯s magazine in several more head splitting blasts and charged forward, rushing towards a Baroness slightly smaller than her who had waddled out of the next door just up from the security room. Seeth rammed the gun into her face, forcing the Baroness back inside the room as the corridor filled with heavy calibre gunfire from the surviving Barons.


    The room was only small; a bedroom, with a makeshift bed and TV inside, finished with a half-eaten nomad dangling from the ceiling by his arms. The bite marks on the nomad¡¯s body fit the Baroness¡¯ jaw perfectly, and her lips covered in fresh blood. Footsteps were rapidly approaching the door but Seeth kept her focus on the Baroness before her, who was wrenching the gun out of her face with a fierce scowl and going for a knife on her belt. The Controller responded with a skull cracking jab to the baron''s cheek, sending her scuttling backwards and thumping against the wall. Seeth loaded a fresh shell into the SAFU, cocked it, and blasted the Baroness in one smooth, single, motion. The force of the shot sent bloody chunks of mashed ribs and pasted organs spraying over the Controller, as the Baroness¡¯ torso practically exploded.


    That hellish whirring of two new Ragers echoed around the room as they appeared at the door. They skidded and sprinted straight into the room, lunging at Seeth with bladed clubs. They were already fully revved up and incapable of speech, screaming from the base of their throat as they attacked her. She blocked their blows with the SAFU¡¯s body and booted the first in the chest, sending him straight back out of the room, his head clattering against the opposite wall with a firm crack. The other narrowly avoided his comrad¡¯s catapulted body, and swung his club horizontally in a vicious arc.


    Seeth dodged backwards with what little room she had and the club smashed through the torso of the hanging nomad instead, busting straight through him. His meat clung to the blades of the club. As the Rager recovered from his swing, Seeth lunged at him, using the back of the SAFU as a club. The Rager¡¯s overgrown muscles might have afforded him some protection versus an average nomad, but they did nothing to protect against the bone-breaking slams of a Controller. He may as well have had all the strength of a children¡¯s toy after three distinct, crushing blows of solid metal, the final of which drove the stock of the SAFU straight through his skull. The bionic on his back spluttered to a stop as his skull crunched, and the Rager stopped moving.


    Seeth quickly returned to a firing stance and loaded more shells as the first Rager came stumbling back into the room, despite the wound on the back of his head. He swung his club at Seeth again but this time, the Controller caught it at the base, wrenching it free of his shaking grip with one hand and bringing the bladed lump of metal straight into his chest, sending him straight back through the door. He hit the floor a mangled pile of bone and flesh.


    More footsteps followed, heavier this time. A tall, lumbering Baron lurched around the corner and surged towards Seeth with a vicious, hungry grin on his face - it was the same one that had called out to her earlier. He clutched a massive, metal hook in his hands, the corpse of a dead nomad already impaled firmly on it. The body jerked violently as the baron raised the hook over his head and prepared to slam it down onto Seeth.


    ¡°You¡¯re packing some heat, girl.¡± He gurgled, drooling trickling down his chin. ¡°Let''s see if your back folds or not.¡±


    She knew she should have just pulled the trigger on the SAFU; it was loaded. He would be dead by now. But as he raised the hook, she caught a glimpse at the nomad, their dead, empty eyes, their mouth hanging open in what would have been a heart-wrenching scream as the hook came down and¡­


    She dropped the SAFU and immediately raised her hands up to catch the hook as it hurtled towards her face. The metal met with her hands with a loud thump. The Baron was strong, but Seeth was stronger. As they stood against one another, the Baron''s arms quivered and a dripping, toothy grin appeared.


    ¡°Well that I did not expect!¡± He inhaled her scent deeply, his sweaty belly pushing against her torso as he forced her back. ¡°Quite the find! You¡¯d make a fine apprentice with strength like that!¡±


    ¡°Only the best for you, you fucking cunt!¡±


    Seeth locked her arms, ensuring the hook would not collide with her face, slowly sliding backwards until her shoulders bumped against the cold wall.


    The Baron licked his lips again, his breath thick with putrid-smelling alcohol and meat. As he pressed the hook closer to her, the impaled nomad seemed to lean in closer, almost as if it was taunting her.


    ¡°Surrender to me, czarite and I¡¯ll show you a feast that will blow the idea of civility clean from your mind!¡±


    ¡°The fuck makes you think I want anything to do with your kind, Baron?¡± Seeth spat, feeling her body tense up as more of the Baron¡¯s sweaty body pressed up against her.


    ¡°I know what you are, czarite.¡± He stared down, deep into her eyes, their arms still locked. ¡°You¡¯re a monster, trying to reject your true nature. You¡¯re not here to fight us. You¡¯re here to fight yourself.¡± He broke into a deep chortle, his shoulders shaking. ¡°You¡¯ve deluded yourself into thinking you¡¯re one of them. You are not. Your teeth would be better wrapped around their bones than bared at me.¡±


    ¡°You got one part of that right, Baron.¡± Seeth forced him back a couple of ground-shaking steps, finally freeing some space between them.


    She pushed up against the wall behind her and kicked her leg out, booting the Baron straight in the knee with a deep crack. He dropped as his leg gave out, coming face to face with Seeth. As he roared in pain, she pulled the hook free of his hands, meeting his desperate grapple with an explosive headbutt, sending a shower of blood and teeth all over the floor as her carapace met with his mouth. She caught him as he tumbled backwards with the point of his hook, slamming it straight into his shoulder, sinking several inches of it straight into his body.


    ¡°I am a monster.¡±


    She clutched the handle of the hook with one hand, locking him in place, and launched several shattering punches into his face and neck with her other hand. Her jabs knocked chunks free from his already damaged face, splattering more blood and teeth against the walls. His heavy frame shuddered violently as she hit him, over and over again.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never fit in with them. No matter what you do.¡± The Baron gargled, spitting blood with every slurred syllable.


    Furious, she reeled back again, keeping her hand firmly on the hook''s handle, and kicked him with all her might in the centre of his chest.


    The hook tore free of its flesh prison in a brutal spray of gore. The Baron''s mountainous corpse was hurled back into the corridor, skidding to a stop after slamming into the wall, leaving a significant dent as he fell onto a dead Rager. She quickly pulled the limp corpse off the hook and slung the weapon onto her shoulder. She grabbed the SAFU off the floor, and dove behind the dead Baron.


    Leaning over the mass of fur, blubber and blood, she sent several more shells down range as the Baron''s initial confidence waned. The shots ruptured the remaining Barons who were stepping over their dead kin, when a louder, metallic sounding footstep suddenly grabbed her attention.


    Emerging from the very end of the corridor, a gigantic Baron clad in grey steel stomped into view, wielding a massive shield attached to his left arm. He practically filled the entire corridor. His legs had been replaced with four spider-like legs. His body and head were completely protected by the giant slab of metal he wielded, several inches thick at the very least.


    ¡°STAY BEHIND GORVUE, WE CLOSE THE DISTANCE AND FUCKING GUT HER!¡± A Baron called out from behind the metal goliath, the sound of his advancement echoing loudly down the corridor.


    Seeth reached for her slug ammunition, but stopped as she heard a metallic screech from the hanger. A Famished was pushing itself through the broken pane in the door. Although still holding, the door was heavily bent out of shape and what was once a small rectangle of glass was now a torn open hole, big enough for the Famished to pour through as the axe wedged in the handle rattled loudly.


    As the Famished clattered to the floor, its attention was immediately directed at the viscera-covered controller, who was dripping with Baron blood and taking cover against a corpse.


    It bared its blades and charged at Seeth, whilst the stomping further down the corridor slowly made its way closer.


    Not wanting to damage the door further, Seeth grabbed the hook from her shoulder and swung it at the Famished as it leapt through the air, blades first. Her reach was longer than its, and the hook swatted the awful thing out of the air in a single, violent motion. The hook slammed through its neck and sent it crashing into the wall. As it clattered to the ground, Seeth drove her foot onto its back and tore the hook free, pulling its head off in the process. A splutter of blood and brown fluid erupted from its severed neck and it ceased moving, but another Famished had already pulled itself through the door.


    Shit, SHIT! Famished first, I have to protect the nomads!


    She snatched up the SAFU again, quickly loading it with more tungsten shells and clubbing the approaching Famished with the side of the shotgun, sending it flying back down the corridor in pieces. As another was trying to pull itself free through the hole, its metal limbs snagging on the jagged edges, Seeth slammed the barrel of the gun into it, hard, and forced it back through the hole. The SAFU¡¯s deadly barrel was aimed directly through the hole as the Famished screamed in its own horrifically unique manner at her.


    She unloaded the whole magazine through the hole in rapid succession, furiously pumping the SAFU with each thunderous blast. As fast as lightning, she spun around and loaded four more slugs into her gun, taking aim at the gigantic metal beast that was shovelling corpses aside. The scrape of a giant butcher''s blade echoed around the barge as it made its way closer.


    Can¡¯t see the fucker¡¯s head! Guess I''m going for centre mass.


    She aimed the SAFU, slowly this time, standing tall and strong in the middle of the corridor.


    *BLAM*


    A near deafening, metallic ring sounded, as though someone had shot a church bell with a cannon. A hole the size of a watermelon punctured through the baron''s shield, right in the middle. He ground to a stop. His blade dropped out of his hand as he looked down at the hole in his stomach, showing just the peak of his chin.


    *BLAM*


    Gunfire ripped and tore through the corridor again, but this time, the Baron fell back instantly, collapsing to the floor with nothing but a bloody stump above the neck. There was a second, gaping hole in his defence.


    As his body fell, Seeth came face to face with her final opponents, the last two Vora Barons on the ship. One was cradling their now missing arm, cleanly torn from their body by one of Seeth¡¯s shrapnel shots. The other raised her own weapon, taking aim at Seeth.


    *BLAM-chuck-chik-BLAM*


    Two more precise shots hit centre mass, punching both Barons down cleanly. Their corpses dropped to the floor with the same heavy, ground-shaking thump as the others.


    With the Barons dealt with, Seeth turned her attention back to the hangar. She cleared her way through the remaining Famished that had trickled through the door with ease. She slammed the nose of her gun back through the window and fired, fired, and fired once more. She took a few steps back, reloaded the SAFU, then fired through the door. The squealing, gurgling sounds of the Famished on the other side of the door slowly dyed down. Even after Seeth had finished firing the SAFU, the echo of its shells continued to bounce down the corridor, and ring in the nomad¡¯s ears.


    The hangar door was destroyed, riddled with highly compromising holes the size of a man''s fist, punched straight through the solid metal.


    The sound of combat faded away. The screams, the cries and the laughter had stopped, and the sudden quiet that enveloped them was deafening, heavy, almost. Vora Baron viscera dripped onto the floor and trickled down through the grates.


    There was a pressure building in the barge, in the corridor, the space she was in suddenly felt so very small as Seeth looked around, breathing heavily, at the hundreds of gallons of blood that now plastered the damaged surfaces, at the piles of corpses that dwarfed the common man, at the mutilated, dead abominations littering the hangar. One victory. All this, for one victory.


    She felt like she was going to burst, when -


    The surviving nomads around her began to cheer. They cheered with all their hearts, they threw their arms around one another and cried with relief into each-other¡¯s shoulders. Slowly, as Seeth straightened herself up and re-holstered the SAFU cannon, she felt all of their eyes land on her. She pulled her axe out of the door and, as calmly as she could, slowly walked further out into the corridor to face them.


    She was stained in Vora Baron blood. She must have looked awful, terrifying, like some sort of monst-


    But as Seeth looked around at the nomads, the expressions they wore on their faces weren¡¯t ones of fear, or apprehension. Nor were they even ones of lust, and obsession.


    They were thankful.


    She had restored hope to this little colony of nomads, saved them from a slow, desperate and inevitably agonising death. She had beat the Vora Barons. A nomad had defeated the Vora Barons. And now, in the aftermath of the wreckage, the carnage, of a literal bloodbath that now stained the sides of what would have been their graves, Seeth had given them something incredible.


    She had given them hope.


    Today, she wasn¡¯t a monster.


    Today, she was a hero.


    And as the nomads approached her, took her hands, threw their arms around her and thanked her truly from the bottom of their hearts, Seeth couldn¡¯t help but think, that was just one ship. A small ship at that. This was her first contract of what could be hundreds. Seeth had gotten the drop on these ones too, and they didn¡¯t get the chance to bring out their big guns¡­ this was only going to get harder. She didn¡¯t know how to feel, how to react, or what to say in that moment, as the nomads clambered around her and celebrated their survival.


    But she did know that she wasn¡¯t going to stop.


    Sighing gently, Seeth stowed the SAFU on her back and dropped the hook to the floor. Turning away she reached for the communicator strapped to her belt.


    ¡°Garnet? It''s me. Send a pick-up, we have survivors who need medical aid.¡±


    Seeth glanced back at the nomads, who were still celebrating, and showed no signs of stopping any time soon. A small smile teased at the corner of her lips.


    It may only be one ship, but for these nomads, that¡¯s their whole lives¡­


    She clicked the button on her communicator again, interrupting the otter¡¯s torrent of questions that were currently cracking through the receiver.


    ¡°Also, bring me a change of clothes. I¡­ really need a shower.¡±

 Chapter 14 - Mirror

    Plasia groaned quietly as her eye gently flickered open. She wasn¡¯t sure how long she¡¯d been asleep for, but her eyelids felt heavy as she forced them apart. Her vision was blurred and unfocused, and the white ceiling lights overhead were harsh and piercing, as she struggled to wake up. She slowly blinked away the black, pulsing splodges in her corners of her vision. She pushed her palms down and tried desperately to push herself up, before quickly sinking back down in defeat. There was a deep, thumping pain in her head. She gently reached up towards her face, clasping her warm hands around her cheeks. It was starting to come back to her already¡­ the tests, the experiments, that girl, and then¡­


    Her stomach wrenched. Suddenly, she was overwhelmed with a sudden rush of emotion as the memories came flooding back. Her survival instincts were starting to kick in, hard, but she didn¡¯t have any fight left. There was no anger, or rage, or even adrenaline.


    She was terrified.


    Tenderly, she teased the fingers of her hand upwards, towards her eye¡­


    The side of her head had been bound tightly, and her eye was covered. Which was probably just as well, if her memory was correct...


    Slowly but surely her eyesight came into focus, revealing a grey, featureless ceiling above her.


    This isn¡¯t the E-Lab¡­ Where¡­ am I?


    As she rubbed her hands gently up and down her face, the realisation suddenly hit her that she could move her hands. She gasped loudly and stared at her unrestrained limbs in amazement. She rolled her wrists, checking every inch of skin just in case there was some sort of subtle restraining mechanism, but she couldn¡¯t see anything. She could move, at her own leisure, something she hadn¡¯t been able to enjoy in a very long time.


    Plasia closed her eye for a few, long moments, and worked on controlling her breathing. Calm, we need to keep calm¡­ we¡¯re not in danger, we¡¯re not there anymore¡­ We¡¯re okay¡­ Carefully, she struggled again and managed to pull herself upright. A deep ache seared through her body, and she winced as she slowly looked around her new room. She was sitting, alone, in some sort of medical room, laid out on a table that had been pushed off to the side. The room was unremarkable, just grey walls mirrored cabinets, although a number of them looked like they had been raided recently, with various bottles and medicines still strewn over the floor.


    Now that she was sat up, Plasia cast a hesitant glance down at her body.


    She was tightly wrapped in high quality nano-bandages, shimmering silver strips of fabric that concealed her wounds, and had a comforting warmth to them. She could just about see the blue medi-gel that had been sprayed on her skin underneath the bandages, gently pooling at the edges of the wrapping.


    Her remaining foot touched the cool tiles below the table, and she sighed softly. She was alive.


    Tired. But alive.


    A heavy set of footsteps approached from behind the only door into the room. Anxiety jolted through her body, and she tilted her head to try and see who was approaching.


    The smell hit her first. It was sweet, alluring, like a whisper in the dark, tempting her to join hands with the unknown. There was comfort in the candied murk, but an unsettling sense of danger always permeated the back of her mind. She knew this scent well.


    But something seemed different...


    The door creaked open and the aroma intensified, reaching its sickly sweet climax as Leech stomped into the room, looking just as tired and worn-down as Plasia felt. Her left arm was severed at the bicep and wrapped in the same nano-bandages that Plasia was wrapped in. She had big black bags under her eyes, and was wearing a heavy frown as she carried a box full of medical supplies into the room by one of its handles, and slammed it down on a work surface on the opposite side of the room. She didn¡¯t notice that Plasia was sitting up.


    Plasia¡¯s heart was in her mouth. Her eye widened in shock, and her clenched fists began to shake. Her whole body tensed and she waited, waited for her vision to go dark, waited for that spiralling loss of control she always felt when¡­ the other one came out.


    But nothing happened. The pain in her head throbbed, a little harder than before, but other than that¡­


    Oh my god. I¡¯m still here.


    Plasia watched her closely, working desperately to get her heart rate down.


    Am I¡­ dreaming?


    She blinked rapidly as Leech huffed and rummaged through the box with her one remaining arm.


    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, for fuck¡¯s sake, for fuck¡¯s sake, for fuck¡¯s sake! Where the hell is the regen powder when you need it?! I swear I didn¡¯t use it all on the Slave experiments, I MUST have kept some!¡±


    She continued to rummage loudly through the box with her back to Plasia, swearing from time to time as she failed to locate her medicine.


    ¡°L-Leech?¡± Plasia¡¯s throat was sore and dry as she spluttered the word out. She stared at the Controller, with a vast cocktail of feelings coursing through her.


    Leech froze. She straightened up and slowly turned around.


    ¡°Plasia?¡±


    Their eyes met, Leech¡¯s narrowed into an expression of deep confusion as Plasia¡¯s eye stayed its usual soft, glass orb.


    The toxic giant pursed her lips, holding her hand out in front of her as she tried to understand what was going on.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not¡­ changing?¡±


    Plasia shook her head, but held her gaze. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think It¡¯ll last long. I can feel her¡­¡± Suddenly she winced and broke eye contact, pressing her hand up against her forehead. ¡°But¡­ yeah! I¡¯m¡­ still here. For now, at least.¡±


    ¡°I imagine it''s the shock. That and maybe the various different painkillers I¡¯ve given you. You¡¯re coked up on some pretty strong stuff right now!¡± Leech tried for a light chuckle, tried to diffuse the abhorrent awkwardness that was quickly starting to fill the room, but it came out more as a half-assed, tired sigh. ¡°You were in a bit of a state when we found you! You, uh, actually had me worried for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Worried?¡± Plasia knotted her fingers together and raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°I¡­ T-That doesn¡¯t seem right.¡±


    ¡°What? Why not?¡± Leech quickly turned her attention back to the box, hiding her face behind her dreadlocks.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t quite sure where it had come from, but suddenly Plasia felt a fire in her chest. Her stomach was thick and heavy with anxiety, but she gripped onto the edge of the table and finally, finally, for the time since she¡¯d been dragged kicking and screaming into this horrific mess, she spoke her mind.


    ¡°Well, considering you were the one who did this to me, I didn¡¯t think you really cared about me at all! Figured I was just an experiment of yours! That¡¯s why you kept me around, right? Leech¡¯s little lab assistant.¡± Plasia hissed as a fresh wave of pain hit her head.


    ¡°Well, if you were an experiment, I fucked up royally!¡± Leech snapped. Her hand stopped rummaging about in the box, and she sighed loudly, her shoulders sinking as her face twisted into a sharp frown. ¡°That¡­ came out wrong. I didn¡¯t¡­ mean¡­¡±


    Plasia felt another intense surge of pain deep in her head, this time followed by a brief dizzy spell, but she continued to stare at Leech, with a forced, indifferent look.


    ¡°How did you even find me? I don¡¯t even know where I was.¡±


    ¡°A XITD research station.¡± Leech replied, with just as much forced indifference. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember calling out to us?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Plasia struggled for a moment, racking her brains. ¡°I remember¡­ something.¡± She groaned slightly as her iris flickered, and sparks and light flashed across her vision¡­ She quickly rubbed them away. She fought to compose herself, and then continued to stare, back across the room at Leech. ¡°Okay. Why did you rescue me?¡± Another wave of dizziness hit her, more intensely this time. She shuffled on the table and lay back down.


    ¡°Because there was no way in fuck I was going to leave you in the hands of the Draconic Alliance. Making the rest of us look bad and weak, and giving them precious data on the corruption.¡± Leech feigned. She hunched over the box, pretending to be looking for something.


    There was a very long, very awkward pause.


    ¡°You¡¯re a bad liar, Leech.¡± Plasia sighed after a while, closing her eyes. ¡°But¡­ T-Thank you for r-rescuing me. I think I''d be dead now if you hadn''t turned up.¡±


    ¡°Eh, Moltezz did most of the work, I just hauled ass and lost an arm. Bah, I can¡¯t find this stupid regen powder!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll grow back by itself. Trust me.¡±


    There was something in the way that Plasia replied¡­ It was so¡­ casual. And lifeless. Leech turned back around and stared at Plasia¡¯s form, her missing leg and eye, and the various surface wounds, and those were just the wounds she could see. A deep uncomfortable pang vibrated through her chest.


    ¡°They really did a number on you, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they did.¡±


    ¡°She burned them alive for it, Plas. Moltezz killed hundreds of them. For every inch they flayed off you, she took a kilo of ashes in return.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Plasia replied instantly, feeling another sharp spike deep in her brain. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I hurt people who trusted me, who I cared about!¡± She stifled back a sob, her hands clasped against her chest.


    I just want Diego back.


    ¡°Oh. I thought you might take some comfort in knowing the people who did this to you are thoroughly burnt to a scaly crisp.¡± Leech scratched the back of her neck and shifted about on her feet.


    ¡°I know the other you would have. I guess I don¡¯t know this half of you very well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve ever spoken to me before.¡±


    ¡°No. We might never speak again.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ I guess we should make it count?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I guess¡­¡±


    There was another awkward silence as both Controllers thought about what to say next. Leech eventually opened her mouth first.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°....W-What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. For fucking you up. I never intended to turn you into this fractured creature. You deserved better, both of you.¡±


    More silence followed, broken only by the occasional half-hearted rummage through the box. Thoughts were flying through Plasia¡¯s brain at a million miles an hour as she tried to process what Leech had said, what she¡¯d meant. But there was something more pressing first. She needed answers.


    ¡°W-What did I do here? On Barru X? I remember waking up in a room full of corpses, and I was covered in blood, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I mean, I should be asking you that really!¡± Leech went for another laugh. ¡°Although, I suppose you wouldn¡¯t know, would you, thinking about it. Well, from what we could make out from the CCTV footage, and from Tani and Mina¡¯s accounts, you turned up at two whore houses with a sack full of dies, bought them both out and fucked over fifty prostitutes in less than an hour.¡± Leech suddenly broke in a tired giggle. ¡°Which I have to say, is an absolute power move. I did not expect either of you to pull off something like that.¡±


    Plasia remained silent, but clenched her eye tightly, and kept her hands close to her chest.


    ¡°After that, you and your troop just spread over the station. Although¡­ I do have a question to shoot back at you. What the hell made you turn? I was nowhere near the station!¡±


    ¡°I think I was provided with rigged gear when we first arrived. I can remember being led into a room, and putting this protective suit on. It¡¯s all black after that, until I¡¯m in the room with the corpses.¡± Plasia¡¯s voice trailed off, and she shivered at the memory.


    ¡°Rigged?! Rigged with what?!¡± Leech exclaimed, suddenly alarmed.  ¡°Is there something else that triggers you?¡±


    ¡°No. There was a vial filled with¡­ your fluid.¡±


    Leech frowned again, resting her chin on her hand as the pieces slowly slid together in her head.


    ¡°The DA were there too. I mean, duh, you probably put that together already. But there was only one DA agent who made it out from their assault on the dungeon¡­ He anchor-stoned out of my lab, he is literally the only person that could have stolen my samples!¡±


    ¡°S-Scyler.¡± Plasia¡¯s lip wobbled at the mere mention of his name. The memories of his anger and torment flashed across her face. ¡°He said he was the one who took me from Barru X¡­ He must have rigged the mask. He would taunt me about it, he knew everything that happened here.¡±


    ¡°So, he followed you, maybe, from the dungeon to Barru X¡­ Oh fuck. This is bad¡­ we¡¯re barely into Nomad territory and we¡¯re getting targeted by DA agents already?!? We just raided¡­ destroyed one of their research stations! There were a lot of people on that station! We¡¯ve painted a giant ¡®ASSASSINATE ME¡¯ sign on our backs!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Plasia asked quietly, processing Leech¡¯s words carefully.


    ¡°So you know our dungeon was raided, right? That Scyler guy, if he is the same person who was at the dungeon, that means the DA is gunning for us already, even back then! H-How did they discover us so quickly?! WE NEVER EVEN LEFT THE PLANET! He hits our dungeon, steals data from my lab, follows you to Barru X, fucks it all to hell and experiments on you for months! It''s all based around us!¡± Leech¡¯s eyes darted around the room as she monologued her inner thoughts in a rising panic.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Plasia hummed quietly, seemingly unconvinced.


    ¡°Hmm? The fuck you mean, hmm? One of the biggest empires in the universe is tracking us down and all you can say is HMM?!¡±


    ¡°It''s not that! I just think you might be wrong.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? Care to share your thoughts with the rest of us, Plasia? You cannot just drop several fucking bombshells like that and then refuse to elaborate!¡±


    ¡°What if it''s just¡­ bad timing?¡±


    ¡°OH THAT IS AMAZING, PLASIA! IT''S JUST BAD LUCK, ALL OF IT! WHY DIDN¡¯T I THINK OF THAT!¡± Leech was practically shouting now, and her volume made the sapphire czarite wince.


    ¡°Ugh. Can you be a little quieter, please? You can be very loud sometimes.¡± Plasia asked quietly, rubbing her fingers on her temples. And Leech actually stopped talking. She stared at Plasia for a few stunned moments before, slowly, a small, almost proud smile flickered across Leech¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Sorry. You were saying?¡±


    ¡°What I mean is¡­ when we were escaping, D-Diego¡­ he recognised the DA instantly.¡± Just saying his name out loud unleashed a fresh wave of sadness and regret over her whole body. She choked back a sob as her heart rose into her throat.


    ¡°Right. And?¡±


    ¡°And he seemed to be quite certain that they were there for him. His reaction when he saw them felt very¡­ I don¡¯t know, genuine? He looked worried¡­ But if that¡¯s right, then that would mean the DA weren¡¯t there for you at all. You were just caught in the crossfire.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why that lone agent went after you on Barru X though¡­¡± Leech went to continue but stopped herself, the gears turning in her head as she processed Plasia¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Unless it does¡­ Diego seemed to go MIA after everything went down here.You both did. Could it be both? It would be much better for us if the DA were there for him. I need to think about this. New question though, what the fuck did that lizard do to get a pair of strike teams sent after him?¡±


    While Leech had been contemplating her thoughts out loud, Plasia had started to fidget, obsessively, writhing her hands and clawing at the air almost, as hot tears rolled out of the corners of her eye.


    ¡°Sounds like he could clear quite a few things up for us, although I doubt Queen Moltezz would even let me have five minutes with him to ask -¡±


    ¡°S-Stop!¡± Plasia shuddered loudly. Her breathing was heavy as she fought desperately to keep control of herself. ¡°P-Please s-stop talking about him like th-that!¡±


    ¡°Wha-what¡¯s wrong?¡± Leech stopped, and looked over at Plasia with concern in her eyes. ¡°What did I say? I¡­ I wouldn¡¯t hurt him or anythi-¡±


    ¡°HE¡¯S DEAD!¡± Plasia wailed, and with shuddering breaths buried her face with her hands. ¡°Scyler told me everything! How I went crazy, how him and Seeth tried to stop me, and I killed him! I KILLED HIM, LEECH! HIS BLOOD IS ON MY HANDS! Stop talking about him like he¡¯s still alive!¡±


    Leech¡¯s face softened, but she glanced around awkwardly, as though she didn¡¯t quite know what to do. Slowly, she went to reach out to Plasia, just place her hand at the foot of the table, but then quickly pulled it back. She could feel her heart aching in her chest as she watched Plasia fight with every ounce of strength she had left.


    ¡°They really put you through hell, didn¡¯t they? What the hell was this guy''s problem with you? It¡¯s like you were his fucking nemesis or something!¡± She sighed loudly, rubbing her chin. ¡°Listen, Plas¡­ I don¡¯t think Diego¡¯s dead. Or, if he is -¡± and he better fucking not be, or Moltezz is gonna lose her fucking shit - ¡°it wasn¡¯t you.¡±


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Plasia was still breathing heavily, her entire body trembling, but she parted her fingers and looked over at Leech with her wide, misty eye.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gone through all the security footage, from the moment you guys stepped foot on Barru X. I¡¯ve gotten accounts from the Nodes as well. From what I can gather, you and Diego disappeared at about the same time; the DA launched some kind of drone attack on you guys, and we lost you both after that. But I definitely didn¡¯t see you do anything to him. There is nothing that points to you harming him at all.¡±


    ¡°R-Really?¡± Plasia wiped her tears away shyly with the back of her hands.


    ¡°Yeah. Honestly, hand on my fat cock and balls, that''s the chances truth! Hand, singular. That''s all I got right now.¡± She joked, feeling her own smile rise as Plasia giggled softly in between gentle sniffles. ¡°We think at the moment that¡­¡±


    Plasia¡¯s smile was growing a little too wide. It shed its hesitation as the corners of her lips, and kept rising. The milky white tips of her fangs poked out between her lips. Her iris shifted, rapidly morphing between orb and slit. Briefly, it settled back into an orb as the Controller¡¯s entire body quivered, her fists clenched tightly.


    ¡°T-Tell me again. Tell me I didn¡¯t do it!¡± She begged, barely clinging on.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill him, Plasia.¡± Leech nodded, half in admiration at Plasia¡¯s determination, but also deeply intrigued by the battle playing out in front of her.


    ¡°A-Again!¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill him. You didn¡¯t kill Diego.¡± Leech smiled softly again.


    ¡°Thank you, Leech. M-Maybe you¡¯re not so bad¡­¡±


    Plasia went to reply, but as she opened her mouth, her long, wet tongue flopped out of the corner of her mouth. Her head slowly turned to look at Leech directly. She bared her set of sharp pointy teeth at her in a wide, manic grin.


    Leech quickly looked away, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. She moved towards the door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ let you rest up now.¡±


    She twisted the door handle and pushed it open. As she stepped out, she glanced back, to see her monster still watching her, with those sharp, beady eyes.


    ¡°Goodbye, Plasia.¡±


    *


    ¡°So¡­ you understand my concern about this, Moltezz?¡± Leech was speaking with a level of urgency in her voice as Moltezz drummed her fingers on the arm of her throne.


    Ink was sat on the other side of the room, watching the pair quietly as her tentacles toyed idly with her surroundings. Does she have a throne in every meeting room on this station? Ink thought to herself, as it occurred to her she¡¯d never seen Moltezz sit in anything less.


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± The Molten Mistress'' eyes drifted to Leech¡¯s missing arm with the slightest hint of smirk on her face. ¡°I suppose I do. But I must say, your conclusion regarding the DA seems to be incorrect, if only from their response. If the DA had considered us such a threat before we even took control of the freighter, surely they would have sent something at us since? I understand the time-line, but there is something significant about this we¡¯re missing. We¡¯ve been at Barru X for six months and we¡¯ve not been hit once by them.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. Plasia¡¯s given us more questions than answers apparently¡­¡±


    Moltezz leaned forward, her eyes locked onto Leech¡¯s pupils. The toxic Controller suddenly became distinctly aware of a soft clinking in the background, emanating from Moltezz¡¯s psyonic enhancer which she had been wearing during their attack. It was currently cooling down on a rack mounted on the far wall. Despite having been removed nearly a day ago now, its black metallic frame was still glowing with heat, and was scolding to the touch.


    ¡°Did Plasia give you anything useful? Does she know anything?¡±


    Leech froze as a barrage of thoughts shot through her mind. Ink immediately spotted the change in her demeanour. Confusion and jealousy briefly flickered across her face.


    Shit¡­ If I tell her that the DA potentially has Diego, she¡¯s gonna march us straight to our doom to try and find him! But I can¡¯t not tell her because she¡¯ll know I''m lying! FUCK! Plasia¡¯s right, I am a terrible liar. UGH! Please don¡¯t shoot my other arm off, you overgrown fireplace.


    ¡°She¡­ did. But I''m not sure what I think of it.¡±


    ¡°I could always speak to her.¡± Moltezz¡¯s smile curled just enough to show her fangs. ¡°You know I''m exceptional at getting the truth out of people.¡±


    ¡°No - no. That won¡¯t be necessary. She¡¯s barely alive as it is, and I don¡¯t want your spicy ass wandering in and working her up even more...¡± Leech sighed, defeated for now. ¡°She seemed to think that the DA weren¡¯t after us at all. At least, not at first.¡±


    ¡°And why does she think that?¡± Moltezz¡¯s stare intensified, draining the light from the room as the glow of her eyes dominated Leech¡¯s vision.


    ¡°She¡­ thinks they were after Diego. She doesn¡¯t know why -¡±


    Moltezz¡¯s shoulders visibly clenched, her eyes wicked with fury. She bolted up from her throne and spun to face the windows behind her, glaring out in the direction of DA space.


    ¡°- IF THEY HAVE SO MUCH AS TOUCHED A SCALE ON MY PRINCE, I WILL INCINERATE THEIR EVERY LAST COLONY TO THE GROUND!¡±


    The ground beneath her feet began to glow amber, her dreadlocks were floating in the heat that was suddenly rising from around her.


    ¡°Moltezz, I get it, but we need to be smart here?¡± Leech suggested, somewhat sheepishly. ¡°We just committed an act of war, and I don¡¯t think barging straight back into DA space to pick a fight at random is a good idea.¡±


    Moltezz spun around again, half-growling with every furious breath she took, but as her eyes narrowed on Leech, she nodded and returned to her throne. She was still visibly furious, but seemingly able to take on Leech¡¯s advice.


    ¡°Fine. What do you suggest?¡±


    ¡°The DA is a big place, and we don¡¯t stand a chance just manually searching. After speaking with Plasia, I think the person who sabotaged her at Barru X was the same dude who anchor-stoned out of my lab in the dungeon¡­ Say, you were there right? In the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I was the one who splattered that filth across our floors.¡±


    ¡°Did you catch sight of the last guy?¡±


    ¡°No. I did hear his voice however.¡± Slowly, the heat around Moltezz began to fade. Leech couldn¡¯t help but notice that the gentle clinking of Moltezz¡¯s psyonic equipment seemed to be intensifying as her temper calmed.


    ¡°Do me a favour will you? Have a quick look through Mook¡¯s memories, and see if anyone she met on the XITD station matches his voice?¡±


    Moltezz huffed in protest, but did as she was asked. She settled back into her throne, and after a few seconds of intense silence, she continued.


    ¡°Hmm. Found him. Mook knew him as Scyler? He was a XITD employee. It was him in your lab. So, you think he also attacked Plasia here, and had something to do with Diego¡¯s disappearance?¡±


    ¡°Shit¡­ I think I do¡­ I need to talk to Mook. Plasia said she was given equipment that was rigged with a vial of my goo, and that anchor-stoning asshole was the only one who could have taken product from my lab before it was incinerated.¡±


    ¡°So, what next?¡± Moltezz mused, ignoring Leech¡¯s jab at her.


    ¡°Well, Ink managed to haul back around four tonnes of servers from the XITD space station, there has to be something useful in there.¡± The giant Controller did a subtle flex in the background, rolling her muscular shoulders. ¡°I reckon that Scyler guy is the key to finding out what¡¯s going on with your¡­ prince.¡±


    ¡°Then rest. Recover and begin excavating the data when your mind is focused. But don¡¯t take too long.¡± Moltezz stood from her throne, taking a slow, long breath. Her exhale warmed the room considerably, but she looked visibly more relaxed. ¡°I will allow Plasia some time to heal before we begin her behavioural corrections. I have not forgotten her direct betrayal of us, and I will ensure she will not attempt anything of the sort again. Notify me when you think she can take the heat.¡±


    As Moltezz strode towards the door, Leech slowly took her place at the window, staring out as to hide her expression from the Molten Mistress.


    ¡°Sure... Just¡­ maybe go easy on her? She¡¯s spent the last six months being tortured on the daily by the DA, maybe the ¡®Seeth treatment¡¯ isn¡¯t the right way to win her back?¡±


    ¡°Please, Leech. I don¡¯t tell you how to operate your lab or conduct research. I would appreciate the same level of trust when it comes to instilling obedience. She may not require any breaking in, but she needs to be punished, first and foremost. Irrespective of any correction, I have a score to settle. Like it or not, that mopey layabout is heavily responsible for us losing my prince.¡±


    ¡°Gotta get your pound of flesh, huh? Fine. But if I give her to you and find her head on a pike, I¡¯ll be fucking pissed. We did not drag her back here just to kill her ourselves...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill her, Leech. I¡¯m not wasteful. You think me a savage of some sort? A barbarian?¡± As always, Moltezz¡¯s tone was full of self-confidence. ¡°No, I''m just going to set things straight and get her on board. The right amount of heat and pressure can mould anything -¡±


    ¡°- Oh my god, the head! I forgot the head!¡± Leech suddenly pressed her palm dramatically against the window. She stared wistfully out of the large bay windows, deep into the depths of space, in the direction the DA¡¯s space station had once stood.


    Ink looked over at her and stared quizzically. Moltezz rolled her eyes, but paused in the doorway and glanced back.


    ¡°What? What head? What are you on about now?¡±


    ¡°The head! My Slave head! I put it down when I went to get Plasia out of the E-Lab, and I just left it there¡­¡± Leech¡¯s voice trailed off, and her toxic green eyes creased at the corners, and almost seemed to go glassy¡­ Of course, it might have just been the room¡¯s bright LED lighting, glinting off of her reflection.


    ¡°Sure you didn¡¯t leave your own head behind, too?¡± Moltezz muttered, raising an eyebrow at Ink. Ink didn¡¯t say anything, but couldn¡¯t help but glance back and meet her gaze. Her eyebrows furrowed with a very slight concern as Leech raised her arm in a slow, long salute. Moltezz sighed.


    ¡°Right, well, I¡¯ll leave you to it, whatever it is... I want an update on Plasia¡¯s condition first thing in the morning!¡± And with her words still echoing around the room, Moltezz flicked her dreadlocks dramatically over her shoulder and waltzed out the room. Once her footsteps had faded down the hallway, Ink stood slowly from her chair, pushed it aside and leant back against the table.


    ¡°Are you¡­ doing okay there? You seem a little out of sorts.¡±


    ¡°Out of¡­ what d¡¯you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ you¡¯re normally crazy, I¡¯m used to crazy, in fact I absolutely love your crazy¡­¡± Ink started to babble nervously as she watched Leech¡¯s eyes in the reflection of the window narrow at her. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ well¡­ since we¡¯ve got back, you¡¯ve spent all your time with Plasia which I get, I know, she did almost die yesterday, but¡­¡± Her mouth was running before her brain had even had a chance to start trying to process what was coming out of it, and Leech¡¯s stare was only getting more intense as she rattled on. ¡°I just¡­ do not understand why you are getting so sentimental over a Slave¡¯s head.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ what?¡± Leech¡¯s reflection glared across the room at Ink, but she couldn¡¯t quite mask the break in her voice. ¡°I am not getting¡­ sentimental, it¡¯s simply that¡­ well, that was my project and I spent hours working and perfecting it and actually getting something that functions and an awful lot of Slaves had to die in its stead and it feels like such a waste and now it¡¯s been blown into smithereens and that¡¯s a lot of work and time I can¡¯t get back and I¡¯ve had a long day so excuse me for being a little emotional Ink!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright!¡± Ink grinned but held her hands up in surrender. ¡°I apologise.¡±


    ¡°Good! I have had a long few days! Please do forgive me if I¡¯m not my usual unfeeling, eccentric self!¡± She practically spat the last part of her sentence as she turned around, and stared over at Ink directly. ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because I¡¯m a limb down that you can sass me!¡± Leech flicked her armless sleeve at her. ¡°You think that I can¡¯t fuck your ass with only one arm? I will dominate your fat ass!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt you.¡± Ink replied. After a few moments, Leech¡¯s shoulders started to visibly relax. She turned back around to face the window, but kept a hard and watchful glare on Ink. Ink stared right back, and her grin spread across her face.


    ¡°You do look a little pent up though.¡± Ink pushed herself off of the table and walked slowly across the room, stopping just a few inches behind Leech. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what¡¯s going on with you. You just¡­ need a release.¡± She reached out with two of her tentacles and very gently wrapped them around the top of Leech¡¯s thighs. She didn¡¯t squeeze, or apply any pressure; she just let them rest there, the tips of her tentacles even more gently teasing and stroking along Leech¡¯s inner thighs.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess you might have a point.¡± She was almost ashamed at how quickly the blood was rushing down to her groin, and up to her cheeks. Is that all it takes for me these days, a tiny fucking tease?! Leech tried not to respond to Ink¡¯s little tenta-caresses, and focused on keeping her body still and seemingly disinterested, but she did have to bite down, hard on her bottom lip, and concentrate on stifling a moan. The little lip-bite didn¡¯t go unnoticed. ¡°It¡­ has been a few days for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh you¡¯re right, it has!¡± Ink suddenly wrapped her arms around Leech¡¯s torso and pressed her chest up against her back. ¡°Did you fuck at all on the Radon? Or were you too busy throwing up?¡± She teased, trailing her other tentacles along Leech¡¯s shoulders and arm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t travel well!¡± Leech protested, and tried to resume her steely glare, but the attempt was half-hearted at best, and she could feel her body submitting under Ink¡¯s touch. ¡°Wh-why do you think I set up my lab on the basement levels of the freighter?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I thought that was because you¡¯re an edgy son of a bitch.¡± Ink laughed as she crouched down and buried her face into Leech¡¯s dreadlocks.


    ¡°I am an edgy son of a bitch, thank you for noticing.¡± Leech mumbled back with the edge of a smile, as Ink¡¯s lips nibbled across her neck. A long shiver ran up her spine.


    ¡°So, why don¡¯t you tell me what you have planned for me?¡± Ink¡¯s bottom tentacles trailed across Leech¡¯s crotch, which was bulging tightly against her trousers. ¡°You¡¯ve always got something planned for me.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been lording around like an absolute fucking bitch since we got back, so we¡¯ll definitely be getting the ball gag out. See how well you can sass me with a mouthful of silicone.¡± Leech slowly let herself lean back against Ink¡¯s muscular, but surprisingly soft and curvaceous body. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll tie you down to the milking table, we haven¡¯t used that for a while - ooooor, maybe¡­ maybe I¡¯ll just pin you down instead, so I can feel you struggling underneath me, I¡¯ll grab your dreadlocks and force your head back and breed the fucking life out of your - OH MY GOD, INK!¡± Leech had fallen back completely against Ink now, had gently pushed Ink¡¯s head up, and was now resting her own on top of Ink''s breasts.¡°You are so fucking comfy!¡±


    ¡°Wha-what?¡± Ink, who had been standing with her eyes closed, picturing the scene clear as water in her head as her own bulge appeared in her trousers, was suddenly back in the room, and feeling a little confused. She stuttered uncertainly as the Controller nuzzled into her cleavage.


    ¡°Oh, this is really nice¡­¡± Leech¡¯s voice was muffled as she twisted and shoved her head in between Ink¡¯s boobs. ¡°You never said your tits were this comfortable!¡±


    Ink blushed and her tentacle tips flickered in embarrassment. ¡°Um, thank you? M-Maybe if you weren¡¯t so busy trying to milk them all the time, you¡¯d have noticed sooner!.. Um¡­ Leech?¡±


    Ink was practically holding Leech upright now. Her body had sagged against hers, and her tentacles were working to keep Leech standing up. Leech herself hadn¡¯t replied; her eyes were closed and was seemingly in a state of bliss, nestled between Ink¡¯s giant breasts.


    ¡°Leech!¡± Ink laughed and shimmied her chest. Leech groaned in protest. ¡°What were you saying, about tying me down and fucking me?¡±


    Leech mumbled something incoherent in response; suddenly, she felt absolutely exhausted. After a few seconds, she sighed and begrudgingly pushed her face out of Ink¡¯s cleavage, and her body out from Ink''s embrace. ¡°Yeah, I know I know, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Leech¡¯s mouth opened wide as she yawned and rubbed her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve slept at all since we left here. That was what, four days ago?¡± Leech was still yawning as she spoke. ¡°Listen, I¡¯ll fuck your brains out tomorrow, I promise, but right now, I think I need to sleep.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡± Ink¡¯s smile widened with feigned shock. ¡°Leech is turning down sex?! Surely this is a first!¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah yeah.¡± Leech mumbled as she turned and half-walked, half-stumbled towards the door. ¡°Just give me a few hours, then I¡¯ll - ah fuck!¡± Leech slammed straight into the doorframe and staggered backwards as the room shook. Ink leapt forward and managed to catch her before she hit the floor. Where Leech¡¯s head carapace had impacted the doorframe, was now a good-sized dent.


    ¡°Okay, maybe let me help you.¡± Ink wrapped her tentacles back around Leech¡¯s body - for support this time though - and carefully propped her friend up, steered her out the door, and down the corridor. ¡°I bet you¡¯re a nightmare when you¡¯re drunk.¡±


    Unlike the other Controllers, who had for the most part opted to take an entire apartment complex or hotel suite as their sleeping quarters, Leech¡¯s bedroom was just that; a bedroom. She¡¯d taken one of the spare rooms down by her lab. Despite how well acquainted Ink was with her personal quarters, i.e. Leech¡¯s sex chamber, she¡¯d only ever caught a passing glimpse of Leech¡¯s bedroom. Luckily for Ink, this meant that Leech¡¯s room wasn¡¯t far away; and, as strong as she was, Leech wasn¡¯t exactly co-operating as she tried to walk her down the corridor.


    How can someone missing an arm be so fucking wriggly?!


    Despite numerous minor protests, lost grips and stumbling-over-her-own-feet, they finally made it to Leech¡¯s room. Ink shoulder-pushed the door open and staggered inside. Leech collapsed onto the bed as Ink let go, and closed the door behind her. Now that Leech was okay, she took a moment and leant back against the door, taking in the room.


    For all the weird and wonderful stuff that Leech got up to, her room was surprisingly ordinary, almost a little plain. It looked a bit like a university student¡¯s room; her large, strider-sized bed had been pushed to the side against the wall, and the duvet was scrunched up at the base of it, half-drooping onto the floor. Her wardrobe doors were wide open, although most of her clothes were in a pile on the floor in front of it, a mixture of black leather trousers and jeans, corsets, and hoodies, to Ink¡¯s surprise. She certainly didn¡¯t wear those when she was around. There was a large desk pushed up against the far wall with her computer, a beefy-looking tower PC with three wide display monitors. Other than that, the room was both empty, but cluttered at the same time. There were various bits and bobs scattered about on the floor, bedside table and chests of drawers, half-finished electrical circuits and various pieces of various experiments Leech was currently working on. Pizza boxes and plates were stacked up close to the door, as though an attempt to clean up had been made. It didn¡¯t look like she let anybody in here, not Marks, not Slaves, not even to tidy up.


    Ink just stood and stared for a few moments, lost in thought as she looked around the room. She didn¡¯t really know what she¡¯d been expecting, but it hadn¡¯t been this¡­ She was interrupted however, by the sound of Leech struggling on the bed. She¡¯d rolled over onto her back, and was currently fighting (losing) against the numerous little buttons on her lab coat. Her weak hand plucked and fiddled with the buttons, but to no avail. She threw her head back dramatically on the pillow.


    ¡°Ink¡­ can you help me please?¡± Leech looked up at her with those large tired eyes, and pouted. Ink sighed and frowned sternly down at her, but on the inside, she was positively beaming. She bent down, and started unbuttoning her coat. Her tentacles aided in the task, slipping around Leech¡¯s form to better handle her body.


    *** Hazard Warning \\\-/// Level Amber \\\-/// Caution Advised***


    ¡°Well, seeing as you asked so nicely¡­¡± Ink sat down on the bed and gently lifted Leech into her lap. A few seconds later, her coat was undone and Ink was threading the sleeve through her arm. ¡°See, that wasn¡¯t so difficult¡­¡± She placed the coat down on the floor beside the bed, and moved on to her shirt, which she noted was the same undershirt that Leech had been wearing under her armour when they¡¯d stormed the space station. She can¡¯t have had the chance to change it¡­ Ink thought as she gently pulled it over her head. ¡°Shall we take this off, too?¡± Ink¡¯s fingers fumbled about clumsily with Leech¡¯s bra straps, and after what felt like an eternity, finally managed to get the clasps undone.


    ¡°Is, uh, that better?¡± Ink asked, still a little flustered as she gently rested Leech¡¯s head back down on the bed, stood and moved onto Leech¡¯s trousers.


    ¡°Mm-hmm¡­¡± Leech moaned softly in response.


    Not wanting to waste any more time, Ink pulled Leech¡¯s boots and socks off and quickly unbuttoned her trousers, pulling them and her underwear off together in one swift movement. Her tentacles flickered and traced along Leech¡¯s tall and elegant figure, as her eyes stared, hungrily. They came to rest, as usual, on her massive cock. Leech¡¯s figure was always pleasant to behold, but she was at half-mast already, and it was plump and just begging for attention. A small, glistening crown of pre had formed at its thick tip, likely from their earlier sauciness.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a shame you¡¯re too tired to do something about this¡­¡± Ink crawled onto the bottom of the bed and rested on the knees, positioning herself just below Leech¡¯s hips. She leant over and placed a soft kiss on her stomach, just below her belly button. Her tentacles wrapped back around her legs gently, and started to tease. ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe I could take of this for you, if you¡¯ll let me.¡± She said softly, stroking her fingers around the tip of her penis.


    ¡°Ink¡­¡± Leech murmured, half asleep, and struggled to raise her head. ¡°Ink, what are you -¡± Leech gasped suddenly and her head fell back down on the pillow, as dick slipped smoothly into Ink¡¯s warm, wet and waiting mouth. Her lips moved slowly, up and down along the tip of her shaft. Her tongue pushed gently against her urethra, as Ink worked her way down Leech¡¯s length. Her tentacles continued to work her lower body, stroking against the inside of Leech¡¯s thighs, and gently playing with her balls.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re such a good girl.¡± Leech closed her eyes and grabbed the bedframe tightly in her hand. Ink could taste Leech¡¯s lube in her mouth, and it made her lips and tongue tingle. She was tired, yes, but she was getting excited now, and was desperately trying to thrust up into Ink¡¯s mouth¡­ but Ink stopped, and slowly let the rapidly hardening dick slip out of her mouth. She squeezed a little harder with her tentacles, tightly around her legs.


    ¡°No no, you just lie down, and let me work. I¡¯m in charge now.¡± Before she had even finished speaking Leech¡¯s dick was back in her mouth, eager to continue pleasing her friend. She sucked gently and went, slowly and deliberately, further down her shaft. Her lips were wet and warm, and tight. Even for a Controller as big as Ink, getting Leech¡¯s proud cock into her mouth was a challenge, its monstrously long and thick body was nothing short of throat-stretching. Ink pushed herself hard to slide her glossy ebony lips down to the base, humming in delight as she managed to swallow all of it.


    Finally, she had Leech¡¯s entire length down her throat, and was sucking gently. Leech moaned and shuddered underneath her, as Ink¡¯s tentacles traced along her legs, and teased at her pussy, nestled neatly under the Controller¡¯s large, swollen nuts. She shivered. And Ink just couldn¡¯t resist.


    Ink rocked her head back again and let Leech¡¯s throbbing penis slip out of her mouth with a wet pop. Leech whimpered in protest.


    ¡°Oh, you feel a little wet down there¡­ Do I make you wet, Leech? Do you want me to fuck you?¡± Ink started to crawl slowly up Leech¡¯s body. Her hand grabbed hold of hers and pinned it against the mattress. Her tentacles continued to play and tease along Leech¡¯s labia, and the tip of her penis. The ebony Controller''s massive tits pressed down against her friend¡¯s, squishing her and Leech¡¯s smaller but still mighty bust. She pressed her forehead too up against Leech¡¯s, and felt butterflies in her stomach as her fingers clamped around hers, and her breathing intensified.


    ¡°Are you horny for me? Do you want my giant cock inside of you, stretching you, breeding you, and filling you up with my seed?¡±


    It was a clumsy attempt at best, and Ink knew it - she knew that Leech would have said it a thousand times better than she did, and it would have sounded so much sexier coming out of her mouth, and, for a moment, she felt a wave of nervousness flood her body.


    But she didn¡¯t have anything to worry about tonight. Leech sighed softly. Her emerald eyes flickered open, and met with Ink¡¯s bright, honey-coloured orbs. She squeezed her hand harder, and Ink felt pre-cum squirt over her tentacles.


    Ink stared down at Leech in awe and exhilaration. Her nerves were gone, and suddenly her chest was filled with a newfound confidence.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe not tonight. I¡¯d like you to be able to appreciate me fully.¡±


    Ink teasingly retreated back down the bed, the tips of her nipples tracing lines down her friend¡¯s body as she ensured that, for the briefest of moments, Leech¡¯s cock was engulfed by her bust. But she pulled her immense, soft breasts away and immediately clamped her lips back around Leech¡¯s dick. She was going down fast on her now, sucking hard and her mouth moving quickly down the entire length of her shaft. Her tongue continued to play with the tip of Leech¡¯s penis, and her tentacles stroked along her labia, teasing and lifting her balls, urging them to dump their load into her waiting, hungry throat. Leech let out a cry and her breaths came faster as Ink¡¯s blowjob suddenly intensified. She moved her hand and gripped tightly, desperately onto Ink¡¯s dreadlocks.


    Leech¡¯s breathing was getting heavy now. She was panting hard and every exhale was a delicate little moan, a sound which Ink hadn¡¯t heard her make before. None of this was like anything they¡¯d had before. Leech sounded almost soft, sweet¡­ vulnerable. And Ink wanted more.


    Come for me. Please. Ink went down on her faster. Her jaw was starting to ache, and saliva was dribbling out of the side of her mouth, but she didn¡¯t want to stop, not yet. She moved her hands and placed them over Leech¡¯s hips, squeezing them hungrily before pressing down firmly on her front. Leech¡¯s entire body shuddered at the pressure.


    ¡°Oh fuck, Ink¡­¡±


    Oh my god. That was her name, coming out of Leech¡¯s mouth, like that¡­ Leech wasn¡¯t the only one shivering now, and Ink continued her blowjob with a newly found vigour. She felt Leech¡¯s entire body tense up, her fingers clamped hard around her dreadlocks.


    She¡¯s close.


    Leech was moaning, loud. Her back arched and she pushed down on Ink¡¯s head, forcing her dick as far as she could inside her throat.


    Cum for me¡­


    Leech cried out and came, straight into Ink¡¯s waiting mouth. She came long, and she came hard. Her hips jolted up and down against the mattress. Ink¡¯s tentacles toyed and squeezed the Controller¡¯s balls, trying to milk them of every drop she had. And Ink gratefully received, sucking down and swallowing as much of her Controller¡¯s cum as she could. She drank it down, shot after shot, careful not to let any trickle out between her lips and go to waste. It threatened to spill free of her seal between her lips and Leech¡¯s thick dick, but she swallowed it all with several loud, audible gulps as Leech shot several litres of goo into her stomach.


    Ink wasn¡¯t sure how long she rested there like that, head in Leech¡¯s lap, gratefully receiving her reward. Slowly, she raised her head and sat upright,rocking back onto her knees. She knelt there for a few seconds, trying to get her breath back. Her breasts heaved. Her lips still had that pleasant numbing tingle to them. She looked down at Leech, who had been unusually quiet, and laughed quietly to herself.


    *** Hazard Warning \\\-/// Level Amber \\\-/// Advisory End***


    Left unstimulated for only a few brief seconds and Leech was flat out. Her mouth was parted open slightly, and she was making little snores, her head tilted to one side. Her hand was resting on her stomach, where it had flopped being handled lovingly by Ink.


    Not even a thank you. Ink shook her head slightly, but was smiling as she climbed off the bed. She unwrapped her tentacles carefully from Leech¡¯s legs. She stood and stared at her for a few moments, before taking the duvet, and gently throwing it over Leech¡¯s body. She pulled the covers high over her chest, and tucked her feet safely underneath. Leech mumbled in her sleep as Ink tucked her in, then rolled over onto her side before quickly setting back down. Ink¡¯s eyes flickered between her best friend, the bedroom door, and then at the newly opened spot in the bed next to her - it was just begging to be slept in.


    She¡¯s going to lose her shit when she wakes up tomorrow.


    Ink quickly pulled her clothes off and slipped into bed next to her. She pressed her naked body up against Leech¡¯s, and curled around her into a spoon. Her arms wrapped around her waist, and her tentacles wrapped around her body. Leech moaned again, softly, as Ink pulled her in close. Ink closed her eyes and nestled her face into the back of her neck.


    But that can be tomorrow¡¯s problem.

 Chapter 15 - Twin Face

    Chapter 15 - Twin face


    ¡°Well, fancy that! Your bunny butt is actually early for once!¡± Mina taunted teasingly. She stood with her arms folded, tapping her foot against the floor in impatience.


    ¡°For something like this, I like to make the effort! What can I say? Maybe it¡¯s just your sorry ass I have no business being on time for.¡± Tani swept her slender ears back as she strutted towards the other Node.


    ¡°Thought you might¡¯ve been daydreaming of the simple life again! Kicking back, sun on your ears, growing fuckin¡¯ veggies in the dirt!¡± The goblin giggled.


    ¡°You know me, I''m a slut for a cottage.¡± Tani smiled, half joking, half not.


    Mina was standing in front of airlock doors, thick, heavy and fortified, not too dissimilar to the inhabitant who ruled the den on the other side. From the outside, everything appeared rather¡­ normal, for this space station anyway. But on the inside? Normality came to an abrupt end the second you entered the Crimson Quarters.


    Both Nodes were dressed provocatively, with form-clinging leggings and crop tops, dark in colour and heavy in lycra. Their thick curves were on full display, as was their proud bulge down below. They shared an excited grin as the hydraulic doors hissed and rolled back smoothly. Tani pulled down and stroked her long, silken ears as the corrupted goblin by her side twitched with anticipation.


    The steam cleared to reveal a delightfully dark corridor, the downlights having been snuffed out a long time ago. The corridor wasn¡¯t pitch black though; an inviting, seductive amber glow emanated from the hand-scribbled graffiti, carved desperately into the walls¡­


    NEVER LET ME GO.


    Messages to their queen...


    WITHOUT YOU, I¡¯M NOTHING.


    Each as obsessive and lavish as the last, a mix of insanity, love and ecstasy was achingly spelled out on the walls¡­


    FIRE OF MY HEART, LEADER OF MY LOVE.


    Love hearts drawn in crackling, honey-coloured goo lit their way down the corridor, casting their soft glow and warming the air. Walking into the den elated both of them, the heat prickled at the backs of their necks as they hurried their step, urging them deeper.


    Their heels clacked on the floor in unison until they reached the end of the corridor, the entryway shrouded in thick ruby curtains, the edges of which looked almost like glowing embers. As they approached, a familiar sound and smell graced their senses. Tani entered first, pushing through the heavy curtains, savouring their silken touch against her skin. Mina followed quickly behind her.


    It was brighter inside the main chamber, but the lighting still retained that same deep, amber haze. The light had a fire-like effect to it, casting flickering, sweeping shadows across the room from the lanterns mounted on the walls. There were several Nodes inside already, dotted evenly around with as many Marks as they could possibly desire, bent over the heavy furniture that was laid out for just such a purpose. Not a second went by without a wet slap or a fierce moan. Panting, whispers and lust filled the air.


    It was a sexual feast, and those participating were utterly entranced, lost in their personal pleasure, taking out their corruptive desire with wild abandon. Another Node entered the room, tall and busty, from another curtain-covered side entrance. A line of Marks followed behind her closely, their eyes bouncing from Node to Node. They followed their leader willingly, no chains or shackles on their limbs. Nothing but a hungry, knowing smile on their faces. This was where they wanted to be.


    The Node gave Tani and Mina a friendly wave and gently gestured towards the Marks behind her, inviting them to partake. The pair declined politely however, pressing their fingers together to make a heart and pointing towards the larger curtains ahead of them, lined in gold and fire. The Node nodded knowingly and continued on her way, her line of eager volunteers trailing behind her.


    Tani and Mina licked their lips as their corruptive desire intensified, but they knew that if they just waited, they had a bigger meal ahead of them. They pushed through the gold-adorned curtains and entered into a massive chamber. Crimson tapestries hung from the ceiling against the stone-like interior. The insides of the wing had been hollowed to to more closely resemble the inside of a cathedral with a wicked, sexual taint to it. Sat centre against the far wall was a grand throne, sculpted from melted ship hulls. The edge of the chair was lined with precious white messiahryte, looted from ships destroyed, giving the throne an enticing, eye-catching white halo, where the Molten Mistress herself was currently sitting, in all her epic blazing glory. Her fiery dreadlocks danced behind her head, curling beneath her warmth. Her thick, muscular body dominated the room. Underneath her throne, two small streams of bright amber fluid flowed the width of the chamber, caged with a black grating.


    Moltezz sat with her legs hanging over one of the arms of her throne, leaning back contentedly as multi-coloured flames danced along her arms, illuminating the chamber even more vibrantly. She was dressed in a metallic bra and a black loincloth which barely covered her massive manhood. The shadows flickered and teased around her hips, begging to reveal just a little bit more.


    Her piercing yellow halos immediately locked onto the two approaching Nodes. Underneath the hot hazy air and the flickering flames that danced along her hands, they could just make out the curve of a smile that graced the Controller¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Perfectly on time, and dressed as requested! I expected no less from you two. Those lycra leggings really do bring out the best in your figures.¡± She grinned, her voice projecting through the chamber with an astounding clarity.


    Both Tani and Mina felt an excited smile grace their own pretty faces, and a rush of adrenaline spiked in their chests.


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dream of missing out on one of your parties! Wouldn¡¯t miss it for the world!¡± Mina hummed happily. ¡°When do we begin?¡±


    ¡°In ten minutes exactly. The Marks are being prepared as we speak. Why don¡¯t you two come and have a seat whilst we wait?¡±


    The Nodes looked about and noted the distinct lack of furniture around Moltezz¡¯s throne, but before they could wonder for long, the Molten Mistress snapped her fingers. The flowing fluid underneath the chamber erupted from its grating on either side of her. In the blink of an eye, it had shaped itself under the mistress¡¯ psyonic command, and with a second definitive *snap* the fluid cooled with a loud hiss and a burst of sparks. Two smaller, metal thrones now sat on either side of Moltezz, cooled and safe for the pair to sit on.


    Tani and Mina turned to face each-other slowly with their ever-widening grins and quickly rushed to take their spot.


    ¡°That was fucking sick.¡± Mina laughed. ¡°No-one has ever made me chair in my life, nevermind with such style!¡±


    ¡°Oh Mina, for god¡¯s sake darling! Can you not just let the moment breathe? Sometimes less is more!¡± Tani giggled back, resting her palm against her forehead in exasperation.


    ¡°Less is more?! Oh cottage whore, more is more!¡± Mina protested, grabbing her large breasts and shaking them up and down. ¡°Ain¡¯t no one gonna tell me otherwise!¡±


    Moltezz stretched her hand out in front of her, rolling her palm around until a bright cyan flame erupted from it, unphased by her subjects¡¯ bickering.


    ¡°You¡¯ve served me excellently over the last few months. Your help in building rapport and trust with the Nodes has not gone unnoticed. Loyalty, honesty and performance, three of my favourite qualities in a person and you two deliver it by the cart-load. And for that, I am incredibly grateful.¡±


    Tani and Mina visibly blushed and squirmed in their seats at their queen¡¯s complement.


    ¡°Your loyalty seems without question. I can confidently say that you¡¯ve earned your places by my side. Not once have you tried to deceive me, not even has the thought entered your heads, and for that, I trust you whole-heartedly.¡±


    ¡°My queen, whyever would we?¡± Tani asked. ¡°You lead from the front, and you look after us. All the Nodes and Marks are so well looked after under your care. What reason is there to throw that away?¡±


    The flame intensified in Moltezz¡¯s palm, then rose into the air, dominating the room. Both of the girls watched in awe, captivated by its every motion in its almost seductive performance.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you think so, Tani. Just as bad actors are made an example of, so are good ones.¡±


    She spoke with such confidence. An undefeatable aura. To sit by her side was nothing short of a constant rush. For an individual of such calibre and power to praise you? To reward you? The act in itself was a reward, nevermind the substance behind it. She¡¯d meant every word she said, and it filled both the Nodes with a brimming pride.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if Plasia saw something in you both, or if she just got lucky. But it doesn¡¯t matter, you¡¯re in my domain now. And as long as you continue to serve me willingly, with passion and skill, I will continue to protect and reward you, as a good queen should.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of¡­ What happens to Plasia, now that she''s here?¡± Mina asked, leaning forward in her chair.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Plasia, we know a bit about what happened with her from the other nodes but¡­ do you think she can be loyal to you?¡± Mina¡¯s pointed ears twitched up and down cutely as she spoke.


    ¡°A valid question.¡± Moltezz squeezed her hand into a fist, killing the massive flame. ¡°Controllers are¡­ difficult. I find Nodes so much easier.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I suppose we would be!¡± Mina replied thoughtfully. ¡°If a Node ever dared to step out of line, you could make them do your bidding with just a mere thought!¡±


    ¡°Not that that¡¯s necessary, my queen!¡± Tani interrupted, casting a glare over at the goblin.¡°Not really, you let us do what we want!¡±


    ¡°Which is exactly how I want it to be. I don¡¯t want to have to control you. As my loyal subjects, I trust you to make your own decisions. I want an empire, not a room of mindless drones puppeted around by me. Controllers however are¡­ more complicated. If my kind has proven anything, it''s that we¡¯re remarkably stubborn.¡± Moltezz scoffed, flicking her dreadlocks. ¡°I suspect I intimidate the others, and that makes our relationship that much harder - big egos and bigger dicks. Plasia has an unusual place within our little council though, which she can¡¯t be blamed for¡­ I just want Plasia to see sense, pay her dues and know her place.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking -¡± Mina piped up again, seeing Tani lean forward in her chair and shoot her daggers that screamed don¡¯t take the piss! But the goblin carried on, unphased. ¡°How d¡¯ya feel about her? Us and the rest of Nodes are super curious about having a new Controller. There haven¡¯t been any since Venom and Rio left ages ago!¡±


    Despite Tani¡¯s hesitation, Moltezz was unfazed by her subject¡¯s questioning.


    ¡°You know Mina, I appreciate your willingness to be forthright with me. I swear everybody on the station thinks they¡¯re treading on hot coal with me, but my ego isn¡¯t so easily bruised... I am intensely angry at Plasia for contributing to my prince''s escape and, I must admit, jealous over the time she has spent with him.¡± She paused for a second, scratching her chin. ¡°Hmm. I must ensure my jealousy does not boil over into her punishment. It should be just and appropriate for her actions and none more.¡±


    ¡°Why did ya rescue her?¡± Mina asked again, tilting her head to the side.


    Moltezz casually threw a fireball into the air and caught it in her palm as sparks rained down.


    ¡°Two reasons: One, I wanted her out of the DA¡¯s hands. They¡¯re the last faction any of us want finding out about our secrets. And two, she¡¯s far from the strongest Controller here. I didn¡¯t want hers to become the face of the Rewritten, a crying, pathetic little mess.¡±


    She threw the fireball into the air again.


    ¡°Yeah, I get it! You didn¡¯t -¡±


    The fireball suddenly slammed into the ground at the foot of Moltezz¡¯s throne, leaving a blackened scorch mark on the stone. Moltezz¡¯s casual demeanour had suddenly shifted. She bolted upright on her throne, her face caught somewhere between serious and shocked. She sat in silence for a few moments, fingers gripping at the arms of her throne, as Tani and Mina watched her closely, and with great concern.


    ¡°M-my queen? Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I just¡­¡± Moltezz stammered, her eyes darting around the room.


    ¡°Are we in danger? What''s going on?¡±


    ¡°I just¡­ I just lied.¡±


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Wha-what? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°My statement about Plasia, why I agreed to rescue her... I just lied!¡± Her temper rose immediately as she barked her words into the hall. ¡°Why was it a lie?! I do not believe this statement to be incorrect!¡±


    She stood from her throne suddenly, her eyes locking with the burnt patch on the floor. Her heart was racing in her chest, racing and¡­ aching.


    ¡°- I didn¡¯t want her to make Controllers look weak and I didn¡¯t want the DA knowing too much about us.¡± She repeated, suddenly feeling an uncomfortable shiver down her spine. ¡°Again! W-What is this?! WHY IS THIS STATEMENT A LIE?! I DON¡¯T UNDERSTAND!¡±


    I was so angry¡­when we found out she¡¯d been captured¡­


    Her face flickered through several different emotions, from worried, to annoyed, to angry, then back to confused.


    Tortured¡­


    Something was teetering at the edge of her vision, in her mind¡¯s eye. There was something there, a thought, a memory, something repressed, that she couldn¡¯t quite remember. It was like a dark, swirling cloud that threatened to break into a storm at any moment.


    Why¡­ did I care¡­


    As her emotions flared again, she felt a pair of hands on each of her own.


    She glanced either side to see both Tani and Mina standing from their smaller thrones, holding onto her clawed hands carefully, and staring up at her with great concern.


    ¡°Whatever is going on with you, we will help!¡± Tani nodded, squeezing her fingers.


    ¡°I agree with big ears! We¡¯ll stick together through this!¡± Mina confirmed with equal, heartfelt vigour.


    Slowly, the worry from Moltezz¡¯s face faded and she forced a smile at the two Nodes. Her eyes couldn¡¯t hide the conflict within their queen. Whatever this was, Moltezz didn¡¯t have an answer right now. And, for just for a split second, the girls thought they saw something in their Controller¡¯s eyes that they¡¯d never seen before.


    Fear.


    *


    Diego¡¯s ears twitched in annoyance as Fairylin¡¯s stupid cackle echoed in the distance. He snorted through his nostrils as he swiped the feather duster back and forth across the already gleaming bannisters.


    I was supposed to be wearing this shit for Seeth, not for cleaning this fucking estate.


    He was dressed in a deeply feminine maid¡¯s outfit, complete with all the feathery trimmings you¡¯d expect, but the persistent scowl on his face and his overtly strong grip on the duster did not lend to the aesthetic particularly well.


    She¡¯s been here every day of this week. UGH!


    He glanced behind him where Karen and Fairylin were outside together, currently sunning themselves in the spring warmth and enjoying the freshly tended garden. He couldn¡¯t quite make out what they were saying, but that frequent grating cackle would indicate that it was some kind of gossip. He couldn¡¯t fathom which innocent unsuspecting acquaintance of hers she was bitching about this time, and quite frankly he didn¡¯t want to know, didn¡¯t really care, but he couldn¡¯t shake the immediate and significant impact she¡¯d had on him. Even Karen''s attitude towards him had shifted slightly under her influence. Just slightly, but it was a shift nonetheless.


    Diego quickly turned away and headed into the laundry room to grab some more cleaning supplies. The tip of his tail flicked side to side in annoyance as he passed the washing machine, full to the brim with spinning maid¡¯s outfits.


    As he grabbed what he needed, he heard the words he¡¯d been dreading for the last few hours.


    ¡°Diego! Another cocktail, NOW! And not so heavy on the ice this time! Honestly!¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, Fairylin. Coming.¡±


    He dropped the cleaning supplies to the floor and marched over to the kitchen, where Fairylin was tutting and fanning herself at the door, half leaning against it in a provocative manner - or atleast, in the attempt of one. Diego grinded his teeth together as he forced a smile to his face and made his way over to Karen¡¯s absurdly large fridge to grab what she wanted.


    ¡°I must say, you do look nice dressed in such a frilly outfit, Diego. Really adds some humility, don¡¯t you think Karen?¡± Fairylin smiled and glanced back at the dragoness, then ran her eyes up and down Diego¡¯s form. ¡°I¡¯m not sure you should be so muscular though. Karen, you need to restrict his diet and personal time more.¡±


    ¡°Less ice this time? You said?¡± Doing his best to appear unfazed, Diego poured a scarlett liquid into the shaker.


    ¡°Yes! The amount of ice you put in last time was arrogant. You should use four pieces, maximum. I had six in there last time. Six! Honestly, what were you, raised in a barn or something? Your parents must have failed you something rotten to produce such a woefully under-equipped morsel like yourself. Nevermind darling, you can¡¯t help the way you are. Someone needs to be below the average, else it wouldn¡¯t be the average!¡±


    Fire suddenly raged in Diego¡¯s chest. His blood boiled, heat was rising to the surface of his skin. He could feel Fairylin''s unwavering, ignorant stare burning into his core, fueling his rage. The moment ached on for what felt like forever, with this obnoxious bitch just fanning herself and expecting her drink. Diego fought to bury his anger, but he felt a spark crackle across his arms.


    ¡°W-What did you just say?¡± He half-spat between his gritted teeth.


    ¡°You¡¯re taking too long. I''m missing precious sun-time talking to a simpleton. Bring it out to me when your clumsy fingers figure out how to not mutilate a cocktail.¡±


    And with that, she departed back to the garden without a care in the world, oblivious to the hell that she¡¯d left brewing in the kitchen.


    Diego fought with every morsel of strength he had to keep calm, but it was just too much. All week she¡¯d been relentlessly, needlessly mean with every slithering word that oozed out of her godforsaken maw. He snatched her glass from the countertop and padded over to the fridge again to fetch some ice, but her words kept bouncing around his head.


    You¡­ you of all people want to bring up how I was raised¡­ MY PARENTS?! Do you even know¡­


    A snapfire of pure amber energy crackled over his skin. The collar around his neck hissed, but Diego didn¡¯t even notice. A strong burning smell seared into his nose as he placed his hand on the long metal handle of the fridge, and he breathed it in longingly.


    You¡¯re lucky. You¡¯re so god-damn lucky. I shouldn¡¯t have given it up, I wouldn¡¯t be here if I hadn''t stopped myself.


    He lost himself in his thoughts, he imagined his hand clasped tightly around the handle of his oversized blade.


    Maybe she was right¡­ God, Moltezz could have given me so much power¡­


    The thought of driving that titanic weapon into the hearts of those who deserved it more than anyone else, the satisfaction of a well earned, hard fought victory.


    He felt something crumble in his grasp, warmth trickled over his fingers and a familiar smell accompanied the burning still lingering in his nostrils. However, he remained lost in the moment.


    His shoulders tensed as if he were swinging the blade, bracing for the crack of its impact, the roar of its swing.


    You deserve no less, slaver scum. For what you do to those poor people you keep on your estate, for what you put me through. The DA hasn¡¯t changed at all. You¡¯re all dirt, all of you. Every last one of you fuckers.


    ¡°Diego¡­?!?¡±


    Karen¡¯s worried voice snapped him out of his haze.


    ¡°W-What happened?!? Are you okay?!¡±


    Diego slowly opened his eyes and looked down at himself.


    His fire was already starting to die down, and the anger in his eyes flickered to confusion as he tried to work out what had happened in the last few seconds, when the stinging pain kicked in. Blood flowed from between the fingers of his clenched fist. He glanced over to see his other hand still on the handle of the fridge, now bent out of shape. The metal had caved around his grip cleanly.


    He released his other fist and shards of the bloodied glass tumbled out of his hand. Several pieces remained embedded in his palm, his skin sticky with both blood and wine.


    He stood, frozen in shock. Although the anger continued to bubble away inside him, it was subsiding fast.


    ¡°I-I-I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what happened. I need to get Fairylin her drink.¡±


    ¡°Shush! Silly man! Forget about Fairylin, she can wait five minutes. Let me take a look at your hand.¡±


    She quickly fetched a stool from the breakfast bar and sat Diego down, before turning around to fetch a first aid kit from one of the cupboards. Blood still poured freely from his hand.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m getting blood on your floor!¡± Diego panicked, watching as the red puddle spread thickly over the shiny black tiles. ¡°I just cleaned those!¡±


    ¡°SHUSH! I don¡¯t care about that! Let¡¯s just make sure you¡¯re okay!¡± Karen¡¯s tone was snappy, but not angry or even irritated; she sounded worried, and serious. She turned his hand around gently and quickly plucked the shards of glass from it, demonstrating a skilled hand as she whipped the pieces out, and they tinkled pleasantly against the floor. Diego winced a little as the shards were removed, but otherwise remained still. Karen pressed a towel against the wound, but the fibres quickly became soaked in blood.


    ¡°Hold that there. I need to get the spray.¡± She spoke softly, and Diego did as he was told.


    As she fumbled in her kit for a silver can of medi-gel spray, Fairylin¡¯s voice called out from the garden.


    ¡°Karen, darling? Is everything okay? Has Diego fucked it up again?¡±


    Diego¡¯s face hardened again at the scything sound of her crooked voice, and Karen noticed the scowl immediately. She cast a glance over her shoulder towards the garden.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine, stay outside please Fairylin.¡± She commanded firmly, snapping her fingers three times. The patio door immediately began to slide shut with a gentle mechanical whirr.


    ¡°Are you sure darling? I can discipl-¡± Fairylin carried on, despite now being muffled through the thick glass door.


    ¡°- Activate sound barrier.¡± Karen continued clearly, speaking to the house computer. A faint blue shimmer appeared over the glass and Fairylin¡¯s voice was immediately silenced.


    ¡°There, just me and you.¡± She smiled at Diego, then did a quick double take at his eyes. His purple irises were encircled by a flickering golden ring, faint, but there all the same.


    Were they¡­ always like that?


    Diego seemed unsure of what to say to her. His eyes searched around the room, looking anywhere but at Karen.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He murmured, the corners of his lips twitching. He felt the stinging in his neck again, a searing surface pain on his skin.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I heard what she said to you. She¡¯s an absolute asshole. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry about having her over so much. She just¡­ she¡¯s paid me a lot of money. She¡¯s one of my biggest clients and is basically the entire reason I even have this estate, and even -.¡± She stopped herself, suddenly turning red. Karen sprayed the blue medi-gel onto his hand, and with a fizz and a hiss it immediately started to sooth the pain. She wrapped his palm in a silver bandage, tightly tying it off, but just as she did the jewel on the flashy-looking bangle around her wrist began to flash red.


    She tapped it with her little finger quickly, prompting a small red holoscreen to project from the jewel, only readable to her.


    *WARNING - COLLAR MALFUNCTION - PSYONIC INHIBITOR FAILURE - LABOURER MAY BE DANGEROUS*


    *ACTIVATE PANIC ALARM?*


    Karen gasped, pulling away from Diego in fear. Her eyes were wide and fixed on the lizard.


    ¡°Karen? What''s going on?¡± Her sudden change in demeanour immediately had Diego on alert, almost overriding his own concerns.


    She pressed herself back against the far wall, almost cowering. She glanced down at the holoscreen projecting from her wrist, then glanced back, unsure herself of what to do. She¡¯d been assured that these collars were state of the art, they didn¡¯t just break¡­


    ¡°Karen!¡± Diego insisted.


    ¡°Y-Your collar! It¡¯s broken!¡±


    The tension in the room skyrocketed. In the heat of the moment neither of them noticed, but the burning around Diego¡¯s neck, and the smell¡­ The collar had half melted, its circuitry visible and it was starting to smoke. Karen¡¯s wings curled around her body, her shoulders tense and raised, fingers hovering over the alarm.


    Diego wrapped his fingers around the front of the collar, and yanked it off in a single stroke. He held it out in front of him, tilting it back and forth as he examined it closely.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I did that.¡± He said, half chuckling. He looked back at Karen, who hadn¡¯t moved at all from the far side of the kitchen. She was frozen, staring at him, as though waiting for something to happen.


    They locked eyes, and a million thoughts ran through Diego¡¯s mind.


    The familiar crackle of his psyonics tingled all over his body, right to the tips of his fingers. It was a feeling he¡¯d so greatly missed. His power had been returned to him. He could do it. The thoughts, the rage that had burnt into his core just minutes ago, he could do it. He could smite Fairylin before she even knew what was happening, could leave her a pile of dust and ash atop her precious deck chair. And Karen too¡­ in mere moments, he could be free¡­


    But the rage had passed now. And looking into Karen¡¯s terrified eyes, he knew¡­ he couldn¡¯t do it.


    I can¡¯t fight my way out of this. I won¡¯t. I could still get out of here though, with my psyonics it would be a cinch to escape the mansion¡­ but how would I get off the planet¡­


    That wouldn¡¯t be so easy. Even if he managed to commandeer a ship, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d be able to pilot it. And if he could, where would he go from there? Where would he start?


    As he milled over his conflicting thoughts, Diego sighed gently and placed the broken collar on the work surface nearby.


    Besides¡­ I have an escape plan already.


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯d better get me a new one then.¡±


    Karen¡¯s shoulders relaxed a little upon hearing his words.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ You¡¯re not going to try and escape?¡± She asked, her wings slowly unfurling. ¡°I know about your psyonics¡­ Your file said your psyonics are strong enough to hurt people.¡±


    Diego swallowed loudly, shuffling awkwardly on the spot.


    ¡°Is that so¡­? Karen. I wouldn¡¯t hurt you. Collar or not.¡± Despite the lizard¡¯s awkward demeanour, he seemed to be telling the truth.


    ¡°What about Fairylin?¡± She asked suspiciously, watching his face closely.


    The lizard considered his words carefully for a few seconds.


    ¡°I¡¯d use a word of power on her.¡± He replied, a smirk appearing on his face.


    ¡°A-A word of a power?¡± Karen stumbled, unsure of what exactly that meant.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Diego sneered. ¡°Cunt.¡±


    He wiggled the fingers on his good hand and with a cheeky smile, the tension in the air suddenly disappeared. Karen stifled her laugh, the corners of her eyes glassing up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let her hear you say that¡­ I¡¯m¡­ glad.¡± She smiled, stepping forward. ¡°There were some spare collars provided with the kit. You had me scared there for a second, I thought you were going to¡­ do something...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve made quite enough bad decisions, don¡¯t you think?¡± Diego sighed, following Karen as she led him through the house.


    ¡°At least you never sold your services to Fairylin. I also have to pretend to like her.¡± They walked together down to the basement. As they passed Diego¡¯s bedroom, Karen stopped and stared in through the doorway. Her eyes glazed over the stone walls and wooden furniture within; it wasn¡¯t a bad quality, or even that ugly, but it wasn¡¯t up to her standard. She felt a pang of guilt ripple through her.


    ¡°What''s up? Did I forget to tidy up or something?¡±


    Karen leant on the doorframe, rubbing her chin.


    ¡°No, it''s not that. It''s just¡­ a shame that you don¡¯t get to enjoy the views of the estate from down here. Fairylin has her lot locked in the basement, it''s just¡­ how it¡¯s done, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ guess so. It''s kinda cosy down here though. Warm.¡± Diego laughed softly, nursing the wound on his neck.


    ¡°So if I offered you a bedroom upstairs, you¡¯d say no?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d give me a bedroom? Upstairs?¡± Diego recoiled, taken completely off-guard.


    ¡°If you wanted it. Unless you¡¯d prefer your ¡®warm and cosy¡¯ basement?¡±


    ¡°Fuck the basement.¡± Diego replied instantly. ¡°I¡¯m sure the heating works perfectly throughout the manor.¡±


    Karen burst out laughing at the lizard¡¯s complete one-eighty, shaking her head.


    ¡°Consider it done. We¡¯ll pick you a room out together tonight.¡±


    Tonight? That quick? Diego thought to himself, smiling. As he followed Karen into the storage room though, the smile slipped away. It was only a few minutes ago that he was having some truly awful, old thoughts about everyone within the DA. About Karen. He wasn¡¯t sure exactly how he was supposed to feel, but the pit in his stomach told him that those thoughts had been wrong. Not everyone in the DA was terrible. It was so much easier when your enemies were all equally terrible, but life was complicated, and tarring everyone with the brush was something he had grown out of a long, long time ago.


    Just then, a second uncomfortable wave of guilt flowed through him.


    Karen was under the impression he had chosen not to run now because he had learnt better.


    But¡­ He had an escape plan lined up.


    He didn¡¯t need to go on the run now¡­ By his own admission, escaping the DA was much more important than Karen¡¯s opinion of him, but based on what she¡¯d told him, escaping would certainly impact her in some way. The thought of Fairylin belittling Karen because he escaped from under her suddenly made him feel even more uncomfortable than before.


    ¡°Well, here we go!¡± Karen¡¯s voice brought Diego out of his thoughts and back into the storage room. It was a large room lined with heavy looking wooden shelves, well built and sturdy, lit with bright but warm hanging lights. There was a chest-high table to the side with some high stools around it, which Diego sat at whilst Karen picked up a small box. She quickly brought it over and clicked the case open, pulling a new collar out, identical to the original.


    ¡°Wait, what am I doing?! I haven¡¯t sprayed your neck, you¡¯ve been burnt!¡± Karen rolled her eyes and pressed her fingers to her forehead. ¡°Ugh. I¡¯m sorry. I got a bit spooked in the moment. I¡¯ve left the kit upstairs. Cmon, let''s go look at that burn you¡¯ve got.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. I got this.¡±


    Diego pressed his fingers together and drew them apart slowly, forming stringy bright orange web-like lines between them. He danced his fingers over his neck, threading the strings into his neck which seemed to weave into the burn, disappearing completely but visibly relaxing the wound. A few seconds later Diego moved his hand away; you couldn¡¯t even see that he¡¯d been burnt.


    Karen watched him closely in awe, her mouth slightly agape as she watched the amber threads form out of thin air, and disappear just as quickly.


    ¡°Wh-What was that? Did you heal your neck?¡±


    ¡°Yep! Took me a while to learn that one, highly-targeted psyonic healing. Not very effective for a squad though, it''s quite draining and a little slow to apply.¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s incredible! I didn¡¯t know you could do that!¡± Slowly, Karen¡¯s impressed expression tapered off into concern as she processed what she¡¯d just seen. ¡°Y-You shouldn¡¯t be able to do that¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Diego raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Uhm. Sorry, I misspoke. I mean¡­ Your file mentioned that your psyonics are limited to low-level and dangerous¡­ It mentioned nothing about being able to heal. Forgive my ignorance if I''m wrong, but isn¡¯t healing much more difficult than hurting?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Hurting someone else with psyonics is just a case of conjuring something that is¡­ well¡­ able to hurt them. I know that sounds stupid when I say it like that, but people can be very easy to hurt, you know? Healing is complex and difficult, which is why psyonic healing is such a rarity.¡± Diego relaxed back in the chair and slowly moved his neck, satisfied with his psionic work.


    ¡°Then your file¡­ H-How did the EnSec Division miss something like that? N-Nevermind. Don¡¯t worry about it. I just¡­ I need to look at your file again. Cmon, let''s get you collared up and pick your new room!¡±

 Chapter 16 - Shade

    Chapter 16 - Shade


    ¡°I WANT HER FLESH AND I WANT IT NOW!¡± The Baron Chief-Seer spat a mouth of stringy chicken and phlegmy saliva across the table, slamming his heavy fist down with a thunderous bang. Plates rattled, and knives clinked together as the wooden surface shook.


    A Vora Baron mothership is truly a sight to behold, a beast in its own right. They are much larger than the usual barges and tugboats you¡¯d find prowling about nomad space; large enough to comfortably house hundreds of Barons at a time, but just as rugged and poorly maintained. In this instance, several dozen Barons of various forms and sizes (although generally on the larger side) were crowded around a large table in the ship''s main hall. Thick, creaking brass grating lined the floors, dripping with freshly spilt viscera. The grease-lined walls were adorned with poorly-hung weapons, trophies, and prisoners, crudely strung up by puncturing bare metal cables that weaved in and out of their limp bodies.


    The Baron Chief-Seer was sat at the head of the table. He was draconic, with deep red scales glittering against his skin, violent orange eyes, and a pair of tattered, large wings sat upon his shoulders. The hall was busy with the sound of chatter and discussion, but also with the clumsy scratching of pencil on grease-stained paper. Sheets were scattered about in seeming disarray across the table, and several had also been pinned up against the walls. Some were covered in notes, written in a messy illegible scrawl for the most part, but most had a familiar amethystine face drawn on them, with varying degrees of accuracy.


    ¡°If I may, Chief-Seer¡­¡± A smaller, human male stood by the side of the gluttonous dragon. He stood out a little from everyone else in the hall, thanks to his somewhat normal weight and height. He had a slick, black side-swept fringe and a cunning guile to his step. His voice had a synthesised hum to it, emanating from the bionic neck that connected his head to his otherwise completely organic body. He clearly shared something in common with his larger cousins, but seemed distinctly different to them in another, more insidious way.


    The man raised a far more accurate and well-drawn portrait of Seeth up to the Baron, and tapped on it with the pen in his other hand.


    ¡°...This is the closest image we can verify¡­ but this really isn¡¯t the issue. And I think you know that.¡± He gestured to the litany of drawings strewn around the hall.


    The Baron huffed loudly, swiping a fist-full of paper off the table and reaching for a fresh leg of meat as his lesser continued.


    ¡°You¡¯re fighting an opponent that is wielding no less than field artillery, that can overpower us Barons up close, and seems remarkably illusive for such a physically dominating presence. There needs to be a shift in tactics - a shift in priorities.¡±


    ¡°Get to the POINT, Theyrun.¡± The Baron rasped, his throat thick with juices and mucus. His beady eyes drifted towards the human''s throat in a not so subtle manner.


    Despite the Baron¡¯s threat, Theyrun seemed unphased.


    ¡°You said it yourself, Chief-Seer. You want her flesh. Your Barons are trying to bring her down in the usual prey manner, ideally preserving her life or, failing that, preserving as much of her meat as possible. It should appear obvious at this point that she is not prey. Our supplies have decreased dramatically since she appeared, we¡¯re having to launch more and more attacks that we no longer have the manpower for, and we are coming back less and less successful each time. We are both painfully aware of this fact, and she is too. She is using our own greed against us.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you suggest? You think we should go open season on her? For just one woman?¡±


    ¡°With respect, Chief-Seer, this ¡®one woman¡¯ has single-handedly disabled over fifteen barges over the course of this week alone. We were at our peak a few mere months ago. Our hunts were more successful, and our bounties bigger, than they¡¯d ever been before in Baron history. But now? We¡¯ve hit some of our worst casualty rates since the Cyrune incident.¡±


    Theyrun quickly cast his gaze towards the entrance of the hall where several Barons were just lumbering in, wearing masks and full environmental suits, and carrying huge silver casks on their shoulders. ¡°She has restored the nomad¡¯s confidence in the sector to the point where even our prisoners know who she is! They speak of ¡®Lockblade¡¯ in the cells of this very ship, right now, hoping that she comes for us.¡±


    ¡°Famine Bringer¡­¡± The Baron growled. The bone in his hand, which had already been picked clean of its flesh, was promptly snapped in two with a loud crack that echoed around the hall.


    ¡°Your efforts to not appear intimidated by her has only enabled her further. We cannot pretend that she hasn¡¯t affected us, else we may give her the room to destroy the entire fleet. How many Barons has she slain? How much cattle does she need to ¡®liberate¡¯ before you consider open season? She has taken several hundred times her own body-weight in food from us! The scales are unbalanced! Need I remind you what happened to the last Baron lord who failed to feed his kin?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± The Baron replied in a surprisingly soft tone, sinking back slowly into his creaking chair. ¡°I was her body. Her meat. I will not be embarrassed by one single woman. The Barons will not be dominated by this¡­ thing.¡± He flicked at the drawing of Seeth in a mixture of embarrassment and disgust.


    ¡°Doubling down will not solve this issue.¡± Theyrun continued to press his master. ¡°If you¡¯re not willing to recall the barges or to issue a kill on sight order, then I propose a counterintelligence strategy. She must have a support network, and there are only a few merc dens still in operation. Let''s track down who is still supplying contracts, and cut the creature¡¯s head off at its source.¡±


    ¡°And get burned by every den this side of the DA¡¯s border¡­!? Hmm...¡± The dragon pondered Theyrun''s words, scratching his chin as he weighed up the potential consequences of attacking a merc den. Generally, dens were seen as true neutral zones, and anyone stupid enough to mess with them would paint a target on their back for every merc in the guild to see. But these were the Barons, and the Barons were seen as fair game anyway¡­ Besides, the nomads hadn¡¯t been much of a challenge up until this point. Once that godforsaken czarite was taken care of, there¡¯d be no resistance at all¡­


    ¡°The priority is still to have her meat on our hooks. I will keep the bounty. But I heed your words, Theyrun. Perhaps it''s time we go on the offensive.¡±


    The dragon fixed his gaze on the drawing of Seeth in front of him. His eyes stared into the paper as a concoction of feelings coursing through him.


    ¡°You still have contacts at the Black Lance?¡± The Baron asked, his mouth curling into a snarl.


    Theyrun nodded in response, with the slightest grin visible at the corner of his pointed lips.


    ¡°Reach out to them, find who¡¯s dealing with her contracts. Let''s pull the curtain back on this dick-swinging, top-heavy tart. If that means being burned by the rest of the mercs, then so let it be.¡±


    *


    ¡°This fuckin¡¯ BITCH! SHOW YOUR FACE!¡±


    From deep within the darkness of the barge''s interior, a faint metallic jangle echoed through the Baron¡¯s ears.


    ¡°L-Lockblade! S-She¡¯s here!¡± A nomad cried out from behind his cell bars, prompting a rush of footsteps behind him. Suddenly, dozens of bodies were pressing themselves up against the metal, staring intently out through the bars at the two Barons who were marching forward in the dark, each armed with a massive auto-cannon. Thick metallic flashlights were bolted to the bottom of the weapons, along with a softly beeping motion sensor, which was shining a weak green glow over their bodies as their eyes darted between the beam of light shining ahead of them, and the motion display. There were numerous doors on both sides of the corridor ahead, draped in shadow and interconnected by the labyrinthian design of the barge.


    ¡°Shut ya damn trap, meat! Before I pull you through the bars and eat you!¡± One of the Barons snapped at the prisoner.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna die, Baron! And not a moment too soon!¡± Another nomad shouted, his voice hoarse and croaky.


    The Baron turned and went to respond, but just as he did, the bleep of the motion sense caught his attention. Straight down the corridor, there had been a flash of movement.


    ¡°LIGHT HER UP!¡±


    The auto-cannons roared to life and bright orange sparks of explosive lead hurtled down the corridor.


    BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM!


    The corridor shook violently with each ear-piercing shot, shell casings clattering to the ground as the Barons held on tightly to their death-dealing machines. After several long seconds of sustained fire, the barrels rested, smoke wafting out from the glowing steel.


    The motion sensors were silent.


    ¡°Did we get her?¡± The Baron¡¯s voice cracked slightly.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m not fucking checking. I can¡¯t see shit down there!¡±


    It was even harder to see down the corridor now than it had been before, thanks to the lead rain which had served only to further shroud the black interior with thick smoke, rising from the holes and craters where the bullets had impacted. Both of the Vora Barons stared down at their motion sensors blankly.


    ¡°You should -¡±


    *Crack!*


    The Baron tumbled forward as his knee suddenly buckled from beneath him, but before another syllable of pain could dribble out from his slobbering lips Seeth¡¯s hands had seized his head, and were twisting sharply. A bassy, muffled crack echoed down the corridor as he slumped forward and collapsed with a heavy, metallic thud.


    The second Baron spun around on the spot and was immediately met with an earth-shattering punch, right in the ribs, sending blood rushing to his head. His autocannon was ripped out of his hands, but his vision was blurry, and all he could do was swing his fists clumsily into the darkness.


    The darkness responded with overwhelming force.


    Blow after crunching blow smashed into his body in a bone-shattering flurry. Blood leaking from his nose and mouth, his body quickly crumpled and keeled over. The corridor shook as the Baron hit the floor with a painful but unceremonious thump. He didn¡¯t move, didn¡¯t flinch, not even as Seeth drew her axe and brought it down on his neck, severing it cleanly. The head rolled along the floor ungracefully as the body rapidly exsanguinated at the stump.


    As his blood slowly leaked out over the floor, the corridor was suddenly immersed in a deep crimson hue as the emergency lights clacked back on.


    Finally. Took ¡®em long enough to get those back on, the fat sacks of shit.


    Seeth sighed gently and turned to face the cell full of nomad prisoners. They were staring at her, a mix of awe and gratitude.


    ¡°I-It''s really her! Lockblade! You¡¯ve come for us!¡± One of them shouted out, his hands tightening around the metal bars, his tired face now full of hope.


    ¡°Lockblade?¡± Seeth raised an eyebrow.


    Her axe jangled as she hooked it across her back. A thick ring of ornate keys hung from the base of the handle, all taken from other Baron barges, other victories. A suitable memento, she thought.


    ¡°Ohh¡­ I see. C¡¯mon, let''s get you all out of there. Ship isn¡¯t clear yet.¡±


    She marched towards the bars and went to rip them from their hinges, but the prisoners inside shook their heads violently.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t! You need the key!¡± They pointed to a vent in the ceiling, centred in the middle of the cell. ¡°They have Ten Percent hooked up to us!¡±


    ¡°Ten Percent?¡±


    ¡°I-It''s the gas they use! We don¡¯t know what sort it is, but we¡¯ve heard the Barons talking about it! Five Percent to stun, Ten Percent to kill. That''s how they talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Seeth stifled a sigh but nodded firmly at the nomads, loading the SAFU cannon and flicking the safety off.


    Captain likely has the master key. I''ll need to clear the rest of the ship.


    And so, she proceeded through this ship as she¡¯d done with all the others.


    Thunder in her hand, blade guarding her back.


    Their panic was palpable. Under a torrent of tungsten rain, Seeth cleared room after room. No Rager could withstand her blows, no Baron could halt her advance.


    Every roaring shell painted the ship with a spatter of bright red blood, like flicking a wet brush at a canvas.


    She noted a deliberate shift in their tactics the closer she got to the heart of the barge. Panic was starting to set in, now that they knew who was attacking. The Barons were becoming more and more willing to use their guns to try and take her down. Seeth''s bully diagnosis had been correct from the very beginning; Vora Barons were quick to crumble under anyone capable of standing up to them.


    Mere minutes later, Seeth had all but cleared the barge. She¡¯d shot and cleaved her way through body after body like they were nothing, and made her way to the cockpit.


    A thick metal security door stood between Seeth and the cockpit, which had been locked tight from the inside. The metal had been defaced with a crude writing, spelling out the word ¡®COWARD¡¯ in bright yellow letters. Seeth¡¯s eyes drifted down to the Baron slumped to the side of the door with patches of yellow paint on their broken body, split open by the SAFU mere moments ago.


    She quickly loaded a new shell into the SAFU and blasted the handle clean off, before unhooking a grenade from her belt and launching it through the watermelon-sized hole left in the door.


    A flash of white-hot heat erupted inside the room, with a quick boot of the door it buckled inwards off its hinges and Seeth charged inside, pointing the SAFU at all four corners.


    The room was empty. A heavily worn pilot''s chair was positioned in front of several large screens and the ship''s main controls, complete with the usual Baron decoration of gnawed bones and discarded litter.


    There was a supply room on her left which looked like it had been hastily raided, but otherwise the room seemed undisturbed. She quickly looked around for any lurking Barons, but all seemed to be clear. Hiding and stealth wasn''t exactly a Vora Baron''s strength, after all. However, something in the corner of the room did catch her eye.


    That''s unusual¡­


    A massive shiny white crate, standing nearly as long as Seeth was tall, was opened and looted.


    That looks like DA tech.


    She approached the crate, examining it closely. She recognised it from her military days as a twelfth generation security crate, guarded with nigh-unbreachable code locks. Curiously, the lock was completely intact.


    They didn''t brute force this open - they must have had the code. How..?


    It was impossible to say what had once been in the crate, however there was still a large sum of Dies within, spilt over the armoured base. As she peered inside, to get a closer look¡­ her body suddenly shuddered.


    Someone was watching her.


    She swung back round, hands gripped around her shotgun, ready to fire¡­ but there was no-one there¡­


    No. She could still feel it. That chill along her spine. Someone was watching her, someone was here.


    Cloaking!


    She raised the SAFU and fired. The roar from the blast was followed immediately by the static buzz of an energy shield being struck.


    It was a direct hit. A huge Baron suddenly fizzled into existence. The armour may have stopped the SAFU shot from barreling through her attacker, but it had taken all of its power to do so. Seeth cocked her weapon, ready to fire, but just before she could pull the trigger, a flash of familiarity caught her off guard.


    Black skin, purple eyes.


    And she froze.


    It was just the briefest hesitation. But it was all that he needed.


    *CLUNK*


    In just one second of hesitation the hulking man had swung for her head with all his might, landing a shattering blow which instantly knocked her down. Seeth hit the floor with a muffled thump. Reality swayed. Her vision went blurry.


    A strong, greasy, hand reached down and seized a fist full of her dreadlocks, pulling it tightly. Slowly, her exposed body was pulled upright as her eyes fluttered around desperately, trying to make sense of what had just happened.


    ¡°I can see why the boss wants you. Thick meat. Juicy. Heavy. Too bad he''s not here to taste it.¡±


    A torrid breath filled the air, a rancid taste heavy on her tongue.


    Her body hung clumsily from her hair. She was still reeling from that first blow. The Baron yanked on Seeth¡¯s neck and pulled her neck painfully to the side, exposing her bare skin.


    *THUNK*


    Hot fluid gushed from her neck, and with a shiver Seeth tumbled back into reality.


    Her eyes found the Baron before her, gripping her hair, ready to slam his cleaver into her neck once more. His stare was desperate and hungry, his mouth frothing for a taste of her succulent flesh.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    He swung again, the cleaver burrowing deeper into the spewing wound. It impacted the bone with a head-rattling thwack.


    With a loud cry Seeth suddenly started flailing at him, eyes wide, the strength quickly leaving her body as blood oozed down her chest. He swung again but she raised her arm and interrupted the strike. The cleaver smacked straight into her carapace, and as Seeth pulled her arm away the weapon lurched free from the Baron''s sweaty grip, and clattered to the floor. Enraged, the Baron changed tactics and with his now free hand, shoved her back. She hit the ground and the Baron landed directly on top of her, his fat, sweaty form pinning her down as she tried to get away.


    Seeth¡¯s heart pounded against her ribs. This was not a situation she was used to, this guy was bigger than her¡­ He pulled himself up, purposely keeping his heavy body on hers and reached towards her face, wrapping his thick fingers around her neck and squeezing tightly. His other hand grabbed her body, groping anything and everything it could, squeezing her hips and thighs tightly.


    His fingers tightened around her throat, his disgusting, weighted form bearing down on her. Seeth was in an all-out panic now, blurred images, half-formed thoughts and streaks of colour flashed through her brain. She flailed again, wildly, desperately trying to push his otherworldly girth off of her, but her attempts just seemed to antagonise him, and he pushed down harder.


    Feeling victory in his grasp, the Baron pulled back on her back, then slammed her head hard against the floor, staring deep into her eyes as his gross form sat across her chest.


    She was going to die here. To this fat sack of greasy filth. And then he was going to eat her.


    No. I can¡¯t go out like this.


    *BANG*


    ¡°This¡­ is what happens¡­¡± The Baron panted, spittle flying out of his mouth. ¡°To people¡­ who challenge¡­ THE BARONS!¡±


    He smacked her head against the metal panelling, and a high-pitched ringing echoed around her head. His weight was squeezing the breath out of her chest. Her hands pushed against his body, but they just seemed to sink into his fat and fur. There was nothing to grab, or to pull. She was running out of fight. It was like a nightmare.


    The room began to fade. Black fur, purple eyes. Another Baron victim on the ever-growing pile.


    Desperation filled her, pouring into every crack and crevice of her heart.


    There was a way out of this¡­ something she could do¡­


    With every blink of his eyes, her body lurched with a profound rush of freedom. She wouldn¡¯t even have to concentrate. At this point, it was taking more effort not to teleport. Her resistance sat uncomfortably in her stomach, as though she were about to vomit.


    Some might call it a gift. But with every jolt that shot through her body, Seeth could only think of the nomad she¡¯d tele-fragged on Barru X. An unknown, unsuspecting, innocent person, who¡¯d been terrified for their life¡­


    To end up splattered against the walls of their own living room.


    NO! I REFUSE! EITHER I WIN WITH MY MIGHT, OR I DIE BY IT!


    Seeth swallowed hard and grit her teeth. She pulled her hands away from the Baron¡¯s torso and clasped her fingers around his.


    One sharp twist!


    *CRACK*


    He howled in pain as she pulled on his fingers and snapped them back. His fingers loosened, and she shook his grip loose.


    As the fat sack of shit recoiled in pain, Seeth launched herself upwards and seized him by the scruff of his neck, pulling his face down towards the crown of her carapace.


    *SMACK*


    His freshly-broken snout dribbled with blood as he fell backwards, bellowing loudly. Seeth gasped loudly and clawed at the floor as his gigantic girth finally rolled off of her chest, desperate to pull herself away.


    The floor shook as the Baron stumbled heavily to the ground, reaching towards his dropped cleaver. Seeth felt over the wound in her neck. The wound was deep and bleeding profusely. As she continued to move her fingers over it, she suddenly felt something cold, and solid.


    This needs to end soon, or it''s over.


    A surge of adrenaline pushed her to her feet, and Seeth pounced onto his collapsed body. As she crashed down on top of him, the Baron twisted and snapped his jaws at her, her face inches from his gnashing teeth. He bear-hugged her close, trying to pin her arms to her side.


    To his surprise, Seeth quickly yanked one of her arms free. He wasn¡¯t surprised for long though, and almost immediately he snapped the full force of his leering bite onto her forearm, teeth sinking into the fleshy parts of her forearm.


    He strained and clamped down as hard as he could, the delicious blood dripping onto his tongue. The taste only made him more ravenous, more determined, and the feeling of their struggling bodies rubbing against each-other caused a disgusting, aroused growl to gurgle from his throat.


    No, NO! Absolutely not, FUCK THIS SHIT!


    Just as the Baron began to feel victory in his grasp, Seeth yanked her other arm out from his grip and she pushed herself further up his body, until she was leaning over his face. She grabbed her ensnared fist with her now free arm, and with a single, overpowering motion, twisted her forearm in the Baron''s mouth.


    A bassy *CRUNCH* vibrated through his skull as his jaw popped out of place, immediately falling slack and weak. Before he even had time to realise what had happened, Seeth yanked her forearm free and grabbed the base of his flopping maw. He roared out in pain, releasing his grip on her body and grabbing at her wrist instead. Slowly, determinedly, she stood up, pulling on his jaw with every ounce of strength she had.


    This ends now.


    The Baron''s jaw was torn free from its hinges, and splattered to the ground behind them. One last burst of strength flowed through her aching limbs. The Baron gargled on his own tongue in anger, and grabbed Seeth¡¯s thigh with his one intact hand, half-groping, half-grappling. She brought her fists down on his wrist in retaliation, breaking through it as though it were nothing more than rotting wood.


    Fury bubbled in Seeth¡¯s body and brain. The idea that this man was going to kill her? That he had his hands over her? Was holding her by her hair?


    No. This would not do. This had to be answered in kind.


    She stood above his growling body as he tried to push himself onto his feet. His giant round belly rolled around the floor as the Baron desperately fumbled about for anything he could use as a weapon. As she watched him blunder about, pure rage besieged her mind.


    He would not get the mercy of a professional kill.


    She raised her fists above her head and slammed them down onto his chest, feeling the crunch of his ribs under his greasy skin and fur, as his body lurched in pain.


    She immediately raised her fists again and brought them down with all the force as she could muster.


    The Baron gargled and projectile-vomited a tube of mustard-yellow spew into the air as Seeth¡¯s fists mauled his obese body.


    Again.


    His skin ruptured. His ribs snapped inwards, skewering and slicing at his internal organs.


    Again.


    A dying gasp filled the air. As her fists crushed his chest, blood erupted from his nose and mouth, spraying into the air and painting the already dripping ceiling a dark crimson hue.


    She screamed out in a blind, unmasked rage, a thunderous screech.


    ¡°YOU DARE MAKE ME THINK FOR EVEN A SECOND THAT I WAS WITH HIM? THAT YOU WERE HIM?!¡±


    Again.


    He sagged against the floor, convulsing on the floor, weak and broken. Bile and blood staining his tattered fur.


    Again.


    He¡¯d stopped breathing. His body was disfigured and his chest crushed, blood pooling around his body.


    AGAIN!


    With her final blow, blood and mucus oozed from his face and chest where her fists had broken him. Seeth stumbled backwards and clutched tightly at her wound.


    It was over.


    She felt quickly for the med-kit on her belt. Her eyes remained glued to the mountain of a Baron, pierced for even the slightest sign of life.


    She sprayed a neon-blue gel over her wound slowly. It puffed and foamed around her neck, and the bleeding stopped.


    Now that she could look at him properly, the Baron didn''t look like Diego at all. He was a wolf-breed of some sort, with black fur and purple eyes, but that was where the similarities ended. A few minutes ago he¡¯d been a ten-foot tall mountain of teeth, hunger and flesh, bent on making her body his next feast, but now he was just a mangled pile of broken bones and split flesh, rapidly haemorrhaging onto the metal around him. Vomit trickled from his mouth and out onto the floor.


    She sunk back against the wall behind her, hands trembling as her mind finally began to process what had just happened.


    ¡°I need him back¡­ Where are you, Diego?¡±


    *


    Seeth was sitting in the far corner of the loading bay, leaning heavily against a stack of cargo crates. Her eyes were tightly closed, her hands visibly shaking. It had been a week since the attack on Barru X, a week since she¡¯d lost him¡­ and they¡¯d spent that whole week on Venner¡¯s ship which was far too small for her - to be honest, was far too small for any of them to stay on for such an extended period. It has come to this, Seeth effectively hiding from the others in the back of the loading bay, just to try and get a little peace.


    Venner had spent the last seven days calling in every favour she had, and while she was¡­ somewhat grateful, it wasn¡¯t enough to even begin to sate the hatred she had for the rat. Venner had finally managed to secure herself a work transfer, and them an extortionately overpriced flat on the edge of some nomad space station that was in the middle of fucking nowhere. And that was nowhere by nomad standards.


    Her urges were getting harder and harder to control. She dug her shaking fingers into her thighs and squeezed them tightly, breathing slowly, trying desperately to calm both the burn she was feeling in her loins, and the anxiety churning in her stomach.


    I¡¯m so sorry, Diego¡­ I¡¯m so sorry I wasn¡¯t there¡­


    ¡°Seeth! Seeth, are you here?¡±


    Seeth¡¯s eyes snapped open into an expression of frustration and annoyance. It took everything to stifle the growl in her chest as Tivy came bounding round the corner.


    ¡°Found her, Oxyi!¡±


    Humming happily, Tivy pulled herself up onto one of the boxes and smiled across at Seeth, swinging her legs back and forth. Seeth glared back at her.


    Oxyi appeared round the corner, panting slightly after running all around the ship after her friend. ¡°Oh, well done, Tiv.¡± She breathed.


    Seeth¡¯s glare slowly moved from Tivy to Oxyi. ¡°Can I help you?¡± She snapped.


    ¡°Um, w-well¡­¡± Oxyi seemed a little taken aback by Seeth¡¯s tone, and shifted uncomfortably on her feet. ¡°We were just thinking about food! We were gonna order something, and wanted to ask if you wanted anything -¡±


    ¡°Trent wants pizza, Oxyi wants sushi, we all want different things!¡± Tivy chimed in. ¡°I wanted to get the massive veggie platter from the takeout we got the other day but nobody else wanted it!¡± She suddenly pouted very solemnly.


    ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± Oxyi forced a laugh. ¡°So, uh, if we order, d¡¯you want anything?¡±


    Seeth slowly moved her glare away from Oxyi. She stared out, straight ahead at the wall.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Awh c¡¯mon, Seeth!¡± You didn¡¯t eat with us yesterday either!¡± Tivy stood up on her box and started bobbing up and down. ¡°We miss you! You gotta have somethi-¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just leave me the fuck alone?¡± Seeth snapped. ¡°Haven¡¯t you two got anything better to do, besides follow me round like lost puppies?¡± She was staring back at Tivy now, pain and fury in her eyes. ¡°I know for a fact that you have much better things to be doing.¡±


    Tivy cocked her head and stared back confusedly at the Controller. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Tiv, maybe we should come back later.¡± Oxyi quickly tried to guide Tivy away, but Tivy hopped back from her outstretched arm.


    ¡°Have I upset you, Seeth?¡±


    ¡°UPSET ME?!¡± Seeth leapt to her feet, her body trembling with rage. She towered over Tivy, even with the cargo crate. To Oxyi¡¯s surprise though, Tivy didn¡¯t even flinch.


    ¡°You¡­ THIS IS YOUR FAULT!¡± Seeth barked. ¡°Y-You were too busy FUCKING YOUR NEW BOYFRIEND to notice that Plasia was stripping the ship apart! You were too busy SHOVING YOUR TONGUE DOWN HIS THROAT to notice that she¡¯d changed! If you had taken one second to take Trent¡¯s fluffy orange DICK OUT OF YOUR MOUTH, we might still have a working strike-ship! Diego might still be here!¡±


    Seeth¡¯s voice echoed loudly around the confines of the loading bay. There was anger, sadness, desperation and just a glint of insanity in Seeth¡¯s eyes. Her chest was heaving. she clenched her fists by her sides. Oxyi froze under the Controller¡¯s powerful poise. Her heart beat heavily in her chest. Slowly, she forced her head to move, and she looked over at Tivy in fear¡­


    Tivy, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed by Seeth¡¯s outburst. She cleared her throat softly, and quickly climbed up the next stack of cargo crates behind her, so that when she stood on them, she was eye level with Seeth. Seeth¡¯s eyelid twitched as she watched the critter clamber up the boxes, but was too thrown off by her actions to say anything.


    ¡°Seeth. That''s not fair. We¡¯re all missing him.¡± Tivy said calmly. ¡°But you can¡¯t stand there and say any of those things are true!¡±


    Oxyi¡¯s jaw dropped. Where had this big-balled little Tivy been during the attack?! Seeth too seemed taken aback; she wasn¡¯t used to being back-chatted like this.


    ¡°You knew Plasia better than anybody else here!¡± Tivy continued. ¡°Or atleast, you were supposed to! How come YOU didn¡¯t notice, hmm?! Maybe if YOU weren¡¯t so busy STARING AT YOUR MAN¡¯S ASS ALL THE TIME, they¡¯d both still be here!¡±


    ¡°Tivy! Tivy that¡¯s enough now!¡± Oxyi interrupted. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the others now!¡± She made an attempt to reach out for her friend, but she absolutely refused to cross in front of Seeth; she could feel the heat and the anger emanating off of her.


    ¡°No! I¡¯m not done! Speaking of THEM -¡± Tivy had hit her stride now; she spoke loudly and confidently and stared right in the Controller¡¯s eyes as she did so ¡°- WHERE IS PLASIA?! Do you EVEN CARE?! Not once have you even mentioned Plasia! She could be anywhere! She could be dead! You¡¯re SUPPOSED to be her FRIEND, but every time we¡¯ve talked about a rescue, it¡¯s only been Diego Diego Diego! Did you even want her to come with us? You¡¯re not acting like a friend! You¡¯re acting like a BITCH!¡±


    Seeth opened her mouth to speak, but Tivy actually reached up and pushed the Controller¡¯s lips back together.


    ¡°Shush! I¡¯m not finished! Out of everybody on this ship, YOU have absolutely no right to judge ANYBODY for who they have sex with! No right at all!¡±


    The room fell into a heavy silence. Tivy didn¡¯t need to say any more than that; her message had been delivered loud and clear. She hopped down from the cargo crates and took Oxyi by the hand. Oxyi stared up at Seeth, unsure of what to do. Seeth had been visibly struck by Tivy¡¯s words. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth open slightly agape. Suddenly, she was back in the dungeon, with Moltezz and Leech, and she was doing some terrible, terrible things¡­


    But that¡­ that¡¯s not me anymore¡­ I want to atone, I want to change¡­ I promised Diego -


    - But Diego¡¯s not here anymore.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, guys. I¡¯m sorry, Tiv. I¡­ I think I need to be alone right now¡­¡±


    And with that, Seeth fled as quietly but as quickly as possible from the bay. She could feel their gaze burning into her back as they watched her leave.


    Her shoulders shook as she walked down the corridor. She managed to make it to the single bedroom on the ship unnoticed by the others. By some small miracle it was empty. Seeth flopped heavily onto the bed and tried to make sense of her thoughts. Tivy¡¯s words swirled around her head.


    N-No. It doesn¡¯t matter if Diego¡¯s here or not. I refuse to be that person again! I¡¯ll f-fight it! I¡¯ll fight this with everything I have!


    She glared down at the growing bulge in her trousers with disgust, that seemed to be triggered at just the very thought of his name. She dug her fingers tightly into the mattress beneath her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fight it to the death if I have to¡­¡±


    ¡°...I gotcha the good stuff to regenerate that gash of yours! Garnet¡¯s been telling me all ¡®bout your adventures this week, shootin¡¯ them Barons up and stuffin¡¯ they¡¯re nasty bodies into corpse barrels - or what''s left of ¡®em anyway!¡±


    A warm and gentle voice interrupted Seeth¡¯s thoughts, and suddenly she was back in the Fixer Den¡¯s infirmary. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, and was surprised when she pulled her hands away to find that her fingers were wet. Seeth had returned to the Fixer Den about an hour ago, battered bloody and bruised, wearing a gaunt expression that no-one had seen on her before. She could hear a concerned crowd gathering outside the door, all told firmly to stay outside while Garnet¡¯s wife attended to the strider¡¯s wounds.


    Unlike Garnet, Veronica (or V, as she liked to be called) was an immaculately well-groomed otter, with all her limbs still intact. She had a shapely, plump and short figure, with curly soft hair and bright green eyes, creased with years of laughs, smiles and love. The otter had an equally southern twang, but a much softer voice than that of her husband. Her fingers moved delicately over Seeth¡¯s butchered skin, and her expression was warm and comforting, but also sharp. This wasn¡¯t the sort of woman you wanted to mess with; she had a gleam in her eye and a strong right-hook she wasn¡¯t afraid to use on anybody that got too close. Luckily, the right-hook was seldom required, thanks to her renowned home-baked cookies and cakes. Her freshly-made treats were usually enough to placate even the most irate of Garnet¡¯s customers.


    Veronica pulled out a blue gel-filled needle attached to a large metallic container, stamped with the words ¡®Rev X formula¡¯ in bold green writing. Gently, she pushed the needle into Seeth¡¯s medi-gel covered neck wound, and a fizzling warmth immediately coursed through her body.


    ¡°Thanks, V. How much do I owe you?¡± Seeth murmured, her eyes fixed firmly to the floor.


    ¡°Nothin¡¯ hun. It''s on the den.¡± Veronica smiled, throwing the used needle into a bin behind her.


    ¡°You sure? Rev X isn¡¯t exactly cheap in this part of the universe. I can pay.¡±


    ¡°I know you can, hun. But I couldn¡¯t charge you even if I wanted to, Garnet would give me heck for it! Besides, the influx of folks we¡¯ve had staying here all said they¡¯d pay for you¡¯s, even if the Den didn¡¯t.¡± She paused, watching Seeth closely. Seeth hadn''t reacted at all to her words, she just stared, blankly at the floor. She looked¡­ empty. Veronica¡¯s face flickered with concern. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t seem right since you got back¡­ I hate to state the obvious but something happened on that barge, didn¡¯t it? And I don¡¯t just mean the neck chop.¡±


    Seeth sighed and sank down into her seat.. Maybe it was Veronica¡¯s disarming attitude, or maybe she just really needed to talk to someone, but finally, after months of pushing her thoughts and feelings down, they spilled out onto her tongue.


    ¡°I lost someone, about six months ago¡­ Someone very important to me, and I''m missing him dearly.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hun I¡¯m sorry.¡± The otter replied sincerely. ¡°Was it on Barru X? Did he die in the attack?¡±


    ¡°No,  he''s not dead. I¡­ I don¡¯t think so anyway, but I don¡¯t know exactly. I think the DA has him.¡± Seeth fought back her upset and rage, clenching her fists tightly.


    ¡°The DA?! Say, Garnet¡¯s on the line with the Commander Koa fella from over yonder. Having a right old chat, have you asked him about your friend?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, ages ago. Several times. Said there wasn¡¯t much he could do.¡±


    Veronica pondered the Controller¡¯s words for a few seconds. A mischievous look twinkled in the otter''s eyes.


    ¡°Y¡¯know, I hear from Garnet that that Koa fella is mighty grateful for all the work you¡¯ve been doing.¡±


    Seeth glanced over towards the otter, her eyes heavy and tired. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm! They go back a long way. The DA are trying hard to repair some of the damage they¡¯ve done with the other systems over the years, especially us nomads. I¡¯m sure ya know this already, but that Koa¡¯s been on the front lines for years, main correspondence between the DA and nomads, trying to form some sorta relationship. Hasn¡¯t had too much success, up until now.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Seeth asked, a little curious now.


    ¡°Them Vora Barons have been plaguing this side-ah space for years now! Hunting down nomads while the DA sat back, promising with all their fancy words and contracts that they¡¯d do something about it. Took a rogue czarite bounty hunter to finally make a dent! You wanna make sure that people know there¡¯s no DA affiliations. Koa¡¯s a nice guy, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯d happily let the DA take the credit if it meant the nomads warming up to his cause. Unless, of course -¡±'' Veronica lowered her voice slightly ¡°- there¡¯s somethin¡¯ other than credit you want from him.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You think I should speak to him? Try and force his hand?¡± Seeth raised an eyebrow. There was a cunning streak to Veronica that Seeth hadn¡¯t noticed until now, which was both impressive and concerning, given how well she hid it.


    ¡°I reckon he¡¯s the type to hate owing people.¡± Veronica¡¯s voice was determined. She took hold of Seeth¡¯s fingers and squeezed them firmly. ¡°From the chats he¡¯s been having with Garnet, I''d say he sounds pretty indebted to you right about now. I¡¯d press that on him.¡±


    Seeth pondered Veronica¡¯s words closely, her free hand feeling over the goo filled gash in her neck.


    ¡°Fuck it. Worth a shot. I¡¯ve got some pretty strong words for the commander anyway.¡± Seeth¡¯s face suddenly twisted into a scowl. A fresh feeling of rage was starting to burn in her stomach. The Rev X healing process was uncomfortable at best and downright painful at worst, but she¡¯d be fully healed by the end of the day - physically at least.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you head out the back and avoid the crowd? I reckon speakin¡¯ to the Koa fella is more important than making friendlies right now, even if Tora is desperate to know where you¡¯re at.¡±


    Seeth thanked the otter then made her way out back, straight towards Garnet¡¯s office. Her scowl intensified as she heard Jace¡¯s gravelly voice from the corridor. She wasted no time eavesdropping, and instead ploughed straight into Garnet¡¯s office, making the portly man jump out of his seat.


    ¡°S-Seeth?! I¡¯m assuming that¡¯s you! Geez, girl! You could knock first!¡±


    ¡°Sorry Garnet. I need a word with Commander Koa here. Am I coming through?¡±


    ¡°You are.¡± Jace replied calmly. He couldn''t see her, but he was able to hear her thanks to a specialised analog microphone installed in Garnet¡¯s office. The dragon wore a cool smile but his dark eyes and sloping shoulders conveyed a type of tiredness that sleep could not fix.


    Unfortunately for him, Seeth didn¡¯t really care.


    ¡°Do you want me in or out?¡± Garnet laughed awkwardly, the tension in the room unmistakable.


    ¡°You can stay. You might want to hear what I have to say anyway.¡±


    Sensing a confrontation, Jace slowly sat up straight in his chair, and cleared his throat. He clasped his hands on the desk in front of him as his face hardened. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here Seeth. I heard you liberated another barge. Everyone here is grateful for the risks you''ve been taking to help wipe this scourge out.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Seeth scowled, her eyes narrowing. ¡°Tell me Jace, why do you care so much about me taking the Barons on?¡±


    Jace slowly raised his eyebrow as he contemplated her question. ¡°Part of my role as border commander is to repair the relationships with our neighbours that my predecessors did such a fine job of destroying. I¡¯m also personally invested in seeing those bandits disposed of. Barons are nothing but a blight, hearing tales of you destroying them is¡­ satisfying. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose having Barons around killing all the nomad¡¯s you¡¯ve worked so hard to repair relations with is a good idea.¡± Seeth continued bluntly, studying the dragon¡¯s face closely.


    ¡°That too¡­ But that is a colder way of looking at it. I do genuinely care -¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡± She interrupted. ¡°Because from where I''m standing Jace, it does not look like you care. Not even slightly.¡±


    Both Jace and Garnet recoiled in their chairs respectively, Garnet choking a stifled cough.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t understand. Have I done something?¡± Jace asked, his face unreadable.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Jace. Have you? Let me lay this out for you, in simple terms. I have been asking you about Diego for months now and every single time, I get nothing in response. Nothing. I KNOW you have him. He¡¯s somewhere in the DA and you won¡¯t do anything for me. I want him back, Jace. I am losing my patience.¡± Seeth felt her heart beating against her ribs, defiant and angry.


    ¡°Seeth. I told you before that it is not that simple. I can''t be seen poking my nose somewhere it doesn''t belong. I don''t have division-crossing authority when it comes to prisoners. I¡¯ve called in some favours, but to be quite frank with you, I have bigger fish to fry.¡±


    ¡°Well, it''s about time you sorted your priorities out, Jace, because you owe me. I¡¯m out here saving lives and risking my neck right now. But you - you¡¯re all show and no tell. Maybe we shouldn¡¯t even be trusting you at all!¡±


    There was a very obvious shift in Jace''s attitude; although he remained silent, he tilted his snout, and his eyes narrowed.


    ¡°After all - ¡± Seeth continued, before the silence could get to her ¡°- the barge I hit today had twelfth generation DA security boxes on it, opened via code.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Jace¡¯s cool demeanour suddenly broke,  his face a mixture of anger and confusion. ¡°You¡¯re sure? Opened via code?¡±


    ¡°Not a scratch on the lock. Full of Dies and a loomer-sized piece of stealth armour, which was used to ambush me. You want to tell me what a random Baron barge was doing with that level of gear, and the access code? It must have been provided or sold to them. Either that, or your borders are breached, which means you¡¯re not doing as good a job as you think.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting that I, or the DA, is deliberately working with the Barons?!¡± Jace slowly stood from his chair.


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe the commander that is stringing us along a breadcrumb trail of false promises is also hiding something else from us. Wouldn¡¯t be a stretch based on what I witnessed today.¡±


    Jace remained silent for a moment, carefully considering his next words as Garnet fidgeted about awkwardly. After several long moments, the dragon leaned forward.


    ¡°Just a few days ago, a Xeno Investigation and Threat Dismissal research space station near our border was attacked by a crew of czarites, and was completely destroyed. Not even the dorm barges were spared. Thousands died. Students - teenagers - died. Some of the staff were deserving, sure. Most were not. And these czarites looked suspiciously similar to the ones that you were affiliated with, not so long ago.¡±


    ¡°...Right?¡± Seeth responded, cautiously. She was a little curious, but unsure exactly of what the commander was getting at.


    ¡°I was trying to help you. A student was suspicious of malpractice, and sounded the alarm. She lost her life for it. I was investigating that station because I suspected your missing friend from Barru X was located there. And from the looks of it, I wasn¡¯t the only one who suspected it either. I have an eye-witness report of one of the czarites carrying your friend through the station.¡±


    ¡°They¡­ They rescued Plasia..?¡± For a brief second, the rage in Seeth''s stomach was replaced with a deep aching feeling of guilt. She''d done it again. She was thinking of Diego, thinking of only herself, again!


    ¡°That¡¯s what it looks like, Seeth! I sent one of my best friends and most loyal soldiers to investigate that station, and he nearly died for it too, at the hands of your ex-colleagues! Interesting isn''t it, that days after your kin attack a DA station you start accusing me of working for the enemy. I don¡¯t know what exactly is going on with the Barons, but I am not going to sit here and have my life''s cause shouted down by one ignorant nomad. You have NO IDEA the work I put into helping these people, Seeth!¡± Jace was running out of patience now; his face twisted into a snarl and his hands clenched into fists. ¡°If your czarites hadn¡¯t attacked us, I could have rescued your friend and got her back to you!¡±


    ¡°Save it, Jace! They are NOTHING to do with me anymore!¡± Seeth spat back. ¡°And how do I know any of this is even true? Last time we spoke you told me Plasia had probably been killed! I don¡¯t know if I can trust you! All I know is that I''m killing Barons, and you¡¯re just sitting there, talking. As usual. Don¡¯t bother contacting us again unless you have something of actual value. Remember, you fucking owe me, Jace. Stop fucking around and actually do something useful for me. Or just send your Baron friends in to finish the job already.¡±


    Jace was glaring at Seeth with such rage, such blinding piercing fury that for a moment, she actually started to wonder if he could see her after all. After several uncomfortable seconds, Jace swiped his hand, and the call cut off. As the connection died, Seeth was left staring at her own fuming reflection, as static hissed behind the black screen on the wall. Her burst of energy was already beginning to fade away though, and suddenly she just felt exhausted. Exhausted, and sad. She could hear the faint shuffling of feet outside the door; it seemed that several people had been listening in on their conversation.


    ¡°D-Do you really think Jace could be working with them Barons?¡± Garnet finally asked, dabbing his forehead nervously.


    Seeth let out a long sigh and sank back into one of the chairs in front of Garnet¡¯s desk. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think he is. But I can¡¯t say anything for sure right now, Garnet. Today¡¯s been¡­ confusing.¡± She pressed her fingers up against her forehead. ¡°A box on a barge doesn¡¯t confirm anything, but I¡¯d bet that the cargo aboard that ship was given to the Barons, not stolen by them. And that doesn¡¯t bode well for any of us.¡±

 Chapter 17 - Under Your Thumb

    ¡°Hey lovely, everything going okay in here?¡±


    Oxyi let out a long, frustrated sigh and sank back into the sofa as the elder feline padded softly into the living room. Geralt still had that same worn and tired expression that he''d had ever since they left Barru X, but now, a small smile also graced his face. He looked tidier too; it seemed that the chat they''d all had the other night had done Geralt some good. His old, tattered gown still looked tattered, but now it was a freshly washed, soft shade of blue.


    Oxyi rubbed her eyes and stretched her neck; she''d been sitting, hunched over her phone and furiously swiping and typing for¡­ well, she wasn''t actually sure. But it had been light outside when she started, and now the living room was illuminated only by the faint glow coming off their second-hand TV.


    ¡°Hey, Geralt. Yeah, yeah, things are going okay¡­ Close the door behind you, would you?¡± She quickly glanced through the crack in the doorway, checking the coast was clear. She wasn''t exactly sure what was going on, but if there was one person here she could trust, she knew she could trust Geralt.


    He eyed her softly but curiously, and did as she asked. As he did, the unmistakable chime of cutlery clinking against bowls rang out around the room, and Oxyi spied the large tub of strawberry ice cream tucked underneath the feline''s arm.


    ¡°I hope you brought two spoons!¡±


    Geralt chuckled and sat down beside the lioness. ¡°Your spoon, my dear.¡± He said, holding it out for her.


    With a grin, Oxyi quickly took it and plunged it straight into the middle of the open tub.


    ¡°Guess we won''t be needing these then!¡± Geralt smiled, and placed the bowls to the side.


    ¡°Oh, sorry!¡± Oxyi laughed around a mouthful of the pink ice-cream.


    ¡°So¡­ why don''t you tell me what''s got you looking so worried?¡± Geralt asked gently, taking his spoon and scraping a little ice cream from the corner of the tub.


    ¡°Ugh, I don''t know. Maybe it''s something, maybe it''s nothing.¡± Oxyi lowered her voice a little with a glance towards the door. ¡°I''ve been keeping an eye on our money situation. And we''re doing fine, we''ve got plenty to cover rent and the bills, and thanks to Seeth''s new contracts, our savings are looking great. It shouldn''t be long before we can actually start looking into hiring some scouts, maybe even some mercenaries, and getting Diego back.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great!¡± Geralt said, licking the end of his spoon. ¡°But I''m sensing there''s a but?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ But there should be more in there. Look.¡± Oxyi rested her spoon against the arm of the chair and leaned in slightly, showing Geralt her phone. ¡°This is our savings account -¡± Geralt raised an impressed eyebrow as Oxyi scrolled down. ¡°-And here''s our deposit history. I''m in there, every single week. Trent''s in there, Seeth''s in there loads. But look at Venner. She hardly deposits at all any more, and when she does, it''s fuck all. She''s putting in less than Trent, and I know she earns more than he does. She earns more than me some weeks.¡±


    Geralt didn''t say anything. He stared at the figures in front of him and rubbed his chin, thinking.


    ¡°And I know we said that Venner didn''t have to pay in.¡± Oxyi continued. ¡°She''s done so much for us, what with getting us this flat, and letting Seeth use her ship for jobs. But she said she wanted to help us with the ¡®Save Diego Fund.¡¯ And then, I noticed this.¡± Oxyi scrolled right to the top of the page, and showed one solitary transaction, in red, sticking out like a sore thumb. A withdrawal.


    ¡°She took money out of the savings account?¡± Geralt exclaimed.


    ¡°Yep.¡± Oxyi slumped back and pressed a hand to her forehead. She could feel the anger rising in her chest again. ¡°Now it''s one thing to change your mind about contributing to save someone who''s capture you may as well have fucking orchestrated - sorry, sorry, I didn''t mean that. She was put in a lose-lose situation, Diego for her husband, I know.¡± Oxyi sighed deeply through her nose as Geralt gave her a stern look. ¡°I just, I don''t get it. I mean, I like Venner. She''s lovely when we''re out working together, don''t have a bad thing to say about her. So why is she taking our money out? We''re not struggling for cash. Is she hiding it for herself? She planning on taking as much money as possible and running? Maybe she''s just testing the waters right now, to see if we¡¯re smart enough to notice a withdrawal.¡± Oxyi scoffed, and tossed her phone down on the coffee table before shovelling a heaped spoonful of ice cream onto her mouth. ¡°Maybe I had her wrong this whole time.¡±


    ¡°It could have been an accident, you know.¡± Geralt murmured.


    ¡°I know, I did think about that. But the timing''s off, we haven''t been paid from our last contract yet. And the amount too, seems too small to me to be a deposit. I''m gonna have to confront her about it, and I''m really not looking forward to that.¡± Just the thought of having that conversation was enough to stress Oxyi out; she dug her fingers into the sides of the sofa cushions and tried to calm down a little. ¡°If she was short on money, why wouldn''t she just tell us?¡±


    Geralt sat quietly for a few seconds, deep in thought. He stared down at his distorted reflection in his spoon, tilting it gently from side to side. Finally he spoke.


    ¡°What do you think of Robin, Oxyi?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Robin?¡± Oxyi asked, taken aback by the question. ¡°I don''t¡­ He seems alright? Between our jobs, I don''t really see that much of him,¡­ Wait, you weren''t asking if I found him¡­ attractive, were you?¡± Oxyi suddenly blushed heavily and awkwardly. ¡°Because I do not - This is not some ploy for me to try and take Venner''s husband!¡±


    ¡°No, Oxyi! I wasn''t implying that at all.¡± Geralt chuckled, placing a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Honestly, Oxyi, you''ve got to get better at talking about men.¡± His smile flickered away, and he dropped his hand. ¡°What is Robin''s job? Do you actually know?¡±


    ¡°N-No, I don''t¡­  Some sort of fancy office job in The Plaza, isn''t it? But like I said, I don''t see much of him. I see plenty of those fancy techni-coloured suits he wears every day though, the washer dryer is always full of ¡®em! Looks like a big wet bag of skittles. What¡¯re you getting at anyway, Geralt?¡±


    ¡°What I''m getting at¡­ and don''t breathe a word of this to anyone -¡± Geralt quickly glanced at the door and dropped his voice. ¡°- But I think he''s mistreating her.¡±


    Oxyi froze. For a long moment she just sat and stared at Geralt, trying to take in his words.


    ¡°Wh-What makes you say that?!¡± She finally exclaimed.


    ¡°I have no proof of this, just a gut feeling and twenty-five years of a marriage that was doomed to fail.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ Okay¡­ Geralt if you know something, you have to tell me. This is serious.¡± Oxyi placed the lid back on the ice cream tub, and onto the coffee table. ¡°Do you think Venner needs help? Do we need to tell Seeth?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Geralt had started to pick at the loose threads of his dressing gown, as though he was feeling uncomfortable, but then, suddenly he sighed, and looked Oxyi in the eye. ¡°I think he''s financially controlling her. I think he''s a liar, and a manipulator. I think Robin''s got Venner right where he wants her, and isn''t about to let her go.¡±


    ¡°Financially - wait, do you think it was him taking the money out of our account? He doesn''t even pay anything in!¡± Oxyi¡¯s tone was still serious, but she was looking confused now too. ¡°Robin doesn''t even know Diego. Why would he try to sabotage us?¡±


    ¡°It''s not about sabotaging you, Oxyi, it''s about controlling her.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don''t understand. Have you heard something? Has Venner said something to you?¡±


    ¡°No no, she hasn''t said anything to me, I just¡­¡± Geralt dropped his gaze. ¡°I''ve had, not really anything to do for the last six months. And this is a small flat. I can''t always hear what they say, but I''ve heard them arguing in their bedroom. It never sounds like Venner wins them, either. When they''re together, they seem¡­ awkward, too. When Robin''s home, he hardly ever eats with us, he takes his food into the bedroom and eats alone. Once I walked in on them talking about one of Venner''s contracts, they were sat at the kitchen table, and she was so excited, talking about how much she had earned from it, and he just kind of gave her this¡­ disappointed smile. ¡®Oh well, there''s always next time¡¯ he said, or something along those lines, and you should have seen her face drop.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ He sounds like an asshole, definitely.¡± Oxyi replied. ¡°Why do you think he''s controlling her, though?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­ Because that''s the exact sort of thing my wife used to say to me.¡± Geralt said, softly but with determination. ¡°And before I knew it, she had taken my farm, my cottage, my car, everything in the divorce settlement, using a lawyer I gave her the freaking money to pay for, trying to keep her happy.¡±


    Oxyi sat quietly for a few moments. ¡°So¡­ Do you think Venner is giving Robin money¡­ because she''s worried he''ll leave her?¡±


    ¡°Almost certainly. You''ve seen his ever-growing collection of three-piece suits!¡±


    ¡°You don''t think he buys them himself?¡±


    ¡°Pfft! No chance.¡± Geralt swiped his hand dismissively at the very thought. ¡°There is no way that man has a job. Not once have I ever heard him tell anyone what he does, or where he does it. Just that it''s ever so important.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he''s started smuggling again?¡± Oxyi suggested. ¡°That would explain his¡­ aesthetic. And why he''s being so secretive about his work.¡±


    ¡°Seeth hunts Vora Barons for a living. Why would he be worried about telling us he''s smuggling? And besides, he''s home every night, he''s not gone long enough to be a smuggler.¡± Geralt sniffed. ¡°I''m telling you, he''s not working, and Venner is funding everything. Robin wakes up and struts out of this place most mornings in a brand new expensive suit, on his way to his ¡®job.¡¯ All the while, Venner''s been wearing the same uniform every day for the last six months, her shoes are falling apart!¡± He gestured over to her work boots, which were currently drying on the radiator, and were, indeed, falling apart. ¡°They must be so uncomfortable to wear! No loving husband would let his wife go out to work and get her feet torn apart by old tatty shoes while he struts about in several-hundred-die suits!¡±


    Oxyi followed his gesture and stared across at Venner''s boots. Oh my god, maybe he''s actually right¡­ how had I not noticed that before?


    ¡°And as for this ¡®job¡­¡¯¡± Geralt started to raise his voice - he was getting angry now. ¡°I was working on my farm before I could walk. I know how it feels to go to work, to come home after an honest day''s labour. You know what that''s like. It''s exhausting! That man comes home, sometimes earlier, sometimes later than you, he comes swaggering in with his face all flush and his breath stinking of alcohol, he grabs some food and goes straight to his bedroom. That man doesn''t come home tired after an honest day''s work.¡± Geralt clenched his fists tightly. ¡°That man sits and waits for his wife to come home, to let her know how good a job she does every day but how she should be doing just a little bit better, because the money she''s giving him isn''t cutting the expense of his travel and his professional guise - how am I supposed to get a good job sweetie if I don''t look the part - and all the while he''s sat at a bar drinking in girls and necking back shots.¡±


    The two fell into silence then, for a while. Oxyi blankly at the TV screen. The flat seemed uncomfortably quiet, as though it was just waiting with bated breath to expose their secret conversation.


    ¡°Do you think he could be cheating on her?¡± Oxyi asked finally.


    ¡°I wouldn''t be surprised. That flushed look he comes home with, I wouldn''t say that¡¯s all alcohol.¡± Geralt stood up, slowly, his joints creaking a little in protest. Oxyi watched him with a regretful look in her eyes as he bent down, and picked up the ice cream tub. ¡°Listen, I¡­ Don''t pay too much heed to an old man''s ramblings. I''m probably wrong. I usually am.¡± He chuckled lightly, suddenly embarrassed. ¡°I do think you should confront Venner on that withdrawal though; I''m sure it was just an accident.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I will¡­¡± Unless it wasn''t an accident. Unless you''re right, and maybe she was actually hoping someone would notice.


    ¡°I''m gonna go put this back in the freezer, then lie down for a while.¡± Geralt turned away and shuffled back towards the door. Before he pulled it open though, he looked back at the lioness. ¡°Don''t repeat anything I''ve said to you, Oxyi. Please.¡±


    Oxyi smiled at her friend. ¡°Of course. I won''t say a word.¡±


    Geralt nodded, then made his way down the corridor, closing the door behind him.


    Oxyi didn''t move straight away. She sat in silence, and contemplated the feline''s words. She picked up her phone and unlocked it, and stared at that one, singular withdrawal from their savings account.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to do something though. If Venner really is in trouble, I have to do something.¡±


    *


    The next morning, Oxyi was downstairs bright and early, munching her way through a large bowl of cereal. She wasn''t wearing her usual work attire today though; Oxyi had today off, and today, Oxyi was on a mission.


    ¡°You¡¯re up early!¡± Venner walked into the kitchen with a warm smile. Robin was a few steps behind her, wearing another one of his fancy colourful suits. How had I not noticed it before? Oxyi thought to herself as she returned Venner¡¯s smile. Her uniform is so dull, faded, worn¡­ I can see from here where she¡¯s had to sew and repair it herself¡­ And the two of them, standing next to each other¡­ Husband and wife, they couldn¡¯t have looked more different than night and day. Robin looked smart, tidy, well-groomed and - she hated to admit it - attractive, as he sidled around Venner and grabbed a breakfast bar. Oxyi couldn¡¯t help but notice the distaste in his face as he eyed it, then stuffed it in his blazer pocket.


    Our ¡®saver-value¡¯ brand groceries not good enough for you, Robin?


    ¡°...Earth to Oxyi, hellooooo?¡± Venner laughed - tiredly - and waved a hand in front of Oxyi¡¯s face, which made the lioness jump.


    ¡°Fu-um-sorry! Sorry, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve woken up properly yet!¡± Oxyi replied, quickly. ¡°What were you saying?¡±


    ¡°I asked if you had any plans today! Figured you¡¯d be sleeping in, long deserved rest after that hell-hole of a contract we just put ourselves through.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Yeah, well, I¡¯ve got a couple days off now, figured I might as well do something with them! I realised the other day that I hadn¡¯t actually seen much of the space station, outside of work, so thought I might go for a little explore.¡±


    ¡°That sounds nice.¡± Venner smiled, pulling open the fridge and grabbing her pre-made lunch for the day, courtesy of Chef Tivy. ¡°Hopefully I¡¯ll be home early today myself, I could use a much needed break!¡± Venner yawned and walked out of the kitchen and into the entryway, shoving her flask and packed lunch into a worn-looking backpack.


    God, Venner, have you always looked that tired?


    ¡°Well, while you ladies are off pampering yourselves and putting your feet up, I¡¯m expecting to put in a bit of overtime tonight!¡± Robin suddenly announced with a big, shit-eatting grin on his face. ¡°S¡¯pose at least one of us here has to be making some real money!¡± He continued to boast as he followed Venner towards the door. Oxyi glared after him, then stood up and dumped her bowl in the sink. As she washed up, she watched them out of the corner of her eye; Robin was saying something quietly to Venner, and Venner looked uncomfortable as she replied back; then, he placed a hand on her shoulder, and steered her towards the door. He glanced back at Oxyi as they left.


    ¡°We better get a move on, can¡¯t be late! Tell Tilly or whatever her name is that I won¡¯t be needing dinner tonight!¡±


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Bye, Oxyi!¡± Venner waved and smiled as she was pushed out the door.


    ¡°Bye, Venner.¡± Oxyi mumbled back. She dried her hands in the tea-towel and moved towards the window. A few seconds later she was watching Venner and Robin leave the building, and make their way quickly down the street towards the train station.


    ¡°Tivy! Don¡¯t wait up for me! Gonna be out late!¡± She shouted as she quickly laced her shoes, grabbed her backpack and ran towards the door.


    I¡¯ve got a cunt to keep an eye on.


    The space station that the gang had called their home for the last six months wasn¡¯t like a typical nomad space station you might come across. It had started its life on a large asteroid, and as its inhabitants grew in number, so did, so did the number of asteroids. Currently, there were fifteen asteroids making up this station, each joined together in a chaotic jumble, each of varying shapes, sizes, colours and enrichment, in its own unique manner. The asteroids were interconnected by a long intergalactic trainline, all centred around The Plaza. The Plaza made up the largest and innermost asteroids of the nomad ¡®super structure¡¯ in the system, composed of several huge asteroids that had been literally locked together via ridged bridges, originally built out of boredom rather than purpose. Years on, The Plaza had grown significantly and was now more than fifteen different asteroids


    Venner¡¯s flat was on one of the smaller asteroids on the outskirts of the space station, and as such, the main town where the asteroid''s train station was, wasn¡¯t too far away. It also meant that their rent wasn¡¯t too expensive, which is exactly what they needed right now.


    Oxyi loitered about awkwardly at the back of the train platform. The platform, to describe it in one word, was musky. The concrete slabs were a dirty, faded yellow, the walls a lifeless grey. However despite its appearance, the platform was bustling with commuters, trying to get to their jobs on the more innermost asteroids. Oxyi at least didn¡¯t have to worry too much about Robin and Venner spotting her; she was having a hard enough time keeping an eye on them.


    The space train pulled up, a sleek and shiny tin in contrast to its dilapidated station, and as Oxyi was pushed on board and sardined into one of the carriages, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit silly. What was she actually doing? She felt like some silly little spy, or make-believe detective as she glanced down the carriage, and brought her faded-red scarf up over her nose, as if it were some sort of disguise.


    ¡°I must warn you, Oxyi! I am quite the mysterious stranger! I¡¯ll steal your heart, your flat and your food!¡±


    Oxyi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. For a moment, she was back in the forest, with Diego, posing with her scarf around his neck, and laughing. God, that felt like such a long time ago now¡­ As she breathed in his scent on her scarf, which was wrapped tightly around her nose, tears pricked in the corner of her eyes. How could so much have changed, in six months?


    And how does my scarf still smell like him? I¡¯ve washed it loads since then!


    People were suddenly moving all around her, bustling and pushing past to get to the doors. Oxyi sighed and watched through still blurry eyes as Venner too stood up from her seat. They were at her stop. The train hummed gently as it began to slow down, and Oxyi watched intently as Venner attempted to say goodbye to her husband. She reached down and swung her backpack over her shoulder, and leaned in gingerly for a kiss. She watched Robin glance up at her, and offer her his cheek, instead of his lips.


    A few moments, and several dozen people later, and Venner had disappeared into the crowd.


    No. It doesn¡¯t matter how silly it may feel right now. Diego helped me when no-one else would. This is the right thing to do, even if it leads to nothing. He would do the same¡­ probably.


    Robin would be getting off at The Plaza, which in its essence was a large mall complex with a decent variety of commercial and housing areas, high-rise office buildings, and even a few artificial green spaces. The Plaza was a pleasant place for the most part, having been recently refurbished with thick grey floor tiles and an artificial environmental dome, able to emulate planet-side seasons despite being built on a massive asteroid. It was easily the wealthiest of all the asteroids that made up this space station, which was why Robin regularly made a point of bragging about his currently unspecified but extremely important job there.


    After about another forty-five minutes of travel on the gently humming train, they arrived at The Plaza. Nearly all of the remaining passengers were getting off here (which was a lot) and Oxyi had to duck and dodge quickly around the disembarking passengers, as she tried desperately but inconspicuously to keep up with Robin.


    Apparently, her years of working in security were actually paying off here.. She kept a decent but steady distance behind him, not getting too close to look like she was tailing him. She knew when to change direction, when Robin seemed to start looking around. Even though not much of her work took her to The Plaza, she knew the layout well enough to lose sight of him for a few moments, walk down the parallel and side streets and meet back up with him, without drawing any attention to herself. She was wearing dark jeans and a long-sleeved black top, and of course her scarf to help obscure her face. All in all, she didn¡¯t think she really stood out, she thought, as she spied a glance of her reflection in a shop window.


    Maybe I should become a PI¡­


    So far, to her disappointment but ultimately not to her surprise, Oxyi¡¯s pursuit had taken her away from the office complexes. He seemed to be approaching the library, which did fill Oxyi with some hope for a moment - maybe he¡¯s lost his job. Maybe he¡¯s looking - But her hopes were quickly dashed; instead Robin went into the building a few doors down and across the street - ¡®Eastern Point Hotel and Breakfast.¡¯


    A hotel? Maybe he¡¯s meeting a client? She thought, ever keen to see the good in people.


    But alas, that wasn¡¯t to be the case. Instead, this would turn out to be just the first of one of many extremely pricey stops today. She watched from across the street as Robin quickly brushed himself down, adjusted his suit in the window, then walked inside. A few minutes later she followed him inside, and ducked down into the lobby. She could see him off to the right, in a large dining hall. He was sitting alone, at a table close to the bar, laughing with one of the waitresses. She siddled over to one of the tables in the corner, and immediately lifted a menu up to her face. With her free hand, she fumbled about in her rucksack, and pulled out a small camera.


    He seems to know that waitress VERY we- holy shit look at these prices!


    Oxyi quickly scanned down the breakfast menu - it wasn''t even an all-you-can-eat overpriced breakfast, every item on the menu was individually priced, and none of it was cheap. Who would spend five die on a fried breakfast?!


    Robin would, apparently. Oxyi couldn¡¯t help but gawk at the amount of food that was brought over to his table, over the course of the next hour or so. Sausages, eggs, toast, bacon, croissants, cold cheeses and meats, and large glasses of iced coffee. Oxyi¡¯s stomach growled as she watched him devour the meal in front of him; never in her life had she seen so much, and so pristine food.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just have a coffee, please.¡± Oxyi mumbled to a waiter, and her stomach growled in protest; that bowl of cereal had barely touched the sides. ¡°No milk, please! Lots of sugar!¡±


    As Oxyi sat and sipped at her overpriced coffee, she watched as the same five or six waitresses stopped at Robin¡¯s table, sometimes with more food and drinks, sometimes not. They would chat and laugh, she could see from his demeanour that Robin was laying it on thick, but all in all¡­ He hadn¡¯t really done anything wrong. A slow-filling rage was starting to build in Oxyi¡¯s chest though, as she watched Robin mingle with these middle class, pretty girls with such ease, drinking down their figures and scoffing their food with glee.


    I could have only dreamed of this sorta life back home.


    She snapped a few photos, not that they contained anything particularly incriminating. Although, she couldn''t quite figure out if she was relieved, or annoyed by that. Eventually Robin stood up from his table, and left a fat wad of cash behind as he did so. The waitresses all crooned and gushed as he left, giggling as one scooped down and started flicking through the pile of notes.


    Heavy tipper. Nice. Oxyi thought dryly, as she made to follow him. She contemplated what she¡¯d seen as she followed Robin back down the street.


    It was all innocent enough. No harm in flirting with a few waitresses¡­ Although even as she thought it, Oxyi blushed and cringed slightly. Maybe he just wanted something to eat before work¡­ No! I need to stop giving this guy the benefit of the doubt. That breakfast must have cost him a small fortune.


    As the morning drew on into the afternoon, what Oxyi saw only may not have concretely confirmed her suspicions, but it did make her more and more angry. She became more and more confident that Robin¡¯s entire persona was just that. He paraded around The Plaza, flashing his cash and spending it as he liked. He went into a high-end custom suit shop, and seemed to be in there for ages as Oxyi sat and watched him from a nearby bus stop. He was getting yet another custom-sized, made to order three-piece suit, in the most outrageous shade of magenta she¡¯d ever seen.


    Why do I get the feeling it¡¯s not employers you¡¯re trying to impress? Oxyi thought as she snapped another photo.


    Eventually, Robin paused his little spending spree and stopped for lunch at a classy little botanical cocktail bar. It was a pretty little place, with a metal set of stairs taking you up to the bar itself, which was on the first floor of the terrace building. Lush green vines and plants hung over the metal canopy outside. Inside, the bar was dimly lit, and had a cute but slightly smokey vibe to it. Robin went inside and sat at the bar. He was quick to order - or better to say - the pretty barmaids were quick to take his order - and before long he was devouring a huge slab of steak, and drinking a cocktail almost the same shade as the suit he''d just bought. Oxyi sat at the far end of the bar, sipping slowly on her mocktail and pretending to look like she was working on her phone, as she watched Robin order drink after drink. As he got more drunk, he got more bold, he sat on his stool, and started showing off his psyonics to the bar staff and the ladies around him, out for bottomless brunch. They all ¡®oohed¡¯ and ¡®ahhed¡¯ and laughed at the sparks and snowflakes that Robin made fall down upon their heads, and land delicately in their hair. He gestured for one of the ladies to hand him her drink, and with a few dramatic flicks of his hand, an ice cube materialised between his fingers, and he dropped it into the glass. The lady laughed as he rubbed the tip of his finger around the rim of her glass, leaving behind an icy-blue ring. Oxyi, however, was far from impressed.


    Pfft. They think that¡¯s psyonics? That¡¯s nothing compared to what Diego can do.


    He stayed there for a few hours, chatting, drinking, buying people¡¯s drinks, and flirting with seemingly anyone who would entertain him. Oxyi, by now, was starting to grow tired, and bored. She¡¯d seen enough - unless Robin''s incredibly important job was trying to pick up other women, this man was clearly a liar. And if he''d lied about leaving for work today, then Geralt was probably right - Robin didn''t have a job. He was taking Venner for everything she had. If only Oxyi had proof. A few photos of Robin splashing the cash unfortunately didn''t really prove¡­ anything, except that he was a massive asshole. Oxyi sighed, and quickly left the bar. She stood outside the building for a few moments, scrolling back through the photos she''d taken, breathing in the alcohol-free air.


    I need to talk to Venner. He¡¯s playing us. He¡¯s playing all of us. Seeth is gonna lose her shit. I just hope that Venner doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on; there¡¯s no way she¡¯d pay for all this knowingly, is there?


    As she thought, she suddenly caught sight of Robin¡¯s dirty-blonde hair whipping past her. She glanced up, and saw that Robin was quickly - if not a little unsteadily - making his way down the street, away from the central Plaza.


    Seems like our little escapade isn¡¯t over yet. Where¡¯re you off to now?


    Robin lead Oxyi down some long winding streets. They became less and less populated the deeper and further away from the centre they went. The street lights became few and far between, and the majority of them flickered or didn''t work at all, plunging the streets into the shadows of the high-rise buildings around them. Oxyi''s hand hovered over the pistol, which she always carried, strapped to her belt as she passed by a shady-looking man, grinning down at her from an alleyway.


    Where the fuck is he taking me¡­ Maybe I was right, maybe he is smuggling, after all¡­


    Oxyi rounded the corner, and stopped in her tracks.


    OH MY GOD, NO!


    Oxyi¡¯s draw dropped as she watched Robin walk up to a brightly bedazzled building, with the words ¡®The Open d¡¯Hore¡¯ curved above the entryway in large neon letters. A sleazy-looking lady in an extremely revealing slip walked up to him with a knowing and eager smile, and quickly guided him inside.


    He¡¯s cheating on her. Oxyi stood in the middle of the street, wide eyed, seething with rage. The camera in her hands shook. The fucking cunt is CHEATING ON HER. HE¡¯S TAKING ALL OF HIS WIFE¡¯S MONEY, OUR ¡®SAVE DIEGO¡¯ MONEY, AND SPENDING IT ON FUCKING HOOKERS!


    She was furious. How could he DO THAT? How could he do that to Robin?! And how had she not noticed it before? How had she not noticed Venner¡¯s tatted uniform, the worn shoes? That tired smile, and desperate plea in her eyes when Robin was blatantly dismissing her affections? It was all so obvious now. And Oxyi had no doubt in her mind now - Venner didn¡¯t know about any of this. There was no way that she was paying her husband to cheat her, not knowingly. She decided there and then that she''d confront Venner about everything she¡¯d seen today.


    It was too late to snap a picture now - Robin had long gone inside, and just when she finally would have had something on him, too! Oxyi was kicking herself. She had to try though, evidence or not. She wasn¡¯t going to let her friend be used like this any longer.


    *


    The pleasant aroma of fresh coffee and still-warm cakes gently wafted through the air, prompting a hungry rumble from the girls; lunch time was long overdue. Oxyi and Venner were sitting high up on an overhanging wall, munching away at their sandwiches and kicking their feet gently. Oxyi stared intently down onto her thermos of orange spicy soup, fidgeting slightly as she tried to figure out how to broach the subject of her husband¡¯s¡­ infidelity with her. It had been nearly a week since Oxyi¡¯s little recon mission, and she still hadn¡¯t plucked up the courage to say anything to her friend. Venner didn¡¯t seem to notice Oxyi¡¯s fidgeting though, and was contentedly surveying the town square. It had been an easy morning for both of them so far; word of ¡®Lockblade¡¯ had spread thick and fast around the sector, and local crime had nose-dived to the point of practically being non-existent. Security work was still in demand though, and contracts for the two girls showed no signs of drying up just yet.


    ¡°What did Tivy make for you today?¡± Venner asked, taking a bite out of her sandwich and keenly observing the shops below.


    ¡°Oh, umm¡­¡± Oxyi fumbled briefly, twisting her flask around. The steel cylinder had the words ¡®Lion¡¯s soup¡¯ lovingly scribbled on the side, with a little smiley face in black ink. Very original, Tiv, Oxyi thought with a grin as she sniffed at the soup. ¡°It smells spicy, maybe five spice again? She does a meeeeean five spice. Keeps you going, too.¡± Oxyi laughed. ¡°Remember patrolling that damned cargo freighter a couple months ago? Tivy¡¯s soup was the only thing keeping me warm on that bloody thing.¡±


    ¡°We are never taking a contract from Syntax again. Even the contract handler was creepy.¡± Venner grimaced as she took a large bite out of her sandwich.


    ¡°Did you see the way he was eyeing you up? Fucking wierdo. Couldn¡¯t take his beady little eyes off your hips.¡± Oxyi shivered uncomfortably as she recalled.


    ¡°Yeah, only because he was too short to see anything higher up than that though.¡± Venner laughed, and Oxyi choked back a giggle.


    ¡°Did you see that massive bald spot on the top of his head?¡±


    ¡°Oxyi, how could I not? His head was so shiny I could practically see myself in it!¡±


    ¡°Did you know he¡¯s starting putting ¡®female only¡¯ in his contracts now? Talk about a red flag.¡±


    ¡°Gross. What did he say when we accepted the contract? Acceptable¡­¡± They both mimed in a low, grumbly voice, drumming their fingers together in a comically evil manner.


    ¡°Oh, god, Oxyi!¡± Venner laughed and wiped a tear away from her eye. ¡°He definitely had the hots for you. I still swear, at the end of the contract, when you were leaning over him, shouting in his face ¡®cos he was trying to palm us off with less pay, that he was playing with himself under his desk.¡±


    ¡°Venner!¡± Oxyi went bright red, trying to fight off both embarrassment, and the sandwich currently gurgling around in her stomach that was threatening to make a re-appearance. ¡°Th-That is NOT something I want to think about!¡±


    Venner chuckled evilly and took another bite of her lunch, satisfied with her ruffling of the lioness¡¯s metaphorical feathers.


    ¡°You¡¯re too easy sometimes, Oxyi. We need to find you a boyfriend, ASAP.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Venner.¡± Oxyi replied, a little dryly. ¡°But I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯m doing just fine right now.¡± The mention of boyfriends only made Oxyi''s stomach drop further, as she thought again on how she was going to talk to Venner about Robin. Suddenly, all that good natured humour was replaced by a thick feeling of anxiety in her stomach. And Venner noticed.


    ¡°Oh, umm, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.¡± Venner glanced down at her feet.


    ¡°Oh, no! I¡¯m okay!¡± Oxyi replied quickly. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, I just¡­ Venner, I need to talk to you about something.¡±


    ¡°Umm, okay?¡± Venner replied, unsure as to where this was going. ¡°Was it the ¡®boyfriend¡¯ bit? ¡®Cos if it¡¯s a ¡®girlfriend¡¯ you¡¯re after instead -¡±


    ¡°VENNER! NO! BOYFRIEND IS FINE!¡± Oxyi quickly interrupted, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks again. ¡°This isn¡¯t about me, I need to talk about you.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh, r-right.¡± Venner looked uncomfortable now, and a little¡­ hurt. ¡°H-Have I done something wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Oxyi almost lost her confidence, almost changed the subject, looking at the genuine confusion and hurt in Venner¡¯s face, but she inhaled deeply and pushed those feelings down. We have to do this. ¡°I noticed the withdrawal you made out of our savings account the other day.¡±


    Venner froze. Her eyes widened, the word ¡®guilty¡¯ all but plastered across her forehead. ¡°A-A-A w-withdrawal?¡± Venner spluttered. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Oxyi, that must have been a mistake! I must have meant to d-deposit, but took the money out instead! I¡¯m so silly, these contracts, they¡¯re just such long hours sometimes, I¡¯m so tired by the time I get home!¡± Venner laughed nervously, and fumbled about with her phone. ¡°How much was it? I¡¯ll deposit it back in right n-now.¡±


    ¡°Venner, please don¡¯t lie to me.¡± Oxyi said, as reassuringly as she could. ¡°I''ve also noticed that the amount you¡¯ve been sending into our account has been less and less recently. I wanted to ask, are you struggling for money?¡± Oxyi was trying to keep the conversation open, trying to get Venner to admit herself that something was going on. But Venner, instead of confiding in her friend, suddenly grew very defensive.


    ¡°Oxyi I don¡¯t really think it¡¯s any of your business what I do with my money.¡± Venner snapped. ¡°I offered to pay into that account. And if I decide to stop, that¡¯s completely my business.¡±


    ¡°Venner -¡± Oxyi tried to interrupt, but the rat wasn¡¯t having any of it.


    ¡°- Now, I¡¯ll pay you back what I accidentally withdrew, and then you can stop prying your big pink nose into places it doesn¡¯t belong.¡±


    ¡°Venner, I need you to be honest with me.¡± Oxyi raised her voice slightly. ¡°I can¡¯t help you, if you don¡¯t tell me.¡±


    ¡°Help me?!¡± Venner forced a laugh. ¡°What the fuck to you mean? I¡¯m a security consultant, you think I don¡¯t know how to look after my own money?!¡±


    ¡°Look at you, Venner! You clearly don¡¯t know how to look after it!¡± Oxyi snapped, gesturing to her clothes. ¡°Look at your uniform! It¡¯s frayed, it¡¯s losing its colour from how many times you¡¯ve worn and washed it, I can see the rips and tears you¡¯ve had to stitch up from here! Do you even own another uniform?! Your shoes are falling apart -¡± Venner curled her feet away subconsciously at Oxyi¡¯s remark - ¡°and I¡¯ve never seen you EVER buy anything for yourself! I even bought you that sandwich!¡±


    ¡°Take it fucking back then.¡± Venner muttered, and slammed her sandwich down next to Oxyi.


    ¡°No, Venner, I don¡¯t - will you please help me here?!¡± Oxyi pleaded. ¡°I know what Robin¡¯s doing -¡±


    ¡°Robin? What does any of this have to do with him?¡± Venner glared, but her confidence waned at the motion of his name.


    ¡°Last week, when I had that time off, I followed him -¡±


    ¡°YOU FOLLOWED HIM?!¡± Venner blurted out in disbelief. ¡°YOU STALKED MY HUSBAND?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a job, Venner!¡± Oxyi cried out. ¡°It¡¯s all a facade, and a lie! When he left the flat, he announced to everyone in the fucking block he was off to work. Made a big fucking deal about bragging about it to us as he left. But I followed him, all day, and do you know what he did, Venner? He went out and ate a big fancy breakfast, and bought a new fancy suit, then went to this fancy little cocktail bar and drank himself silly! And that was before he -¡± Oxyi suddenly stopped, choking on her words.


    ¡°Before he what?¡± Venner snapped, glaring down at the floor.


    ¡°Before h-he went off to this other pub, and tried his luck. But he got kicked out, barkeep wouldn''t serve him. He was too drunk.¡± Oxyi lied. She just couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell Venner that her husband had cheated on her. ¡°He was throwing all this money around, paying for people¡¯s food and drinks, and he was tipping the waitresses very generously¡­ But I¡¯m guessing you already know about that, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Venner didn¡¯t say anything. Her hands were shaking in her lap, and a tear escaped down her cheek.


    ¡°Has he had a job since we even got here?¡± Oxyi pressed gently.


    Venner shook her head, then suddenly started to cry. She shoved her face in her hands and sobbed. Oxyi sighed sadly, shuffled over and placed her arm around her friend.


    ¡°H-He k-kept saying that he was t-trying¡­¡± Venner sobbed. ¡°That he had interviews, but that the j-job market was really bad right now¡­ He said he needed the suits to keep up h-his image, to be impressive in his interviews. I-I knew he was going out d-drinking, but it¡¯s so disheartening for him being rejected by all these companies, and he said the prices of everything were going up, his train fare was getting more and more expensive, and h-he just needed a little more¡­¡± Venner sniffed, wiping her nose in her sleeve.


    ¡°Venner¡­ Trust me. The man I watched go around the complex and nearly drink himself into a coma looked anything but disheartened. He¡¯s just using you.¡±


    ¡°N-No, you don''t understand! If I don''t give him the money, he-he''ll have to go back to smuggling, and I can''t let him do that!¡± Venner all but wailed. ¡°And I owe him!¡±


    ¡°Venner, you owe him nothing.¡± Oxyi stated firmly, but the rat shook her head.


    ¡°It''s my fault, Oxyi! Remember, on Barru X, the DA had him¡­ that was because of me! I knew there were some shady deals going on in my sector, and they were getting close to the DA borders. I reported it! They investigated. R-Robin had never worked so close to Barru X before, I had absolutely no idea he would be involved, but they caught him! Oxyi, my husband went to prison BECAUSE OF ME!¡±


    A fresh wave of tears rolled down Venner''s face. Oxyi wrapped her over arm around the rat, and cuddled her gently.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Venner.¡± Oxyi said softly. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask him to become a smuggler, did you?¡±


    Venner shook her head. ¡°I¡­ I know.¡± A fresh wave of tears rolled down Venner¡¯s face. ¡°I know, I know¡­ He was just asking for so much, and I didn¡¯t want to disappoint him!¡± She was blubbering now, and looked up at Oxyi with a sad desperation. ¡°He comes home in such a good mood! He¡¯s kind and funny and¡­ he¡¯s so nice to me. If he doesn¡¯t go out, he¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s what?¡± Oxyi asked, concern washing over her face.


    ¡°He¡¯s just so¡­ dismissive.¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡± Oxyi sighed. Her gut was telling her that there was more going on than that, but Venner was starting to twist away; Oxyi could feel her closing off, and didn¡¯t think she¡¯d get much more out of her than that. There was more to it though, she was certain. ¡°Well, no-one deserves to be treated like that, much less by their own husband, Venner. I don¡¯t want you to let him manipulate you like that anymore. If he wants more money, he can bloody well earn it himself.¡±


    Venner nodded. Oxyi pulled a tissue out of her rucksack (she¡¯d had the feeling they¡¯d be needed) and gave it to Venner, who accepted it graciously and immediately blew her nose.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want you to stress about sending any money into the savings fund right now, either. The first thing you¡¯re going to do, Venner, is buy yourself a new pair of shoes!¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah?¡± Venner smiled weakly.


    ¡°Yep! In fact, let¡¯s go, right now!¡±


    ¡°N-Now? Haven¡¯t we gotta get back to work soon?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah¡­ well, as soon as we finish our shift, I am taking you shoe shopping, and I¡¯m not taking no for an answer!¡±


    ¡°O-Okay.¡± Venner replied, as the colour returned to her face a little. ¡°L-Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    ¡°Good! And you¡¯ll stop giving so much money to Robin, right? You promise?¡±


    Venner looked uncertain, almost a little¡­ afraid¡­ but nodded.


    ¡°Hey, if he gives you any trouble, just come and find me, or Seeth, or any of us for that matter. We¡¯ve got your back. I promise.¡± Oxyi smiled, and patted her friend on the shoulder.


    ¡°Thanks, Oxyi.¡± Venner smiled back. ¡°I¡­ I will.¡±


    If only it were that simple.

 Chapter 18 - Forbidden Measures - Part 1

    ¡°Well, god-damn! Smell those pies! V''s putting on a feast today!¡± Garnet chuckled heartily, his nose sniffing the air in an almost cartoonish manner. Seeth was sure that any moment now, Garnet would take off and float towards the kitchen, nose first.


    The Fixer Den was busy today, the sound of chatter and laughter echoing around the station as Garnet and Seeth finished up their plans for the rest of the week. The sound was far from a distraction or an annoyance though; this new warmth in the Den was a welcome change from the seemingly endless months of cold anticipation and worry that had permeated the Den prior to Seeth''s arrival. Her hard work was paying off, and she was seeing the results.  All those tiresome days of cleaving through Baron after Baron, liberating this small sector of space, had lifted the spirits of the local nomads tenfold.


    ¡°Stay focused, Garnet, let''s just hammer out the last of these details, and then I can get started on the next contract.¡± Seeth stifled a smile as the otter¡¯s belly growled loudly. There was a small part of her that was holding onto the hope that she could get out of this meeting without anything¡­ out of the ordinary happening today, but as she cast a glance towards the back of the room, at the rack of suspiciously strider-sized outfits that Garnet was trying to conceal behind a folding screen, she couldn''t help but think that that was wishful thinking.


    The otter had made a rather audacious attempt to dress smartly today. He was wearing a slightly too small but still endearing suit, complete with tartan patches and an absurdly coloured tie. He fidgeted with the collar uncomfortably, and pulled the jacket down over his belly for the umpteenth time that afternoon as he looked over in Seeth''s general direction with a smile.


    ¡°Well, that''s the thing, Seeth! With the latest set of barges you took out this week, the Baron¡¯s have all but disappeared from the local sector! Their mothership was seen retreating out of the sector yesterday! There are, o''course, a few stragglers still left behind - we¡¯re workin¡¯ on locating ¡®em, but in all honesty, we ain''t all that worried! You''ve done it, Seeth!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ Y-You mean¡­ I¡¯ve actually¡­¡± Seeth stumbled over her words in shock, unsure of exactly how to feel.


    ¡°You¡¯ve driven them back! I don¡¯t have any Vora Baron work for you today!¡±


    ¡°Nothing?!¡±


    ¡°Nope! Nothin¡¯! We¡¯ll get some more soon no doubt, they''re relentless bastards, but it¡¯ll be nothing compared to what you''ve been doing, such as mopping up them stragglers I mentioned. The locals have been repairing and rearming, too. Them Baron attacks have become weaker and few and far between. You''ve broken the bastards!¡±


    Not for the first time, Seeth felt a wave of relief that Garnet couldn¡¯t see her, or her facial expressions. While the otter wore a large, genuine smile - he was practically beaming ear to ear as he bubbled with a giddy excitement - Seeth did not quite share his sense of relief. She couldn''t help the small, shy smile that was creeping over her lips though.


    So this is what it feels like¡­


    ¡°And so¡­¡± Garnet pulled at his tie as he continued. ¡°Me an¡¯ V an¡¯ some of the others got to thinking, and we decided that, well, perhaps a celebration would be in order!¡±


    ¡°Garnet!¡± Seeth immediately started to protest, but the otter interrupted her.


    ¡°V did say you might have some trepidations about us throwing you a party, but Seeth, you deserve it! All the nomads ¡®round here have been wanting to show you their appreciation, and it''s only a small party!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? How small, because it doesn''t sound small out there!¡±


    ¡°Only like, fifty people -¡±


    ¡°GARNET!¡±


    ¡°Including your friends! And Tora''s here, me and V will be here! Don''t you go blowing this out of proportion now, we''re throwing you a party and that''s that.¡±


    ¡°And you saved that small bit of news until the end of our meeting so you could keep me here for the party, didn¡¯t you?¡± Seeth shook her head in quiet defeat, looking over at the rack of dresses again.


    ¡°Yep!¡± Garnet replied with a grin. ¡°I was wondering if you''d notice something was up or not! Apparently, old Garnet''s still got it.¡± He added, somewhat smugly.


    ¡°Bah, you fucker!¡± Seeth laughed. ¡°Fine! I guess I can stay for a bit. But I¡¯m not really dressed for it though¡­¡± As she looked over at the rack of dresses, properly now, she couldn''t help but feel a slight twinge of anxiety regarding the¡­ colourful variety on display.


    ¡°V thought you might say something like that, so we put the word out, got you a nice selection of clothes. Now I should warn y''all, it was a bit of a challenge trying to find outfits that would fit your, uh¡­ dimensions¡­¡± Garnet blushed slightly, but continued in his confident stride. ¡°So there''s a bit of a mix of styles and sizes goin¡¯ on. Got you a mirror though too, is just there, stacked up against the wall.¡± Garnet gestured towards the back of the room. ¡°So try some stuff out, see what you like! Feel free to get changed in here if you want. I¡¯ll leave ya in peace, I¡¯m sure there''s something else for me to do around here -¡±


    ¡°- DARLIN¡¯!¡± V¡¯s voice suddenly echoed through the office, her tone somehow soft as dough but still loud enough to fill every room. ¡°I NEED YOU IN THE KITCHEN! THIS TIVY GIRL GON BE MAKING SOUP IN THE SINK UNLESS YOU WASH UP SOME OF THESE POTS ¡®N PAAAANS!¡±


    ¡°There it is! Duty calls! Say, that friend of yours, Tivy, she¡¯s a sweet lil¡¯ pea, ain¡¯t she? She been the one keeping y¡¯all fed at home?¡±


    ¡°Tiv¡¯s here? Yeah, she cooks for us when we¡¯re all out working. She looks after us...¡± Seeth murmured thoughtfully as she made her way over to the clothes rack. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I thought as much! She''s been zipping all about the den, practically V¡¯s partner in crime today! Kinda reminded me of you, only she cooks instead of pulling Baron¡¯s apart¡­ Hah! We invited the rest of your crew too, y¡¯all seem close...¡± For a second, the otter¡¯s face softened into something¡­ sad, longing¡­ but it quickly snapped back to that happy grin. ¡°Well, I''ll leave you to it!¡± And with that, Garnet stood from his chair and waddled out of the room, closing the door behind him, and leaving Seeth alone.


    Seeth sighed softly as she ran her fingers along her assortment of clothes. V really had wrangled up quite the¡­ selection for her. There was a wide range of colours, fabrics, sizes and styles in front of her, and while it was obvious that most of them were second-hand and had been donated, they all looked like they had been cleaned and looked after.


    No trousers, V? No suits? Just dresses, wonderful. It''s like high school prom all over again¡­


    She pulled a cocktail dress off the rack with a soft clink. She pressed it up against herself, and looked across at her reflection in the mirror. The dress had been made with a more busty clientele in mind, to give credit to V, but not this busty.


    ¡°Mhm. Yeah¡­ No. That''s not quite going to fit my¡­ dimensions.¡± Seeth smirked and laughed lightly as she returned the dress to the rack, and pulled out another.


    Despite her initial apprehension, there was something quite exciting about trying on all these outfits. It had been a very long time since Seeth had had the opportunity to do something as normal as dress up and go to a party, and a part of her was actually feeling excited. Most of the dresses on display, however, unfortunately just weren¡¯t suitable, most falling short of her ample figure - except for one hideous exception, a deep emerald green dress that, while it fitted over her curves, did anything but compliment them. She pulled it over her head and took a step back, eyeing herself in the mirror. It was absolutely massive. Honestly, she''d look better if she rocked up to the party wrapped up in a shower curtain.


    She was left with only two real options; a tight, revealing black satin piece that glittered and glistened in the light, and a more modest (but still flattering) lacey white dress. As she lifted the black dress up though, she couldn''t help but imagine how it would hug and squeeze over her curves, and just how much of her frame it would display. She would be the centre of attention in a piece like that, more than she already was.


    Isn''t that what we want though? To be stared at? To be desired?


    A deeply uncomfortable shiver ran over the surface of her skin. No. No we don''t! Seeth thought as she quickly replaced the black dress, settling for the white one. She pulled it on and quickly examined her reflection. Flattering didn''t really do the dress (or her curves) justice, but it did at least fit her properly.


    ¡°If anyone makes a joke about me getting married¡­¡±


    The dress had long floaty sleeves which helped hide the straps of her industrial sports bra, and it wasn''t so short that she had to worry about flashing anybody. Nobody wants to see my dick swinging out between my legs¡­ Although, then again¡­ NOPE. Seeth shook her head furiously. Nope, no they don''t! No nip or dick slips today¡­


    No amount of furious headshakes could quite convince her of that though¡­


    With a shaky sigh, Seeth quickly smoothed herself down, and made her way out of the room. She''d opted to leave her heavy combat boots on - the small selection of heels and sandals V had provided just didn''t fit well at all. Besides, with those tits out on display, who''d even be looking at her feet?


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    *


    The loading bay had been fully adorned in party supplies, colourful balloons and banners draping the walls. The words ¡®Thank You Lockblade!¡¯ were stuck to the far wall in bright pink writing. A large silver table in the corner of the room was stocked with various foods and drinks, and was still being added to.


    Trent, Venner, Oxyi and Geralt were all sitting near the table in the corner of the room, drinks in hand and an overloaded plate of delicious smelling food by their sides. All four of them had dressed up in honour of Seeth''s successful contracts, Oxyi in a pretty black slip that complimented her curves, and Venner in a rich red, expensive-looking cocktail dress. Even Geralt had dressed up for the occasion, wearing a smart grey suit and tie to match Trent''s.


    Oxyi and Venner were mid-way through an arm wrestle, gripping the table tightly and shaking with tension as the boys cheered them on. The room had a distinct feeling of happiness, hope and thankfulness, something that had been sorely missed over the last few months and was warmly welcomed by all.


    A distant thudding vibrated through the room and everybody looked towards the door, anticipating the Controller. However it was Tora that strutted through the door, smirking slightly as a quiet mumble of disappointment, then laughter floated around the room.


    ¡°Sorry guys, just me!¡±


    Tora entered the room dressed in her usual style - a black tank-top covered in neon graffiti, and a pair of dark jeans. Her left hand was clutching a keg of beer, her right hand was acting as a platform for none-other than Tivy, who was wearing a flowery apron over her cute little blue dress, and a pair of oven mitts determinedly gripping onto a golden crusted pie, filling the room with its tantalising aroma. Curiously, both of the girls were wearing an identical pair of sunglasses.


    ¡°Beer and pie, bitches!¡± They announced in unison, placing their goods down on the silver table. Their words met with a loud cheer from the room.


    ¡°Tiv! You¡¯re just making Tora carry everything if she¡¯s carrying you!¡± Trent slapped his palm against his forehead.


    ¡°Nu-uh! I was carrying the pie!¡± Tivy protested firmly as Tora lowered her to the floor.


    ¡°Yeah, but she was carrying you! Thus, she was carrying you and the pie?¡± Trent was almost pleading with her to understand, his eyes darting between Tivy and the much taller, much broader demoness.


    But Trent had no reason to worry. Tora shot him some finger guns and a grin, apparently more than happy to indulge Tivy in her whimsical demeanour.


    ¡°Damn straight!¡± Tora replied with a nod, followed rapidly by a flourish of her biceps, showing off her muscles to the fox. Tivy glanced up and copied the oni¡¯s motions to the tee, showing significantly less impressive muscles, but all the same attitude nonetheless.


    ¡°Come on Tiv, we get more pie and beer to get!¡±


    ¡°Damn straight!¡± Tivy shot her own finger guns at Trent from behind her sunglasses, before accepting the strider¡¯s hand once more. Tora lifted her into the air and sat her down on her shoulder, the critter flexing the entire time. Some may have found Tivy¡¯s mimicry annoying or even insulting, but Tora appeared out-right delighted by it, her face constantly flickering between a beaming smile and her usual carefree, tough-girl grin.


    The pair turned away and made to return to the kitchen. Seeth, who had taken advantage of Tora and Tivy''s appearance to sneak into the room unnoticed, sidled up quietly to her friends in the corner.


    ¡°Hey, guys!¡± She greeted them with a small smile and a shy glance.


    The gang turned to greet her, then immediately did a double take as they took in her attire. Their eyes widened, their cheeks blushed with varying shades of pink as their eyes traced along her curves.


    ¡°Woah¡­ Seeth, you look¡­ wonderful in white!¡± Venner finally said, her gaze still firmly fixed on her dress. Both men were utterly smitten, struggling to pick up their slacken jaws as all manner of sexual thoughts ran through their heads. Behind them, Oxyi¡¯s nervous gaze flickered furiously around the room as she contemplated several layers of forbidden feelings, but eventually steeled herself into a clearly-perplexed-but-still-trying smile.


    I¡¯m not sure the boys would have survived the black dress, based on that reaction. Seeth thought to herself, pushing down a satisfied smile. Both of the guys did manage to pull themselves together though,  after a couple more seconds.


    ¡°You look¡­ you look fantastic, Seeth! A-As always, of course! But, you can pull off a dress!¡± Trent nodded, making a very obvious, desperate attempt to look at her face rather than her body.


    ¡°Smooth, Trent.¡± Geralt laughed, his composure having returned much more abruptly. ¡°You do look great though, Seeth. I bet Diego would love it! He¡¯ll have to see for himself when we get him back.¡±


    A flush of emotions stung the Controller at the mention of Diego¡¯s name, and her eyes turned glassy for a moment.


    ¡°Thank you, Geralt. For sure.¡± She smiled, genuinely.


    Curious as to all the commotion behind her, Tora turned around then, lifting her sunglasses up and resting them on her head¡­ and locked eyes with the Controller.


    ¡°Jeez, Seeth..! I thought this was just a party, not your wedding!¡± She laughed, loudly, but the initial shock in her voice at Seeth''s appearance was enough to get the attention of the rest of the room. A sudden silence rippled across the room as everyone turned, and all eyes landed on her. Seeth stood sheepishly under their gaze, very much aware of the brilliant white dress she was wearing, stretched tightly across her bust and complimenting her curves. Hints of her soft amethystine skin were teased all along it, her broad shoulders but even broader hips filling out her dress in a way that drew the gaze of all.


    The silence seemed to stretch on forever¡­ but then, the room filled with cheers.


    ¡°LOCKBLADE!¡± The room shouted in unison, all except Tivy, whose cheer of ¡®Seeth!¡¯ quickly got drowned out by the rest of the room. Seeth heard it though, and she couldn''t help but smile.


    A warm feeling flushed through the Controller''s chest. Seeing the look in their eyes, the genuine warmth and gratitude, she recognised some of the faces around the room as people she¡¯d rescued from barges. This is what Diego had been guiding her to, it was this feeling.


    He was right.


    She was capable of far more than just ruining lives. Corruption or not.


    For a second, she felt tears welling in the corners of her eyes again, stinging and salty, when she was half-tackled off her feet by Tora, hugging her around the waist and pulling her firmly into the room.


    The cheering and laughter blended into one, it was a whirlwind of thank-you¡¯s and freshly cooked pie, she could barely keep up with the nomads and mercs around her, shaking her hand and explaining how she¡¯d rescued them, their families, their children¡­


    There was so much love, warmth, appreciation around her, wrapping around her body like a blanket. It should have been enough to keep the cold, the darkness at bay.


    But it wasn''t. The urges did not stop.


    They were growing. Despite all the warmth surrounding her, that darkness in her core pulled at the corners of her soul, threatening at any moment to push her over the edge¡­


    She fought with every ounce of strength she had to bury the thoughts, but her body wanted those around her. It had gone unsated for so long and the fresh audience around her was making it all the rapping on her spine all the more forthright. Her very bones creaked as she fought against it, her internal battle dousing the scene in a fuzzy white noise.


    She flicked her tongue out for just the briefest of tastes, just a tease. It tasted so deliciously vulnerable and untouched, the room held a bounty of fresh, fuckable bodies, ripe for the taking.


    It wasn¡¯t even a question, she knew she wouldn¡¯t give in.


    But it was tainting everything.


    It always did.


    Well¡­ Maybe not everything¡­


    Seeth glanced over at Tora, who hadn''t moved from her side. In fact, her arm was still wrapped around Seeth''s waist, and she was smiling at her.


    Maybe not you¡­


    Moments later Seeth was snapped out of her haze as Garnet and V entered the loading bay, Garnet tapping loudly against the side of his tankard with a spoon to get the crows to quieten down.


    ¡°Well, howdy folks! Thank y¡¯all for coming on down for our little celebration today! She needs no introduction but could we put our hands together again for our champion, Seeth! We got another round of drinks and food coming, the best pastries on this side of the triad! Please all help yourselves, but leave some for me! Or I''ll toss all your contracts!¡±


    The room erupted into applause and laughter again, but Seeth remained quiet. She stared across the room at V, who must have noticed something was wrong, because she quickly elbowed Garnet in his side,  and whispered something in his ear.


    ¡°A-hem! Seeth, could you, and maybe Tora, come back with me to fetch more kegs? They¡¯re mighty heavy, and I need the strong girls on the case! My back ain¡¯t what it used to be!¡±


    His words were like water on a raging fire; they did little more than hiss against the flames, but they hissed nonetheless. A break was much needed.


    Thank you, V.


    Seeth made her way back to the main door with Tora close behind her, and Tivy, who had somehow stayed on Tora''s shoulder as she tackled the Controller. They followed Garnet and V through the crowd, and into the peace of the corridor.


    ¡°Saw that look in your eyes, peach. Looked like y''all needed a break.¡± V said softly.


    ¡°Thanks, V. I find crowds¡­ hard sometimes.¡±


    Seeth stopped to catch her breath, staring out through the horizontal glass panel that ran the length of the corridor. It wasn¡¯t a particularly interesting view out there, but the stretching silence and peace of the cosmos out there was infinitely more comforting than the pull of the corruption in here.


    ¡°It''s okay hun, take your time.¡± V nodded, understandingly.


    If only you did understand, V.


    The cool glass felt refreshing against the palm of her hand. But as her tongue flickered out from between her teeth, tasting the air, the different scents of the food, of the guests, her thoughts riled once again, and her eyes landed on Tora.


    She¡¯s a Mark¡­ And she offered, before. Maybe I should take her up on it? I just need some relief.


    Tora was immediately beginning to blush under Seeth''s gaze. She reached up for Tivy, to place her down in the floor, but as she raised her arms, her top lifted, and Seeth immediately noticed a peak of a fresh tattoo, nestled over her abs. It almost looked like a fist.


    Is that where I punched her?


    ¡°Shall we go grab those kegs then? I think me and Tora can handle it.¡± Seeth asked, coyly.


    ¡°Y-Yeah, they¡¯re just past the kitchen.¡± Tora replied, a small smile teasing the corners of her lips.


    ¡°We¡¯ll give you a hand!¡± Garnet said, completely oblivious, when V nudged him firmly again. ¡°Hmm? Oh! Oh. Erm, we¡¯ll duck into the kitchen and grab more food, c¡¯mon Tivy! I heard the boys raving about your soup, they need s¡¯more!¡±


    ¡°They do?!¡± Tivy¡¯s eyes lit up as she rushed over to the otter, hopping about happily.


    ¡°Yep! I heard them talking about your five spice! Packs a punch apparently!¡±


    They departed quickly, just leaving Tora and Seeth together in the corridor. They stood together in silence for a few moments, before Tora finally cleared her throat and turned away, hands on her hips, and sticking her butt out just ever so slightly.


    ¡°We should¡­ go take a look at those kegs?¡±


    She strutted her way down the corridor and into the lobby, Seeth close behind her. The muffled sounds of the party followed them into the next room, so Seeth quickly glanced quickly about to ensure they were alone, and then closed the doors behind them, and scooched closer to the demoness. The party was a whole world away now.


    ¡°So. You mentioned before about a date. Are you still interested?¡± There was a dark look in Seeth''s eyes; the Controller was in charge here, and it was going to get what it wanted, at any cost.


    ¡°FUCK! Uhm, Yes. What did you have in mind?¡± Tora stumbled over her words and glanced away shyly - she hadn''t expected Seeth to be so direct - but couldn¡¯t help but edge closer to her. ¡°I know a couple of places where we could get some good beer, and even better food? Not that there''s anything wrong with V¡¯s cooking!¡±


    Seeth blinked; her body visibly jolted, and the cloud in her brain, and that darkness in her eyes cleared. ¡°Oh¡­ Tora I''m sorry, I-I didn''t mean¡­ I shouldn''t have phrased it like that. I have a boyfriend, and I''m not looking for anyone else¡­ but he''s missing. I¡¯m not interested in breaking up with him or pursuing another relationship. But you know about my condition. I''m in desperate need of relief. If you''d be okay with that?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Fuck me, thats a rollercoaster of a sentence¡­¡± Tora laughed, uncertainly but not insincerely. ¡°S-So you¡¯re just looking for -¡±


    ¡°- I¡¯m looking for sex, yes.¡± Seeth clarified immediately, her gaze fixed onto Tora¡¯s eyes, trying to read her expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I''m not looking for a date. I don¡¯t want to lead you on and make you think it''s something it''s not, but if you¡¯re cool with that..?¡±


    Tora looked briefly disappointed, but then her face flushed bright red.


    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t say I''m not¡­ uh¡­ Huh! Your boyfriend is one hell of a lucky guy to bag you!¡± She laughed nervously. ¡°I''d be a fool to pass up that offer. I mean¡­ look at you! B-But now?¡±


    Before another word could slip out of Tora¡¯s mouth, Seeth rested a hand on the back of her neck and pressed a soft, wet kiss against her lips. She felt the demoness melt in her grip, sinking into the kiss and inhaling her scent deeply. It was over in the blink of an eye, but Tora¡¯s demeanour had changed instantly.


    ¡°Oh gawd yes. More of that. I¡¯m yours, bitch.¡± Tora laughed, feeling her body flush with desire. ¡°The cold store will work, it''s private, the door can lock, we don''t want to get all sweaty do we?¡±


    She suddenly felt a tingling breath on her ear, teasing her.


    ¡°Maybe we do.¡±


    The controller''s soft hands reached around the demoness¡¯s waist, pulling their bodies together. Seeth¡¯s huge breasts squishing up against the oni¡¯s in a tantalising tease of dominance. The grip on her waist was firm and commanding, uttering just a single order through her very skin.


    Submit.


    The demoness vibrated in her arms, feeling her body give in, her urges take over. She offered her neck to the controller, who gladly pressed her soft lips against the girl''s skin. A bright purple kiss mark stamped onto her, almost like the signing of a contract.


    ¡°Not here though.¡± Seeth whispered, guiding the oni¡¯s gaze over to the more private storage rooms on the other side of the lobby. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone seeing what I''m going to do to you. That''s between us.¡±


    Seeth felt a strong surge of power through her; finally, her hunger was going to be sated.


    Tora reached out to hold Seeth¡¯s hand, a mischievous but excited grin plastered over her pretty face.


    But as Seeth reached back, a sharp shiver suddenly ran down her spine.


    Eyes¡­

 Chapter 19 - Forbidden Measures - Part 2

    Eyes. All on her. She was being watched.


    Seeth tried desperately to ignore them. The hunger gnawed at her insides; she was so close to that sweet release. Her mind was clouded and distracted, her thoughts only on the Mark before her, of indulging in Tora¡¯s body, running her hands over the demoness¡¯ skin, pinning her down and rutting her senseless.


    She would look so much better drenched in me, wouldn¡¯t she? I already own her, she just doesn¡¯t know it yet.


    But that crawling feeling along her spine would not go away. It itched at her shoulder blades, pulling Seeth away from her carnal desires. Her mind was torn, and both sides were as desperate as the other. One wanted to indulge, to let go and release. The other screamed at her to listen to her instincts, to be present, and to come out of the haze.


    Fuck. FUCK! FINE, WHATS TEN MORE MINUTES AFTER SIX MONTHS OF WAITING?!


    Her frustration boiled over as she begrudgingly let go of the sexual smog that was clouding her mind.


    But the second she did, she felt her skin prickle and ignite, as though she had been pierced by thousands of tiny flaming arrows.


    There were dozens of eyes, watching her through the Den¡¯s large glass windows.


    Panic spread through her as she snapped her head around, to where she felt the staring coming from, but there was nobody there.


    No! I can feel them! They¡¯re right there!


    ¡°Seeth? Are you okay -¡±


    *PANG-PANG-PANG-PANG-PANG*


    The Den shook violently. Tora gasped and threatened to fall over, but Seeth quickly reached out her hand and propped her up. Seeth, in contrast, seemed unfazed and remained in place, still staring at those unseen. The metallic thudding echoed around the Den, and the party, just on the other side of the door, slipped into a concerned silence.


    And a blissful few seconds it was, for what would come next.


    Several silver canisters suddenly penetrated the walls. They stuck there, protruding only a few inches into the room, but that was all the space they needed. A loud hiss filled the room.


    Seeth immediately took a deep breath and held it. She eyed one of the closest canisters, and noticed a scratchy font etched into the protruding nozzle.


    5%


    ¡°The fuck is tha¡­¡± Tora¡¯s voice trailed off immediately as the gas hit her.


    At that moment, a ship flashed into vision through the glass. From inside, a squad of Vora Barons leered menacingly, gnashing their jaws and sharpening their weapons, all eyes on her. She didn¡¯t need to be able to hear what they were saying, as they spat, jeered and drooled at her person.


    They have cloaking panels too?!


    Seeth turned back to face Tora, but the demoness was already losing consciousness. She swayed side to side, before suddenly collapsing into Seeth¡¯s arms. Seeth¡¯s heart pounded in her chest; she could see the Barons docking at the Den already, preparing to board. Her party thudded to a stop, with the sound of multiple collapsing bodies filling the Den.


    ¡°Barons! The ventilation! Seeth!¡± Garnet stumbled out of the kitchen and into the lobby in a panic. He gestured back towards his office, but his voice was waning - he was about to collapse too. ¡°Black Lance¡­ arm¡­ kill. Don¡¯t let them t-take¡­ V¡­¡±


    He fell to the floor, his voice stuck on his wife''s name.


    Seeth quickly scooped up the unconscious Garnet and, with Tora draped over her other arm, carried them quickly back down the corridor, and into Garnet''s office. She laid them both down gently at the back of the room, doing her best to hide them behind the folding screen and the clothes rack.


    The Den¡¯s forward airlocks hissed open, and the sound of the Baron¡¯s charge echoed through the Den, their heavy footsteps, their laboured breathing, and their clinking weapons.


    ¡°I WANT THEM ALL TAKEN ALIVE. WE¡¯LL STRIP THEM ON THE SHIP, IN FRONT OF LOCKBLADE, UNDERSTOOD?¡±


    Now¡­ Why have you done this FUCKING NOW?!


    Seeth¡¯s hands clenched into tight fists. Her heart was still hammering in her chest, although it wasn¡¯t just the adrenaline. She¡¯s been so close, so close to victory. And they¡¯d snatched it away from her. She was beyond starving, her body aching with a selfish, deprived hunger. She stared down at Tora, and then at Garnet, and her thoughts drifted slightly to her friends, who were still in the loading bay, ripe and ready for Baron picking. She tried desperately to quench her fury - now was not the time for contemplating, every second mattered.


    I need my gear. I need my weapons. I need to get downstairs.


    She really was trying to stay focused, but those split sides of her psyche were pulsing with rage, and it was bubbling to the surface. A curiosity took over; she needed to know who dared to attack her, in her Den. She needed to see them with her own eyes.


    So she slipped across the office again, back towards the corridor, and peered around the door.


    Maruarding within the lobby, hazmat-suited Barons carrying massive silver casks on their shoulders stomped towards her, wearing black gas masks with bright blue lenses.


    ¡°I HEAR HER, SHE¡¯S THIS WAY!¡±


    Sense suddenly shuddered back through her mind. This wasn¡¯t - couldn''t - be about revenge-killing Barons. This was about saving her friends'' lives. Seeth leapt back across the room, out of their vision, searching frantically for the panic button. She still wasn''t thinking clearly, her brain was foggy, but that heavy thumping of the Baron''s getting closer helped her focus a little, and she finally reached down to Garnet''s desk. ¡°Thank you!¡± Seeth sighed with relief as she found both the panic button, and Garnet¡¯s emergency control panel. She smacked her hand onto the bright red button, causing all the fans in every room to spin up. The main buckhead doors slammed shut with a synchronous *BOOM* across the Den, sealing most of the Baron¡¯s forces within the lobby, at least for now.


    As the fans drained the room of the Baron¡¯s noxious gas, Seeth cautiously sucked in a mouthful of air through the corner of her mouth. A wave of relief washed over her as she felt no change to herself, but everyone else was still out.


    ¡°Haw haw haw! Look at this, Lockblade¡¯s getting married! Sorry to crash the party.¡± A pair of Barons had squeezed through the office door, both holding those giant silver caskets on their shoulders and suited with the same hazard suits and gasmasks. The Baron in front also held a one-handed super-sized taser rifle, a copper wire looping around its body and a thick black cable connected to a battery pack on the baron¡¯s thigh. ¡°Caught you by surprise, have we?¡± He asked, noting Seeth¡¯s complete lack of armament with a yellow-stained toothy grin. ¡°Such a shaaaame.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re taking our pound of flesh, today, Lockblade.¡± The second Baron growled, glancing behind Seeth at Garnet¡¯s unmoving body. ¡°And we¡¯re taking some much owed meat from your crew, too.¡±


    The taser rifle spat a handful of barbed darts at Seeth, slamming across her body and hooking into her skin, sending a paralysing discharge through the cables now connecting her to the Baron.


    Her body tensed up and locked in place, her limbs quivering. She couldn¡¯t move.


    A guttural roar of victory screeched out from behind the Baron¡¯s mask as he clambered forward, the lenses of his mask firmly locked onto the statue-still Seeth as the tac-tac-tac-tac of the taser rifle played out endlessly.


    An unbridled rage forced itself to the front of her mind. This fat sack of maggot shit needed to die.


    They all did.


    He stomped across the room, reaching a gloved hand out towards Seeth¡­ and then he froze.


    Behind Seeth¡¯s pretty lips, a mouth full of daggers curled and snarled into view as the Controller roared back at the Barons, a half-synthesised, bassy screech like thunder at dawn, rumbling through their bodies and vibrating their bones.


    She wrenched herself free of the electrical assault and bared her claws, plunging them into the Baron¡¯s suit. They pierced straight through his flesh, like daggers of purest ice, and with every ounce of furious strength she could muster, she raked the skin and muscle clean from his bones.


    As he screamed out in agony, her other hand broke free of its electrical tension and snapped cleanly around his mask. The mask crumpled beneath her overwhelming grip, and the Baron instantly fell limp, as her claws punctured straight into his soft flesh. He collapsed with an earth-shaking *smack,* his taser rifle still clacking as it and the casket dropped to the floor.


    ¡°POUND OF FLESH YOU SAY?!¡± Seeth roared, yanking the remaining barbs out of her skin.


    The other Baron stared, frozen in horror, his finger repeatedly slamming on the trigger of his own taser rifle. He dropped it to the floor and raised his arm to defend himself as Seeth lunged at his neck from across the room, slashing at his forearms and shunting him back against the wall. He leaned into her charge and went to slam his casket at her, but a surgically-precise slash of his wrists rendered his hands limp and ineffective. The casket rolled off his shoulder as the Baron lost his grip.


    Overcome with rage, Seeth lunged at his neck again and clamped her teeth straight into the front of his throat. In one swift movement she tore the front half of his neck out cleanly and spat the pulsing flesh to the floor, then clamped her hands onto his head and tore the entire fat thing off in a single, clean pull. She launched it at the far wall of Garnet¡¯s office, where it hit with a sharp crack before splattering against the metal.


    The front of her white dress was now splashed with a brilliant crimson.


    Another crash rattled through the Den, but on the opposite side now.


    The crash was followed by an alarming whirring, and the clacking of barbed clubs against the floor. Ragers. A second craft must have punched through the Den¡¯s walls further down.


    The back-up.


    With every exhale, a low growl escaped her throat. She determinedly snatched up both giant silver caskets, off of the floor, before moving to the corridor.


    A line of Ragers, too numerous to count and too dangerous to ignore, were walking up the corridor, armed with barbed clubs and taser rifles. Their rage-engines, clamped to their backs, were spinning up to the furious hum. Behind her, the sealed blast-door to the lobby entrance fizzled and creaked; the Barons were cutting through the door. In between her and the rapidly-approaching Ragers lay her friends, still out-cold and frustratingly vulnerable. She forced her gaze away from the nomads, and focused her eyes on the Ragers.


    ¡°None of you are leaving this station alive.¡± Seeth spat, her eyes twitching as her fists tightened on the caskets.


    The Ragers screamed back at her and broke into a frantic sprint, thrashing and frothing at the mouth, clawing their way down the corridor at the Controller, when she launched the first casket, straight at their charge. Half a tonne of metal crunched and ploughed into their galloping bodies like a car crash, with an ear-splitting thwack. She managed to knock out several of the Ragers, but more of them poured out their barge, leaping over their dead, clubs in hand.


    Seeth raised the second casket and clutched it with both hands, using the space where the loading bay intersected the corridor to fight. Her hands squeezed the metal, bending it to the shape of her palms as she swung the colossal keg at the approaching Rager.


    *PANG*


    The Rager was sent skittering back down the corridor, his body flapping like a plastic bag as the force of blow liquified his skeleton. A second Rager immediately leapt over the first and raised his club, but found no opening as Seeth swung the casket again, never letting its momentum drop. A hurricane of steel found its way to the Rager''s face, this time in an upwards arc. His muscular body pinged into the ceiling, flattened and broken, punching into the ceiling tiles and getting tangled in the once-hidden cabling.


    More of them approached, each as angry and deviant as the last, but each met with the bone-liquifying force of the blood stained casket, turning their once proud forms into little more than chunk addled slurry.


    Seeth heard a loud, definitive clunk and hiss behind her, but all she saw was red. Every furious beat of her heart sent a fresh wave of fury coursing through her blood, filling every inch, every nook of her body.


    Every swing of the casket sent a handful of bodies skittering back down the hallway, each body as broken and busted as the last, leaving a carpet of mangled limbs and spluttering rage engines.


    Only two Ragers remained now, along with a Baron, who was still clambering through the breach-hole. Seeth launched the casket at the Rager further back, punching straight through him and embedding itself in the Den¡¯s wall, the Rager''s body pinned and flattened between the two.


    The last Rager screamed at her, frothing at the mouth and swinging for her face, before suddenly finding himself snatched up in the Controllers grasp. Her hands bent his body out of shape, crushing his bones, as though they were little more than cardboard.


    The Baron in the pod stumbled out into the hallway after her lessers. That crazed look of insatiable hunger quickly disappeared from her eyes and the colour drained from her eyes, she watched Seeth dig her claws into the seizing Rager¡¯s body and rip him in two down the length of his body, heaving with every ounce of strength she had. Her dress now completely drenched in fresh Baron blood.


    The Baron shuddered in horror as that wet cracking of a ribcage, meat still attached, ruptured through the Den, mixed with the sputtering sound of a dying rage engine. She turned on her heels and tried to clamber back into the breach pod, shaking as she heard the slop of the Rager¡¯s corpse being thrown to the floor, in two fleshy, dripping thumps.


    Your turn.


    Seeth locked onto the Baron and sprinted down the corridor, snatching the casket free from the wall. She raised it up and slammed it into the base of the Baron¡¯s back. The monster cried in pain, feeling her legs go numb, but managed to spin around as Seeth raised the casket again. A blade shot out from under the Baron¡¯s wrist, twelve inches long with a curious orange colour to its edge and she raised it to defend herself.


    Seeth brought the casket down again on the baron, flattering her skull with it, the baron¡¯s defence doing little to save her own life, but as Seeth lifted the casket from the body, she heard a loud hiss emanating from the casket¡¯s dented silver body.


    The blade had punctured the casket cleanly and a jet of ice-cold gas washed over her face, filling her mouth and whistling through her teeth.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    The gas¡¯ effect was powerful and immediate. Her head spun and the den turned into a grey and red blur. She quickly threw the hissing casket away and watched as it sailed back down the corridor, only to be greeted with the sight of more Vora Barons, carrying their fresh haul out of the loading bay and towards the lobby¡­


    A slither of salt and pepper fur, grasped crudely in the clutches of a Baron, dragging his body across the floor¡­


    A golden lioness with a hand clutched around her throat, squeezing her tightly as the monster prepared her for transport¡­


    The tail of a soft, white rat, visible for only a moment as she was pulled away from Seeth¡¯s blurred vision.


    Baron hands were on her friends. Right now. The entire Den was at their mercy.


    Her head spun, her thoughts a blur, she was barely able to keep herself upright. It was like the Den was a ship, riding the waves through the darkest of storms. Suddenly the ground gave way beneath her, and she stumbled. The momentum of the slight fall carried her. Again, her lurching stumble failed to find ground, the fall was larger this time.


    A single coherent thought entered her mind; Stairs.


    She braced herself as the momentum carried her straight to the bottom of the stairs, where a room cloaked in darkness awaited her. She fell back, thumping against the wall and braced herself, trying to move the gas out of her lungs. One breath at a time, her mind slowly stabilised, air in, then out, through blood stained, pursed lips. Her head swayed as the gas slowly left her lungs, and that red fog clouding her vision also started to lift. She was still angry, but not uncontrollably so anymore.


    She wasn¡¯t sure how long it had taken for her to return to her senses, it could have been mere seconds or entire minutes, but the Den rumbled with the sound of approaching Barons. She could hear the approach of their heavy feet, slick with the blood of their fallen kin, and the jangle of their ammo belts, rattling across their bodies and hanging from their guns.


    ¡°Where the fuck she gone?!¡±


    The Baron¡¯s grating voice echoed down the stairwell, and Seeth felt her heart jolt in her chest.


    ¡°Fuck wit! She¡¯s gone down there, where the obvious blood trail leads?!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s killed three more of us, I say we bring her down. Boss can have his fill cold.¡±


    There was a grunt of agreement, followed by the rustling of weapons.


    ¡°I know you can hear us, Lockblade. You can stay down in your fuckin¡¯ hole and listen to your friends getting carted off, or you can come out and face the lead.¡± One of the Barons bellowed, thumping his chest.


    Seeth peaked out from behind the wall, glancing up the staircase to see it absolutely packed with fat, heaving Barons. They stood in a staggered formation, pointing their auto-cannons into the darkness, waiting for the slightest movement.


    A frontal assault would be suicide. There was simply no way Seeth could get close without getting hammered by auto-cannon shells. She ducked back behind the wall and looked around the room; maybe she could pry the panels off, there must be something she could use as a shield, or a projectile¡­when a scream tore through her thoughts.


    ¡°NO! NOT AGAIN! I CAN¡¯T GO BACK IN YOUR CAGES! STOP! SEETH! DIEGO! HELP ME, PLEASE!¡±


    Those cries were followed by one of the most harrowing screams Seeth had ever heard, nothing but pure terror echoing through the Den.


    Tivy?!


    Seeth could hear a faint commotion now, the nomads were waking up, but the Barons were hell-bent on taking them, awake or not. Not that they would be able to put up much of a fight - in their slurred sleepy state, the nomads were unarmed and powerless versus the Barons that were now swarming the Den.


    Tivy was still screaming, screaming with all the might her little body had, and prompting a wave of cruel laughter from the Barons blocking Seeth in.


    ¡°Listen to that, Lockblade. Ain¡¯t so tough when you¡¯re caught by surprise, are ya¡¯?¡±


    ¡°If you touch a hair on her fucking head¡­¡± Seeth growled. She could feel it, her mind was on the cusp of something¡­ she was reaching out, into the darkest and most forbidden parts of her psyche.


    ¡°That little shit? Haw-haw. Critters aren¡¯t worth the effort of butchering. Not enough meat.¡± The Baron chortled. ¡°We eat ''em whole. They have a nice crunch to them!¡±


    The thought of Tivy being eaten alive, her precious little light extinguished by these monsters swelled inside Seeth¡¯s head, when they were suddenly interrupted: More commotion in the Den - it sounded like someone was fighting back.


    ¡°NO! SEETH HELP, PLEASE! SOMEONE! ANYONE!¡± Tivy cried out again, her voice hoarse and dry. A Baron further down the corridor suddenly yelled back.


    ¡°Someone shut that little shit up? I can¡¯t hear myself think.¡±


    *Thump*


    And with that, Tivy fell silent.


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna drag all your friends out, one by one, Lockblade.¡± Another Baron growled. She could hear the sinister snarl growing over his face as he spoke. ¡°And, one by one, we¡¯re gonna turn them into meat paste.¡±


    ¡°I-If I surrender, will you let them go? It''s me you¡¯re after, not them!¡± Seeth pleaded, the tips of her claws digging into her palms as she squeezed her fists tightly as her mind continued to tease at the darkness inside her, itching, crying, begging to be unleashed.


    Her question was met with a roar of laughter from the Barons plugging up the stairway.


    ¡°No.¡±


    No¡­ Such a short word. But the power, the finality of it echoed inside her head. She needed to act, now. Too much time had already been wasted.


    Do or die.


    An uncomfortable shiver shuddered through her. She knew what she needed to do.


    Clenching her fists, she took one final peak up the stairwell.


    They were all looking in her direction, but no one was watching the Baron at the very top of the stairs. She took note of what arm he was holding his auto-cannon in, and the way he was standing. In the darkness, she mimicked his posture. Standing legs apart, right arm hooked around the body of a long auto-cannon.


    She blew a stressed, hot sigh out from her pursed lips, gritting her teeth together, her heart pumping steadily in her chest. Either this was going to work, or everyone was going to die.


    Now or never, Seeth.


    She visualised the Baron in her mind and let her body do the rest. She lifted her leg like she was descending a staircase and leaned back slightly, as if she was teasing a teetering cliff edge.


    Then, fire and frost.


    Her bones and muscles felt molten hot, but her skin was prickled and cold. The corridor filled with a nightmarish clangour, caught between tearing and popping. Where once the farthest back Baron stood, Seeth now occupied his hollow carcass, his body forcefully splattering over the walls around him and the Barons in front of him.


    The auto-cannon looped into her arm perfectly, as if she had been the one holding it the whole time.


    *BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM*


    She held it firmly and unloaded several shells into the barons in front of her, punching through their unarmoured flesh easily. They tumbled down the stairs lifelessly and gracelessly, left as a pile of perforated bodies. She quickly snatched a second auto-cannon and looped it under her other arm, ignoring the gore splattered over her once white dress and splashed over the walls.


    Her mind focused, calculating. She stepped out into the corridor, bathed in gore, an auto-cannon slung under each arm, fingers ready to snap onto the triggers the very second she confirmed no friendlies were in harm''s way.


    Her guns spat a wall of lead down the corridor, punching through more barons and what few ragers remained. Their punctured bodies collapsed into the already carrion filled corridor as empty casing rained to the floor either side of her. A body and mind of steel, surrounded by spent brass and split corpses.


    Only the very bottom of her dress had any semblance of its original colouration, the rest of her slick and shiny with crimson. She advanced up to the next doorway with her storming automatic-fire, pausing at the break in the corridor to let the barrels of the looted weapons cool. Hearing the invaders scramble around and scream at each-other, she pushed herself up against the wall to ensure she couldn¡¯t be seen.


    Every place they couldn¡¯t see was somewhere she could be. It felt so odd at first, she knew where she couldn¡¯t be, even though she couldn''t see it.


    But then again, she didn''t need to see it. She was a soldier, and she hadn''t spent her first few weeks here meticulously studying the blueprints and memorising the layout of the Den to be caught out by a technicality.


    She could feel their presence in the lobby, but the rest of the Den felt empty, the Barons had already dragged the nomads out. The only other place she could feel their presence was in the workshop, where her equipment was currently being kept.


    My weapons. I need my weapons.


    She focused, and teleported to the very bottom third level of the den. This level held nothing but a workshop, purely for the refurbishment and repair of Garnet¡¯s mercenary gear. A fresh line of Barons were marching into it, separated from the main force and searching for more bodies. They didn''t notice the blood dripping from Seeth¡¯s splattered frame, as she teleported behind them, over their own laboured breaths and creaking equipment, their focus firmly fixed forward.


    She made to fire, her fingers pulled firmly against the triggers, but as she did, both auto-cannons suddenly seized up in her hands, clacking loudly and refusing to fire.


    Shit. SHIT! I don¡¯t have time for this. Eyes forward fuckers, I can only hope this hurts as much as it looks like it does.


    There was no time to mimic their stance this time. She needed them gone. Now.


    The workshop filled with that same disgusting fleshly pop, organs and gore spraying everywhere in a vile, thick crimson spew.


    Again.


    In the blink of an eye, she warped through one after the other, starting at the back and warping her way forward, straight into their bodies. The same pop, the same splat, the same crunch, every time. The noises blended together, seven Barons mulched in less than a second, filling the workshop with a prolonged organic crackle, like someone was driving a pair of scissors through a very long, wet piece of paper.


    Her skin prickled with blood stained frost, her bones ached with fire, her joints cried out in agony as if they were clogged with rust. She stumbled to the workbench, panting loudly and slamming her hands onto it for balance. The Barons were eviscerated and spread all over the workshop but the pain shooting through her body was excruciating, like someone was sanding her bones away from inside her.


    FUCK! N-Noted. That stings something fierce.


    She pressed through the pain, gritting her teeth as she looked around the blood-flooded workshop, ignoring the pitter-patter of baron blood raining down on her, dripping ichor down her carapace.


    The SAFU lay disassembled on the main workbench. Although, judging from how the auto-cannons took to being teleported, she wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to risk warping with it anyway. Her eyes drifted instead to her axe, leaning against the workbench, freshly sharpened and ready to be wielded.


    *


    ¡°You fucking bitch, we were gonna wait until you lot were loaded up on the ship before butchering you! But you¡¯ve earned a few slashes for the journey.¡± The Baron growled, blood dribbling down his nose and teeth.


    Tora struggled furiously in the grip of a second baron, a thick, fat arm hooked around her neck from behind. The two men struggled to keep the demoness under control as they dragged her into the adjoining bathroom of the Den¡¯s lobby.


    The second Baron positioned himself behind Tora, grabbed her wrists and pulled them behind her back, locking her in place. Despite her furious thrashing, there was a vengeful smile on Tora¡¯s face as the Barons managed to close the door behind them.


    ¡°The fuck you grinnin¡¯ at?!¡± The first baron snarled, pulling a thick metal knife out and holding it to her face, while his other hand clumsily unbuckled his belt.


    ¡°Do whatever the fuck you want, asshole! You¡¯re all fucking dead and you know it.¡± Tora laughed.


    Before he could reply, the squad chief bellowed from within the lobby. He was a human male with several bionics grafted onto him, including a thick metal leg, more akin to that of a war mech than a typical bionic.


    ¡°YOU GONNA START SEALING THAT DOOR OR WHAT?!¡±


    ¡°Sire, we-¡±


    ¡°THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE EASY! WE BROKE GUILD LAWS FOR WHAT?! SOME MEAT?!¡± He gestured broadly to the Den¡¯s captured inhabitants. Venner, Oxyi and Geralt were strung together and sitting on the ground in the corner of the room. Garnet and Tivy were on the opposite side, Tivy face down against the same wall, lying still. Garnet was bound and gagged, but fighting with every ounce of strength he had to break free. ¡°We¡¯re leaving. WE¡¯RE LEAVING RIGHT NOW! Before the fuckin¡¯ bounty hunters turn up.¡±


    ¡°We can hold them.¡± Another Baron disagreed, kneeling by the security door that led to where the party was taking place, preparing to seal it shut.


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t. This was a bad idea. A BAD IDEA! No matter where we go, we¡¯ll have a fuckin¡¯ target on our backs now! Barred from guild services forever!¡± He turned away from his remaining barons and stared up the boarding ramp back to his own ship. ¡°As soon as that door is sealed, we¡¯re out of here.¡±


    ¡°Eat shit, Baron!¡± Oxyi spat, her eyes sharp like daggers but widening in horror as the Baron stomped over to her, frothing from the mouth.


    ¡°DON¡¯T TEST ME, MEAT!¡± He screamed, raising his massive metal leg above her. ¡°I¡¯M NOT IN THE MOOD TO BE BACK-CHATTED BY -¡±


    *Clack*


    The room was suddenly bathed in darkness, the lights all across the Den snuffed out.


    The Baron''s fear intensified and he swung around in the darkness. The lobby now was illuminated solely by the Baron''s shiplights, shining through the Den''s front windows. The scuffle in the restroom intensified, a muffled crack rang out from behind the door, followed by two thumps, and then silence.


    ¡°Gorge?! Barma?! You deal with that demoness?!¡±


    The Baron leader waited a couple of agonising seconds for a response but none came. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a silhouette flicker behind the other Baron. Shrouded in darkness, he could swear it wasn¡¯t real, or maybe he just wished it wasn¡¯t.


    An executioner, clad in a dripping red dress, gripping a massive axe in two furious hands, illuminated only by the flickering light of the welding torch.


    The blade swung through the air and sliced the baron crouched at the door in two, cleanly severing his body, dropping his welding torch to the floor.


    The final Baron reached for his pistol desperately but saw a final blur of movement in the darkness.


    Speared straight through the shoulder, the axe was slung at him, handle first like a javelin, knocking the pistol out of his hands and sending him clattering to the ground.


    He hardly had time to breathe before she was upon him, she ripped the axe free of his body and brought the blade down on his head, ending his life with a final vicious slam.


    It¡¯s over.


    With the final Baron dispatched, she tore the keys free off his belt and slung them over to the girls trapped in the corner. Seeth quickly turned her attention to Tivy, crouching gently over her still body, and gently stroking her antenna. Drops of blood pattered faintly against the ceramic floor from the bottom of her dress.


    A wave of relief washed through the Controller as Tivy stirred, every inch of her body trembling with fear. She rolled over and caught sight of Seeth¡¯s silhouette in the darkness, her blood-dripping exterior thankfully obscured, but the eye-watering stench of wet iron still present.


    ¡°Are you okay, Tiv? Did they hurt you?¡± Seeth¡¯s eyes softened as she glanced over the trembling girl.


    Tivy couldn¡¯t find any words, her body was shaking too much. She softly felt her head and winced, slowly reaching a hand out towards Seeth. Seeth went to hold it, but stopped as Tivy¡¯s finger straightened out into a shaking point.


    Her eyes met with Seeth¡¯s, pleading.


    She was pointing towards the kitchen.


    Seeth hadn''t even noticed Garnet run out of the room, but suddenly she heard him scream, a blood-curdling, heart-wrenching scream that shook Seeth to her core.


    A fresh jolt of anxiety shot through her. She stormed through the lobby, ignoring the concerned expressions of the nomads now freeing themselves, and tore through the half-opened doors with her bare hands.


    Her heart thumped in her chest as she rounded the corner and surged into the kitchen. A dead Baron lay slumped in the middle of the room, his body pierced with several oozing wounds, and many kitchen knives still lodged in his corpse. The floor was slick with a mix of blood, soup and crushed food, all mixing together to make an unrecognisable, metallic stench.


    At the very back of the kitchen, illuminated only by the soft glow of her still warm oven, V lay still, slumped against the ground, a pool of blood spreading around her neck.


    The Barons had claimed a victim after all.


    Garnet was hunched over V''s body, screaming and cradling her in his arms.


    ¡°Wake up, V¡­ V, please wake up!¡±


    A painful, suffocating ringing threatened to overwhelm her senses. Seeth¡¯s heart pounded in her chest. The pain she was feeling in her body from the fight, was nothing compared to how her heart was feeling now. She could feel a pair of fast, heavy footsteps from behind her, and suddenly Tora was rushing past her, throwing herself over V¡¯s body and wrapping her arms around Garnet, squeezing him close. Seeth caught a brief glimpse of the oni¡¯s tears rolling down her cheeks, before burying her face against Garnet¡¯s shoulder.


    Seeth could hear them, Garnet¡¯s shrieks and cries, Tora¡¯s shaky sobs of pitiful reassurance, but their words were muffled, both distant and close, and impossible to understand. Her own laboured breath was the only thing she could hear, with any degree of clarity.


    And that ringing in her head¡­


    Garnet¡¯s empty eye sockets clenched painfully, squeezing a dribble of blood between closed eyelids, dripping down his face mixed with tears. He wheezed painfully, choking on the air, barely able to breath as he quivered over V¡¯s body.


    I¡­ I can¡¯t look at this.


    She turned to leave the kitchen, only to be met with a gathering of mercs and nomads at the door, concerned by curious looks across their faces. She pushed past them, her stride surprisingly calm, as she moved back towards the lobby. A deep, stinging anger was welling up in her chest.


    A voice broke through the white noise for a second. Tora.


    ¡°GET OUT! DON¡¯T YOU HAVE ANY DECENCY?! GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM US!¡±


    She was screaming at the top of her lungs, followed by a heavy slam of a door.


    Seeth didn¡¯t know exactly how to feel. Her thoughts were spinning out of control.


    I was supposed to save them¡­ all of them¡­


    But, through the noise and the madness, the fear and the carnage, a single coherent thought solidified in her head. It led her back to Garnet¡¯s office, back to the other day, back to the last person they¡¯d spoken to, about the attacks¡­


    A fresh, new rage flowed through her. A hoarse, curdling scream wrenched itself from her chest and out of her mouth:


    ¡°SOMEONE GET ME JACE KOA! NOW!¡±


    *


    The Den was busy again, but the mood now was very different compared to the lively, bubbling atmosphere that had occupied the Den just a few hours ago. Several friendly merc ships had arrived, and even some less-friendly ones too, and were offering aid. The Vora Barons, after all, were an enemy of all. The Baron''s own vessel had been stripped of parts, detached from the Den and promptly scrapped via repeated volleys of ship carronades.


    The gore and viscera spread throughout the Den was being cleaned by friendly faces, and those eager to help in any way they could. The sheer destructiveness of the attack only further cemented Seeth¡¯s reputation.


    Not that it mattered, at that moment.


    The atmosphere was surreal, deep sadness and loss, mixed with hope, bizarrely. Seeth couldn¡¯t quite piece it together, as she sat alone, in one of the spare rooms within the Den, glancing out over the friendly ships that were still arriving to help.


    It was refreshing to see the nomad¡¯s coming together, if perhaps a little too late.


    But as she sat on the room¡¯s windowsill, gazing out over the station, an unsettling feeling took over her. Something had appeared in the cosmic horizon, and was moving impossibly fast. In the blink of an eye, it went from being a speck in the distance, to being right in front of her, hovering mere metres outside the window.


    The sudden closure made Seeth jump to her feet, ever cautious, ever ready for a fight.


    It was some sort of drone, too small to be a piloted craft, around the size of a lorry-cab in its entirety. With a shiny, black body and a large, singular orange optic on its front, sleekly built into its frame. The chassis had a faint marking on its side, two triangles pointed towards one another, almost like an hourglass.


    It appeared to be looking through the window, scanning the room, its optic twisting in its frame slowly, adjusting and taking in information.


    I wonder if it''s looking for me? Good luck with that. Seeth thought to herself, watching the drone scan the room fruitlessly. It didn¡¯t seem to be aggressive, at least.


    She sighed loudly, hoping some of the other ships would notice and shoot it down. There wasn¡¯t exactly much she could do from inside.


    Suppose I could tele-kill it if it turns hostile?


    She continued to watch the drone with cautious interest as it remained entirely fixed on her room, watching as its orange, plate-sized optic continued to adjust itself until -


    A shiver suddenly ran down her spine.


    A large, dark line materialised on the optic, splitting it down the middle, almost like a giant iris.


    It could see her.


    She could feel it, it was looking directly at her.


    Shit - SHIT!


    The drone¡¯s attention stayed locked on her, its giant eye fixed on Seeth as it slowly hovered closer to the window. Its optic twisted slowly in its frame again, almost like a curious dog.


    She didn¡¯t know what to do, she didn¡¯t know how to react. It kept on its slow approach, gently hovering closer and closer to the window until it was practically touching it, all the while locked onto Seeth with an unnerving, machine-like focus.


    Locked in a staring contest with the drone, Seeth froze, her mind desperately searching for anything that might resemble what the hell this thing was.


    It¡¯s not DA, looks way too advanced to be DA¡­ So what are you?


    But, before she could ponder much longer, the drone suddenly retracted.


    Its eye disappeared into its body, its body changing shape with several massive, intimidating weapons suddenly protruding from it. Its form now much more war-like and threatening compared to its inquisitive former version, but thankfully it did not give Seeth the chance to worry, as it turned away and rocketed back into space, disappearing as suddenly as it had appeared.


    The tingling down her spine faded away; she was no longer being observed, but any relief that she felt was accompanied by a mixture of confusion, concern, and curiosity.


    What the fuck was that..?

 Chapter 20 - It Never Rains

    A cold, bitter wind blew across the rich, green fields. The blades of grass, uniform in every aspect, quivered at their station, but held firm. The wind howled between the imposing stone statues that lined the courtyard, surrounding the royal court. Several ships, ranging from large cruisers to small, personal crafts, descended from the grey skies in the distance, their engines illuminating the hazy, sleet rain with a bright cyan hue.


    Theo stood alone in the courtyard, his metal leg pushing against the wall as the tip of his tail thrashed around impatiently. He watched the ships intently, blinking the rain away from his eyes.


    As if today wasn¡¯t bad enough.


    The royal courthouse truly was a spectacular sight to behold. Shaped like a pyramid, it had been built in such a way that it sat perfectly in the centre of acres upon acres of immaculately kept, luscious green land, stretching out for miles. Only the courthouse¡¯s imperial architecture pierced the landscape, along with its surrounding ensemble of stone protectors. These statues would do little in a fight of course, but the hanger of elite dragoons built into the cliffside was a very different matter. Positioned towards the endless grey sea, the dragoons were ready to launch at a second¡¯s notice, should anyone threaten the royal family''s authority.


    The main path leading up to the courthouse was as wide as two streets, made from glittering, thick slabs of granite, and guarded by yet more stone statues, spaced at regular intervals along the path.


    Around the main building were six smaller facilities, similar in stature to the courthouse but much less grand in both size and appearance. These facilities were essentially hotels with no charge, which the members of the different ranking divisions and the public could stay in as required. Although the housing was classy and immaculately kept, their use was often lamented due to the nature of requiring their services.


    The sound of heavy footsteps snapped Theo¡¯s attention back to the ground. A small group of dragons was quickly making its way up the main courthouse path. Evangeline walked in the centre of the group, her high heels clicking against the smooth stone path in unison with the XITD security guards around her, elegant as ever. She was dressed in a sharp black and blue suit. Only one person in the group marched out of time: Scyler, skulking a few paces behind Evangeline. Theo glared across the way at them as they passed, but Evangeline didn¡¯t even acknowledge his presence; she kept her chin up and eyes forward. Her comrade, however, could not quite match her dignified poise, and struggled not to make eye contact with the rhargnorn.


    Prick.


    Theo watched with a steely stare as the formation climbed up the courthouse steps and disappeared inside.


    You¡¯re gonna get what¡¯s coming to ya. Just you fucking wait. Theo¡¯s hands clenched tightly into fists, anger rising in his chest. His mind flashed with images of Evangeline¡¯s cool but smug expression, as he gritted his teeth and begrudgingly signed off on that report, of Mooki in her box office, on the brink of tears, and then that¡­ creature with Mooki¡¯s memories, who had attacked him¡­


    Cool it, Theo, we haven¡¯t even entered the building yet! I don¡¯t need another strike with the royal family.


    He took a few long, deep breaths, and managed to calm down a little. As the anger faded away from his chest though, concern washed in and took its place instead. Through the misty rain, he could just about make out Jace¡¯s silhouette, marching quickly up the path. His shoulders were hunched, and as he got closer, Theo could see that Jace looked exhausted. His tie was wonky, his blazer undone, quite frankly, this was the most dishevelled Theo had seen Jace in¡­ years.


    ¡°Jace!¡± Theo forced a smile and strode across the courtyard to greet his friend. ¡°I was starting to get worried there! You were almost late for being early! Never thought I¡¯d see the day where I arrived somewhere before you.¡±


    Jace cast a tired glance up at Theo, then mumbled something under his breath, which Theo couldn¡¯t quite catch. He watched as Jace fiddled about with his tie, and tried to tuck his shirt into his trousers whilst continuing with his quick pace.


    ¡°Are you okay, Jace? Can you do this¡­ today?¡± Theo asked, matching Jace''s stride. Jace didn¡¯t reply for a few moments, then sighed deeply.


    ¡°It¡¯s all going wrong, Theo.¡± He replied bluntly. ¡°I¡¯ve just got off of a very¡­ intense phone call with Seeth, that nomad czarite I¡¯ve been working with? Do you remember Hendrik Griffin, bloke who runs the Fixer Den? Goes by Garnet.¡±


    ¡°Garnet?¡± Theo scratched his chin briefly. ¡°Oh, contract handler for the Merc Guild on the border? Worked for the BDA back in the day, didn¡¯t he? Has something happened?¡±


    ¡°His wife¡¯s been murdered.¡± Jace replied, flatly.


    ¡°Murdered?!¡± Theo was taken aback. ¡°Awh no, she was the one who always baked pies when you dropped by the Den, wasn¡¯t she? Damn good pies. I¡¯m sorry, man.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s worse than that Theo...¡± Jace stopped at the foot of the stairs and leaned heavily against one of the statues. ¡°...A squad of Vora Barons attacked the Den. She was killed during their raid.¡± Jace sighed loudly, pressing his fingers against his brow.


    ¡°VORA BARONS ATTACKED A CONTRACT DEN?!¡± Theo almost shouted in shock. Jace gave him a quick lower your voice! look, and Theo quickly complied, glancing around to make sure no-one was close by. ¡°Why?!¡± He whispered harshly. ¡°That¡¯s neutral ground! You do not launch an attack on neutral ground. Fuck, I knew the Barons were ballsy mother-fuckers, but to attack a contact den? Everyone¡¯s gonna be after them now! I can¡¯t believe it. They must¡¯ve made a deal with the Black Lance. Horrible fuckers.¡± Theo suddenly stood bolt upright to attention. as if someone had flicked a switch in his brain. ¡°Do you need me out there?! I¡¯ll kill Barons no problem, fuckers earned it. I¡¯ll go after the Lance too, just say the word.¡± Theo¡¯s body was bristling with a fresh wave of adrenaline.


    ¡°No. I need you here. The Guild will dispense justice in its own time, not that any of the Barons who attacked left the Den alive anyway. The much loved Lockblade saw to that. But it gets worse than that.¡± Jace grit his teeth. ¡°Seeth, and a lot of the other nomads, are blaming me for the attack.¡±


    ¡°What.¡± Theo¡¯s voice dropped several octaves, a look of pure disbelief on his face.


    ¡°She¡¯s just finished giving me an absolute ear full - and I hate to say it, but it makes sense.¡± Jace thought for a second, focusing on the cooling mist-like rain that was sweeping over them both, purposely avoiding Theo¡¯s concerned gaze. ¡°We have a lot to discuss, privately, but for now, let''s just focus on this.¡±


    He nodded towards the distance, and the dragons were greeted by the deafening roar of ship engines, descending onto a wide circular landing pad at the very end of the courthouse path. The ship was of an elegant construction of silver and gold, speckled with blue highlights and cyan engine flares. It was flanked by four similarly sized ships, all well equipped with sleek but powerful heavy armaments, compared to the smooth chassis of the primary ship. The fleet landed with a gentle clunk.


    ¡°The princess has arrived.¡±


    *


    The inside of the courthouse was as immaculate in its design as the outside, as robust as it was impressive. The interior was bespoke, boasting polished stone walls and brooding grey floors, with dark wooden furniture and hints of soft blue colouration peeking out between the polished surfaces. A brief glance around any room was all that was required to spot the litany of eye insignias. These were carved, stamped or inked into various places around the courthouse, ever present throughout its decor.


    The main courtroom itself was easily the centrepiece of the building, with tall rising ceilings and sweeping seats that wouldn¡¯t feel out of place in a cathedral, dressed in all the same drip and polish as the rest of the courthouse. A decent crowd had already arrived, of congressmen, politicians, and several dozen concerned (but mostly nosey) higher-class civilians, as well as various journalists from all across DA territory, eager to report on the affair. Jace and Theo calmly made their way inside, marching past the observer area and into the middle of the hall. They sat on the right hand side, opposite Evangeline and Scyler at their respective pews.


    At the front of the hall, on a curling throne of vigorously maintained dark wood, sat an elegant dragoness, mulling over the private holo-screens in front of her. Her skin was a brilliant white, with amber fins and golden decorations framing her pretty face. She wore a long, silken black dress, adorned with beautiful swirling blue spirals and precious aqua-blue gems. Although her eyes were a soft, gentle shade of pink, they had a fierce glare to them, not that a reminder was needed in this courtroom that, although she may appear attractive and soft, her words carried a deadly authority. And if anyone did need a reminder of that, the phalanx of heavily armoured guards on either side of her, and lining the walls of the room, would be more than happy to oblige. Their armour displayed an emblem of an upside-down crown, with the usual spokes of the crown replaced with vicious-looking fangs instead. These were the Royal Praetorian Battalion, the direct bodyguards to the royal family. Although rarely seen in public, the RPB were often revered by DA citizens for their unshakable faith. They had one purpose; protect the royal family at any cost. Each guard was fully equipped for duty, with elite vulcan weapons strapped to their backs and sides, and a full suite of the best power armour the DA could produce. Despite their heavy armaments, the RPB guards moved almost silently, as if they were wearing little more than silk, with an effortless grace that failed to accurately portray the weight of their armour and munitions.


    The courtroom sat in a tense silence as the princess¡¯s eyes scanned over her screens. A slender finger gently rubbed the side of her muzzle as she puzzled over the data. A quiet sigh escaped from her lips as she scowled at something she was reading, and the tension in the room suddenly rose. Finally, with a disappointed, subtle shake of her head, she spoke.


    ¡°So. I have read some¡­ interesting details here.¡± Her eyes landed firmly on Evangeline. ¡°Officer Kintrax has made some strong accusations, Doctor Caizer. He is backed in full by Commander Koa who has served the RMD for quite some years now, faithfully and effectively. I assume you understand the weight of these charges?¡±


    ¡°I do, Your Majesty.¡± Evangeline replied, as cool and collected as ever.


    ¡°Very well. Officer Kintrax?¡± Turning her attention to the other side of the room, the princess focused on Theo, who was mid-way through pulling the collar of his suit into a more comfortable position.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Theo responded, trying to mimic Evangeline¡¯s seemingly carefree attitude, but already he could feel the anger boiling in his chest again.


    ¡°Explain, from your perspective, the events which transpired on Doctor Caizer¡¯s station.¡±


    ¡°No problem! So, Jace - sorry - Commander Koa, gave me permission to check on the station again after one of the students failed to contact us. I became concerned for her wellbeing.¡±


    ¡°Mooki Rye?¡± The princess asked, raising an eyebrow and glancing down quickly at her holo-screens.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. And when I arrived at the station, I found it to be under attack by unknown forces. I boarded immediately and tried to assist in any way I could. I happened upon the E-lab wing of the station, and witnessed an injured czarite being removed from one of the labs, by the attackers.¡±


    Jace raised his hand and the princess nodded to him.


    ¡°For context, I had suspected that the XITD station was concealing a czarite prisoner, based on the events that took place on Barru X, the nomad space station that the XITD had¡­ an interest in earlier this year. My suspicion was what prompted me to send Officer Kintrax there in the first place.¡±


    The princess nodded softly, her eyes drifting towards the ceiling for a few seconds as she pondered his words.


    ¡°So, you thought the XITD division were illegally harbouring a czarite prisoner, sent Officer Kintrax to investigate. He found nothing, but the visit prompted notable behaviour from the now deceased student, Miss Rye?¡±


    ¡°During the visit, Miss Rye appeared uncomfortable and mentioned to Officer Kintrax that she did not want to violate her NDA with the XITD.¡± Jace clarified. ¡°Her explicit mention of the NDA gave rise to suspicion that Miss Rye had knowledge that could potentially compromise the integrity of the XITD station.¡±


    ¡°And when Miss Rye failed to get in touch, Officer Kintrax became worried and you gave him permission to attend the station again¡­ I believe I understand.¡± The princess''s attention shifted to Evangeline and Scyler. ¡°Care to explain yourselves?¡±


    Evangeline stood from her seat calmly, staring back at the princess, unphased.


    ¡°Your majesty, I cannot dispute Officer Kintrax¡¯s account of witnessing a czarite leaving one of the E-labs. I do however dispute this twisted narrative that Commander Koa has constructed. Officer Kintrax can only account for an unknown czarite leaving the station, my station. My station that was attacked and destroyed within our borders, the very same borders that Commander Koa is responsible for keeping secure.


    ¡°We were attacked by czarites, is it not entirely possible that the individual Officer Kintrax saw leaving was part of the attacking force? Does that not seem more likely? After all, Officer Kintrax had signed off on a report mere days before this tragic incident, stating that we had no prisoners on board, never mind an illegal one. Frankly, I find this entire charade insulting to both myself and the royal family''s limited time.¡±


    A brief flick of the princess¡¯s hand towards Jace confirmed she wanted his response.


    ¡°You are being accused of deceit, Doctor Caizer. The fact that Officer Kintrax''s report contains no evidence of wrong-doing does not absolve you. He suspected something was wrong but couldn¡¯t prove it. As did I.¡± Jace narrowed his eyes at Evangeline, his temper starting to rise.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you think happened, Commander Koa. What matters is what actually happened. I know the royal court to be strict but fair and, at present, the two pieces of evidence that you have presented here - that you were allowed to collect on little more than a hunch, might I add - is a clean report, and the fact that there were unaccounted people in my station during the middle of an attack. Forgive me, Your Majesty, for my blunt nature, but I believe there is a secondary explanation for this that Commander Koa will never divulge.¡± Evangeline¡¯s composure remained cool, despite the rapid nature of her delivery.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± The princess responded, a curious smile flickering onto her face.


    ¡°I believe Commander Koa is obsessed with me, and will chase any detail, any breadcrumb in order to get my professional attention.¡±


    A startled cough erupted from Jace. Both him and Theo stared across the courtroom with widened eyes, trying to process exactly what Evangeline had just said.


    The princess offered an indulgent, yet condescending smile.


    ¡°How interesting! So, you claim to have no foreknowledge about this injured czarite, and that Commander Koa¡¯s persistence with the issue is purely fabricated in order to get your attention?¡±


    ¡°I do. We must work on verifiable facts here and it appears to me that the prosecution wishes to pick and choose the facts they believe, even if it goes against their own observations.¡± Evangeline persisted calmly, her gaze briefly flickering over to Jace.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± The princess mused, kicking one of her legs out and crossing it over the other.


    Jace raised his hand for permission to rebut, but the princess shook her finger, denying him the opportunity. After a few more seconds, she continued.


    ¡°Officer Kintrax, tell me about this other individual you interacted with in the E-labs. You said on your report she claimed to be Miss Rye?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Despite replying to the princess, Theo stared daggers directly at Scyler from across the courtroom. ¡°She recognised me upon entry, and requested to be freed from the lab.¡±


    ¡°Did you recognise her?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. She did not match Mooki¡¯s appearance in any way. But she did know me.¡±


    The princess flicked her finger over towards Evangeline, whose attention was fixed back on her private holo-screens.


    ¡°The individual Officer Kintrax spoke to was a nomad, suffering from a new disease on our borders that we have been investigating. We recovered the subject a few days after the RMD inspection, which is why they weren''t mentioned on the report.¡± Evangeline responded.


    Jace raised his hand again, and the princess nodded this time.


    ¡°We¡¯ve heard reports that this disease, or affiliation of sorts, alters people''s bodies quite drastically. I suspect Miss Rye had been infected with it, and the individual Officer Kintrax spoke to was her post-infection.¡±


    ¡°Post-infection?¡± The princess recoiled. ¡°Are you suggesting that Miss Rye was infected aboard the station?!¡± Her gaze landed on the other side of the room. ¡°Any explanation from your side, Doctor Caizer?!¡±


    Evangeline cleared her throat, taking an uncharacteristic second to compose her demeanour.


    ¡°I can confirm that the person he spoke with simply could not have been Miss Rye.¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡± The princess raised an eyebrow, unamused.


    ¡°Because Miss Rye had passed away two days earlier. We had an¡­ accident in the station. I¡­ I didn¡¯t want to bring this up because I suspect Officer Kintrax will take it personally, when it was more of a tragic accident than anything else.¡±


    The atmosphere in the courtroom shifted suddenly, the tension rising sharply as Evangeline continued.


    ¡°Miss Rye had an accident at work which we believe was due to the renovations conducted by Officer Kintrax. She¡­ S-She was electrocuted at her desk.¡±


    ¡°LIAR!¡± Theo bolted to his feet, shaking with fury. ¡°PIGSHIT! THAT¡¯S IMPOSSIBLE!¡±


    Evangeline continued, a single crystal tear running down her stoic face.


    ¡°Her body was found in the early morning by Officer Kagvar, who can testify if required.¡± She gestured to Scyler next to her. ¡°I was¡­ heartbroken. I did not know how to start explaining it, and I didn¡¯t want to antagonise Commander Koa or Officer Kintrax with any further news. So my report was delayed. Before I could complete it, the station was attacked.¡±


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°YOU¡¯RE LYING!¡± Theo screamed again, leaning over the desk towards Evangeline, his fingers gripping the stone tightly. ¡°I left that box of an office in a perfectly safe condition! You DARE blame me!¡±


    Despite his sudden aggression, the courtroom did not respond, nor react, with the princess only showing the slightest hint of a smirk.


    ¡°You believed you did. But you¡¯re not sure if your own report was correct, right?¡± Evangeline cleared her throat again, refocusing her attention on the princess. ¡°We think that Miss Rye attempted to correct some of the work done by Officer Kintrax, and that was what ended her life. My failing as her superior was not completing and sending the report so her family could get some closure. And obviously, her death in the first place.¡±


    Jace placed a hand on Theo¡¯s shoulder and gently, but firmly, guided him back down to his chair. The rhargnorn''s skin was hot to the touch, his whole body buzzing with anger. His gaze was locked on Evangeline like a missile, but he complied, and sat down. As he turned back to the princess, the slightest shift of the praetorian guards'' helms in his direction gave the only warning required.


    Yeah. I know. No aggression towards royalty.


    Suddenly, Evangeline¡¯s composure changed again, more flustered now.


    ¡°I-If I may, Your Majesty, I feel like this is besides the point. My station was attacked and boarded, my staff obliterated in their hab-barges. You have all the footage that exists, Your Majesty. You can hear the dying cries of our soldiers and guards as they bought time for the survivors to evacuate. Y-You can see this¡­ monster, melting the flesh of loyal DA citizens. My staff. Our people.¡±


    The princess suddenly shifted uncomfortably in her throne, her gaze drifting towards the floor. She tapped on her bracelet, and the walls of the courtroom lit up with a projected image:


    The fiery halos of Moltezz¡¯s gaze through a haze of black smoke, the image distorted from the heat. The room fell into an almost fearful silence, as though Moltezz were watching them directly.


    The princess raised her hand, ensuring the silence was maintained as she stared down Moltezz, her eyes narrowing as she slowly leaned forward in her throne.


    ¡°I am¡­ quite deeply troubled by that, yes.¡± The princess replied in agreement.


    Jace raised his hand once more and was met with a nod.


    ¡°If I may, Your Majesty? This court case is supposed to be about Doctor Caizer¡¯s potential concealment of a crime aboard her station, not about the attack. I completely understand everyone¡¯s concern and upset about the incident, but I fear that Doctor Caizer is distracting from the points made. We also have reason to believe that the attack was because of the falsely held czarite. It may well have been a retaliation of sorts, meaning Doctor Caizer¡¯s illegal deception was the cause. With that said, we all want justice, nothing more, nothing less.¡±


    The images of Moltezz disappeared as quickly as they had appeared, leaving the princess¡¯s pondering gaze to drift around the room.


    ¡°You both place me in a difficult position, with one side proclaiming deception and lies, the other claiming misunderstanding. I need time to fully review the evidence and claims brought forward. Doctor Caizer, you understand that if the claims against you are found to be true, I will have your titles stripped and your next two hundred years spent in jail? The authority of the Royal Military Division is no trivial matter.¡±


    Evangeline merely nodded, her gaze ice cold.


    ¡°For the time being, I cannot bring any action against you for the accusations brought by the RMD. I am, however, deeply concerned about your station''s lack of record keeping and downright terrible research conducted.¡± Evangeline¡¯s tail flicked from side to side; she was barely able to conceal her disdain and disappointment. Although her gaze held firm with the princess¡¯s, the tension rising from her body was undeniably aimed at Scyler.


    The princess continued her speech. ¡°If you have been researching this¡­ corruption on our borders, you¡¯ve failed to inform the other divisions of your discoveries and as a result, there is an unknown variable on the edge of our territory. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been up to over the last six months since recovering this alleged corpse from Barru X, but it appears to be anything but your actual divisional role. Whilst I won¡¯t be bringing any charges against you, I do want a review meeting with you after this to ensure you understand your place within the DA, and to update us on everything you have learnt in the last six months, Doctor Caizer.¡±


    Evangeline nodded again. To anyone else, she might have looked rather cool about the verbal dressing down she had just received, but the agitated flick of her tail and slight twitching of her claws told Scyler that his boss was absolutely furious.


    With Evangeline dealt with, the princess turned her attention back to Jace.


    ¡°Commander Koa, obviously you face no charges should your claim be incorrect, but you will be barred from further claims against Doctor Caizer for a limited time should you be proven incorrect. Next time you chose to make a case against Doctor Caizer, as I''m sure there will be another one, given your two''s track record -¡± The princess smirked slightly ¡°- you¡¯ll have some hard evidence to back up your claim. Perhaps in the meantime, however, I''ll schedule some court-mandated couple¡¯s counselling for you both.¡± The princess grinned as she witnessed the brief panic in both Jace''s and Evangeline''s eyes. ¡°Something that is considerably easier to decree, however, is to place a bounty on that murderer¡¯s head.¡±


    The princess turned her attention to her closest standing guard.


    ¡°Make it known, make it an open contract across our borders. Anyone who brings me proof of death of the fiery red czarite shall receive a fixed sum of twenty million dies for her crimes against the empire.¡±


    A series of shocked gasps erupted across the courtroom as the closest guard typed it onto his gauntlet, nodding once it was complete.


    Twenty million?! She¡¯ll be dead within the week! That could buy a whole damn army! The border will turn into a warzone! Jace thought to himself as he contemplated the future of the nomad sector, concern heavy on his face.


    ¡°We will reconvene when I desire. For now however, go as you were. Wind be with you all. Dismissed.¡±


    Without another word, the princess stood from her throne and exited out the back of the courtroom, swiftly followed by her entourage of guards. An excited bickering broke through the crowd, as the witnesses discussed the sheer volume of dies on offer, and the exchanging of theories following the back and forth between Jace and Evangeline.


    With the session now closed, Jace quickly took Theo by the arm and guided him away from the crowd of journalists and photographers who were quickly swarming themselves and Evangeline, tripping over themselves in a desperate attempt to reach the stands. He practically had to drag Theo away, whose claws were still gripping at the pew, his hands shaking with fury.


    Eager to avoid the barrage of questions and photographs, they made for one of the restricted doors to their side, which read ¡®RMD Personnel Only¡¯ on the front. They pushed inside, and immediately felt the relief of the cool, but most importantly quieter, corridor. Jace ducked into one of the empty side offices and Theo followed, his tail thrashing and metal leg stomping against the floor. Jace took a deep breath and leant back against the wall, as Theo''s rage finally overflowed.


    ¡°How dare she, Jace! How fucking dare she! I killed Mooki?!? Is she fucking serious?!¡±


    Jace looked across the room at the rhargnorn. His entire body was trembling. He slammed his fists against the wall in frustration.


    ¡°We just¡­ We just needed a little more. Her story is propped up by lies and convenience.¡± Jace did his best to console his friend. ¡°We just need one scrap of solid evidence, and it¡¯ll all fall apart.¡± Jace paused for a second as he saw the simmer in Theo start to boil over again. ¡°Don¡¯t let her get to you, Theo. We both know you didn¡¯t get Mooki killed. I don¡¯t believe that for one second. See this for what it is, an attempt to shift the blame, and play you.¡±


    ¡°I thought we had her, Jace. I thought we were about to see justice through.¡± Theo clenched his fists, scowling bitterly, stamping his metal leg against the floor. ¡°Fuck. FUCK!¡± He landed one more powerful thump into the wall before storming out of the room and down the corridor, out of Jace''s sight.


    Well, that was a fucking shit-show. Jace let out an exhausted sigh. I can¡¯t believe she leaned so hard on Theo¡¯s report¡­ Well of course she did! I signed off on it! I would have done the same. I wasn¡¯t good enough. I should know better than this. I¡¯m Royal Military Division! Evangeline should be in prison right now, not ¡®reviewing procedures¡¯ with the princess, with a fucking cream cake in her hand.


    He sunk against the wall and pulled his tie away from his collar - a clip-on, a well-tied tie was something he¡¯d never been able to master, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved that no-one in the court had noticed - and took off his blazer, draping it over the back of a chair. Just as he was loosening his gauntlet from around his wrist, a familiar voice called out from behind him.


    ¡°Permission to enter, Commander Koa?¡±


    Jace swung around. A czarite head was poking around the doorframe, concern in her eyes but a cheeky grin on her lips.


    ¡°Isabelle?¡±


    ¡°The one and only.¡± She moved into the centre of the doorway, pressing her fingertips against the strong wooden beams as she regarded him warmly. ¡°You know I can¡¯t legally enter RMD quarters without the correct permissions.¡±


    Jace shook his head, trying to hide the grin that was quickly spreading across his face.


    ¡°Permission granted, Officer Koa.¡± He quickly gestured for her to come inside. ¡°It''s¡­ it¡¯s been too long.¡±


    *


    The weather hadn¡¯t improved since Jace had first arrived at the courthouse. He was back outside in the misty rain now, with Isabelle by his side, the pair making their way towards the memorial gardens. The gardens were a fair walk away, on the edge of the estate and close to the cliff-face, but it was obvious that they were just as well tended to, and looked after, as the main buildings were, if not more so. The gardens were surrounded by thick, luscious floral bushes, with gentle pink and purple flowers and brilliant green leaves. The path beneath their feet shifted from that smooth concrete to a more rustic, gravel walkway, which made a nice, satisfying crunch underfoot. Jace looked a lot calmer now, and more casual, wearing only his shoes, shirt and trousers. He¡¯d also left all of his electrical and communication devices inside the RMD office; he didn¡¯t want to be disturbed now. This wasn¡¯t the time.


    ¡°Glad to see that some things never change. Evangeline is the same pretentious know-it-all that she always was.¡± Isabelle glanced over at Jace with a small smile. Her emerald eyes had a warmth and kindness to them that could calm the fiercest of storms, but there was also a determined ferocity to them; Although she was a good foot shorter than the dragon, there was a confidence and attitude to her demeanour that said she was not one to be messed with. Not that this was a trait unique to her; officers in the Cosmic Navy Division often carried a quiet, but strong authority. She had a rather dainty, elegant build compared to Jace, with soft lavender skin, and a soft grey hue to her carapace, which framed her long, braided jelly-dreadlocks. She was wearing a floaty, summery dress decorated with green ribbons, and didn¡¯t seem to mind the bad weather one bit.


    They slowly padded around the carved path, hidden from the rest of the world by the towering green hedges around them.


    ¡°You were in court?¡± Jace was a little taken aback. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d want to be there for that.¡±


    ¡°Jace. I want to support you. If I¡¯ve said it once, I¡¯ve said it a thousand times, I¡¯m here for you, no matter what. Especially when it involves that bunch of pricks.¡± Isabelle scoffed. ¡°Did you notice Evangeline¡¯s suit?¡±


    ¡°No? What about it?¡± Jace replied, a smile crawling across his face.


    ¡°She had a little stain on the collar of her blazer. A little white blob, say from, perhaps, one-too-many cream cakes?¡± Isabelle laughed, a cheerful, contagious laugh that Jace couldn¡¯t help but catch.


    ¡°She¡¯s always been one to stress eat.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, Jace, she puts on a good act, but I could see from a mile away that she was bricking it going up against you in court like that. I can picture it now, her munching her way through cream cake after cream cake on the flight over here.¡± She laughed louder, her pink tongue briefly tasting the fresh air. ¡°I can¡¯t help but agree with what the princess said though, about you two and some court-mandated couple¡¯s counselling.¡±


    ¡°Belle, please!¡± Jace retorted playfully, fake-retching at the thought. ¡°As if my spirit hasn¡¯t been broken enough!¡±


    ¡°Hey, even when we were married, I always said that you two needed to get over yourselves and fuck each-other. The sexual tension when the pair of you are in a room together is¡­ heavy.¡±


    Jace retched again, genuinely this time. ¡°Do you want to see a grown man cry, Belle? Is that what you want? Because that¡¯s what¡¯s gonna happen, if you don¡¯t change the subject this instant!¡±


    Isabelle giggled, but did as he asked. She ran her hands gently through the bushes, collecting the droplets of water on the tips of her fingers. ¡°Sorry, I was just trying to lighten the mood a little. Even after all these years, I can still tell exactly how you¡¯re feeling.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m that obvious, huh?¡±


    ¡°Only when you¡¯re really hurting. Been a tough day?¡±


    ¡°Been a tough year.¡± Jace sighed, his eyes fixed firmly on the ground. ¡°I¡¯ve uh¡­ I¡¯ve tried to make some plays and¡­ and they¡¯ve not worked out at all. And that''s putting it lightly.¡±


    ¡°Talk to me.¡± Isabelle said, reassuringly. ¡°Like we used to.¡±


    Jace paused for a second, feeling his wrist, double-checking that he¡¯d left all his equipment behind.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay with that? I don¡¯t want to -¡±


    ¡°- Oh shush, you! You¡¯re not imposing. Tell me your woes, see if I can help you make sense of it.¡±


    Deep within the secluded maze, they¡¯ve arrived at a small clearing, with a tall grey obelisk in its centre, and a silver plaque mounted at its base. They sat down together on one of the benches around the clearing¡¯s edge.


    ¡°I am¡­ I am investigating Dynasty activity within the Draconic Alliance. They¡¯re growing in numbers as of the last couple of years, and I know they¡¯re up to something, I just don¡¯t know what. At the start of this year, there was a conflict outside of our borders that I got involved in. Scyler -¡± Jace spat the name out with as much venom as he could ¡°- and some strike teams were poking around nomad territory, and had gotten approval to launch a capture mission on a wanted criminal outside our borders.¡±


    Isabelle nodded intently, siddling slightly closer to Jace on the bench.


    ¡°A coralith komodo, of all people. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s been one this close to the DA border in decades. We recovered him successfully, but when I checked his profile, his crimes were obviously fabricated. Shit like border smuggling, drug charges, data elicitation of all things. It looked like someone had quickly built a profile for him, and made his crimes just serious enough to get permission to grab his ass from beyond the border.¡±


    ¡°So, had he actually done anything?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He had. His profile actually predates the Grey Wall, but obviously, all of that has been long since scrubbed clean.¡± Jace shifted uncomfortably on the bench.


    ¡°He¡¯s older than the Grey Wall? He must be ancient! They didn¡¯t just grab some old random man off the street, did they?¡± Isabella stifled a giggle at the thought.


    ¡°Nah, they¡¯re an ageless species, he looks young as they come. But whatever this guy did, it''s long gone. And there was no way to trace who had made the new profile. I couldn¡¯t dig too deep with the Enforcement and Lockdown division either, I only have a few people I trust over there and I¡¯m trying not to spook the fuckers too much. What I needed was for them to make a mistake.¡±


    ¡°So, what happened? What did you do with the komodo?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Jace sighed deeply through his nose. ¡°It''s impossible to know exactly what he did. The ethics of the Grey Wall are as vacuous as they come. For all I know, he could be a war criminal, or he could have just been a civilian who managed to survive the Dynasty¡¯s fucking ¡®draconic cleansing,¡¯ and knows too much. What I do know is that someone on our side of the border wanted him, and I hoped I¡¯d be able to use that. He was entered into the EaL¡¯s labour auctions but I fast tracked his case, and scrubbed his date and location data, so no one would know where he¡¯d get auctioned or when; I didn''t want any of those fuckers getting their hands on him. I then placed a tracker on his profile.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I figured, with his fabricated profile, no one was going to bother looking into him unless they had a reason. I wanted to know who, if anyone, would bother searching through some random slave''s profile.¡± Jace pulled a face at the word - it didn''t matter how much the draconic elites tried to disguise the auction house''s practice, it was nothing more than a goddamn slave trader. ¡°I figured whoever went through all this effort to fabricate the profile and get it pushed up the list might be inclined to follow up on their labour. But¡­ it hasn¡¯t worked, no one has bothered with him, no one has opened his profile or even searched for him.¡± Jace hunched over slightly and let his hands fall by his sides. He looked well and truly defeated now. ¡°Whoever did this is playing it safe. It''s likely the second I came into contact with the case, they just dropped it.¡±


    Isabelle was quiet for a few moments, taking in Jace¡¯s words. The trees all around them rustled in the breeze, but she was so lost in her thoughts that she barely heard them at all. Finally, she exhaled deeply. ¡°Wow, Jace. This is one heck of a conspiracy you¡¯re working here, especially for someone who likes to deal in absolutes¡­ Although, conspiracy or not, I¡¯d bet my last die that you¡¯re absolutely right.¡± Isabelle grinned up at her ex-husband, and despite the weight he was carrying in his chest, Jace couldn¡¯t help but smile back. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s not the end of it though?¡±


    ¡°No, unfortunately not. Nothing is ever that straight forward these days.¡± Jace chuckled wryly. ¡°This komodo isn¡¯t just some random nobody -¡±


    ¡°- Not that it would make it okay if he was.¡± Isabella interrupted, sternly.


    ¡°...Right. Anyway, I¡¯ve been trying to build a relationship with the nomads on our border. It¡¯s taken years to build any sort of trust with them, as you can imagine, and they¡¯ve had their own hell to deal with in recent months too, what with the increased presence of Vora Barons, and that in itself has come out of fucking no-where.¡± Jace closed his eyes and rubbed his eyebrows with his thumb and index finger. ¡°I¡¯ve been working closely with a nomad merc - another czarite, actually - her name¡¯s Seeth, but the locals call her Lockblade, and¡­ she¡¯s his girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Jace¡­¡± Isabelle¡¯s heart was already starting to sink - she had a bad feeling she knew where this was going.


    ¡°She¡¯s done more for the nomads in the last six months than I¡¯ve ever done for them. She¡¯s cleaved through Baron ships and saved hundreds, if not thousands of lives. She¡¯s been doing what I should have been doing, but I got so wrapped up in this Dynasty business, in the bigger picture¡­ She knows that her boyfriend is in DA territory, and she¡¯s been fighting tooth and claw to raise enough money, and get him back. She¡¯s been begging me for months to find him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Jace¡­ No¡­¡± Jace flinched as Isabelle¡¯s disappointment stung him at his core.


    ¡°It''s not like I could just press a button and get him back! The EaL have scrambled the auction data, as they always do.¡±


    ¡°We both know you have the authority to override that.¡± Isabella countered firmly.


    Jace visibly recoiled, then sank into the bench in an almost defeated manner. If there was one thing Isabelle always did well, it was humbling him.


    ¡°I know. And, as if that isn¡¯t bad enough, the Vora Barons that she¡¯s been killing, she found our stealth tech on them, as well as unlocked security crates.¡±


    Isabelle turned slowly on the bench to face Jace, eyes wide with horror. ¡°Do you mean to say¡­ that someone¡¯s been supplying Vora Barons, from inside the DA?!¡±


    ¡°Yes. They must be, there''s no way those crates could have been opened without the codes. And now, the nomads are blaming us - blaming me - for the attacks. None of my plans have worked. All my work in fixing our awful relationship with our neighbours has¡­ gone. It was all for nothing. I¡¯ve worked for years on this, it''s¡­ it''s not fair, Isabelle! I can¡¯t even get the proof I need to convict Evangeline of malpractice! And don¡¯t get me started on that either, her and that little fucking eel are behind all of this!¡± Jace¡¯s usually calm demeanour was starting to crack. ¡°The czarite prisoner, the one that that whole farce of a court case was about, she¡¯s with Seeth and that blasted komodo! And I know she was there, Belle, I can¡¯t prove it, but I know it. Everything is connected, and I feel like I¡¯m so close, I''m clawing at the walls but I¡¯ve got nothing to show for it but my own bloodied fingertips. And the second anything touches the Grey Wall, everyone ducks their heads and leaves the room. It¡¯s all just roadblocks and¡­ and shadows!¡±


    Jace snorted loudly through his nostrils and dug his claws into the wooden bench, as the heat began to overwhelm him. But before his anger could get the better of him, he felt Isabelle¡¯s soft hand gently take his own.


    The two sat in silence for a moment, letting the cooling rain soak into their clothes. The fire slowly faded, and Jace squeezed Isabelle¡¯s hand.


    ¡°She would be so proud of you, you know that, Jace?¡±


    Jace blinked. He glanced over, and saw that Isabelle was staring at the obelisk before them. Jace¡¯s gaze landed on the plaque in front of them, and stinging tears suddenly balled up in the corner of his eyes. Hundreds of names had been inscribed with great care onto the metal, but both their eyes were locked onto a single line:


    Autumn Koa


    ¡°Knowing what you¡¯re fighting for, and what a difference you¡¯ve made so far.¡± Isabelle continued.


    Jace went to disagree, but a quick squeeze of his hand and the soothing quietness of her voice kept him silent.


    ¡°Your enemies are smart, Jace. But they¡¯re scared of you. They won¡¯t touch anything you¡¯re involved with, and for good reason. They know Commander Koa is coming for them.¡±


    ¡°But it''s not working, Belle. They¡¯re winning.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe it''s time to change things up?¡± She smiled at Jace warmly. ¡°You old dragons always get so stubborn about these things! You get too attached to the plan, but the plan is only in service of the goal.¡±


    ¡°Maybe if she had stuck to the plan, her name wouldn¡¯t be on a plaque.¡± Jace growled, through pained, gritted, teeth.


    ¡°Maybe...¡± Isabelle murmured. ¡°And, if she had, maybe your name would be on there instead.¡± Her voice grew more firm as she reached the end of her sentence, but there was no hint of malice or regret in her voice.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jace stuttered, suddenly snapping out of his anger. ¡°That was deeply inappropriate. I lost control -¡±


    ¡°Oh come off it, Jace, I¡¯m not offended! Far from it.¡± She sighed heavily and pulled her hand away from him, gently. ¡°I wish I could give you what you needed to forgive yourself, but only you can do that. But I meant what I said, she¡¯d be so proud of her father right now. You see the good in this empire - which is impressive, because they make it really god-damn difficult sometimes - and the potential it has¡­¡± She stared up at the endless grey sky, listening intently to the whistling wind. ¡°You two used to love days like this, when she was little, and you¡¯d take her out flying in the clouds¡­ Goodness, she was so jealous she didn¡¯t have wings! I kept telling her, czarites don¡¯t get wings, even if they have dads that do! But every weekend, the same question!¡±


    ¡°When will I get wings like yours, daddy?¡± Jace¡¯s eyes glassed over again, and it took everything he had to hold back his tears.


    ¡°When you eat your dinner!¡± Isabelle laughed softly. ¡°Never seen a kid eat her vegetables so fast.¡±


    ¡°Worked every damn time. Like a charm. Just sheer, single-minded focus. She was going to get her wings one day.¡± Jace smiled, but couldn¡¯t help but wince as he felt a sharp, throbbing pain sear across his shoulder blades.


    ¡°Just like her dad. You get something in your sights and you just don¡¯t let it go. But sometimes, Jace, it''s okay to let it go. If the plan isn¡¯t working, change it.¡± She snapped her fingers suddenly, a bright, sharp look captured in her gleaming eyes. ¡°I figured you out!¡±


    ¡°H-Huh?¡±


    ¡°Your original goal was to repair the DA¡¯s reputation, right? But now you¡¯ve swapped over to hunting the Dynasty! And you¡¯re sacrificing your original goal to push this new one forward!¡±


    A knowing smile crept over Jace¡¯s face as Isebelle leaned back on the bench, satisfied with herself. Jace mulled the thought over in his head. She was right. It seemed obvious now, but the moves and plans he¡¯d been making were to combat the Dynasty, not to help the nomads. No matter how much he¡¯d tried to justify it, and convince himself overwise.


    ¡°And just like that, you¡¯ve accurately diagnosed all my problems over the last year in a single sentence. I ought to be ashamed of myself, really, for being so readable like that. So, what do you think I should do?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think you need to focus your scope, maybe pivot back to what you were doing in the first place. It seems like you were unearthing things just by helping the nomads, that''s what got you set on this path with the Dynasty, right? Perhaps the nomad you¡¯re currently using as bait is a good place to start?¡± The two locked eyes, and Isabelle gave him that look, the look that said this was not just a suggestion.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ maybe he is.¡± His shoulders reinflated, his slouch straightening like a missile preparing for launch. He felt a warmth in his body that had long been missing over the last few weeks.


    ¡°I¡¯d get the EaL to unscramble his auction data, and find out where he is. The fact that you¡¯ve effectively been keeping this guy hostage, and using his girlfriend to do your job and help the nomads? It¡¯s not a good look, Jace.¡±


    Jace sighed through his teeth. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you could arrange a buy-out? Or at the very least, tell her where he is. Unless, of course, it turns out he actually has done something bad. Don¡¯t do that if he¡¯s been up to shit since we got him.¡±


    ¡°N-No. Of course not.¡± Jace laughed as Isabelle frowned at the thought. ¡°That¡­ That sounds good. Thank you, Belle.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Jace¡­ God.¡± Isabelle suddenly laughed dryly. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it''s a tad¡­ convenient that all of this happened today? I read that this trial was meant to go ahead over a week ago, but the XITD ¡®needed more time¡¯ to collate all their information, and they just so happened to be ready today, of all days? On her day?¡± As Isabelle gestured towards the plaque, her voice finally cracked.


    ¡°Yeah. You''re not the only one who noticed.¡± Jace replied thinly.


    They slipped into another silence as the rain came to a gentle stop, and the sun peaked out from behind the clouds. But one silence was comforting, like a freshly dried blanket, still warm and soft.


    ¡°I hate to say it -¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to. I won¡¯t mention a word of Dynasty or Grey Wall to anyone. For my own safety.¡±


    Jace smiled and nodded, feeling a new hope rising in his chest. She was as sharp as she always was.


    Maybe not everything has to be so complicated¡­


    *


    Scyler''s heart pounded in his chest as he nipped back into his room slammed the door shut, on the brink of hyperventilating as he pressed himself against the door, listening for anyone who might have been following. But the corridor behind him was as quiet as ever.


    I wonder how many laws I just broke, going into an RMD zone like that¡­


    He quickly reached for his gauntlet and flicked it on, tapping the display frantically. After a few panic-stricken moments, a voice came through on the device¡¯s speakers.


    ¡°Good chat with Belle, Jace?¡± Theo¡¯s voice.


    Scyler lowered the volume to barely a whisper, and held it up to his ear. There it was, clear as day.


    ¡°Yeah. It was. I think she gave me what I needed.¡± Jace.


    ¡°She always did, mate.¡±


    I did it! A surge of adrenaline coursed through Scyler''s chest, his head swimming with the possibilities that now lay before him. The Dynasty were closing in, and he¡¯d be right by their side.

 Chapter 21 - Double Cross

    BANG-BANG


    BANG-BANG


    BANG-BANG


    Plasia pushed her fingers under the plastic rim of her prosthetic with a soft pop, just managing to curl her finger to a particularly persistent itch. Her eyes rolled back and a soft sigh escaped her lips as she finally managed to scratch where the fabric had been irritating her.


    BANG-BANG


    BANG-BANG


    BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG


    She sat, perched in the corner of the gym, on some stacked metal crates. She was dressed in a simple but thick, white cotton gown, tied around the waist. Although her amputated leg had already started to grow back some, Leech had found her an adaptable prosthetic leg, which was able to bridge the gap between stump and floor nicely while she was still recovering. Plasia was able to hobble around at a reasonable pace now, but the damn thing didn¡¯t half itch around her rapidly-healing stump.


    ¡°Now, watch. I don¡¯t know what the hell this¡­ corruption did to us exactly, but if you swing your whole shoulder into the punch¡­¡±


    BANG


    ¡°¡­We can fold meta-steel plates with our fucking fists. Meta-steel! With our fists!¡±


    Cherry stood a few metres away in a pair of boyish gym shorts and a tank top, her skin sparkling with sweat as she showed Plasia the damage. She pulled the zip down on the side of the punch bag and pulled out a metal plate, which was heavily battered from the Controller¡¯s assault, bent and cracked. Cherry wore an almost uncannily happy grin on her face as she fit her knuckles into the plate like a puzzle.


    ¡°You thrown many punches before?¡±


    ¡°M-Me? No, not so much¡­¡± Plasia replied, staring intently at the plate.


    ¡°As soon as you¡¯re off that prosthetic, I''m gonna show your blueberry ass how to knock someone out.¡± Plasia¡¯s round eyes widened in fear as Cherry slammed her fists together. ¡°Then, I''m gonna show you how to kill someone.¡±


    Plasia began to vibrate nervously on the crate, her eyes rapidly flicking between the dented plate and Cherry¡¯s friendly, if intense gaze.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so nervous! It''s a good skill to know. Everyone should know how to throw a decent punch. If I can teach Plum to do it, I can teach you.¡± She tossed the plates in the opposite corner of the gym and unhooked the punching bag from the ceiling, carrying it comfortably with a single hand. She stopped in front of Plasia, and dangled the bag out in front of her. ¡°Don¡¯t get up, just throw a punch. I want to see your form.¡±


    ¡°M-My form?¡± Plasia stuttered, still lost on the kill component of Cherry¡¯s training. She could almost hear police sirens in her head at the very thought.


    ¡°Yeah! What your body looks like and what it does when you punch. Show me.¡± Cherry smiled, her blossom-pink eyes meeting with Plasia¡¯s nervous gaze. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna shout at you or anything, I just need to know where I''m starting your training from.¡±


    The blue Controller gathered her might, sucking in a warm mouthful of gym air, and threw a weak punch forward. Her fist glided across the battered fabric. A previous lifetime of writing poetry and painting landscapes had not prepared her for this in the slightest.


    Cherry narrowed her eyes, her face in deep contemplation.


    ¡°Raise your fist again, but don¡¯t throw a punch.¡±


    Plasia recoiled her hand as she had before, but waited as asked. Cherry leaned forward, still holding the bag up, and gently adjusted Plasia¡¯s posture to a more suiting position with her free hand.


    ¡°Before you throw the punch, I want you to take note where you¡¯re aiming. Don¡¯t aim for the bag, aim through it. Imagine you¡¯re trying to punch my tit behind the bag.¡±


    Plasia¡¯s eyes darted desperately between the bag and Cherry¡¯s heaving tit. Her body was still vibrating all over, but she threw a second punch. This one connected with the bag solidly, shuddering its entire body.


    ¡°Fuck yeah! Look at that! Solid connection, good power! Atta-girl!¡± Cherry seemed genuinely hyped, doing a little fist pump with her free arm before motioning the bag towards her again. The buzzing blueberry threw another punch, and then another and another into the bag inspired by Cherry¡¯s infectious energy. Although, she was very uncertain if aiming for Cherry¡¯s bust was a good idea.


    ¡°Really, Cherry? The poor girl¡¯s been through hell these last few months, and you¡¯ve got her trapped in here, shouting ¡®punch my tits!¡¯ at the top of your voice?¡± Plum¡¯s soft, silken voice echoed into the room as the Controller appeared in the gym¡¯s entrance, a way¡¯s behind Cherry.


    ¡°She¡¯s enjoying herself, aren¡¯t you, Plasia?¡± Cherry asked sincerely. She didn¡¯t turn around, instead remaining focused on Plasia, and pulled the bag back from her.


    ¡°I kinda am, actually.¡± Plasia smiled back, shyly.


    Plum was dressed in a much more sexual attire than the other two. She was currently rocking a black pair of latex high-thighs, a pink miniskirt which just barely concealed her manhood, and a corset that pushed her cleavage up most deliciously. The latex creaked quietly as Plum sat down on the crate, next to Plasia.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t let her boss you about! She¡¯ll have you training all night if you let her, and you¡¯re supposed to be resting.¡± Plum sighed gently but smiled, flicking her long dreadlocks over to the side as she raised her voice to address both the Controllers. ¡°Bubblegum is just finishing up with her Marks, she won¡¯t be long. We can grab a bite to eat after that if you fancy.¡±


    ¡°I do fancy! I am fucking famished.¡± Cherry was busy adjusting the punching bag for Plasia, when suddenly she glanced up with a smirk. ¡°How many faces d¡¯you sit on today then, Plum-bum?¡±


    ¡°...A couple. For a bit.¡± Plum replied, smoothly. ¡°Why? You want a go?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I dunno. They still alive after that?¡± Cherry laughed as Plum glared playful daggers across at her.


    ¡°Shush now, or I will sit on you.¡± Plum fidgeted slightly, seductively where she was sat, then flexed gently and stretched out her back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t threaten me with a good time, gorgeous. You know fully well that I can bench that ass of yours no problem.¡±


    ¡°Cherry!¡± Plum rolled her eyes but couldn¡¯t hide her smile. ¡°Honestly, I am waiting for the day someone actually kicks your ass, and puts a little humility into you. You think my butt is big, it''s got nothing on your ego.¡±


    For all the banter that was going on between the two of them, Plum was genuinely happy - if not a little surprised by - Cherry¡¯s mood. It was strange, Plum thought, as usually Cherry was so defensive and standoffish around new people; even before their corruption, Cherry had been the protector of their little group, and was extremely hesitant to let anyone else get close. Stranger too was that Cherry hadn¡¯t even wanted to rescue Plasia, but here she was, friendly, playful and patient, seemingly intent on taking her under her muscular wing.


    And, although Plasia hadn¡¯t known them for very long, she seemed to have picked up on it too. She smiled as the two Controllers jested and laughed, but couldn¡¯t shift the sinking feeling in her chest.


    ¡°W-Why are you being so nice to me?¡± Plasia asked, genuinely. She couldn¡¯t make contact with either of the Controllers, staring ahead instead at the punching bag with such intensity, that it might suddenly wake up and become part of the conversation.


    Cherry and Plum glanced at one another quizzically, before Cherry replied. ¡°Why not?¡± She asked, pulling the bag away from her. ¡°You make a nice change of pace from tentacle mcfuck and her jolly green girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Plasia,¡± Plum said softly, ¡°We¡¯ve¡­ we know what it''s like to be at the whims of those who truly, do not give a rat''s ass about you. Sometimes, a little kindness goes a long way.¡± There was a hint of sadness in her reply that she couldn¡¯t quite conceal, but she didn¡¯t give away any more details than that. Plasia could see that she was hiding some genuine pain though. ¡°We thought that if there¡¯s any chance you¡¯re not as psychotic as the others - your, uh, other half excluded of course! -¡± Plum added quickly, ¡°then we should stick together. This place is crazy enough with Moltezz calling the shots, and it''s only going to get crazier.¡±


    A cold shiver shot down Plasia¡¯s back.


    Moltezz.


    She wasn¡¯t sure what Moltezz was exactly to the others. A leader, yes, powerful, most definitely, and maybe even a source of inspiration¡­ but she was Plasia¡¯s worst nightmare. If Barru X was her hell, then Moltezz was her keeper.


    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t like her?¡± Plum asked gently, noticing Plasia¡¯s shift in demeanour.


    ¡°She¡­ She doesn¡¯t like me.¡± Plasia replied, shakily. ¡°Y-You might not want to be my friend if you knew how she felt about me.¡±


    Plum and Cherry exchanged a concerned look between them, before both turning to face Plasia again.


    ¡°All the more reason to learn how to land a good punch, then!¡± Cherry smiled warmly and threw the punching bag across the gym behind her. Then, she offered the palm of her hand to Plasia. ¡°C¡¯mon, hop-along. Let''s get some food, I''m starving.¡±


    Plum placed a supportive hand against the small of Plasia¡¯s back as she accepted Cherry¡¯s hand, and wobbled to her feet. ¡°You know Cherry, you go on about me and my ass, but it''s you that''s always got the chefs working overtime.¡±


    ¡°I am a machine that turns meat and carbs into broken punch bags and gaping holes. I need the intake.¡± Cherry replied, matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Cherry, that''s nasty! Have some decorum, for god¡¯s sake!¡±


    ¡°Says the latex-clad face-breaker.¡±


    ¡°THEY LOVE IT, CHERRY!¡±


    The three of them made their way out of the gym together, Plum and Cherry bickering on either side of Plasia the entire time as they supported her. Plasia couldn¡¯t help but smile. There was a genuine friendship between them, and after months of isolation, it was warming, just to feel like a person again.


    But that anxiety was creeping in¡­


    No amount of training with Cherry would prepare her for Moltezz, and there was only so long she could avoid her. She needed a plan. She needed to escape.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Again.


    *


    ¡°Oh, will you stop pouting, Mook? Honestly. The sooner we crack these, the sooner you can get back to fucking Kross.¡± Leech rolled her eyes dramatically. She was sat at the head of the table, dressed in a shredded tank top which showed off her cleavage, and a dark pair of skinny jeans. The jeans creaked and dug uncomfortably into her skin with even the slightest movement, which only caused her to move and fidget about even more. Leech was desperate to get out of them, and into literally anything - or anyone - else, but she couldn''t, not yet; there was work to do. Her arm stub had grown back to the forearm, but was still bandaged up. Ever the inventor, she had wedged a lollipop into the wrappings, making the best of her current situation.


    Her little crew, consisting of herself, Mook and Kross (a human girl, one of the Imprinted Marks) had taken over one of classier bars on Barru X, which had actually been one of Mina and Tani¡¯s favourite places to relax. Currently however, the bar sat in an organised chaos, with various bits of DA technology strewn over the tables, booths and seats.


    Behind Leech, in the corner of the room sat the server cube they¡¯d looted from the XITD space station. Still stained with Ink¡¯s wet, thick black goo, the cube had hundreds of wires pushed into its various slots across its surface, including a couple of thicker power cables that ran into the sockets on the wall.


    Mook and Kross sat side by side, just over from Leech, also nibbling on lollipops and hard at work on the laptops they¡¯d brought in to crack the data cube. Kross wore a subtle but undeniable grin on her pretty, if scarred face, partially because of her success in breaching the DA¡¯s data protection so far, but mostly because these two gorgeous, intelligent women had come to her specifically, for her help. There was a dizzying amount of cleavage on offer, but as her eyes kept flickering across to the display in front of her, she couldn¡¯t help but note that this was the most casually dressed she¡¯d ever seen the Controller.


    At the other end of the table, leaning so far back in her chair it might as well have been a bed, Ink was bored.


    The room fell into another concentrating quiet as the three girls tapped away at their laptops, frowning at their respective screens as they pondered the puzzle in front of them.


    Suddenly, Kross snapped her fingers and reached across the table, grabbing a seemingly random chunk of tech and wrangling some wires to connect it to her gear.


    ¡°I may have it¡­¡± She said softly, her slavic accent still strong through her quiet tone.


    ¡°FINALLY!¡± Ink grunted, the chair creaking under her as she pushed herself upright with her tentacles.


    ¡°Ah - no.¡± Kross cleared her throat nervously, purposely avoiding Ink¡¯s piercing gaze as the Controller¡¯s eyes fell on her. ¡°This is just us breaching the security. We still need to sift through the data. So we¡¯re not actually done yet.¡±


    The giantess sighed dramatically and immediately recoiled back on the chair, straight back into her resting position, staring up at the ceiling.


    A few seconds of furious typing later, and the server cube behind them softly bleeped. And with that, they all now had access.


    ¡°Fuck yes! Well done, Kross!¡± Leech went to clap but instead flung the lollipop out of her bindings, on account of her entire hand being missing. ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, I hate this fucking -¡±


    A quiet giggle from Mook broke her train of thought, and a scheming grin grew over the Controller''s face as she stared the dragoness down.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re going to laugh. You can go get my lollipop, bitch.¡±


    ¡°Awh, come on, Leech!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me puppet you.¡± Leech tutted, nodding towards the lolly.


    The Node did as she was asked - she knew better than to mess with Leech already - but made a point of huffing as she did so. She stood from her seat and swiftly fetched the treat from the floor. She ducked behind the bar and quickly ran it under one of the taps to wash it clean before returning it to Leech, who had been watching and grinning the entire time.


    ¡°Good girl.¡±


    Despite themselves, both Kross and Mook felt a shiver tremble down their spine at the Controller¡¯s words. But before too long, the group resettled on the task at hand.


    ¡°Right. What exactly are we looking at?¡± Leech mused aloud.


    ¡°Staff records, meeting minutes, some project work.¡±


    Leech¡¯s eyes drifted from the screen as she leaned back in her chair. As undeniably intelligent as she was, computer hacking and cyber security weren¡¯t really her forte, and she was struggling to remain focused. As if it wasn¡¯t difficult enough, Ink was not-so-subtly pushing her mountainous tits together and blatantly playing with them in a deliberately provocative manner, doing her damndest to steal Leech¡¯s attention.


    I get it, you lil¡¯ shit. You¡¯re bored and horny. But this would go much quicker if you¡¯d stop making the blood go to my dick instead of my brain!


    Despite the ever growing arousal in the room, Leech pushed on. ¡°Who was the cunt torturing Plasia, Mook? Let''s find his profile.¡±


    ¡°Scyler Kagvar. Piece of trash.¡± Mook spat, unable to contain her venom at just the mention of his name.


    ¡°Righteo, let''s look up the putrid pus pot, shall we?¡± Leech tapped on her laptop, a little slower than usual thanks to her missing limb, tilting her head slightly as his details popped up. ¡°Busy one, ain¡¯t he? Ugly fuck.¡± She pulled a face and fake dry-heaved as his official XITD portrait popped up on-screen. She quickly scrolled down the page. ¡°Let''s see¡­ He¡¯s a half-breed, fired from the RMD earlier this year, blah blah blah - wait wait wait! He was caught watching redacted material on work hours? What you reckon? Porn?¡±


    ¡°Definitely porn.¡± Kross nodded. ¡°I might be able to find what it was¡­ hold on¡­¡±


    ¡°WHY DO YOU CARE?!¡± Ink moaned loudly. ¡°WE¡¯RE WALKING PORN, WHO GIVES A SHIT?!¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s funny, you grumpy fuck. You know, you don¡¯t have to be here!¡± Leech snapped, her eyes purposely glued to her screen. ¡°I told you you¡¯d find this boring!¡±


    ¡°He was caught watching ¡®public sex¡¯ videos. Specifically sex at work.¡± Kross stated.


    ¡°Watching ¡®work sex¡¯ at work. Mhm. Subtle, isn¡¯t he?¡± Leech giggled, snorting quietly.


    ¡°Wait. They¡¯ve covered something up, he was caught watching something else too, but someone amended the record. Evangeline Caizer? I¡¯m guessing she was the boss?¡± She looked to Mook for clarification.


    Mook threw her head back in disgust. ¡°I swear to Chance, all the XITD¡¯s do is cover things up! They¡¯d cover up their own breakfast if they thought it would impact their lunch!¡±


    A sweet, if condescending smile grew over Leech¡¯s face, as she turned to face Mook directly.


    ¡°Well, that is just diddly-dandy! You little sweet pea!¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡±


    ¡°You''re just so, so cute¡­ Even when you''re angry and calling someone out, you''re cute! If anything, you''re even more cute when you''re angry.¡± There was admiration in her eyes but a mocking tone in her voice, the combination of which left Mook feeling both confused, and oddly aroused. ¡°Are you afraid of cursing, little Mook?¡±


    ¡°N-No! I just don¡¯t need to curse all the time! F-Fuck you! See!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m getting mixed signals now.¡± Leech laughed, and popped the lolly in her mouth. ¡°But I like the cut of your bacon.¡± She winked at Mook as her tongue rolled slowly around the sticky sweet, then leant back in the chair.


    ¡°Leech, there''s more.¡± Kross said softly from the other side of the table. ¡°This Scyler guy, his data¡­ there is a live connection.¡±


    ¡°A live connection? Live as in, we can directly connect to him?¡± Mook and Leech rolled over on their chairs towards Kross¡¯s screen, huddling around it.


    ¡°Look - We have access to his personal account, his live personal account.¡±


    ¡°What?! How?! The servers are completely disconnected!¡±


    ¡°WHO GIVES A FUCK! JUST LOOK AT IT!¡± Ink sighed loudly, her chair creaking under her as she lay even further back, her head mere centimetres from the ground now.


    ¡°Mhm, she¡¯s got a point. What we looking at?¡± Leech asked. The agitated flicking of Ink¡¯s tentacles caught her gaze, but she quickly snapped it back to Kross'' screen.


    ¡°It goes deeper- he¡¯s got a tunnel of his own.¡± Kross frowned. ¡°We¡¯re connected to him and he¡¯s connected to someone else. It looks like it was activated only a few hours ago. I don¡¯t understand how we have a live connection though. We¡¯re working from a disconnected server cube! He must have modified his gear...¡± She tapped across her keyboard, the room falling silent as all three of them stared intently at the screen. ¡°...Here we go. Someone in the ¡®Royal Military Division?¡¯ Commander Jace Koa?¡±


    Mook pushed in front of Kross, her eyes scanning the screen carefully as her heart pounded in her chest.


    ¡°T-That was the guy I was supposed to contact about Plasia!¡± She shuddered. ¡°Is he working with Scyler?! He asked me to get proof that Plasia existed and, well¡­¡± She gestured to herself dramatically.


    Kross accessed the tunnel and began scanning through the Commander¡¯s files. ¡°No correspondence was sent to your work C-add by this Koa. Looks like he never received your message either.¡±


    ¡°Commander Koa¡­ never received my message? Then who replied to me? It couldn''t have been¡­¡±


    A slight pang of guilt hit in the stomach as she thought of Theo, but she quickly shook her head, a rage re-enveloped her chest. ¡°Could it¡­ have been Scyler? I mean, he''s obviously hacked into the DA network -¡± She gestured to the laptop screen - ¡°C-Could he have found out, become suspicious¡­¡± Mook''s voice trailed off.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Leech interrupted, wrestling the mouse from Kross. She quickly navigated back to Scyler¡¯s profile again, doing a smaller fake dry-heave without even thinking as his portrait appeared. ¡°I recognise this slimy fucker! He was the one who infiltrated my lab back in the dungeon! My security footage was a little grainy, but that''s definitely him. And then he was on Barru X¡­ Plasia said that she changed after she put on the protective suit they forced her to wear...¡± Leech growled, feeling her own temper rise. ¡°He had my research notes. My samples. He knew about Plasia''s¡­ condition. Oh my god, the fucker targeted her.¡±


    The computer mouse began to creak under her tightening grip, and the laptop ¡®bu-duumed¡¯ in protest. Kross quickly disconnected the device and offered the cable to Leech, who promptly ripped it out of the poor thing and threw it across the room.


    ¡°Boohoo. Someone did something bad. Can we move on please? Lets just find him and rape him or whatever. Who cares? But not right now.¡± Ink huffed, as stiff as she was bored by this new revelation.


    ¡°Fuck it! Can you hide us from this Scyler git? This - this¡­ vomit-inducing¡­ ass-kissing¡­ paid-by -the-wank absolute fucking cuck.¡± Leech spat, completely ignoring Ink''s whining, and reaching for a second computer mouse to crunch. ¡°A-And keep the connection open?¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡± Kross responded calmly, only tapping a few keys this time. ¡°Done and done. We¡¯re invisible, so long as the tunnel stays open.¡±


    ¡°Good. I want to know everything this fucking drip is up to. I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s ordering a flat-packed girlfriend or a year¡¯s supply of boner pills, keep the line open and record everything.¡±


    ¡°Great! Can we go now?¡± Ink asked once again, kicking her legs back and forth.


    ¡°Ink, I swear on your dick-hole, button it. You can wait half-an-hour. We¡¯ll all go for a fuck soon.¡± Leech sighed, exasperated. ¡°God, you¡¯re such a brat when you¡¯re bored.¡± She muttered under her breath.


    Ink grumbled back, leaning somehow even further back in the chair, her tentacles pressing against the floor to keep her from falling completely.


    ¡°So, what''s the Koa guy about?¡± Leech continued, trying to temper her anger. ¡°Shall we have a poke around his messages? Wonder if he¡¯s been wanking on DA hours too.¡±


    Kross tapped on the laptop again and quickly brought up the Commander''s latest messages.


    ¡°Lots of messages here. Busy guy.¡± Kross noted. The sheer number of messages in Jace¡¯s inbox sent an uncomfortable shiver down her spine. ¡°At least he has it organised. Shall we start at the latest, maybe?¡±


    Leech shrugged and nodded, doing her best to keep her eyes on the screen and away from any further crunchable devices.


    ¡°According to his calendar, he had a court hearing just a few hours ago. Latest outgoing message is timed not too long after that. Something about the release of an indentured servant¡­¡±


    ¡°Politics? Bleugh. Boring. FINE! Ink, you win! Let''s go sate the urge for a few hours.¡±


    ¡°FINALLY!¡± Ink bolted up-right as if she had been possessed, the chair flying backwards behind her.


    ¡°You are in so much trouble for acting like a little twat this whole time, you understand? You -¡±


    ¡°- Leech!¡± Kross interrupted, tugging gently but firmly on Leech¡¯s hand as the Controller went to leave the table. ¡°You might want to read this.¡±


    Begrudgingly, the Controller turned her attention back to the laptop, the feisty grin on her face slowly fading as she took in the text on the screen. Her eyes narrowed as she leaned in towards the screen.


    ¡°What''s the hold up now?!¡± Ink demanded, already stroking herself in frustration.


    ¡°Kross! Change of plan, I need you to monitor EVERYTHING that comes through BOTH of those tunnels! Anything that comes through them, record it and notify me immediately.¡± Leech bolted upright, adjusting the waist on her jeans as she made for the exit. Her expression was thoughtful, but concerned. ¡° I-I need to go. There''s someone I need to talk to. FUCK!¡±


    *


    ¡°C''mon you twat, tighten that shit!¡± Leech grumbled to herself, her face pressed up against the window panel of the door. Her hand hovered over the door¡¯s release, ready to push it open the very second she could.


    She was peering into the medical bay, watching Plasia fasten a blacked-out gasmask to her face.


    ¡°C¡¯mon-c¡¯mon-c¡¯mon-c¡¯mon! Hustle, blueberry!¡±


    Plasia fumbled about with the mask for a few more seconds before feeling for a chair to sit in, and giving Leech¡¯s approximate location a thumbs-up through the glass.


    ¡°FINALLY!¡±


    The toxic Controller practically fell through the door in her haste. She waved at Plasia silently, double-checking that the girl couldn¡¯t see - or smell - her. As expected, Plasia didn''t react, her eyes and mouth completely shielded by the mask.


    ¡°You still you?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yup. Still me.¡± Plasia replied softly. ¡°Why did you want to meet up?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ There¡¯s something you need to know. About Diego.¡±


    ¡°D-Diego?¡± Plasia visibly sank in her chair at the mere mention of his name.


    ¡°Yeah. Um¡­¡± Leech scratched the back of her head and shuffled about on her feet. ¡°Well, he''s not dead!¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡± Plasia''s cry was muffled slightly by the gasmask, but the emotion behind it was obvious.


    ¡°Yep! Good news, muffin. You didn¡¯t kill him!¡±


    ¡°H-How can you possibly know that?!¡± Plasia snapped suddenly, her fingers clawing at her arms.


    ¡°Because we have a live connection to the DA network.¡± Leech eyed Plasia''s agitated hands, and the long pink streaks that were appearing on her skin. ¡°We¡¯re connected to a ¡®Commander Jace Koa,¡¯ and he¡¯s just ordered the declassification of Diego¡¯s auction profile, as of about two hours ago.¡± Leech watched as the girl''s body language immediately shifted, from stultifying self-hatred to a cautious curiosity. ¡°He was kidnapped on Barru X by the same people who attacked the dungeon. But he''s still alive. That I''m sure.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re absolutely sure?¡±


    ¡°Sure as I can be! The message literally references this place!¡± Leech gestured broadly to the room around them before rolling her eyes at herself. She¡¯s fucking blindfolded. ¡°Barru X! The time-line matches up and everything.¡± Leech nipped across the room and placed a hand on Plasia¡¯s shoulder, but quickly retracted it as the girl flinched violently at her touch.


    Not there quite yet, Leech.


    ¡°Fuck. Sorry! I don¡¯t mean to scare you.¡± Leech laughed nervously. ¡°But yeah, he¡¯s alive! You didn¡¯t kill him, Plas. The DA lied to you. We¡¯re monitoring the fuckers now, and if anything happens, I promise you''ll be the first to hear about it.¡±


    Plasia was silent, save for the sound of her breath, whistling through the mask¡¯s filters. Leech watched her closely as, slowly, her shoulders straightened out, and an overflowing feeling of relief washed through the room. Her chest began to shudder as she sobbed into the black mask.


    ¡°You uh¡­ you let it out.¡± Leech cleared her throat, and took a step away from the weeping girl. ¡°I just thought you ought to know, and from me. Didn¡¯t feel right dropping that on you through a call or a message.¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you! I don¡¯t even - I don¡¯t know what to say! I just¡­ Oh my god¡­¡± Plasia collapsed back in the chair, letting her head hang over the back, as if a great weight had been taken off her shoulders. Her chest felt¡­ clear. For the first time in months, beyond the torture and hell she¡¯d been through¡­ this was it. Her head swam with so many thoughts and emotions, it was impossible to pick and identify any one of them.


    Well, maybe, just maybe¡­ there was hope.


    But her moment of respite was not to last. Plasia''s mind was quickly snapped back into focus as, within the darkness of the mask, she could feel a rising heat.


    Suddenly, the doors slid open again and a thudding, heavy, hot presence entered the room.


    ¡°No! She¡¯s not ready! S-She¡¯s still recovering - ¡± Leech¡¯s stammer was cut off as a sudden crash sounded around the room. Plasia flinched and scrambled to her feet as a familiar tightness squeezed her chest. A tightness that long predated the DA¡­


    ¡°Enough, Leech!¡± Moltezz snarled, the room flushing with a dry, angry heat. ¡°I don¡¯t tell you how to run a lab. Do not tell me how to discipline a traitor.¡±

 Chapter 22 - Revelation

    ¡°She¡¯s not ready. Pah. Fucking pathetic.¡±


    A strong hand wrenched the gasmask off of Plasia¡¯s face. The hard rubber seal dug across her cheeks as the mask scraped her skin. She hadn¡¯t loosened the straps, but the Molten Mistress refused to forgo her grip; they caught and tangled in her dreadlocks, stinging furiously and pulling at the back of her head, before finally threading through. She threw the mask down with such force that the blacked-out lenses cracked as it hit the floor.


    Plasia blinked the tears out of her eyes and looked around, trying to orientate herself. All she could tell was that they were no longer in the medical bay, when out of the corner of her eye, a flash of red came down and struck her.


    *SMACK*


    And there it was. That searing pain. The stinging, creeping pain that oozed deep across her skin, that she¡¯d become rather accustomed to over the last six months.


    The realisation surprised her. The pain¡­ It didn¡¯t quite hurt as much as it used to.


    ¡°March! Left!¡±


    Plasia hobbled with all the might she could muster as she obeyed Moltezz''s orders, and stumbled deeper into the space station.


    ¡°Funny. You seemed to be walking just fine before, strutting around my station, eating my food, enjoying the company of my council.¡± Moltezz¡¯s voice hissed loudly from behind her, right up against the side of Plasia¡¯s head. The heat coming off her breath made Plasia shiver.


    Moltezz strode confidently, towering over the smaller, trembling czarite, her skin shimmering with fury. Her face was steeled and serious, her glare firmly fixed on the back of Plasia¡¯s head. She was wearing a deeply revealing corset that clung to her curves and muscles, the leather straining desperately to keep everything in place.


    M-Maybe she was in the middle of something, before¡­ This is bad. This is really bad. Plasia jumped as Moltezz suddenly barked her next order:


    ¡°Right! Through the curtain!¡±


    Plasia shuffled towards the pair of heavy, sweeping curtains, and peeked through the gap. On the other side, Moltezz¡¯s chamber awaited her, in all its steamy, sexual glory. Her grand, metallic throne faced towards them from the back of the room. Dotted around the room were piles of lacey cushions, rigid bondage stands, and black racks lined with leather and rope restraints. The sweet taste of sweat and sex landed on Plasia¡¯s tongue as it flickered cautiously between her lips, but the room was currently empty.


    A strong, hot shove from behind sent her skittering into the room, barely able to stay upright as Moltezz thudded in after her. They seemed to have entered through a side door - Plasia could see the main entrance on the opposite wall, two large, grand metal doors, with an identical set of curtains at either side. As she made to right herself, she cast a nervous glance over towards Moltezz¡¯s bed. If the rest of the hall was the audience, then the Mistress¡¯ bed was the climax of the room. A silken masterpiece of soft crimson bedding and pillows, supported by solid black steel bed posts that rose nearly high enough to touch the ceiling, it was a combination of plush love and solid strength, much like the Mistress herself. A familiar feeling of dread coursed through her stomach and down her legs, and she clenched. Moltezz however, didn¡¯t seem all that interested in resuming her concubine play, at least, not at the moment.


    Moltezz raised her hand, as to strike Plasia across the face with the back of her hand. But Plasia did not cower away or even flinch. She continued to steady herself, and stood as tall as she could in the face of her abuser. Moltezz¡¯s eyes narrowed as she witnessed a flicker of determination in the girl''s eyes, and paused her strike.


    ¡°Do it! I don¡¯t care anymore!¡± For all the trembling in her voice, Plasia¡¯s cry came out loud and strong. ¡°You don¡¯t f-frighten me! Why don¡¯t you whip and tear at my legs while you''re at it, like you did with Seeth! It¡¯ll be even easier for you this time, I¡¯ve only got the one!¡± A half sob, half manic-laugh hiccuped its way out of Plasia¡¯s mouth. ¡°But you¡¯re wasting your time! The pain doesn¡¯t bother me anymore! The DA saw to that!¡± Fear-fueled adrenaline surged through her. Plasia¡¯s heart pounded in her chest, her limbs quivered, but she stood her shaky ground all the same.


    A tense silence filled the chamber as the two Controllers stared each-other down. Something changed in Moltezz¡¯s expression, her eyes softened, and filled for a moment, almost with sadness, before -


    *SMACK*


    She continued her strike and slapped Plasia right across her face, sending the girl stumbling backwards. There was no time for Plasia to regain her footing this time, before Moltezz was on top of her, hand around her neck, and slamming her head straight into the wall. Plasia struck the wall with such force, that a heavy metal panel fell free of its plating. With Moltezz¡¯s other hand, she slammed a heavy punch into her stomach.


    Dazed and gasping for breath, Plasia hunched over, only to feel two heavy fists suddenly slam into her back. She crashed against the floor, landing painfully on her stomach, barely able to catch her breath before Moltezz mounted over her, pushing a strong foot squarely on her back, pushing the air out of her lungs, digging her sharp heel into the soft curves of Plasia¡¯s body.


    ¡°W-What are you doing?!¡± Plasia cried out, scrambling to get up, tears streaming down her face.


    ¡°I thought pain didn¡¯t bother you anymore? Aren¡¯t I wasting my time?!¡± The Mistress leaned over and grabbed two thick handfuls of Plasia¡¯s jelly dreadlocks, and in one, agonising pull, ripped two huge chunks of her dreadlocks loose from her head. Plasia screamed. But there was no one to hear her, no one to save her this time.


    ¡°Traitor!¡± Moltezz growled. ¡°You¡¯re a sorry, miserable sack of traitorous slime, and if I can¡¯t control you anymore, then my options are unfortunately limited.¡± She stood over Plasia and, unable to contain her anger, kicked the czarite in the ribs. ¡°Get up!¡±


    Plasia did as she was told, slowly pushing herself up, onto her forearms first, wheezing painfully as both tears and thick blue ooze ran down her face, dribbling down from the torn patches on her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s become quite obvious to me that this¡­ half of you cannot be trusted. Not only are you weak, but you are dangerous, a liability. And a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.¡± As Plasia finally finished pushing herself up onto her feet, Moltezz¡¯s hand clamped around her throat and pinned her to the wall, squeezing her throat tightly. ¡°You have compromised us.¡± She hissed. ¡°Because of you, the DA now know about us, and our gift. Because of you, we had to launch a rescue mission into their borders, and risk everyone''s lives!¡±


    The hand around her throat began to warm. A fresh surge of fear coursed through Plasia¡¯s already pounding heart as the heat around her throat quickly intensified, from pleasant and soothing to hot and stinging in mere moments. Plasia struggled in Moltezz¡¯s grip, writhing and twisting her neck desperately, which only caused Moltezz¡¯s scowl to intensify further, as she grit her teeth and pressed her face right up against Plasia¡¯s.


    ¡°BECAUSE OF YOU, OUR ENEMIES HAVE THE ADVANTAGE! ALL OF THIS IS BECAUSE OF YOU! YOU LET DIEGO ESCAPE FROM THE DUNGEON - NO - NO! YOU AIDED HIM! YOU STOPPED THE NODES AND SLAVES FROM DOING THEIR JOB!¡±


    The smell of burning flesh filled the room. Plasia desperately clawed at Moltezz¡¯s hands, but she couldn¡¯t shake her grip.


    ¡°YOU CAUSED ALL OF THIS! FUCKING TRAITOR! BECAUSE OF YOU, I LOST MY PRINCE!¡±


    Moltezz suddenly released her grip, dropping Plasia to the floor. She turned and screamed bloody murder into the chamber, and launched two massive fireballs at the ceiling, shaking the entire space station. Plasia collapsed to the floor, fighting for her life as the scolded flesh on her neck reacted with the hot, dry air. She could barely think, barely breathe, even the smallest movement sent excruciating spasms of pains all throughout her body. Not that Plasia had much time to act, or even think, before Moltezz came stomping back over to her, something silver clasped in her hands.


    S-She¡¯s going to kill me¡­


    A sudden coldness washed over her as the Mistress dumped a bucket of water onto her head and neck, most of it immediately hissing and evaporating into the air as it made contact with Plasia¡¯s torched skin. Then, she chucked the bucket across the room behind her and kneeled over her victim.


    ¡°And now, I find you conspiring against me, weaving you little lies into the minds of my Controllers, twisting them, corrupting them away from my cause. So, what am I to do, Plasia? With a girl who refuses to bend to my will? That cannot be trusted to exist by her lonesome? Either, your other half takes over permanently¡­ The bright white halos of Moltezz¡¯s eyes intensified menacingly. ¡°Or you die, here, together. Those are the only options I see. Which will it be?¡±


    Plasia coughed and spluttered, desperately clutching at her burnt throat, but her terrified gaze never once left Moltezz¡¯s eyes. She couldn¡¯t even begin to search for an answer. And her silence only seemed to further enrage the Mistress.


    ¡°Get up.¡± Moltezz spat.


    Plasia¡¯s shaking body lurched and fumbled weakly, desperately trying to find enough strength to stand.


    ¡°I SAID GET UP!¡± Moltezz roared, driving several more strong, painful kicks into Plasia¡¯s stomach. Her kicks turned into enraged stomps as Moltezz brought her heel down repeatedly onto Plasia¡¯s thighs. ¡°I WILL FUCKING END YOU NOW IF YOU DON¡¯T MOVE!¡±


    Her boot crunched over and over again onto Plasia¡¯s trembling frame. Her jaw. Her hip. Her breasts. Her ribs. Every stomp rattled her brain against her skull. Amidst the violent shaking, one single, coherent thought reverberated around the chaos and fear in her mind.


    I¡¯m going to die.


    But she wasn¡¯t ready to go just yet. As Moltezz¡¯s onslaught finally ceased, Plasia weakly pushed herself back up again, spitting blood and a tooth out of her mouth. Moltezz growled with every breath she took, standing over the girl, threatening to lash out again at any moment. Plasia eventually made it to her feet, standing like a teddy bear hung up by wire. Her arms hunched over in front of her, barely able to raise her head up, to look at Moltezz.


    But she did.


    A horrifying feeling of finality hovered over her, like a blood drenched cape. Everything she¡¯d gone through, everything she¡¯d overcome, only for fate to bring her back here, and die. Burnt and stomped out of existence by a woman that had only ever sought to break her, and take pleasure in her cruelty. There was something so maddeningly unfair about it. Well. If this was where she was going to die, she wasn¡¯t going to die quietly. From bruised and bloodied lips, Plasia¡¯s voice crackled and croaked as she spoke up to the Controller.


    ¡°Why¡­ are you¡­ so angry¡­?¡±


    Moltezz craned her neck, squinting her eyes in confusion and disbelief.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You have¡­ everything you could ever¡­ want.¡± Plasia wheezed. ¡°You have¡­ your kingdom. Your people, who adore you¡­ You have more M-Marks than you could ever need. I am nothing next to you.¡±


    ¡°My Marks? Pfft!¡± For a moment, Moltezz actually laughed. ¡°Please. You think I am satisfied by a few dozen varlets? Hardly.¡± Her eyes narrowed again. ¡°You honestly think that this is enough to fill my needs? Yes, my kingdom is growing, but a kingdom is nothing without its prince to protect it.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t understand!¡± Plasia cried desperately, tears rolling down her cut and bruised face. ¡°Who is your prince?!¡±


    ¡°Who is my prince?! Did the DA remove your brain along with your leg?! It''s Diego, Plasia!¡±


    Despite her bruised eyelids, Plasia could see the maddening lust in Moltezz¡¯s eyes, at the mere mention of his name.


    ¡°Is that¡­ Is that why you followed us here, to Barru X?! For Diego?!¡±


    ¡°OF COURSE IT WAS! DO YOU HONESTLY THINK I¡¯D GO OUT OF MY WAY JUST TO REPRIMAND YOUR SORRY ASS?!¡± Moltezz¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply as she began to pace around Plasia threateningly. ¡°You¡­ You had one, last potential use, to tell me where he was when we got you out of that research facility! And you couldn¡¯t even do that! Moltezz launched another fireball, this one at Plasia who just managed to duck beneath it as it shot over her head, before splattering against the far wall.


    What Moltezz was feeling¡­ It was more than lust. As dangerous as her feelings were for him, she seemed to be as enamoured with him as she and Seeth were.


    ¡°But t-that¡¯s not fair!¡± Plasia held her ground standing limp and awkward on her prosthetic. ¡°Why are you punishing me for falling for him, when you¡¯ve done exactly the same thing! You¡¯re calling me a traitor for loving the same man as you!¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am.¡± Surprisingly, Moltezz seemed to take the retort quite calmly, which only set Plasia further on edge, following Moltezz¡¯s furious outburst. ¡°Diego offered to take his place by my side, you know. He was going to leave you, and Seeth, for me.¡± Moltezz grinned as she watched her words take effect on Plasia¡¯s already broken person. ¡°Unfortunately, there were a few too many terms and conditions to his offer, he wanted me to give up my empire -¡± Moltezz raised her arms around her as she spoke - ¡°but I refused. Why should I, when I could just have both? Although I will say, Diego has proven himself to be¡­ a little harder to catch than I would have liked.¡± Her eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°But that¡¯s all part of the fun, I suppose! Between you and me, Plasia, I think he¡¯s going to come to me, by his own volition.¡± She grinned again. ¡°That man has something dark lurking beneath the surface. Something powerful. I can feel it. All he needs is the right touch to unlock all that potential he¡¯s hiding.¡±


    Plasia¡¯s mind suddenly shot back, to all those months ago. His dream¡­ She still didn¡¯t know what it meant, but that darkness Moltezz had seen in him¡­ Plasia would be lying if she said she hadn¡¯t picked up on it too.


    Moltezz picked up on Plasia¡¯s brief hesitation immediately. ¡°You do know something.¡± She surged at Plasia, snatching up her throat once more and pushing her back against the wall. ¡°Spit it out, and maybe you can leave this room alive. Maybe.¡±


    ¡°I-I-I¡­ I don¡¯t really know! D-Diego had a dream! I don¡¯t know what it was! I don¡¯t know how I entered it!¡± A panicked cry escaped Plasia¡¯s lips as Moltezz squeezed her tightly. ¡°H-He was standing on a beach! He was surrounded by corpses of himself washing up on the shore! T-There was a bright light in the sky! I thought it was a star, but I think it might have been an explosion or something! Please! Moltezz! That''s all I know!¡±


    Plasia¡¯s heart thudded in her chest, surging with fresh adrenaline, as the Mistress stared her down in silence. Just as her grip hardened to steel around her wind-pipe¡­ she released it.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling the truth. Out of fear, might I add, but telling the truth nonetheless.¡± Moltezz turned away, scratching her chin thoughtfully. Her gaze suddenly softened as she glanced back at Plasia, a hint of sadness in her voice. ¡°You entered a dream? Bah! You know, you could have been so powerful, Plasia, if Leech had fucked you properly. A Dream Walker¡­ could you do that before she changed you?¡±


    ¡°N-No, I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Plasia stammered.


    ¡°You could have been invaluable to us, Plasia. You sent a neuro-message across hundreds of light-years of space, to thousands of Nodes and Slaves. Do you have any idea how much power it must have taken you to do that? You made every Node on the station collapse. At your full potential, you might even rival me... But it matters not.¡± Moltezz sighed, quite genuinely. ¡°You¡¯re this¡­ broken thing instead. Barely whole. Weak. Lost. Unable to commit to anything but survival. How utterly mediocre. No wonder Leech feels so sorry for you.¡± She sighed again, pausing for a moment before refocusing on what Plasia had revealed. ¡°So, you said in this dream¡­ he was surrounded by corpses of¡­ himself?¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Moltezz¡¯s comments had taken Plasia off-guard. Of all the things she¡¯d said to her during their time together, this was new. Never once had Moltezz acknowledged any form of strength in her, even if she did end her comments in her usual, disregarding manner.¡°Y-Yes. There was one on the beach, more of them in the water. I don¡¯t know how many but I started seeing them everywhere just as the dream ended.¡±


    ¡°How interesting¡­ What could it mean?¡± Moltezz remained deep in thought, her back now completely turned to Plasia. The broken girl was desperately racking her brain for any way out of this place. Although Moltezz had calmed down, for now, she could feel another rage-induced beating coming any minute now. To her side, the heavy metal plate, lodged free by her own face just minutes ago, caught her eye¡­


    ¡°Could it have been a fiction..? Tell me, did the dream feel real? Could you feel the environment, or did everything feel blurry and muted?¡± Moltezz questioned, standing confidently.


    ¡°I could feel it. I felt the sand under my feet and wind in the air¡­ It was bitter.¡±


    ¡°Then it was real¡­ That was a memory he was dreaming about. But how? He¡¯s not a clone, or at least he doesn¡¯t look or smell like one, and he looks like a normal coralith komodo¡­ How were there corpses of him? You¡¯re certain?¡±


    ¡°One hundred percent. It was him!¡± Plasia replied desperately.


    A tense, uneasy silence played out once more as Moltezz pondered what Plasia had revealed. For a moment, there was reprieve, peace in the chamber.


    But it lasted only a few precious seconds before the air began to warm threateningly again, and Plasia swallowed harshly down her burnt throat.


    ¡°You entered his dream?¡± Moltezz asked, dangerously quiet.


    ¡°Y-Yeah. I don¡¯t know how he did it.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t. You did. Dream Walkers can only enter other people''s dreams, they can¡¯t invite people into their own.¡± Moltezz¡¯s hand suddenly twitched as the realisation hit her, and a lick of flame erupted over her fingers. ¡°You Dream-Walked with him¡­ which means you slept with him.¡±


    A fresh surge of panic threatened to swallow the czarite. Her eyes pinged between the metal plate, and the back of Moltezz¡¯s head.


    ¡°You¡­ You were sleeping with MY PRINCE?! A creature like you? A slobbering little baby like you? A man like him?! Disgusting.¡± Moltezz¡¯s hands started to tremble with fury. ¡°You¡¯re not fit to be his concubine, you pathetic fucking SKANK! When he¡¯s finally had his taste of me, he¡¯ll see that.¡±


    It was now or never.


    Aim through her, not at her!


    With all the might she could muster in her quaking arms, Plasia grabbed the plate off the floor and swung it at Moltezz¡¯s head, just as the Molten Mistress turned back to face her.


    *PANG*


    Plasia felt the vibration through her arms as she slammed the plate into the back of Moltezz¡¯s head. She immediately stumbled back, dropping the now sizably-dented plate to the floor with a clatter, and collapsed her hands over her eyes, terrified to face what she had done. After what felt like an age, but was actually a mere few seconds, Plasia peeped through the gaps in her fingers.


    Moltezz was still standing!


    Just as Plasia was about to collapse to her knees, to sob and beg for Moltezz to at least finish her quickly, the Molten Mistress¡­ suddenly leaned forward.


    Something wasn¡¯t right.


    The Controller swayed, threatening to fall at any moment, as though she were barely hanging on to consciousness.


    Plasia stood in a panicked silence, heart thumping in her chest like a ticking clock, with the bass of a war-drum. Before she could think to do anything, a roaring flame suddenly enveloped Moltezz¡¯s body, and she collapsed to the ground with an earth-shaking thump.


    For a long moment, Plasia didn¡¯t move. For all the heat in the chambers, she was frozen in place. Finally, finally though, her instincts kicked in.


    Run. RUN! I HAVE TO RUN, NOW!


    The metal around the mistress began to hiss fiercely and spark, turning a bright amber as the downed Controller began to sink through the floor.


    Plasia turned and legged it, towards the main door now, as fast as her broken and missing limbs could carry her. She pushed past the curtain and pulled at the door, when -


    Peeping through the crack, on the other side, were a pair of giant, orb-like eyes. Theirs were remarkably similar in shape and size, only the stranger¡¯s wore a fierce yellow hue, as opposed to Plasia¡¯s brilliant electric blue.


    The Controller stood a little ways in the corridor, her murky brown skin blended almost perfectly with the shadows. Long tentacles protruding from her back smothered black slime against the graffitied walls, as though they offended her.


    Plasia waited, unable to move. Waited for the Controller to surge across the gap between them and wrap her tentacles around her already damaged neck. But she didn¡¯t. Slowly, the other Controller cocked her head slightly, as though thinking¡­ and then, a sharp, toothy, insane grin rippled across her otherwise pretty face. It grew wider and longer by the second, as though she had just witnessed one of the greatest moments of her entire life.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be running?¡± She cackled, her smile now ear to ear, practically euphoric.


    RUNNING, RUNNING, YES, RUN!


    With all her might, Plasia pushed through the curtain and past the Controller, her heart pounding in her chest, her prosthetic leg barely clinging on to her bruised body as she hobbled her way down the corridors of Barru X, frantically looking for her escape.


    I need a ship! I need the docks!


    But as she ran through identical corridors, which opened into identical rooms in identical buildings, she realised that she had absolutely no idea where she was going. She barely remembered what Barru X had looked like before the Rewritten took it over, never mind now.


    You can do this, Plasia! Come on! Use your head!


    Suddenly, an idea came to her. She might not have known the station layout very well¡­ but all the Nodes did.


    She opened her mind and scanned as quickly as she could through the minds of the Nodes in closest proximity to her. She clenched her eyes shut tightly as she raked through the memories of the Nodes closest to her. Vivid images of their everyday routines over the last six months flickered through her mind. They knew this place like the back of their hand, and now, so did she.


    The docking bay wasn¡¯t far, but quickly she threw herself down the seemingly endless maze of metal corridors as the intensifying hiss of melting metal behind her sent her into a fresh panic. She limped and struggled on with every ounce of strength she had.


    She staggered into the main lobby, where her, Seeth and Diego had first entered Barru X all those months ago¡­


    The Nodes all across the station were vaguely aware that something had happened in Moltezz¡¯s chambers. Plasia could feel their increasing concern like a prickle in the back of her mind, spreading throughout the station. Ahead of her, some of them poked their heads out of various shop doors, looking confused and concerned as the wounded Controller hopped past them.


    ¡°~Don¡¯t look at me! Stay away! Let me go!~¡±


    Suddenly, a blaring alarm filled the station, bathing the lobby in a harsh red light.


    The fire alarm.


    The Nodes around Plasia looked like they didn¡¯t quite know what to do. Some were concerned, others angry, others even went to reach for their weapons, or lunge at her, but they were all held back with one mere hierclastic command. With another thought, she sent them all back inside their respective buildings.


    Behind her, a commotion had started. As she glanced back, she watched as numerous Slaves and Nodes piled through the lobby towards Moltezz¡¯s chambers, carrying fire-fighting equipment between them. Anger surged through her body.


    One last act of defiance.


    Still hobbling towards the docks with all her might, she entered the minds of the Slaves and Nodes, rushing to their Queen¡¯s aid.


    They turned their hands on their own equipment, and tore it to pieces. Fire hoses were ripped apart. Fire extinguishers were prematurely fired.


    Barru X would survive. There were other Nodes - and of course Controllers, if it came to that - deeper in the station who could help. But these ones wouldn¡¯t. Moltezz didn¡¯t deserve that.


    Finally, the fire alarm still blaring loudly, Plasia reached the docking bay. Only a single Node stood guard, and as Plasia made to take control of her, she felt a sudden interference. Her heart leapt into her throat, fearing the absolute worst, but a wave of relief quickly washed over her as the voice that came through the Node¡¯s connection was a friendly one, albeit a little panicked.


    ¡°~Plasia?! What''s going on?! Moltezz has melted through four floors of the station! Are you okay?!~¡± Cherry asked urgently.


    ¡°~I did as you s-said! P-Punch through!~¡±


    ¡°~What do you mean?! Did you fight Moltezz?! Stop blocking the connection, let me see where you are!~¡±


    ¡°~I-I¡¯m at the docks.~¡± As Plasia ran towards the closest airlock with a ship inside, she loosened her hold on the hierclasty and gave Cherry access to the Node¡¯s senses. ¡°~I need to leave.~¡±


    ¡°~HOLY¡­ PLASIA, WHAT THE FUCK DID SHE DO TO YOU?!~¡± Plasia could feel Cherry¡¯s fury as it rippled through the Node¡¯s mind, making her shudder.


    ¡°~Moltezz is going to kill me, Cherry. I have to go¡­~¡±


    The prosthetic creaked loudly underneath her, barely holding on after all the action it had faced today. She crossed through the heavy airlock doors, and they shut heavily behind her. Just like that, the blaring alarm suddenly sounded miles away. She was alone in the metallic calmness of the ship¡¯s interior.


    ¡°~D-Do you want to come with me? I¡¯m leaving now.~¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a vessel that Plasia was familiar with, but it looked brand new, sleek and well-kept. Freshly restocked too, according to the Node¡¯s memories.


    ¡°~Cherry?~¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the biggest ship, but it was plenty large enough for her, and a few others. She quickly hobbled into the cockpit as the ship¡¯s engines purred beneath her foot, as if it were happy to have her on board.


    ¡°~Cherry, I¡¯m leaving now. If you and Plum and Bubblegum want to leave, you need to let me know right now because I''m leaving and - and¡­ I''m not coming back.~¡±


    She sat in the black leather of the ship''s pilot chair and waited, each passing second aching by in anticipation. The cool material against her back, which although felt soothing against her burnt skin, sent a feverish chill along her spine. Her heart hammered against her chest, caught firmly between absolute terror, and hope, until -


    ¡°~Plasia. Are you sure you can¡¯t stay? Maybe we can work something out with Moltezz together?~¡± Plum¡¯s voice was just as calming, and almost as convincing over the hierclasty as it was in the flesh. But this wasn¡¯t something Plasia could walk back.


    ¡°~No.~¡± Her mind wanted to continue explaining, like she owed them more. But there wasn''t the time now.


    Plasia felt a brief hesitation from the other side of the conversation. It was only a second, but it ached on painstakingly.


    ¡°~Then you should go.~¡± Plum¡¯s voice receded from the conversation, the stoic delivery of her words quickly giving way to sadness, even through the Node¡¯s mind. ¡°~Good luck, Plasia.~¡±


    ¡°~You''re stronger than you think you are, Plas. People can only walk over you if you let them, you''ve proved that. Just don''t forget it.~¡± Cherry sounded a little sad, a little angry, but also proud of her shy little protegee.


    ¡°I won''t¡­¡±


    Plasia blinked back a fresh wave of tears as she disconnected herself from the hierclasty. As she slowed her breathing and glanced over the numerous controls and flashing dials before her, trying to make sense of it all, she suddenly thought of Leech. Some small part of her wanted to speak to her before she left, but she couldn¡¯t figure out why¡­ She shook the thought to the back of her mind for now, it could be something to ponder later. Right now, there was no more time to waste.


    This ship was like nothing she¡¯d ever piloted before.


    The ship''s controls weren¡¯t ones she was familiar with, it wasn¡¯t like anything she¡¯d piloted before. But she knew how to get it to leave the station. She pressed firmly on the controls, feeling the vibration under her intensify.


    The ship disconnected from Barru X with a muted *clunk,* and Plasia felt the vibrations beneath intensify as the ship prepared for flight. Only moments later Plasia was off, accelerating into the dark expanse of space ahead of her. She gently tilted the controls but was surprised to feel the ship¡¯s trajectory remain locked, zooming in on an unknown location in the distance. Not that it mattered all that much. Anywhere was better than here. And as the cosmos whizzed past her, incandescent orbs streaking across her vision like shooting stars, and Barru X behind her became smaller and smaller, it hit her; she''d done it.


    She''d escaped. She''d escaped Moltezz.


    And now, she was alone.


    Alone, on a ship, she barely knew how to pilot.


    Half her leg was missing. Bruises and burns welted across her body from head to toe.


    Her throat was scorched, and it hurt just to swallow.


    And yet, the future had never looked brighter.


    *


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving?!¡± Leech pressed her fingers to her temples as she let out an exhausted, exasperated sigh. ¡°What the fuck is going on today? Why am I the only one here that¡¯s acting normal?! We¡¯ve got the Molten Monstrosity melting through half the station, Plasia¡¯s made off with the Radon, the Trio are nowhere to be found¡­ And know you¡¯re fucking leaving, too?!¡±


    Ink had slammed a large duffel bag onto one of the tables in the bar. It was full to the brim with clothes, equipment and food, and the Controller was glancing around quickly, for anything else that might be of use.


    ¡°Yes. But I¡¯m not, leaving leaving.¡± Ink dug her elbow into the top of the bag, and tugged at the zip. ¡°Look, I just think that it¡¯s time I go and sort out my old boss. I¡¯ve been meaning to do it for months, and, it¡­ just feels like a good time.¡± If Moltezz finds out I let Plasia go, she will fucking spitroast me. I just need to give her a couple of days to¡­ cool off. Ink stifled a smirk at her own joke, as she thought back to Moltezz, slowly melting through the floor. She¡¯s going to be so pissed.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t know where he is! That was the whole point, wait until we can pinpoint his location! Darkpaw¡¯s huge, Ink!¡± For all the frustration she was feeling in that moment, there was no hiding the hint of concern in Leech¡¯s voice.


    ¡°I have¡­ a rough idea. I can wing it from there.¡±


    ¡°...What¡¯s going on, Ink?¡±


    Ink glanced up as she swung the bag over her shoulder. Leech was watching her, with suspicion now.


    ¡°Not even an hour ago you were so insatiably horny, that you were jacking it literally over there -¡± She gestured towards Ink¡¯s now very bent chair.


    ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t want to fuck afterwards!¡±


    ¡°I was stressed! Moltezz caught me off-guard! And anyway, you disappeared to go after Moltezz, to give her ¡®a piece of your mind¡¯ or whatever, and suddenly here we are, you fucking off, Plasia gone, and Moltezz losing her shit, with a pint-sized lump on the back of her head to boot. Now tell me, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Ink glanced towards the main entrance, then back at Leech. She was trying desperately to hide her grin.


    ¡°Leech, it was brilliant -¡±


    Before Ink could continue, the sound of fast-paced, furious stomping started from outside, and it was getting closer as a certain someone approached the bar. Ink glanced this time at the back door, concern in her eyes, which didn¡¯t go unnoticed.


    ¡°- I¡¯ll tell you about it later!¡±


    And with that, Ink quickly slipped out the staff exit.


    ¡°Ink! Where are you going?! You owe me your holes! Fucker! UGH!¡± Leech slammed her fist on the table and braced herself for the oncoming inferno, then tilted her head at Mook and Kross, who were still sat towards the back of the bar. ¡°You two should clear out of here. Might get messy. Go find somewhere quiet to bang or something, you¡¯ve done alright today.¡± With her words, they both stood up and took their leave, following in Ink¡¯s steps. Mook couldn¡¯t help but glance back before the door swung shut, and watched as the Controller stood from her seat and moved into the middle of the room, back straight, facing the front door.


    Right on time, Moltezz stormed into the bar, her whole body trembling with fury. A thin trickle of blood ran down her carapace crown, and dripped down her forehead.


    She stared at Leech, then gestured angrily about the room.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, Leech, I do hope that the fire alarm wasn¡¯t interrupting your little study session! I¡¯m EVER SO GLAD to see that that traitor¡¯s escape, and theft of our fastest ship, didn¡¯t come between you and your fucking SPREADHSEETS!¡±


    ¡°The fuck was I gonna do, Moltezz?!¡± Leech protested, frowning sharply. ¡°I¡¯m on the other side of the station! I couldn¡¯t have beaten Plasia to the hanger, if I¡¯d left the second she went for you!¡±


    ¡°She DID NOT go for me!¡± Flames erupted suddenly from around Moltezz¡¯s fingers as she clenched her fists. ¡°She did not best me! SHE HAS NOT BEATEN ME!¡±


    ¡°You said you weren¡¯t gonna lose it with her, Moltezz. We agreed that Plasia was my responsibility.¡± Leech was trying to stay calm, stay confident in the face of Moltezz''s fury. She couldn''t allow herself to show weakness now, after all, they were supposed to be leading the Rewritten together. She may not have been as loud or as present as the self-coronated queen, but she worked just as damn-well hard as Moltezz did. She researched, she experimented, she learnt about their condition, trying desperately to understand what it was that they''d become. And when she wasn''t studying, she was inventing, weapons and gadgets and modifications for the Slaves, all towards the betterment of her cause. Sometimes the queen seemed to forget all that. But the longer Leech tried to stare the unwavering Controller down, the more she started to sweat, and every breath she took was hotter, and faster than the last. ¡°P-Punishment to fit to crime, you said! I saw what you did to her through the Nodes, the state she was in! You said Diego -¡±


    ¡°- ENOUGH!¡± Moltezz launched a fireball across the room, narrowly missing the server tower they¡¯d taken from the XITD space station. ¡°We¡­ lost¡­ fifty fucking slaves putting out that fire. But if I have to start another one, I will.¡± The halos of Moltezz¡¯s eyes were a brilliant, hot white, and they were locked on Leech. ¡°We lost the Radon, and we lost the best lead we had for finding Diego. For your own safety, please - PLEASE tell me you were doing something other than stuffing things into holes they don¡¯t belong! My respect for you only goes so far, Leech.¡±


    Leech felt a chill down her back, her skin tingling. The Molten Mistress was brimming with a seething fury, threatening to boil over at any second. Leech swallowed quietly, and opted to avoid pissing her off any further.


    ¡°I was, actually. I wasn¡¯t just jacking off with the girls up here. I have information for you.¡± Leech said, a bead of sweat dripping down her forehead.


    Their eyes remained fixed on one another. Moltezz approached her slowly, like a cat stalking a bird. Leech''s heart thumped in her chest, praying that the Mistress wouldn¡¯t turn her rage on her.


    ¡°I-I have a route to Diego.¡±


    Moltezz stopped in her tracks.


    ¡°Well¡­ sort of -¡±


    ¡°Spit it out! NOW!¡±


    Leech quickly detailed her and Kross¡¯s work, the backdoor they had into vital DA personnel, and most importantly, their lead on Diego.


    ¡°The DA have had your prince the whole time, Moltezz. We¡¯re just waiting on this Koa guy now. He¡¯s very recently ordered the decoding of auction data pertaining to your prince. As soon as we have that, we¡¯ll know what they¡¯ve done with him.¡±


    The Mistress¡¯s eyes were still locked onto Leech, fury visibly coursing through them in bright orange streaks. The toxic Controller watched her closely; her clenching jaw, her muscles twitching underneath her glistening skin, the faint clack of her teeth snapping together from behind her lips.


    ¡°Moltezz, you¡­ We can¡¯t just¡­¡± Leech thought carefully about her next words, her eyes fixed to Moltezz¡¯s furious frame. ¡°We will get Diego back. But we need to think about our next move. We can¡¯t just charge across the DA border again, they¡¯ll have reinforced the ever-living fuck out of it, approaching it in anything less than a battleship is suicide. And even a battleship would be suicide, just¡­ slower. We got lucky last time, they¡¯ll be ready for us now.¡±


    Suddenly, Leech felt a series of orders broadcasted through the hierclasty with utmost urgency.


    Dozens of Nodes dispatched to monitor the DA¡¯s border.


    Another group of Nodes, tasked with finding a replacement for the Radon, able to stealthily breach the border.


    A specialised team to prepare for an assault, when the time comes.


    And finally, fifty of Moltezz¡¯s favourite Marks, tied and bound in her chambers.


    The air in the bar billowed furiously, rushing around Moltezz in a torrent of achingly acrid heat, before settling suddenly, great clouds of steam floating gently up towards the ceiling.


    ¡°I will not lead you to your death, Leech. But when the time comes, I will need you. Finalise your Slave projects. I want them ready for combat by the end of the month.¡± The Mistress was still brimming with fury, but she seemed sated, at least at Leech. ¡°Do not fail me.¡±


    And with that, she turned and waltzed back out of the bar, a surge of flame rising up her legs with each long, deliberate step.


    At least she¡¯s not going to get me killed charging into the DA border¡­


    Leech breathed a sigh of relief and slumped back down in her chair, wiping her forehead dramatically. She sat there for a few, long seconds, eyes shut, coming down from her quite possibly near-death experience, as the room around her slowly started to cool. However, the longer she was left alone with her thoughts, the more her own anger started to rise.


    I thought we were equals in this, Moltezz. Equals. You said we were a democracy, that we all carried weight¡­ Her mind suddenly flashed; anxiety, confusion and rage spiked in her chest as she stumbled about on her new, long legs, and gripped at the walls of the dungeon with her new, destructive hands. Moltezz stood beside her - she could still feel the warmth radiating from her body - in between her and Seeth, her hands gripping both of their shoulders as she gushed excitedly about the kingdom they were going to build, the three of them, together.


    In what fucking way are we equals in this?!

 Chapter 23 - Beyond the Veil

    The pale morning sun peaked determinedly through the heavy grey clouds that draped across the sky, thin rays of light casting down and gracing the brilliant green grass below with its warmth. There was a slight, bitter breeze in the air, but not enough to chill, or cause any real discomfort. Karen strode across the field at the back of her mansion, with an excited spring in her step she was struggling to contain. She was dressed in riding gear, a dark pair of jodhpurs and high riding boots, and her hair was tied back in a long, tidy plait.


    Diego struggled along a few metres behind her. He was carrying two bulky brown saddle bags, and a large - suspiciously large - joint of meat. At the far end of the field, Diego eyed the large stable that  they were quickly approaching, warily. Diego of course had seen the warshee - it was quite hard to miss one - when he''d been let out in the field, but so far, he''d managed to get away with not having to go anywhere near it. He''d assumed that Karen had her own stable staff, not that he¡¯d ever seen anyone else in the house, and it safe to say that Diego wasn''t at all thrilled that he was going there now.


    Karen pushed open the large wooden doors and opened the stable door wide so that Diego could enter easily, and quickly clopped her way across the large, airy open space inside, lined with a smooth cobblestone flooring, towards the stall itself which housed the warshee.


    ¡°You can place the bags down over there, Diego.¡± Karen said softly over her shoulder, gesturing towards the far corner, where all the warshee''s tack was immaculately kept. ¡°I want you to come and


    meet Maloch!¡±


    A warshee is a lizard-like species, a little crocodilian in its posture, in that its body and tail are very long, and its back very flat and straight. The warshee in question must have been at least thirty feet long and eight feet tall, as he straightened his legs and stared down at Diego, with large, suspecting eyes. He made a strange sound as Karen reached up and gently stroked down the bridge of his snout, resembling something between a hiss and a purr, vibrating deep from within his bulging throat.


    A warshee''s feet are a little more reptilian than crocodilian, with wide splayed feet. Coupled with its long legs, a warshee actually makes an excellent galloper, better than you''d probably give one credit for, considering their lumbering size. While most warshees are one or a mix of a dark shade of green, orange or brown, they can actually come in a wide variety of colours. In this instance, the warshee''s smooth scales and ridges were flexed with bright, beautiful sea greens and shining blues.


    In contrast to the crocodilian-like body, a warshee''s head actually resembles that more of a snake, long, round and smooth, forming a nice little tip at the end of its nose, with two long slashes for nostrils.


    The warshee was watching Diego curiously, cautiously. He had shifted his body so that he stood in between him and Karen, and now a verberating hiss was emanating from inside his chest, deep within his core. Diego eyed him back, narrowing his eyes and unconsciously puffing his chest out. As the warshee leaned in though, still hissing quietly, his forked tongue suddenly flicked out from his mouth, and tickling the top of Diego''s head, and Diego couldn''t help but stumble back. Karen laughed as the warshee shook his head like a dog with an itch and stepped backwards, then lowered his head down and towards Karen, who proceeded to scratch his chin.


    ¡°He''s decided you''re a friend, Diego! He says you''re safe, but he is judging you.¡± Karen had stopped laughing, but a light-hearted smirk still remained on her face. ¡°Maloch''s giving me the look right now. He''s saying, ¡®who''s this silly lizard that''s scared of a li''l ol¡¯ warshee like me?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Little?!¡± Diego glared across the stable at them, and couldn''t help but think that Karen might actually be right; there wasn¡¯t much emotion to be gauged from the warshee''s black, beady eyes, but there was definitely some attitude in the it''s demeanour. He swung his long crocodile tail gently across the stable, directly towards Diego, who had to jump out the way to avoid getting knocked over. ¡°He''s huge! His stable is bigger than most people''s houses!¡±


    ¡°Oh, don''t listen to him, Maloch.¡± Karen crooned and moved her hand, so she was scratching the warshee''s forehead instead. ¡°He''s just jealous of your beautiful long tail.¡± The warshee''s back foot started to thump against the ground as a deep, crackly purr rumbled from his belly. ¡°Yes, you like that don''t you, don''t you!¡±


    Diego watched the two in absolute bemusement. He''d never seen anyone act in such a way around a warshee before, nor seen a warshee act so¡­ calm. Although, what most bewildered him was Karen; he''d never ever seen act this way before. Although she obviously loved her petshees - they were well looked after and had entire rooms in her house dedicated to playthings for them - she''d never quite fussed or crooned or shown them this much affection.


    ¡°Diego! Maloch''s saddle is behind you, can you take it off the stand and pass it over to me, please?¡± Karen asked, still staring longingly into the warshee''s large dark eyes. There was something about them, they seemed so void and expansive and¡­ empty, that you could almost feel yourself get lost in them, if you stared for long enough¡­ ¡°Oh! And bring the meat joint with you as well!¡± As Diego turned to do as she asked, Karen straightened up and gazed out the open stable windows instead.


    As can be imagined, a warshee saddle is enormous, as to go over their enormous bodies, and heavy too. While resembling a typical riding saddle, a warshee saddle is made of thick, heavy leather with lots of padding to prevent the rider from chafing. It¡¯s quite a bulky piece of equipment, and a little complex too, with multiple sets long buckled straps to secure the saddle underneath the warshee''s soft belly, and straps to lock the rider''s thighs in place as well, whilst also allowing enough manoeuvrability for the rider''s calves and heels to guide the warshee, and flexibility for the rider to bounce in time with their mount''s lopping strides. It''s important that a rider ensures the straps are tight enough that they won''t come loose, but also isn''t too tight, and potentially hurt their warshee. The saddle itself also has quite a high back to it, to help position the rider and keep them comfortable; warshees are typically creatures of combat, used by the DA to carry their soldiers into battle, rather than being kept as pets, and the saddle''s high back helps to support the rider when firing their weapons, and stop them from lurching about too much when a steady shot can be the difference between life and death.


    At the front of the saddle, there are also a set of handlebars, which the rider can hold onto and lean over, a bit like a motorbike, if they wanted their warshee to break into a run.


    Karen sighed and stretched as she stared out across the field, back towards her mansion. Her leather boots creaked as she flexed and straightened her legs. ¡°It''s been such a long time since I''ve been able to take Maloch out for a proper ride. I''ve been so busy with work, I think we both could use a good runaround... And of course, I''ve got the ever-watchful eyes of my wonderful neighbour Fairylin. I swear, every time I step out my front door, she''s right there, watching my every move. The woman''s so nosy! She''s watching us right now!¡± Karen gestured towards where their two houses were. Without thinking, Diego stepped back into the doorway and peeked out; sure enough, he could actually make her out in the distance, Fairylin was standing at her juliet-balcony windows, and was staring directly at them.


    ¡°Diego!¡± Karen quickly ran over and pulled him back inside the stable, careful not to incriminate herself under Fairylin¡¯s gaze. ¡°Could you be any less subtle?!¡±


    ¡°Whatever do you mean?! I am nothing if not a man of subtlety, Karen!¡± Diego protested with a teasing pout.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Karen rolled her eyes at him, but couldn''t hide her small smile. ¡°She¡¯s just been getting on my nerves so much lately, I feel trapped. I can''t even go out and ride my own warshee.¡±


    ¡°If anyone could look down their nose at a warshee, I think it would be Fairylin.¡± Diego agreed.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ Saddle, Diego!¡± Karen suddenly barked, and snapped her fingers at him impatiently. Diego frowned - a frown Karen didn''t see, as she had turned her back, and was tending to the warshee once more - but he did as asked, and heaved the great saddle onto his shoulder and brought it over.


    ¡°Warshee''s can actually get a lot bigger than this, you know.¡± Karen continued, her demeanour shifting back as if she hadn¡¯t said anything at all. ¡°Big warshees, and I mean big warshees, can grow to be over a hundred feet in length!¡± Karen spoke excitedly as she started rubbing some sort of gel across the warshee''s belly.


    ¡°What''s that for?¡± Diego asked, gingerly holding out the saddle as best he could, without getting too close.


    ¡°Oh, it''s just to - Diego, I need you to come closer than that!¡± Karen laughed as she noticed Diego leaning across the stall''s half-wall towards her, but was still nowhere near her. ¡°Maloch won''t hurt you, the two of you are friends now.¡± However, Karen did cross the length of the stall, and took the saddle from him, and heaving it up in both of her hands. The warshee immediately crouched down low, and with a huff, Karen hauled it across his back.


    ¡°Good boy! Diego, can you put his food down for him, he''s such a good boy!¡±


    Although he wasn''t happy about it at all, Diego slowly picked up the slab of meat and, holding it in his arms, sidled towards the warshee''s mouth. The second he stepped into the warshee''s line of sight, he felt the creature''s gaze fall on him. His big black eyes seemed to stare right through him, and see everything. Diego swallowed as the warshee''s eyes narrowed, and a low hiss started from the back of his throat again.


    ¡°He, uh, doesn''t seem to like me very much.¡±


    ¡°Might help if you stopped teasing him with his breakfast!¡± Karen suggested cheerily.


    ¡°Oh! Right.¡± For god''s sake, pull yourself together, Diego! He quickly placed the meat down in front of the warshee''s waiting maw, and quickly jumped back as the creature''s mouth opened, revealing two rows of long, pointy teeth, and bit down onto the meat. He bit straight through the joint; the bone in the middle crunched as the warshee flexed its jaw and tore through it.


    Fuck that thing is strong.


    The warshee seemed content now that he had his breakfast, for the time being at least, however Diego could still feel that ever-watchful gaze on him.


    ¡°Now, where was I¡­ Oh yeah! The ointment, it just helps protect Maloch''s belly against leather-burn.¡± Karen explained, crouching down as she started to secure the straps underneath the warshee. ¡°Do you want to get those bags secured to the saddle?¡±


    Um, no, not really. But, obedient as ever, Diego did as he was asked with a stifled sigh, taking up the large leather pouches and edging his way around the warshee. ¡°Why do I have to do all this today? Don''t your stablehands usually help you with this sorta thing?¡±


    ¡°I don''t¡­ have any stablehands?¡± Karen glanced over at him quizzically.


    ¡°You¡­ Then who - do you clean him out yourself?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Karen replied. ¡°He''s my one break away from my incredibly boring and pompous reality. And besides, I don''t think I could trust anyone else looking after Maloch. He''s¡­ He''s important to me.¡± Karen grinned as she watched Diego shuffle closer to her, and the warshee, head down. ¡°Why are you so scared of warshees?¡± She asked, giggled slightly.


    ¡°I - I¡¯m not scared, Karen!¡± Diego retorted quickly. ¡°I just¡­¡± Diego racked his brains desperately. He didn''t really want to tell Karen that the only times he''d ever encountered a warshee, it had been when he was crunching a giant warhammer into the side of its head whilst trying to dodge their ferocious bite. God, that was such a long time ago now¡­ ¡°They¡¯re just, well, they¡¯re very protective, aren¡¯t they? Of their rider? I wouldn¡¯t want to upset him, make him think I was hurting you or something.¡±


    The warshee snorted then and bucked its head, as though he had understood everything Diego just said and was rolling his eyes.


    ¡°I think Maloch has already decided that you¡¯re not a threat.¡± Karen said with a smooth smile.


    Diego smiled back, slightly, and looked over at the warshee. It was true that he seemed calm and comfortable enough, yet¡­ He was definitely picking up on Diego¡¯s nervousness. And there was something in his stare, a curious sort of sadness in the creature''s eyes¡­


    You really can see right through me, can''t you?


    ¡°You are right though, Warshee¡¯s are very protective over their rider.¡± Karen said softly. ¡°Luckily for you, I¡¯m¡­ not technically his rider.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not?¡± Diego asked, cocking his head in confusion.


    ¡°No. Although me and Maloch have bonded now, his rider was actually my older brother.¡± Karen took a few steps forward, and stroked the warshee¡¯s snout gently with the back of her fingers. He hummed softly in response. ¡°My brother was part of the Karkshee Deployment and Maintenance division, specifically warshee training and breeding. I absolutely loved going to visit him at work, he used to take me out riding when I was small, and then he taught me how to ride by myself.¡± She smiled wistfully. She leant back against the stable gate and the warshee nuzzled gently against her stomach. ¡°That¡¯s where this boy¡¯s from!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s ex-military?¡± Diego asked, eyeing the warshee now even more cautiously than before.


    ¡°Erm, yes and no. He never actually saw combat, did you?¡± Karen rubbed the tips of her fingers underneath his chin. ¡°He was rented out to the RMD for military parades and the like - his bright colours made him a hit with the royals - but other than that, he was primarily for training and breeding. He was my brother¡¯s bonded warshee, see, and he was never really well enough to join any of the combat divisions, so there was no separating them.¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t well enough?¡± Diego placed the bags down and sidled over carefully and stood next to Karen, but was careful to keep her between him and the warshee, and not to turn his back on him.


    ¡°No¡­ He died a few years ago, medical complications.¡± Karen stared down at the warshee, her body angled away from Diego¡¯s. ¡° And warshee¡¯s bond for life, so, as you can imagine, Maloch here was inconsolable. He was so depressed, he wouldn¡¯t eat, sleep, you could barely get him to move, never mind fight. He was retired from the KDM, and my family wanted to just sell him off to the meat factory, ¡®we''ll get some use yet out of the useless brute, even if it''s just as pots of glue and tins of pedigree petshee chunks.¡¯¡± Karen¡¯s voice noticeably soured. ¡°So, I offered to buy him instead¡­ My parents made me pay three times the price the factories were offering.¡± Karen almost spat that last bit out. ¡°And, it¡¯s taken a long time, it¡¯s been a long rehabilitation process, but Maloch¡¯s doing so much better now!¡± Suddenly, she grabbed the warshee by the sides of his face and rubbed his cheeks. The warshee purred and his tail flicked up in the air in response. ¡°I think we get along quite well these days! Of course, he¡¯s not quite the same, he used to be such a mischievous little thing¡­ But we¡¯re getting there, aren¡¯t we Maloch.¡± She smiled again, and Diego couldn¡¯t help but smile with her. Karen had never been so open with him before, or so¡­ real.


    Karen seemed lost in her own thoughts for several long seconds before, suddenly, she excitedly said, ¡°y¡¯know, my brother named him Maloch after malachite, the mineral, because his scales are the same colour as the crystals.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool!¡± Diego replied genuinely. ¡°Do you know much about minerals then?¡±


    ¡°What, me? No.¡± Karen laughed. ¡°That was my brother¡¯s hobby. Although the pictures he showed me of some of them were so pretty, they were captivating. I feel like you could lose yourself just staring at some of them¡­ But no, I prefer animals to crystals.¡± Karen grinned. ¡°Did you know that warshee¡¯s can run up to ninety miles-per-hour?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t!¡± Diego laughed as the conversation suddenly veered. ¡°That¡¯s fast!¡±


    ¡°I know! It feels amazing to go that fast, high up on a warshee¡¯s back, you can¡¯t hear anything except for the wind, it¡¯s so loud that you can¡¯t even hear your own thoughts. It¡¯s so¡­ relaxing.¡± Suddenly, Karen¡¯s face blushed red in embarrassment, as though she¡¯d revealed too much. She moved away from Diego with an awkward laugh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I must be boring you! Listen to me, sprouting facts about warshees, and oversharing my family dramas.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine! You don¡¯t need to apologise!¡± Diego laughed. ¡°It¡¯s actually really nice to hear you talking about warshees¡­ You were so excited to introduce me to Maloch today, and you clearly have a passion for them.¡± Diego paused, thinking over his next words carefully. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you not stressed out about work, or your neighbours, or weird DA politics. It¡¯s nice to¡­ finally be around you.¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    At his words, Karen blushed even harder. She self-consciously brushed a few strands of hair in front of her face with her hand, trying to hide her heated complexion. And Diego couldn¡¯t help but admire her a little; although she suddenly looked shy, her face was absolutely beaming. And he liked that he¡¯d made her happy.


    Maybe a little too much¡­


    Diego¡¯s feelings around Karen had changed a lot in recent days. She wasn¡¯t quite the entitled, typical draconic snob that he¡¯s taken her to be at all, and seeing her like this, with her admittedly expensive but well-worn riding gear, and her rescued warshee¡­


    I¡­ don¡¯t really know who the DA are anymore, do I?


    ¡°Well, um, we ought to get going, really!¡± Karen said, trying to change the subject before she could embarrass herself any further. ¡°Maloch¡¯s been tamping for a good gallop!¡± With a gentle nudge to his side, she guided the warshee out of the stables and into the field. Diego followed a little behind them. The warshee settled into a crouch, his legs sticking out in such a way that Karen could use his knee to climb, and swing herself into the saddle with ease. As she busied herself, strapping her legs in place, she casually looked about, back towards the house.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look now, Diego - I SAID DON¡¯T LOOK!¡± She hissed as Diego - of course - started to glance around. ¡°But she¡¯s still watching us.¡±


    Diego and Karen stared at one another for a few long moments, before they both burst out laughing.


    ¡°Ha! Of course she is!¡± Diego chuckled. ¡°Well, you should get going before her eyes pop out of her head. Is there anything that needs doing about the place while you¡¯re gone?¡±


    Karen wiped a tear away from her eye and sighed contentedly as her laughter faded. Still smiling, she glanced down at him and cocked her head curiously.¡°Diego, you¡¯re coming with me?¡±


    ¡°WH-WHAT?!¡± Diego spluttered.


    ¡°Yeah! What, you think I need all this food for myself!¡± She gestured to the two large saddle bags, then offered him her hand.¡±I thought we¡¯d go for a little ride, stop for a picnic, then come home! Hop on behind me, there¡¯s plenty of room!¡±


    Diego visibly paled as he gawped at Karen¡¯s outstretched hand, but she didn¡¯t waver. The warshee, he quickly noticed, did not crouch for him, as Diego shakily took it, and she pulled him up.


    ¡°Wow, Diego!¡± She said, puffing slightly from the exertion. ¡°You¡¯ve definitely put on some weight! All good, of course! Probably muscle!¡± She added quickly. ¡°And you really needed to, you were so skinny when - uhh, anyway¡­¡± Luckily for Karen, Diego wasn¡¯t listening to her awkwards rambling. He slipped into the saddle behind Karen, eyes wide, his entire body as stiff as a plank of wood.


    ¡°Um, Diego, you might want to loosen up a little. It gets pretty bumpy.¡± She twisted round and tucked his legs into the straps, so that he was secure. ¡°I¡¯ll start slow, so you can get used to it. Can¡¯t go galloping off with Fairylin watching us anyway, she might have an aneurism.¡± Karen laughed, and nudged the warshee with her knees. He responded immediately, taking a heavy step forward. Diego jostled about in the back of the saddle, and the sudden movement refocused him.


    ¡°Wait, wait! Shouldn¡¯t we have helmets or something?¡± He asked desperately. Even though they were only walking, the warshee was large, and his long strides were quickly taking them out of Karen¡¯s estate.


    Karen glanced back at him, eyebrow raised. ¡°Diego. If you actually manage to fall off of a warshee¡­ Honestly, you kind of deserve to have your head smashed in!¡± She nudged the warshee again and he quickened his space, to the warshee equivalent of a trot. Diego lurched at the sudden increase in speed (which wasn¡¯t really that much) and threw his arms around Karen¡¯s waist. Karen¡¯s face immediately started to blush red again as she felt Diego gripping onto her. Diego''s face, on the other hand, was very much colouring the opposite way.


    ¡°What about reins?!¡± He shouted over the warshee¡¯s thundering footsteps. ¡°How do we steer?!¡±


    ¡°Hands-free! It¡¯s all in the legs, Diego!¡± Karen laughed in exaltation, raising her own arms up in the air, which only made Diego grip her tighter. She liked that.


    And as they reached the bottom of the hill and the estate disappeared behind them, with one final kick, Maloch broke into a gallop.


    They galloped through the lusciously green, freshly-watered fields. The late morning sun was warm on their backs, which would have felt amazing, coupled with the dew droplets splashing against their skin as the warshee thudded through the grass, except that Diego was far too preoccupied with not dying, to really enjoy the experience. His eyes were screwed tightly shut, his muzzle crammed firmly into Karen''s shoulder. As the warshee''s pounding steps slowly gained in speed, like a heavy beating drum, Diego could feel his heart rate increasing in time, his anxiety was growing and spreading through his stomach and up into his chest as jolting memories flashed before his eyelids, of shouting, gunshots, the sharp sliver of a sword being drawn followed by a thunderous roar -


    Karen could feel the tension in his body. She twisted her head, so that she could better be heard, and saw that his eyes were closed. Slightly hesitantly, she placed one of her hands on top of his tightly interlocked fingers.


    ¡°You''re safe, I promise! Open your eyes!¡±


    Although she had to almost shout to be heard over the warshee¡¯s rhythmic thumping and the racing wind, her words were genuine, caring, almost soothing, her voice draping over his flashbacks like a soft blanket. Hesitantly, Diego opened his eyes, just a crack, and blinked the blurriness away from having them closed so tightly for so long. He looked out at the rolling green fields, all around them. They looked like they could¡¯ve stretched on for hundreds of miles. Far off in the distance, he could make out small pockets of colourful towns, but they quickly disappeared from view as the warshee carried on his long, loping strides. Diego could feel the wind whipping through his hair - the soft spring sun wasn¡¯t doing much now to keep the two riders warm, they were going far too fast, and the wind was biting. It stung against his skin but actually, it felt wonderful. With the mildew too hitting his face, it was so refreshing. Slowly he adjusted himself, leaning away from Karen slightly, but his arms still remained tightly clasped around her torso. He could feel himself  relaxing as he took in the scenery and the serenity of it all, the crystal blue sky, the beautiful green fields. His body moved up and down with the warshee''s movements as he adapted to the rhythm. Karen felt him relax too, and her face broke out into a huge smile, that she was glad he couldn¡¯t see. She shouted something back to Diego, but the wind took her words.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Diego shouted, leaning back in towards her.


    ¡°I said, do you want to go faster?!¡±


    ¡°He can go faster than this?!¡± Diego shouted back in surprise.


    Karen laughed. ¡°Lean forward! With me!¡± Then she turned to face front, and slowly started to lean forward, lying low over the saddle until her stomach was practically flat against the warshee¡¯s back. Gently, she pulled Diego down with her. Diego''s stomach lurched as he suddenly felt the warshee speed up, those intrusive thoughts and flashbacks threatened his psyche at the edges of his mind, their shouts and cries teasing their way through his mind, when¡­ suddenly, he couldn¡¯t think of anything. The whistling wind screamed through his ears, and he could hear the sound of his heart beating inside his head, but that¡­ that was all. The voices had been silenced. Even the warshee''s footsteps had faded away.


    It was so¡­ freeing. The world whizzing past him, and he a mere passenger, with nothing but the sound of his own beating heart, and the roar of the wind against his ears.  He lifted his head slightly, just as Karen started to unfurl her pair of elegant golden wings. He knew that she couldn''t fly herself - if his memory was correct, a lot of the draconic species¡¯ couldn''t fly anymore. It was an ability that had become lost as technology advanced and wings had shrunk over lack of use, and were now more a cosmetic feature than anything else. As Karen¡¯s wings slowly uncurled themselves away from her back, Diego realised for the first time that her wingspan was actually quite impressive; tip to tip, they actually spread wider than the width of the warshee¡¯s thick torso. Almost immediately the wind caught them, and although she struggled to angle them correctly, angle them she eventually did, bracing into the wind. She laughed, a soft, ringing laughter that caught the wind and filled Diego''s ears momentarily, before it was rushed away, and lost to the world behind them. He felt so light, so burdenless, like he could just keep on going and going, and never have to stop for anyone, not even himself.


    Although he was still feeling some trepidation, Diego understood now, why these dragons, who may have lost their flight, but had certainly not lost the instinct, the desire, had taken to warshees so dearly. This, this must be how it feels, to see the world but not really be a part of it, to be beyond it¡­


    *


    Diego wasn''t sure how long they galloped for, but the sun was high in the sky when he did finally feel the warshee slow down. As his thundering steps came back into audio, so too did his heavy breaths, and even its heartbeat, thumping against Diego''s legs through his ribcage. Karen straightened up in the saddle and relaxed her wings - although she did not re-curl them. She flicked a stray strand of hair that had come away from her once-perfect plait out of her face, and gently nudged the warshee towards a little hilltop. There was a small cluster of trees atop the hill, and the tip of the hilltop looked out over the otherwise mostly flat or rolling land. The warshee finally slowed down to a walk as he heavily ascended the little slope, then stopped, beneath the shade of the biggest tree.


    Karen slipped out of the saddle and went to tend to her warshee, but Diego didn''t move. He couldn''t believe he''d actually ridden a warshee, and enjoyed it, for that matter! After years of finding himself exclusively on the receiving end of a warshee''s jaw, never in his wildest dreams did he ever see himself riding one. His heart was still pounding, but slowly the adrenaline started to fade from his system and the rest of the world came back into focus. His hearing was a little muffled, but he fiddled about with his ears, stretched his jaw and yawned, and his ears popped. Karen was talking.


    ¡°...Good boy, good boy¡­¡±


    ¡°Heh, thanks!¡± Diego turned his head towards her and scruffled at the back of his hair, with a big, proud grin on his face.


    Karen stared up at him. She was petting the warshee on the side of his large head, and held a large flask of water in her other hand, which she was slowly pouring into the warshee''s eager mouth. Her face was flushed from the wind, and her hair was dishevelled, and all in all she actually looked¡­ cute. But her expression was one of pure confusion. ¡°H-Huh?¡± She asked, trying to figure out if she''d misheard him.


    ¡°O-Oh.¡± Diego blushed as his stomach dropped and the realisation hit him, that he was not the good boy Karen was referring to. He could swear the actual good boy in question was staring at him, from the corner of his eye. There was very little emotion in those black empty orbs, but he could swear that the warshee was judging him.


    ¡°N-Nothing! Er, a-as you were, Karen!¡± Why in the flying fuck did I think she was talking to me?! Diego quickly tugged at the saddle straps that were holding him in place and wriggled himself loose, before swinging his leg over and leaping from the warshee''s back. Considering that this was his first warshee ride, Karen was actually quite impressed. She smiled, and blushed a little herself as she went back to petting the warshee.


    ¡°You get points for that dismount, Diego, but I am not going to pretend I didn''t hear that.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you''re talking about.¡± Diego quickly turned towards the remaining saddle bags and started to unbuckle them. ¡°Are we picnicking here, then?¡± He asked, very nonchalantly. ¡°Would you like me to set everything up while you tend to th¡­ Maloch?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if you would. That would be a¡­ a very good idea.¡±


    Diego didn''t look at her as he turned and took the saddle bags over towards the trees at the lip of the small hill, but he could hear the stifled giggle, and his cheeks burnt.


    *


    The view truly was beautiful. As far as the eye could see, there¡­ wasn''t really anything to see, and that was wonderful, just acres and acres of rolling green, soft fluffy clouds overhead, and small pockets of trees dotted around. Every now and then, when the sun glimmered off of its silver body and caught his eye Diego did catch a glimpse of one of the terraforming machines, going about its business and watering the fields in the distance.


    ¡°They must almost be done terraforming around here now.¡± Karen said as she followed Diego''s gaze. She munched on a cucumber sandwich, and covered her mouth with her hand as she spoke. ¡°Last I saw in the papers, this planet''s around ninety-eight percent complete now.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Diego replied politely.


    ¡°Yeah. It''ll be onto the next one then, to terraform and colonise.¡± She chuckled softly. ¡°With any luck it''ll be even nicer than this one, and Fairylin will bugger off there instead.¡±


    Diego almost choked on his sandwich as he stifled a laugh. That was the closest he''d heard Karen come to swearing before. He had to say, as he looked her over with her muddied jodhpurs from sitting in the damp grass, and her messy hair, her cheeks slightly pink still from being wind-chapped, and her wings still out, unfurled and relaxed, draped against the ground¡­ He much preferred this version of Karen to the snooty, posh party planner that strutted around her mansion, irritable and usually on the phone, to the cause of said irritability.


    ¡°Oh, your drink''s empty.¡± Diego said, noticing the empty glass beside her. He went to reach for a bottle of fruity cordial from one of the bags behind him.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh!¡±


    ¡°Would you like -¡± But as Diego turned back, he saw that Karen had already grabbed another bottle, and was pouring her glass herself. She didn''t even really seem to notice what she was doing. She took a sip from her glass and turned back to the landscape around then, the purple juice staining her lips.


    Diego smiled. Maybe it wasn''t this version of her he liked. Maybe it was the real her.


    ¡°I have to admit, Karen, I''ve enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would.¡± Diego said, filling his own glass instead.


    ¡°Good! I''m glad!¡± Karen replied genuinely, smiling across at him warmly. ¡°I told you there was nothing to be worried about, Maloch will look after us.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Diego looked over towards Maloch, who appeared to be napping in the shade after his run. Well deserved. ¡°What can I say, you were right. And this has been a nice change of pace from working in the house.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, tell me about it.¡± Karen sighed dramatically and slumped back against a tree. ¡°Diego, I swear all I do these days is cater for snobbier and snobbier people, and give in to their ridiculous demands! I had a couple a few weeks ago, I was doing an anniversary party for them, who wanted someone to sculpt their likeness in ice, so that they could use it as part of some decor for their punch bowl, of all the things. They are some really pretentious people out there, with more money than sense.¡± She took another sip from her glass.  ¡°Mmm! Entitled, too! They didn''t actually tell me that they wanted this ice sculpture until two days before the event! What am I supposed to do, snap my fingers and just make it appear out of thin air?! Absolute pair of pricks.¡± Karen laughed. ¡°And I have to laugh about it, or I''ll cry. This isn''t the life I thought I''d be living, Diego, catering to the pretentious masses.¡± She looked back longingly at Maloch, who was still sleeping peacefully.


    ¡°No, me neither¡­¡± Diego replied softly, staring down into his glass.


    She glanced back over at him, her mouth open as if to reply, but no sound came out. She looked away. There was an awkward pause then. Both of them felt it, and neither of them could look at one another. Karen fiddled with the buckle on her boot for a few moments, then cleared her throat loudly. ¡°Huh! Maybe I should have asked you for help with the ice sculpture! With all your psyonics, I''m sure you could''ve magicked something together!¡±


    ¡°Oh, no I don''t think I''d have been much help.¡± Diego said, forcing a laugh. ¡°I doubt I could''ve built them a snowman. I''ve never been particularly tidy, with my psyonics or otherwise.¡±


    ¡°You don''t say.¡± Karen murmured, eyeing his long straggly hair. Why Haven''t I taken him to get it cut yet¡­ And why do I kind of like it? She blinked then, and continued. ¡°Actually, I was wondering if we could talk about that. Your psyonics, I mean?¡±


    ¡°Yeah..? Any reason why?¡± Diego shifted uncomfortably.


    ¡°Well¡­ I mean, it''s obvious that the information I got from the EAL was wrong. They said that you had strong psyonics, but enough to break a suppression collar? They''re vetting process is clearly reliable.¡± She rolled her eyes, but leaned forward and smiled. ¡°It hit me Diego, after that happened that, well, I don''t know very much about you. And I''d like to get to know you!¡±


    ¡°Um, o-okay, sure.¡± He smiled faintly back at her. She seemed genuinely quite eager to talk to him, there was a curious gleam in her eyes that he felt bad about quenching. ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Well, where you grew up, your family, what you were doing before you, erm, came to me.¡± Karen said quickly. ¡°And your psyonics! I swear hardly anyone in the DA knows psyonics. Did you always have them?¡±


    ¡°I - Yes, I was always psyonically gifted.¡±


    ¡°When did you find out?¡± Karen asked eagerly.


    ¡°Oh I can''t remember, I think I was around seven or eight? Long time ago now.¡± Diego answered dismissively,with a casual flick of his hand.


    ¡°How old are you, if you don''t mind me asking?¡± Karen asked. ¡°I don''t know much about komodos, but I read online that you were an ageless species - oh, Is that weird, that I looked you up?¡± Karen laughed, a little embarrassed, and Diego laughed too.


    ¡°No, not at all. I would expect nothing less from something as prepared and organised as you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Karen said, smiling shyly. ¡°But that compliment isn''t strong enough for you to dodge the question. Spill! How old are you?¡± She cocked her head as Diego hesitated.


    ¡°Oh, um, I¡¯m not that old¡­¡±


    ¡°Can I guess?¡±


    ¡°Sure -¡±


    ¡°- One hundred?¡±


    Diego chuckled. ¡°No, not quite. Bit higher than that.¡±


    ¡°Higher?!¡± It was obvious in Karen''s face that she''d expected her guess to be a bit outlandish, but outlandish the other way. ¡°Two hundred?¡± She asked hesitantly.


    Diego shook his head, still smiling, and pointed his finger upwards.


    ¡°Three - five hundred?! Surely you''re not that old!¡± Karen gawped.


    ¡°Eh, that''s close enough.¡±


    ¡°Holy¡­ Wow, Diego.¡± Karen exhaled as she took in the man before her, seemingly in a new light now. ¡°Five hundred years old¡­ I can''t even begin to comprehend that!¡± She laughed nervously, almost as though she was a little¡­ intimidated by him now.


    ¡°I''m still the same guy, Karen, don''t worry.¡± Diego laughed. ¡°Age is just a number after all.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ suppose.¡± She wasn''t too sure why, but Karen suddenly blushed under his gaze. She glanced away, and tapped her nails gently against the side of her glass. ¡°S-So, were you always a nomad? Who taught you psyonics?¡±


    Diego hesitated for a few seconds, trying to figure out the best way to answer her question. He didn''t want to tell her too much¡­ but he didn''t want to lie either. Finally he sighed.


    ¡°I was actually born in the DA. I had a great psyonic teacher here.¡±


    ¡°Really?! You were born in the DA?!¡± Karen looked shocked. ¡°Wow. I thought these would be the simple, boring questions! Who knew that you were so full of secrets!¡±


    ¡°What can I say, I''m full of surprises.¡± Diego winked at her, and Karen blushed furiously. At her reaction, Diego''s smile slowly faded.


    What¡­ What am I doing? I have a girlfriend! Two girlfriends!


    ¡°But I''ve been a nomad for most of my life.¡± Diego quickly continued. ¡°Just travelling around, helping where I can, getting into trouble.¡± He laughed.


    ¡°By yourself?¡± Karen asked softly.


    ¡°Um, yeah! For the most part.¡±


    There was a sudden longing in Karen''s eyes. She looked over at Diego, intently, and opened her mouth as if to say something¡­ and then changed her mind. She settled back into the shelter of the shade of the tree, trying to hide the red in her face. She decided to change the subject back to something seemingly safer. ¡°So, growing up in the DA with psyonics¡­ You must have been talk of the town!¡±


    ¡°Hah! You don¡¯t know half of it.¡± Diego smiled, a little longingly, as he thought back. ¡°A coralith komodo, and a psyonic user? I couldn¡¯t go anywhere without somebody saying something. Although not all of it was good.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s just old DA politics, I wouldn¡¯t worry about it.¡± Diego said quickly. ¡°It didn¡¯t help that I was the only one in my family that had psyonics either, when I wasn¡¯t getting goggled at in the streets, I was getting ripped on by my brother.¡±


    ¡°Do you have many siblings?¡± Karen asked, smiling.


    ¡°Loads.¡± Diego laughed. ¡°Growing up, there were eight of us, not including our parents, in a pretty small house. Me and my younger brother shared a bedroom, and I used to come home, arms full of scrolls and tomes of different spells and runes I had to learn. He¡¯d give me such a death stare when I¡¯d come home from school!


    ¡°Although, to be fair to him, the poor kid couldn''t catch a break. I''d have to practise my psyonics at home too, and I''d be out in the garden, conjuring my first static bolts and shooting them at a metal target my dad had hammered into the lawn, and he''d glare down at me from the window, usually because he¡¯d been grounded for the fourth time that week, usually for throwing tomatoes at me and asking if that makes him special too. We had to stop buying tomatoes. He was a proper little mischief maker, always telling tall stories about someone, usually me, trying to get me in trouble¡­¡± Diego stopped then, his mouth still open, ready to continue his story. But his heart ached in his chest. He glanced up at Karen who was watching him intently, but with concern too as she saw his demeanour shift. He waited for the fire, the anger to arise in his chest, which usually did when he thought about his family¡­ But it didn''t. Instead, staring into Karen''s anxious eyes, he just felt¡­ sad, and felt tears prick in the corners of his own. He glanced away and blinked them back.


    Karen fidgeted slightly. She felt as though she¡¯d overstepped, but wasn¡¯t really sure how. She did know that she didn¡¯t want to end their conversation like this, though. She could see how upset he''d suddenly gotten, and although she was still curious, she didn''t ask anything else. Instead she said, softly, ¡°You know, when I was a kid, I was jealous of my big brother too.¡±


    Diego looked back at her, and she smiled gently. He smiled back too and, for a moment, the aching in his heart fluttered - just slightly - with something else.


    Then, Karen stood up, stretched her legs and flapped out her wings. ¡°Anyway, we should probably look at getting back. I''ll have Fairylin on the phone to the police or something if I''m out too long! She¡¯ll think you¡¯ve kidnapped me or something.¡± She gestured for Diego to start packing up the picnic supplies, and as he quickly busied himself, Karen walked gently over to Maloch, and rubbed his snout. He yawned loudly, and purred deeply upon waking to see his rider.


    ¡°Oh, Diego. If there''s still time later, would you mind popping out to town again? I''ve got some supplies that need picking up for our house party at the end of the week.¡±


    ¡°Is it this weekend? It feels like you''ve been planning that party forever.¡± Diego came over, grateful for the change in their conversation. He was still cautious of Maloch, but stood beside him with noticeably more confidence now, and placed the saddle bags down.


    ¡°You and me both!¡± Karen replied as she re-tightened Maloch''s saddle, and then helped Diego re-secure the bags. ¡°It''ll probably be the most important event of my career. I''m hosting some of the biggest investors, directors and executives from across the divisions! If I get this right¡­ Who knows? Maybe it''ll be us moving away from Fairylin.¡± Karen grinned as Maloch crouched down, and she pulled herself up. ¡°Ready to go?¡± She asked, hand held out, as before.


    Diego swallowed, feeling a fresh wave of anxiety which was now coupled with a very heavy belly-full of food, as he realised he''d have to ride Maloch back to Karen''s house. He did his best to push it down though, as he took Karen''s hand.


    ¡°Always.¡±

 Chapter 24 - Trade Secrets - Part 1

    ¡®Darkpaw has exceeded our estimations. We¡¯ll be sending a representative shortly to discuss with you in person the future of your company.¡¯


    The words on the screen before her spelt a death sentence for her entire company, her entire livelihood, ticking down one week at a time. Her eyes narrowed sharply as she read them once more.


    ¡®We look forward to meeting you - Signed, Enigma Inc.¡¯


    Fucking sharks.


    Zhali sighed and sat back in her chair, sinking into its soft, plush leather. She was a seven foot tall tigress, with the traditional orange and white colouration across her striped body. Her body, which was currently clad in a sleek black business suit, was in good shape for someone so busy, with a strong layer of muscle complimenting her soft curves. Her long, thick coal-black hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, however her shorter, side-swept bangs were not to be so easily tamed, and were left free to frame her pretty face, and sharp sea-green eyes. Despite her ¡®business¡¯ look and stress-worn expression, the glistening nose studs and bright pink claws on her hands showed that the CEO still took the time to look after herself, and most importantly, be herself.


    This day had been coming for quite some time, looming over the horizon like a bad omen. Darkpaw was growing in size and attracting attention from the greater powers at play. Enigma would get what they wanted, one way or another. They always did. Unless, Zhali could finish up her plan and snatch victory away from the ever closing jaws of the terra-corp. As large as Darkpaw was, a mega-corp was nothing compared to the heavy-weight bulls that were the terra-corps. Enigma were especially well-known for aggressively pursuing new talent to join their ever-growing hydra of a corp, and Darkpaw were now at the top of their list. The just shy of a million employees under Zhali would be swallowed into the hundreds of trillions within Enigma without so much as a second glance.


    She tapped quickly on the holo-buttons on her desk, securing a line to her lead engineer.


    ¡°Voxer? It''s me. Did you manage to fix the heat-pipe issues yesterday? Please tell me the cell is charged?¡±


    ¡°Certainly is, ma¡¯am.¡± Voxer replied in a strong, southern tone. ¡°We¡¯re just finishing up the renovations on the main quarters now. Engine and reactor are fully operational!¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness.¡± Zhali allowed herself a small sigh of relief, and relaxed her shoulders. ¡°How soon will it be able to move?¡±


    ¡°Can already. You say the word, we¡¯ll begin packing up and moving aboard.¡± Voxer confirmed confidently.


    A small chuckle escaped the tigress¡¯ black lips. ¡°You have¡­ no idea how relieved I am to hear that. I promise, it¡¯ll all be worth it.¡±


    ¡°Course it will, ma¡¯am. You¡¯re the boss!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Voxer. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re properly compensated for the overtime.¡±


    She cut the line and sat upright in her chair, glancing out of the thick tinted windows to her right. Carefully constructed scaffolding surrounded a shimmering outline of something, cloaked using Darkpaw''s own technology, a cloaking field being projected onto the structure. From a distance, the work might have looked humble, but up-close it was anything but, carefully protected by several guard posts all around, all on constant watch. Each guard post was hooked up to Darkpaw¡¯s main reactor via a thick black cable, strung through space carefully, casting the cloaking field over the project to keep it hidden from prying eyes. It had been a massive drain on Darkpaw¡¯s finances over the last year, but it would save them all.


    In theory.


    Darkpaw¡¯s main headquarters had been built onto an asteroid initially, but the mega-corp outgrew its humble origins in a mere matter of years. Now a proud spire in the stars, humming with productivity and clad in glittering granite plates, the Spire was a testament to Zhali¡¯s leadership and business acumen. Hundreds of thousands of employees scuttled around its interior - keeping the corp running was no easy task - but she¡¯d managed it so far. If Enigma were knocking on the door, it was an unfortunate sign that she was running it well.


    Something caught Zhali''s eye then, interrupting her thoughts. A pair of bright dots were quickly approaching the docking bay, two seperate ships rolling in together by happenstance. One was a ragged-looking nomad vessel, small and unassuming with a faint glimmer of yellow visible through its cockpit glass. The other was a GLYPH prison vessel, blocky and brass, its main body akin a metallic rib-cage. It docked onto the emergency port on the side of the Spire, where newly liberated prisoners were quickly ushered out by Darkpaw engineers, and into the safety of the Spire. Every prisoner wore a heavy brass-coloured armoured suit, fully sealed and protected, but awkward to move in on account of their significant defences.


    Removing a GLYPH suit was no easy task. The damn things were loaded with various traps and ¡®safety¡¯ systems, threatening to outright kill the wearer should they tamper too much with it and the fucking things were built solid too. Offering excellent physical and environmental protection, able to survive atmospheric re-entry, and they were impervious to traditional, small calibur weapons too. No nomad worker was going to be able to cut them open without either breaking their tools, or setting off one of the ¡®safety¡¯ devices.


    Thus was GLYPH¡¯s business plan. They would saturate areas of nomad space with detection probes and send out ships loaded with these trap suits towards S.O.S signals, and those in need.  Those desperate enough would seek the safety of a GLYPH suit, and immediately become an indentured slave to the corp, working to repay the debt of the suit for the rest of their lives. Failing to complete tasks assigned by GLYPH would result in a chemical ¡®purge,¡¯ melting the wearer in moments.


    Thus, was the mega-corp triad. Darkpaw to the south. GLYPH to the north west, and Koto, a smaller venture but by no means a non-threat, to the east. All three were tangled in war, horns locked, each one of them straining to gain more ground. Darkpaw had the moral high-ground, for sure, but GLYPH had terror and desperation. Even the suits themselves were nightmarish, creaking loudly with each thudding step they took. Designed to be modular, GLYPH could directly bolt new modules onto an ¡®employee¡¯ to change the functionality of their suit. From engineers to enforcers to tech-specialists, all without requiring the ¡®user¡¯ to change out of their gear. Worse still, the suits directly interfaced with the people inside to take care of bodily needs, with GLYPH employees being ¡®fed¡¯ a diet of blood enriching nutrient paste, fed straight into their arteries. It was extraordinarily cheap and remarkably effective, if absolutely horrifying. And those captured, would do nigh-on anything if it meant the chance of freedom.


    Recently, GLYPH had become more aggressive, responding to Darkpaw successfully dismantling their suits without killing the wearer, by abducting Darkpaw employees and forcing them into their suits. The thought of her employees being pressed into GLYPH¡¯s forsaken business plan made Zhali sick to her stomach, and the fact they¡¯d seen any success at all positively mystified her.


    Zhali shook her head sadly as the group of around fifty people emerged from the ship, stumbling towards the Spire, unaccustomed to the weight of their personal prisons. The fight with GLYPH had been bloody so far, but Darkpaw was winning, inch by blood-stained brass inch. Many had been working for the mega-corp for years, their sanity lost, hope gone. They would die for the corp, one way or another. But she knew that treating people right was the correct way to gain the upper hand. People weren¡¯t expendable. Not to her.


    She sighed softly, pressing her hand against her chin and ruffling her fur, an uncomfortable warmth tingling through her body.


    Jeez, this has been a long week¡­ I need a good fuck.


    She glanced back then at the other, nomad vessel as its gangplank extended and a figure stepped out. Her view of it from the office was obscured slightly, as the ship had docked at the Spire''s main entrance, but she swore she saw a flicker of something dark and¡­


    Wiggly¡­?


    She was only granted a brief moment with her thoughts however, when a security notice popped up on her desk holo-screens. She quickly scooched over in her chair to look.


    No way¡­ I thought we¡¯d never see her!


    She pressed on the alert and a video feed appeared on her screen, from one of the helms of the guards in the lobby.


    The Spire¡¯s lobby was always a busy affair. The massive glass entrance quickly opened up in a terminal-like lobby, with several huge security checkpoints lining its midsection, granting access to the various areas within once checked.


    The guard¡¯s heart-rate was elevated, his camera view panning over the cause.


    A massive chocolate-brown czarite towered over him, her bright yellow eyes staring down at the guard in annoyance. She was dressed in a white shirt that was absolutely too small for her gigantic bust, and a miniskirt that barely clung onto her thick hips, with a big bulge pressing up against the front of it. A series of thick tentacles protruded from her back, currently curled up against her back and a throne of dark carapace sat on her shoulders and head. A queen in all but title.


    Those look wiggly enough¡­


    ¡°I-If you can just hold on, miss. We just need to do some checks on your ID number, it¡¯ll just be a few minutes? You¡¯re welcome to wait at the gate or we have some seating to your left?¡± The guard was practically begging the stranger, his vitals flooding with an array of different signals.


    The tigress¡¯s face flushed a cherry red as she stared at the czarite through the camera¡¯s lens. The girl''s insane figure and piercing eyes, and that smattering of golden freckles lining her cheeks were utterly hypnotising, drawing her in like a fish on a hook. The czarite rolled her eyes at the guard¡¯s words and turned to take a seat, her tentacles pulsing on her back.


    F-Fuck, she looks like that?! Zhali shook her head, clearing the horny thoughts away. No. This is my chance to fix this. The girl needs a chance, not a stressed, sexed up tiger. C¡¯mon Zhali, focus.


    Zhali tapped a few buttons, and opened a comms relay to the guard directly. ¡°Send her up with an escort. Get her a drink of something sweet and treat her nice, same as the others.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    The guard called back out to Ink and waved her over as Zhali cut the feed, pressing another button to speak to one of her assistant.


    ¡°Cancel my meetings for the rest of the day, we¡¯ve just had the last victim of Tyler Bankley come in, and I''m finally going to put his mess right.¡±


    *


    Zhali swallowed quietly, clasping her hands together in front of her and resting them on the polished wooden table before her as she waited for a response. Now dressed in a smart but ever-so-slightly revealing suit with a bright pink tie resting on her sizable bust, she looked across the table at the massive czarite, with a warm, welcoming smile. They were both sat at opposite ends of the table within one of the Spire¡¯s more luxurious meeting rooms. So far however, the czarite had not treated Zhali in kind, and had rather been suspicious and cold, only giving the tigress her name: Ink.


    ¡°Apologies for the interruption, ma''am!¡± One of Zhali''s assistants quickly scampered in through the dark, wooden door, and laid a handful of forms at Zhali¡¯s side. Rather than turning to leave then though, she tapped gently on the tigress¡¯ shoulder to get her attention. Zhali excused herself, then they both briefly turned away from Ink, as to talk in private.


    ¡°Excuse me, Zhali?¡± The goblins whispered, staring at her data-pad with a raised eyebrow. ¡°How do we know this girl is the one in Mr Bankley¡¯s records? She doesn¡¯t match the photos on file for the girl at all.¡±


    ¡°Well, Tyler provided fake profiles, made fake employee numbers for his victims, only he and they knew them. He withheld nearly all personal details from these accounts, no names, date of birth, they only contained a brief physical description, their employee number and their payment details. For this girl to turn up and know the exact number that Tyler made up for her, I don¡¯t think that''s luck. He made them long and obscure on purpose.¡± Zhali responded confidently.


    ¡°True. But Mr Bankley¡¯s other victims were¡­ well¡­¡± The goblin struggled to finish her sentence, her face creasing up as she tried to find the right words. ¡°Well, they weren¡¯t ten feet tall and built like¡­ that.¡± She gestured quickly towards the Controller at the other end of the table, and flinched as the czarite¡¯s bright, piercing eyes fell on her. ¡°Mr B-Bankley went for people he could control. This gal¡­ she doesn¡¯t fit the bill.¡±


    The goblin quickly pulled a couple of printed photos from her pocket, shielding them from Ink¡¯s view. She showed to Zhali a blurry but obvious photo of Lamp, her bright yellow eyes and cane still visible through the film grain.


    Hmm¡­ Despite the physical difference here, those eyes do look very similar¡­


    ¡°Noted. Do me a favour, cross-check anything she says and let me know if it seems in line with any intel we¡¯ve got. I¡¯ll continue as I was for now.¡±


    The goblin nodded and departed as quickly as she arrived. With her assistant gone, Zhali turned back to Controller, clearing her throat and clasping her hands together once again.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that! Now, where were we¡­?¡±


    ¡°So¡­ I never actually worked for you?¡± Ink asked, the disappointment palpable in her tone.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m afraid you were conned by someone who did.¡± Zhali sighed, sinking in her chair slightly. ¡°His name¡¯s Tyler Bankley, and we currently have him in our custody. He was¡­ outsourcing his work to others and paying them a pittance for it. It wasn¡¯t just you he did it to, there were fifteen others too.¡±


    Ink¡¯s eyes drifted around the room. Zhali couldn¡¯t quite figure out what she was thinking.


    ¡°Oh? What happened, then?¡±


    ¡°About five months ago, I became aware of Bankley¡¯s activities, and asked him to come in for a ¡®promotional interview and a payrise.¡¯ He leapt at the chance, and we arrested him the moment he stepped foot in the building. Since then, we¡¯ve been trying to get in touch with everyone he scammed.¡± She took a sip of water before continuing. ¡°We¡¯d managed to track them all down, apart from you.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Why did you want to find them?¡± Ink asked, suddenly focusing her golden eyes on the tigress across the table.


    ¡°To offer them an actual job.¡± Zhali replied sincerely. ¡°Darkpaw is founded on a principle of ¡®People First.¡¯ People are an asset. They deserve to be treated fairly and with respect. Bankley violated that. We¡­ We weren¡¯t sure what happened to you¡­ The last piece of work you submitted to him appeared incomplete, but we didn¡¯t know why.¡± Zhali cleared her throat quietly. ¡°I was worried something might have happened to you.¡±


    The czarite recoiled slightly in the chair, the corners of her mouth twitching briefly into just the slightest hint of a smile, but quickly it dropped off her face.


    ¡°I want to see him.¡± Ink replied flatly.


    ¡°That¡­ That maybe isn¡¯t such a good idea.¡± Zhali¡¯s eyes flickered over Ink¡¯s frame. The girl was built like an absolute monster, excluding the tentacles. Darkpaw¡¯s Spire had been built to be strider friendly through-out, but this lass was within the ¡®loomer¡¯ size category, reserved for the very few who towered above nine feet tall. ¡°Instead, I-If you¡¯d be so inclined, I have a proposition for you.¡±


    Ink turned sharply in her chair, away from Zhali.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I would be inclined.¡± She hissed. ¡°How do I know you¡¯re not just lying to cover your own backs, to protect your colleague?¡±


    ¡°Because I''m willing to make up for everything he¡¯s done. Right now.¡± The tigress felt her heart thump in the chest; she could feel that something was wrong with this girl. But, oftentimes, victims would refuse help for the most heartbreaking of reasons. She didn¡¯t want that to happen, not again. She slid forward one of the pieces of paper on the table gently. ¡°That is three years worth of wages, for the three years you worked for Bankley and received basically nothing for it. No strings attached and a little extra as an apology from me, personally. You can take this and leave and never come back, if you like. But I''d prefer if you looked at this one too, before you go.¡±


    She slid a second form across the table, leaning forward a little more. She felt her heart skip a beat as Ink turned back towards her and stared at the paper.


    ¡°That is an offer of employment at Darkpaw. The real Darkpaw. You should find the wage and benefits to be more in excess of what most local nomad work can provide. I want you to work for me. What Tyler did was awful, but we can put it right, today. If you agree, we can start you straight into initiation, get your work stats down and you could start¡­ well, today, tomorrow? Whenever you like!¡±


    Ink¡¯s face softened slightly as her eyes scanned over the contract.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to give me an answer right now.¡± Zhali continued. ¡°You can have time to think, but the money''s yours regardless. You did the work, the least I can do is pay you what you¡¯re actually owed¡­¡± Zhali hesitated slightly then, but continued on. ¡°But if I may, I do have a question for you.¡±


    Ink¡¯s eyes locked onto the tigress sharply, and she nodded once.


    ¡°How can we verify who you are, with our records? Bankley¡¯s data shows a substantially different czarite in his files.¡± As she spoke, she felt a twitch in the air and although Ink remained still, Zhali could swear she could hear the giant¡¯s heart beat from all the way over. ¡°As I said, the last piece of work we had from you was incomplete, did something happen?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ It did.¡± The giant¡¯s voice cracked as she spoke, her eyes darting around the room, avoiding Zhali''s gaze. ¡°Something happened¡­ I don¡¯t even know how to start explaining it.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zhali asked quietly, shuffling her chair closer to the table.


    ¡°Six months ago, I was¡­ exposed to¡­ something. I don¡¯t know what, but it changed me. Look at me!¡± Ink held her arms out in front of her, her tentacles stretching out and touching the edges of the room behind her. ¡°I have fucking tentacles!  My breasts are giant! This stupid skirt barely covers my¡­ my penis! Czarites don¡¯t get this big! No species does!¡±


    Zhali felt a pang of nerves through her, opting to ignore the czarite¡¯s comments on her body. Ink¡¯s tentacles retracted once again and curled up against her back.


    ¡°A-Are you contagious? The checkpoint didn¡¯t register anything.¡±


    ¡°No. Not to you. My condition only affects other czarites. So you have nothing to worry about. So glad you¡¯re thinking of yourself.¡± Ink scowled. One of her tentacles pressed onto the employment contract and picked it up off the table.


    Zhali sank in her seat, sighing sadly.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry. I panicked. I would like to hear what happened to you, if you¡¯re comfortable sharing? I really do want to put things right.¡±


    Ink swallowed, turned her head sharply away from the tigress.


    ¡°I was¡­ infected¡­ On a job purposely given to me by Tyler. After that I was¡­ I was captured by the DA.¡±


    ¡°The DA?!¡± Zhali exclaimed, feeling her anxiety rise once again.


    ¡°They captured me and experimented on me. I have spent the last six months being tortured by them as they learned about my¡­ problem. But I was released straight back onto the other side of the border after they concluded that I was no threat to anyone other than czarites. I have been a lab rat for the last half a year and no-one came to help me!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± Zhali cupped her hands around her mouth, feeling tears stinging the corners of her eyes.


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know what else to do, so I came here. Where I believed I worked before being infected and abducted. Only to find out that I never actually had a job here the whole time and I was being used.¡± Ink grit her teeth, closing her eyes tightly. ¡°Now I''m different! I¡¯m huge! I¡¯m perpetually aroused -¡±


    ¡°You - You''re what?¡±


    ¡°- I have nowhere to go and I don¡¯t know who to trust! No one likes me, no one wants me around and no one believes me! Just look at me!¡± The giant alien stretched her arms out, pressing her massive bust together in a confusing display, somehow flaunting her absurd assets whilst wallowing in her own self pity at the same time.


    A fresh wave of guilty arousal flushed through the tigress''s body. It was almost like Ink was demanding she look at her tits! Zhali didn¡¯t know how to feel, she barely knew where to start. But she knew she still wanted to make it right.


    ¡°Y-You can trust me! I promise!¡± Zhali almost begged, fighting back her every instinct to go and wrap her arms around the czarite. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I''m so sorry for what you¡¯ve been through¡­ please. We can put this right. If you come to work for me, I can put you straight on medical leave, we can get you counselling, support and help for everything you¡¯ve been through. I have resources here. I can help.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Ink asked shyly, her gaze pinging between each of Zhali¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I promise. Hand on my heart. I will earn your trust, if you give me the chance.¡±


    One of Ink¡¯s tentacles unfurled from her back and reached towards a cup full of pens in the centre of the table, gently dragging it closer towards her.


    ¡°W-What''s the initiation process like?¡±


    ¡°Nothing scary, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Will you be there? I want you there.¡± Ink stared longingly, almost desperately into Zhali¡¯s gaze, slowly pulling a pen from the cup and reviewing the contract.


    ¡°I-I can be there. I won¡¯t leave your side the whole time.¡± Zhali reassured her, offering a gentle, understanding smile.


    ¡°Promise?¡± Ink asked, glancing up at the tigress nervously, her big eyes glassing over.


    ¡°Promise. Once you¡¯ve completed it, we can go back to my office and discuss your next steps.¡± Zhali smiled, feeling herself blush under the gaze of the girl.


    ¡°Thank you. You know, I''m actually feeling¡­ better. Maybe I just needed someone to listen to me. I-I think I can do the initiation now.¡± Ink nodded, a small smile gracing her pretty face.


    ¡°Really? T-That¡¯s excellent!¡±


    Ink paused again, teasing Zhali again by edging the pen onto the paper. A wave of relief washed over the tigress. This interview had been a rollercoaster to say the least.


    ¡°H-How is this going to work with me being so¡­¡± Ink paused and took a second to think about her words. ¡°The arousal is hard. I don¡¯t know how that''s going to work with a normal job.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be silly.¡± Zhali smiled. ¡°Darkpaw is a workplace for adults. We don¡¯t employ anyone underage here.¡±


    Ink raised an eyebrow as she flicked through the contract, clearly confused.


    ¡°What I mean is if a company is comprised of adults, why shouldn¡¯t they be allowed to do adult activities? We have an open-sex policy with privacy rooms available through-out the Spire and on our other facilities. It''s been my favourite policy since day one, employee¡¯s work much better when they¡¯re able to blow off some steam and not worry about bottling that stuff in.¡±


    ¡°R-Really?¡± Ink asked genuinely, tilting her head.


    ¡°Yeah. Really. I wouldn¡¯t say we encourage employees to uh¡­ copulate. But we¡¯re very open and honest about it. If they want to have sex, they can.¡±


    ¡°Interesting policy¡­¡± The alien''s eyes suddenly narrowed and fixed on her, her wet, black tongue briefly flickered between her lips. ¡°Does that include you?¡±


    Zhali¡¯s cheeks suddenly burnt. This felt so unbelievably wrong, but so irresistibly right at the same time.


    ¡°I¡­ It does. But I don¡¯t know if I should be -¡± She flapped her arms out in front of her, completely flustered. ¡°I will not take advantage of someone vulnerable. You need help and support first! I -¡±


    Her words were cut off by the sound of Ink loudly scribbling her name down on the contract, quite deliberately.


    ¡°Zhali, you don¡¯t need to feel guilty. We¡¯re both adults here. I can see you like me. I¡­ I like you too. Let''s just¡­ let''s see if I pass your initiation before anything else. I need to see if I''m still all there.¡± She tapped on the side of her carapace crown. ¡°For me. I want to know if the DA have fucked me up or not.¡± Ink nodded, standing from her chair. ¡°If I¡¯m not, I''ll accept your offer of help and support and¡­ well. Sex wouldn¡¯t be the best idea.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I agree.¡± Zhali cleared her throat, following Ink¡¯s lead, her cheeks still rosy red. ¡°I-If you¡¯re fit for work -¡±


    ¡°- Then I¡¯m fit for a fuck.¡± Ink grinned, placing her hands on her hips and puffing her chest out. Two of the stretching buttons on her shirt popped and flew across the table, tapping against the floor.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to fit in at Darkpaw just fine.¡± Zhali smiled back, her eyes fixed on Ink¡¯s face, desperate to ignore the wardrobe malfunction and the sneaky peek of ebony cleavage visible through it. She pressed on her ear piece, opening a line up to her HR division. ¡°Get the girls down here, I need an express initiation for a loomer sized candidate. And, uh¡­ Get her some clothes too.¡±


    *


    Now dressed in baggy grey hoodie and matching sweatpants, Ink was standing in front of a line of varied goblin girls. Each of them dressed slightly differently, to their own personal liking. Ink frowned at the line of girls, unsure of what to think as they scribbled on their notepads and casted the occasional glance towards her.


    They had made their way through the Spire to one of the middle floors, dedicated entirely to training new starters, but first, Ink had to be tested to see what her strengths and weaknesses were. They stood in the middle of a wide corridor, decorated with shiny grey tiles and purple highlights, with an array of interview rooms lining each wall. Each room had a one-way window running from its door to the door of the next room, allowing observations but keeping the interview room focused from outside disturbances. Behind them, the sounds of distant grunting and metal clanking quietly echoed down the corridor, emanating from the gym equipment further down. The spire itself was kept pleasantly cool but well kept, with hardly a blemish visible of its glossy surfaces.


    With her schedule clear, Zhali was able to attend the initiation as promised, and made her way to the girl¡¯s side upon seeing the furrowed brow on her face.


    This is absurd. I hate this. I¡¯ll give you lot something to write about. Ink thought to herself.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking.¡± Zhali whispered to her as the goblins continued to chat amongst themselves. ¡°I don¡¯t only hire critters for the office roles. I¡¯m strider height myself, Darkpaw is an inclusive workplace of all size classes, loomer included. They just happened to be the best for the roles.¡± Zhali nodded. ¡°Goblins get a bad rap in the terra-corps, but they¡¯ve got sharp minds when they¡¯ve not got the breeding brain on them. The open sex policy does wonders for their kind. Just do your best, I''ll be with you the whole time. There¡¯s no way you can fail, we just want to know where best to place you.¡±


    Ink exhaled loudly and nodded, waiting for further instructions, her sharp, bright eyes quickly skimming the goblins.


    ¡°Oh-kay then!¡± One of the goblins spoke up in an enthusiastic tone. ¡°We¡¯re going to do some mental acuity tests first! Then some physical endurance and strength performance tests! After then, some personality alignment questions and we¡¯ll finish off by discussing your living situation and if you need a place to stay, sound good?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Ink replied flatly. ¡°Let''s do this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll rock it, lovely. See you in a few.¡± Zhali patted the huge alien on the back, accidentally brushing one of her tentacles. To her surprise, it felt rather silky. She shook her head again, dismissing the lude thoughts and watched as Ink disappeared into one of the interview rooms, the door automatically sliding shut behind her. ¡°Poor thing. She¡¯s been through hell.¡±


    ¡°Zhali, we finished looking up her claims from the interview.¡± One of the goblins piped up, staring at her data-pad with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Oh? Please, I¡¯m intrigued. Here¡¯s hoping she¡¯s actually who she claims to be.¡±


    ¡°We uh¡­ we think she might be telling the truth. The nomad barrier between us and the DA has been through hell over the last few months, although we can¡¯t tell exactly what happened. Details are super sketchy and we have limited data available.¡± the goblin cleared her throat and flicked the pad a couple times. ¡°But¡­ the DA were absolutely recorded outside their borders over six months ago, and they were spotted very close to the location her last report was sent from. Again, the data is rough, but we can verify that it''s entirely possible they crossed paths. We also know the freighter she was working on failed to make it to its next stop. Between those two events -¡±


    ¡°- So she wasn¡¯t lying? Holy shit¡­¡± Zhali rubbed her face anxiously, but before her thoughts could linger, the goblin pressed on.


    ¡°It does seem that way! But she uhm¡­ She left behind the payment slip. For the three years? I¡¯ve saved it for her but¡­ I can¡¯t help but feel she has some sort of motive here, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Zhali casted a glance up at the interview room, seeing Ink¡¯s powerful, curvaceous frame through the glass. She swore for just a second, that the czarite caught her eye. Just for a brief moment. The tigress felt a wave of primitive lust course through her veins, there was something about Ink that was just¡­ impossible to resist. Her body wanted to submit to her, to be taken by her.


    I¡¯m sure that''s one-way glass though¡­ It must have just been chance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she knew what she was doing prior to coming here. Not after what she¡¯s been through. I can imagine she now wants to kick Tyler¡¯s ass. I don''t think he¡¯d survive the brawl with her though. Not now, anyway.¡±


    The goblin nodded again but still seemed unsure. ¡°I just¡­ Something doesn¡¯t feel right, ma¡¯am. I can¡¯t say what it is. She¡¯s making me feel weird.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Me too.¡± Zhali smiled at the goblin. ¡°Feels amazing doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Not exactly what I was referring to, ma¡¯am. But for the record, her tits are literally bigger than me. I¡¯m not sure I''d survive the attempt.¡±


    Zhali snorted and stifled a giggle as the goblin turned around to rejoin her crew.


    ¡°Well, honesty is important!¡±


    Within the interview room, Ink forced a friendly grin on her face as the goblin opposite her flicked through the pages on her document.


    The room was similar to the first one Ink had in moments ago. A solid metal table fixed in the centre of a dark but nicely lit room, lined with a mixture of black and purple highlights, but with hanging light fixtures above them to offer more dedicated spotlights for written work.


    Although she couldn''t see them, she could feel the eyes of Zhali and the other goblins through the one-way glass, their eyes fixed on either her face or her breasts. Some of them were scared, some of them were excited. Some were both. She could hear Zhali¡¯s heart pounding in her chest. The tigress would be hers by the end of the day.


    Her ex-boss didn¡¯t matter right now. He would come after. Right now, she needed to bring that tigress under her control.


    Suddenly, the squeaky, high-pitched voice of the goblin began reading out her questions, cutting into Ink¡¯s thoughts like a hot knife.


    ¡°So, I''m going to read you some example situations and I would like you to just give me a brief idea of how you would respond, okay?¡±


    Ink nodded, her tongue briefly flicking out between her lips.


    The goblin opposite her was deeply aroused, she could taste it in the air, but the critter was hiding it well under her professional persona.


    ¡°You¡¯re manning a front of house station and a disgruntled customer comes in and demands a refund for something he bought earlier this week. He is very upset and calls you some mean names. How do you respond?¡± The goblin looked up from her notes, smiling at Ink and adjusting her glasses.


    I WOULD BITE HIS FUCKING HEAD OFF.


    ¡°I would ask to see proof of purchase and reassure them that if he bought it from us, we¡¯ll put it right.¡±


    ¡°Good answer! You never know if a person is trying to push their luck or not!¡± The goblin smiled warmly again, and scribbled on her notepad, kicking one of her legs over on her chair and shifting her weight. ¡°Just because someone is angry, doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re justified!¡±


    YES IT DOES.


    ¡°Okay, next situation. You¡¯re helping out on the manufacturing floor when you notice a colleague using the wrong type of ladder to access the top of the machinery. He¡¯s at risk of hurting himself, what do you do?¡±


    FALL AND HURT YOURSELF, IDIOT.


    ¡°I would whisk him away with my tentacles!¡± Ink¡¯s tentacles unfurled briefly and waved at the goblin, sending a visible shiver through her as her jaw dropped for just a brief moment. ¡°I joke! I would ask him to climb down and make sure he¡¯s safe though. Then go find the correct ladder for him.¡±


    ¡°And what would you do if he refused to come down?¡± The goblin replied, regaining her composure.


    HE WOULDN¡¯T DARE.


    ¡°I would inform his manager, he¡¯s at risk and he¡¯s putting others in harm''s way too.


    ¡°Excellent. No need to seek confrontation! Okay, next situation. A new starter joins your team and you get off on the wrong foot, there is tension everytime you work together, what do you do?¡±


    I¡¯m fucking perfect, if you don¡¯t like me you can eat shit and choke on MY FUCKING TENTACLES! DROWN IN ME, SHITBAG.


    ¡°I would own up to it and ask for a fresh start. I know I''m not always easy to get along with, and I want to have a good work environment.¡±


    ¡°Ohh good answer. I like that.¡± The goblin nodded enthusiastically, tapping her pen on the side of her chin. ¡°Hmm. How good are you at maths?¡±


    WHO GIVES A SHIT.


    ¡°Not sure, why don¡¯t you try me?¡± Ink cocked her head, her focus still locked on the goblin.


    ¡°150 + 99?¡±


    ¡°249.¡±


    ¡°Correct!¡± The goblin nodded happily, shifting her weight back onto her other thigh. ¡°78 divided by 3?¡±


    ¡°26.¡±


    STOP.


    ¡°Hmm, That was quick but it was also quite simple.¡± A mischievous grin crept over the girl''s face. ¡°What about 44.6 multiplied by 8.2?¡±


    ¡°365.72¡± Ink replied instantly, her hands gripping onto the table tightly.


    The goblin¡¯s eyes widened in amazement.


    ¡°That''s¡­ that''s good. Erm¡­ 8491 multiplied by 54321?¡±


    OH MY GOD, STOP.


    ¡°461,239,611. I think.¡±


    The goblin briefly pulled out a data pad and double checked the work before quietly laying the pad down on the table, the exact number visible on the screen.


    ¡°That is exactly correct. Wow.¡± The goblin paused, blindsided and wide-eyed. ¡°Erm¡­ are you any good with formulas?¡±


    FUCK THAT.


    ¡°No.¡± Ink laughed dryly, the corners of her mouth twitching.


    ¡°Okay! That''s fine, maybe we can get some training for you later!¡±


    As the goblin laughed the comment off, quite genuinely, A realisation ran through Ink¡¯s mind.


    This was going to be easy. Providing she didn¡¯t tear any of their heads off first.

 Chapter 25 - Trade Secrets - Part 2

    ***Several Hours Later***


    Back inside her office, the evening lighting of the Spire had kicked in and casted a fading amber glow over its exterior, shining through the crystal clear windows. Zhali hummed quietly as she flicked through the freshly printed pages of Ink¡¯s results, the paper still warm from the heat press. Her team of HR goblins all stood in a row, heels tapping together as they awaited her thoughts eagerly. All of the team, bar one, seemed incredibly excited.


    ¡°Jeez. She¡¯s¡­ quite well equipped isn¡¯t she? Very strong mental arithmetic, good customer service knowledge¡­ Decent at maintenance and tech too. Fuck! Look at those physical results!¡± Zhali gawped at the graphs and numbers on the page.


    The tallest goblin of the pack nodded excitedly, her figure more muscular than the others.


    ¡°She actually broke some of our testing machines! Those tentacles have incredible PSI! She capped out our machine at two thousand PSI, so we don¡¯t actually know her upper limit but¡­ she¡¯s a walking hydraulic press!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s insane!¡± Zhali shook her head in disbelief.


    ¡°We also don¡¯t know her upper strength limit for her body either. She lifted the heaviest weights we had, made some of the boys down there mighty jealous. Donnavon was absolutely miffed, his record demolished by a newcomer! We opted not to keep adding weights on, point was proved before then, ya know? She¡¯s strong. Strong enough.¡±


    ¡°Noted. Loomer sized folks are often weaker than people think, square cubed law and all that, but not for this czarite, apparently!¡± Zhali continued onto the next page. ¡°Her endurance is good too, no energy problems or anything of the sort. Excellent. We¡¯ve had some heart problems with the few other loomers on file but she¡¯s clear of that¡­ Wait. You detected two heartbeats?!¡±


    The tallest goblin spoke up again. ¡°Indeed! We¡¯re not sure what that means, czarites as a species have a mono vascular system, like most of us. Could have been an implant maybe? Maybe the DA did something to her? Either way, her vitals are strong. Beefy. Real thick¡­ erm¡­ vitals.¡± The goblin seemed to lose focus towards the end of her rambling.


    ¡°That''s¡­ odd. What kind of infection causes the need for a second heart..? What about her psyke report?¡±


    The eyes of the room turned to view the most nervous looking of the bunch, who cleared her throat before stepping forward.


    ¡°I-I have concerns.¡±


    ¡°Please, Ira, speak.¡± Zhali smiled warmly.


    ¡°E-Everyone seems to be quite the fan of our new colleague, but I have some reservations¡­¡± Ira cleared her throat again before flapping her copy of the report out in front of her. ¡°My report initially showed mostly positive signs and a balanced personality profile, leaning towards dominance, but her answers show signs of active manipulation.¡±


    ¡°She was amending her answers to give you what she thought you wanted?¡± Zhali asked, raising an eyebrow and leaning back in her chair.


    ¡°Yes. I conducted a couple of other tests without telling her what they were for and cross-referenced the results with her earlier answers. I believe there is a potential we could be dealing with a manipulative narcissist. It wasn¡¯t conclusive but there were flags.¡±


    A tense silence filled the office as Ira stepped back and lowered her report, staring up at Zhali intently, nothing but the sound of her shoes quietly tapping on the shiny black tiles of tigress¡¯s office in their ears.


    ¡°Could be troubling, but understandable. If she¡¯s telling the truth about her condition and her past, it might explain why those results were flagged up. If I was her, I''d be saying almost anything to get the job here too.¡±


    ¡°I-I would state, ma¡¯am, these personality tests aren¡¯t able to confirm whether or not someone is lying or if an event actually happened. But yes, she might be lying - sorry, embellishing to impress us because she wants the job.¡±


    ¡°Mivnie, what were her tox-screen results?¡±


    A punky looking goblin with a pair of goggles fixed to her forehead stepped forward.


    ¡°Partially clean, Zhali. I ran a full suite of tests on samples she provided. No drugs, no toxins, nothing that matched anything on our database. But we did find multiple things we didn¡¯t understand. Her genetic structure isn¡¯t like that of a typical czarite. In all honesty, our in-house team didn¡¯t really understand what they were looking at.¡±


    ¡°Recommendations?¡±


    ¡°Well, I''ve referred it onto the Universal Council and asked them to review, but they haven¡¯t responded yet. You know the UC, probs won¡¯t hear back until next week. I don¡¯t know what to think if I''m honest.¡± Mivnie seemed to stumble at the end of her sentence, catching the CEO¡¯s attention immediately.


    ¡°You can speak your mind, Mivnie. Please, I''d like to hear it.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s telling the truth, Zhali¡­. I¡¯m just guessing here, but I think she might have been a super soldier experiment. Lines up with her enhanced vitals and size, but I''ve got zero proof of that. We should just keep her away from other czarites, of course, just in case. She said she can transmit whatever she has to them, although that might not even be a bad thing. I¡­ uh¡­ I went to see what this gal looked like before her accident, and¡­ well, the difference is night and day.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re agreed on that. Although I would note her eyes are very distinctive and are very similar, pre and post change. Right now, I''m still inclined to believe her.¡±


    ¡°Mhm. I could see erm¡­ old her getting abducted by the DA for sure, limping on that cane and all? New her? Not so much. Anyways, I suppose what matters is her future, not her past.¡± The goblin concluded, shrugging and rejoining her team.


    ¡°True! I¡¯m confident Darkpaw is the right place for her to be. But that''s not really the question¡­¡±


    ¡°The boss is gonna get laid!¡± Mivnie called out, causing a round of laughs from all but one of the HR crew. Zhali blushed furiously, attempting to hide her face.


    ¡°Shut up you lot! Honestly! I don¡¯t even know if¡­ I don¡¯t -¡±


    ¡°Oh shush your mouth, boss. Honestly. The girl has the hots for you, she can barely take her eyes off you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be my HR department! What have I enabled!¡± Zhali laughed, still blushing but taking it in her stride. ¡°No, the question I had was, what department should we put her in?¡±


    ¡°You could ask her?¡± Ira suggested genuinely. ¡°Her skills could be of use anywhere, would be a shame to stick her in with the muscle though, I think she would be more valuable to Darkpaw if we developed her mental skills and business acumen, rather than getting her to move heavy stuff.¡±


    ¡°Nah, Ira just wants to -¡± Mivnie pushed her tongue against the inside of her cheek, miming a blowjob in front of everyone, causing another round of laughs from the crew.


    ¡°Okay, okay. I get it. Go on you lot, sign off for the night and send her in. And no peeping, I''ll be locking the door.¡±


    The pack all ¡®aww-ed!¡¯ together in disappointment but quickly laughed it off, saying their goodnights to Zhali and making their way out of the office, pushing through the tall double doors on the other end of the room. Zhali leaned back in her chair for just a brief moment before jumping to her feet as the doors gently opened again and Ink¡¯s bright eyes appeared between them.


    ¡°Ink? Please come in! Been a busy day for you, huh?¡±


    ¡°It has.¡± She replied coolly, ducking under the door. Still dressed in the grey gym clothes given to her earlier, the doors closed behind her with a soft click, a gentle red glow just barely visible around their edges.


    ¡°So¡­ Did I pass?¡±


    The czarite stepped forward, making her way towards the seat on the other side of the desk. Try as she might, in the duller, evening lighting of the spire, the brightest thing in the room was Ink¡¯s all seeing eyes, and Zhali couldn¡¯t pull her gaze from them.


    ¡°Y-You did. Please, have a seat. Can I get you a drink or anything?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you¡¯re having.¡± Ink winked back, sitting herself down.


    Zhali quickly spun around and fetched a couple of glasses from a cabinet behind her, placing both down on the desk with a quiet tap of glass on wood.


    ¡°Ninety-Nine Red, one of my favourites.¡±


    She produced a chunky looking black glass bottle, stamped with thick red wax that read ¡°99 RED¡± in bold letters, flicking the cork off, she poured a healthy portion into both of the glasses and recorked the bottle, placing it down on the desk.


    ¡°I¡¯ve not had this before. Is it nice?¡± Ink asked genuinely, almost innocently, raising the glass and flicking her tongue towards it.


    ¡°It''s deliciously dark, sweet and very moorish.¡± Zhali smiled, swilling the glass around in her hand. Kinda like you. She thought, but wouldn¡¯t dare say. Not yet. ¡°Ink, listen. You¡¯ve performed¡­ very well today. I¡¯m impressed.¡±


    ¡°Good. It seems I''m more together than I thought.¡± Ink grinned, her fangs on full display, but her expression soured slightly as she noticed Zhali deep in thought.


    ¡°Yes, absolutely. But I have something I need to address with you.¡±


    A pang of worry shot through Ink, her tentacles curling tighter around her back.


    ¡°Go on?¡±


    ¡°It has come to light in the personality tests that you may have been¡­ dishonest in one of them. Not to any terrible degree, but I just wanted to check if you felt comfortable?¡± Zhali swallowed audibly, still swilling the drink around in her hands. ¡°I mean, I would get it. You want the job, you say what you think we want to hear. I¡¯m more than happy to hire you, but I believe in honesty-¡±


    ¡°-Does it matter?¡± Ink flicked her tongue at the glass again, raising it to her lips and staring Zhali right in the eyes. ¡°I did lie on those personality tests, I hate them. Feels like a waste of time. I just said whatever I thought would work, like you said. Personality tests always felt so¡­ forced. I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t always like opening up to people. Historically it hasn¡¯t gone well for me. But I would love to be proven wrong.¡± She knocked the whole glass back in a single gulp and gently placed it back down on the desk.


    ¡°If it''s what you would love, I will prove you wrong.¡± Zhali said confidently, mimicking Ink and downing her entire glass. ¡°You know, one of my girls thinks you might be a super soldier project of some sort, you had most of the HR ladies thirsting after you. I was worried this would be too much for you, but you¡¯ve taken it all in your stride.¡±


    Ink relaxed back in the chair as Zhali moved on with their conversation. Her tentacles unfurled and spread over the back of the chair, almost like she was hugging it.


    ¡°So, do I get the job?¡±


    ¡°You do! Welcome to Darkpaw, Ink! We¡¯re not sure where to put you yet, you have multiple departments who want you. It seems you¡¯re in high demand!¡± She poured another round of Ninety-Nine Red. ¡°But you don¡¯t need to worry about that tonight. We have a room prepared for you on the spire, you¡¯re welcome to stay here indefinitely but we can arrange alternative accommodation if this one isn¡¯t to your liking. Maybe a little closer to my office?¡± The slow simmering blush on Zhali¡¯s face dramatically intensified as she finished her sentence.


    ¡°I would like that.¡± Ink grinned, sitting forward in her chair. ¡°But do you know what I would like more?¡±


    A stronger, sweeter smell filled Zhali¡¯s nose, making the Ninety-Nine Red feel weak in comparison, a surge of desire coursed through her body and straight into her loins.


    ¡°Me?¡± She asked, doing her best to conceal her beaming smile.


    Ink didn¡¯t even hesitate.


    She immediately stood and pulled her hoodie off, exposing her bare body underneath. A rippling set of muscular, chocolate coloured abs, barely glistening with sweat. Above them, a gigantic, heaving set of cushy, brown tits with a small golden bar pierced through each of her nipples.


    Her tentacles wrapped around her body, pushing her breasts together and offering them forward towards Zhali, who sat back in her chair, her throat croaking, lost for words.


    ¡°T-Those¡­ Fuck! Ink, those are massive! I could grate cheese on those abs! No wonder you smashed our strength records!¡± Zhali took a moment to compose herself, fanning her face frantically before standing from her chair confidently. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t be one-upped in my own office, even if I can¡¯t match¡­ those!¡±


    She tugged at her own top, popping the buttons on her shirt and throwing her jacket behind her. Cupped in a lacey black bra, she revealed a perky, large set of fluffy breasts. These were no Rewritten hyper-sized breasts, but by any normal person''s standards, she was swinging a hefty set of her own. Buried under the shirt was also a small, ornate black collar, latched closely around her neck. Upon it, hung a small but distinctive purple intersex symbol.


    Standing up from her chair to meet Ink, she approached the alien, buzzing with excitement, her face flush with arousal.


    For just a split second, Ink¡¯s mind hesitated.


    Zhali wasn¡¯t immune.


    Almost no-one she¡¯d encountered at Darkpaw was.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    This woman had shown her nothing but love and patience, trying to right the wrongs of Ink¡¯s past life. And Ink was about to tread all over her, willingly.


    Was she really going to do this to her? Why couldn¡¯t this have happened before she met Leech?


    The doubt only lingered for a second though. Barely a blip in her resolve.


    This would never have happened before she met Leech. Lamp wouldn¡¯t have made it this far. But Ink? She did this herself. And she would own every second of it, willingly.


    She surged forward and snatched Zhali by the waist, lifting her off the ground, pulling her close and pressing their breasts together. Her tentacles closed in around the tigress who merely giggled in response, utterly infatuated by her.


    Yes. She was going to do this. The line had already been crossed, smudged and worn into the ground. Barely a blur at this point. Zhali would be hers. Then? She would rinse Darkpaw for all its worth.


    *** Hazard Warning \\\-/// Level RED \\\-/// Caution Advised***


    As Ink pulled her in, their substantial breasts squeezed together, Zhali¡¯s own pair still holding their own despite being significantly dwarfed by Ink¡¯s mountainous pair. She felt the tigress¡¯s nipples harden and softly poke her, begging for attention from the alien.


    Ink grinned down at her willful victim gleefully, fangs showing behind plump, glossy lips.


    Her tentacles slowly, carefully, curled around the tigress¡¯s limbs, constricting her movement and gently, the giantess completely lifted her from the floor. She pulled her arms out above her head and kept her legs together, bound and locked, looking over her much like a fisherman would appraise a fine catch. Another tentacle unlatched her bra from behind and plucked it free from her.


    ¡°I-I would say be gentle¡­¡± Zhali moaned, her cheeks flushed a fierce pink. ¡°But I don¡¯t think you need to¡­¡±


    Hanging in the alien¡¯s grasp, bathed in sunset orange pouring in from the windows, an excited moan escaped the tigress as Ink suddenly pulled her close again and wrapped her soft lips straight onto the tigress¡¯s waiting bosom. As she did so, the Controller¡¯s tentacles began to secrete a thick black goo, smothering Zhali¡¯s fur.


    Ink¡¯s slick tongue traced circles around her nipple before quickly wrapping around the body of her tit and squeezing it tightly. A tentacle curled around the CEO¡¯s neck, like a snake curling around prey, and its tip teased her mouth, tracing the outline of her lips and leaving a gooey black trail as the alien sucked and teased her breast.


    Zhali relaxed in her grip further, accepting the intruder into her mouth with a breathless sigh. It started slow at first, just a flexible, soft tip in her mouth, but quickly gave way to more of the appenditch¡¯s mass, pushing inside her maw gleefully as she sucked on its sweet tasting body.


    Stuck firmly in Ink¡¯s grip, the alien suddenly tore at the tigress¡¯s remaining clothes, ripping her free of what remained and the alien took a moment to admire her catch once again. The CEO struck a gorgeous balance of both curvy and strong, with a shapely, strong body that was highly attractive. Although she hid it well, she was packing a cock of her own, now completely erect and throbbing. It matched the onyx colouration of her lips and nipples and stood at an impressive size for someone not corrupted¡­


    Yet.


    Seeing the erect cock in front of her, Ink decided to indulge the tigress a little first, before unleashing her own titanic girth upon her. It only seemed fair, after all.


    She lifted the tigress up, directly up and above her, power pressing her with her arms, whilst her tentacles kept her limbs constricted and mouth full. Positioning the girl face down towards her, she let the CEO¡¯s cock hang above her waiting maw, tantalisingly. Hovering its tip just inches away from her mouth.


    Holding her proudly, Ink teased her prey, licking the very tip of Zhali¡¯s crow-coloured cock. The tigress shivered in her constriction, still lost on indulging the soft tentacle plugging her mouth but desperate for more.


    Slowly, Ink lowered her, plunging her cock straight into Ink¡¯s waiting maw. Her tongue wrapped around its shaft, squeezing its heft in distinct looping motions. The entire length sunk straight into the alien¡¯s mouth and throat, without the controller so much as batting an eye, allowing the thick cock to slip right to the tip of her lips, and then down as far as it could go, until Ink¡¯s face pressed up against the girl¡¯s tummy, her lips pressing a kiss right against the base of her dick.


    Zhali moaned into the tentacle, drinking down its secretions with glee as it coated her face and began to run down her neck. She filled with anticipation as the tentacles locked onto her arms and legs pulsed in delight, thickening around her. They were soft on her body but overwhelmingly strong, doing as they pleased but with a tender, gooey touch. Ink¡¯s mouth felt incredible, her tongue was working the length of Zhali¡¯s throbbing rod, but the pressure of Ink¡¯s mouth was something else - it was sucking the cum straight out of the girl, begging for her seed¡­ Feeling so trapped and helpless in the alien¡¯s grip was enchanting, Zhali quivered in pleasure again, her cock leaking copious amounts of pre-cum into Ink¡¯s throat. But as she hung in the alien¡¯s grasp, she caught sight of Ink¡¯s own cock, rapidly hardening.


    A mixture of fear and excitement coursed through her.


    It was absolutely colossal, with a fat purple head that was bobbing threateningly in time with Ink pressing the girl up and down, easily larger than Zhali¡¯s fist. The idea of that going in her¡­? She felt a deep hunger within, it was a mighty challenge. One that needed to be conquered.


    Suddenly, she felt a wet slither behind her, between her legs. A teasing pull of the tentacles forcibly spread the tigress¡¯s legs. Ink had one free tentacle remaining and it was slithering between the Zhali¡¯s legs and pressing against her ass, teasing her hole and staining her body.


    The CEO moaned louder in response, completely lost in the moment, as the tentacle pressed against her pucker, ramping up the pressure in unison with the alien¡¯s slurping around her dick. With a satisfied moan, the tentacle pushed into her, disappearing between the tigress¡¯s asscheeks in one smooth, slick motion.


    Ink could feel every motion, every throb, every shudder of the tigress, now completely owned by her. The tentacle pushing into Zhali¡¯s ass began to pulse and undulate, slowly swelling its girth with every passing second, stretching her butt out tight as it gently pumped within her, claiming her. All Zhali could do was whimper into the tentacle pushing into her throat, stretching her jaw wide in the same fashion.


    Thick trails of black goo oozed down from her mouth, pattering over the tiled floor of the office as the tentacle invasion began to intensify.


    Pinned between the two tentacles, the tigress clenched hard, accidentally biting onto her gag and began to pump a thick, gooey load straight into Ink¡¯s waiting maw, aided by the alien¡¯s curling tongue, still working her length relentlessly. Ink drank every drop with an audible gulp, still pumping both holes of Zhali for everything they were worth.


    Carefully, Ink raised her up once more until the girl¡¯s still pulsing cock popped free of her mouth, still dribbling thick milky cum from its tip, drooling over Ink¡¯s neck and breasts. The alien shifted Zhali¡¯s weight to her tentacles and grasped the cock firmly with one of her hands and pumped its length strongly, working it from the base, her other hand squeezing the tigress¡¯s balls to ensure every drop was taken. A few more shots of milky white cum roped out from her, each one accompanied by a desperate muffled moan, landing on Ink¡¯s outstretched tongue and licked up with a sweet sense of satisfaction and pride at her work.


    Delicately, Zhali was brought down in front of Ink, handled entirely by her tentacles. The girl was a mess, her face coated in black goo but blushing furiously under it, her make-up running down her pretty face as the tentacle continued to push further inside her, now visibly bulging her throat. She briefly retracted it, giving the tigress a desperate gasp of air for just a few tender moments, before plunging it straight back in her mouth once more. The whole time, the tigress¡¯ ass was worked hard, the gooey, thick chocolate brown body of Ink¡¯s appenditch thrust deep into her, throbbing with thickness and stretching her out, causing more sticky cum to seep from the tip of Zhali¡¯s cock.


    ¡°My turn.¡± Ink grinned, licking the cum off her lips.


    She handled Zhali expertly once again, raising her up flat in front of her, suspended entirely by her tentacles at Ink¡¯s waist height.


    The tentacle buried in the girls ass finally pulled itself free with a wet *pop* and slithered around the throbbing, overstimulated cock of Zhali, squeezing it tightly and pumping it as Ink brought the fat, heavy head of her own cock against the girl''s ass.


    Even with the pre-fuck of the tentacle, it was an impossibly tight squeeze. The tigress clenched and cried into her mouth-gag, desperately sucking in air through her nose as Ink pressed just the tip of her immense dick into her and with a lip-biting moan from the alien, it was forced in.


    Zhali¡¯s legs clenched around Ink¡¯s waist, squeezing her muscular frame as inch by inch, the alien sunk her plump, oversized length into the tigress¡¯s clenching body, watching dribbles of cum shoot into the air from Zhali¡¯s relentlessly milked length.


    Ink watched in utter delight as her entire length slowly sunk into Zhali, visible from the cock-shaped mound pressing through the girl''s abs. She felt her victim¡¯s body squeeze around her, hungry for more, desperate to be stretched, used and bred.


    ¡°I want to hear you scream.¡± Ink grinned, pulling her tentacle out of the girl''s throat and opting to wrap it around the girl¡¯s breasts instead, squeezing the two of them tightly.


    ¡°FUCK- FUUUUCK- OH MY GOD-D-don¡¯t stop¡­!¡±


    Zhali could only continue to swear and scream from the very base of her throat as her body tried to adjust for the gigantic intruder pressed deep into her. Slowly, the alien began to thrust her length within her, opting for short, rough thrusts, shaking the tigress caught in her grip as orgasm after orgasm was forcibly pushed through her.


    The alien pressed her cock in as far as it would go, feeling her huge, soft balls press up against the buttcheeks of the tigress and watching yet another weak dribble of cum ooze out of Zhali¡¯s cock with an evil grin as she finally bottomed out. The alien¡¯s pretty face flushed red, glistening with sweat as she stared down at the scene. A gorgeous, curvy tigress impaled on her cock, tensing up and shooting load after load onto her, dribbling over her pulsing tentacles, all bathed in the evening light pouring in through the office windows.


    What a sight.


    Her tentacles pulled the tigress in close, wrapping her legs around Ink¡¯s hips and she brought the girl upright, as if she were sitting on the immense length instead. One hand clamped onto the girl''s soft ass, another clamped around her throat and in one powerful motion, Ink began to thrust into her.


    The tigress¡¯s goo and make-up stained face tensed up, her eyes rolling back and biting her lip as she felt another insane wave of bliss rock her body, her cock dribbling out yet another rope of cum, this one landing on the underside of Ink¡¯s fat tits as the intruder began to change her.


    Thrust after earth-shaking thrust, Zhali¡¯s vision blurred, her goo splattered body quivering and weak, drowning in pleasure.


    She lost track of time, the pleasure too intense, the feeling too overwhelming. Before she knew it, there was a rush of clarifying warmth within her. She weakly glanced down at her body, still bending to Ink¡¯s insane girth and felt her body swell. Over the sound of her ass being rammed full, she could hear more fluid splashing over the floor, spilling out from her. She focused with everything she had, just enough to bring her gaze back to Ink¡¯s. Their eyes met as Ink continued to hold her by the throat, still thrusting into her battered, goo splattered ass. Her perfect eyes, golden and gorgeous¡­ This girl was¡­ perfect¡­


    It felt incredible, beyond anything she¡¯d ever experienced before, time began to blur as the alien pistoned her hips up and down, sending god knows how much lubed up alien cock straight inside her, she stayed as lucid as she could, mesmerised by Ink¡¯s beautiful, endless stare as the void closed in on her...


    *** Hazard Warning \\\-/// Level RED \\\-/// Advisory End***


    ¡­It was far too much to bear¡­ Zhali fell unconscious, helpless in Ink¡¯s overwhelming grip as her body began to change. Her belly now plump and full of Ink¡¯s corrupting seed.


    The urge was sated, temporarily. Ink pulled herself free and laid Zhali down on the sofa positioned just under the windows and stared down at the tigress with curiosity as the transformation began. She¡¯d never watched it happen before, there wasn¡¯t much else to do until Zhali was finished¡­ Node or Slave, she needed control of her.


    So, Ink snatched the bottle of Ninety-Nine Red, pulled her chair close and sat straight in front of the unconscious tigress, watching closely as the corruption began to work into her.


    It was slow at first, barely noticeable. Starting with her skin and fur, they began to desaturate, like a wilting plant. From head to toe, her goo slathered body was drained of its initial hue. It was quiet, almost peaceful¡­ Like a personal autumn. But the peace didn¡¯t last.


    Her body began to quiver, moving on its own accord. A sickening crack played out from deep within her. Followed by another. And another. And another.


    Her body contorted, cracking and creaking, her skin pulled tight and painful as it stretched over her limbs which were beginning to elongate. Her legs were gentle, accompanied with a slow, wood-like groan of an ageing tree as they grew in size. But for her arms, it was sudden and violent, growing in sporadic bursts. Her breasts began to expand, pumping up in size several cup sizes, along with a thickening of her cock and balls, to something more¡­ Rewritten sized. These were both smooth transitions, growing in size evenly compared to her limbs which were growing at different rates.


    There was another loud crack and her torso shifted, her spine expanding several inches within her back. Her skin and fur had not accommodated the changes very well however, stretched and bleeding in places- until a purple gloss gleaned over it, like someone had plunged her into a shimmering vat of dye, darkening it several shades and twisting the colour of her fur. But by the end, all the stretch marks, tears and bleeding were completely gone, as if her original skin had never existed. A pair of black and purple horns pushed out from her forehead, only short but surprisingly cute.


    Ink¡¯s gaze remained fixed to her the whole time, her curiosity too great to leave unsated, when suddenly, the door to the girl''s mind opened to her.


    Although still unconscious, Ink felt Zhali join the hierclasty, her body and brain now fully accessible.


    And she couldn¡¯t resist.


    Zhali¡¯s body lurched up from the sofa and stood in front of Ink awkwardly. Her mouth agape and dripping with black goo, running down her new body in thick streams. Ink¡¯s grin grew wide as she made her new toy pose for her, squeezing her breasts together, pressing her claws into the fluid coating her body. She considered making the tigress submit to her again, but the idea didn¡¯t linger for long.


    That was far more delectable an idea for when the tigress was awake again.


    Suppose I need to start making the most of this. She thought to herself, her satisfied grin still wide.


    She made the tigress clomp across the office towards her computer, leaving several oozing trails of goo across the already messy tiles as her body was plucked up and awkwardly made to walk. But as the tigress practically collapsed onto her chair, Ink rolled her eyes at herself.


    I don¡¯t need her computer, she knows everything. Duh. Silly me.


    She plunged into the thoughts of the tigress, crawling through hours of meetings, numbers and notes until something caught her interest.


    Darkpaw was in trouble. Serious trouble.


    Ink squinted and scratched her chin as she mulled over the information.


    Enigma was coming, it was only a matter of time. They would force her to sell Darkpaw to them, or they¡¯d take it by force. Zhali was terrified of them, even through the hierclasty, Ink could feel it. It was looming over her, Darkpaw¡¯s impending death.


    She had told her employees that something was coming and they needed to leave, but no one else knew it was Enigma.


    Leave¡­ What does she mean by ¡®leave¡¯?


    Ink¡¯s prying moved onto Zhali¡¯s solution. A few months ago, they had discovered a ship long since abandoned. A ship big enough to take their operations on-board.


    The entire operation.


    Zhali was going to convert this ship into a mobile headquarters, allowing her to keep Darkpaw on the move, evade Enigma and take the fight to GLYPH directly.


    That sounds useful¡­


    Before she could spend any longer digesting the girl¡¯s plans, a loud cough and gasp behind her made Ink spin to face her victim, all the happier for seeing the girl''s confused eyes scanning the room.


    ¡°Welcome back.¡± Ink grinned, offering her a hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± Zhali stuttered, glancing around in the room in confusion. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I made you mine.¡± Ink clarified with a toothy, menacing grin.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m- What is this feeling?!¡± Zhali pleaded, Ink recognising the desperate look in her eyes immediately.


    ¡°Hunger. Order your staff up here. And we¡¯ll feed on them together¡±


    The tigress paused for a second, still unsure of what was going on.. She pushed herself up off the chair, feeling herself stand taller than before, she felt all over her body, she was bigger than before¡­ Stronger. More present and more capable than ever, her blood hot, her spit sweet, her skin tingling¡­


    She stopped for a brief moment, feeling the goo still plastered around her chin and mouth from Ink and felt her stomach fill with butterflies again. Still adjusting to her new legs, she carefully made her way over to her desk and pressed her claws onto the intercom button.


    ¡°Girls, I need you in my office, now.¡±


    ***Two Days Later***


    Tyler sat within his cell, sighing loudly. Little more than a bench within a sealed cube, with one wall being super thick security glass.


    The guards had been disappearing one by one over the last day, seemingly responding to a call of some sort and now, there was no one left in the corridor or the prison wing. Normally this would have been nice, not to be glared at by the guards, but no one had fed him this morning¡­ Tyler got the feeling that this wasn¡¯t the usual drill¡­


    He pressed up against the glass and tried to look down the corridor, his belly rumbling loudly.


    ¡°Where the hell is the breakfast?!¡±


    Suddenly, he picked up on movement -someone was running down the corridor.


    He heard them approaching, their feet hammering on the metal panelling that lined the prison wing with some urgency.


    ¡°About time, asshole. Just because I''m a dick doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t have rights¡­ Hey! HEY! Wait! Where are you going?!¡±


    The person sprinted straight past his cell, he barely had time to catch sight of them as they hurried past, running with every ounce of strength they had. It was difficult to see, but he swore they were dripping with some kind of black goo, leaving a trail of it down the corridor.


    ¡°Was he¡­ naked¡­? What the hell is going on?¡±


    He thumped on the glass with the base of his fist a few times, calling out but no one responded.


    A spike of anxiety shot through his heart and he tried to get a better look at the black trail left over but couldn¡¯t tell what it was, but as he examined the substance, the wing suddenly filled with harsh red light and a blaring alarm filled his ears.


    ¡°What the fuck? That sounds like a station wide alert¡­?¡±


    An hour drifted by, slowly, painfully. With nothing but the alarm in his ears and the bleaching red of the emergency lights until he felt thumping under his feet, shaking the very glass of the cell.


    Pressing his face to the glass again, he could see two figures making their way down the corridor towards his cell.


    Both were huge, their details hard to make out but they filled the corridor and he could just about make out two bright yellow eyes through the red haze.


    The thumping intensified as the pair approached, almost in time with the alarm. Ticking together, thumping closer. One step at a time.


    As they approached, he thumped on the glass again, feeling his heart pounding in his chest, telling him to get away and hide, but what option did he have?


    ¡°Hey! Can you let me out of here? I think I¡¯ve been forgotten about¡­¡±


    Finally, the figures arrived in front of the glass. A massive czarite and¡­ Zhali? No, it couldn¡¯t have been¡­


    ¡°You have NOT been forgotten, Tyler.¡± The alien snarled. ¡°Not even close.¡±


    ¡°Sorry little thing, isn¡¯t he?¡± Zhali smiled.


    ¡°Oh, he will be.¡± Ink grinned, cracking her neck to each side.


    ¡°Are you going to corrupt him?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Ink growled, her muscles tensing across her body. ¡°He doesn¡¯t get our gift.¡±


    ¡°Wha-what are you talking about?! Zhali, is that you?! What are you doing?!¡± Tyler panicked, backing away from the glass as the alien¡¯s eyes bore right through him, her gaze locked straight onto his throat.


    ¡°You go, have fun. We still have plenty of staff to go through.¡± Ink waved Zhali away. ¡°Leave this¡­ scum to me. I want to be alone with him.¡±


    And with that, the tigress nodded and made her way out, leaving Ink alone with her ex-boss, only separated by the thick prison glass between them.


    ¡°W-Who are you?¡±


    Ink waited until Zhali was clear of the prison wing before responding.


    ¡°Someone you should have treated better.¡± She snarled, licking her lips.


    Ink plunged her fist through the glass, smashing through it in a single, cell shaking, violent hit.


    Tyler yelped and pressed himself against the far well, quivering in fear from head to toe as the controller stepped into the cell, spreading her tentacles out to block any route of escape.


    ¡°I dreamt of putting a grenade under your pillow as you slept, ¡®boss¡¯. I dreamt of humiliating you in front of everyone. I dreamt of beating you to death with my cane. I dreamt of so many things I wanted to do to you.¡± The alien began to shake with anger, her face curling into a furious snarl. ¡°And now, after three years of barely making enough to eat - I finally get my due.¡±


    She stamped forwards him, forcing him into the corner of the cell, but not laying a hand on him quite yet as Tyler screamed, shaking and terrified, unable to bring another word to his quivering mouth.


    ¡°Tell me you are sorry.¡± Ink demanded, bringing her face down to his.


    But Tyler remained silent, too scared shitless to even begin processing her request.


    ¡°TELL ME TYLER!¡± She screamed, snatching him up in her tentacles, one curling around each of his limbs and pinning him to the wall. ¡°I WANT TO HEAR THE WORDS FROM YOUR MOUTH!¡±


    But he didn¡¯t. He couldn¡¯t. A trickle of fluid ran down the wall from under him, like a deer in the headlights, he was completely trapped and helpless.


    Ink¡¯s tongue briefly flickered out and her fury turned into a smug, almost understanding grin.


    ¡°Now you get it. What it feels like to be trapped and helpless.¡± She chuckled briefly, but the brief reprieve didn¡¯t last and she tightened her grip on his limbs.


    Her tentacles pulsed and tightened, tightening further and further around his wrists and ankles until they cracked and broke, splintering like dry firewood, the flesh around them reduced to nought but paste.


    ¡°My only request, Tyler? Don¡¯t die immediately. Suffer for me. Please.¡±


    And in the blaring red light of the prison wing. She turned him into what he made her feel¡­


    Nothing.

 Chapter 26 - Perjury

    Tivy was sitting alone at the kitchen table. The white LED lights overhead buzzed against her ears. Never before had the light been so harsh, nor the sound been so loud, but yet, not enough to distract her from the events of the day.


    The flat was unusually quiet. With so many people in a relatively small area, normally it was nigh on impossible to get a break from the hustle and bustle of people coming and going. But tonight, the mood had shifted; solemn, sad. It wasn¡¯t particularly late either; everyone had decided to go to bed early, as no-one felt much like socialising after V¡¯s funeral. Tivy too had gone to bed - for a while - but after what felt like hours of tossing and turning, she¡¯d realised that she just couldn¡¯t settle. She¡¯d crept out of the bedroom, so as not to wake Trent who had passed out almost immediately, and made her way into the kitchen. Normally this was her place of haven, of cooking and socialising, of warmth and family, but it felt like none of those things this night. Although, the cold floor beneath her bare little feet was somewhat soothing. And the light, although harsh, was a welcome embrace against the dark. And the ringing in her ears, although it made her twitch and flick her head as it cut into her ears, was a saving grace from the deafening silence, that was so seldom heard in the small flat.


    She fidgeted for a while. A half-eaten bowl of chocolate fudge cake sat on the table in front of her, drowning in pouring cream. She poked at it with her spoon, but for once, her appetite failed her. She yawned, as she was exhausted, and yet, she was restless too. She wasn¡¯t sure how long she¡¯d been sitting on the hard wooden chair, but her feet - which couldn¡¯t quite reach the floor - were starting to go numb, and pins and needles were tingling up her legs. Finally, she forced her body to move, sliding down from the chair, and began to tidy up the place.


    Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t really anything to tidy. They had eaten at V¡¯s wake, and no-one had had an appetite afterwards, and so there was no washing up. There was no laundry either; for once, Tivy cursed her hyper-organisation, and no-one had left their dresses and suits in the bathroom for her to clean.


    She found herself in the hallway, and slowly started picking up their pairs of discarded dress shoes, kicked off and left in the entryway. She placed them all, one by one, gently onto the shoe rack by the side of the door, then walked back into the kitchen. She pulled the tea towel off of the radiator, re-folded it, then put it back. She walked over to the fridge, and opened the door wide. The fridge''s usually gentle hum seemed¡­ louder than usual. She peered inside, standing on her tiptoes so that she could see the very highest shelves, and reviewed its contents. Meal prep was one of her jobs and¡­ of course, she¡¯d already done it. Everything that could be done, had been done. Tupper-boxes of pre-sorted soup mixes, diced meat and sliced veggies, hell, even pre-weighed spice packets for everyone, so she could get their soup just how they liked it. The fridge was as complete as a fridge could be.


    There was nothing for her to do.


    And she hated it.


    She stood in the middle of the kitchen, wishing someone had left a glass or bowl out, anything. But there was nothing.


    WAIT!


    Tivy padded over to the table excitedly, back to her half-eaten dessert. The bowl needed washing! And needed putting away! She could empty the food bin too, and take it outside¡­


    But she didn''t move. She stood, fingers gripping the back of the chair, and just stared into the bowl¡¯s murky leftovers. She couldn''t bring herself to raise her arms.


    What am I supposed to do?!


    She''d be angry if she''d had more energy. Now, she was just frustrated, and sad. She hated both of those feelings. As she stood, staring the bowl down, her eyes boring into its soul, sure that at any moment, just her mental determination alone would cause it to move itself over to the sink ¨C


    - She heard a soft click down the corridor, as one of the bedroom doors opened.


    Tivy panicked. She immediately sat down, picked up the spoon and shovelled a heavy piece of cake into her mouth. The sickly sweet concoction swirled around in her mouth, and no matter how much she chewed, it only seemed to get thicker and stickier. As she was preparing herself for another mouthful, heavy footsteps creaked against the floorboards, and Seeth walked into the room. She walked slowly, almost deliberately, and opened her mouth to speak. Although she seemed a little hesitant, she looked poised, and determined. However it was in this momentary hesitation that Tivy''s panic boiled over.


    ¡°I WAS HUNGRY.¡± Tivy blurted out, sending cake crumbs flying across the table. Seeth froze, her mouth still agape, but no sound came out. It wasn¡¯t often she was caught off guard, but Tivy¡­ Tivy seemed to have a knack for it. She stared across the table at the critter, her mouth covered in chocolate, who was furiously pushing another heaping spoonful of cake into her mouth. There was a long moment of silence between the two of them, in which Tivy made a very loud, very obvious audible gulp as she swallowed.


    ¡°That''s¡­ great?¡± Seeth forced out a dry, awkward chuckle. Unlike Tivy, who had gotten changed into a comfy onesie adorned with little yellow ducks the moment she''d gotten home, Seeth was still wearing her suit, consisting of a black pair of trousers, a smart black blazer and a white shirt. She had loosened the tie around her neck though. The blazer fit her well and was quite long, reaching down past her hips, and while it doesn¡¯t completely hide or envelop her figure, it didn¡¯t highlight it either. All in all, she looked rather modest, which was exactly what she was going for when she paid extra for the fitting and adjustments. The last thing she¡¯d wanted was to be the centre of attention at someone¡¯s funeral, and it was money she was happy to pay, out of respect for Garnet¡¯s wife. ¡°I¡­ I just wanted to see how you were doing? I heard you get up. I couldn''t sleep either.¡± Seeth smiled then, sadly but genuinely.


    ¡°I want the sleep¡­ but the sleep don¡¯t want me!¡± Tivy laughed half-heartedly. ¡°I dunno. I feel weird. I¡­ I don¡¯t actually want the cake¡­ I just kinda panicked.¡±


    ¡°Why did you panic?¡± Seeth laughed back. ¡°We''re not the cake police, Tiv.¡±


    ¡°I-I know! I just felt¡­ silly¡­ standing around in the kitchen.¡± Tivy grinned up at the czarite.


    ¡°Well, for what it¡¯s worth, I''m glad that you''re still up. I was wondering if we could talk?¡±


    ¡°Sure! Is it about your soup for tomorrow? It''s all prepared, even the meat! Geralt helped me! I done the spices just how you like them!¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ No. Maybe we could go into the living room? Might be a bit more comfortable there.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Tivy hopped down from the chair once more and pattered off towards the living room. On the way, she yanked a few sheets of kitchen roll off the side and furiously rubbed the chocolate away from her mouth.


    Seeth followed behind, and gently pushed the door to behind her. She sat down on the sofa, in the furthest end of the room. Tivy, after switching on the fireplace, had quickly curled up into the single armchair. Like a house cat, Seeth thought to herself with a smile.


    The smile quickly wavered, though. She was feeling¡­ pretty good, all things considered, cool, calm and collected, however she was under no assumption that this conversation was going to be an easy one.


    ¡°I wanted to talk to you. About today and¡­ about the attack on the Den.¡±


    It was Tivy''s turn to be taken off guard now. She froze, and Seeth noticed immediately the shift in her demeanour. ¡°It''s okay, Tiv.¡± She said softly. ¡°You''re not in any danger. It''s just me, and we¡¯re just talking.¡±


    As she began to quiver, Tivy stood from the armchair and went over to Seeth, hopping up onto the sofa and sitting herself right next to her, getting as close as she could to the Controller. She reached her hand out towards Seeth, and she reciprocated, Tivy¡¯s whole hand only able to hold just a couple of Seeth¡¯s fingers. After a few seconds, she calmed.


    ¡°Okay¡­ We can talk, if you want.¡±


    They sat in silence for a few more seconds, while Seeth considered exactly what to say. There was so much she wanted to ask, and didn¡¯t know quite where to start. ¡°I just¡­ Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°Tell you what?¡± Tivy replied.


    ¡°About your past? That you and Vora Baro-¡±


    Before Seeth could even finish her question, Tivy started trembling with fright, just at the very mention of their name. Seeth took a deep breath. ¡°Did you tell anybody?¡±


    ¡°N-N-o¡­ But Trent k-knows now. I was having n-nightmares a-after¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Seeth did her best to sooth the critter. With her free hand, she rubbed gently against Tivy¡¯s back. ¡°I just wish you''d told me -¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡± Tivy suddenly cried out. ¡°What difference would it have made? Would you have turned down Garnet¡¯s contracts? Y-Y-You''ve helped so many people, people that were like m-me¡­ But V got hurt, and¡­ and now I don¡¯t know how to feel¡­¡±


    ¡°I would have been more careful.¡± Seeth said, softly but firmly. ¡°I would have talked less about my work at home. I wouldn¡¯t have told you at all! I would have made sure I came home clean, and left any¡­ dirty clothes at the Den. You washed my uniforms, Tiv, and still you didn¡¯t say anything! I would¡¯ve kept you safe. And, maybe¡­¡± Seeth dropped her gaze. ¡°Maybe I could¡¯ve tried to get to you first. And maybe, if I had, V would still be here, and -¡±


    ¡°- You didn¡¯t fail.¡± Tivy turned her large, sad eyes to look up at Seeth. ¡°Someone else might have got hurt instead. You can¡¯t think like that, what if what if what if. It¡¯s good to move forward.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you do? Move forward?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I have to¡­ A-Anyway, why are you suddenly interested?¡± Tivy laughed shakily. ¡°We¡¯ve been friends a long time now, and you never asked any of us about before!¡±


    Before¡­ Before what? Before we kidnapped you? Violated you? Destroyed your livelihoods and changed your lives forever. Yeah. Before. ¡°I know¡­ I¡¯m trying to change that now, I¡¯m trying to be¡­ a better friend.¡± Seeth cleared her throat, then changed the subject back before she could get lost in her own dark thoughts. ¡°Pushing forward like that, all the time, it must get tiring sometimes though?¡±


    Tivy hung her head.¡±I guess. Sometimes.¡±


    ¡°If you want to talk about it, I¡¯d be happy to listen. It might help with¡­ what happened at the Den?¡±


    For a moment, Seeth was worried she¡¯d pushed Tivy too far. Her body flinched away from the Controller, but her hand remained tightly wrapped around her fingers. Her entire body was shaking, almost jolting in place. She didn''t say anything for a while, just sat and breathed heavily as Seeth waited, and tried to soothe her. Eventually though, Tivy did speak again, her voice a tiny squeak.


    ¡°I was born on a¡­ a cattle ship¡­¡±


    Seeth immediately opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it. Tivy was fidgeting, but her mouth was still agape too - the girl wasn¡¯t finished, and despite the protective anger that was already starting to boil in her chest, Seeth did not want to interrupt.


    ¡°I lived there for my whole life. I had lots of brothers and sisters. One day, I managed to escape¡­ just me¡­ after my parents¡­¡± Tivy swallowed. Her skin had gone quite pale, and she looked like she was trying not to throw up. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to talk any more about that!¡± She thrust her head into her hands and shook it vigorously, as though desperately trying to clear the hellish images in her head.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s okay¡­ We don¡¯t have to.¡± Seeth said softly.


    Tivy sniffed and nodded, breathing shakily she sat back up. ¡°Things got better after that though.¡± She wiped her nose loudly in her sleeve. ¡°A small freighter found me, and¡­ They took me in, looked after me.¡± Tivy suddenly smiled. ¡°They used to read stories to me, and then they taught me how to read them! And to write - I still remember the first time I wrote my name! T-I-V-Y! Tivy!¡±


    Seeth¡¯s eyes suddenly pricked with tears, but she fought them back as Tivy continued.


    ¡°I stayed with them a long time. They taught me to maintain the ship. Did lots of little jobs. We did lots of travelling, and I saw lots of different people. Then I decided I wanted to try something new! When we next docked, I was going to see what other work was out there, and if anyone would take me!¡±


    ¡°Is that¡­ Was that¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s when I met you!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Oh my god¡­¡±


    Seeth leaned back and turned her head away, so that the critter couldn¡¯t see her expression. She had interrupted this poor girl¡¯s life, and pushed her straight back into a prison, just as she was starting to move on. Her whole body tensed up, but as the guilt racked her, Tivy squeezed her fingers.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Seeth!¡±


    ¡°Tivy I¡­ I am so sorry¡­ That¡­ The dungeon must have been horrendous for you¡­¡± Seeth¡¯s stomach dropped. After the horrors that Tivy had lived through, being born into captivity, only to wind up there again¡­ But to her surprise, Tivy actually laughed.


    ¡°Are you kidding? It was great! I got to have all the sex I ever wanted! There was lots of food, you guys always made sure there was veggies and fruits for me to eat, and it was warm, and comfortable¡­ I did miss the sky sometimes¡­ But honestly, Seeth, you don¡¯t need to feel bad.¡± She took Seeth¡¯s hand again and squeezed it softly. ¡°You looked after me. I felt safe there.¡±


    Safe..? ¡°Then¡­ If you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­ Why did you leave?¡±


    ¡°Oh, cos Trent wanted to. And I liked Trent.¡± Tivy suddenly giggled, and blushed a little.


    Tivy¡¯s little giggle was unexpectedly infectious, as Seeth suddenly found herself smiling. Tivy¡¯s¡­ experience with the Controllers, did actually make sense. Although she hadn¡¯t spoken much with Trent or Geralt, it was obvious that they were struggling to move on a lot more than she was. Tivy had clearly been less affected by her capture than they had. And talking with her did make Seeth feel a little better - at least they had done something right - although still, the fact that they had swooped in, taking people without a second thought, to use them for their own gain and exploitation¡­ It struck far too close to home that this was the very tyranny she had spent the last few weeks trying to put an end to. Just the idea that her¡¯s and the Vora Baron¡¯s regime had once been¡­ comparable, made her feel sick.


    ¡°Listen¡­ I want to apologise, regardless, for what we did to you. People have been hurt by my actions, I want to try and put that right¡­¡± Seeth paused for a moment, thinking back to the day.


    V¡¯s funeral had actually been a busy affair. The funeral barge had been full of people - some she recognised - many she didn''t, friends, family (Garnet had never actually told Seeth just how many children he had,) mercenaries like herself, and dozens of nomads, just looking to pay their respects. Seeth hadn¡¯t realised just how big a reach Garnet and V must have had, and how many people they had helped.


    The biggest surprise for Seeth, however, had been a group of four older men - clearly ex-military, from the scars and cyber prosthetics they were sporting. The moment they¡¯d landed, they immediately crowded around Garnet, and refused to leave his side for the entirety of the service. Garnet¡¯s old squad¡­ Seeth had briefly introduced herself to them; word had reached them that it was her that had saved the Den from the Baron attack, and despite the circumstances, they had been keen to meet her. Seeth had been even more surprised when they told her that they¡¯d come over from the Blood Diamond Alliance, which had an interesting reputation to say the least, and was pretty much across the other side of the universe.


    It had occurred to her then just how little she knew about Garnet, and about V¡­ and now V was no longer here to ask. And it was as they had sat at the very back of the service - Seeth had been keen not to draw attention to herself, and take it away from V - and she¡¯d watched as Tivy broke down in tears, and on more than one occasion had to be taken out the room¡­ that she realised that she¡¯d almost lost her squad too. And Tivy had been there, in the kitchen with V when¡­ Fuck. She could only imagine what Tivy was going through. ¡°...And, I just wanted you to know, if you need anything¡­ You don¡¯t even have to ask. We have the money for counselling, or for a therapist. Anything you need.¡±


    Tivy sniffed but smiled, and looked up at Seeth with genuine love in her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s okay Seeth¡­ But thank you.¡±


    ¡°Tivy? Are you in here?¡±


    Just then, the living room door creaked open, and Trent popped his head round. ¡°Tiv - Oh! Seeth!¡± Trent was visibly taken aback and stood awkwardly in the doorway, taken off guard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know you were still up. I was just¡­ um¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Trent.¡± Seeth smiled. ¡°I know you guys are dating. I¡¯m not blind. Or deaf.¡± Seeth raised her eyebrow at him knowingly, but was still smiling.


    ¡°Wh - um, oh.¡± Trent stammered, looking very embarrassed. ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t realise.¡± Tivy hopped down from the sofa and toddled over to Trent. She took his hand then, and yawned as she stroked his fingers. The gentle movement seemed to calm him a little. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯ve tried to keep it quiet, we didn¡¯t want to upset you, or make you think we¡¯re rubbing it in your face or anything.¡± Trent said quickly.


    ¡°I know. Or I figured, at least.¡± Seeth replied. ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t want you to do that anymore. I don¡¯t want anyone walking on eggshells around me.¡± Seeth paused for a moment, thinking. ¡°I think¡­ Let¡¯s not hide anything anymore. I think a little bit more honesty around here would go a long way.¡±


    ¡°...Sure¡­¡± Trent was looking at the Controller a little quizzically, but then shook it off. He was still half asleep, and was sure her words would make more sense in the morning. ¡°A-As long as you¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I am.¡± Seeth swapped her gaze to Tivy to see the critter beaming up at her with a wide, tired smile, catching her off guard for a second time that night. ¡°Y-You good, Tiv?¡±


    ¡°Mhm!¡± She purred, struggling to keep her eyes open. It felt like Tivy had more to say, but the long and emotional day was finally starting to catch up to her.


    ¡°C¡¯mon Tiv, let¡¯s get you back to bed.¡± Trent softly chuckled.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Tivy bounced up and down excitedly, stumbling a little, then darted underneath Trent¡¯s outstretched arm as he reached for the door. ¡°Goodnight, Seeth!¡±


    Trent gave her a small smile, leaving Seeth alone in the living room.


    ¡°Goodnight¡­¡± She said softly.


    Alone now, Seeth sunk back into the sofa and sighed as the flat quieted around her. The smile faded from her lips, for all the honesty that she had preached¡­


    She reached into her blazer pocket and pulled out her data-tablet. She scrolled through several messages, before tapping on one.


    A deed of ownership. For a ship.


    There had been nothing selfish or deceitful around the initial request of the destroyer. Seeth needed something bigger and faster than Venner¡¯s corvette if she was going to spread out further and continue clearing out the Vora Barons, as well as any other scourge this side of space had to offer. Plus, a destroyer might mean that she could start taking Baron ships out from a distance, rather than boarding each one, making the job that much safer. And then, once they¡¯d gotten Diego back, they¡¯d have somewhere to live too, as Seeth didn¡¯t imagine he would really want to settle in a little flat on the side of an asteroid¡­


    You¡­ wanna travel with me? I usually just drift around, seeing what¡¯s what, who needs help. I could really do with the company¡­


    But that was the problem. Although the ship was going to be a surprise for the gang, she hadn¡¯t planned on going far, not initially anyway. And then, once they¡¯d found Diego¡­ well, they¡¯d have that conversation. But now¡­ it made her shudder to think how quickly she¡¯d almost lost the only friends - family - she had now. One Vora Baron attack, and they¡¯d all gone down. No-one was prepared, no-one stood a chance. And the one person who had fought back¡­


    No. Her presence was putting innocent people - people she cared about - at risk. And if she was going to continue fighting Vora Barons, she wasn¡¯t prepared to put them at risk any longer. She would have to speak to Geralt first though; she had to come clean to him about his daughter, although it made her heart feel heavy, and help the poor man move on. It was going to be an incredibly difficult conversation, and one that Seeth was absolutely dreading, but at least now, she had something pushing her to do it. And she had to do it soon, because Seeth¡­ didn¡¯t intend on staying at the flat for much longer. She¡¯d even asked that the destroyer had been rigged in such a way that she wouldn¡¯t need a crew - it could be piloted by one person, so long as they were competent enough.


    And that was her plan. One day, they¡¯d wake up and she just, wouldn¡¯t be there anymore. She hoped then that they could finally start to get some closure, and move on with their lives. Maybe one day, they would all find some form of normality. After all, that was something Seeth could never be a part of, not anymore.


    So, while her getting her ship was exciting, the excitement was somewhat bittersweet.


    She scrolled down and read through the message¡¯s entirety, trying to distract herself.


    Oh damn¡­ Garnet pulled through for me! Those are some hot specs!


    A refurbished ship was waiting for her at the Den, bought at a substantially reduced price as a healt-felt favour. It was a destroyer-class ship, built by Orion Industries, one of the four terra-corps hailing all the way from the other side of the universe. It was a lean, powerful ship, unusually nimble for Orion, who usually built their vessels to withstand hell and return it back twofold. The ¡®Minitaur¡¯ was a scaled down version of the Orion ¡®Minotaur¡¯ cruiser, that was a staple of their colossal fleets. Although this particular Minitaur had been passed through several hands, it was still in excellent condition, with some of the ship''s original weapons still present and a suite of AI systems installed to keep it running, even without a crew. Compared to its bigger sister, the Minitaur was lighter and far more manoeuvrable, seeing more use outside of fleet combat rather than being a mainstay of Orion¡¯s forces. That said, it was still more than able to hold its own, with substantial physical armour, shielding and weaponry.


    A ship like this wasn¡¯t cheap in nomad space, terra-corp tech was on-par with the likes of the DA and far, FAR outshone the mega-corps or locally produced tech in every metric other than cost or availability. She wasn¡¯t exactly sure what Garnet had done to get it to her, although she suspected that it might have had something to do with his old BDA team¡­ Regardless, it was hers now, along with its significant ship-to-ship arsenal and hangar space. The specs revealed a high-grade cloaking system along with a long-jump engine, meaning travelling from sector to sector with the ship could be done quickly - for a price. The fuel to run this thing wouldn¡¯t come cheap, but it was doable.


    I actually own a destroyer¡­ I own my own fucking destroyer¡­ W-What the fuck is my life?


    Before she could contemplate her ship any longer though, there was a loud rattle outside the front door, a jangle of keys followed by the door slamming, and a long, irritated sigh.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Cut me off, will she? Who the hell does she think she is?¡± He whispered under his breath. But Seeth heard every rasping word.


    Robin emerged from the hallway, his blonde hair messy and unkempt, with a deliberate scowl on his face. Seeth¡¯s tongue immediately tasted the booze in the air. He leant a hand against the wall and pulled his shoes off, still muttering to himself.


    ¡°After everything I¡¯ve done, forgiven her for what she did, the ungrateful -¡±


    Robin glanced about and froze as he noticed Seeth, watching him from the living room. Briefly, the two met each-other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Evening.¡± Seeth said coldly.


    Robin didn¡¯t reply straight away. He kicked his shoes into the corner, but as he glanced back over at Seeth, his demeanour shifted, a cunning grin creeping over his face. His eyes kept pinging over to her as he trudged into the kitchen and searched through the cupboards, banging them all too loudly for this time of night.


    ¡°Hey, Seeth. You look pleased, having a good night?¡± He asked smoothly.


    Oh shit. I must have grinned at him by accident¡­ Seeth thought to herself, feeling Robin¡¯s gaze prickling against her skin.


    ¡°Yeah. I guess I am, all things considered. Surprised you weren¡¯t at the funeral today, Robin.¡± Seeth¡¯s accusatory tone wasn¡¯t subtle, but the male continued unabated.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t know¡­ Veronica, was it? Didn¡¯t seem right I go.¡± Robin replied.


    ¡°I just thought you might have gone to support your wife. Especially considering that it could have quite easily been her funeral instead. She nearly died in the attack.¡± Seeth responded flatly.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t though, because of you.¡± Robin winked at her from the kitchen, completely oblivious to the frown Seeth shot back as he ducked behind the kitchen island. When he stood up again, he was holding two glasses in one hand, and a bottle of rum in the other.


    ¡°Foooound it. Haha, this will keep the night young¡­¡± He poured the drink into both glasses dry, then formed a large ice cube between his fingers. He dropped into one of the glasses, the ice tinkling pleasantly as it tapped against the glass. He did the same again for the second glass, then waltzed over to the sofa, pushing the living room door closed behind him. Softly, he placed one down in front of Seeth and kept the other for himself. ¡°You know, my night has been¡­ interesting. But it could be better, you know?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Seeth hummed quietly with disinterest, turning away from Robin to knock her data-tablet off. It was becoming obvious however that Robin just wasn''t taking the hint, for when she looked back his eyes were locked onto her body, and he was scooching closer to her on the sofa.


    Admittedly, Robin wasn¡¯t unattractive. Between his button nose, messy blonde hair and mischievous eyes, the human certainly had more (at least physically) attractive qualities than ugly ones, but this wasn¡¯t a path Seeth was remotely interested in pursuing. Even in her ever horny state, Robin had done anything but endear himself to Seeth, and his actions had made him rather repulsive to her. She may not have been home much, but she had quickly clocked on to his game, the lies, the sneaking about¡­


    ¡°You know, I prefer my nights more lively than this¡­¡±


    ¡°I bet. You know Venner is home, right?¡± Seeth asked, her voice stern. ¡°Likely waiting for you? In your bed?¡±


    Robin took a swig of his rum and placed the glass on the coffee table in front of them. He seemed to deliberately avoid the coaster that was a few inches by his side, and while Seeth had never exactly been a neat-freak, his complete disregard for some reason irked her.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Fuck Venner. She can wait.¡± He spoke softly, ensuring he couldn¡¯t be heard from the bedrooms.


    ¡°Yup, you probably should fuck Venner. Shouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    Unfortunately, Seeth¡¯s not-particularly-witty wit was completely lost on Robin, and the human continued without pause, his eyes wandering over her body.


    ¡°What matters right now, is you. A gorgeous alien, sitting in our living room, at this twilight hour, alone. When you really ought to have some company. You told me when we first met that I¡¯m immuuuune¡­¡± He giggled to himself and slid closer to her on the sofa, teasing the top button on his wrinkled shirt. ¡°Now why would you tell me that, Seeth? If you weren¡¯t looking for a little piece of me? How could I have been so blind?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to be concerned about corruption when it didn¡¯t affect you. That¡¯s the only reason I told you.¡± She sighed loudly. ¡°Your wife is literally ten metres down the hall and you¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re doing this?¡±


    ¡°Correction.¡± Robin held his finger up. ¡°We¡¯re doing this. It could be so sweet, so naughty¡­ Our little secret¡­ One thing though¡­¡± His gaze dropped and he eyed Seeth''s crotch hungrily. ¡°I¡¯m topping.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. As if!¡± Seeth scoffed. If this man¡¯''s opinion had actually been worth anything to her, she would''ve been offended. ¡°Besides, you know there would be serious contamination issues if anything did happen between us? Not that it would! But if we had sex, and then you had sex with Venner, there is a very real possibility that your wife would be infected and changed forever. She¡¯s not immune.¡±


    ¡°Good. Maybe that would make her a bit more interesting to be around. A bit more like you.¡±


    Seeth¡¯s jaw dropped. She couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. Words failed her as he scooched even closer, his body pressed right up against hers now, and went to lay his hand on her thigh. Before he could land it however, she snatched his hand by the wrist and gently, firmly, placed it back in his own lap.


    ¡°Robin. The others may play nice with you for Venner¡¯s sake, I can assure you, I really don¡¯t give a toss.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± He asked, genuinely, but his momentary confusion was quickly replaced by a misguided confidence. ¡°Ooooh. Are you playing hard to get? I love a challenge.¡± He grabbed his drink off the table and gently rubbed his finger over the rim, leaving a frosty, glittering trail over it, and winked at Seeth. ¡°Imagine these fingers running over your nipples¡­ Wouldn¡¯t that be so hot - sorry - cold¡­¡±


    In response, Seeth grimaced and stood from the sofa, shaking her head in disgust. That was quite enough.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to bed. Goodnight, Robin.¡±


    The change in Robin was like night and day. As she moved to leave the room, she felt his sudden ice-cold stare against her back.


    ¡°You should look at me when I''m talking to you, Seeth.¡± He growled softly. ¡°It''s rude to turn your back on someone when they''re talking to you. And dangerous, too.¡±


    She knew she should have carried on to bed. She should have left him to seethe and wallow alone in the living room, but something in her wanted to bite back. Something wanted this piece of trash to feel some well-deserved scorn.


    So, she did.


    ¡°Robin, I wouldn¡¯t fuck you if you were the last man in the universe.¡± She turned to face him, watching his lips curl. She quite enjoyed that. It wouldn¡¯t take much more to push him.


    ¡°You¡¯re playing a dangerous game, girl.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not playing, Robin.¡± She replied smoothly. ¡°You¡¯re a lying, nasty sack of crap, and I wouldn¡¯t touch you with a hazmat suit on.¡±


    ¡°Are you joking?!¡± Robin cried out, standing from the sofa in the same manner as Seeth. ¡°That''s horseshit! What the hell are you doing, denying me?! I know about your condition. I know what you''ve done to people. You are nothing. You are desperate. You are in no position to deny me, anything!¡±


    Seeth¡¯s head tilted as she choked back a chuckle, a shit-eating smirk spreading across her face.


    ¡°Really? You think that? Robin, you know I can hear you and Venner through the walls, right? Even in my sex-deprived, desperate state, your ¡®sex¡¯ with Venner is, if anything.. well, I''m just relieved that I wasn¡¯t involved.¡±


    ¡°What? What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means you¡¯re bad at pleasing your wife.¡±


    ¡°Y-You take that back! Right now!¡± He said defiantly, a set of icicle claws solidifying over the tips of his fingers.


    ¡°Honestly, those were some of the fakest moans I''ve ever heard. She sacrifices her own pleasure for your ego, every single time. What a girl! And bravo to her, she puts on quite the performance for you, doesn¡¯t she? You buy it every time! I bet you walk away feeling like quite the little champion! Truth be told, Robin, as far as stimulation goes, you¡¯d get cucked by a slight breeze. You are anything but attractive to me and if you dare, dare try to come onto me again after a night of cheap drinks and sad sex with hookers, you¡¯ll be lucky if you can walk again.¡±


    Robin stood in utter shock as he mulled over Seeth¡¯s scolding remarks, his eyes still drifting over her body even in his frothing anger.


    ¡°H-How do you know I -¡±


    ¡°I can smell it all over you, idiot. You reek of cheap pussy.¡± Said Seeth, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Robin spat. ¡°You¡¯re just jealous! You''re jealous that you can''t have what I have. A loyal partner, and a healthy, varied sex life.¡± Robin''s face twisted into a smirk. ¡°And jealousy isn''t a good look on you, Seeth, scrunching up that pretty little face of yours.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Seeth raised an eyebrow. ¡°My apologies. I was under the impression that you and Venner were monogamous. I assume then, that if I went to your bedroom right now, and told Venner what - or should I say who - you''ve been up to tonight, that she''d have no problems with it at all, and it wouldn''t at all come as a surprise to her?¡±


    ¡°You think she''d listen to a word that comes out of your slimy, slobbering mouth? After the way you''ve ignored her, glared at her, blamed her for you losing your precious boyfriend? You don''t think she talks to me, Seeth? You don''t think I listen?¡± Robin''s face curled into a snarl. ¡°I''d love to try and see you try, Seeth. Especially after what I''ve heard, that you go running around, chasing after Vora Barons with a great big hard-on swinging between your legs.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you trying to imply?¡± Seeth replied, her voice dangerously soft.


    ¡°That while I''m here, actually getting some, you spend all your time killing, because no one wants to be with you!¡± Robin spat with a false sense of triumph.


    ¡°You were literally just trying to come on to me, Robin! Or have you forgotten that it was my slimy, slobbering mouth you wanted sucking on your dick?¡± Seeth took a step closer to him, venom in her voice. ¡°The only reason you get any is because of guilt and money. Venner only stays with you because she thinks she owes you for the prison stint. And, forgive me, but whose money are you buying those hookers with? Because you don¡¯t actually have a job, do you? Using your wife''s money to buy girls to cheat on her with? Now that''s classy. But, just to clarify¡­¡±


    Seeth crouched down to the floor, so that she was eye level with the human.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I am desperate. And I still won''t fuck you.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Shut up, you asshole!¡± Robin snapped. ¡°If you think you''re getting a pity-fuck out of me know, you are sorely mistaken!¡±


    ¡°Pity-fuck me?!¡± Seeth cried out, pretending to be shocked. ¡°Bold of you to assume you even had a chance! How you managed to bag a girl as loyal as Venner, I''ll never know. Now, melt your claws off and go sob into your poor wife¡¯s nightie, you pathetic little creature.¡± Seeth stood back up and made for the door. But she stopped, her hand on the handle, and glanced back.


    ¡°And I swear, you so much as sniff around Tivy or Oxyi, I¡¯ll turn you into fucking paste. Have some decency and break up with Venner if you can¡¯t keep your shrimp in its packet.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be hot, but you¡¯re just a bitch! I bag chicks hotter than you every day. I''ll bet Diego left on purpose. Smart guy if he did, if this is how you react to a bit of harmless flirting!¡±


    For just a second, a flicker of fury twitched in the corners of Seeth¡¯s eyes, but the girl calmed herself remarkably quickly for such an under-the-belt punch.


    ¡°And you call me desperate? Tsk. Run along, fuck boy. Before I get really nasty.¡±


    Before he could respond, Seeth quickly opened the door wide, leaving them in earshot of the bedrooms. She watched Robin quake and quiver in anger as he realised his response would risk incriminating himself to the rest of the flat.


    ¡°Fuck you, fat ass. Lose some weight and work on your attitude.¡± Robin breathed quietly, his ice claws melting away as he marched past her down the corridor, and stormed off. ¡°Pathetic little fuck.¡±


    Seeth didn¡¯t give him the satisfaction of a response. She didn¡¯t need to. Robin¡¯s words meant nothing to her. His opinion was worthless. That said, as she watched him disappear into the bedroom, she couldn''t help but think that that whole interaction was¡­ a bit out of character for her. Why had she felt the need to bite back at him like that? She mulled it over. For a moment, she almost felt a little bit like¡­


    like¡­


    Leech.


    The girl had always had a sharp, scalding tongue. She shook her head and discarded the thought quickly. Leech didn¡¯t deserve a place in her already preoccupied head right now.


    Venner might have been the reason why she was in this position. Robin hadn''t been wrong in her blaming Venner for Diego''s disappearance, but Seeth¡¯s opinion of the young woman had shifted a lot over the last six months. Between rescuing them from Moltezz¡¯s fury back on Barru X, and working with Oxyi for money, she¡¯d given her everything to make up for her bad decisions, and seeing her efforts wasted on Robin was actually quite upsetting.


    Not that there''s anything to be done about it now.


    Seeth sighed sadly and snatched her data-tablet from the sofa before making her way to her own room. Time for bed I think. Something''s telling me I''m gonna need all the sleep I can get for tomorrow.


    *


    The next morning, the flat''s small kitchen felt warm and alive as everyone descended on the dining table. Tivy and Geralt had served up a large, fresh breakfast, with a mix of fresh fruit, cereal and some baked treats for everyone to enjoy. Seeth sat at the top of the table, wrapped up in a thick dressing gown which actually managed to cloak her curvaceous figure to a reasonable degree.


    Oxyi and Trent were perched on the left side of the table, Venner opposite them and so far, everyone seemed to be having a pleasant morning. Seeth received a warm good morning from everyone as she sat on her creaking chair, and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with the back of her hand.


    Tivy and Geralt finished laying out the table. Geralt sat down between Oxyi and Trent, and Tivy took her usual spot at the tail of the table, opposite Seeth. The room quickly filled with the soft crunch of freshly baked goods and clinking of metal cutlery on bowls.


    A subtle smile worked its way onto the Controller¡¯s face, despite the aching from within her body. They were doing okay, despite her seemingly best efforts at times. She had expected a more sombre atmosphere, but it seemed that a day of grieving and an early night had actually done the crew some good.


    As they began to eat and the room filled with pleasant small-talk, the final member of the flat revealed himself. Robin, dressed in his own red dressing gown, looked somewhat hungover, with large black bags around his eyes and a slight hunch to his posture, as he squinted in the morning light. The smell of breakfast was a welcome relief to him, and he quickly shuffled to the table, and took his place next to Venner.


    Before he even sat down, he''d wrapped his arm around Venner¡¯s shoulder, pulling himself close and nuzzled his messy hair into the crook of her neck. Venner, in response, blushed madly from the surprising show of public affection, as Robin was usually cordial, but somewhat sterile with his wife.


    If it wasn¡¯t for last night, his behaviour might have fit in naturally to the otherwise pleasant mood of the flat.


    He briefly pulled himself away from her to pour himself a bowl of cereal, but then immediately threw his arms over her again as soon as he could, nuzzling against her closely and pressing kisses against her cheek and neck. The woman''s face was lit up red the entire time, clearly loving the attention but unsure of how to react.


    ¡°Robin, Robin! Not here, not in front of everyone!¡± Venner mumbled with a giggle, but if anything, her reaction only encouraged him. A sweet smile spread across the rat''s pretty race as Robin nibbled gently against her ears.


    His physical attention may have been locked onto his wife, but Robin¡¯s eyes were elsewhere.


    Any opportunity he got, where the others were distracted by their own conversations, he attempted to catch Seeth''s eye. And everytime he did, his grin grew wider, and he would squeeze Venner tighter, and pull her closer to him. Seeth merely sighed softly under her breath in response, and reached across the table of a particular pastry that caught her fancy.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s got into you this morning, Robin?¡± Venner giggled, as her husband ran his fingers over her legs, leaving buzzing cold lines through her fur.


    ¡°Do I need a reason? I suppose I''m just in an exceptionally affectionate mood, after what we got up to last night.¡± He looked across the table at Seeth again, but this time, the Controller met his eyes purposely. He was blatantly trying to taunt her. Perhaps telling him that she could hear them through the walls wasn''t the smartest thing she''d done, as Robin and Venner seemed to be going all night, and for the first time since she''d known them, Venner''s gasps and cries had actually sounded genuine.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind us having a cuddle at the table, do you guys?¡± Robin continued, refusing to back down.


    The others paid little attention - Oxyi in fact was doing her best to look anywhere but - but Tivy did shake her head dramatically, her mouth full of fruit. She didn¡¯t mind one bit.


    And Robin continued to try and stare her down.


    I am NOT taking that from you. I meant what I said to you yesterday, you deceptive little cunt.


    ¡°Venner. You need to know something.¡± Seeth spoke clearly across the table, and although she was speaking to Venner directly, her eyes remained fixed on Robin.


    The table slipped into a tense silence.  Tivy, who was mid way through munching through a tasty-looking strawberry which was firmly plastered over her mouth, looked up at the Controller curiously, and was the one of the crew who was able to meet her eyes. Her eyes bounced between Seeth and Robin, who appeared locked in a staring contest. Seemingly, she was the only person aside from Venner at the table who genuinely had no idea what Seeth was about to say.


    ¡°What is it, Seeth?¡± Venner asked, as Robin smuggly tightened his arms around her.


    ¡°Your husband tried to fuck me last night.¡± Seeth stated flatly.


    The entire table recoiled, all except Robin, who remained still, confident, and with his wife tight in his grip.


    ¡°Bullshit.¡± Robin laughed defiantly. But within his arms, he began to feel Venner¡¯s body tense up.


    ¡°Venner, he came onto me last night after he came home and made a purposeful, sustained attempt to seduce me. I refused and reminded him that you were a short walk away. He knew exactly what he was doing.¡± Seeth addressed Venner directly, and she caught her gaze.


    Across the table, Oxyi¡¯s hands curled into tight fists.


    ¡°That''s nonsense.¡± Robin replied, on his wife''s behalf, more firmly now. ¡°Alright, I may have done some playful, innocent flirting when I got home, but there were no intentions behind it! I was in a playful mood last night, you can attest to that, Ven.¡± He buried his face in her neck again. ¡°You know me! But who do I come home to every night?¡±


    ¡°I-Is this true? You tried to fuck Seeth?¡± Venner asked with a shaky voice, pulling her head away from him.


    ¡°No! Why are you believing her over me?¡± Robin frowned sharply, offended, and pulled away from Venner entirely.


    ¡°After I refused -¡± Seeth continued, ¡°- he called me desperate and cursed me out. He¡¯s only being affectionate so nice to you this morning because he¡¯s trying to upset me. But I thought you should know the truth.¡±


    ¡°Babe, you know I wouldn''t do that! Focus on me, not them!¡± Robin grabbed Venner''s face and turned her glassy, wandering eyes to look at him. ¡°Look at me! They¡¯re lying! Seeth is jealous of what we have! She¡¯s corrupted, and she just wants to break us up so she can take what''s left over!¡±


    Seeth¡¯s face hardened at Robin¡¯s comments, but as she went to respond, someone else spoke up.


    ¡°She¡¯s not lying!¡± Oxyi shouted, her intense gaze firmly locked onto Robin.


    Venner turned to face the lioness, whose balled-up fists shaking as she tried to keep it together.


    ¡°Venner, the day I followed him I¡­ I saw him entering the brothel on our station¡­ I didn¡¯t want to say anything but¡­ if he¡¯s flirting with Seeth then -¡±


    ¡°You fucking followed me?! Are you for fucking real?!¡± Robin swallowed loudly, yet his anger somehow felt counterfeit. ¡°W-We¡¯re in danger here, Ven! This lot are crazy!¡±


    ¡°Oh come off it you prick, even Geralt picked up on it and he hasn¡¯t left the flat in months!¡± Oxyi huffed, annoyed. The girls turned to the older feline, who refused to look at anyone. He did, however, nod with a sour grimace.


    ¡°T-That''s bullshit, you¡¯re all insane! Ven, please.¡± Robin placed a gentle hand against Venner''s face, and stroked a tear away from her cheek. ¡°You know how tight we are, Seeth is lying. Oxyi is clearly insane, and Geralt has cabin fever from staying cooped up in this place.¡±


    The couple stared each-other down, trying to figure one-another out. But Venner¡¯s expression broke first and she fell into a shuddering, heart-broken cry, twisting away from Robin.


    ¡°Am I the only one who didn¡¯t know?! H-How could you do that to me?! After everything I''ve done for you?!¡±


    Robin stood sharply from his chair, his fake anger giving way to genuine panic¡­ when he flinched violently, as a strawberry pinged off the side of his head.


    ¡°YOU TOTAL DIRTBAG! YOU LITTLE PRAT! I¡¯LL MESS YOU UP!¡± Tivy screamed, leaping up onto the table and hurling another strawberry at him. Before her assault could continue, Trent quickly scooped her off the table and pulled her back down into her chair, where Tivy continued to lob strawberries at him from the basket.


    Just then, Oxyi bolted upright from her chair, which clattered loudly to the ground and grabbed Robin¡¯s attention, as the lioness gave him a death-glare.


    ¡°You utter FUCKER! Robin! Cunt! You would do that to both Venner and Seeth?!? With her condition?! Then make out like Seeth is shit-stiring?!¡±


    ¡°She''s lying! They¡¯re all lying!¡± Robin protested but quickly retreated from the table as Oxyi dived across it. Rather than assault Robin though, she stood protectively in front of Venner, unarmed and still in her pyjamas.


    Venner''s gaze meandered to Seeth¡¯s, and the two looked at one other for a second.


    Venner almost looked¡­ thankful.


    Hurt and unsure, certainly.


    But like she needed to hear it.


    ¡°Fuck you! She¡¯s the reason I was in fucking jail!¡± Robin cried out as the entire room turned against him. ¡°She owes me the last two years!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be in the fucking ground if you don¡¯t shut up!¡± Oxyi yelled back.


    ¡°C-Can we all just calm down? Please?¡± Geralt asked genuinely, picking Oxyi¡¯s chair up off the floor.


    ¡°None of you understand! You¡¯re not making me leave!¡± Robin cried out, backing away towards the kitchen counter. A long crackling noise filled the room as Robin formed an iceblade over his forearm, as long as a knife and just as sharp.


    The room fell into an uncomfortable silence as he brandished his weapon, gritting his teeth together and backing himself further and further into the corner.


    ¡°Fucking dumbass, theres knives right next to you¡­?¡± Seeth rolled her eyes dismissively and stood from the table, prompting a look of sheer panic from Robin who stared up at her like his life was about to end. ¡°There¡¯s no need for this to get violent. Trust me, the last thing I want to do is get physical with you, Robin. Why don''t you make yourself useful and make yourself scarce for a few hours, hmm?¡±


    Seeth¡¯s words were wasted however, as Robin tensed up in the corner of the kitchen, using his free arm to snatch a knife up from the counter top.


    ¡°Fuck you! FUCK YOU! You just had to ruin it all!¡± He hissed, pointing the blade at Seeth. ¡°We were doing just fine before you lot had to come in and interfere! I¡¯m not leaving! You can¡¯t make me leave! I have every right to be here!¡±


    ¡°Robin¡­ please¡­¡± Venner begged, turning around to face him. Her cheeks red and puffy, tears streaming down her fur. ¡°Don¡¯t make this worse¡­¡±


    Seeth sighed loudly and cracked her neck to the side.


    Don¡¯t squeeze this one to death, Seeth. She thought to herself. But her stride towards the human was halted before it could begin, by a soft beeping from within her cushioned pocket.


    The rest of the crew remained alert and concerned. Trent had his arms around Tivy, who was fumbling for more things to throw at Robin. Geralt had made his way over to Venner and pulled her close, staring over her shoulder at Robin with a judgemental stare.


    Oxyi remained steadfast, standing between Robin and Venner, her heart pounding in her chest as she considered what might need to be done if Robin didn¡¯t back down.


    As Seeth pulled her data-tablet out, her expression changed immediately.


    Urgent¡­ Commander Jace Koa?


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving! She needs to leave! She¡¯s the one who started all this!¡± Robin cried out, repeatedly pointing his weapons at Seeth, but the alien did not respond, transfixed by her data-tablet as she opened the message.


    Her heart skipped a beat.


    Slowly, the room turned back to Seeth, waiting in suspense for her response.


    ¡°Seeth? Are you okay?¡± Trent asked uncertainly.


    The Controller''s breathing intensified, her eyes bright and wide. Her freckles were sparkling brighter than they had in months.


    ¡°Seeth? What''s cooking?!¡± Tivy yelled, pulling the green head off a floor strawberry between her teeth like it was a pin on a grenade.


    ¡°T-They have him!¡± Seeth stuttered, her eyes flitting rapidly from her data-tablet, around the room and back to her data-tablet, overwhelmed with emotion. ¡°The DA! They have him!¡±


    ¡°Who?! What you talking about?!¡± Tivy shouted, with a confidence and attitude that the rest of the gang were yet still unable to muster against the Controller. ¡°Is it D-Diego?!¡±


    ¡°Diego?!¡± Oxyi almost squealed in shock, spinning around to face her.


    ¡°Diego! The DA has him!¡± Seeth practically screamed, visibly vibrating with excitement. ¡°T-They¡¯re giving him back to me! They¡¯re fucking giving him back!!!¡±


    She blinked out tears of joy from her eyes, barely able to contain herself.


    ¡°DETAILS, BITCH! WHAT''S THE DEAL?!¡± Tivy screamed, diving out of Trents hands and onto the table.


    ¡°M-Monday! The R-M-Douchebags will take him off his current owner¡¯s hands and free him! H-he¡¯s sent a code for us to use so we can cross the border and use the FTL network they have over there!¡±


    ¡°DADDY DIEGO¡¯S COMING HOME?!¡± Tivy exclaimed, both in excitement and in shock.


    ¡°H-He¡¯s given me coordinates for the planet. We¡¯re not allowed to land on it but we can remain in orbit until Monday, then they¡¯ll facilitate the deal and¡­ and¡­¡± Seeth flushed bright red, fanning her face. Tivy ran across the table and dived onto her, hugging Seeth around the neck tightly.


    ¡°I¡¯M STILL NOT LEAVING!¡± Robin cried out. He seemed upset that his moment had so quickly taken away from him, and was desperate to get everyone''s attention back.


    ¡°Then stay, I''m going, right now.¡± Seeth responded firmly, clenching back tears and hugging her arm around Tivy. ¡°I-I have a new ship I can use¡­ I can be there in a couple of days¡­¡±


    ¡°We can be there in a couple of days.¡± Oxyi said determinedly. ¡°We''re coming with you.¡± She leant over to Venner and whispered softly, ¡°You¡¯re welcome to come with us, Venner.¡±


    The rat nodded softly, too lost in her own heartbreak to enjoy the moment, but grateful nonetheless.


    ¡°Look at that.¡± Seeth smiled, her chest shuddering with emotion. ¡°Flat all to yourself, Robin.¡± She laughed through tears.


    The crew dived past Robin, who was still pressing himself into the corner of the kitchen, his face red with undeniable fury. Within moments, the entire crew had thrown themselves into their rooms, stuffing bags with what they might need for the trip ahead and tripping over each-other to get dressed.


    In the flurry of activity that followed, Venner emerged from her room, dressed in a new green shirt and jeans, the labels still dangling from the back of them, and anxiously stood in front of Robin. Her face was still running with tears and she tried to bring herself to speak, but couldn¡¯t manage more than a croak.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m coming with you.¡± Robin insisted, gently putting the knife down as the crew assembled in the living room. ¡°Y-You¡¯re not leaving me. I refuse to be refused. Not by you.¡±


    Venner tried to respond, but couldn¡¯t begin to form the words.


    ¡°Come on, Ven¡­ Please¡­¡± Robin begged, slowly melting the ice blade on his arm. Gently, he reached out to her, but before he could touch her shoulder, Oxyi¡¯s arms gripped onto Venner from behind and pulled her away.


    ¡°You stay away from her. She needs time away from you to think about what needs to be done!¡± Oxyi growled. ¡°Come on, Ven. It¡¯ll do you both good.¡±


    Seeing his wife pulled away from him sent a visible surge of anger through Robin, his teeth clenching behind his lips.


    ¡°You - STOP! No! You don¡¯t get to tear my life apart and run away with MY wife, you bitch! You can¡¯t stop me! I have every right to be with her!¡±


    ¡°You take one step on my ship and I''ll flush you out the airlock.¡± Seeth scowled, emerged from the bedroom corridor with a massive rucksack on her back. ¡°And that''s me being nice. Believe me. You have zero authority over me and zero authority to be on my ship. Venner¡¯s choice if she wants you there or not.¡±


    The whole room turned to face Venner as the couple stared into each-other''s eyes. Robin pleaded with her, begged her, but was met with a slow, sad shake of Venner¡¯s head.


    ¡°Then it''s decided. Don¡¯t make me hurt you, Robin.¡± Seeth glared at him, before ushering the crew forward. ¡°Time to leave, gang!¡±


    They marched through the front door, a complete mix of emotions visible on all of them. Seeth could feel Robin¡¯s eyes on her back as they walked out onto the street and towards the docks, but she wasn''t about to let it ruin her moment. Her heart fluttered madly in her chest as his words once again echoed through her mind.


    You¡­ wanna travel with me?


    A few more days¡­ Just a few more days¡­


    I usually just drift around, seeing what¡¯s what, who needs help.


    Seeth could barely contain her excitement.


    I could really do with the company¡­


    ¡°Hang in there, Diego.¡± Seeth whispered, clutching at her chest. ¡°We''re coming to get you.¡±

 Chapter 27 - Pinion

    Moltezz was stood, deep in thought, strong and silent, her hands clasped tightly behind her back as her sharp halolike eyes stared intently out into space. She was dressed in a distinguished black gown, light and silken with a sharp tantalising ¡®V¡¯ cutting down the length of her entire torso, sparing only a few inches of fabric before the dress opened into a long slit, exposing the Mistress'' thigh. Although she looked a true picture of elegance and grace, as she stood before the glass of Barru X''s observation deck, hidden from the rest of the room her brow was heavy and her face was stern, as she processed the information currently being thrown around the room.


    Behind her, Leech sat before a set of hastily wired together laptops, slumped in her seat and rubbing her chin as her tired eyes darted between the screens. Her arm was fully healed now, and Moltezz had been quick to put her new hand to work. The desks which housed the laptops were littered with empty mugs, coffee rings and shiny foil wrappers from various different snacks. Around her, Tani, Mina and Mook, as well as various other Nodes, scribbled away at notepads and stared at screens of their own, their expression mirroring much of the same gravatas of the two Controllers in the room.


    ¡°Tell me again.¡± Moltezz said softly, still faced away from Leech.


    Leech stiffled a sigh, then for what felt like the hundredth time repeated to Moltezz: ¡°We have nothing that can breach the DA border. Nothing. The best ship we had was the Radon, and¡­ well, that''s long gone now. Fucked off into space.¡±


    ¡°All our efforts over the last seven months, and that''s it? That''s all we have to show for it? Nothing?¡± Moltezz''s voice was unusually quiet, and yet she still spoke with such projection and authority that her voice seemed to boom and echo around the room.


    ¡°We have nomad tech. Civilian vessels. Some are a little better armed than others, but nomads are who we¡¯ve been corrupting. So that''s what we¡¯ve got.¡±


    ¡°And all our vessels are unsuitable for this task?¡±


    ¡°Unsuitable? That''s an understatement.¡± Leech said flatly, drumming her fingers against the arm of her chair. The Nodes exchanged a worried glance as she did so. ¡°The DA will have massively reinforced the border since our little¡­ excursion to their space station. We got lucky we survived at all. But now? They¡¯ll be on high-alert. They''ll have cruisers on patrol, surface-to-orbit plasma emplacements and anti-grav fighters ready to intercept anyone they deem a threat - the whole kit-kaboodle. We¡¯d get turned into fish food if we even tried to approach the border.¡± Suddenly, Leech huffed and sat forward. ¡°I suppose this is what we get for even daring to cross the DA...¡±


    ¡°But the planet in question isn¡¯t near here, is it?¡± Moltezz asked, ignoring Leech¡¯s criticisms, tapping her foot against the floor.


    ¡°No. But that''s not a good thing either! It''s waaaay up, closer to Cyrune territory. The border is even more guarded there!¡±


    ¡°Cyr..? Mpth. Leech, less names, more solutions, please.¡± Moltezz sighed loudly, pressing her fingers to her brow.


    Leech cupped her hands over her face and dragged them down, her fingers pressing into her sea-green skin.


    ¡°There is no solution! We¡¯ve been at this for days now, if there was one, I would have found it! This isn¡¯t going to work, Moltezz! We¡¯d be better off trying to ambush Seeth as she leaves DA territory, rather than trying to get to Diego first. And when I say ¡®better off,¡¯ what I really mean is, it''s literally the only thing we can do.¡± The Nodes glanced at each-other again, flipping through their notepads desperately as Leech gestured tiredly at the laptops. ¡°I¡¯ve had the girls do an inventory check of every ship we¡¯ve got. Anything with an engine and a cockpit. Even if we left now in our fastest ships, ignoring the fact we¡¯d be turned into hole-ridden scrap, we still wouldn¡¯t make it before the R-M-Douchebags complete the handover on Monday.¡±


    Moltezz did sigh then, loudly, shaking her head gently.


    ¡°No. Everything has come together too perfectly for this to be how it ends. We will find a way¡­ I can feel it.¡± A lick of flame accompanied her final words, spiralling its way up and along her exposed leg.


    Moltezz finally turned around then, to face Leech. For a second, the radiance in her golden-ringed eyes seemed dulled, somewhat glassy¡­ and Leech looked away.


    ¡°W-We have nothing, but¡­ but maybe we can start looking into where Seeth has been, where she might go afterwards? Get some intel, and begin to track her down? I just don¡¯t see how else we¡¯re going to -¡±


    Suddenly, Barru X started to shake violently, a deep rumble permeating every floor on the station, rocking everything but the two Controllers.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± Moltezz started, but her voice trailed off as Leech suddenly stood bolt upright, her undersized chair clattering against the floor behind her. She, along with the Nodes, were all staring past her, disbelief on their faces¡­


    Slowly, Moltezz turned her gaze outside once more.


    A titanic wall of dark grey metal stretched out as far as she could see. Something absolutely gigantic had warped right next to Barru X! It was so large in size that it completely dwarfed the station, as though they were little more than a little tin box, floating in space¡­ Moltezz immediately went to raise her defences, flames erupting between her fingers dancing across her digits, however, before she could do much else, she suddenly felt something - a presence - from inside the gargantuan invader.


    ¡°Leech. Do you feel that?¡±


    They felt it together. A wave of new, fresh bodies joining the hierclasty all at once.


    ¡°What the fuck¡­? Is that¡­? Is that thing full of Nodes?!¡±


    Tani suddenly went stiff and jolted in her seat, as a voice that wasn¡¯t her own boomed out of her mouth.


    ¡°COME MEET ME AT THE DOCKS! I WILL EXPLAIN!¡± She yelled into the room.


    ¡°Ink?! Oh my god, what the fuck have you done?!¡± Leech cried out, reaching up and gripping tightly onto her dreadlocks. But Moltezz paid her little heed, and quickly turned and swept out of the room, her Nodes in tow as a small Darkpaw shuttle docked with Barru X.


    Moltezz and her troupe quickly made their way down to the docking bay, their various shoes, boots and heels all clacking on the floor as they made their way over to the base of the stairs. They arrived just in time to see Ink step out of a shuttle airlock on the uppermost floor, accompanied by a tall, attractive Node. As curious as they all were to hear what Ink had been up to and find out more about her new Node, it was hard for them to keep their eyes off the gigantic ship behind her.


    ¡°Welcome back, Ink.¡± A wide smile slowly stretched across Moltezz''s face, the stress of the last few days finally starting to ease. Her smile only widened as she eyed Zhali¡¯s new curvaceous body, the Node hovering slightly behind Ink. ¡°I see you¡¯ve been busy. Care to catch us up?¡±


    ¡°I went to Darkpaw!¡± Ink started confidently, puffing out her chest, her grin almost wider than the one Moltezz was currently wearing. Although there was pride, there was also something more pure, or perhaps naive in her expression as her eyes drifted from Moltezz to Leech, desperate for her approval.


    ¡°And what in the orbiting FUCK did you bring back?!¡± Leech snapped, barging past Moltezz and storming up the stairs to meet the Controller, her buckled leather boots thudding heavily against the metal. Ink was taller than Leech anyway, their height difference only elevated by the stairs, but under Leech¡¯s tired but intense, toxic stare, Ink¡¯s demeanour faltered.


    ¡°I-I¡­ I went to Darkpaw and¡­ corrupted their CEO¡­¡± The wind had been knocked clean out of Ink¡¯s sails - or rather tentacles in this instance, which were currently gesturing dramatically to Zhali, encouraging her forward. ¡°I¡­ I thought you¡¯d be -¡±


    Leech slapped her hands over the girl¡¯s cheeks, pressing them together.


    ¡°- ARE YOU FUCKING DAFT?! YOU WALTZED INTO A MEGA-CORP¡¯S HEAD QUARTERS AND FUCKED THEIR CEO?! DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH?! THEY COULD HAVE FUCKING KILLED YOU!¡±


    Immediately Ink began to tear up. She grabbed Leech¡¯s wrists, pushed her hands away and stumbled back, her tentacles curling and positioning around her upper body like a shield.


    ¡°I-I thought you¡¯d be happy! We corrupted half of the company! They¡¯re all here, for YOU to use! I even brought their secret project ship!¡±


    ¡°YOU COULD HAVE DIED! ARE YOU NOT LISTENING TO ME?! WHAT IF YOU HADN¡¯T COME BACK?! NONE OF THIS WOULD MATTER, YOU STUPID SEXY IDIOT FUCKHEAD! I¡¯VE LOST TOO MANY PEOPLE TO¡­ TO¡­ to¡­ UGH!¡± Leech lurched back, her fingers clenched like claws in frustration. ¡°YOU COULD HAVE JUST DISAPPEARED ONE DAY AND NEVER COME BACK!¡± She screamed.


    Ink visibly recoiled, shrinking on the spot, her tentacles wrapping around her body to shelter her from Leech¡¯s gaze. The dark circles around her eyes somehow made her look all the more furious. Before Leech could reprimand her further though, a firm, warm hand clasped the back of her neck, squeezing it ever so slightly.


    ¡°Now now. That''s enough. You¡¯re upset over milk which hasn¡¯t been spilt, Leech?¡± Moltezz purred. She stepped towards Ink, placing herself between the two Controllers. ¡°You¡¯ve done some amazing work, Ink. You took a risk and it paid off. That is to be commended, not reprimanded.¡± Moltezz smiled warmly up at her.


    Leech shook herself free of Moltezz¡¯s grasp, a long hot shiver running down her back. She retreated a few steps down the stairs, and stared down at the metal plating in silence. She refused to look at either of them.


    Ink on the other hand, couldn¡¯t pull her eyes away from Leech. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Why was she so angry? Why wasn¡¯t she proud? But before she could dwell on those thoughts for too long, suddenly, she felt Moltezz¡¯s glow, her warmth across her body. It soothed the pounding in her chest, and illuminated Ink¡¯s soft brown skin in a shining golden light. Slowly, Ink managed to drag her gaze away from the Controller, who was currently stropping in the Mistress¡¯ shadow, and looked Moltezz in the eye.


    And in her eyes, Ink saw pride.


    ¡°We-We managed to corrupt lots of Darkpaw¡¯s staff before they rallied together.¡± Ink¡¯s confidence was returning under Moltezz¡¯s strong gaze. ¡°I took what forces we had, loaded them up onto the ship, and used their cell to teleport the ship here.¡±


    ¡°What kind of ship is it?¡± Moltezz asked, her eyes wide with eager excitement. ¡°Tell me about it.¡±


    ¡°How about you have a tour instead?¡± Zhali piped up, desperate to make a good impression.


    A wicked grin crept over Moltezz¡¯s face, and she placed a firm hand on Ink¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°You heard her. Show us your prize, Ink.¡±


    *


    ¡°So, just how big is this ship, exactly?¡± Moltezz asked, eyeing the innards of the ship with great interest as they walked down one of its hundreds - if not thousands - of corridors.


    ¡°I believe, classification-wise, it''s a dreadnought. We measured it at around four hundred and fifty miles long.¡± Zhali responded coolly. She walked beside the Molten Mistress, at the head of the group, and watched her closely - hungrily - from the corner of her eye.


    ¡°Definitely a dreadnought.¡± Leech murmured in agreement. ¡°Battleships cap out at around fifty miles long, anything bigger than that is a dreadnought by default.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were up to date on your ship classifications, Leech. You¡¯re even more of a nerd than I thought.¡± Moltezz teased, glancing around at the ship''s interior.


    ¡°I had a lot of time to read as a kid, okay? Fuck off.¡± Leech huffed, her cheeks reddening.


    ¡°Suit yourself!¡±


    The interior decor of the dreadnought was caught somewhere between an old war bunker and a royal palace in its aesthetics. Rather than being made of metal sheeting and plates, a huge amount of its construction was solid grey stone, almost like polished granite. From within, the sheer size of the ship somehow seemed even more impressive, with even the most random of corridors extending for miles. Every angular surface was composed of now ancient but still lavishly thick polished wood and stone, with no expense spared for even the most minor of details. Barely visible in the darkness, the smallest hints of deep crimson injected a spattering of colour between the fortress stone and oak aesthetic on tapestries long since lost to time. Every word uttered by the crew echoed down its imposing lengths. Its uncompromising, unapologetic aesthetic is only broken up by the occasional Darkpaw tech ¡®outpost¡¯ stationed within, adding a splash of neon purple and more modern-looking technology into the floating castle.


    While Darkpaw had managed to get the dreadnought online and functioning, much of the ship''s expansive interior remained unexplored. Its sheer size meant that it was quite possible to live comfortably within, and never leave the confines of its walls. Entire families could have been born and died within its shell, having never known anything else than its cool, almost brutalist ceramic innards. Its weight and size made it surprisingly quiet for such a vessel. Compared to the likes of the Rewritten freighter that rumbled under your feet, the dreadnought was eerily silent, which was only further emphasised by the fact that the rest of the ship was completely void of life; the Slaves and Nodes corrupted aboard Darkpaw and brought within the dreadnought had been relocated onto Barru X already, out of the way so that the Controllers could peruse the ship in peace, at their own leisure.


    Although functional, a significant portion of the local power was off, meaning many of the rooms the group passed by were pitch black, their contents concealed and - for now - unimportant.


    They had settled into two groups. Moltezz, Zhali, Tani and Mina at the front, with Ink and Leech trailing slightly behind.


    ¡°I thought you would be happy¡­¡± Ink huffed, purposely looking anywhere but at Leech.


    Leech pressed her fingers against her closed eyes and sighed heavily. Her demeanour somewhat mirrored Ink''s; she kept her eyes locked firmly ahead, and couldn''t look over at her. Her scathing glare had softened after their initial confrontation, and now, she looked more tired than anything else.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not¡­ happy, Ink.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it, Leech? Why are you acting this way? You shouted at me in front of everyone!¡± Ink started trembling slightly with those words, the tips of her tentacles quivering. She wrapped them tightly around her body.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t shout - okay, maybe I did shout, a bit, and I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry I did that!¡± Leech flapped her arms in frustration, clenching and unclenching her hands as though she were trying to pluck the right words from the air. ¡°I just¡­ I mean¡­ fuck¡­ Ink, what were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°It worked out good! I did good!¡± Ink protested, her tentacles pointing at Zhali¡¯s shapely figure in an almost accusatory manner.


    ¡°You got lucky. Very, very lucky. I¡¯ve already rooted through Zhali¡¯s memories of your little induction, covertly¡­ The cards were stacked in your favour, Ink. Big time.¡±


    ¡°This was not luck, Leech!¡± Ink retorted. ¡°I infiltrated Darkpaw! I got inside! I got into the CEO¡¯s office -¡±


    ¡°And her pants.¡± Leech muttered.


    ¡°- I TOOK CONTROL OF ALL OF THEM! Look how many Slaves and Nodes I brought back! Look at this ship! This wasn¡¯t luck, this was me! This is the biggest win we¡¯ve ever had. And I did it. Alone.¡±


    ¡°See, this¡­ This is exactly why I asked you to stay out of the way on the DA space station.¡±


    ¡°Out of the¡­ What do you mean? You said we needed the servers! You said it was important!¡±


    ¡°And it was, Ink, fucking hell!¡± Leech hissed through gritted teeth. ¡°How are you this fucking dense?! Ink, I don¡¯t know how I can say this to you any clearer: You. Should. Have. Died. You walked into an armed, secure mega-corp with no plan, no weapons, no-one on the inside, you didn¡¯t even have a skirt that fit you properly!¡±


    ¡°I am a weapon.¡± Ink muttered, flexing her tentacles.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not! And if I¡¯d let you swagger onto a DA space station with that cocky, over-confident attitude, you would have been ripped apart! For all the brains you have in your big thick head, Ink, you don¡¯t fucking use them!¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Well¡­ maybe you should try using your eyes!¡± Ink snapped back. ¡°Because you keep saying I should have died, could have died, blah blah blah, but here I am, Leech! Right in front of you!¡±


    ¡°What if Darkpaw had known about the corruption, before you corrupted Zhali?¡± Leech continued as though Ink had never interjected, her voice now deadly serious. ¡°We don¡¯t know how much the rest of the universe knows about us right now. Did that even cross your mind? They¡¯d have killed you before you even had the chance to land your ship, and that¡¯s if you were lucky! I¡¯ve broken into enough prisons for one lifetime, I didn¡¯t really fancy trying to rescue you out of a trashy mega-corp jail cell.¡±


    ¡°That didn¡¯t happen.¡± Ink stated firmly, crossing her arms. ¡°There was a reason why I told everyone to stay away from Darkpaw.¡± She huffed stubbornly.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not¡­¡± Leech sighed, and finally looked across the corridor at the other Controller. Ink was doubling down, that much was obvious, and Leech wasn¡¯t getting through to her. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to take your success away from you, alright? You brought us a fucking dreadnought! That''s¡­ that''s insane! This ship is insane! This is all just¡­ insane. More has happened in the last three days than the last six months¡­ I¡¯m just trying to get you to think. You have to admit, things were stacked in your favour. Zhali wanted to put things right with you. She fancied the fuck out of you. And you played to her weaknesses, including stealing Plasia¡¯s story.¡± Leech could feel the heat rising in her chest again as she snapped that last part - although she wasn¡¯t too sure why. ¡°Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice that. Devious little thing, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You should be happy. I tore my old boss apart, took the CEO and got this ship and all you¡¯re doing is giving me attitude. I earned this.¡± Ink snapped back, harsher than before.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to imply otherwise¡­¡±


    ¡°You were supposed to be happy!¡± Ink twisted her body towards Leech, flailing her tentacles wide. ¡°You were supposed to be proud of me! I was supposed to come back, and you¡¯d see how good a job I had done, and you¡¯d take me back to your room and we¡¯d fuck and you¡¯d tell me how I¡¯m such a good girl, and I could have you all to myself¡­ That''s what I wanted! Why don¡¯t you want it too?!¡± Ink was almost shouting, her eyes narrowed like two fiery black slits.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Something in Ink¡¯s demeanour had shifted. The way she was looking at her¡­ Leech pulled away slightly, putting a little more space between the two of them as Ink¡¯s tentacles twitched angrily. Leech wetted her lips uncertainly, and as her tongue briefly slipped out into the open air, it was met with the slightest hint of dried blood.¡°I thought you did this for you. It was your boss, your victory, way before you even met me. Why does what I think matter to you so much?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it?! We¡¯re supposed to be in this together! You made me everything I am! And I¡¯d be nothing without you¡­¡±


    Up front, the conversation was going dramatically differently.


    ¡°So tell me about this ship!¡± Moltezz asked excitedly, nearly vibrating where she stood as she considered the untapped potential of such a vessel. ¡°Where did you get it?¡±


    ¡°We found it. Whoever it belonged to previously made significant efforts to conceal its location, but we found it close to a pulsar, hidden within a dense asteroid field.¡± There was no hiding the surge of pride in Zhali¡¯s voice. She easily kept pace with the Controller¡¯s strides, and there was a little more swagger into her hips than usual too.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t know who built it?¡±


    ¡°No. But we do have an idea of when it was built. While the software architecture is certainly usable, the operating systems don¡¯t match anything I''ve seen in circulation from the last three hundred years. It''s from one of the big players, certainly, but whoever dumped it made efforts to scrub their data from its drives before leaving. You understand however, discovering its history wasn¡¯t as important as getting it working. With Enigma on my tail, it was the utmost priority to get it operational again.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Moltezz nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not accusing you of failing in any way. I was just interested, it''s not like it¡¯s everyday you find a vessel of this size or design just floating around.¡±


    ¡°Dreadnoughts are seldom seen. Their construction is more of a passion project than a tactical necessity. That much is obvious in the aesthetics of it.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean it''s for show? Rather than being effective?¡± Moltezz frowned, concern audible in her voice.


    ¡°Oh, definitely not! When I say it¡¯s not a tactical necessity, what I mean is that a ship like this is overkill. It''s a show of force. We were still dusting off the weapons systems, but this thing is absolutely loaded. Ship to ship, ship to ground, it''s got everything from anti-capital cannons to precision sniper cannons, to point defence flak fields and everything in between. It must have been quite the show stopper in its prime¡­¡± She ran a wistful finger over the stone wall to her side, a small sigh escaping from under her breath.


    ¡°Fascinating.¡± Moltezz mused sincerely. ¡°And what was your plan with it? Attack Enigma?¡±


    ¡°God no!¡± Zhali spluttered. ¡°As powerful as this ship would be if we got it fully operational, Enigma likely has thousands of their own dreadnoughts, plus goodness knows how many battleships, and whatever else. No, my plan was to move all of Darkpaw onto this thing, and use it as a mobile headquarters. It''s more than large enough! We would have room to spare, even if we moved all our manufacturing onto it!¡±


    ¡°I see! Stay mobile, flexible, out of Enigma¡¯s grasp?¡±


    ¡°Precisely.¡± Zhali nodded.


    ¡°I like it. We will do the same!¡± Moltezz declared triumphantly. Her searing gaze meandered down the interior of the startlingly long corridor they were still walking down. The dreadnought had a chilling decadence to its thick stone interior, and the longer she spent in it, the more it warmed to her. It would become the hearthstone of the Rewritten, with her at its blazing core. The more she contemplated the idea, the wider her grin grew, her pace quickening. ¡°We will bring everything from Barru X aboard the dreadnought and convert it for our own use! Did it have a name?¡±


    ¡°Almost all of the data was scrubbed, but we¡¯ve seen data files and physical plaques that refer to Journey''s End multiple times.¡± Zhali replied.


    ¡°Journey¡¯s End? Hmm. Unbefitting. Our journey is just beginning! No¡­ I¡¯ll need to put some thought into it, but for now, a placeholder name will suffice! We shall call it - Renewal.¡±


    ¡°Renewal?!¡± Leech yelled out from behind. ¡°Signing a fucking contract are we? Five dies a month for unlimited download speeds and complimentary pics of Mina¡¯s ass?¡±


    ¡°It''s a work-in-progress!¡± Moltezz snapped back, shooting a middle finger back at Leech without even breaking her stride.


    It took the crew over an hour to walk from their docking port on the dreadnought¡¯s upper wing side to the main bridge, where Darkpaw had managed to establish a controlpoint over the gargantuan structure. Separated into multiple floors, the control room was dominated by two giant staircases on either side, with the control decks situated in between. It might have been a massive inconvenience, if each open deck didn¡¯t have its own wing of supporting rooms attached to it, on the outside edge of the staircases. The staircases seemed endless, rising further and further into the bridge¡¯s spacious, ever-ascending room. Each control deck felt like the parapet of a castle, thoughtfully spaced with its own control panels, computers and adjustable, worn-looking seats.


    ¡°Good fucking lord, look at this place!¡± Leech gawped, peeping up the staircase. They had arrived at the very bottom, where the staircases started. This deck featured its own, unique staircase in its middle, going further down towards a massive, metal blast door. Zhali led the group to the next deck up, Mina struggling to keep pace as the striders of the group climbed several of the stairs at a time.


    It had been no easy feat, but after months of around the clock work, Darkpaw had managed to get their equipment talking to the dreadnought¡¯s computers, and had been able to get the whole thing operational from this very first deck. It hadn¡¯t taken them long to figure out that the dreadnought had been designed to be controllable from any deck within the bridge, not just the very top one. Generally, a ship is piloted from the very highest control deck, if it¡¯s large enough to have multiple, in which case the top deck assumes control of the ship¡¯s trajectory, with the rest to perform other specific roles, such as weapon control or utility management. However, it seemed that every level within the bridge was able to pilot the dreadnought. Which was something they were actually grateful for, as the highest level of the bridge was up a mountain¡¯s worth of steps. It appeared that every deck was completely customizable in terms of what it assumed control over. Presumably, when the dreadnought was at full capacity, the one hundred odd decks within the bridge was required to keep a tight reign over it, but for now, only a single deck was required to get it moving, and to save their legs, Darkpaw had picked the very lowest.


    As Moltezz ran her fingers along the stone barriers that encircled the first deck, Leech hopped onto the nearest computer, sitting herself down onto one of the plush leather seats. It had aged poorly, but was still remarkably comfy despite that. Wasting no time, she began poking through the ship''s files.


    ¡°So, how did you get the ship here so quickly?¡± Moltezz implored, almost waltzing her way around the deck. ¡°It just¡­ appeared!¡±


    ¡°About that¡­¡± Zhali fidgeted and grit her teeth as she grimaced in response. ¡°That¡­ was an expensive manoeuvre¡­¡±


    ¡°How do you mean?¡± Moltezz asked, pausing in her stride and raising an eyebrow at the Node. Behind her, the sound of Leech¡¯s fingers clacking against the mechanical keyboard in front of her intensified sharply, as deep concern contorted her face.


    ¡°We only had one heat cell and we used it to get here.¡± Zhali replied. ¡°I¡¯m not sure the ship will be able to warp again, and without warping, its speed is what you¡¯d expect for a floating fortress.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! We¡¯ll find a way! What is this ¡®heat cell¡¯ you described?¡±


    ¡°It''s not the heat cell you should be concerned about.¡± Leech interrupted, shifting her glare towards Zhali, her toxic green eyes staring the Node down. ¡°You are aware that the type of engine this ship uses is highly illegal, right?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes... It wasn¡¯t our priority to fix that, as we never intended to use its warp-strike capabilities.¡±


    Moltezz huffed loudly and turned to face Leech.


    ¡°Its what capabilities? How can an engine be illegal?¡±


    ¡°This is a ¡®super-capital spearhead class warp slingshot¡¯ engine. Basically, it''s a really big engine which can warp, and when it warps it brings along stuff close to it, so it could warp an entire fleet of smaller ships with it without them needing warp drives themselves, and it can slingshot. You know how the Radon could return to its starting point faster than its destination?¡±


    Moltezz merely nodded.


    ¡°Well, this is like its alcoholic paedophile uncle who¡¯s coming home after a nasty stint in prison. This engine can warp instantly to a destination, and then can instantly warp back to its starting point whenever it chooses. Turns out, most people don¡¯t like being carpet bombed by their pedo uncle who can instantly appear on your head and then disappear before you can mount a counter-attack. Most factions agreed to ban their usage wholesale, hundreds of years ago.¡± Leech rubbed the side of her head carapace, deep in thought. ¡°I can¡¯t fathom how much fuckin¡¯ energy it would take to make a ship this size warp like that though¡­¡±


    Zhali stared at Leech with wide eyed concerned confusion at Leech¡¯s rather unorthodox comparison of the dreadnought, but the rest of the crew carried on without batting an eye, more than used to her colourful vocabulary by now.


    ¡°That is perfect!¡± Moltezz clapped her hands together loudly, startling Leech out of her thoughts with a sudden jolt. ¡°That means we can deep-strike into DA territory, and retreat at will before they can counter us!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah we could do that!¡± Leech stared at her with maddeningly wide eyes. ¡°We do that, and we paint an even bigger target on our back at the same time! Two for the price of one!¡± It was obvious that Moltezz was no longer listening to her though; with a sparkle in her eyes she turned back around, and was perusing the ship''s interiors again. ¡°But fuck it. Who cares right? We do what we want.¡± Leech grumbled, and begrudgingly resumed her research.


    ¡°Now the question is, how to find my prince?¡± Moltezz mused. ¡°We have the planet¡¯s coordinates, but the good Commander Koa did not give us his exact location. Could we send out scouts? Or does this ship have any sort of sensors that might help?¡±


    ¡°Your prince?¡± Zhali questioned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I thought we were only relocating your base of operations onto the Renewal. What kind of rescue mission requires a dreadnought?¡±


    ¡°Tsk Zhali, did Ink not brief you on the way here?¡± Moltezz looked over at Ink with a playful yet slightly patronising tone in her voice. Ink shot her an angry glare in response, but Moltezz continued unabated. ¡°We are launching a mission to retrieve a man of great importance to both myself and the entirety of the Rewritten. This is a time sensitive goal as his location will change very soon, and he¡¯s currently deep within DA space.¡±


    ¡°DA space?¡± Zhali let out a low whistle. ¡°That is¡­ quite the challenge..! But yes, the warp strike capabilities will absolutely aid in that endeavour. We did get some sensor arrays online, but a drone fleet might be better? Without a plan of the planet, it might be tight. The DA¡¯s fleet response is supposed to be remarkably quick within their sectors, two-three hours at most before cruisers turn up. I could see if I can knock something together if I can get the help?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Trying to find one man on a whole planet will be tough¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh for fuck¡¯s sake!¡± Leech cried out, slapping her forehead. ¡°No. No, you don¡¯t need a fucking drone fleet. The mystery ship 9000 has you fucking covered.¡± She pointed at the screen in an accusatory tone, the slightest hint of a nervous quake visible to those with sharp eyes.


    Moltezz and the others quickly gathered around to see what Leech had uncovered.


    ¡°Genetically calibrated organic sensor arrays. Capable of detecting specific species¡¯ at long range and their location, down to the nearest couple of metres¡­¡± Zhali tapped on the screen. ¡°We hadn¡¯t bothered to look at the sensors yet. Wasn¡¯t mission critical. That is¡­ convenient.¡±


    ¡°These sensors can find Diego?¡± The excitement in Moltezz¡¯s voice was almost¡­ cute.


    ¡°If the data banks have his species genetic structure encoded on them. Coralith komodo, right?¡± Leech tapped on the keyboard again, while the rest of the crew waited in a tense silence.


    Leech navigated to the sensor''s data banks on the console without too much trouble, revealing an incredibly long, detailed list of different species¡¯, many of which she didn¡¯t even recognise.


    She tapped the down key repeatedly, scanning through the list until -


    ¡°- THERE!¡± Mina jumped, pointing at the screen. ¡°CORALITH KOMODO! HE¡¯S ON THE LIST, MOTHERFUCKERS!¡±


    ¡°So we can detect him from orbit?!¡±


    ¡°The fuck yes we can! We can just appear on his head and grab him!¡±


    Moltezz actually squealed with joy, she threw her arms around Tani and Mina and the three of them together began to jump around excitedly. They even pulled the newly corrupted Zhali into their group hug, who couldn¡¯t help but smile and laugh with them.


    Ink shot a confused smirk towards Leech; whilst she was more than accustomed to Moltezz¡¯s own unique brand of craziness, the school-girl squeal was a new one on her. But her amusement was not reciprocated by the other Controller, who instead looked very much like she was about to shit herself. Leech hadn''t reacted to Moltezz at all, and sat frozen in her seat, hunched forward with her hands curled up around her mouth and neck.


    I shouldn¡¯t have said that¡­ Why did I just blurt that out about the sensors?! Why can¡¯t I stop myself from being such a cunt¡­ I swear, I''m the cause of all of my own problems! These sensors might not be illegal, but they are incredibly immoral, especially on this sort of scale! I don¡¯t like any of this¡­ Why now? Why did Commander Koa give Seeth Diego''s location now? What the hell is going on within the DA? Why are they spying on each-other? What is Scyler¡¯s game? And, most importantly, what the fuck is Moltezz charging us into? This all somehow links back to that fucking big-eared, dick-dodger Diego, and I haven''t the foggiest idea how¡­ But something feels so incredibly wrong, about all of this¡­


    ¡°Moltezz, I know he¡¯s your prince but do you think me and Mina could¡­ could sample him? A-After you of course!¡± Tani was asking shyly, pulling on her ears.


    A fierce grin melted over Moltezz¡¯s face, her eyes shockingly bright.


    ¡°Once I''ve broken him in, I don¡¯t see why my best Nodes couldn¡¯t share a little pleasure¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh fuck yes. YES!¡± Mina pumped her fist into the air.


    As the excitement continued to build behind her, Leech cupped her hands around her cheeks, visibly shaking all over now.


    ¡°I-Is no one else immensely concerned about this?¡± She asked, staring at the group in despair. ¡°A giant fucking dreadnought is delivered to us that just so happens to have the perfect way of getting into DA territory and the sensors to find Diego, and none of us are asking what the hell this ship is, and if we should even be on it?!¡±


    ¡°This is the result of Ink¡¯s perseverance and tenacity, Leech. Our reward, for a revenge well served. The fruits of our labour are finally coming into bloom, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Are you not at all concerned as to why Diego¡¯s entire species is on this ship''s data banks?! Why does it even have genetic sensor arrays?! Why was something this powerful and expensive hidden and left to rot? Why does it have a long since illegal engine?! Why is it so fucking big?! Also, ALSO, why the fuck are the DA spying on themselves?! You cannot be this much of an idiot, Moltezz, you know this goes far deeper than us, and we¡¯re diving in head first! This ship is far, FAR too convenient.¡±


    Moltezz sighed dramatically; she¡¯d had quite enough of Leech¡¯s negativity for one day. ¡°Zhali, is the ship rigged to blow?¡± She asked, placing her hands on her hips with a smirk and condescending look aimed straight at Leech.


    ¡°Um, n-no.¡± Zhali replied, a little taken aback at the question.


    ¡°Did you encounter any traps or foul play when you recovered the ship? A small net placed above a door perhaps? Or a banana peel left on the floor?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zhali repeated, with a small smile. ¡°My teams ascertained that it had been scrubbed and hidden, not rigged or trapped.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not fucking saying this thing is a trap, Moltezz.¡± Leech scowled, flapping her arms in the air in frustration. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m saying! But this feels wrong. This ship feels wrong. It''s cold. It was hidden for a reason¡­ and the fact that the sensor arrays have all these different species¡¯ on them has creeped me the fuck out.¡±


    ¡°Does it have czarites on it?¡± Ink asked, tilting her head.


    ¡°Not that I saw.¡±


    ¡°But we could get them on there! Imagine if we could hunt down fresh czarites to become new Controllers!¡± Tani chuckled, licking her lips.


    ¡°An excellent idea!¡± Moltezz beamed. ¡°Once this capture operation is complete, you will work on adding czarite genetics to the sensor data base. We can scope out new Controllers from our new home!¡±


    ¡°PLEASE! I AM BEGGING YOU!¡± Leech yelled, spinning in her chair to face everyone. ¡°This ship will have consequences! I can feel it in my fucking guts, everything about this is wrong! Dreadnoughts are passion projects! Whoever built this¡­¡± She trailed off as the rest of the group stared at her, unimpressed, unconvinced, or both. ¡°You don¡¯t care, do you?¡±


    ¡°The sins of the previous owner will make a fine foundation for cementing the sins of the future.¡± Moltezz wrapped her muscular arms around Zhali and Tani. ¡°I do not care about its history. We have been delivered a gift of truly epic proportions by Ink, who no doubt should be rewarded for her efforts, not scolded for taking risks.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Fine! Fucking choke on each-others dicks! But you still can¡¯t get the fucking thing to warp, remember that now-empty heat cell they used to get here?¡±


    ¡°Not just empty. Dead.¡± Zhali sighed. ¡°It wasn¡¯t quite ready to go, we couldn¡¯t establish a recycling current in time.¡±


    ¡°Show me.¡± Moltezz said, with a self-confident grin on her face.


    The group quickly made their way back down the stairs and to the metal blast door at the bottom of the bridge. Zhali tapped her credentials into a keypad on the side and the massive door pried itself open with a low, rumbling groan, revealing a blank corridor with another huge blast door at its end. They had to wait for the first door to close behind them before the second towering, fortress-like blast door peeled back, revealing a still large but more intermediate-feeling chamber, at least compared to the sprawling bridge.


    There was yet another blast door directly ahead of them, already open and smaller this time, leading into a much more compact chamber, where there was a large circular slot embedded with a solid metal console. The larger chamber had many completely solid metal pipes running over its walls which linked into the smaller chamber ahead of them.


    ¡°That is where the heat cell lives.¡± Zhali motioned towards the smaller chamber. ¡°The blast doors we walked through are a last resort in case the heat shielding fails, but our testing has shown that it¡¯s remarkably stable; very little heat transfers out of the chamber.¡±


    ¡°How hot does it need to be?¡±


    ¡°It''s not just how hot, the heat needs to be sustained through-out the entire warp process.¡± Zhali frowned, unsure of where Moltezz was going. ¡°If we lose heat coherency at any point, we¡¯ll lose our warp home. It also takes time to warm the engine and it''s an uphill fight, the system cools faster as it gets hotter. Do you have a spare heat cell of this size and strength? They¡¯re not exactly common.¡±


    ¡°Moltezz¡­ you can¡¯t be serious.¡± Leech sighed, defeated. She pressed her fingers against her brow, and motioned to Ink. ¡°Ink, assume average density of metal and stone, if the ship has a length of four hundred and fifty miles, and let''s say for ease''s sake, it has one hundred miles width and fifty miles depth, how much could this ship roughly weigh?¡±


    ¡°4.689x10 to the power of sixteen tons.¡± Ink replied back instantly, provoking a brief look of surprise from the rest of the room before Leech continued.


    ¡°That is a light estimate of the ship''s weight, Moltezz, that was forty-six-point-eight-nine MILLION GIGATONS. THIS IS A FLOATING COUNTRY, MOLTEZZ! ARE YOU SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING TRYING TO POWER THAT ENGINE YOURSELF?!¡±


    A second tense silence filled the chamber as the group contemplated Leech¡¯s words. The silence wasn¡¯t tense enough to deter her though. ¡°If you can¡¯t get it hot enough, for long enough, we can¡¯t warp, full stop. You lose heat consistency whilst we¡¯re there, and you leave us stranded deep within DA territory on a barely functional dreadnought. Also, if you do this, you will not be able to join us planetside, at all. You will have to keep this fucking thing fired up or it¡¯s over. And you heard the new girl, the hotter this thing gets, the more difficult it¡¯ll be to keep it going. It''s an uphill battle and I can only dream of the amount of energy it¡¯ll take to fire it up.¡± Leech shook her head in disbelief. ¡°No one will be able to help you, you¡¯ll have to do this alone. This will be the most difficult thing you have ever done, barr none, you understand?¡±


    There was but a moment of hesitation from the Molten Mistress as she stared into the dark chamber that lay ahead of her. She would be sealed behind three heavy blast doors, separated from the rest of her crew. Failing at any point would be disastrous, as Leech had so kindly highlighted.


    Tani and Mina looked up at Moltezz hopefully as the Mistress stared the chamber down, her eyes locked onto the heat ports within.


    ¡°What do you think, Moltezz? C-Can it be done?¡± Tani asked, tugging anxiously on her ears.


    ¡°Too fucking right it can.¡± Mina nodded, slapping the bunny¡¯s ass. ¡°Leech got clouds in her brain, she¡¯s been all ¡®you can¡¯t do this¡¯ and ¡®I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve done that,¡¯ how about a little positivity?!¡± Mina poked her tongue out at the sassy Controller and placed her hands on her thick hips, smiling up at Moltezz, who was still locked onto the chamber in silence.


    Before Mina could continue, control of her body was wrought from her by Leech, who sent her marching into the corner, facing away from everyone, before making her spank her own ass with a loud slap.


    ¡°Naughty nodes should be fucked and not heard. Naughty nodes should be cucked and not heard.¡± Leech stated dryly, but with satisfaction, through Mina¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Leave her alone, Leech.¡± Moltezz murmured quietly, still deep in thought. ¡°I told you, we only do that when absolutely necessary. We should be treating the Nodes like people, not puppets.¡±


    With a shrug, Leech dropped her control. Mina immediately spun around on the spot, and flashed a couple of middle fingers at the Controller.


    With all eyes on her, the Mistress nodded decisively, having finally made up her mind.


    ¡°I want my best Marks up here, now, for a final release before I get started. Tani, I want constant, fresh food delivered to the bridge just behind these blast doors. Tables full. I¡¯ll need sugars, fats, high calorie food, the best stuff we¡¯ve got. Plus cold, fresh drinks. No less than three tables and three barrels full at all times. Mina, get my psyonic amplifier armour, the stuff I used on the DA assault. Leech, you work with Zhali and the Trio. Get the freighter on board this thing and get us away from Barru X so we don¡¯t bring it with us when we teleport in. I want all our Slaves, Nodes and Imprinted ready to fight. Every vessel we¡¯ve got, load them. Every gun, every able body, everything.


    ¡°Tonight, I rest, I feast, I fuck.


    ¡°Tomorrow, I will begin charging this thing. Either I¡¯ll succeed, or I die trying.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll¡­ wait, what?¡± Leech replied, her mouth agape.


    ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t know?¡± Moltezz grinned. ¡°Maybe I can teach you something today. If someone completely drains their psyonic battery to zero, they die, Leech. I will give every ounce, every joule of my being to this task. And if I fail, then I didn¡¯t deserve any of this.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You can do that?! That¡¯s a thing?! You can just expend too much energy and die?!¡±


    ¡°If you''re strong enough. Most psykers will pass out before they can expend that much power. I, however -¡± Moltezz gently flexed her biceps as flames erupted out of the palms of her hands - ¡°am very much strong enough.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s insane, Moltezz.¡±


    ¡°That is destiny, Leech.¡± Moltezz grinned again, her body erupting into flames. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect you to understand.¡±

 Chapter 28 - The Night Before

    Diego tugged awkwardly at the heavy golden collar around his neck, until finally it sat a little more comfortably. He played with the collar of his shirt then, thick and white with a delicate golden trimming that clung tightly against his body, trying his best to conceal the metal choker. His sleeves were currently rolled up above his elbows; he¡¯d been hard at work for the last few hours, and didn¡¯t want to scuff or stain the cuffs. Over his shirt he wore a dark, satin black waistcoat that had an almost stormy undertone to it, matching his smart black trousers and smart black shoes, that clacked irritatingly against the floor with every step he took. A tail covering completed his ensemble, draped over the top of his tail and strapped around its width, to keep it in place. The covering itself only went about halfway down, as was the fashion, and sported the same stormy satin and golden finish as the rest of his suit. With a dark and moody attire to match both his skin tone and his tired facial expression, he might have looked a little too broody for a party, if not for the golden trimming. It brought out the soft golden glow of the rings that surrounded his purple irises perfectly, and pulled the entire outfit together. He had been allowed to keep his swept back, chaotic hair, but it had been trimmed and tidied up. It was still very much Diego, just a little neater than usual.


    He was standing at the front door before a golden hosting stand, his gaze flitting down the impeccably printed guest list resting atop it. There was not an imperfection to be seen, not a stray speck of ink, not a character out of place. Everything was to be perfect tonight.


    Although Diego was already having some doubts. He had come to a halt at the very first name on the guest list. ¡°D¡¯Boris..? Duh-Boris?¡± He said out loud, trying to figure out if the name sounded as stupid as it was spelt. Then his ears twitched; behind him, a pair of footsteps were slowly approaching down the great staircase that resided in the mansion¡¯s main foyer, interrupting his thoughts.


    ¡°So... how do I look?¡± Karen asked, clearing her throat. Diego turned slowly to face her as her hands patted against her hips, smoothing non-existent wrinkles out of the length of her dress.. She was smiling at him, albeit nervously, the slightest hint of cherry pink visible in her cheeks. Diego found himself smiling back at her.


    ¡°You look... fantastic!¡± She was wearing a long, sleek emerald dress. It ran the entire length of her body, the bottom of the dress sweeping gracefully along the floor. Above her waist, the dress allowed for just a tease of the dragoness¡¯ golden cleavage, enough to catch the eye, but allow the wearer to maintain that element of grace and class, essential if a host was to succeed at an event such as this. Her chest had not been left bare either; she wore a shimmering storm-grey necklace, contrasting nicely against her shimmering golden scales beneath it, held by a tiny delicate chain around her neck. Her outfit was completed with a set of ear and horn jewellery, just a couple of small pendants on either side of the same material, and a dark silver pair of heels.


    Karen was blushing gently under Diego¡¯s gaze and approval. He turned back towards the hosting stand, feeling a little warm behind his ears himself, but continued to smile. ¡°I just hope the guests will be worth all the effort. I can¡¯t help but feel that all this grandeur will be wasted on the likes of Duh- Boris.¡± He gestured to the guest list and chuckled.


    ¡°The ¡®D¡¯ is silent. And that¡¯s Fairylin¡¯s husband by the way, so be nice.¡±


    Diego snorted and smirked. ¡°I will not be silencing the ¡®D¡¯ for him.¡±


    ¡°Behave, you.¡± Karen replied, stifling a giggle. She glanced up at the grandfather clock on the landing. ¡°Speaking of, they should be here shortly. And then, it¡¯ll be time for the rest of the guests to arrive. Are we all set?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± Diego replied warmly. Fairylin had graciously allowed Karen the use of Darin and Katie to help Diego prep for the party, but even so it felt like he¡¯d been working non-stop for hours, setting up chairs, laying tables, polishing pointless baubles and preparing various different entrees to suit both the most basic and exotic of palettes. ¡°I have a good feeling about tonight, Karen. I think everything will go... exactly as planned.¡± The plan, Diego thought to himself, of course being the Solar Seraphim. They would be touching down in a matter of mere hours now, silently, in the dead of night, and finally, finally he would be on his way back to Seeth and Plasia... and the others, of course. The anticipation was starting to get to him, butterflies danced inside his stomach and excitement bubbled in his chest. Although he couldn¡¯t quite shake the gnawing feeling at his stomach, the guilt of leaving Karen behind.


    Just then, there was a noise at the front door; their first guests had arrived. ¡°Shoot, that¡¯s Fairylin!¡± Karen whispered, her voice a little panicked. ¡°I¡¯m going to do one final sweep of the house and the garden, once I¡¯m out of sight, let them in!¡± And with that, Karen ducked quickly out of the foyer.


    Diego waited just a moment. He sucked in the silence and savoured it; he wasn¡¯t going to get much - if any - respite from the draconic upper classes now for the next several hours. We¡¯re almost there, just a little longer... He sighed deeply through his nose, then marched up to the front doors, and pulled them open.


    *


    Two days ago, the dreadnought¡¯s bridge had been a cold, empty shell, untouched for decades upon decades, save by Darkpaw¡¯s engineers, who then had engaged with it with great caution and care. But now, the bridge was swarming with the Rewritten¡¯s Nodes, at least on the lower decks. The Rewritten didn¡¯t actually have the numbers to actually fill the bridge as it was so large, but the bottom deck was packed to the brim.


    As per Moltezz¡¯s demand, there were several caskets of drink and tables of food placed directly outside the blast door to the heat chamber. The deck above was carefully monitoring the situation. Every Node clung to their chairs, claws and nails digging into the rests as they felt the dreadnought warm and swell with energy.


    They all stared at the number on their screens.


    85% heat intensity.


    It had steadily risen over the last two days, and although progress had slowed¡­


    The blast doors suddenly creaked open and a wave of heat filled from the room. Moltezz. The Molten Mistress¡¯ rippling muscles glistened in thick, dripping sweat, running down her ruby skin. Her body was clad only in her psyonic amplifier armour, trapped heavily over her shoulders and back.


    She stomped up towards the suppliers laid out, snatched an entire keg off the floor, hauled it above her head and twisted the metal sharply. The keg sheared in half and water poured over Moltezz¡¯s glowing frame, splashing into her open mouth and over her sweat-soaked body. The air filled with a violent  hiss as the water boiled away. She snatched up a second keg, opting to drink from this one¡¯s tap instead.


    ¡°What''s my progress?!¡± She boomed between mouthfuls of water.


    ¡°Eighty-five percent!¡± Tani screamed back, prompting a booming wave of cheers from the room.


    A satisfied, knowing grin from the Mistress told the room all they needed to know. She snatched a handful of snacks from the table and quickly stuffed them into her mouth, washing them down with more water before holding her fist into the air, steam still rising from it.


    As quickly as she had arrived, Moltezz turned back towards the blast doors and strode into the corridor, as the doors sealed shut behind her.


    *


    ¡°The Thornscales!¡± Diego smiled heartily, determined not to let this draconic bitch get the better of him. ¡°So pleased you¡¯re here!¡±


    ¡°Well, look at that. She¡¯s actually managed to tidy him up quite well!¡± Fairylin scoffed as she strutted through the open doors and past Diego, brushing softly against his arm as she went. Diego quickly tugged at his sleeves, rolling them down and buttoning them tightly at his wrists.


    As was to be expected for such an event, Fairylin was dressed to impress, in a sparkly black dress that hung from her shoulders, and a long train trailing behind her. The dress left very little to the imagination, with a surprising amount of cleavage on show. Perhaps it was her frothing hatred and toxic demeanour that had distracted him before, but Diego hadn¡¯t noticed before that Fairlyin was actually quite well endowed in that department.


    An older, portly dragon arrived behind Fairylin, dressed in a simple but smart black suit that complimented his moody-grey scales. His faded green eyes seemed to bear a consistently worried, tired expression, although being Fairylin¡¯s husband, Diego wasn¡¯t exactly shocked at that. It was difficult to tell what wrinkles were due to age, and what were just a pure disdain for life.


    ¡°You must be D¡¯Boris! I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve met, a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    ¡°The ¡®D¡¯ is silent.¡± He murmured in response, taking off his jacket and hanging it on one of the many


    hooks in Karen¡¯s lobby area.


    ¡°Silent? It''s practically non-existent.¡± Fairylin muttered, rolling her eyes briefly as she removed her own jacket and dropped it into Diego¡¯s arms, who had to scramble to catch it. He was caught quite off-guard by her comment; apparently not even her own husband was spared Fairylin¡¯s cutting personality. ¡°Never mind. Where are the drinks? I¡¯m parched.¡±


    ¡°Err, they¡¯re just through those doors there. Katie should be just about ready with them now. Karen will be back any moment, she¡¯s just doing one final sweep of the garden.¡±


    ¡°Good. She¡¯s right to double check your work.¡± She tutted loudly, then glanced back towards her husband and sighed in dismay. D¡¯Boris was struggling to remove his shoes. He was holding himself  up against the wall, his face flushing red in a mixture of embarrassment and exertion. ¡°Darling, what are you doing? Why are you taking your shoes off?¡±


    ¡°They''re hurting my feet!¡± D¡¯Boris spluttered. Diego could feel the dragon¡¯s temper rising already.


    ¡°We''ve only walked down the road!¡±


    ¡°I told you this would happen! You wouldn¡¯t let me wear my orthopaedic pair!¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re hideous!¡± Fairylin seethed through gritted teeth. She turned her glare towards Diego, who was trying very hard not to look at either of the Thornscales. He was instead very interested in the proper well-being of Fairylin¡¯s jacket, taking extra time and effort to hang it up. He could feel her glare cutting into the side of his head as he tried desperately not to laugh. Finally, Fairylin huffed, and her hoarse voice echoed around the mansion: ¡°DARIN! KATIE! Come help your master, already?!¡±


    The two equine slaves quickly scooted in from behind them, and helped D¡¯Boris remove his shoes. The older dragon quickly regained his composure, straightening himself out.


    ¡°Both of you are to help Diego with any further preparations, and then return to our sides immediately once he¡¯s had enough of you. Understood?¡± Fairylin, ordered pointing a sharp, almost accusatory finger at her slaves. The two horses nodded obediently.


    ¡°Good. I - Darling, what are those?!¡± She was staring down at her husband¡¯s feet in horror.


    ¡°My socks?¡± D¡¯Boris replied, confused.


    ¡°Why are you wearing the mustard-yellow ones?!¡±


    As the Thornscales continued their bickering, Darin and Katie glanced across the hall towards Diego, a small smile on both of their faces as they made eye contact with him. Both were dressed in shirts and waistcoats, with sharp trousers and shoes to boot. Their outfits hid their bruises well; you¡¯d hardly notice anything off at all, if not for Darin¡¯s slight limp.


    Finally, the two dragons subsided in their bickering long enough to leave the others¡¯ company, and head into the main function room through a large pair of double doors to Diego''s left. Between the two of them, Diego couldn¡¯t quite tell who was the cause, and who was the effect. Once they were out of earshot, Diego quickly leapt away from his podium and gave the two horses a strong hug.


    ¡°You two go hang out in the kitchen for as long as you want, pour some drinks, wash some glasses, anything to get away from those nasty assholes.¡±


    They hugged him back tightly and thanked him, before quickly making their way towards the kitchen, eager to put some space between themselves and the Thornscales.


    Soon enough, more guests began arriving, a veritable flood of wealthy dragons from across DA space (temporary shuttle space had been allocated on the fields opposite Karen¡¯s manor.) Regarding the guests themselves, their mannerisms were as varied as the colours of their scales. Some carried the same smug, ¡®holier-than-thou¡¯ attitude that Fairylin did. Some had a kindness to them, treating Diego


    with a welcome warmth. Most were merely indifferent. But all were dressed to impress, eager to make their host''s acquaintance, but more so to get acquainted with the variety of expensive drinks on offer.


    The sound of light, relaxing orchestral music then started to float all around the manor. The guests around Diego ¡®ooh-ed¡¯ and ¡®ahh-ed,¡¯ remarking at the marvel of the occasion so far, and keen to see more. The music had rather the opposite effect on the komodo however, who winced behind his hosting stand as he greeted the next guest, and ticked their name off the list. The list itself was actually ticked off quite quickly. A fashionably late appearance wasn''t a part of DA culture, everyone was punctual, and everyone was accounted for. With the list completed, Diego quickly shifted his role from greeter to server. He was keen to keep Darin and Katie in the kitchen out of Fairylin¡¯s sight for as long as possible, and as he scanned down the completed guest list, he couldn''t help but sigh - there were a lot of guests. He was going to have a busy night.


    In his six months of service, Diego had never seen the manor so alive. The petshees had been preemptively relocated to the basement, for their own health more than anything else. Petshees could be skittish creatures, and this event was going to get loud. Morby in particular was a fussy little thing, and would stop eating his food if things got too loud.


    The main function room was the glorious result of months worth of planning and weeks of ladder- assisted labour by none other than Diego himself, a vision of grandeur that both he and Karen had spent the last several months preparing for. The room was tall and sweeping, the windows hung with thick, silken tapestries of the most vibrant emerald and lined with sleek silver. Sprouting flower arrangements, vibrant with colour and sweet with delicate specks of pollen lined the walls at regular intervals, as well as guarding the doors into and out of the hall.


    At the back of the room, a raised stage provided the perfect platform for the live orchestral ensemble to play out their delicate balance, loud enough to be recognised, quiet enough to talk pleasantly over. Their stage had the same emerald and silver trimming, as did their outfits and even their instruments had been garnished with colour to match the mood.


    A glorious chandelier hung proudly from the very centre of the ceiling, glittering warmly from its crystalline spectacle. Shards of perfectly cut glass hung from its metallic frame so sharp you¡¯d swear you could cut yourself just looking at them. The soft evening light illuminating the tall windows that lined the north and west walls of the hall glittered and shone against the chandelier, creating an almost starry effect against the ceiling, although the light had been somewhat dampened by the giant, plush ribbons that adorned the windows¡¯ upper halves.


    The southern wall was lined with vast, almost panoramic tables, garnished with plate after plate of freshly cooked food. Everything from small nibbles to slices of fresh, still-warm bread and mouth- watering spiced meats were available for guests to freely enjoy, along with several ice sculptures placed along the centre of the buffet tables. For all the grief Karen¡¯s last client had given her about their last minute ice sculpture, it had apparently been a hit, and Karen was keen to keep up appearances. Some smaller ice sculptures had been placed within the punch bowls closer to the entrance, designed for guests to be able to chip off parts of them with a special delicate ice pick, and add the shavings into their drinks. The crowning jewel of the displays however was the wine waterfall, constantly running with dual streams of both red and white wine that had no right tasting as fine as it did, for such a vibrant and eye-catching display.


    To describe the room and its atmosphere was an almost insulting understatement. It was warm, welcoming, but impressive at the same time, inviting you to indulge and savour in its fruits. After less  than an hour, the guest list was entirely checked off, and Diego was dispatched to his next duty for the night. A silver tray in each hand and a white towel draped over his forearm, he made his way into the function room with offerings of additional refreshments to the guests. The air hummed with anticipation as Diego made his way around to each settling group of guests. He greeted each group with a warming smile, humble and friendly, ensuring he made eye-contact with all of them before offering a small sampling of the food on offer. He would even offer a little bow to some of the ladies, which made many of them blush and giggle with delight as he offered out his refreshments.


    As Diego circled the room, he couldn¡¯t help but catch snippets of gossip as he drifted in and out of people¡¯s lives. Snapshots into the lives of people he would never meet, nor ever hear about again, but was somehow still interesting to hear nonetheless. Despite the stoic, sanctimonious image they might try to maintain, it appeared that the dragons within the DA were every bit as homespun as the rest of the universe. If it wasn¡¯t someone sleeping with the secretary, it was words of dodgy business deals, favours for favours or the prying open of one''s reputation to reveal less than ideal truth of it. Nothing was off limits when it came to draconian gossip, with alcohol merely magnifying the volume of the conversation.


    He''d barely made it halfway round the room when he noticed that the trays and glasses he was carrying were nearly empty. Quickly he ducked his head and weaved his way through guests, taking care not to bump into any middle-aged pot-bellies or step on the trims of any long elegant dresses. When he finally reached the kitchen, he stopped for a moment to take a breath away from the crowds; he couldn''t help but notice the looks he was getting from some of the guests. There was the usual blushing from ¡®accidental¡¯ eye-contact, and some curious but innocent enough glances from others, but from a few of the guests, there was something darker to their gaze, something... sinister.


    But, the show must go on. He swapped his empty trays with Katie for freshly prepared ones, and continued his circuit of the room.


    Fairylin and her lapdog of her husband were at least easy to spot (and avoid) thanks to both her shrill chortling and D''Boris¡¯ yellow socks, which stood out amongst the black tie event like a luminous sore thumb. The pair had found a quieter corner with a few of the other guests, and would not stop staring at Diego as he went past. At first he thought it was simply because he wasn''t serving fast enough for their liking; the wealthy could put it away when they wanted to. However, he couldn¡¯t shake their piercing, judgemental stare, even as he brought them more alcohol.


    Karen, on the other hand, was in a league of her own. She practically danced from guest to guest, sweeping through the room in a flurry of pleasant exchanges and small-talk. It might not have seemed too impressive at first glance, but she knew everyone¡¯s names, their favourite food and drinks, their jobs and business, and even more personal, but polite and appropriate, details about her guests. She had done her research. She was seamless, bouncing from one conversation to the next, each person visibly looking more relaxed, their smile a little wider as she approached with a warm and engaging smile. As far as hosts went, Diego remarked, Karen was a damn good one. This was Karen in her element, smoothing the roughness of a long journey with a silver tongue and an ever-welcoming, ever-gracious demeanour that could adapt to even the most stubborn of personalities. There was no comment too uncomfortable for her not to laugh off, no figure so prickly that she couldn¡¯t mould herself around. Although, he couldn''t help but notice the subtle change in her demeanour, whenever she caught him watching her. It was slight, but it was there, the way she held her tail a little higher, her step a little bouncier¡­


    Or was he overthinking it..?


    Diego shook his head. Whatever the case, the party was well underway, and if it kept up like this it would be a good finale, and time served, should the Solar Seraphim keep their word.


    *


    ¡°Those have gotta come out now or they¡¯ll over-crispen!¡± Diego yelled, both his hands full with cold bottles of champagne. He was pouring both bottles as fast as he could into a waiting line of glasses, which Katie had shined to a crystal sheen. Darin darted across the kitchen as fast as his limping leg would allow, shoving his hands into a pair of oven gloves and pulling the oven door open to reveal a tray of golden nibbles, cooked to absolute perfection. He quickly pulled the tray out and placed it on the cooling rack by his side, and prepared to dish them out onto a silver tray for serving.


    ¡°Right, perfect! I gotta go! Keep it up you two!¡± Diego smiled, throwing the two empty bottles into the trash. Then, he carefully placed the tray of glasses onto his outstretched palm, as quickly as he could without spilling any. Darin placed the tray of nibbles into his other waiting hand, and just like that, Diego was away, drinks in one hand, food in the other.


    I hate how good I am at this.


    He started around the outside of the manor now, stopping first by the pool. There were only a handful of guests out here, enjoying the view over her estate as the evening sky turned a beautiful shade of orange behind them. The atmosphere was relaxed and warm, with those outside enjoying quiet conversation beneath large white parasols, away from the louder innards of the manor. Slowly though, more people were filtering outside, beads of condensation slowly dripping off their glasses drunk thirstily by the sun-baked stonework of the estate. The weather had picked up nicely just in time for the party; the afternoon had felt closer in temperature to a summer break than a spring swing.


    Fresh drinks and snacks were taken eagerly, often accompanied by a delighted or surprised expression by the warm pastries, as light and fluffy as they were delicious. Karen¡¯s estate was nothing if not inviting and it was making more and more sense to Diego why it was built how it was.


    Gently, the volume of conversation began to increase, proportional to the amount of drinks served. Diego did his best to remain focused; to be fair, most of the conversations had absolutely nothing to do with him or anything he was interested in. Money talk always did bore him.


    *


    Just as the party was in full swing, Diego¡¯s dance of drinks, food and entertainment was interrupted by a buzz around his neck as his collar gently vibrated with a notification. Across the room, he caught sight of Karen briefly flicking through her data pad (which had been in her hand practically the entire night, to refer to her notes made on her numerous guests, and ensure everything kept running smoothly.) She met his gaze and silently mouthed the word ¡®door¡¯ to him, before resuming her current conversation. Diego was apparently acting as doorman tonight too, as well as his multitude of other roles, and he quickly placed his tray down and jogged over to the front door.


    That''s odd, he thought to himself. It''s not like Karen has any other neighbours, and the guest list is fully checked off¡­


    He patted himself down and straightened his shirt collar before pulling the door open with a soft *click.*


    Outside, in the soft gloom of dusk, stood a tall, dark dragon, who was subtly turning his snout up just as he caught sight of Diego. He was tall, between seven and eight feet, not including the long curved horns on his head. He had a slender, well-maintained look to him. A pair of deep, fiercely intelligent crimson eyes quickly surveyed Diego, and for just a brief moment, Diego swore he saw a flicker of recognition in them. It faded as fast as it happened however, and the dragon¡¯s demeanour quickly returned to a more neutral one. He even gave Diego a polite smile.


    ¡°My apologies for the disturbance, sir. My name is Daxxon K¡¯Varnyir. I am not here for the party, only to speak with one of your guests briefly, if I may?¡± He asked softly. ¡°I believe Mr Thornscale is here this evening?¡±


    ¡°Oh, D¡¯Boris?¡±


    ¡°I believe the ¡®D¡¯ is silent.¡± The stranger replied politely, although there was definitely a hint of amusement in his tone.


    ¡°Yeah, I know! If you¡¯d like to wait inside, I''ll go find him for you.¡± Diego stepped back, gesturing for the dragon to enter.


    ¡°Thank you. If you have a quiet room we could talk in briefly, that would be much appreciated. I won¡¯t be long and appreciate your cooperation.¡±


    Daxxon spoke with a sharp dialect, pronouncing every word to its fullest extent. He was dressed as sharply as the guests, in a clean cut suit that matched his dark, almost demonic complexion. The lizard couldn¡¯t help but notice the dragon¡¯s precise gait, and the near-mechanical nature of his motion, as if he was an animatronic replica of a person rather than a real one.


    ¡°No problem, I''ll be back in a minute.¡± Diego went back inside, but caught Karen hovering near the foyer, doing her best to hide her curiosity over the unexpected guest. ¡°Who is it?¡± She asked.


    ¡°A gentleman called Daxxon K¡¯Varnyir, he¡¯s looking for big man Boris. Do you know where he is?¡±


    Karen stifled another smirk, then her amused expression slipped into one of perplexion as she tried to place the visitor''s name.


    ¡°Huh, I don¡¯t know anyone by that name. D¡¯Boris is just in the function room I think, hovering around the wine. Do let Daxxon know if he¡¯s a friend of D¡¯Boris, he¡¯s welcome to stay.¡±


    ¡°You got it. I¡¯ll grab Doris and be on my way.¡±


    Diego quickly nipped through the manor and found D¡¯Boris where Karen had said, practically clinging onto the wine-fall. His bright socks made his already pulpy silhouette stand out to a nearly upsetting degree.


    ¡°Mr Thornscale, there is a guest here to see you.¡± Diego announced overly loudly, with a whimsical bow.


    The dragon merely raised an eyebrow in response.


    ¡°Daxxon K¡¯Varnyir has asked for a few minutes of your time.¡±


    The name prompted an instant shot of adrenaline within the ageing dragon''s creaking frame. He promptly shot upright from the overly cushioned seat with a loud crack of the leather, and motioned for Diego to escort him.


    Diego found himself oddly curious as he lead D¡¯Boris back to the front of the manor, where the stranger was politely waiting for their return, glancing around the hall.


    ¡°Thank you, sir. I don¡¯t believe you introduced yourself?¡± Daxxon inquired, extending his hand towards Diego. He shook it firmly in response.


    ¡°Diego.¡± With his other hand, the lizard gestured towards a nearby door, which led to Karen¡¯s drawing room and was gently off-limits. ¡°This should be fine, if it''s only a short stay.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure. Thank you once again for accommodating. Just through here?¡± Daxxon asked, nodding towards the door.


    ¡°Yes, close the door behind you, you should have all the privacy you need. We¡¯ve asked the guests not to go in there so you shouldn¡¯t be disturbed.¡± Diego replied, doing his best to ignore the uneasy feeling that was growing in his stomach. As they turned to depart, Daxxon¡¯s stare remained fixed on Diego a little longer than was comfortable, then he and D¡¯Boris entered the side room together, closing the door firmly behind them.


    Diego scowled to himself, knowing he wouldn¡¯t be able to directly listen in on their conversation, but he was able to leverage the rapidly depleting food tables for several extended trips back and forth past the door. If anyone had directly watched him, he might have looked a little strange, but thankfully, the endless wine was eating the bulk of the party''s attention.


    Their conversation was muffled through the thick, waxed oak that made up most of the doors, but the tone of voice was easy to make out.


    D¡¯Boris was getting a dressing down, big time. Whoever this Daxxon person was, he clearly had significant authority over the portly D¡¯dragon and was laying it on him without hesitation. Diego squinted, doing his best to ignore the increasing bustle coming from the function room as he escorted yet more empty plates back to the kitchen. He scooted just a little closer to the door as their conversation shifted again. Daxxon didn¡¯t raise his voice at any point, he just retained a stern, scolding tone the entire time, rather like a disappointed parent.


    Suddenly, a smashing sound rang out of the function room, likely a dropped glass or plate, but the silence that followed allowed Diego just a single sentence of their conversation:


    ¡°With that in mind, we have decided to seek alternative methods of procurement. On reflection, it was delirious to think you could trust their kind with such a delicate task.¡±


    A round of applause rang out from the function room, followed by a howl of laughter and quickly drowned out any more of their conversation, much to Diego¡¯s annoyance. But the smashed item unfortunately required his extended attention. With a frustrated sigh he nipped into the hall with a dustpan and brush; an emerald coloured dragoness grimacing in embarrassment over a smashed plate, and looking around for help. Her face lit up with relief when she saw Diego, and she stepped out of the way. Luckily it was a clean break, and only took a few seconds to clean up, but by then, Daxxon had concluded his business with D''Boris. He''d been true to his word; he can''t have been talking for more than ten minutes. He stood patiently in the foyer and waited for Diego to finish tidying up, before beckoning him and Karen over.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Thank you both for your hospitality and for pardoning my intrusion. I just wanted to let you know I''ll be taking my leave now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you sure?¡± Karen asked. ¡°You''re free to stay if you like?¡±


    ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t. I wouldn''t want to intrude on you any further. But thank you again and have a pleasant remainder of your evening.¡±


    Diego watched him walk down the cobblestone path, unsure of what to think of the stranger. He couldn¡¯t make any sense of the snippet of conversation he¡¯d manage to glean, but regardless, it was satisfying as hell to hear someone debase D¡¯Boris that thoroughly.


    Daxxon cast a quick glance back towards the manor as he stepped onto the boarding ramp to his ship, which had landed just across the road. For a moment, he locked eye contact with Diego as the lizard lingered at the front door. His ship was a sleek, posh-looking vessel, clearly expensive and beyond well-maintained, but then, the inner sphere of the DA was incredibly wealthy. A manor like Karen¡¯s was little more than a play-house compared to the mega-city structures that dominated the DA¡¯s core worlds.


    The ship took off in silence - any noise it would have made would have been silenced by the manor¡¯s sound-shielding anyway, but as he left, Diego couldn¡¯t stop replaying that initial interaction with Daxxon in his mind. Maybe Daxxon just thought he knew him. Maybe he¡¯d seen him around here before. There were plenty of reasonable explanations. But all the reason in the world couldn''t shake the uneasy feeling in his stomach; Diego swore that Daxxon had recognised him, and that couldn''t be a good thing.


    At least it won¡¯t be my problem for much longer.


    He turned his attention back inside just as D¡¯Boris sauntered out of the room, clearly waiting until he was sure Daxxon had left. He wore a considerable pout on his face. Upon seeing Diego however, his face hardened.


    ¡°Boy, fetch me some strong spirits. Fairylin too. And don¡¯t let her say no!¡±


    ¡°Uh, s-sure thing.¡± Diego smirked, fighting back a giggle with all his might.


    ¡°Chop-chop, boy. Before I get cranky!¡±


    *


    Katie had spent the last couple of hours in the kitchen, a black and white pinny tied around her waist, washing, drying, cleaning up and cooking fresh food for the guests. It was a blissful evening doing something she actually enjoyed, even if her cooking wasn''t quite as good as Diego''s. Not that the lizard had been rude or mean about that, quite the opposite, he¡¯d actually shared a lot of very good tips over the course of the night. And beyond that, she actively cherished every moment of relative peace she could get away from Fairylin. All in all, it had actually been an extremely pleasant evening for her and Darin so far.


    If only their life could be like this all the time.


    Just then however, she heard a pair of footsteps at the doorway, heavy and clumsy compared to the quick pitter patter of Diego''s. Apprehensively she turned to see who it was, fearing her time away from the Thornscales was at an end.


    A bright orange dragon was standing in the door, propping himself up against the doorframe, eyeing Katie eagerly as she pulled on a pair of yellow rubber gloves. He glanced down at the pinny around her waist.


    Oh no¡­ I know that look¡­ Katie thought to herself.


    ¡°I have been completely lost in these pastries all night, very nice pastries, and I just HAD to meet the chef.¡± The orange dragon grinned. ¡°I knew that komodo couldn¡¯t have been in here alone, he couldn¡¯t of, and now I see you¡¯re the master behind all this food! A d-delicious spectacle, truly.¡±


    Apparently the liquor Karen kept was no joke; the sheer amount of slurring alone was indication that the guest was absolutely hammered. He stumbled his way into the kitchen and propped himself up against the work surfaces.


    ¡°An equine cooker, amazing! Really just very good, very real.¡± He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Katie as she turned to face him properly, unsure of what to do. ¡°You know, in the core wur-worlds, we usually use-using auto-cooks, for the cooking. They can prepare a three course meal in three minutes.¡± He held up four fingers and waved them in front of her face. ¡°The selection is endless. But there is something about *hic* hand-cooked food that just¡­¡± He pressed his fingers to his lips with a near-quivering passion.


    ¡°Y-Yeah. I bet!¡± Katie laughed nervously.


    ¡°The same with our cleaning, really. Core cleaning. It''s all a-automated, but I''ve often wondered what it would be like to have a cleaner. Like, not a drone cleaner. A real cleaner.¡±


    ¡°I-It takes ages.¡± Katie smiled, pointing over at the huge pile of washing up. ¡°It''s not much fun. I¡¯d love a drone to help.¡±


    ¡°After t-tonight, I''m not so sure drones are where i-it¡¯s at. I think the DA should get more of your kind in. Don¡¯t get me t-twisted like a k-knot, it''s purely about your talent, you know? You¡¯re a talented young - young - young woman! We should be enriching our empire with your skills.¡± The dragon stuttered and stumbled his way through his poor compliment with all the grace of a lawnmower in a tailor''s shop.


    Katie¡¯s face scrunched up into disgusted wince at the orange dragon''s words, despite trying to feign a small laugh. The dragon appeared not to notice her discomfort, and continued unabated.


    ¡°I mean, it''s l-love, talent and l-l-learning, isn¡¯t it? What can a drone learn? They have improvement algorithms and memory and w-whatnot, but it''s not the same, you know what I mean? Am I m-making snense? They can l-learn how to fold my clothes, but they can¡¯t l-learn me.¡±


    The equine shook her head gently, still cringing fiercely. ¡°I-I don¡¯t really know what that means. That kind of sounds like they can learn.¡±


    He scooched closer to Katie and put an arm over her shoulder, the air immediately saturating with the musk of wine. He leaned on her, as much for support as it was to whisper in her ear.


    ¡°Mhmm. T-Totally. Would you like to see the core worlds? I m-make m-music. M-My studio is insane, have you ¡®Glittering Whimpers¡¯ yet? I m-mixed it myself, it''s really huge in the inner sphere. No, it''s bigger than huge, it''s large.¡± He declared proudly. The orange dragon then cleared his throat several times before leaning even closer to Katie, practically nudging her ears with his snout. ¡°L-Listen, l-let''s cut the nonsense here. It¡¯s fucking e-electric between us¡­ Let¡¯s say, me and you find somewhere -¡±


    *WHAMP*


    A silver tray slammed straight into the back of the dragon¡¯s head! It was lights out instantly for the dragon, but not before he did a dramatic spin and buckled over. Before his body could hit the ground though, a strong black arm looped around his waist and caught him like one would drape a towel.


    Diego hauled the dragon over his shoulder. In his other hand, he still had hold of the tray.


    ¡°Poor fella, looks like he''s had a bit too much to drink and passed out by the pool, hasn''t he?¡± Diego winked at Katie, carrying the man out towards the poolside.


    Katie didn¡¯t know what to say. It took her a second to process exactly what had happened, but finally a wave of relief rushed over her and she quickly joined Diego¡¯s side as the lizard carefully laid the dragon out on a pool lounger. The dragon promptly began to snore loudly, his tongue flopping out the side of his maw. Before leaving, Katie glanced around to ensure no one was looking, then snatched a half full drink from a nearby table and poured it over the dragon¡¯s lap defiantly.


    ¡°Ugh. What a creepy old man.¡± She poked her tongue out at the dragon before throwing her arms around Diego and pressing a kiss against his cheek. ¡°Thank you, Diego!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, hun.¡± He smiled back. ¡°Glad I could help.¡±


    *


    The evening had drawn on well into night, but the party was showing no sign of ending yet. Although a decent handful of guests had already excused themselves and graciously thanked their host for such a well put together and wonderful time, there was still plenty of fun - and drinks - to be had. That upper-class mannerism that draconic individuals were known for had quickly disappeared, and with little prompting, with most individuals in fact seeming rather keen to show the worst of themselves. It appeared that the metaphorical gloves of the party had slipped off, leaving their bare knuckle behaviour on full display for Diego to enjoy. The quiet, polite chatter had evolved from rumour and gossip into unsubstantiated slander and bitter rivalry bitching. The live music had finished for the night and been replaced with light jazz, mixing with the now hearty chortles of the crowds. Sly suggestions of intent gave way to full frontal flirting, irrespective of previously given statements of intent, or pre-existing relationships. Many couples or even whole groups had broken off to find a quieter place to enjoy one-another''s company, on a belly full of Diego¡¯s finest pasties and the best on-tap wine from Karen¡¯s cellar.


    Diego was frantically mopping up spilled drinks off the floor and doing his best to avoid the many  pairs of teasing hands reaching out for him, when Karen approached him quietly, and tapped him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Diego, I don¡¯t exactly know why, but D¡¯Boris has asked to see you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Diego turned around to look at her. A cute, if completely intoxicated dragoness was batting at his tail and giggling to herself, her attempts having intensified over the last hour. He quickly took the opportunity to remove himself from her game, grabbed Karen¡¯s hand and dashed out of the room,  nimbly dodging her swipes in much the same way someone would play with a cat. They paused out in the hallway, the loud sounds of laughter and drunken merriment muffled slightly from within the other room.


    ¡°You said D¡¯Boris has asked for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Karen replied, a little uncertainly. ¡°He¡¯s upstairs. Fairylin has had an awful lot to drink tonight, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he needs help taking her home. The way she was drinking, I¡¯m surprised she didn¡¯t pass out hours ago if I¡¯m honest.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he needs help putting his shoes back on.¡± Diego chuckled. Karen grinned and tapped him on the arm playfully.


    ¡°If it gets them out of my house quicker, I¡¯ll help you! We can take one shoe each.¡± Karen laughed. She didn¡¯t seem particularly drunk, Diego noticed - in fact, he couldn¡¯t remember when he¡¯d last handed Karen a drink, but it must have been a few hours ago now. Perhaps with how much mingling and organising she¡¯d done this evening, she hadn¡¯t had time to actually enjoy her own party.


    As he made his way upstairs, he casted a cursory glance out the window and towards the pool, just in case, only to see the poolside snoozer he deposited earlier still comfortably snoring away. With his intervention successful, Diego quickly scampered up the stairs, and noticed that one of the spare bedroom¡¯s doors was slightly ajar.


    Gotcha. What you want, Doris? A backrub and a fresh whiskey? ¡°Mr Thornscale? Are you in here? Karen said you asked to see me?¡±


    ¡°Diego? Come in, please.¡± D¡¯Boris said from the other side of the door. His voice was¡­ oddly soft, and there was some almost desperate in his tone.


    ¡°Certainly, sir.¡± Diego responded sarcastically, pushing the door open. ¡°Do you require some assist- WHAT THE FUCK?!¡±


    Fairylin was spread eagle on the bed in the middle of the room, her dress pulled up and her panties gone, womanhood on full display. She was rubbing herself furiously as D¡¯Boris stood at the window, and watched. Diego shuddered in horror and pushed himself back against the wall, his eyes wide, his skin immediately going clammy.


    ¡°A-Am I interrupting?!¡± Diego stuttered.


    ¡°Close the door, please.¡± D¡¯Boris¡¯ voice was almost a whisper.


    Fairylin glanced up, her eyes mad with lust. Upon seeing Diego¡¯s complete bewilderment, her self-pleasuring intensified dramatically, twisting her hips around her fingers as her head collapsed back against the bed again. ¡°Yes, YES! You¡¯re finally here! On the bed, NOW! You mutt.¡± Fairlyin¡¯s eyes rolled back, as though the mere sound of her own voice was getting her off.


    ¡°Wh-What?!¡±


    D¡¯Boris took a seat in the corner of the room, facing towards the bed. He let out a long, satisfied sigh and took a sip of his drink.


    ¡°Barely cognizant drool!¡± Fairylin laughed, wriggling around on the bed happily. ¡°Subservient subspecies! To do our bidding! Get on the bed, get your clothes off and please me! Now! Penetrate my womanhood! I¡¯m beyond ready.¡±


    The lizard¡¯s eyes bounced between the half-spasming dragoness on the bed, and the weirdly calm dragon in the corner of the room, calmly sipping his drink. The ice cubes tinked against the glass in a sharp contrast to the sound of wet spaghetti currently filling Diego¡¯s ears, much against his will.


    ¡°Pathetic creature that you are¡­¡± Fairylin muttered as she panted. ¡°Stop staring and start masturbating to me! You must be able to maintain an erection, surely!¡±


    D¡¯Boris turned to face Diego with a deadly serious expression and a sinister grin.


    ¡°Fuck my wife.¡±


    Words failed him. Of everything he expected to happen tonight, this was not on the list. Diego¡¯s throat croaked quietly as his entire body tried to retreat directly through the wall behind him. The collar around his neck beeped quietly in acknowledgement of his rapidly escalating heart-rate.


    ¡°Please, Diego. I know you¡¯re easily overwhelmed but this is easy for you. Just follow your instinct. You should be good at this.¡± D¡¯Boris repeated, to fill the void of silence. ¡°You were born to be commanded. Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t like it. Do as she says.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes! Curse my body with your touch!¡± Fairylin cried out, rubbing herself more frantically. A perverted grin fell upon D¡¯Boris¡¯s face as his nostrils flared in excitement. ¡°Taint my womb with your disgusting, substandard sperm. Do it!¡±


    ¡°Oh my fuck!¡± Diego coughed in surprise, actually looking frightened for his life. ¡°Wha-What?!¡±


    ¡°Yes! YES! THEN I¡¯M GOING TO CARRY HIS MUTT BABIES INSIDE ME!¡± Fairylin clenched her legs on the bed, writhing in pleasure as the idea coursed through her. ¡°Half perfect! Half flawed! I¡¯ll be forced to incubate your filthy offspring against my wishes! YES!¡±


    ¡°Have you not had sex before?¡± D¡¯Boris asked quietly, noticing Diego¡¯s complete lack of enthusiasm. A sense of panic began to overcome him as the situation unfolded differently to their expectations. ¡°Karen hasn¡¯t told us anything about you. A-Are you a virgin? Are you intimidated by my wife¡¯s visible vulva?¡±


    ¡°STUPID QUESTIONS, D¡¯BORIS. YOU¡¯RE CONFUSING HIS SLIME BRAIN.¡± Fairylin yelled, half furious, half lost in pleasure. ¡°YOU SHOULD ASK HIM SOMETHING MORE ON TOPIC. ARE YOU BIG, DIEGO? ARE YOU GOING TO STRETCH ME OUT?! WILL IT HURT?! OH YOU BETTER, YOU SUBSPECIES FILTH! UNF, BREED ME LIKE IT''S A FORBIDDEN!¡±


    Finally, Diego''s brain kicked into gear. His feet edged towards the door, eyes wide like a deer in the headlights, prompting D¡¯Boris to scowl at him angrily.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?! This is the chance of a lifetime for someone like you. We could make it a regular thing! We could buy you from Karen! You could be the Thornscale stallion! You¡¯re not allowed to say no! You will fuck my wife, you mutt!¡±


    Diego slowly shook his head in complete and utter bewilderment and horror and edged closer to the door again, when the sound of Fairylin rubbing herself suddenly stopped and she bolted upright with the utmost urgency.


    ¡°NO!¡± Fairylin cried out, tears swelling in the corners of her eyes furiously. ¡°YOU MUST INVADE ME! You must taint me, you awful, attractive thug!¡±


    ¡°If you leave this room -¡± D¡¯Boris cried out, on the verge of crying as Diego shook his head again. ¡°You will never get the chance again! Never! Think about -¡±


    Diego immediately slid out the door without a second thought, closing it behind him firmly and ran for the stairs, half stumbling down them in sheer panic.


    He immediately charged into Karen, who was looking at her data pad in concern before seeing him.


    ¡°D-Diego, are you okay? Your heart-rate just skyrocketed! I-Is everything okay?¡±


    Diego shook his head again, the sound of Fairylin rubbing herself somehow stuck in his twitching ears.


    ¡°Do you need a water..?¡± Karen¡¯s voice trailed off as she noticed that Diego¡¯s hands were shaking, and his breaths were heavy. ¡°...Or maybe something stronger?¡±


    *


    Slowly, the night aged one hour at a time. The potency of the drinks on offer, combined with their more than adequate flavour meant guests were trickling out of the party in a rather hurried fashion as they approached the midnight hour. What scandals the DA would wake up to remained unknown at this point in time, although Diego could make an educated guess that there would be some relational fall-out, if any of them would even remember the events of the night before. He ensured the departing guests made it safely to their landed ships, acting as a crutch for more than a few and eventually, the manor was now only a guest to those that had found a place to rest their eyes, or were labouring in the party¡¯s aftermath.


    Darin and Katie were helping with the clean-up operation as Diego did his final patrol of the gardens and guest rooms to ensure everyone was safely accounted for. Fairylin and D¡¯Boris had settled down in the guest room on the upper floor, both snoring loudly on the bed. The poolside snoozer was brought inside and placed on a lounger downstairs, along with a comfortable blanket to see him through the night. Out of nowhere it seemed, the party had finished successfully! Karen¡¯s palpable sense of relief was felt throughout the manor, and she retreated to her office to do some after-party admin.


    The loudness of the last few hours drained away like the last drips of a bottle, replaced with the quiet, tired chatter of Darin and Katie, along with the clinking of dishes and distant snoring. As the cleaning commenced, he purposely stayed at the front of the manor, his eyes flicking constantly towards the windows.


    The time was nearing.


    His heart began to thump against his ribs, this is what he¡¯d been waiting for. He peered through the window to see a quiet black slither of a vehicle making its way down the road towards Karen¡¯s manor. It would stop for only a brief minute, before carrying on as if it had never stopped at all.


    This was it. It was time. This was his ticket out of here. His ears twitched and swivelled on his head, listening closely, but all was normal inside the manor. Karen was still in her office, door closed, typing away. Darin and Katie were in the depths of the kitchen, and everyone else was out-cold.


    He swallowed quietly and made his way to the front door, his anxiety ramping up higher and higher. All he had to do was make his way to the front gate and hop in. It would be hours before anyone noticed he was gone, and by then, it would be far, far too late. His collar beeped softly just as he was told; the approaching vehicle was jamming its signal providing false positives to the network to fake his position.


    He twitched in anticipation, the knot in his stomach tightening to a nearly suffocating degree.


    This should be easy¡­ He thought to himself. This is what I''ve been waiting for. This is my chance to leave! To no longer be a slave!


    But¡­ But he couldn¡¯t do it. His mind, his honour, wouldn¡¯t let him take a step out the door. As much as he wanted it all back. There was someone who needed it more.


    He could hear their voices in the kitchen, quiet and worried about the next day. They¡¯d suffered so much here under needless and sustained cruelty.


    He almost hated himself for it.


    There are things at stake here.


    He dreaded to think how much damage Moltezz and Leech had reaped after all this time. He wondered desperately, achingly how Seeth, Plasia and the gang were holding up without him. And yet, he couldn¡¯t leave this place behind, knowing he¡¯d left them behind. He clenched his fists tightly, his gaze focused and steady as he made his way towards the kitchen.


    Katie was gently applying a heat-pad to Darin¡¯s legs, her younger brother wincing in pain from yet another night on his hooves with no chance to rest. His bad leg was aching terribly, he''d rolled his trouser leg up and was tentatively trying to massage his calf. Their eyes shot up at the sound of his approaching footsteps, but quickly relaxed when they saw it was Diego.


    ¡°Hey¡­ you survived tonight then?¡± Katie smiled.


    ¡°Ayup. Despite Fairylin¡¯s best efforts.¡± Diego nodded back, glad to see the both of them happier for a change.


    ¡°You¡¯re totally out of her league anyway!¡± Darin snorted, wiping a tear from his eye; Diego had told the pair about his encounter earlier on. Katie chuckled, and Diego smiled too, when suddenly Darin winced and hissed sharply through his teeth; Katie had pressed too hard with the heat-pad while she was laughing. Katie immediately shifted back to serious, apologising softly and re-applying the pad, gently. Diego''s face hardened.


    They wouldn''t have much time.


    ¡°You two need to come with me, now. Quietly.¡± Diego said urgently, a hint of authority in his voice that the siblings hadn''t witnessed before.


    ¡°Why, what''s going on? Is everything alright?¡± Katie asked, her arm instinctively wrapping around her brother''s shoulders.


    ¡°It will be, I promise, but we don''t have long. Do you trust me?¡± Diego knelt down, and offered Darin his hand.


    The two horses looked at one another for a moment, then nodded together. Darin took Diego''s outstretched hand and the komodo pulled him to his feet.


    They followed Diego through the manor as quickly as Darin''s tired aching legs would allow, which even with Katie supporting him wasn''t particularly fast. Their anxiety increased with every step they took as they made their way out of the manor and down the path, shooting worried glances over their shoulder with each trembling step they took.


    ¡°D-Diego, are you sure about this? Where are you taking us?¡±


    He led them quickly to the front gate, pulling it open just enough for the trio to slip through as they vehicle arrived, a black ramp unfolding from its rear. A white draconic figure stepped out, cloaked in black and orange robes, an emblem of a blazing sun visible on its sleeves. The Solar Seraphim.


    ¡°Ready to go?¡± He asked calmly, exchanging glances with Diego.


    ¡°You¡¯re taking these two.¡± Diego responded, placing his hands firmly on Darin and Katie¡¯s shoulders, their bodies wiry and malnourished under his grip.


    ¡°Two? I was told we were picking up one. We¡¯ve barely got room as it is.¡± The seraphite questioned, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Well, now it''s two.¡± Diego commanded, as though he was the one in charge rather than the seraphite.


    The seraphite hesitated briefly, giving the siblings a quick up and down. ¡°You sure?¡± He asked. ¡°If these two suddenly disappear, there are going to be questions, investigations. We won¡¯t be able to arrange another attempt here for a year at least, maybe longer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. Get them past the border, look after them. They don¡¯t deserve any of this.¡± Diego responded, his voice steady. He turned his attention to the brother and sister who were utterly lost, still glancing back towards the manor with great concern. ¡°You¡¯re both leaving, now. This part of your life is over. You¡¯ll never see Fairylin or D¡¯Boris again. The Solar Seraphim will take you past the border and can help you get back on your feet.¡±


    The siblings stuttered, lost for words, caught in a visible limbo of hope and fear.


    ¡°Wait, w-was this for you? Are we going instead of you? C-Can we not all leave?¡± Darin asked. You could see in his eyes that he was torn; so desperately he wanted to leave, but the guilt at leaving Diego behind to deal with the potential fallout from Fairylin¡­


    The seraphite shook his head and then tapped his wrist. They needed to go. ¡°We barely have the room for one, nevermind three. Quickly now, or no one is leaving.¡±


    Diego gently pushed the two horses towards the ship, his mind already made up. There was no question, it had to be this way.


    The siblings threw their arms around Diego, burying their faces into the crook of his neck, on the verge of bursting into tears. The lizard hugged them back tightly, blinking back his own tears. After a few seconds of their warm embrace they parted, the equines shaking from head to toe with overflowing emotion.


    ¡°T-Thank you, Diego. Thank you so much. We won¡¯t forget this, ever.¡± Katie smiled behind her glassy eyes. ¡°We owe you everything.¡±


    ¡°You owe me nothing. I''ll see you on the other side of the border before you even know it!¡± Diego chuckled. ¡°Now, you need to go, before someone looks out the window.¡±


    The seraphite guided the pair up the ramp, immediately spotting Darin¡¯s limp, intensified from the evening''s festivities. He exchanged a knowing look with Diego before stepping inside himself. The ramp folded up and, just like that, it was done. The vehicle took off, floating down the road, barely making a sound. Soon enough, it merged into the darkness of the night, as if it had never been here in the first place.


    A year at least, huh? I think I can survive that. Diego thought to himself, a warm feeling perimating through his chest. Darin and Katie were safe, finally relieved of the Thornscales cruelty. He pried his mind away from the greater consequences. He would find his freedom, but it couldn¡¯t come at a cost like this. He sighed softly, rubbing the back of his head before making his way back through the gate and back to the manor. It didn¡¯t seem like anyone had stirred.


    He padded slowly up the path and entered through the front door, closing it softly behind him with a gentle sigh. It was done. There was nothing more to consider. He leaned back against the lobby wall, letting his head rest against the cool stonework. The party was all but over and his ticket out of here was gone. His heart rushed with mixed feelings, he was so close to bringing himself closer to Seeth and Plasia, his body flushed with the memories of them, the arousal so visceral it was painful. That wasn¡¯t the only thing he missed about them of course, but it had been months since he¡¯d seen any action¡­


    Any action.


    The heart-rate monitoring function on his collar had meant privacy was simply non-existent, and he didn¡¯t have the confidence to ask for it. There was something extraordinarily demeaning about asking your literal owner if you could crank one out without her checking up on you¡­


    He had an owner. Someone legally owned him. His blood rushed through his ears loudly, the very thought made his skin crawl.


    Karen¡­


    The thought almost brought him to a halt - almost. More mixed feelings coursed through him. Karen wasn¡¯t all what he¡¯d first thought she was. She was a beautiful, sweet, fun-loving young woman with as much desire to run free as him. And yet, here she was, still a part of this wretched system, his owner. An impulsive, angry surge flared in his chest and spread out through this entire body like a lightning strike. His blood was hot, his head muggy.


    It wasn¡¯t fair. It was never fair. His mind went back to Oxyi, her plea for help and his more than willing sacrifice to save her life. How different things would be right now if he had chosen to be selfish for once? It felt like his ribcage was lined with knives, all pointing at his heart. He imagined where he would have been if he had accepted Moltezz¡¯s offer back in the heart of her dungeon. The thought sent self-indulgent shivers down his spine; he could taste her spice, her power on the very tip of his tongue.


    If only she were here to ask him now¡­


    He gripped at his collar tightly, squeezing the metal in the palms on his hands. Once again, he was left with the consequences of choosing others over himself. Why did he keep doing it?


    His grip on the collar softened.


    That was a stupid question.


    He knew exactly why he kept doing it.


    But that changed nothing. His exit was still gone. And now, there was a dark part of his soul demanding for control.


    It needn¡¯t be excessive or dangerous. No one needed to suffer.


    And he knew it was what she wanted¡­


    His thoughts were perfectly timed with the creaking of an upstairs floorboard. Karen. He knew everything about her at this point; her gait, her weight, her routine and habits. His face hardened. His muscles tensed. Finally, he was going to take some control back.


    Diego moved slowly up the staircase. Karen was standing on the landing, as expected, gently rubbing her bare feet into the soft upstairs carpet as she stared out of the window, a small drink cradled between her hands. She turned upon hearing Diego approach her.


    ¡°Hey, Diego! It¡¯s getting late now, we can finish tidying up in the morning if you¡¯d like?¡±


    He didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he stared at her with an intense, brooding ire. Although she¡¯d removed her shoes, Karen had yet to change out of her dress, and even after a long evening of drunken guests, partying and hosting, somehow she still looked¡­ positively immaculate. Her golden hair tousled around her neck and shoulders. She leaned towards him, as though to move closer, the slit in her dress slipping to reveal more of her upper thigh.


    The lizard approached her, his chest pumped with confidence, his gaze fixated on hers. An immediate and strong blush overtook her and she tried to hide her face behind her hair. Fear then surged through her as she was pushed backwards against the wall,  a strong, scaled hand fixed around her throat. For a moment her mind went blank with fear, and her drink slipped from her hand to the floor. Something had happened, Diego had finally snapped¡­


    No. She was still breathing. He hadn¡¯t hurt her, pushing her against the wall¡­ And a new, not so subtle feeling began to take over.


    He leaned in close to her, his snout gently brushing against hers, almost as if he was asking for permission. She breathed in his scent, wild, warm and fierce, almost like a crackling fire, it was beyond intoxicating and she melted in his grip, visible arousal on both of them as she relaxed around his hand and pushed her body towards him.


    *** Hazard Warning \\\-/// Level GREEN \\\-/// Caution Advised***


    A small involuntary moan snuck its way out of her mouth as they pressed their lips together, a spark of excitement visibly shuddering down the length of Karen¡¯s body. Diego growled in response, his fingers squeezing the sides of her neck as they tasted each-other. More low moans escaped the dragoness at his touch.


    She didn''t think, couldn''t think. She¡¯d wanted this for how long now, weeks? No, that was being generous, more like months, but even so, it wouldn¡¯t be right! She couldn¡¯t possibly have fallen in love with her staff, nevermind the societal implications, it was surely downright immoral and advantageous to make a move on someone you literally own! But she wasn¡¯t about to let her own brain take this moment away from her. She wanted him. And as he pushed her back with the gentle force of his own body, against the cool smooth wall, she responded in tow, pushing herself against it and throwing her legs around his waist, wrapping them around him tightly, pulling him in closer to her. All the while he was kissing her, nibbling at her lips, exploring her mouth with his tongue, and she was more than happy to receive.


    She could feel his arousal, hard against hers. Desire throbbed inside her.


    Finally, she pulled away, gasping for breath. But the air around them was hot and heavy, and provided little respite. Diego growled again in response, as she breathed him in deeply, he stared down at her lips, then locked into her eyes. There was something¡­ almost angry, dangerous in his startling purple eyes. They were dark and piercing, that seemed to see all of her, and right through her all at once. After several long seconds of silence that felt like an eternity, he uttered one word.


    ¡°No.¡±


    And in his free hand he had Karen¡¯s hair, gently pulling her head back, and his lips were on hers again. Karen was trembling. Then, Diego¡¯s hands were moving away from her neck and hair, and tracing down the lengths of her dress.


    Please, PLEASE don¡¯t stop!


    At about that moment, Karen suddenly became aware of a quiet but infuriating beeping from beside her. The datapad was resting on the windowsill beside her, alerting her to ¡®abnormal activity¡¯ Diego was currently partaking in. In a daze, she flapped and tried to move her hand and find it, and switch the damn thing off, but Diego got to it first. He pulled away from her, ever so slightly, and grabbed the datapad from the windowsill. He glanced at its screen, his heart-rate was through the roof apparently. He looked down at Karen, and the corner of his lip curled into the slightest hint of a snarl.


    ¡°No more.¡±


    He dropped the data pad to the floor and crushed it underneath his foot. Karen gasped slightly, but Diego interrupted her with a warm, firm kiss.


    ¡°No more cheating. You want to know my heart rate? You can feel it for real.¡± He whispered gently into her ear, teasing her hair with hands as they stroked slowly down her neck, and then kept heading down.


    ¡°Don''t you want to feel the real me?¡±


    Delicately but firmly they traced along her curves, her breasts, her hips, down her navel. They slipped underneath the bottom of her dress. His fingers were warm and strong against her calves, and then her thighs.


    Yes¡­ I do¡­


    Karen¡¯s wings opened out any splayed against the back wall, fluttering in anticipation as Diego¡¯s hands finally made it to her underwear. Her breaths came in short, quick gasps only when Diego permitted her to take one, releasing his lips from hers just long enough to suck in a precious mouthful of hot, heavy air.


    I want it¡­ please!


    Suddenly, both of Diego¡¯s hands were on her hips and pushing her back, higher against the wall. Her legs slipped momentarily as he pushed her into the air, then came back to rest loosely around his neck.


    Oh my god.


    His hands reached down and tugged at her dress, pushing it up past the curves of her thighs.


    OH MY GOD!


    Diego kissed, nibbled and nipped at her inner thighs, his teeth pressing against her skin with the perfect amount of sharp and sweet. His lips explored against her skin, a growl vibrating from deep within his throat. Both of his hands were holding onto her hips, propping her up. They squeezed at her curves, feeling her softness with an animalistic hunger. His desire was on full show, as his right hand slipped further back and stroked up the underside of her tail.


    Karen couldn¡¯t deny her own body; she subconsciously re-tightened her legs around Diego¡¯s neck, and her tail snaked up his body and wrapped around his torso. He was still teasing her, kissing her innermost thighs. He was so close¡­


    Shaking slightly, Karen moved her own hands, placing one of them on the back of Diego¡¯s head, nervously trying to guide him upwards, while the other reached down, and started to tug desperately at her underwear.


    It was like a signal Diego had been waiting for. He took hold of her pair of lacy black panties between his teeth, and pulled. His head yanked back and the panties tore away from her skin. Karen¡¯s heart skipped a beat as for the most fleeting of moments, she felt a rush of cooling air against her nethers, but fleeting it was, as Diego started to kiss hungrily around her lips.


    Karen let out a low moan. Her now free hand gripped desperately against the windowsill beside her as her other hand pulled Diego¡¯s head in, with more confidence, more necessity now. But he needed no further encouragement, his snout already teasing and pressed against her clit.


    ¡°Oh, Diego¡­¡±


    The sound of his name escaping her own mouth made her shiver. She felt no such response from the man between her legs, but she heard the satisfied growl. He moved his maw, kissing, licking, and sucking at every part of her below. His tongue was gentle but fast, lapping hungrily against her nethers, and it was blissfully euphoric. Karen moaned again, louder, she clenched her legs tighter around Diego¡¯s head, holding him tightly against her body.


    ¡°Diego¡­¡±


    Warmth and wetness spread across her thighs, and trickled down her legs. Diego¡¯s mouth continued to eat her out, hungrily, greedily, licking up every drop of her sickly sweetness that he could. Karen¡¯s stomach was tingling, an intense shiver ran down the length of her back. Her tail tensed, her legs clenched, and her vagina throbbed.


    ¡°DIEGO!¡±


    Karen moaned his name loudly as her orgasm rippled through her, her waist, her stomach, trembling down her legs like an electric shock running through her veins. The tips of her wings flapped in ecstasy as Karen gasped desperately for breath. Her vision was blurry - she realised that she had teared up as she came, the intensity of it was so strong.


    She closed her eyes, let her head roll back and allowed the sweet euphoric feeling wash over her entire body. It felt wonderful. She was so lost in her euphoria that she didn¡¯t notice that the wall was no longer supporting her back; indeed, she didn¡¯t even truly notice until she landed firmly back against something soft. As she slowly blinked her eyes back open, she realised she was staring up at the ceiling of her four-poster bed, and Diego¡­ Diego was directly above her, staring down at her with that intense, amethystine stare.


    He reached down again with his hands and pulled her dress off over her head. She gripped tightly at her soft, satin sheets as her head gently thumped back down against the pillows. She lay there, exposed all for Diego to see, to enjoy, to savour. He quickly pulled off his own clothes, his waistcoat, his shirt, with little regard for the buttons, which popped off and tapped against the bedroom floor with a soft patter-patter, like falling rain. Karen moved to reach for his trousers, but he batted her hand away and pulled them down himself. Both were breathing heavily. Karen didn¡¯t move, and waited instead for her man to make his move, however desperately she wanted him. Diego¡¯s hands moved over her body, her curves, rubbing and teasing against her hard nipples. His pupils were large and dilated. His tongue ran slowly over his lips as he stared down at his possession in anticipation.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn now.¡± He whispered.


    The rest of the night was a blur of flashing euphoric golden light against the darkness of her bedroom. Diego moved slowly inside her at first, warming her up, breaking her in. He thrust back and forth, eventually pushing the length of his member deep inside her, and Karen cried out in response. He was big, bigger than anyone else she¡¯d had, and by god was it incredible. The insides of her legs were wet. She traced her fingers gingerly against his smooth, scaled skin, against his pecks, his abs, and then further down, and gripped onto his legs. Her body responded and moved perfectly in time to Diego¡¯s rhythm, and as his thrusts quickened and deepened, Karen¡¯s moans became louder, more desperate. She clung onto his body desperately, his muscles like iron, unrelenting and powerful.


    Take me¡­ Make me yours, PLEASE. Make me yours¡­


    Diego pushed his muzzle deep against her neck and shuddered as he came. His hands gripped at the pillows beside her head and his thrusts slowed as he gasped slowly. But he was only just getting started, and Karen gasped in pleasant surprise as suddenly Diego started to speed back up, thrusting with even more vigour, even more desire. He moved her hands away from his legs and pushed them up above her head. His fingers squeezed and interlocked tightly with hers, and held them there. Karen¡¯s legs locked back around Diego¡¯s hips, using her tail to push herself upwards, curling inwards towards him. He stared down at her, breathing heavily, the golden rings around his eyes shining with a vibrance that Karen hadn¡¯t seen before.


    His muzzle rested millimetres away from her own snout, but he never again went down to kiss her. That¡¯s where he stayed, as his hips moved back and forth, moving Karen into his own rhythm as the pair moaned and came together, then again, and again. Karen¡¯s fingers gripped tightly around Diego¡¯s, and they didn¡¯t loosen again until the sun started to peak over the distant rolling mountains, an entire world away.


    *** Hazard Warning \\\-/// Level GREEN \\\-/// Advisory End***


    *


    ¡°Where are we?! Where the fuck did we warp?!¡± The Vora Baron captain slobbered, wiping the sweat from his brow. His cohorts all wore the same worried, stressed expression as him.


    As his navigator went to respond, more Baron ships warped in around them of various sizes.


    ¡°Nomad space, sire. Looks like an adjacent sector. Only point of interest is an abandoned space station, known as Barru X.¡±


    ¡°What''s our fuel looking like?!¡±


    ¡°Low, sire. We can¡¯t keep jumping like this forever.¡±


    ¡°How much time do we have before the fuckin¡¯ guild hounds find us?!¡±


    ¡°An hour at the longest. Maybe less.¡±


    ¡°Then we need to - wait, what the fuck is that?!¡± The Baron stood from his chair, staring out of the cockpit window at the gargantuan ship visible in the distance.


    The two Barons stared at the dreadnought curiously, trying to gauge what it was.


    ¡°I-Is it broadcasting anything? Does it match any faction?¡±


    ¡°Not that I can tell.¡± The navigator replied, his eyes darting between his screens and the dreadnought through the window. ¡°Doesn¡¯t match anything I know of.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re certain it''s not guild either?¡±


    ¡°No chance, look at the thing! It''s not broadcasting, but it does appear operational.¡±


    The captain felt his heart pound in his chest as an idea began to form in his head. He plucked at his chin curiously as his eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Tell the other ships we¡¯re moving in. Huddle up to the dreadnought in formation, pretend the unknown ship is ours. Should make those guild cunts think twice about opening fire on us while we plan an escape.¡±


    ¡°Sire, are you certain? What if it opens fire on us?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fucking dead either way, so just do it. If it was gonna shoot, it would have done so already. Play it cool, let''s not give our new friends any reason to hate us.¡± The captain growled. It was as good-a-plan as any at this point.


    ¡°What''s the worst that could happen?¡±

 Chapter 29 - The Past Waits for No-one

    ¡°Lockblade in the flesh! I¡¯ve heard a hella lot of things about you!¡± Theo smiled as he clomped through the airlock and aboard Seeth''s ship, taking extra care not to scrape his metal leg and tail against the floor''s shiny new plating. He glanced eagerly around the inside of the destroyer.


    ¡°Good things, I hope. And ¡®Seeth¡¯ is fine.¡± The Controller replied thinly.


    ¡°You got some nice digs! I like it!¡± Theo continued. ¡°Orion tech has such a reliable gloss to it! If I was gonna go to any of the terra-corps, it would be Orion. They know how to make a rifle that kicks, you know?¡± He offered out his hand.


    ¡°Thanks. It wasn¡¯t cheap. Officer Kintrax, was it?¡± Seeth eyed the dragon''s outstretched hand, then shook it firmly. The dragon responded in kind.


    ¡°Theo. Seriously though, it is great to meet you. Jace has filled me in on all the guild work you¡¯ve done out there. Taking Vora Barons on like that alone is¡­ commendable, to say the least. Bah!¡± Theo pulled a face. ¡°I think my inner Jace just came out.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ appreciate it. Can I ask why you wanted to meet me?¡± Seeth asked cooly, raising an eyebrow. If Theo noticed the edge to Seeth''s mannerisms however, he didn''t show it.


    ¡°Jace has asked me to facilitate the exchange, so I''ll be the one taking you planet-side and helping to smooth the whole thing over. Just figured I¡¯d duck my head in and say hello before then! If you¡¯re going to spend the whole weekend floating above the planet, I figured I might as well introduce myself, rather than just float about with you awkwardly.¡± Theo grinned.


    Seeth contemplated that for a few seconds, then nodded, satisfied. ¡°Fair enough.¡± She replied, allowing herself to relax a little - as much as she could anyway. The anticipation of finally being able to see Diego again was eating away inside her. ¡°I¡¯m just glad this is finally happening.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, but he never should have been here in the first place.¡± Theo tutted. ¡°Absolutely disgusting how this all went down. It''s not necessarily my place to, but I sincerely apologise on behalf of the draconic empire. Both you and your partner have been treated like shit. I would say though, trust that Jace had his reasons. He¡¯s a good man, even if he did fall short this time.¡±


    His response prompted a small shift in Seeth¡¯s demeanour, her previously harsh stare softening as she analysed the older dragon.


    ¡°Huh. It''s¡­ refreshing to speak to someone from the DA who isn¡¯t a bureaucrat. I appreciate that, Theo.¡±


    ¡°Thank me when you¡¯re back with your partner! Until then, I''m just another DA dipshit.¡± He laughed in response, his scales creasing around his eyes like old, worn denim. Seeth smiled too.


    ¡°When we were teenagers, me and a friend used to call you guys the R-M-Douchbags.¡±


    That made Theo laugh harder. ¡°I can''t say that much has changed!¡± He grinned.


    At that moment, the doors behind them slid open, and Oxyi stumbled awkwardly inside the hangar. She glanced back at Tivy, who had seemingly pushed her inside and was smiling widely, poking her head around the doorframe. Trent stood a few steps behind Tivy, wearing a similar grin, and flashed Oxyi a thumbs up.


    ¡°Erm!¡± Oxyi cleared her throat loudly, already beginning to blush. ¡°Hello! Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Is everything alright, Oxyi?¡± Seeth asked. ¡°Is Venner doing okay?¡±


    ¡°YES! Yes, Venner is fine. Geralt''s looking after her right now. Um, I, we, were just interested to meet the officer who''s returning Diego to us! I - WE, we''ve never met someone from the DA before.¡± Oxyi gestured shyly towards Theo.


    Theo smirked. ¡°Draw the short straw, did you?¡±


    ¡°N-No!¡± Oxyi stammered. ¡°I just, erm -¡±


    ¡°She needs to get better at talking to men!¡± Tivy shouted excitedly from the door.


    ¡°Tivy!¡± Oxyi screeched, red with embarrassment. Theo however roared with laughter.


    ¡°It''s alright. I suppose us older dragons can be a little¡­ intimidating.¡± He crouched slightly and reached his hand out to the lioness. ¡°Officer Kintrax, at your service.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Still blushing, Oxyi gingerly reached her hand up and shook Theo''s. ¡°Um, Oxyi. T-That''s Tivy and Trent.¡± Oxyi pointed behind her, and Tivy waved happily from her perch behind the door.


    ¡°Nice to meet y''all!¡± Theo replied. ¡°Seeth, you didn''t tell us you were bringing a crew with you! You''ll have to introduce me to everyone!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± It was Seeth''s turn to feel uncomfortable now, although she did her best to hide it. That''s because I was supposed to come alone - I can''t believe I let myself get caught up in the moment like that. ¡°Well, they''re not really my crew¡­ If anything, we''re probably Oxyi''s.¡±


    ¡°M-Me?!¡± Oxyi stammered, shocked.


    ¡°You''ve really taken charge and gotten to grips with things over the last six months. And there was a lot to get to grips with. I for one don''t know if I''d be here if it wasn''t for you.¡± Seeth suddenly smiled. ¡°Oxyi, you keep working on that confidence of yours, and in no time you''ll be unstoppable.¡±


    Oxyi looked genuinely taken aback, but secretly pleased at Seeth''s words. ¡°Y-You really think so?¡±


    ¡°I do. Yo-¡±


    Just then, Seeth suddenly felt a wave of connections to her brain, like thousands of tiny branches of electricity reaching out their feelers and tickling at her senses. It was a sensation that she was intimately familiar with, but hadn¡¯t felt in months. It was unsettling how fluid the transition was. Sharing a brain with so many others so seamlessly, their neurons available to browse at your leisure. Parts of her body tingled as the metaphorical doorway of the hierclasty beckoned her with an almost seductive poise.


    ¡°Seeth? You¡­ okay?¡± Theo asked, having noticed immediately the change in Seeth''s expression.


    Nodes and Slaves were tingling at the edges of her mind, the connection weak, but there. There was zero doubt in her mind. They were here. She could feel them, although they felt more guarded than before, as if the other Controllers were blocking direct entry, as if they expected her presence.


    Before she could utter another word however, the destroyer vibrated and shook, rocked by the sudden appearance of a titanic new craft now in orbit around the planet. Oxyi shrieked and staggered back towards the door, where Tivy was now hiding behind Trent, peering fearfully out at the strange ship.


    Seeth pointed past the dragon, through the thin horizontal window to the side of the airlock at the enormous attack-ship that had appeared in orbit around the planet.


    ¡°W-Why is there a dreadnought full of corrupted warping in?!¡±


    Theo spun around and stared at the ship. A rush of anxiety visibly shook the old dragon on the spot. Old memories flashed before his eyes.


    What the fuck is THAT doing here?!


    ¡°The corrupted?! Does that mean the other Controllers are here too? Oh shit, a-are they here for Diego too? This can¡¯t be a coincidence!¡± Oxyi spluttered, moving forward and pressing her face up against the glass to get a better view.


    ¡°Following us to Barru X was one thing, but warping balls deep into DA territory¡­? Wait¡­ are those¡­?¡± Seeth stepped forward too, staring at the craft intensely as she spied the clumps of ¡®escort'' ships hovering around it. Most had already begun to descend towards the planet''s surface, some more violently than others, as though they¡¯d been caught off-guard. ¡°T-Those are fucking Vora Baron barges! What the fuck is going on?!¡± There is no way they''re working with Barons, is there?!


    Theo tapped quickly on his gauntlet, sending out an emergency distress signal to any and all nearby fleets, including the crew on the ground.


    ¡°Shit. It''s gonna be about three hours before any backup gets here. The local garrison here is small, nowhere near enough to hold for that long without losses.¡± His piercing aurelian eyes locked onto Seeth''s. ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to help us, Seeth. I wouldn''t even dream of asking. But I know I''d sure as hell appreciate Lockblade right now.¡±


    In the distance, a bright orange fireball flickered and caught Seeth¡¯s eye. A descending ship erupted into a burning inferno, falling apart mid-descent.


    ¡°I¡¯ll gear up and take Venner¡¯s ship to the surface, can you make sure I''m not shot down on the way in?¡± Although the Minitaur might have seemed like the more appropriate ship to take into combat, she was worried about its size; the destroyer would be greatly slowed by the planet¡¯s atmosphere during its descent, and would therefore be an easy target for Moltezz. Venner¡¯s ship, which they''d docked in the destroyer before leaving the space station, would be much more manoeuvrable, and able to descend and ascend quickly.


    ¡°Done and done.¡± Theo tapped a few more buttons on his gauntlet. ¡°Follow my lead when you¡¯re ready to launch, we¡¯ll touch down in the nearest evac point to your boyfriend¡¯s location.¡±


    ¡°You got it.¡± Seeth nodded firmly and turned tail to grab her gear. The airlock hissed open behind her and swiftly closed as Theo returned to his own craft.


    How the fuck did they even know he was here?!


    ¡°Wait, wait!¡± Oxyi stuttered. She had regained her composure somewhat following the dreadnaught''s appearance, and she marched up to Seeth with a newfound air of confidence. ¡°I''m going with you!¡±


    ¡°No, you''re staying here.¡± Seeth stated firmly.


    ¡°Hey, what happened to ¡®my crew?¡¯!¡± Oxyi argued. ¡°Let me help you! I want to get Diego back just as much as you do, and you know I can hold my own! I''ve fought this corrupted lot twice now!¡±


    ¡°Oxyi.¡± Seeth pulled her SAFU sling over her shoulders, secured it around her chest and turned to face the lioness. ¡°You do know someone from the DA. You''ve lived with her for the last six months.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You''re..?¡±


    ¡°I was born in the DA, trained in the DA military for eight years. Trust me when I say this, you have no idea the hell and the carnage that will be waiting down there. And it won''t just be the corruption we''re fighting this time, those are Vora Baron barges too.¡± Seeth gestured to one of the barges which was currently hurtling towards the planet at break-neck speed. ¡°I almost lost you to just the Vora Barons. I refuse to put you at risk here.¡±


    ¡°B-But -¡± Oxyi started to protest, but Seeth interrupted her.


    ¡°Stay here, with your crew. They need you, so look after them. I''ll be back soon, Diego with me. I promise.¡±


    *


    Still tucked within the soft, warm sheets of her bed, Karen nuzzled her head into the crook of Diego¡¯s neck, purring softly. A slither of white morning sun seeped through a crack in the curtains, and cast its light across the bed.


    Diego rubbed the sleep from his eyes and yawned a quiet whine. Slowly he pried himself up, prompting an unhappy groan from the dragoness as she weakly grabbed at him, playfully attempting to keep him between the sheets.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes, I promise. I just need to stretch my legs.¡± Diego smiled.


    His smile quickly faded though as he padded across the thick woollen carpet towards the window, now that his back was turned to Karen. Despite still being half asleep, he could remember the¡­ events of the night before with a harsh and unwavering clarity. Did I do the right thing? Diego thought to himself. The rage he''d felt only a few hours ago had fully dispersed from his body now, leaving him with an uneasy feeling in his chest¡­


    He stretched his arms above his head and poked his muzzle through the crack of the curtains, peaking out at the day ahead.


    Immediately, he knew something was off.


    The fields outside were¡­ frosty, a stark contrast to the warm early-summer heat of yesterday evening. The strands of grass adorning the grounds were tipped with a glistening white as far as the eye could see. He hadn''t noticed the cold; Karen''s heating must have kicked in automatically.


    There was something grey moving in the distance amongst the far hills. Humanoid, and holding what looked like a rod, or maybe a rifle?


    Suddenly, it unleashed a volley of sky-blue vulcan fire into the sky, and Diego knew. The manor¡¯s sound shield might have prevented its mechanical BRRRRRRR from reaching their ears, but Diego knew the harrowing sound of a macro-vulcan rifle well enough to hear it clearly, even in its absence.


    ¡°Karen. Karen, you need to get up, now.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± He could hear the rustle of sheets behind him as Karen rolled over. Her voice was soft and muffled. ¡°Why? What''s Fairylin done?¡±


    ¡°There is an active dragoon in the distance, and it¡¯s just opened fire.¡± He craned his neck up towards the sky, but couldn¡¯t see what the mech had fired at.


    ¡°What?¡± Karen sat up, rubbing her tired eyes wearily. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Diego pulled his head out of the curtains and quickly looked around for something to wear, but all he had was his suit from the previous night.


    Oh fucking hell, that¡¯ll have to do, he thought as he pulled the buttonless shirt over his arms.


    Suddenly, the whole manor shook violently. The building creaked, followed by the sound of shattering glass outside the room.


    Karen froze. The colour drained from her face as Diego finished pulling on his clothes, and made for the door.


    ¡°Get dressed, Karen. We might need to leave, quickly. I¡¯ll go see what that was.¡±


    His firm but calm voice commanded a sense of relief in her, and one limb at a time, she pulled herself free of the covers, despite her quaking body''s attempts to stay within the safety of the sheets.


    Cautiously Diego exited the bedroom, stepping out into the hallway. Glass from the windows opposite him was strewn over the floor, littering the thick carpet with sharp, shining daggers. In the distance, he spotted the cause of the shaking.


    A barge had crashed into a nearby field. It had ploughed through the once pristine paddock, leaving a dark, burning trail of clawed mud behind it. Its damaged carcass was not completely eviscerated however, and he could just about make out figures scurrying out of its burning exterior.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a crashed ship. Let''s get you to the panic room in the basement.¡± Diego instructed, his gaze locked on the barge.


    ¡°Panic room! Yes! Perfect!¡± A third voice called out from downstairs. It appeared that the ruckus had also woken the Thornscales, and Fairylin''s voice definitely sounded more shrill than usual. ¡°Wait, D¡¯Boris! Where are you going?!¡±


    Diego heard the front door creak and, from above, watched as D¡¯Boris hurried out of the manor, shuffling with all the might his bare-footed, tubby body could manage, down the road and back towards his own house.


    ¡°Ugh! Silly man! They have their own panic room!¡± Fairylin called out after him. ¡°Fine! Leave me here then! I''ll have a better time with Karen than with you anyway! And I bet hers is bigger!¡± But D¡¯Boris paid no heed to her yelling and continued on, with all the effort he could muster. Something had scared him, that much was obvious.


    ¡°Glad to hear they¡¯re both fine.¡± Karen sighed, poking her head out from her bedroom. She was now dressed in a woollen jumper and a pair of leggings. ¡°There¡¯ll be enough room for all of us in there. I¡¯m sure the defence fleet is on its way.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Let''s get to the ba-¡±


    A blood-curdling scream suddenly filled the manor, precipitated immediately by the sound of more smashing glass, and a sound that Diego did not quite recognise.


    It sounded a bit like gurgling, like¡­ something wet?


    Karen¡¯s eyes widened with fear, and she looked over to Diego for support.


    ¡°Stay upstairs. I¡¯ll check it out.¡±


    Diego held his breath as he vaulted over the bannister, and landed softly on the ground floor below. He turned towards the kitchen, and immediately found the source of the strange noise.


    Fairylin was locked on her knees in the kitchen doorway, tears streaming down the corners of her eyes. Her hands were desperately clawing at a thick, brown tentacle that was forced into her mouth. It bulged against the front of her throat, pushing deeper into her body with a threatening pulse. Thick, black goo dripped along the length of the appenditch, running down Fairylin¡¯s chin and neck, staining her purple skin.


    A giant Controller, ten feet tall with long purple dreadlocks, dark ebony skin and large, piercing amber eyes, stepped into the doorway.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Wow! Look at you! The dark prince!¡± The monster giggled. She was so tall that she barely fit inside the room. The tentacle sloooorped out of Fairylin¡¯s quaking body and returned to its place against its master''s back, and the dragoness went limp, collapsing to the floor with an undignified thump. Her eyes glazed over, her face caked in this black slime that dribbled between her lips. Diego wrestled his eyes away from Fairylin¡¯s body, back onto the towering corrupted czarite that was turning to face him.


    ¡°Karen! I need you to deactivate the collar!¡± Diego called out. He ripped the wooden bannister beside him out of the floor with a loud wooden crack, and gave his makeshift club a couple of test swings. ¡°We¡¯ve got intruders!¡±


    ¡°Y-You broke the pad! I¡¯ll need to find the spare one!¡±


    ¡°Then do it! Quickly!¡±


    The monstrous Controller stepped forward over Fairylin¡¯s lifeless body, her lamp-like eyes locked onto the lizard with a ravenous hunger. Her murky ebony body was tightly bound in black tactical gear and an oversized rifle was strapped across her back, but the armour did nothing to obscure her obscene figure, or defined muscles. Six brown tentacles protruded from her back, licking the walls and leaving massive black streaks over everything they caressed. One of her tentacles lurched up the stairwell and lunged towards Karen, who had been peering over the bannister. She screamed and stumbled back, scrambling towards her bedroom and slamming the door shut behind her.


    ¡°Good. Just me and you now. You can call me Ink.¡± She giggled, showing a glimpse of her razor teeth from behind her glossy black lips. ¡°I want you to know who brought you in. It''s important I''m recognised.¡± Her eyes narrowed hungrily, and the floor creaked beneath her as she stepped forward.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re what Leech and Moltezz have been up to¡­ What the fuck are you doing here? How did you find me?!¡± Diego yelled, trying to get a look at Fairylin between the giantess¡¯ legs as she approached him down the hallway.


    ¡°Commanded by the Molten Mistress herself.¡± The Controller rolled her eyes at the mention of Moltezz, but she quickly refocused her gaze on the lizard, biting her lip hungrily as she eyed the lizard up and down and took another step towards him. ¡°I¡¯m here to bring you in. Now, are you going to come the easy way, or the fun way?¡± She flexed her arms menacingly at him, her tentacles still whipping at the walls impatiently.


    ¡°Moltezz sent you?¡± His grip tightened on the makeshift club. ¡°Karen! The collar!¡± He yelled, backing away. His eyes searched for a more capable weapon or any kind of escape, but she was already so close, daring him to try something with a threatening flourish of her tentacles.


    Diego grit his teeth, his knuckles white. ¡°If I -¡±


    ¡°No trade.¡± Ink cut him off, her grin ever wider. ¡°I already know what you tried to ¡®arrange¡¯ previously. You¡¯re coming with me.¡±


    ¡°KAREN!¡± Diego yelled again, backing up to the far wall as the Controller took another menacing step forward, her tentacles almost close enough to touch him.


    Ink waited for just a second, glancing up and squinting in anticipation. But the bedroom above them remained quiet, not even a creak of a floorboard gracing their ears.


    ¡°Tut-tut. This is the company you keep? Useless.¡± She laughed condescendingly, then launched herself at him. For such a large Controller she moved frighteningly fast, and Diego only had a brief moment to swing his club at her. The club was immediately snatched from his grip by a constricting tentacle. It curled around its midsection, before snapping the club into an explosion of tiny wooden splinters. She locked arms with him, tentacles wrapping around his limbs and binding him tightly before lifting him up and forcing him backwards, pressing him against the hallway wall.


    Her body squeezed against his, rubbing herself against him and in less than a second, Diego was completely under her control. He struggled and tried to pull himself free, but the Controller was overwhelming.


    ¡°You¡¯re mighty for your size, Diego. But I am stronger! I thought this would be harder!¡± Her tongue flicked between her lips at him and a new, ravenous look overtook her. Her tentacles pulsed and inflated, still retaining a strong grip but softening over his frame, They locked eyes as she pressed herself even tighter against him, her giant breasts now pressing against him closely.


    A wordless exchange between them as her golden eyes gazed deep into his amethystine glare. And Ink felt it. Suddenly, Moltezz didn¡¯t seem quite so insane. She could feel it for herself, the dark prince. Ink¡¯s face softened as she stared, fixated, into Diego¡¯s eyes. She could feel herself losing control, her body instinctively leaned towards him.


    Both seemed caught in one another¡¯s orbit.


    ¡°You could be more than this.¡± Diego whispered to her. ¡°I can help you. I¡¯ve helped others like you¡­¡±


    Ink felt her heart throb and beat faster against her chest, pulled in two very different directions. However, her mouth answered faster than she expected.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need help¡­¡±


    Ink leaned closer to him, her heart pounding in her chest, despite having this man completely subdued in her grip, she felt tiny¡­ She lapped up his scent in the air, the corners of her mouth twitching as the hunger within pulled at her more fiercely than ever.


    ¡°...I¡¯m already perfect.¡±


    Suddenly, the collar around Diego¡¯s neck beeped softly and clicked, but the lizard remained focused on her, seemingly just as enthralled as her.


    ¡°Last chance, Ink. It''s not too late¡­ If I can do it, so can you.¡±


    Ink laughed nervously. She felt surprisingly¡­ vulnerable, considering the position she was in. Her gaze darted away from him, like a shy highschooler talking to their crush.


    ¡°I get it now. I understand why Moltezz sent us here. If someone else spoke to me like that, I would pull them apart. But you¡­? I want to hear more. The only one who doesn¡¯t seem to get it is Leech¡­¡± Suddenly, she shifted back, her tentacles tightened over his body once more and she hardened in front of him, visibly shaking the arousal off herself. ¡°N-No. You did this to Moltezz. You¡¯re just lying. You want me to drop my guard¡­¡±


    But the lizard leaned forward in his organic bondage, still staring deep into her eyes.


    ¡°Fuck that. I¡¯ve been cooped up without your kind for months¡­ You have no idea how much I''ve missed this¡­ I want you to drop your pants, not your guard.¡± He responded hungrily. He had her attention again. Her tentacles softened. ¡°But you know what I need more than that?¡±


    His voice captivated her. It left her breathless. The word trembled silently from between her lips.


    Me.


    Diego¡¯s face twisted into a frustrated snarl.


    ¡°I NEED YOU TO STOP FUCKING CORRUPTING PEOPLE!¡±


    His body crackled with energy and a massive bolt of golden lightning blasted Ink straight off her feet, sending her flying back down the hallway and crashing into the kitchen with an earth-shattering slam. Her rifle clattered to the ground, already lost in the fresh rubble.


    ¡°Enough is enough!¡± Diego snarled, his eyes narrow. ¡°You won''t win! End this, now, and no-one else has to get hurt!¡±


    But the spell was broken. He watched as the Controller, enraged, pulled herself up, her tentacles still curling and seizing with electrical crackles.


    ¡°Not fucking done are we?! Fine!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to rape every hole you¡¯ve got! And we both know you¡¯re going to love it!¡± Ink cackled madly, her tentacles snapping to attention as the electrical pulses finally fizzled away, and pushed her back onto her feet defiantly.


    A flush of sinister energy enveloped Diego. His limbs crackled with a deep crimson pulse of pure psyonic anger. Ruiner¡¯s Surge. He cracked his neck loudly and headbutted the wall next to him, excess power punching straight into the brickwork effortlessly.


    ¡°That''s more like it. Challenge me.¡± Ink grinned, rolling her shoulders.


    Diego threw himself down the hallway and charged straight in her grip again, her tentacles flailing rapidly in an attempt to bind his limbs. But his flesh was more like refined steel now, and he refused to budge even an inch under her writhing grip. As they locked limbs, he kicked out one of her legs from underneath her and she collapsed onto his shoulders. In one motion, he launched her up into the air, smashing her through the ceiling. She crashed straight through the ground floor ceiling, erupting into the bedroom above in a shower of crushed pipework, splinters and floorboards, before plummeting straight back onto the kitchen floor. She landed heavily but quickly launched back to her feet, rushing him again with a bone-chilling roar. Her cocky grin had been replaced with a furious, fang-baring grimace.


    She attempted to bind him again and again felt that defiance, her tentacles slithered over him but once again failed to restrain his shimmering red limbs. As they locked arms again, she suddenly remembered that she was a lot bigger than him. She lifted him off the ground, but the lizard was two steps ahead of her. He seized her by the scuff of her outfit and drove his forehead straight into the crown of her carapace with a loud crack.


    She shuddered violently in pain and dropped him. Her vision was blurry. She felt gently at her head to check the damage done, when she felt a slight pressure around her neck. She retreated back for just a brief moment, her tentacles whipping around the room in a blind frenzy, slapping various items at Diego. Briefly covered by her volley, she clawed at her neck and felt the thick, metal collar wrapped around it. She hissed with fury; how dare he. How dare he attempt to own her, to control her. She would not be owned. She would not be mistreated. She would not be looked down upon ever again. She clasped her hands tightly around it, when an unusual noise caught her attention.


    A loud screech, followed by a gentle hissing¡­


    She had but a brief moment to refocus her vision, to see the black and red blur of the lizard, wielding what looked like a big, black¡­ cube? He whipped it through the air like it was little more than a toy block and it smashed into her side with staggering force, sending her ploughing through the outer wall of the manor in a forceful ejection of stonework chunks. She thwacked loudly against the outside patio.


    It turned out that the cube had been an oven. The offensive object rattled to the ground next to her, spinning almost comically on one of its corners before clattering to a halt. Glass and metal tumbled out of its mouth as it clumsily littered the garden with its obliterated innards. She snarled and went to press herself to her feet, when a bright yellow flash suddenly enveloped her -


    - and everything went black.


    Diego dusted his hands off in the ruins of the kitchen and breathed out the anger, allowing the red energy to fade as he glanced over at Ink¡¯s twitching body. A quiet growl escaped from his throat, half furious, half hungry.


    Holy fuck. I forgot how alluring they are¡­


    A low gurgle snapped him back to reality. Fairylin¡¯s unconscious, goo-splattered body remained still on the ground, her skin already starting to change colour.


    But this? This cannot go on.


    It was too late for her. The corruption was already firmly rooted. Did she deserve some misery for her awful attitude and outright racism? Absolutely. But this? He shelved the thoughts. There simply wasn¡¯t time to muse over her fate. With Ink down, for now, he became aware of other noises, other presences, lurking just behind the stone wall, beyond the garden. The volume and intensity of the low-approaching rumble was more than familiar to him, likely several hundred people, all making their way to support their master. A brief glance out the new hole he¡¯d made revealed several grey hands, already gripping the top of the wall¡­


    He pulled himself away from the warzone of a kitchen and leapt back upstairs. Karen stood at the top of the landing, eyes glued to the back window overlooking the garden. Her fingers were gripped white around the datapad, pressing the ¡®neutralise¡¯ command on the display over and over again.


    ¡°Hey! Well done, Karen, you did such a good job¡­¡± Diego spoke soothingly, gently placing his hands on her shaking shoulders. She turned round to stare at him with wide, terrified eyes.


    ¡°Have I - I-I-Is she¡­ g-g-oi¡­ Where i-s F-F-Fairy-¡±


    ¡°Hey. I¡¯m gonna keep you safe, okay? I need you to focus. What¡¯s the DA¡¯s standard procedure for planetary assault? Can you remember?¡± He asked, slowly pulling the datapad out from Karen''s grasp.


    ¡°I-I¡­ I think we need to head for the village¡­¡±


    Diego glanced up, out of the broken bedroom window at the crashed barge, directly between them and the village. He grimaced in anticipation of the nasties it would inevitably hold.


    ¡°Okay, we need to move. Stay close okay? I¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t leave me! Promise me you¡¯ll stay by my side!¡± She cried, her eyes darting to his now collarless neck.


    ¡°I promise I¡¯m not leaving you here. But we need to go. Now.¡±


    The two navigated their way through the broken glass and wrecked wood now strewn throughout the landing following Ink¡¯s forceful entry. Together, they made their way out the front of the manor, the sound of approaching feet already scuttling towards them. He quickly led her through the hallway and out the front door, taking care to shield her from Fairylin''s corrupting body. They ran through the front gate and were immediately met with the mechanical roar of macro-vulcan weapons being fired in the distance, as they exited the manor¡¯s sound shield. Distant fires engulfed wrecked ships, falling through the sky in great flaming balls as they were dissected by the dragoons in precise fusillades of scale-steel needles.


    They sprinted out onto the road and towards the fields, Diego leading Karen by her hand as Slaves closed in from behind, swarming over the fence and attempting to surround them. Ahead, towards the crashed barge, a significant number of dispersed figures turned their heads towards the pair. They couldn¡¯t make out who they were, but it was obvious to both of them that the unknown group¡¯s attention was on them, and they began to approach.


    Behind them and to their flanks, a wall of Slaves was rapidly gaining on them, charging across the countryside, their eyes locked onto Diego with a dead-eyed hunger.


    ¡°You ready? We¡¯re gonna need to be fast.¡± Diego said, bracing to run.


    ¡°No, wait, wait!¡± Karen suddenly shouted. In a burst of adrenaline-fueled vigour, she pressed her fingers to her lips and whistled as loud as she could.


    ¡°MALOCH!¡±


    And over the orchestra of noise, a heavy, rolling thunder enveloped them.


    The Slaves that stood between the mighty warshee and his rider were tossed aside like mere ragdolls as he pounded across the grass. He reached them only seconds before the approaching Slaves did.


    The beast skidded to a halt, kicking up grass and mud as his claws carved their trail. Diego quickly helped Karen onto his bare back, then thumped his chest twice and inhaled deeply - but before he could finish the cast the Slaves were upon them, diving from different directions to try and pull Karen off, and bring Diego down. Two dived straight onto him, interrupting the warcry and pulling him to the ground, and suddenly, Diego was surrounded. Energy crackled and dispersed from his fingers as he clenched his fists to fight instead.


    ~REND HIS PARTNER, RIP HER TO PIECES~


    Maloch bucked and kicked his legs, booting several Slaves into mushy pieces, stomping over others. One of the Slaves managed to get in front of his face and was desperately clawing at his eyes, which Maloch responded to by bringing his mighty jaws down, biting him in two with little resistance.


    Diego swung his fists left and right, his skin flashing red with psyonic force with every blow landed, sending the impacted Slaves skittering across the grass. The force of his blows cracked and broke their bodies with little effort; even weaponless, Diego was able to hold his own. Karen cried out and held onto Maloch for dear life as the beast did his best to fight off the waves of Slaves, but as Diego looked around them, at the sheer number of bodies that were appearing and rushing towards them, he was struck with the creeping realisation that things were only going to get worse if they stayed like this.


    ¡°Maloch! Run! Take her to the village!¡± Diego yelled, pointing towards the wrecked barge blocking the road.


    But Maloch was spooked. His eyes rolled and he roared in anger and confusion. He couldn¡¯t focus on the command while his body was being clawed at from so many different angles. He didn¡¯t know how.


    Another crash rang out directly behind the group, from the fence surrounding the manor. But there was no time to check it out, Diego was already frantically fighting off a fresh wave of Slaves, driving their hungry faces into the ground with punch after bone-shattering punch. Scared as he was, Maloch fought bravely, Slaves clawed at his scales and climbed across his bucking body. Suddenly there were Nodes in the horde too, cracking bright white energy whips at him, trying to bind his trunk-like legs as Karen continued to cling to her beast desperately¡­ Then, the dragoness screamed.


    A goblin Slave had managed to leap onto Maloch¡¯s back, a set of sharp, black claws protruding from her curling fingers. It slashed at Karen, slicing the back of her legs and cutting straight through her wings. The assault only lasted a moment before the Slave was bucked off, tumbling under the warshee and disappearing into the ground with a wet squelch as the beast crushed it beneath its feet.


    ¡°MALOCH, RUN!¡± Karen screamed, clinging onto him as hot blood poured from her back.


    He could hear the pain, the fear in her voice. It grounded him. He may not have known what he was doing, but he knew that it was his purpose, what he was born to do. He had to protect his rider. Maloch turned towards the ship, using his tail to swipe another load of Slaves to the ground. He knocked most of them down but not all, they clung to him closely and crawled up his body. His legs tensed up and he made to gallop -


    - when suddenly, he yelped in pain, and shuddered to a halt before he could even start.


    A pair of black tentacles curled around his back leg and squeezed it tightly, the leg deforming under the pressure and buckling at the knee with a foul crunch. Maloch roared again as he was dragged backwards into the wall of Slaves. The warshee cried out, his black beady eyes wide and desperately searching the crowd. Finally, he managed to make out Diego¡¯s rippling black form as the lizard fought off more and more Slaves. More hands were grabbing towards Karen¡¯s shaking frame as the warshee tried to pull free. And he knew what it had to do.


    In one defiant motion, Maloch bellowed loudly, twisted and bucked, throwing Karen into the air straight towards Diego, who just managed to catch her. He shot a glance back towards Maloch¡¯s swamped body, the warshee¡¯s beady eyes finding Diego once more through the swarming bodies. He had caught her. She was safe.


    And as soon as the warshee saw her in Diego¡¯s arms, he changed tactics.


    ¡°Maloch! No!¡± Karen screamed.


    But Maloch had done his job.


    He lurched around and sunk his teeth into several more of the surrounding Slaves as Ink dragged him further and further back, away from Karen and Diego. It whipped its tail again and managed to shake Ink free of its wounded leg, turning now to face its attacker directly. Maloch threw himself forward into a limping charge towards Ink, pushing her back into the estate.


    Ink met Maloch¡¯s charge, clamping her tentacles around the width of his head and sealing his oversized jaws shut, but the warshee pushed with his all might, shoving Ink further and further back, ignoring the Slaves ripping into his body with their dagger-like claws.


    ~IT''S BUYING TIME FOR THE PRINCE TO ESCAPE! CHASE THEM! LEAVE THE BEAST TO ME!~ Ink ordered through the hierclasty, and her horde immediately obeyed. They turned around as one and began to run with everything they had after Diego, who, with Karen between his arms, was bolting across the fields towards the distant village.


    Ink and Maloch were alone.


    Her bind over Maloch¡¯s head was tight, and her tentacles began to crush down onto his head, cutting into his scales painfully. But the warshee hissed and, apparently unphased, continued to push her back, towards the edge of the pool.


    ¡°I AM STRONGER THAN YOU, BEAST! I WON¡¯T BE BESTED!¡±


    Ink wrapped her hands under the warshee¡¯s chin, straightened her back out and lifted with all her strength. Maloch yelped as his entire body was lifted by his neck and she flipped the warshee over herself in one massive, arcing swing. The entire length of the warshee swung like a pendulum over Ink and he flipped over her and landed on his back with a deep, gut wrenching CRACK on the edge of the pool. He tumbled into the pool with an ungraceful crash and sank into the water, limp, lifeless¡­


    Ink was breathing deeply, her limbs shaking from the excursion and the adrenaline rush. The silence around her was deafening, now that the beast was down, the horde was gone, and she was back within the manor¡¯s sound shielding. She shivered and turned, a smug smile plastered across her face.


    ¡°Weak.¡± She tutted, flexing her arms in victory. She went to assume control of the Slaves again -


    - ROOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!


    With a loud undignified splash Maloch launched himself back out of the water, scrabbling to pull himself up to the edge of the pool with his front legs. He lunged for Ink with his blood-splattered jaws, and sank his huge teeth into one of her tentacles. Maloch yanked back with all his might. With a curdling scream Ink was pulled off-balance, a horrendous ripping noise vibrating through her back, followed by a rush of pain, and warm fluid...


    The warshee crunched down on the tentacle in his mouth defiantly and shook it back and forth like a dog with its prey. He was still clawing at the edges of the pool but couldn¡¯t pull himself out; his back legs hung limp within the depths of the water.


    Ink was shaking with fury as pain rippled through her body. She turned back to face the warshee.


    ¡°Beast¡­¡± She growled between clenched, furious teeth, staring Maloch down as the warshee crunched her tentacle over and over again, black goo dribbling down over his teeth.


    Ink reached for one of the large metal parasols that had so thoughtfully been installed for Karen¡¯s party. Violently she pulled it free from its metal base, clenching its body tightly like a spear.


    ¡°You dare¡­ you DARE wound me!¡±


    And she charged. Straight for him. Maloch splashed and twisted and bucked his head and roared in defiance, but despite his best efforts, Ink sent the base of the parasol straight through his face. Maloch roared again as his jaw strained to open around the metal pole punctured through it. A sickening grin spread across Ink¡¯s black lips as she watched the warshee strain. She tore a fresh parasole out of the ground. The metal tip glistened in the inky black depths of Maloch''s wide, frightened eye.


    He knew what was coming.


    Ink¡¯s hand almost crushed the pole she held onto it so tight. She launched it straight into his eye socket like a knight with his lance, provoking another roar from the trapped beast. She grabbed another, and speared him again, stabbing it into the side of his neck in a single, furious motion. One after another, she ripped the metal poles free and stabbed them into the quivering creature at every angle she could, punching straight through scale and bone. Finally, the warshee let out one long, final bellow, his body untensing with a longer shudder, and sinking onto its impalements. He collapsed back into the pool, the water permeated with the crimson leaking from Maloch¡¯s broken frame as Ink tore yet more parasols down, and speared them into the water, her anger spilling out as she clenched back furious tears.


    *


    ¡°Maloch! No!¡± Karen screamed.


    As the warshee forced Ink backwards towards the manor, Diego turned around towards the crashed barge and made to run, only to see a ring of Slaves already moving to surround him, standing between him and the barge. The Nodes, who had been watching closely, ran towards Diego, preparing their energy whips and nets.


    A glimmer of auric power shimmered across Diego¡¯s free hand, solidifying into threatening crackles of energy between his fingers¡­ when a rusty grey blade punctured straight through the middle of a Slave¡¯s chest, right in front of him. Rusty teeth clamped onto the Slave¡¯s neck from behind and tore out a chunk of its body, eagerly gulping down the still-hot flesh.


    ¡°Oh fuck.¡± Diego mouthed quietly. Famished.


    Diego was unfortunately more than well-acquainted with the Voras Barons and their monstrosities. He didn''t have time to question their presence however; the mechanical horrors sprinted from the barge and impacted with the Slaves with all the grace of a car crash, tearing through their unarmoured bodies with ease, shearing them to pieces and quickly pouncing on the limp corpses, eager to devour the corrupted flesh.


    Karen whimpered loudly against Diego¡¯s shoulder, her legs too badly cut to walk and her wing-stumps bleeding profusely over her back. She clenched her eyes shut, afraid of what was unfolding around her and curled around his shoulders.


    ¡°I''ve got you. I¡¯ll get you out of here.¡± Diego whispered to her, his body tensing as the Slaves behind him prepared a defensive line, and the Famished ahead of him eagerly tapped their blades and hooks together. This was going to be bloody for both sides¡­


    He steeled himself, slamming his fist against his chest and roaring into the air. A golden after-image coated both his and the dragoness, crackling with power as Diego weighed up his next move.


    Get to the village. There will be help there. Hold on tight, Karen, this is going to be a bumpy ride.


    The frosted grass crackled under his bare feet as he threw himself forward. His step lighter, his pace faster, as he charged straight for the thinnest point of the Famished horde. Their twisted metal bodies turned to address him, the blood trickling from Karen¡¯s shredded body catching their nose hungrily, but the lizard erupted from his start, exploding through their line. The single Famished that stood in his way was batted aside, its blades clattering off his psyonic armour. A squad of them immediately began their pursuit.


    Behind him, all hell broke loose as the Rewritten engaged in frenzied, blood drenched combat with the Famished. The Baron¡¯s victims were deadly up close, driving their blades through slave bodies with little effort. Slaves worked together to grab at the Famished and pull them apart, yanking their crude prosthetics free of their craftwork bodies with sheer brute strength. Blood oozed over the frosted grass, dripping from slashed limbs and spraying from violent punctures. Nodes frantically leapt in to help, using their larger size and strength to physically rend the Famished, tearing the plastic organ sacks clean from their chassis and breaking their robotic bodies over their knees. The sound of failing mechanical bodies mixed with the gnawing and gnashing of the pro-occupied, feasting Famished, tearing into the already fallen slaves with little regard for their own safety.


    A furious Ink came stumbling out of the manor¡¯s grounds, towards the ensuing melee, leaving her own trail of blood and goo behind her when she spotted the lizard in the distance. A second wave of Famished collided with the slaves with the bone-chilling noise of metal shearing into flesh, the Nodes using their slaves as literal meat-shields once again, prompting an angry growl from the already enraged Controller. She fixed her hands on the collar around her throat, and pulled it apart in one mighty heave, discarding it effortlessly.


    Diego was fast, already outpacing the Famished following him, even with the dragoness curled around his shoulder. A singular Famished stumbled towards Ink, having been kicked in the side of the head by a node and Ink immediately snatched its frame up into her hands and pulled it in two in a single motion, much like the collar. Its metallic spine pinged in two loudly and she threw its two halves in opposite directions, her eyes never once leaving Diego¡¯s distant frame.


    Fine. You run, Diego. I will not fall so easily next time.


    Ink roared loudly and shunted forward, slamming into the fight, her remaining tentacles curling around heads and crushing them flat. Each swing of her arms sent multiple Famished scattering through the air. With her help, it only took a few seconds to scrap the remaining aggressors. But it appeared this was only the start of the fight... She casted a angry glare upwards to see more Baron barges coming down. Some were landing, others were shredded by bright cobalt vulcan fire, tearing through the sky-line with frightening precision. Leech had been right; anything trying to land too close to the village was getting the business end of a dragoon¡¯s macro-needle rifle.


    The assorted nomad ships that made up the Rewritten fleet quickly swooped in behind Ink, arriving with fresh Nodes and Slaves, just within the ¡®safe¡¯ distance. It was at that moment that something caught her eye. Two ships, that she didn¡¯t recognise. These were descending directly onto the village without drawing fire. One was DA, one was not. Suddenly, a new fire arose in her heart, along with a scheming smile.


    That has to be her.


    She could bring both Diego and Seeth back to the Rewritten. She cracked her neck and her tongue flickered out between her teeth. The blood was already thick in the air as more and more of the Rewritten horde gathered behind her, mixing with the toxic smog of fuel-leaking Baron barges and the sour grit of still-pulsing Famished corpses. Another Rewritten dropship landed a few speeder bikes next to her, Nodes already mounted and armed with net-guns, their tires skidding against the grass, waiting for Ink¡¯s orders.


    Two more barges slammed into the ground on the outskirts of the village, these ones bigger than the first. Almost immediately, Barons came pouring out of its burning carcass.


    With a single thought and a deafening howl, the Rewritten battleline surged forward.

 Chapter 30 - Present and Unaccounted For

    ¡°Holy shit, Ink¡­ Are you okay?¡± Leech asked with widening eyes as blood and goo dripped from the other Controller¡¯s back. ¡°Did he do that?¡±


    ¡°No. Some giant lizard beast did. I killed it. And I''m fine.¡± Ink hissed back, a quiet growl escaping her lips with every breath she took.


    ¡°Giant beast¡­? Was there a warshee here? Did you¡­ kill a warshee?¡± Leech asked softly.


    Ink shrugged and mumbled a response under her breath.


    ¡°Why was there a warshee here? This isn¡¯t anywhere near the DA¡¯s border. Unless it was in training, or maybe retired? Oh fucking hell, did we kill a retired warshee? Naw, that isn¡¯t right¡­¡± Leech¡¯s voice trailed off, and for a few moments, her expression appeared solemn, almost sad, the colour visibly draining from her cheeks. But then the moment passed, and she turned to face Ink with her usual eccentric energy. ¡°You fucking idiot. You massive twat. Why - WHY did you insist on going in alone?! You made the Nodes wait outside the perimeter! And you fucking took off before everyone else too! You disobeyed my direct orders to launch from the dreadnought together!¡± Leech scolded, flapping her arms at Ink as she stepped off the dropship ramp, a squad of heavily armed Nodes in her stead. ¡°Now we¡¯re killing retired warshees, balls deep in DA territory and the stupid lizard has a head start! All because you wouldn¡¯t wait five minutes!¡±


    ¡°I had him.¡± Ink muttered, her eye twitching. ¡°He got lucky.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he got lucky, did he? Did he?! Ugh. Whatever. I¡¯m here now. I''ll clean this mess up. We do not want to go back to Moltezz empty handed after all of¡­ this.¡± She gestured to the carnage unfolding in front of them as yet another Baron ship crashed to the ground, just on the outskirts of the village.


    Leech opened her mouth to address her Nodes, when suddenly, she froze. She stopped short of the first syllable, with only a half-questioning croak vibrating from her throat. She spun around and stared at Ink intensely as she gently rolled her shoulder - the one now missing a tentacle.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­ Look at me.¡± Leech''s voice was almost a whisper.


    Ink turned her scathing gaze towards Leech, unsure of what she was trying to gauge but pissed off about it nevertheless.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Ink protested.


    ¡°You fucking like him, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I.. Who? Diego?¡± Ink asked, unconvincingly, her remaining tentacles flittering out around her as she dropped her gaze away from Leech¡¯s.


    ¡°Who the fuck else would I be asking about?¡± Leech¡¯s stare intensified. ¡°Seriously? He¡¯s got you too?¡± She shook her head in disbelief. ¡°Are you for real? You¡¯ve met the fucker once and you¡¯re already lost in his dreamy eyes and fabulous hair?! I thought you had better taste than that! What is it about that lizard? I mean, look at us! We¡¯re prodding the prostate of DA territory on a ramshack dreadnought, breaking fuck knows how many laws, all in the pursuit of one guy? This shit is insane, even for me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! He seems different! Stop winding me up!¡± Ink scowled back defensively.


    ¡°Uh-huh. Different.¡± Leech replied lowly. ¡°Psh. I am the only one that isn¡¯t positively obsessed with this prick?¡±


    ¡°You are the odd one here, Leech. Maybe you''re the one with bad taste.¡± Ink grinned briefly, before falling back into her more solemn mood.


    I have bad taste? Leech smiled back, her usual shit-eating grin now plastered firmly across her face, happy to watch Ink¡¯s self-own fly straight over her head. I¡¯m sorry, who do I spend the most time with in my lab these days? Oh, that''s right. Your giant ebony ass.


    As they spoke, a dedicated team of Nodes finished hauling over a massive weapons crate towards Leech. It was heavy, even by Node standards, and the team was only too happy to drop it onto the trampled grass with a sigh of relief. The top was covered in a slightly stained red tarp, and someone had crudely painted the words ¡®Hair Straighteners¡¯ on the side. Leech whipped off the tarp and handed it to one of the Nodes to dispose of. There was a proud twinkle in her eye as she looked over her latest creation.


    She glanced up then and scanned across the horizon, her gaze landing on the dragoons striding the countryside with lethal intent. They continued to fire their scale-steel volleys into the air. Approaching the village with the horde whilst the dragoons were active was nothing but suicide. Their macro-needles could puncture through hundreds of Slaves and would make short work of them, no matter their numbers. These mechanical beasts would need to be felled if they had any hope of taking off as the Vora Baron distractions in the air waned.


    Speaking of Vora Barons, where in the flying fuck did they even come from?! Despite never physically encountering their kind, the tales of the Barons more than adequately described their hideousness. There was no mistaking them for anybody else; both DA tales of monsters beyond the border, and direct nomad accounts of their brutality were true to their word. Did they warp in with us? How did we not notice?! Psh, just can¡¯t get the staff these days!


    ¡°We¡¯d better get a move on. You know what you¡¯re doing?¡± Leech asked, fumbling through a bag strapped across her hip.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ink muttered.


    ¡°And are you actually going to do it this time?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ink replied sharply, her tongue flickering between her lips angrily.


    ¡°Good!¡± Leech pulled out a thick syringe from her bag and jabbed it into Ink¡¯s back, who winced briefly at its sting. ¡°A stim shot to keep you going and help the pain with that missin¡¯ tentacle situation. Also -¡± She rummaged through the bag again and produced two slim metallic bracers, with bright blue panels on the top. ¡°We know¡­ Seeth¡­ is here. I imagine she is very likely going to open fire on us on sight. I like your holes as they are, you don¡¯t need new ones. These bracers are the best kinetic shields we¡¯ve got, should be enough to stop a few shells from her, but for fuck¡¯s sake don¡¯t doddle, she¡¯s lugging some sort of personal artillery around. They won¡¯t last indefinitely.¡±


    She slapped the bracers onto Ink¡¯s forearms and they hummed to life immediately, projecting a hazy blue bubble around Ink¡¯s body.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Ink replied bluntly again.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡­¡± Leech frowned, rolling her eyes. Honestly, she¡¯s like a fucking teenager sometimes. ¡°This time, use the horde, babes. They¡¯re an asset. I¡¯ve mixed in a few special Slaves in the crowd, we have some squads already quite close to the village but they¡¯re being intercepted by Barons. Kross and the other Imprinted are focusing on keeping the Barons out - we can¡¯t have Diego getting offed by some blubbery fucker, you know? Just¡­ don¡¯t get yourself killed. Please?¡±


    Ink grunted back and strode off towards the crashed barge, her rapidly assembled army following in tow.


    ¡°Eh. I¡¯ll take that.¡± Leech mimicked Ink¡¯s grunt and snickered to herself before turning her attention back to the ongoing conflict.


    More and more Rewritten dropships were descending from the sky, taking care to avoid the dragoon¡¯s firing lines. Some descending were obviously looted nomad transports, but others were dropped off by stolen Darkpaw dropships, limited in number but noticeably more nimble than their rag-tag counterparts. It would matter little however, the Baron ships in the atmosphere began to deplete as the dragoon¡¯s metal gaze would find its way to them and would shred both nomad and Darkpaw vessels alike. Megacorp tech was not able to contest the might of the DA, no matter how flashy it looked.


    Eight handpicked squads broke away from the main force to join Leech as she hauled her invention free from its container. A handful of Slaves helped haul the back-pack out of the crate, straining together to lift and loop it over Leech¡¯s shoulders, tightening the straps so it sat securely against her back.


    Fuck me, this thing weighs a ton¡­ this better work or I¡¯m going to be a sitting duck. Time to get moving, they¡¯re not gonna melt themselves. Three dragoons¡­ piece of cake.


    They approached on foot, the squads staying deliberately segregated and travelling by foot to not alert the closest dragoon, on the foothill ahead of them. It stood proud and fierce, shouldering its oversized rifle and firing into the sky with a nauseating BRRRRRRR that rumbled through the ground and deep into their chests. Each squad had a nervous-looking Node at the head, and an unusual ensemble of Slaves. Some had explosives physically attached to their body, while others had a seemingly random configuration of cables and antennae poking out of them instead, with metal prongs stapled through their forearms.


    Although anything Leech did was seldom random.


    ¡°~You know the plan. Move!~¡±


    They approached the foothill in loose formation, each squad side-by-side, perpendicular to the dragoon still firing into the air. They stormed over the grass with tight knots in their stomachs, which only clenched and squeezed further with every step they took. Their advance did not go unnoticed. The squads still had half a mile to go when the dragoon turned its attention on them, pausing for a brief moment before turning the barrel of its gun to face them. The farthest squad from Leech was the furthest up the hill, and the machine¡¯s beady optics honed in on them first.


    BRRRRRRRRR


    Leech felt its impact through the hierclasty. In less than a second the squad was gone, the super-sized needles punched through armour, flesh and bone alike with the expected, disgusting efficacy. These were weapons of war, designed to shred through terra-corp tanks and rival empire armies; their use on infantry-sized targets was practically a war crime. The flak vests thrown over the Node did precisely nothing to prevent her fate, her body reduced to partially burning chunks along with all the Slaves. Nothing in the Rewritten¡¯s entire looted arsenal would protect them from this¡­ However, forward was the only way through.


    BRRRRRRRRR


    The second squad, gone. One burst was all it took and it was raining limbs and speckles of hot dirt.


    BRRRRRRRR


    The third volley detonated one of the explosive Slaves, catapulting bodily viscera in all directions.


    They still weren¡¯t anywhere near close enough to detonate, and the dragoon had already killed one third of the approaching squads.


    This isn¡¯t going to work¡­ we¡¯re not fast enough!


    The squads threw themselves up the hill as fast as they could and the Nodes opened fire, but their bullets merely pinged off the dragoon as though they were wielding little more than toys.


    ¡°~I need a distraction on this dragoon! Now!~¡±


    A looted quill-belly gunship swooped down from above, deploying its dual auto-cannons from the front of its chassis and unloaded an alternating, thudding barrage into the dragoon, raining empty brass casings onto the ground. However even the higher calibre cannons failed to crack its armour. Leech could hear the rounds shattering against the dragoon, leaving blackened scorch marks all over its frame, but nothing in the way of actual damage.


    BRRRRRRRR


    The quill-belly was practically sheared in half, raining down onto the assaulted estate in several shredded chunks, clattering through the roof and into the pool. Somehow, the Node pilot managed to escape almost certain death, pulling herself free of the wreckage and stumbling into the remains of the manor, and out of sight.


    The ground squads rolled in closer. They were only moments away. The metal beast was in lunging range when they heard its servos whirr to life. It began to strafe backwards, walking away from the approaching forces but very much keeping its huge rifle pointed forwards.


    No! Fuck! Don¡¯t walk away!


    BRRRRRRRR


    The closest squad was torn apart, the marco-needles over-penetrating and cutting deep into the ground in the same gruesome manner as before.


    There were only two squads left between her and the business end of the dragoon¡¯s firepower. Panic flushed through her chest as her plan started to fall apart before her. She¡¯d felt the power of vulcan weapons first hand; she didn¡¯t fancy her chances of surviving their big brother.


    More quill-bellies rolled in, taking multiple angles on the dragoon. The increasing air-traffic around it caused an ally dragoon perched on a separate hill to take note and pitched in to help clear the sky, punching through the gunships in a series of precise volleys.


    BRRRRRRRR


    Another squad was turned into mulch as scraps of gunship and empty brass casings rained down around them, splattering into the frost clogged mud.


    Ah fuck it! I¡¯ll take a page from Seeth¡¯s book!


    The dragoon turned its gun on the last squad before Leech, the Controller could see the neon-blue optics within its head focusing on the node. It steadied its aim, in spite of the auto-cannon shells peppering its chassis.


    Leech dropped her weapon to the ground and snatched an antenna Slave into her hands, pulled her arm back and launched the poor thing into the air, over the hill with all the force she could muster. The Slave hurtled through the air straight towards the mech, flailing wildly when Leech confirmed its activation through the hierclasty with a single, desperate thought. It screeched mid-flight like a wailing banshee and began to convulse wildly as its body surged with energy, blue crackles of energy arcing between its antennae. The dragoon lowered its rifle with one arm and went to swat it out of the air with its other hand when suddenly, the mech seized and stopped in its tracks. Its arm refused to move.


    The optics on the dragoon blinked on and off, its once clean movement now halted as its joints locked up, and the Slave ploughed into the mud unceremoniously, still spasming violently as the smell of burning flesh began to permeate the air.


    Oh my fuck! I can''t believe that actually worked! Yes! I just disabled a dragoon! A fucking dragoon!


    The closest squad made it within distance of the dragoon but Leech ordered the explosive slaves back and lifted her weapon back up. It was an unwieldy construct, with several massive black cables and two different coloured tubes, connecting to her oversized metallic backpack that was flicked on with a threatening hum. Its ¡®barrel¡¯ was a thick pair of parallel metal plates, similar to a tuning fork, or a giant pair of hair straighteners. A bright orange light emitted from between the prongs as she aimed the massive construct at the locked dragoon, now at the mercy of the multiple seizing slaves, violenting shaking around its feet to keep it pinned down.


    A bright orange beam discharged from Leech¡¯s weapon and bore into the dragoon¡¯s chassis in a blinding eruption of sparks and heat. The dragoon¡¯s armour held for a few tense seconds, clinking gently under the sustained heat before finally giving way catastrophically. A cascade of molten metal poured down its frame like a candle under a blow torch, followed by the brief scream of its pilot within who was hammering at its non-responsive controls, but their struggle was short lived under the laser¡¯s sheer heat, as the cockpit liquified and poured out over the grass.


    Leech pulled on the handle of her weapon and it silenced with a loud hiss, the prongs closing together to cease the beam in tandem with a blast of steam from its outer side.


    The dragoon now stood hollow, arms and legs locked in place but its torso now a vacuous mess of dripping wires and slurried metal. A smog of plastic smoke and belching ichor billowed out from its once proud frame.


    Fuck yes! Part two bitch, let''s r-roll! Leech grinned, but her hands were shaking, and her heart was still firmly lodged in her throat.


    Across the fields below, the Rewritten dived into furious combat with the crashed Barons, still lumbering out of their barges in a fury of confusion, but whilst the other two dragoons were up, they risked heavy losses. They needed to be eliminated.


    Her eyes landed on the destroyed dragoon''s rifle, intentionally left intact¡­


    *


    A single DA garrison soldier skulked between the wreckages of two crashed barges, navigating the narrow corridor of burnt grass between the two brass-coloured vessels. He clasped his vulcan rifle tightly in his young, shaking hands, his scale armour completely bare of any accolades or recognition. His ears could hear nothing but the cracking of distance fires and the occasional buzz of macro-vulcan fire, which seemed to be dropping in frequency.


    He pressed his fingers to his communicator again, but the line remained jammed.


    I need to get to the village. They¡¯ll need my help.


    He pushed on, stepping over crushed mud and around burning wreckages, until something caught his eye. Someone¡¯s shadow was being cast over the walls of a barge, flickering in the firelight.


    He kept his rifle poised and ready as he approached, winding through the burning wreckage¡¯s snake-like path, ducking under crumbling panels and crushed wings, when suddenly, he caught sight of a lone, shuddering figure, hunched over in a small clearing between the vessels. A Rager. He stood, alone, wavering on his feet oddly gently considering his size, almost like a flag caught in the breeze. Blood dripped down his neck and chest. His hands creaked around a crimson-soaked club. He was surrounded by dead Famished, panting loudly as the rage engine stapled on his back whirred quietly away.


    The soldier¡¯s eyes found the Rager¡¯s. First he saw the madness with them, wide and bloodshot, pupils darting to and fro. Then he saw the blades, puncturing through his ribs, and the teeth marks on his arms. The rage engine on his back shuddered and roared to life, the sound punctuated by a visible gush of blood from his neck. The rager broke into a furious sprint, charging straight for the soldier, the whir of the engine getting louder and louder.


    The soldier took aim, his shaking finger hovering over the trigger¡­ but the rager only made it a few steps before suddenly collapsing to the floor, his body desaturating as his remaining blood spilled out over the grass, forcibly ejected by the engine as it spluttered to an anticlimactic end. The quiver in the soldier''s bones intensified. Were these the savages beyond the border he¡¯d heard about?


    He couldn¡¯t stay here. He could hear more of the creatures, clambering around inside their oversized metal coffins. Every crumpled door concealed more of them, every puncture in the ship''s carcass, another way to ambush him. So he continued on, treading across the blood-soaked ground and stepping carefully over battered Famished bodies, as he made his way closer towards the distant sound of friendly vulcan gunfire. Rounding the corner of the crashed vessels, finally he was nearing the edge of the village. A lumbering Baron clutched his side in pain, blood dribbling from between his fingers. He limped away from a scattering of corpses where the invading forces had clashed.


    Without warning, a fresh attacker sprinted in and leapt onto the Baron''s back, clutching his grey arms around the lumbering giant''s neck. He roared in frustration and reached around shoulders, snatching the monochrome individual from his back and lining him up with his leering jaws. The Baron wasted no time and sink his teeth straight into the skull of the attacker, with an audible crunch -


    The soldier squeezed his rifle tightly as a loud bang echoed in his ears, and the Baron collapsed to the floor in a blinding blue flash. Massive arcs of plasma welded the two intruders'' bodies together, arcing from the smaller attacker and melting the Baron into nothing but a smouldering, half-liquid pile, strewn messily over the carefully placed paving slabs that surrounded the once pristine village.


    The soldier''s shuddering breaths were drowned out by the sound of more footsteps, more gunshots, more death, when a shiver suddenly ran uncomfortably down his spine. Someone was close. He heard the clatter of metal and the whirr of another rage engine - no, several more rage engines. He spun around as a battered group of Ragers emerged from the crashed vessels he¡¯d navigated between, their gaze locked onto the soldier as they spread out over the crushed soil, surrounding him.


    They were on him in seconds, roaring with bloody spittle as the soldier let loose with his rifle. Vulcan needles tore through the air, downing a couple of the creatures before a club swatted the rifle out from his grasp. Another cracked him across the side of the head and he collapsed to the floor, fumbling for his pistol desperately.


    ¡°BEAT HIM TO PASTE! LICK HIS BLOOD FROM HIS BONES!¡±


    Their clubs clattered against his scale-male armour, each hit painful and dull. He shielded his head with his arms, watching in terror as the frenzied attackers slammed their bats and clubs against him, helpless. Every attempt to reach for a weapon was denied with a stinging swat of his limbs.


    Suddenly, there was a boom. The entire group was launched off their feet in one go. Blood and chunks rained down on him as the aggressors were levelled by something.


    Still dazed and reeling, he felt a strong hand on his shoulder drag him away from the crashed ships.


    ¡°Got another one!¡±


    The soldier quickly scampered to his feet and found himself in the presence of a towering purple czarite, wielding an oversized shotgun and a massive axe strapped to her back.


    ¡° Are you okay?¡± She asked, pulling him into a nearby alleyway between two small shops.


    ¡°Y-Yeah. Thank you. What can I do to help?¡± The soldier asked, shakily but instinctively feeling over his hands for broken fingers.


    ¡°Get your ass to the village centre, there are civilians there who need protecting and every gun counts.¡± She racked her shotgun loudly. ¡°Officer Kintrax is leading the defence, tell him Seeth sent you. There''s medics there, they¡¯ll patch you up.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    The soldier limped off, body shaking but voice steady. He followed the path further into the sparse village centre ahead of him, making his way towards the centre as directed.


    We¡¯re gonna need all the guns we can muster.


    Time had been short. There wasn¡¯t much of a plan in place, only that Theo would defend the civilian hold-out, and Seeth would position herself directly between them, and the oncoming corrupted horde. She was better equipped for it after all. She casted her gaze up, catching sight of the dreadnought hanging crooked in the sky. It was just outside of the planet¡¯s orbit, but still plainly visible to see from the surface.


    How the fuck did you get that, Leech? I need to know how many of you there are¡­


    She opened her mind to the hierclasty, skimming through the Nodes and Slaves around her almost like she were flipping through a book. It appeared her opponents had learned something; some of the Node¡¯s minds were being actively guarded against her, preventing her from pulling information from them. The Slaves had little in the way of memories, but the sheer volume of them helped clarify the scale of the attack.


    This was more Slaves that Seeth had ever felt before, it was impossible to count but there must have been tens of thousands on the planet already. She saw flickers of Slaves ripping into Barons, being torn apart by gunfire and a wall of them thundering after a black figure on the horizon¡­


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    And Diego¡­


    Psyonic electricity crackling from his hands.


    An untempered fury in his dark amethystine eyes.


    His arms wrapped tightly around another woman¡­


    A subconscious growl emanated from deep within her throat.


    A deep hunger permeated through the Slaves. It was more than just the corruption, a consuming fire burnt bright and deadly in their hearts. It appeared that Moltezz¡¯s will was firmly embedded within them, as mindless as they were. The scale of the assault filled her with dread, but watching Diego outpacing the horde once again and on-route to the village took her straight back to the first night she met him. It felt surreal. Her whole body flooded with buried emotions, rushing to the surface like an overflowing well. His voice, his body, his smell, his taste¡­ Past images of his eyes locked onto hers, their bodies grinding and pressing together¡­ All of it was pushed down to try and keep her life together. Seeing him again was like a train ploughing through the walls she¡¯d built. Unstoppable and inevitable. But hell itself knew she wanted to feel this more than anything else in the universe. To be this close to him again was worth every inch of heartache and pain she¡¯d endured. Part of her wanted to just sit and watch through the Slave¡¯s eyes, enchanted by him.


    But now was not the time for stargazing.


    I have to find him. I¡¯ve missed you so much, Diego. I¡¯m not leaving this planet without you.


    Her thoughts were interrupted by the hacking and coughing of a figure stumbling through the shop, their gait heavy followed by the rustling of chains on belts.


    More Barons.


    They could not be allowed to endanger anyone else here. A culling was required. Then, she would hold the horde back and bring Diego to safety¡­ What could go wrong?


    *


    ¡°You hanging in there?¡± Diego asked between controlled breaths, the rheumatic thumps of his feet against the ground were unyielding, and his tone surprisingly calm, considering the situation. He sprinted bare foot, claws and scales raw against the grass, his buttonless white shirt open and flapping frantically about him in the breeze. Between the wind-swept hair and now glistening abs, he actually looked good, almost as though the chaos suited him. Karen was held securely across his shoulders in a fireman¡¯s grip, his one muscular arm looped through her legs to keep her steady. The lizard commanded a strong, calming sense of security, even through this hell.


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ It hurts but I''m okay.¡± Karen shuddered, her grip tightening around his shoulders.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll get you out of here, I promise.¡±


    Behind him, the droning of the Famished stayed at a safe but nevertheless concerning distance. Diego knew these things, they were remnants of the Baron¡¯s victims, tragically shaped into that which destroyed them. The only thing that coursed through their bionic still-warm corpse was hunger, although the pining, synthetic growls coming from them appeared amused by the chase at the very least. If they could still feel joy, maybe it was in the hunt as much as it was the feast.


    The path to the village was now clear and he could make out the surrounding roads and buildings in the distance. To his left and right, he could just about see Baron squads, getting overrun by the corrupted. The thudding of their auto-cannons and hand-held mortars were rapidly drowned out as they were dragged to the floor by the encroaching swarm. Their fate varied however, some were torn apart by vicious Nodes, tearing into the pinned Barons¡¯ flesh with sadistic or perhaps vengeful desire. But others were in the process of being corrupted by Slaves, who were apparently immune to the typical disgust response that the Barons tended to elicit from anyone with a functioning cortex. The Barons'' oversized bodies were pinned down and invaded, their limbs held down and their control taken away from them, despite their roars of protest, perhaps even fear. The thought of a corrupted Baron sent an uncomfortable shiver down his spine; the last thing these corrupted fuckers needed were those monsters under their control.


    His thoughts were interrupted by the holler of approaching engines behind him.


    ¡°D-Diego! They¡¯re coming!¡± Karen cried out, her body tensing.


    He glanced over his shoulder to see a warband of approaching Nodes, zooming across the grass in tight formation, along with a larger wheeled vehicle, not too dissimilar to a pick-up truck, with none other than Ink perched on its open back, leaning over the roof menacingly. The Nodes quickly dispatched the chasing Famished, using their energy whips to catch their legs and leaving them far behind in the dirt as they approached rapidly.


    The village was on fast approach, but all it would take is one net or whip on him, the psyonic protection was better for stopping bullets than it was a large, slow-moving item like a net. He just needed to get Karen to safety first, then he could meet the horde face to face. He could hear more fighting up ahead, what sounded like roamer-sized vulcan weapons, but that meant the DA¡¯s local forces were still fighting at least.


    The Nodes rode in pairs, one driving, one mounted on the back, sporting an array of whips, tasers and net guns between them. Diego could hear the chew of the tires, biting into the grass either side of him, with the larger engine closing in on him from behind. The scraping of fingers on triggers clicked through his ears as the net guns rattled in their Node¡¯s hands.


    A glimmer of golden power shimmered down Diego¡¯s legs and he suddenly surged into the air in one massive jump, a shockwave blasting out from under him, sending the nearest bikes crashing into the dirt. Karen screamed for dear life as the lizard leapt several stories in a single stride, her wing stumps twitching impulsively at the sudden air-time.


    At the peak of his jump, Diego could see the village ahead, with a small but dedicated force of DA soldiers holding the village centre, directing the locals inside. It appeared they were mostly dealing with the Barons coming from the opposite side. They were stretched thin, but were holding the line with some degree of success. Somewhat level with his current height, he caught sight of a grey dragoon behind the village, perched on the surrounding hills. To his horror, he watched the dragoon get levelled by macro-vulcan fire coming from somewhere behind him.


    Friendly fire?! Impossible¡­ That must be something to do with this lot -


    The ground soon rushed towards him but as he thumped back down to the ground, now concerned over the DA¡¯s failing defences, but at least he knew where to drop Karen off.


    He landed some distance ahead of the bikes, the village''s outskirts now tantalisingly close, although he did wonder why there were no DA soldiers defending this side of the village. But his thoughts were once again interrupted by the encroaching grumble of a heavier engine, snapping at his heels.


    ¡°GIVE IT UP, DIEGO!¡± Ink screamed, leaning over the roof of the truck. ¡°YOU¡¯RE MINE!¡±


    He could see one of the surrounding roads ahead of him, running perpendicular to him, it was only a little further -


    He clenched his fists, feeling power surge into them and prepared to sling a bola backwards towards the vehicle''s tires when he suddenly heard a screech behind him. The Node driver slammed on the brakes as hard as she could and Ink was sent hurtling over the bonnet, crashing into the ground and skidding through several metres of grass.


    Diego immediately ceased his bola and reabsorbed the energy, charging over the road and into the village with all his might when a familiar glimmer caught his attention. A figure was charging towards the approaching horde, diving between the parked vehicles and outermost sheds on the village''s perimeter. A flash of amethystine skin and jelly dreadlocks, along with a sense of confidence that said don¡¯t fuck with me in a way impossible to misunderstand.


    Seeth?!


    It must have been her. He knew it. He didn¡¯t know how or why, but she was here. His heart pounded at his ribs, his belly full of butterflies in an instant. He wanted to investigate, to see if it really was her¡­ and if it was¡­? But the quivering dragoness, quietly whimpering in pain on his shoulders, was a reminder that he had made a promise.


    I¡¯ll be back, Seeth. Hang in there.


    Against his every thought and desire, he pressed onto into the village, the horde seemingly quiet behind him. The village centre was a town-hall of sorts, a reasonably sized building of heavy construction, functioning as a garrison for the local forces. Civilians were being directed inside and into the fortified basement, which as per the DA¡¯s typical design contracts, was bomb proof and exceedingly difficult to breach once sealed.


    An imposing cerulean rhargnorn was standing out the front of the community centre, wielding an oddly ceremonial vulcan revolver in one hand and dressed in tactical scale-mail armour. He fired a couple of shots into the opposite distance before turning around to see Diego barreling towards him, skidding to a halt at the front double-doors of the centre.


    ¡°We have an injured civvie. Get me a doctor up here.¡± He spoke into his wrist, before quickly coming over to Diego and helping Karen off his shoulders. The rhargnorn turned and looked at Diego, seemingly recognising him. ¡°Officer Theo Kintrax, I''m the senior officer on the field at the moment. You are¡­ Diego Harley?¡± He asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Can you get her to safety, please?¡± Diego asked, ignoring the question.


    ¡°Of course, we have room in the bunker for both of you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not staying here. I can help.¡± Diego stated firmly, gently pushing Karen towards Theo.


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t leave me!¡± Karen begged, twisting around in the dragon''s grip as Theo helped her stand. ¡°Y-You said you would stay with me! I don¡¯t want to lose you!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t stay in a fucking bunker, Karen! These people are here for me! If I stay, I''m putting everyone at risk!¡±


    ¡°Diego! Please!¡± She begged, tears streaming down her face. ¡°W-We¡­ We need to go back for Maloch¡­¡± Karen''s voice broke at her warshee''s name - everything had gone fuzzy, her memory was a blur after her wings had been sliced, and the sounds of the carnage unfolding around her dulled and slowed, as though she were underwater. However, she remembered his roars. They cut through her muffled haze with a crystal clarity, his roars as he reared and threw her from his back to safety, his roars as he pushed that creature back towards the estate¡­


    And then the roars had stopped.


    And the valley had fallen into a haunting, deafening silence.


    She was all but certain of the fate that had befallen her beast. Fresh sobs hiccuped from her throat. ¡°I-I can¡¯t lose you¡­ I can''t lose you both!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not yours to lose!¡± Diego insisted, fighting back his own tears. ¡°I have to do this!¡± He turned to Theo, pulling away as Karen reached towards him. ¡°Can you get her to safety? Please?¡±


    Two medics entered then through the double-doors behind them, and quickly began to attend to Karen¡¯s wounds, spraying her bleeding body with gel and urging her to come inside, but she fought with every bit of strength she had to reach towards Diego.


    ¡°You promised me! You said you would stay with me!¡±


    ¡°I promised I would get you to safety!¡±


    ¡°You need to do what I say!¡± Karen called out, blinking back hot tears. ¡°You¡¯re m-mine¡­!¡± But she stumbled over her words and covered her mouth with her hands, shocked, disgusted with what had just come out of her mouth.


    Diego felt his heart harden at her words. He needed to leave, he had to find Seeth, but Karen was determined to pour her heart out as the two doctors gently but firmly pulled her towards the door.


    ¡°People are in danger, Karen. I can¡¯t sit by and do nothing! I won''t.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Karen cried softly. ¡°I¡­ I never should have¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be safe here, Karen. Please, you need to stay in the shelter.¡± Diego replied, with a slight growl.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Diego. I never should have put you in that collar¡­ You didn¡¯t deserve that. You¡¯re not mine. You shouldn¡¯t belong to anyone.¡±


    The words choked him up harder than he expected, and a lump swelled in his throat. Hearing those words, after everything he''d been through, everything he''d lost... He didn¡¯t know how to respond. A million thoughts swirled around his head, all begging for his attention, but in the end, he could only respond with one.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He replied softly, still processing her words. ¡°I¡­ I forgive you.¡±


    ¡°Will you come and find me afterwards? Please?¡± Karen all but begged as she was led into the room.


    Diego opened his mouth to answer her, but this time, no sound came out. He stood there silently for a few seconds, not wanting to lie, but not knowing the truth. Karen¡¯s sad expression twisted into one of heartbreak then, as she met the lizard¡¯s gaze for one final time before disappearing into the doors, pulled into the safety of the village centre. There was no telling exactly how he felt, things were too chaotic right now and the ever present thought of Seeth was overflowing through his mind. But he was sure, his shoulders felt a little lighter. He turned to leave, still unsure of what exactly just happened, when Theo called to him.


    ¡°Hey, uhm, I don¡¯t think there are many coralith komodos here with the first name, Diego. Am I right in thinking you¡¯re Diego Harley?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Diego responded shortly.


    ¡°I won¡¯t take your time, you¡¯re officially released from the DA¡¯s ¡®indentured servant¡¯ program. Signed off by Commander Jace Koa of the Royal Military Division. I¡¯ll, uh¡­ inform your ¡®keeper¡¯ after all this. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re looking for Lockblade?¡±


    ¡°Lockblade?¡± Diego raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Sorry - Seeth.¡± Theo noticed the immediate shift in Diego¡¯s demeanour at the mention of her name. ¡°Lockblade is her merc name. She charged off towards that lot, said she would hold them back. I can see you¡¯re the doing type, we can get you some basic fighting gear if you need it?¡±.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t use DA weapons.¡± Diego responded without thinking, but quickly remembered himself. ¡°Wait, I¡¯m not part of the slave program anymore? A-And I can just¡­ go?¡±


    ¡°Yes and yes. Nothing for you to sign or complete, I think your girl brought a ride to get you out of here. And, uh, Jace sends a personal apology to you. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be in touch.¡± Theo wanted to go on, but could see the lizard pulling away from the conversation. Barefooted or not, Diego was intent on charging straight back into the fray. There wasn¡¯t a force on the planet that was going to keep him away from Seeth. ¡°You better get moving. Just stay alive, the fleet is coming. You can make it out of this, we all can.¡± Theo turned his gaze towards the sky, seeing the dreadnought lurking in the far distance. It almost seemed to stare right back at him.


    ¡°Right¡­ t-thanks! I need to go!¡±


    ¡°Yeah dude, go! No need to be polite, go!¡± Theo nodded. With that, Diego took off, charging back towards the encroaching horde.


    *


    Ink pushed herself up from the grass, her eyes landing on the defiant traitor directly ahead of her. So this is the bitch that Leech keeps comparing me to. Doesn¡¯t seem all that much to me. The bitch in question was currently pointing her shotgun straight at Ink. A sharp, mean-looking axe rested against her back, patiently waiting for it''s time to strike. A ring hung from its pommel, thick with ornate looking keys, catching Ink¡¯s eye. Seeth was otherwise dressed in tactical gear, with straps for weapons and ammo across her body and a no-nonsense glare that was in the same fashion as the shotgun.


    ¡°You must be See-¡±


    BOOM


    CHIC-CHACK


    The ear splitting boom of the SAFU was immediately followed by the teeth grating fizzle and crack of tungsten ball-bearings impacting Ink¡¯s energy shield, barely protecting her from the shell. The shield held, but it wouldn¡¯t survive forever.


    Leech did say she wouldn¡¯t hesitate.


    BOOM


    Another thudding volley of pellets fizzled across her shields, some deflecting into the ground nearby. Seeth stood a hundred metres or so ahead of Ink, simultaneously holding the horde frozen in a ring around the village in addition to sending artillery straight at Ink¡¯s face. She stood absolute and defiant, staring Ink down with nothing but sheer determination as she cocked her shotgun again. So long as Seeth was functioning, the horde would be all but powerless to help her.


    I need to close the gap, I can overpower her up close. No one is stronger than me.


    And with that thought, Ink charged up the grassy knoll that separated them with a guttural bellow, her sprint frighteningly fast. Another shell impacted her shield, causing a visible crack in the faint blue  shield. Its integrity was failing under the uncompromising firepower of the SAFU, yet Ink¡¯s feet continued to pound over the grass, as if she were artillery herself. Another shell scattered over the blue shield just before she reached Seeth, throwing herself up the hill desperately as the last of her shield modules died with a ceremonious crackle.


    A tentacle wrapped around the body of the SAFU and pulled its barrel away from Ink¡¯s body as she attempted to grapple Seeth to the floor. The smaller controller allowed the oversized shotgun to slip from her grip as she redirected Ink¡¯s overwhelming momentum past her and tripped the giant. Ink stumbled against the tarmac of the road but pushed herself up instantly, her mind focused on ensuring the shotgun was not brought to bear on her hide.


    She turned to see the silver blade of Seeth¡¯s axe hurtling towards her neck, whooshing through the air with deadly intent. She raised her arms, barely managing to catch the handle just under the blade with a shuddering PANG. As they struggled over the blade, Ink pushed herself up onto her feet with her lowest tentacles, as her upper pair wrapped around the blade''s head.


    ¡°Rude of you.¡± She scoffed, trying to laugh off the lethal glare in Seeth¡¯s eyes. But her opponent didn¡¯t respond. Instead, her finger twitched and pressed on a small notch on the handle. Ink¡¯s flesh sizzled loudly around the blade and she yelped, uncurling her tentacles frantically as the pain rippled through her. As her grip of the now glowing axe momentarily faltered, Seeth yanked it back and slammed the handle end of it across Ink¡¯s jaw, sending the giant scuttling back into the road.


    In the blink of an eye, the axe was swung through the air again, yet, it wasn¡¯t aimed at Ink¡¯s centre of mass this time as she desperately turned around to face her opponent and pulled her body out of the way of the blade. In one decisive swing, the blade cleaved through Ink¡¯s two centre back tentacles, close to the base, cutting both off in one clean slice. Both appenditches thumped to the floor, splattering blood and goo over the ground.


    YOU DARE DISMEMBER ME?!


    A surge of fury overtook Ink and she latched onto a lamppost next to her, pulling it free of the ground with her hands in a single sharp pull as the connecting cables broke in a series of metallic pings.


    ¡°LEECH SAID BRING YOU IN ALIVE, BUT SHE SAID NOTHING ABOUT HURTING YOU!¡± She bellowed, grinding her teeth together as she swung the post directly as Seeth, the length of her makeshift weapon clearing the entire width of the road.


    Seeth did not respond, her steely gaze briefly flickered to several points of the lamppost, before landing squarely back on Ink¡¯s neck.


    She raised her axe up and sliced through Ink¡¯s makeshift weapon, cutting through the main body of it three times in rapid succession.


    Ink¡¯s furious grip squeezed the metal dry like it was little more than fruit as the remnants of her weapon clattered to the ground around Seeth, leaving the controller unharmed. An uncomfortable realisation hit her. This would take more than just brute strength.


    I can still overpower her, I got three tentacles left! Ink thought, feeling her heart pound in her chest. Seeth wasn¡¯t messing around, the fact that the girl was staring at Ink¡¯s neck brought an unsettling quiver down her spine. Anger and fear mixed together in a bubbling, frothing stew deep in Ink¡¯s gut and it felt like it was flowing out of the bleeding stumps on her back. I just need to get close¡­ Disarm her.


    Never one to show her fear, Ink screeched loudly and threw herself at Seeth once again, going for her axe handle once more.


    Don¡¯t touch the blade, go for the handle¡­


    She managed to get her hands onto the mid-section of the weapon, her tentacles squeezing it tightly and trying to pull it from Seeth¡¯s grip, when in the blink of an eye, a rippling pain shuddered through her flank.


    Seeth threw a walloping punch straight into Ink¡¯s side and followed up immediately with a uppercut in front of the axe handle, crunching painfully into her chin. Ink recoiled briefly, feeling the axe slip slightly between her fingers. Each hit was like steel, visibly shuddering through her body, cold and painful.


    She¡¯s fucking relentless!


    Yet Ink fought through the pain and seized hold on the axe handle once more and tugged it away from Seeth with all her might, feeling it release from the Controller''s grip. Finally! Victory is close! She thought, raising the axe up above her head, but the sudden drop in defence was all Seeth needed¡­


    Before Ink could finish bringing the blade up, Seeth laid into her torso relentlessly, as if Ink was nothing more than a punching bag. Her fists hammered against Ink¡¯s stomach and ribs with thunderous force, forcing the air out of lungs in several brutal blows. The axe tumbled out of her grip as Ink stumbled backwards, desperately shielding herself from Seeth¡¯s assault as her body quivered in shock, her consciousness swaying as she could feel her organs shifting and moving around her in her body with each blow.


    The sound of the blade hitting the road rang in her ears. Ink knew she needed to keep it out of hands, at any cost. Despite her aching body, she threw herself at the weapon, expecting Seeth to do the same, but instead, her opponent merely took the calmest step back and booted Ink on the side of the head with a sweeping kick.


    Ink¡¯s head bounced off the tarmac painfully, and a horrible wet tearing sound filled her ears¡­ She felt another wave of pain through another tentacle as Seeth raked the length of it with her claws, shredding the flesh. But Ink refused to stay down and forced herself to feet once more, panting loudly.


    ¡°Is that - it?¡± She growled, her taunt falling short as she saw the axe firmly back in Seeth¡¯s grasp again, inky fluid stained her claws. ¡°No¡­ I won¡¯t lose to someone smaller, weaker... than me!¡± Ink¡¯s anger overflowed again as blood dripped from her face and pattered over the road, she wiped her bleeding lips with the back of her hand.


    Yet, her opponent was once again unimpressed, staring Ink down with her cold glare, her knuckles whitened over the axe handle.


    ¡°Stand down or die.¡± She replied coldly. ¡°Choose wisely. For I won¡¯t -¡±


    She stopped mid-sentence. Both Controllers visibly bristled, as though their bodies both felt a wave of danger.


    In the far distance behind Ink, Seeth''s eyes flickered and widened and she dived to her side as a volley of macro-vulcan needles erupted through the road to her left, tearing through the ground with ease and spitting copious amounts of rock and dirt into the air. The axe tumbled out of her hands and clattered to the ground once more.


    A distant BRRRRRR rang out from the hills in the distance.


    ¡°~Leech?! Is that you?!~¡±


    Seeth stumbled as the ground shook and fought to regain her composure when Ink charged straight for her desperately. But instead of going for the axe this time, Ink wrapped her arms around Seeth¡¯s waist and hugged her close, squeezing her with every bit of strength she had. Her remaining tentacles looped over Seeth¡¯s wrists and held them firmly.


    The two struggled as their withering, blood covered bodies squeezed against one another. Seeth felt a wave of pain surge through her hips and spine as Ink bear-hugged her, her body forcibly crushed by the sheer force and pressure of Ink¡¯s desperate but brutish grip.


    Seeth fought with every ounce of strength she had against the tentacles around her wrists, fighting to raise her arms up, brandishing her razor sharp claws towards Ink¡¯s face. Both grit their teeth, their blood forced against the inside of their skin as their quaking muscles fought against one another.


    Seeth¡¯s razors inched closer and closer to Ink¡¯s face, threatening to rake the flesh straight from her as the tentacles pulsed and strained, their grip slipping as ooze leaked out over Seeth¡¯s skin. A wave of panic visibly rippled through Ink as her grip slipped once more and Seeth¡¯s daggers surged for her face.


    She''s trying to gouge my eyes out! I have to do something! I can¡¯t be beaten like this!


    Ink¡¯s final wounded tentacle flopped into the fight, dripping various fluids profusely from its wounds as it began to curl around Seeth¡¯s neck, tightening slowly as more and more of it stretched forward. The first of Seeth¡¯s claws touched Ink¡¯s forehead carapace, scrabbling across it as she pushed on, fighting to ignore the massive pain building in her lower body. She could hear a deep crack rumble through her bones as Ink finally put her mountainous muscle to use.


    The final tentacle finished curling around Seeth¡¯s neck and squeezed her throat as tightly as its shredded state could. Ink felt the fight drain from Seeth as her grip tightened. Her other tentacles began to win the test-of-strength and with a gasp of relief, she pulled the claws away from her. Seeth¡¯s body creaked under the strain and the fight faded from her, going limp in Ink¡¯s feracious grip.


    She breathed a sigh of relief as Seeth finally stopped resisting entirely, her head flopping limply against the tentacle looped around her throat. The controller was still alive, just temporarily knocked out¡­ but before she could even breathe, a golden flash glimmered in the corner of her eye.


    ¡°GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF HER!¡± A familiar voice bellowed, she turned to see a bolt of sable and gold diving straight for her. The lizard¡¯s body flushed a deep crimson as he slugged her straight across the jaw. A shockwave emanated from the impact and Ink was sent hurtling back towards the horde, landing on a bunch of slaves further back into the fields. Her grip of Seeth¡¯s frame uncurled from the force and the lizard landed neatly to catch her falling body.


    He quickly lowered her to the floor, a wave of relief washing over him as he checked her pulse and found it strong.


    Oh my¡­ Oh thank fuck¡­ She¡¯s okay. I just -


    His thoughts were interrupted by the rumble of the horde.


    ¡°Oh no¡­ Seeth! Seeth! Wake up!¡±


    There was nothing to stop their approach. A wall of hungry, desperate grey faces thundered towards him, only seconds away from grabbing him. Their army was regularly permeated with taller Nodes, rushing forward with the wall of corrupted flesh and keeping them under tight control. Most were looking directly at him, but a portion were focused on Seeth¡­ It was more than just him at stake now.


    Most would have felt fear or outright terror. The back-up wasn¡¯t here yet, it wouldn¡¯t make it in time. There was no one else coming to help¡­ But seeing the approaching force closing the distance¡­ He felt a surprising sense of calm, or perhaps it was familiarity.


    This was his territory. These fuckers were just borrowing it.


    His eyes landed first on Seeth¡¯s unmoving body and then on the axe on the ground.


    Six months of uninterrupted psyonic recovery. It was the longest he¡¯d had in years and not by accident; He hadn¡¯t felt comfortable letting it build. But he wasn¡¯t given a choice. He was not going to let them take her, even if that meant utilising that which he had tried to bury.


    ¡°Fine. You fuckers want to see the real me? You watching, Moltezz?¡±


    He snatched the axe off the ground, its strider size somehow looking completely natural on him. His chest swelled with air and confidence and he roared into the sky as he pounded one fist against his ribs.


    *


    Tivy sat within the destroyer''s lounge, her foot bobbing anxiously as she tugged on her antenna. The surprisingly comfy sofas within did little to comfort her as she pondered what was happening below, when a familiar feeling enveloped her.


    A golden after image coated her body, a bulletproof auric coating. Her limbs lighter, her breath quicker and easier¡­


    She relaxed back into the leather, a growing smile creased her cheeks as she waved her arms in front of her, enamoured by the visage. It felt good. Really damn good.


    ¡°Holy shit! Is that-¡±


    *


    Diego planted his feet, standing between Seeth and the horde. A golden cross slowly shimmered and materialised across the bridge of his nose, running down the length of his nuzzle and over his lips, with the same glimmering colour as the rings of his eyes.


    The entire battlefield felt an uncomfortable shift, deep in their guts and in their bones.


    The colossal gears of a long forgotten war machine, left to rot and buried out of shame, creaking to life all too eagerly. More runes appeared across his body, vibrant against his raven scales and shining through his clothes. Their connection to his soul was not dampened with time, they were just as capable as when they were first etched upon his being.


    He slammed his fist to the ground and tore free what looked like golden strands, pulling them back towards him. A series of golden cracks crept under the horde, as if he was unravelling the very ground beneath their feet. As the horde trampled closer, he yanked on the lines violently, causing the cracks to detonate with massive concussive force. The front line of the horde collapsed to the floor, obstructing those behind them.


    A couple of slaves managed to avoid the attack and weaved through their fallen kin, desperately diving towards him and the lizard responded in kind, as it was planned. He swung the axe brutally, with a flash of crimson following his arc as he turned the flat head of the axe to his opponents.


    Corpse breaker.


    A disgusting wet crunch rang out, louder of gunfire raining all around them.


    The slaves were reduced to red and white chunks, the remnants of their bodies spat back at their kin like organic shrapnel. Bones and slurry slapped into the wall of faces clambering over one-another like a street sweeping shotgun blast, tearing holes through eyes, faces and bodies.


    Bullets pinged off his shoulders and sides as scared barons took pot-shots at him from their ships, hoping to quell the source of their new fear. But as their shots shattered on Diego¡¯s psyonic armour, a counter-bolt of lightning arced through the air, directly at the attackers with every successful shot they hit him with. The counter-bolts were remarkably accurate, tracking the exact shooter and scolding their body with skin-melting efficacy, downing them one at a time.


    Cowardice shall be punished.


    It took every inch of restraint Diego had within him to not charge directly at the attackers. Old habits were clawing at his new self. But the safety of Seeth and the others had to come first. He felt a psychic scream of pure frustration in his head as the horde rumbled closer. But this was no demon or possession. This was him, through and through. Despite his lurching physique, he stayed close to his love, his hands creaking around the axe handle as the horde got close enough to strike.


    Golden runes shimmered on his shoulders, glistening with every motion he made, as if they were connected to his muscles directly. Within his grip, the axe vibrated with power, buzzing with a blood-thirsty eagerness.


    Every blow shook the very earth itself. The blade punched through flesh and bone, but every Slave killed erupted into crackling golden lightning, similar to the counter-bolts in look, but arcing through the horde mercilessly instead. The axe cleaved through wave after wave, the blade cutting with relentless efficacy, each kill resulting in four more Slaves collapsing to the ground. Nodes who opened fire with net guns or stun-rifles were treated to scolding counter-bolts, bursting the weapons out of their hands as they collapsed to the floor in agony.


    But the beast wasn¡¯t sated. It was barely getting started.


    He knew how to manoeuvre and cycle the axe, each blow leading to another, unending and unwavering. There was no gap in his assault, no way to leverage any advantage, not whilst his psyonics were engaged. The scales weren¡¯t just even, they were firmly tilted in the lizard¡¯s favour. No amount of bodies thrown at him could breach his stance.


    Their numbers meant nothing as scolded and bisected Slave corpses littered the field. The distant barons firing over the battle had been dispatched, either by counter-bolts or by the horde. It was intoxicating to be back so thoroughly, Diego felt the power through his shimmering limbs, the glittering gold runes over his body, an expression of who he used to be. He was a crackling whirlwind of auric lightening and furious steel -


    But it was unsustainable. Six months were drying up fast. This needed to end. Or at least, he needed to buy enough time for Seeth to wake up.


    The horde briefly pulled back, shifting their dead out of the way remarkably quickly and preparing for another charge.


    I need to flatten the whole field. Scare them off-


    The runes across his body shone brighter. These were fight enders. Battlefield shifting psyonics he had been taught to swiftly and suddenly alter the course of wars. People like him were trusted with them. The horde had congregated in front of him, long since abandoning the idea of flanking as the arcing bolts chaining from his body were eager to jump to isolated targets, and he knew exactly what to do.


    The cross over his face shimmered threateningly and his grip on the axe tightened once more.


    Power surged into the axes body and the head began to glow, vibrating with the same power.


    His eyes met with the various Nodes standing within the shifting grey mass ahead of him, like lighthouses along a stormy coast. He saw their hunger and desire, only further entrenched by his resistance.


    The axe began to vibrate painfully in his hands as the glow reached a nearly blinding crescendo, prompting a concerned, visible shiver from the horde.


    Diego raised the axe above his head with both hands and heaved it forwards with his entire body. The blade slammed into the ground and a massive, conical shockwave erupted with an ear-splitting BOOM. The axe shattered on impact, sending its ruptured blade scattering into the sky.


    The front line of slaves crumpled like they were nothing, vaporised on contact with the shockwave. Those behind them were sent hurtling backwards, crashing over the dirt and one-another. The collective noise of a thousand bodies breaking and slamming into the mud echoed through the valley. Their deaths sparked further chain lightning, causing a massive cascade of brilliant auric death. Those who weren¡¯t broken by the initial impact were fried by the onslaught of jumping bolts, eagerly arcing from one body to the next in the sizzling dance of well honed psyonics. The ground was scorched black around the impact, following the shape of shockwave, fading into faintly visible, silent golden flames still dancing over the grass and bodies.


    The horde was decimated, Nodes and all, splintered and broken.


    He fell to one knee, the runes flickered across his body hungrily, fading away as he burnt through his psyonic reserve, although the cross remained on his face, as well as the golden rings within his eyes. Ahead of him, the field laid littered with corpses and crumpled nodes, not all were dead, but their fight was over. The ringing in his ears gave way to surprising quiet, a gentle wind graced the tips of his ears. It was like he never stopped.


    Six months for one strike¡­ I used to do them every day.


    Although the danger was over for now, he could see they were preparing for a second wave, dropships were to land in close as a back-up horde began to assemble in the distance, but they were minutes away yet. He had time.


    I need to get Seeth to safety above everything. I can carry her back to the bunker.


    ¡°Diego¡­?¡±


    His heart almost stopped in his chest at the sound of her voice. A warm, familiar shiver spread through his whole body.


    He turned back to see her pushing herself up, confused, when her eyes landed on him. In all her battle worn beauty, she looked just as fine as the first night they met. He plucked himself off the ground and ran over, skidding into his knees and throwing his arms around her shoulders.


    Slowly, her arms wrapped around him. Cautious at first, unsure. She couldn¡¯t believe it¡­ But then it hit her.


    She broke into a cry and squeezed him tightly, pulling him on top of her and planting kiss after kiss on his lips.


    ¡°I-I found you! It''s really you!¡±


    She pulled back slightly to look at his face, blinking away her happy, overwhelmed tears.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re all gold! Did you get a tattoo?¡± Her eyes darted all over his face, absorbing everything about him again as she excitedly stuttered on. ¡°I - You - Oh my fuck - I just -¡± She squeezed him close again, her body vibrating from head to toe with overflowing emotions and excitement. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you more than I''ve ever missed anything in my entire life!¡±


    He hugged her back with everything he had, fighting back his own tears.


    ¡°Gods, I''ve missed you too, Seeth. More than you¡¯ll ever know. But w-what are you doing here?¡± He asked, moving his hands to cradle her cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to bring you home.¡± She smiled warmly, bringing her hands up to his face in the same manner. ¡°We¡¯ve been looking for you since Barru X!¡±


    ¡°Y-You have?¡± Diego asked, feeling a stubborn lump in his throat suddenly appear again. He was overwhelmed, gently shaking his head in disbelief.


    ¡°Of course! How couldn¡¯t we?¡± Seeth smiled again, a crystal tear rolled down her cheek as she caressed his scales and hair. ¡°I love you, silly. I couldn¡¯t just leave you!¡±


    I¡­ I love you too, Seeth.


    But before he could reply, something caught Seeth¡¯s eye and her face hardened for a moment.


    ¡°W-We should go. I have a ship docked close to the town centre. The others are going to try another attack on you soon.¡±


    ¡°Right. Y-Yeah.¡± Diego cleared his throat and stood from her. ¡°We should get to safety first.¡± He held his hand to her and helped her off the floor, as Seeth grimaced in pain for a second. ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. The freak with the tentacles got my back. No biggie though, I can walk.¡± But her concern intensified, as Diego swayed slightly in the breeze. She glanced over towards the levelled horde, her mouth falling agape at the scorched ground and burning Slaves. ¡°Was that you¡­?¡±


    Diego nodded shyly, wrapping his arm around her waist to support her. She leaned an arm over his shoulder and helped keep him upright. They leaned on one another and began to walk back towards the village centre, padding over the ruined road. A familiar, warm feeling of love and palpable excitement coursing through both of them.


    Everything was going to be okay.

 Chapter 31 - The Future Comes for All

    ¡°THINGS ARE NOT OKAY, LEECH! NOT EVEN FUCKING CLOSE!¡±


    ¡°I know! Stop yelling! I¡¯m concentrating!¡± Leech¡¯s voice cracked as she shouted back.


    ¡°LOOK AT MY FACE! LOOK AT WHAT THEY DID TO ME!¡± Ink screamed, pointing furiously at her bloodied eye. ¡°I HAD TO POP MY JAW BACK INTO PLACE!¡± The Controller¡¯s temper flared wildly, ready to unleash the full force of her feelings, but as she stormed over, she slipped into an unsettling silence; Leech was cradling her looted dragoon rifle. Her eyes were locked onto a small nomad ship near the city centre, hovering a few feet off the ground and tilting in the air. It was orienting itself to take off and disappear into space, never to return.


    I don¡¯t know if I can do this¡­


    ¡°You need to take the shot, Leech.¡±


    ¡°If it goes wrong -¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll have to explain to Moltezz why you allowed them to fly away.¡± Ink growled, bearing her bloodied teeth. ¡°You need to fix this.¡±


    Leech felt her heart thump against her ribs as she raised the rifle to her shoulder. Despite it being as long as she was tall, she managed to bring its swaying barrel on target. She knew what kind of damage this weapon could do. There was no room for mistakes.


    ¡°That''s if we even still have a ticket out of here.¡± Ink was saying. ¡°Moltezz could collapse at any moment, leaving us stranded. But no, you take your time. Like you did when you were helping me.¡±


    ¡°I-It''s not that easy, Ink! If I hit the ship wrong, I could kill them both! This needs to be precise!¡±


    ¡°Then be precise.¡± Ink snapped, her breath hot against the back of Leech¡¯s neck.


    Suddenly, the ship took off into the sky, ascending rapidly. Leech¡¯s heart shot into her throat, threatening to choke her. Time was ticking, it would only take thirty seconds or so for it to completely leave the atmosphere. She squinted through the rifle¡¯s scope as the ship''s engines came into focus.


    Her finger wobbled against the trigger as she held her breath, the air tight and uncomfortable in her lungs.


    Suddenly, Ink¡¯s hand clamped onto her wrist and squeezed tightly. ¡°Take the shot! They are literally getting away!¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re messing with my aim! Let go!¡± Leech protested, pushing Ink away with her shoulder whilst trying to stay locked onto the rear of the ship.


    ¡°You¡¯re hesitating!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fucking aiming! Fuck off!¡±


    ¡°STOP FUCKING AROUND, LEECH! TAKE THE FUCKING SHOT!¡± Ink screeched, her gaze darting rapidly between Leech and the getaway ship.


    ¡°LET GO -¡±


    BRRRRRRRRR


    ¡­


    Leech felt her brain shudder to the front of her skull as the rifle roared.


    A silver stream of scale steel shot through the air. Both Controllers slipped into a tentative silence as they watched the needles shred through the body of the vessel. A spatter of shrapnel erupted into the air. They heard the ship''s engines splutter, and then die. Nothing happened for a moment, then, the ship came to a halt, and hung lifelessly in the air.


    Slowly but surely however, its momentum reversed, and the ship began to plummet towards the ground.


    The rifle clattered to the floor as Leech clutched her hands around her mouth, watching with wide eyes as the ship turned and twisted as it fell, the pilot trying desperately to regain some form of control over its landing.


    I-It should have emergency landing jets or something¡­ Right¡­? I-It¡¯s not slowing down! Oh no¡­ I got it wrong.


    The Controllers could only watch as the craft accelerated towards the ground, far away from the village and into a surrounding forest. For just a brief moment, Leech swore she saw a slither of sable fall out of the craft as it disappeared beneath the treeline. It crashed through the branches and foliage, and disappeared from their vision.


    ¡°T-That wasn¡¯t a clean crash! I think I completely killed their engines!¡±


    ¡°We better get over there. Together.¡± Ink replied, her lips curling into a snarl. ¡°In case you fuck it up again.¡±


    *


    Seeth blinked wearily, moaning quietly as pain rippled through her body. Her vision swam and her head was ringing, but through the white noise she could hear a distant hissing, and dripping. Her hands felt over the strap tight across her chest: she was still strapped into the singular pilot''s chair of Venner¡¯s ship, locked in the now destroyed cockpit. The ship''s interior was a crumbled mess, bent out of shape and heavily deformed from the impact. Strewn throughout the creaking metal were chunks of wood and bark, splintered and sharp.


    Her head thumped with pain. It had been a hard landing. Her fingers clumsily moved over her body, unsuccessfully trying to find the release for the belt.


    Still dazed, she glanced behind her, only to see the back half of the ship had fared no better than the front. The rear of the ship was gone, and the mid-section was ruined, caving in on itself as a thin trickle of bright blue coolant leaked from a broken pipe, hissing on contact with the floor.


    There was a slight sweetness in the air as her tongue flickered out between her cracked, bloodied lips; a mixture of freshly-punctured forest sap, and the tang of dripping fuel.


    ¡°Diego?¡±


    The sudden realisation was like a slap in the face.


    She glanced around the darkened cockpit. He wasn¡¯t here.


    Her eyes landed on the cockpit glass, now cracked and smashed open. Her tongue tasted the air again. His scent was stronger towards the broken glass.


    ¡°Diego?!¡±


    Her body twitched painfully as she waited for a response. Surely, any second now, he¡¯d call out?


    But the ship remained quiet.


    Panic was rising in her chest, her heart banging against her ribcage like a drum.


    ¡°DIEGO?!¡± She yelled, frantically scrabbling at the belt strapped across her chest. Her hands clamped onto the fabric, heaved it up and snapped the metal buckle. She spun around and examined the remains of the ship closely, but he was nowhere to be seen. The cockpit glass was smashed, but the hole was too small for her to crawl through without getting cut. The rear airlock was all but destroyed too.


    But this was no time to be picky. She focused and allowed her mind to feel out the area. She could teleport anywhere nearby.


    But if she could teleport¡­?


    She blinked and appeared on top of the roof, landing with a thud as the metal beneath her feet groaned loudly. The trees of the DA forest were noticeably taller and thicker compared to the old dungeons'' stomping grounds, stretching up into the sky for many metres. The crash had left a wide trail of shredded mud, carved through the ground along with the chunks of obliterated trees that had broken their fall. In the distance, the horde tickled at the edges of her mind. They were coming. But as long as she stood, the horde would be powerless.


    She spun around frantically, her body shaking from head to toe as she tasted the slightest hint of the blood on the tip of her tongue.


    Her panicked gaze landed on a small clearing, straight in front of the ship. There was a second, smaller trail of broken soil, and a mound at the end of it.


    Seeth broke into a painful sprint, galloping clumsily over the grass with all the force she could muster as her heart slammed in her throat, stinging tears welling in the corners of her eyes.


    She was unsure at first. He didn¡¯t look right. But as she came closer, his smell grew stronger.


    It was him.


    He was facing away from her, his tail bent painfully out of shape and half buried in the dirt. He was completely still.


    She collapsed onto her knees to his side and gently tapped his shoulder, her every limb quaking relentlessly.


    ¡°D-Diego? Honey? Are you o-okay?¡± Her voice quivered, fearful and unsure.


    He didn¡¯t respond.


    She shook him a little more insistently, the cuts of her cheeks stinging as tears rolled over them.


    ¡°Diego?! S-S-Stop this! Wake up!¡±


    But he did not stir.


    Gently, Seeth rolled him onto his back and gasped loudly, audibly choking on the air as her head swam.


    ¡°Fuck - FUCK! Diego! Wake up!¡±


    Beneath his body, his left arm had shattered. A slither of white bone protruded from his elbow and punctured straight into his chest. A thin dribble of blood oozed out from his mouth as he bled into the soil.


    She desperately felt for his neck, for any kind of pulse, over and over again. Her hands jumped between his remaining intact wrist and his neck, but both were cold and still.


    She felt her own heart stop beating. Her stomach clenched. Her head was dizzy and faint.


    This couldn¡¯t be how it ended. She had finally found him, after all this time! They were supposed to escape, together!


    ¡°Diego¡­ please¡­ w-wake up¡­¡±


    A world without him wasn''t worth living in.


    Her lip wobbled as she ran a shivering finger over his cheek, her tears dripping over his broken frame.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be how it ends¡­ We were going to travel the stars together, Diego¡­ you promised me¡­¡±


    She keeled over, unable to stop her body shaking as her head spun violently. It couldn¡¯t be real. It must not be real. Not after everything. Not like this.


    But it was true.


    He was still. His vibrant eyes shut. His chest frozen like stone. His tail all curled and bent out of shape.


    All she could hear was her own tormented, shuddering breath as her world collapsed around her.


    She squeezed her dreadlocks in her fists, rocking back and forth as words failed her.


    It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this -


    The sound of a twig snapping behind her seized her attention immediately and she was on her feet blindingly fast, claws extending from the tips of her fingers as her eyes landed on its source.


    Ink.


    The giantess was cautiously approaching from behind the crashed ship, stepping over the crackling cables and fuel leaking into the grass, where their eyes met.


    Ink¡¯s gaze flickered to Seeth, to the body between Seeth¡¯s legs, and then back to Seeth.


    ¡°Oh. That''s¡­ unfortunate.¡± Ink murmured, a cold chill running up her spine. Seeth¡¯s darkened eyes were locked on her. ¡°So¡­ what happens now?¡±


    Seeth swallowed quietly between broken breaths, her fists clenched in anticipation. She might not have known what tomorrow was going to look like now, with Diego now gone¡­


    But she knew exactly what was going to happen next.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you blink and find out?¡±


    Seeth had vanished before Ink could even comprehend her words, or her own fatal, involuntary action.


    The air behind her plunged cold as ice.


    Seeth booted Ink¡¯s knee from behind and slapped a hand onto her neck, driving her face into the remains of Venner ship. The giantess snarled in pain as Seeth drove her claws into the base of her remaining tentacles, rendering them weak and floppy. Ink powered through the pain and forced herself back onto her feet. She wildly swung around, throwing an elbow backwards to catch Seeth. But Seeth calmly ducked under the blow, carving her claws through Ink¡¯s side and ribs as she danced under the Controller''s arm and turned back to face Ink head on.


    Blood and goo squirted from the trenches carved into the Ink¡¯s flesh as Seeth flung her fists up, smashing into Ink¡¯s already aching jaw.


    But the rake back down was far more brutal.


    Ink winced as a tearing sound filled the air, Seeth latched her claws deep into Ink¡¯s front and forcibly dragged them through her skin like a bloodied plough through clogged dirt. Her claws sliced down from her shoulders all the way to her thighs, before finally pulling free of Ink¡¯s skin. Ink tried to retaliate, she tried to fight back, but her body collapsed under her as it exsanguinated profusely from the multi-metre long claw wounds running down her body.


    She thudded to the ground as more slashes and cuts shredded her and Seeth pounced on her immediately, whipping her claws back and forth. Ink raised her arms to protect herself, but they fell limp as Seeth cut into her flesh, slashing her tendons through her skin.


    ¡°NO! I WON¡¯T BE BEATEN! I -¡± Ink screamed, cut off mid sentence by the heel of Seeth¡¯s foot, stamping her head into the ground in one, firm strike. It was far, far too late.


    Ink laid still, her head embedded awkwardly in the ground, finally silenced. Seeth drew her claws once again, flicking her arms out either side of her, the blood coating her hands hot against the ice surging through her veins.


    This was what they chose.


    This was how it was going to be now.


    She wound her arm back, leaning towards Ink¡¯s exposed neck.


    This was how she would end.


    It should have been faster; she intended to split Ink from within, but her body couldn¡¯t do it, or perhaps she wasn¡¯t allowed to do it. She¡¯d tele-killed before; the memory of that poor nomad on Barru X still haunted her, and then the Barons purposely after that, but for whatever reason, she hadn''t been able to intersect with Ink¡¯s body. No matter. Ink was granted to live only a mere few seconds more from this other-worldly technicality. She¡¯d do it the old fashioned way. The soil would drink the bitch dry, right here.


    ¡°SEETH! STOP! HE¡¯S ALIVE! FUCKING STOP! PLEASE!¡±


    Leech.


    Seeth spun around, claws still bared. Leech was huddled over Diego¡¯s body, pressing her fingers to his neck. With her other hand she fumbled through a bag on her hip and pulled out a syringe, hovering its tip over Diego¡¯s chest.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± Seeth replied coldly, her voice dangerously calm. ¡°I checked myself.¡±


    ¡°No! You¡¯re wrong - H-He¡¯s still alive. Barely. But he is dying, I-I can save him, if you''ll let me!¡± She stammered, her breaths as quick as her words. ¡°But you leave Ink alone! I won¡¯t do this if you kill her.¡±


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    She''s playing me. Seeth thought, glaring at Leech with furious, dead eyes. But she could already feel the doubt, and the hope surging desperately in her chest.


    But what if she¡¯s not¡­?


    ¡°Then shut up and do it.¡± Seeth spat through gritted teeth.


    ¡°I-I need your word!¡± Leech yelled back, her usually sharp, venomous eyes now wide with fear. ¡°You¡¯ll let her live if I stabilise Diego.¡± She glanced down at the lizard for just a moment, only to see Seeth gone when her gaze flickered back. A cold air enshrouded Leech¡¯s shoulders, and she shivered.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Seeth growled against the back of Leech''s neck. ¡°But I''ll burn your corpse next to his grave if you¡¯re lying to me.¡±


    Leech swallowed loudly and nodded. Her forehead was glistening with sweat, but despite her fear her hands were remarkably steady, as she gently pushed the needle into Diego¡¯s chest. She moved quickly despite her wracked nerves, pulling more stims from her bag as she got to work. She twisted his punctured bone free from his chest with a wince of effort, the bleeding wound quickly sprayed shut with medi-foam. More injections were administered into his skin, one at a time, with a skillful precision.


    ¡°He¡¯s lost a lot of blood, likely some severe internal bleeding.¡± Leech murmured. ¡°The stim shots will help quell that, but -¡±


    She pulled an empty syringe from her bag, felt with her fingers along his chest, then plunged the needle between his ribs. Gently, she pulled on the plunger, and the tube filled with blood.


    ¡°-He needs room in his lungs for air. That should do it.¡±


    She was so focused on her craft, she barely noticed the blood drenched claws resting on the sides of her neck, ready at a moment''s notice to pounce. The razors plucked in anticipation at the veins within.


    ¡°I mean it, Leech. You¡¯ll pay for what y-you¡¯ve done.¡± Seeth threatened. But the coldness in her voice was breaking down even as she spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying - I think I can save him.¡± Come on, Diego¡­ You gotta survive this. Don¡¯t do this to Seeth.


    But the lizard didn¡¯t stir.


    Seeth¡¯s grip around Leech¡¯s neck tightened¡­ as she began to cry. She averted her gaze, staring off into the trees. Leech fumbled through her bag again and brought out more of her medical kit to treat the lizard¡¯s injuries.


    ¡°I¡­ I-I don¡¯t want to kill you, Leech¡­¡± Seeth stuttered through pained breaths.


    I¡¯m not letting you die here. Fucker. Wake up!


    Leech pressed her palm onto Diego¡¯s chest and pushed on his still body, when something wet dripped onto her head. Crystal tears ran down her carapace.


    ¡°... But I will.¡±


    Fuck. FUCK! COME ON DIEGO! WAKE UP!


    But he did not stir.


    Leech bowed her head. Life had seemingly not returned to him. He¡¯d been given stims and nano-bot injections, his lungs had been cleared of fluid, but it wasn¡¯t enough.


    Her hands curled into fists; she wasn¡¯t going to die without a fight. She doubted she would even get to swing, but she wasn¡¯t going to die without at least trying.


    Maybe though, all of the ways to die, this would be¡­ acceptable? Better to die to someone you knew, than dumped into a corpse barrel or starving to death on some decaying space station.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Seeth.¡± She exhaled slowly. The sensation of Seeth¡¯s claws against her skin sent shivers down her spine, neither pleasant nor uncomfortable. She tentatively reached into her bag again for anything that might be of use. Her shaking fingers curled around a scalpel. ¡°Do what you -¡±


    Suddenly, a weak cough cut through the air like a blade.


    Diego swallowed, his bloodied nose whistling ever-so-quietly with each laboured, shallow breath he took.


    He¡¯s alive?! HE¡¯S ALIVE!


    ¡°SEETH! HE¡¯S ALIVE!¡± Leech cried out.


    The grip around Leech¡¯s neck shuddered open, like a vice finally released. Seeth collapsed to her knees, whimpering quietly as she leaned over him as wiped her tears away, gently reaching out towards him.


    ¡°H-He¡¯s breathing - He¡¯s alive - I - I -¡± Seeth¡¯s wracked body shuddered violently again, her eyes glancing up at Leech now with nothing but pure regret. ¡°- I was going to kill you, Leech! I nearly did! He¡¯s - oh my - I just -¡± Seeth was stammering desperately, her eyes now alternating between Diego¡¯s wavering chest, and Leech.


    ¡°You uh¡­ take five¡­ breathe and stuff. I need to go make sure Ink is alright. I¡¯ll be right back¡­¡± Leech replied cautiously, her hand drifting towards Seeth, but stopping a few inches short of her shoulder. She stood up and brushed her knees down, before carefully making her way towards Ink''s bloodied body.


    Seeth gently stroked a finger down Diego¡¯s cheek, huddling over him carefully, her mind absolutely frazzled by the sheer emotional load she just went through. Her man was still alive, and right now, that was all that mattered. Her head continued to spin, her chest still shuddering, the last few minutes of her life rocketed back and forth through her mind.


    She reached down and gently grabbed his hand, as softly as her quaking fingers would allow, feeling his soft scales against her skin. The gaping hole in her chest began to knit back together as the fuzzy, warm feeling of hope filled her once again. She couldn¡¯t pull her eyes off him, knowing he was alive. She didn¡¯t know if she could ever look away again.


    Her trance was broken by a pair of muddy knees suddenly appearing behind Diego, she glanced around, unsure of how long she¡¯d been staring at him. Leech returned to the lizard¡¯s side once more and sighed softly.


    ¡°Ink¡¯s gonna live. Barely. You did quite a number on her but I stopped the bleeding.¡± She produced a can of medi-spray and rattled it to emphasise the point. It was hollow and dry, and she discarded it behind her casually. ¡°Our kind is apparently tough, just gotta stabilise them and our biology does the rest. His kind is¡­ also surprisingly tough. He was barely clinging on, it''s no wonder you thought he was dead. Thankfully, death is a process, not just a switch.¡± Leech pressed her fingers to his neck again. ¡°I¡¯m going to give him a lock serum. It¡¯ll freeze his bones and fractures, let you carry him without potentially making this worse. But it needs a few minutes to set...¡± said Leech, her voice trailing off as her eyes landed on Seeth, who was already watching her.


    The lock serum was a substantially thicker syringe, cold frost emanated from its body as Leech gently raised Diego''s head, then pressed its needle into the base of his neck.


    ¡°I think we need to talk.¡± Seeth murmured, still holding Diego¡¯s hand.


    ¡°...Okay.¡± Leech nodded back, the quiver in her voice taking her off-guard.


    It took a moment for the words to come. They sat in silence, Diego laying between them, both fidgeting awkwardly as they tried to figure out what was the right thing to say. It felt insurmountable. What was there to say that could possibly help or explain¡­ this?


    ¡°I-I¡¯ve¡­¡± Seeth started, her breath still broken and difficult. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you.¡±


    A small smile crept onto Leech¡¯s face, despite her best efforts.


    ¡°Really? Me?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah. More than I thought I would. Last time I spoke to you was¡­ when I attacked you in the dungeon¡­¡±


    ¡°I suppose it was.¡± Leech winced, remembering the scene all too vividly.


    ¡°In hindsight, maybe that wasn¡¯t the best way to get you to change your mind.¡±


    ¡°Fuck no it wasn¡¯t, you massive twat.¡± A shy chuckle escaped Leech¡¯s lips. ¡°You could have just talked to me, Seeth. Why didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I was upset. I was angry with you. I felt like you were dragging me along, using me. I needed it to end and-and I just¡­ I needed you to change. Immediately. It was an emergency. You can¡¯t talk to a blaze, Leech. You have to put it out.¡±


    ¡°I suppose in hindsight, I¡­ I feel like a bit of an idiot. It was obvious you weren¡¯t happy. I just¡­ fuck- I didn''t know how to deal with that. Maybe I didn¡¯t even want to! You seemed happy enough cumming bucket-loads and kicking doors in, guess I didn''t want to look any deeper than that.¡±


    ¡°I did enjoy the sex, Leech. I still do. And the power I have now¡­ yeah, I like that too. But not for that cost. Not the way we were doing it.¡± Seeth met Leech¡¯s eyes deliberately. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you do like corrupting people then?¡± She asked, the disappointment palpable in her voice.


    Leech paused for a second, glancing off into the woods.


    ¡°I¡­ I haven¡¯t corrupted anyone since you left.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Seeth recoiled gently, her mouth agape.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ever fucking say that to Moltezz, or even Ink, but no. I¡­ mostly just stick to Marks and other Rewritten.¡±


    ¡°Rewritten?¡± Seeth asked, her eyes narrowing.


    ¡°Oh, that''s what we call ourselves now. On account of the whole rewriting of one''s personality and goals. And body too I guess. I think it makes sense. Moltezz came up with it though, so if you don''t like it take it up with her.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of -¡± Seeth said, still processing Leech¡¯s words, ¡°- where is the Molten Mistress?¡±


    ¡°Up there.¡± Leech nodded her head up at the dreadnaught, which was still visible through the canopy. ¡°Big red bitch is powering our way in and out.¡±


    ¡°How do you mean?¡±.


    ¡°Dreadnought didn''t come to us in perfect condition. The heat cell she came with is dead. Moltezz is currently keeping the heat chamber hot, if she fails, we¡¯ll be stranded. The Nodes are saying she¡¯s ok but she could fail at any moment¡­ Hmm, I feel like I should be more worried than I actually am about that.¡± Leech frowned, shaking her head dismissively.


    ¡°Do we know Moltezz¡¯s limits? I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever seen them.¡±


    ¡°No. But if this doesn¡¯t tire her, you might want to consider swapping sides. The queen bitch is powering a country sized ship herself. It''s a hell of a feat, even by our standards.¡±


    ¡°Noted.¡± Seeth glared back, unimpressed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that, I- Ugh.¡± Leech sighed, feeling rather defeated.


    They both went quiet again, their attention landing back on Diego as his ears flicked in the gentle breeze gracing them.


    ¡°Was he worth it?¡± Leech asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Because my lot are only getting more obsessed with him. Moltezz practically wants his hand in marriage. Calls him her ¡®Dark Prince¡¯ for reasons only known to her.¡±


    ¡°Her fucking what?¡± Seeth scowled defensively.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d find that funny! I think it''s cringe-worthy, personally. But you know, it''s Moltezz. She¡¯s called our new ship the fucking Renewal for Chance¡¯s-sake.¡± Leech shoved a finger in her mouth and fake-heaved. ¡°¡®I can¡¯t wait to bring the Dark Prince aboard the Renewal¡¯ - fuck off. But for real, he¡¯s all she wants, and the Nodes are getting lost in her hunger too. Is he worth the fuss?¡±


    ¡°He is. More than worth it.¡± Seeth smiled, her eyes lining with tears again. ¡°I¡¯ve missed him so much, Leech. I¡­ You said you haven¡¯t corrupted anyone - I haven¡¯t had sex with anyone since losing him six months ago.¡±


    ¡°SIX MONTHS?!¡± Leech exclaimed, her jaw dropping. ¡°YOUR BALLS MUST BE FUCKING HUGE!¡±


    Seeth snorted loudly and choked back an unexpected chuckle. ¡°Shut up! Asshole!¡± She grinned back through a fresh wave of tears.


    ¡°Wow. If this doesn¡¯t kill him, six months of Controller seed in one night may well do! Holy moly! Good luck boy, you¡¯re gonna need it!¡± She gestured gently towards Diego. ¡°Seriously though?! Six fucking months?! You must be in agony!¡±


    ¡°I am.¡± Seeth¡¯s shoulders dropped, although she was still smiling.


    They fell into silence again, both glancing away. Leech¡¯s gaze landed on a small lone bluebell, fighting for light between the towering trees around it. Somehow, it had found its way.


    ¡°So¡­ what''s the story with the massive ship?¡± Seeth asked tentatively.


    ¡°Nothing to do with me, this time. Ink wanders off for a few days to sort her cunt of an ex-boss out, comes back with that. Honestly, it''s a bit of a beast, and I don¡¯t mean that in a nice way.¡± She hadn''t moved her gaze away from the flower. She cocked her head slightly and stared at the stubborn little thing. There was something about it that was¡­ familiar.


    A few quiet seconds drifted by before Leech suddenly clicked her fingers and started bouncing on her knees excitedly.


    ¡°Oh-oh-oh! We rescued Plasia from the DA!¡±


    ¡°You¡­? Rescued Plasia?!¡± Jace really was telling the truth! ¡°You¡­ You attacked a DA space station?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Don¡¯t look so surprised Seeth, we''ve literally launched an attack on a planet now.¡± Leech replied dismissively. ¡°They took her from Barru X. She was being experimented on, tortured, nasty shit! Then one day, every Node on Barru X collapses and it''s Plasia sending us a message! Still don¡¯t know exactly how she did that. But we broke the bitch out!¡±


    ¡°D-Do you still have her?!¡± Seeth asked urgently, her body visibly tensing, ready to launch her own rescue.


    ¡°Nah. She mounted an escape! You¡¯re not gonna believe it, she actually walloped Moltezz, straight in the head!¡± Leech grinned.


    A wave of genuine surprise hit Seeth and she stared blankly at Leech. ¡°Really? And she lived¡­?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I tried to keep the two of them apart, but Moltezz blames her for Diego escaping in the first place. Shit got serious for a bit, but Plasia knocked her out and made a break for it! Stole our fastest ship too.¡±


    A small, proud smile crept over Seeth¡¯s face. ¡°That''s¡­ Fuck! Well done, Plasia. I knew she had it in her! But you don¡¯t know where she¡¯s gone?¡±


    ¡°No. She just fucked off into space.¡± Leech sighed softly, her tongue briefly flicking between her lips. ¡°I¡­ I hope she¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Me too.¡±


    They went quiet once more, but this time, the silence was more haunting than ever and Leech fought to keep tears from pricking the corners of her eyes. But it was useless, she began to sob quietly. Her hands balled into tight fists, which she pressed against her face and forcefully wiped away her tears.


    ¡°Oh fucking - fuck me¡­ I¡­ What am I doing? I¡¯ve missed you too, Seeth.¡± Leech sobbed, her eyes glassy and twitching. ¡°I¡­¡± The words croaked painfully, desperately in her throat¡­ but in her throat they stayed. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to say them. Her stomach wretched and churned at her own cowardice.


    ¡°Leech¡­ why are you doing this? You said it yourself, you haven¡¯t corrupted anyone since! Why don¡¯t you just leave?¡± Seeth asked.


    Leech shook her head, stifling her tears and sighed loudly. ¡°I can¡¯t just leave, Seeth. Things are complicated.¡±


    ¡°There''s a life outside of this, Leech. I promise.¡± Seeth replied, with a genuine softness to her voice reserved only for those closest to her. ¡°You could come with us¡­¡±


    An array of emotions flickered across Leech''s face. For a brief moment she seemed lost in her thoughts, when suddenly she felt Seeth lean over, and gently stroke the back of her hand. Her touch was almost electric.


    ¡°I keep thinking to myself, I don¡¯t know why you ran straight for Diego¡­ You could have jumped on me and tried to help your friend.¡± Seeth gave her a subdued, subtle smile. ¡°But instead, you went to his aid.¡±


    Leech physically recoiled in horror at the implications.


    ¡°I am not in love with the fucker. You better not be suggesting -¡±


    ¡°No! I¡¯m not saying that, asshole. I¡¯m saying that I think you¡¯re better than you think you are.¡± Seeth¡¯s smile intensified.


    ¡°No. Fuck the fuck off.¡± Leech scowled back, purposely looking away and crossing her arms as her eyes continued to sting.


    ¡°So why did you save him, then?¡± Seeth asked coyly.


    ¡°Because it was the right tactical play? You¡¯re a better fighter than me -¡±


    Because I''ve never seen you look so utterly, irreparably broken -


    ¡°- and honestly? I wasn¡¯t sure even with the two of us -¡±


    - a-and maybe we weren¡¯t talking, maybe the last time we spoke, you nearly stabbed me, maybe I was still mad at you -


    ¡°- could take you on together. So I distracted you, I didn¡¯t even know if he was actually alive or if I could save him! Thank fuck you -¡±


    - but I couldn¡¯t live with the idea that I did that to you. Not to you. Not when you were the only person who -


    ¡°-believed in me.¡±


    Leech exhaled loudly, seemingly exhausted after her explanation. In the end, she wasn¡¯t exactly sure what stayed in her head and what came out her mouth. Seeth simply continued to grin back, embracing the quiet this time. For once, she looked like the know-it-all. Leech couldn¡¯t hold back her frustration and quickly broke.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re grinning like I usually do. Spill it, fat nuts!¡± Leech demanded.


    ¡°You¡¯re a lot of things, Leech.¡± Seeth buried her grin at Leech¡¯s retort. ¡°But heartless isn¡¯t one of them.¡±


    The words rocked Leech to her core. She sat speechless, processing what Seeth had said. The idea that her, the backbone of the Rewritten¡¯s biological research and development, all the lives she¡¯d taken and changed, the damage she had caused¡­ For all she¡¯d done, that she wasn¡¯t heartless?


    Seeth decided to let Leech have a moment to reflect and turned her focus back to Diego again, stroking her fingers over his body once more. For a few more precious seconds, nothing but the wind whistling through the trees could be heard.


    ¡°T-Thank you.¡± She whispered under her breath, as if she were trying to blend it in with the wind so not to be heard, before clearing her throat nervously. ¡°But n-no. I¡¯m not¡­ I¡¯m not ready for that again.¡± Leech shook her head. ¡°Plus, I have other people I care about too.¡± She gestured over towards Ink¡¯s battered body with one hand. ¡°Even if they do act like a spoiled brat and nearly get themselves killed, repeatedly. A-And I¡¯ve actually achieved things! I destroyed three dragoons today, Seeth! Dragoons! Aaaaand, my research on our condition is only possible through the hierclasty too! I -¡± She stopped mid-sentence, bringing her fingers to her lips. ¡°Can you keep a secret?¡± She asked proudly, huddling closer to Seeth.


    ¡°No, I''m going straight to my best buddy Moltezz if you tell me anything.¡± Seeth responded, rolling her eyes sarcastically.


    ¡°Shut up, Seeth! Or I won''t tell you!¡± But Leech was already leaning in, her hand cupped around her face. ¡°I think I might have a way of making people immune - I-It''s super early days! Nothing tested, no one knows anything. But, I think I can do it? I don¡¯t know. This condition of ours, it''s not material.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± Seeth spluttered in shock. ¡°You can make people immune?!¡±


    ¡°Jeez, say it don''t spray it, bitch.¡± Leech pulled away and laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing a project on the side and the more I''ve looked into the corruption, the more I think it''s anomalous in nature. Like ¡®breaks the natural laws¡¯ anomalous.¡± Leech plucked at her chin, deep in thought. ¡°Did you know all Controllers have a second heart? It doesn¡¯t seem to pump much blood, but it''s very linked to our corruption. The blood that passes through it seems to come out richer in corriphite - that''s the stuff that actually corrupts people. I think understanding that second heart is the key to this shit. But I can¡¯t continue my project if I leave. I need the Slaves and Nodes. I¡¯m using their subconsciousness as a big computer, crunching numbers in their heads -¡±


    Leech was interrupted by a sudden, persistent bleeping from her pocket. She reached in and pulled out a timer, diligently warning her of her impending doom.


    ¡°Ah shit. We¡¯re running low on time. The DA fleet will be here soon.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fancy your chances?¡± Seeth asked slowly, still trying to process what Leech had told her.


    ¡°No. The dreddy is a big lass but she¡¯s not invincible. She¡¯s not tooled for it. Needs work.¡± Leech stood up, her hands fidgeting around each-other. ¡°If you could keep that immunity shit on the low though? I¡¯d appreciate it. It''s uh¡­ been¡­ nice. I¡¯m glad we did this. N-Not this -¡± She gestured towards Diego. ¡°But - you - you know what I mean.¡±


    Seeth stood from Diego and walked up to Leech, holding her blood-soaked arms out towards her. ¡°Stop yapping and give me a hug!¡± Seeth demanded, a smirk creeping onto her lips in the face of Leech¡¯s awkwardness.


    They threw their arms around one-other. For a few precious moments, it felt like they¡¯d never been apart. They each savoured it, feeling the battle-worn warmth of one-another''s skin. Neither could have predicted how drastically their life would change upon leaving the DA to start their own adventure. Finally, they pulled away, both tasting the air nervously with their tongues. After a few more seconds of silence, Seeth turned around to scoop Diego off the floor.


    ¡°Erm, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Leech asked sternly, interrupting her friend mid crouch.


    ¡°You said he would be okay to lift? Has it been long enough?¡± Seeth replied, her voice immediately pricking with urgency.


    ¡°Not that.¡± Leech shook her head, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°There''s something you need to do first.¡± Leech gestured towards herself, marching a few paces away from Diego¡¯s muddy trail and glancing around to make sure the ground around her was clear. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯ll do. Nice soft grass.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not following.¡± Seeth stated blankly, a tingling sense of panic buzzing through her feet.


    ¡°Ugh. You¡¯re really going to make me spell it out? You need to fuck me up.¡±


    Seeth¡¯s eyes twitched for a second before the realisation hit her, Leech nodded sarcastically as she witnessed the thought process.


    ¡°That''s right, you know I can¡¯t lie to the big red bitch. If I go back looking like we had a nice chat and I let Diego go, do you think she¡¯ll accept that? You need to knock me out, BUT NOT FOR TOO LONG! The DA will have back-up coming, we¡¯re on a timer here, you know? This way, I can say you knocked me out and took Diego, and it''s not a lie.¡±


    For what felt like the hundredth time this afternoon, tears swelled in the corners of Seeth¡¯s eyes as she inched forward. She wasn¡¯t sure how much she could keep crying for.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± Seeth whispered quietly, shaking her head in denial.


    ¡°You need to. If you want me to live, you need to lay me out. Now.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, Seeth. You were gonna kill me earlier! Now you don¡¯t even wanna punch me? You¡¯ve always wanted to slap me one! I¡¯ll need some wounds too, but nothing too painful please.¡±


    Seeth pressed her hands to her neck, still shaking her head. The internal debate playing out in her head was all too visible to Leech, but before Leech could assure any words of encouragement, her friend suddenly turned to face her, determined and focused.


    ¡°Okay. I can see the logic. But I-I can do those wounds after you''re knocked out. No need to torture you.¡± Seeth wiped her face with her forearm, leaving a massive bloody smear over it.


    ¡°So thoughtful!¡± Leech laughed, rolling her shoulders in anticipation. Her gaze briefly dropped to the floor before finding its way back to Seeth. ¡°You know, it''s really gonna suck that I don¡¯t get to see six months of jizz unleashed. You¡¯re gonna turn him into a man balloon!¡± She joked, shaking her arms out in front of her nervously.


    ¡°Leech!¡± Seeth protested, desperately fighting once again to stop smirking.


    ¡°Next time we meet, you gotta tell me how it went.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Seeth replied softly. ¡°Next time.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Next time it is.¡± Leech exhaled slowly. Despite the situation, she couldn¡¯t help but grin back. Next time sounded good. ¡°Right, just a quick knockout yeah? Don¡¯t overdo it, I don¡¯t - HNG!¡±


    *CRACK*


    Leech immediately fell backwards, thumping straight to the ground, silenced in one punch directly to her face. Seeth quickly leaned down to check her over; she was out-cold, but still breathing.


    ¡°Guess she was right, I did want to punch her¡­¡± Seeth cleared her throat, blinking in surprise. ¡°Gotta hurt her, to save her. Okay.¡± She repeated, flicking her claws out. ¡°Just some surface wounds¡­¡±


    She winced as she traced her claws over Leech¡¯s body, her eyes flicking between several points that would make reasonable locations for non-lethal wounds. Her daggers sliced effortlessly through Leech¡¯s clothes and skin, as requested. The work only took a few seconds to complete, leaving Seeth with a deeply uncomfortable pit in her chest. She looked down over her friend''s bleeding, unmoving body and shook her head slowly. There were far too many feelings fizzling through her right now, and she couldn''t deal with them right now.


    I really hope you see sense one day, Leech. I need you back. More than you know.


    Seeth turned her attention again to Diego. She kneeled down and gently picked him up from the floor, cradling him with all the care in the world. For all the aching and pain coursing through her body, it would wait. It had to. She began the journey back to the village centre, still mulling over exactly what happened, padding over the scarred grass and into fresh territory.


    The Rewritten seemed to be retreating, for now. The Barons were destroyed, or scattered. Diego was alive. And she managed not to kill her best friend.


    Things could have been worse. Much worse. That glimpse she had been shown was nothing short of catastrophic. Her heart shuddered in her chest at the thought again. Her mind went back to V¡¯s funeral, and what the Baron¡¯s had taken from Garnet. She thought of Geralt too, surprisingly, and his daughter, and the suffering the Rewritten was still inflicting.


    It was all so much to bear. But for all the pain suffered, she felt a glorious golden glow replacing the anxiety emanating from the man in her arms.


    They were together again.


    She swore she saw the corners of his lips curve into a smile as his warming scales brushed against her, but despite the colour returning to his cheeks, he still seemed to be out cold. All she knew was that she was beyond grateful he had survived. With him back in her hands, everything else came second. It could wait. They had so much to catch up on, so much time to make back. There were so many questions, so much to do, her body began to buzz with excitement at the mere thought of it all.


    Her woodside walk was interrupted by a loud ring, sounding from her comms device strapped to her hip. She reached for it -¡®incoming call from - Officer Kintrax.¡¯ The screen read.


    ¡°Accept.¡±


    The blinking device beeped in recognition and patched the call through.


    ¡°Lockblade? You okay?! One of the guys said they saw your ship get shot down.¡± Theo asked, the urgency in his voice obvious despite the crackly audio.


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re fine. Survived the crash, but barely. Diego''s gonna need a medic when we get back. I¡¯ll need a ride to my destroyer too.¡±


    ¡°Done and done! The corrupted lot looked like they pulled over in your direction. Do you need me to send back-up? I can muster a squad if you need assistance. Anyone on your tail who needs mopping up out there?¡±


    Seeth slowed to a stop, sighing softly as the gentle wind blew across her stinging face.


    ¡°Seeth? Do you need help?¡±


    She glanced back towards the crash site, now barely visible between the trees. She could just about make out a slither of Leech¡¯s slender frame, lying still on the grass. She wasn¡¯t exactly sure what Leech deserved, or Ink for that matter.


    But for all the thoughts in her mind, it was her heart that spoke.


    ¡°No. We¡¯re okay. There''s no one out here.¡±

 Arc 3 Epilogue

    Epilogue


    A small silver-coloured pod drifted silently through a soft colour-burst nebula, its smooth grey chassis lined with the occasional flashing crimson light. It did not respond to the sudden upwards motion imparted upon it, as a hazy blue field enveloped its body.


    It was drawn into the belly of a larger craft, cautiously hovering above. The swift, silent retraction of the larger ship¡¯s underside doors revealed a large hangar bay, surprisingly rich in decoration and colour. It snapped shut upon the successful retrieval of the pod, which was gently hauled by a ceiling-mounted mag-claw into the middle of the bay, and dropped with a resonating, metallic thud.


    A black coralith komodo stepped out towards the pod, his crimson eyes flexed with concern. He was dressed sharply in a long red and gold overcoat that belayed a rank of great importance.


    ¡°This has to be it.¡± He murmured, nodding gently towards the sealed pod. ¡°I hope we¡¯re not too late.¡±


    At his command, a varied crew of pirates advanced on the door, tools and cutters clamped in nervous hands.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get you out, just hold on tight.¡±


    An athletic-looking young woman stepped forward, wearing in oil-covered overalls, her species an eclectic mix of human and axolotl. Her fingers traced over the silver shell, until she found the slightest indentation on its smooth chassis, invisible to the naked eye but indicating the pod''s door. The contact seemed enough to activate the holo-pad, which materialised to the right of her hand. She pressed her hand onto the pad, but her attempt was met with a soft red flash of denial.


    ¡°Cut it.¡± The komodo ordered upon seeing the red flicker. ¡°Check for traps too. In case this is someone¡¯s idea of a prank.¡±


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The crew did as ordered, scanning the pod with various tools, and applying precision cutting equipment to the pod''s singular inlaid door. Some time later and the pod was still holding, refusing to reveal its concealed contents. Heavier tools were brought to bear against the door.


    After a sustained assault from multiple saws, the door finally clunked open. The saws were immediately silenced and the crew gathered around, hands fiddling nervously with their holsters as the door gently raised from the shell, hissing quietly as the atmospheric seal broke. The komodo captain stepped forward.


    ¡°Hey! We picked up your SOS signal, we¡¯re here to help you!¡± The captain called out, his voice calm, collected and well-spoken. ¡°You have nothing to fear if you¡¯re looking for aid.¡±


    But as the door began to lift, the smell of staunch iron hit the crew like a wall. Blood dripped down from the bottom of the seal, running down the pod''s shell like a fresh wound.


    The crew winced in unison as the craft finally revealed its contents.


    Inside was a dead dragon, hanging upside-down against the wall, stakes punctured through his calves. A flap of his skin had been cut in a rectangular shape, running from the base of his pelvis, all the way to his neck. The cut had not been complete and had been purposely left attached at his neck, allowing the flayed skin to hang over the victim''s face. On the now exposed fatty tissue there was a seared lettering, but its finer details were obscured in the darkness of the pod. The captain¡¯s brow furrowed as recognition unfortunately graced him.


    The captain approached the pod cautiously and leaned his head inside, his eyes landed back on the executed dragon. He had been striped, his black robes left discarded on the floor, soaking in the crimson. The captain pulled a torch from a pocket and shined its beam on the brand, burnt onto its organic tapestry with gruesome precision:


    YOUR MOVE


    The entire floor of the pod was covered in a slightly sticky layer of blood.


    A cold shiver ran down his spine. It had been hundreds of years since he''d last seen an execution like this, and it was one he''d hoped desperately to never see again.


    ¡°You doing okay, Wex?¡± The hybrid girl called out from behind him, a hint of worry in her voice. ¡°You¡¯ve gone really quiet.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m alright. Just¡­ This is bad.¡± He went to continue, when a shuddering realisation stole the words from his mouth.


    This was too much blood for one person.


    He flicked the torch around the pod and caught the silhouette of two more bodies, further in the pod and strapped securely into their seats. Both had been shot in the head.


    They both shared the same mottled brown skin, and white sprinkles around their muzzles. Likely brother and sister.


    The smaller one wore a bandage, tightly wrapped around his ankle.

 Arc 4 – Chapter 1 – Border Breaches

    Online Interview - 12:45pm, Synergy Resear -


    Goddamnit! Liena shook the pink glittery gel pen furiously in her hand, then scribbled it just as furiously at the corner of the page. After a few tense moments, the sparkly liquid trailed from the rolling ballpoint, smoothly across the paper. The sweet smell of artificial strawberry filled the small room, and Liena''s tongue flickered softly for a moment from between her lips, savouring the scent.


    She finished writing the entry in her planner, then leaned back with a sigh. The battered old office chair beneath her squeaked and groaned - it had been advertised as ¡®second hand, but like new.¡¯ Absolute lies. It was easily fourth or fifth hand, and looked like it had tried to take a short-cut through an asteroid field to get to her. Stupid Spacebook Marketplace. Liena ignored the creaking protests however, continuing to fidget as she glanced back down at her planner. She folded her legs crossed beneath her. She sat at her desk for a few moments, tapping her pen rapidly against the rusting metal surface, and thinking. With her other hand, she flicked aimlessly through the planner. There were far too few entries in it. As she flicked through the pages, multicoloured notes, equations, formulas, diagrams, annotations, acronyms, molecules, and silly little doodles flashed before her dull, grey eyes, their own unique scents almost faded, but clinging desperately onto their ink. The combined smell of them all however was sickening, almost unpleasant, and Liena crinkled her face, then slammed the planner shut. The pink pen dropped to the desk with a clatter, and she ran her pale pastel-green hands down her face.


    This has to pull through¡­ Jeez, I never thought this would be so hard¡­


    Liena hadn''t adjusted to nomad life as easily as she thought she would. It should have been easy; she''d had a job lined up with a small starter corp, and everything had seemed perfect - but apparently, things outside of the DA are no-where near as certain as they are on the inside. The opportunity had fallen through just days before she was due to start, but by that point, she''d already announced to her parents that she was leaving, had already had numerous fights with her mother, and taken the brunt of the snears and remarks from her siblings. She''d been so scared. And if it hadn''t been for Seres to support her, she would have run straight back to the lot of them with her dreadlocks between her legs.


    We told you so¡­ We knew there was no way you could do it¡­


    Seres. God she felt so guilty. She''d been more than happy to leave the DA behind and travel out into the unknown with her friend, but that had been when Liena had a plan. They''d spent the last few months living out of a tiny old spaceship which they''d managed to get cheap off a scrappy, literally minutes before it was due to be scrapped. Liena had to completely rewire all the electrics to get it back online. When they started the engine it made a horrible noise, a loud cross between a concerning-sounding clunk, and a dying man''s cough. The integrated minifridge had conveniently packed in a few hours after they''d spent the majority of their remaining dies on groceries. And Seres had had to pay for all of that. And she''d been funding the two of them every moment since, with the little savings she had, and by picking up merc work as they travelled across nomad space. And she said she was fine with it; Seres always did, nothing seemed to bother that girl. Liena felt the butterflies fluttering in her stomach and her cheeks warm at just the thought of her. She always felt safe when she was around, her raging anxiety would quell and her overthinking mind would calm¡­ and her heart would race and she would tingle between her legs, but Seres couldn''t know that! Gosh, just the sound of her firm, confident steps echoing through the ship was enough to make Liena¡¯s head spin -


    - Wait a minute! That wasn''t in her head; the airlock creaked and closed loudly, and Sere''s footsteps echoed up the main deck. Oh my god!


    Liena leapt out her chair and quickly pulled on the black leather jacket she''d thrown onto the mattress-and-blanket combo they called a bed hours earlier, and zipped it up over her baggy plain t-shirt. ¡°Seres! That you? It better be you!¡±


    ¡°Who else would be coming by to see your flat little ass?¡± Seres poked her head round the door with tired eyes, but a wide grin.


    ¡°Hey, my ass could be in high demand! You''re never here to know!¡± Liena retorted with her own grin, and stuck her tongue out at her friend. She was still blushing slightly, but her chest was already swelling with the confidence that just being in Seres'' presence gave her.


    Her chest wasn''t the only thing swelling however, and Liena quickly sat down on the mattress, crossing her legs as casually as she could. ¡°I-I wasn''t expecting you back until the morning.¡± She continued shyly.


    ¡°That a problem?¡± Seres plopped herself down on the mattress opposite her. ¡°You got a girl hidden here somewhere?¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡± Liena laughed awkwardly. ¡°I-I wish!¡± Liena cleared her throat, desperate to change the subject. ¡°I take it your date didn''t go well?¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡± Seres leant back heavily against the back wall. She was tall for a czarite, around six foot, athletic and well-built too. She unbuttoned her trousers as she sat back, and pulled her bra out from underneath her top as she relaxed. Liena tried her hardest to pull her gaze away from Sere''s bouncing cleavage, as she readjusted herself. ¡°Men are an absolute nightmare, Liena. I can see why you like girls instead.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, because I''ve had so much success.¡± Liena siddled slightly closer to her friend. In comparison, Liena was the complete opposite of Seres, despite them being the same species. Seres was broad and strong, with strong charcoal-grey carapace adorning her body. Nearly all her tops were off the shoulder, and her trousers were specially made with slits to help cater for her carapace. Her skin was a beautiful soft lilac, her eyes a shining bright amethystine, her dreadlocks thick and wavy and sparkling. Liena in contrast was a tiny little thing, five-foot-eight and built like a pencil. Despite her average height, she looked lanky, her hair was long, flat and straight, almost greasy-looking. She was nowhere near as well endowed as her friend, and actually, usually didn¡¯t bother wearing a bra at all. Seres said she should consider herself lucky she didn''t have to, but looking at Sere''s soft and gentle curves of her body, Liena considered herself anything but. She was all sharp edges and skinny limbs. She didn''t even have the carapace that most czarites did; she had a pretty little flower-looking crown gracing her face, but that was pretty much it - it was an unfortunate side effect of her Oak''s disease and its treatment, the lack of carapace growth. Seres had tried to convince her that she was lucky for that too, that she could wear pretty much anything she wanted, without having to make adjustments or going to special shops. But after a lifetime of teasing for being different, Liena would have given anything for those inconveniences, and just be like everyone else. For a change.


    ¡°It''s shocking how many guys get weird as soon as they see you''re taller than them.¡± Seres was saying. ¡°And then you get to talking, finally a bit of flirting after a few drinks and the subject of penises comes out - apparently it''s not well known around nomad space that czarites are hermaphrodites. Honestly, his expression when I told him, he went white as a sheet.¡±


    ¡°Not many of them fancy getting pegged by a dommie like you then?¡± Liena teased with a smile.


    ¡°Nope. It would be funny if I wasn''t so fucking fed up.¡± Seres sighed. ¡°Oh well. He was kinda ugly anyway. On the plus side, they always pay for dinner.¡± She grinned then. ¡°They''re too scared shitless not to.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of¡­¡± Liena looked up at her hopefully. ¡°Did you get anything for meeee?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did, gotta feed my bestie!¡± Seres reached into her bag and pulled out a little paper doggy-bag. She tossed it gently into Liena''s waiting hands which, of course, she fumbled, missed the catch, and had to scramble to stop the food from spilling everywhere. Finally, she ripped the bag open and immediately shoveled a handful of cold fries into her mouth.


    ¡°I wish I could eat like you and stay as skinny as you.¡± Seres laughed, and lay down on the mattress.


    They didn''t say anything else for a few minutes. Liena finished her food while Seres half-heartedly scrolled through a dating app on her phone. Liena glanced over, and couldn''t help but feel a pang of jealousy. Once she finished eating, she shuffled down and lay next to Seres, anxiously careful not to touch her - even though her body was screaming out for the contact.


    ¡°I¡­ I got an interview today.¡± Liena said softly.


    ¡°Oh, that''s good! Pfft, here''s me going on about my crappy dating life when there''s more important things going on!¡± Seres twisted into her side and smiled at Liena. ¡°When is it?¡±


    ¡°Late next week.¡± Liena replied. ¡°Hopefully I''ll do better at this one than the last¡­¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry about it! You just gotta take a deep breath, try and stay calm. You''re in control, not your anxiety.¡± Seres took hold of Liena''s hands and squeezed them tightly. ¡°You got this!¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah?¡± Liena said, blushing again in the soft orange light of the singular light bulb, dangling precariously above their heads.


    ¡°Yep! I believe in you, Liena.¡±


    ***


    Chapter 1 - Border Breaches


    Jace leaned ever-so-slightly forward over the railing in front of him, so as to get a better view of the bay below. There was nothing quite like it, after all. Two hundred dragoons marching in unison, their servos whirring in time with one-another, rifles clutched against their shoulders. Their mechanical march was the pounding drum that kept the Draconic Alliance''s hearts thumping in rhythm.


    It was almost enough to make the old man smile.


    The DA¡¯s muscles were being flexed, several different squads had come together to make this battleship their quarters. Specifically, his battleship. There were the specialists of the Riot Control & Psyonic Suppression division, equipped with gas masks and riot-shields, currently tinkering with ice-blue caskets of cryo-fluid and crates filled with cinnamon brown powder. The crates had ¡®NULLIPHINE CONCENTRATE¡¯ stamped in red on their sides, and took up a significant portion of the floor around the RCPS squad. As they tinkered, a fresh batch of equipment descended from above via bright white cargo drone. It landed with a gentle clunk and was quickly unboxed, revealing freshly manufactured high-grade environshields, with a distinctive orange hue to them. Heat resistance.


    The squad immediately set about fixing the modules to their rubberized armoured suits. Jace had taken a liking to their odd design of gently clinking scale mail and heavy hazmat plating, it reminded him of his own days as a soldier in the field¡­ He had been assured that they weren¡¯t as hot to wear as they looked, thanks to the various life support systems within. It was just a shame that this stuff was needed in the first place.


    Above the RCPS division, the gleaming white razor operatives of the Anti-Gravity & Air Superiority division floated weightlessly, marching through the air as though taunting their gravity-constrained cousins stuck marching on the bay¡¯s floor. The AGAS division was primarily tasked with planetary air to air combat, and intercepting fights between capital ships in space warfare, but they had landed their expertise to produce infantry battle suits known as razor operatives. Although agents took many years of training to produce, being able to lug vulcan weapons whilst traversing the battlefield at mach-three made them a force to be reckoned with, if expensive to deploy. Aside from their slick-plated armour, they had a pair of ominous glowing ports on their gauntlets, facing towards any would-be targets. These were plasma lances, limited in use but able to generate twenty foot long plasma jets. There and gone in the blink of an eye, they could punch bowling ball-sized holes through the sides of tanks and buildings as though they were little more than butter.


    These were just two of the many platoons stationed aboard the battleship, each going about their own preparations and drills. The ship''s interior had become a carnival of military activity, each squad as anticipating as the last, mobilized under royal decree. But the dragoons at the back of the hall dominated the soundscape with their every movement and it felt like every other division moved in time with the thunderous applause of their metallic feet against the floor.


    Jace was stationed far above the hustle and bustle of the main deck. It was a lean deck that lined the walls of the hall on one side, lined with a glass railing and high above the soldiers below it. A similar deck was positioned on the opposite side of the hall, where Jace could just about see a squad of Royal Praetorian Division soldiers resting. They gave him a friendly wave from across the hall when they saw him, and Jace nodded in return. It was an odd feeling seeing so many divisions united within the same space. It felt like they were about to go to war¡­


    He sighed heavily through his nostrils and pushed himself off the guard rail. Behind him, the cloudy glass doors of his office awaited him. There was no doubt. There absolutely would be more paperwork.


    Back to it, I suppose.


    He pushed through the heavy double doors, his eyes adjusting to the sudden shift in lighting, from the orange warmth of the hangar''s downlighting, to the sterile white office LEDs irradiating his reception area, a mid-sized room, in which his new personal assistant sat to his left. She was currently sighing herself, and pushing the buttons of her keyboard with the tail-end of a pen. Warmth flashed in her eyes however when she noticed the commander.


    ¡°Hoi, boss! Great news! There is absolutely no end to the journalists trying to get an interview with you.¡± Aybel grinned sarcastically, resting her pretty face against her palm. She was a slim dragoness, her scales a moody malachite green, which contrasted sharply with her soft pink eyes. Her wings were folded behind her neatly, and she was currently dressed in a sharp looking DA military suit, with white and blue patterning down its lapels. ¡°I swear I¡¯m gonna lose it if they keep phoning, all of them thinking they¡¯re the most important person in the whole entire empire.¡±


    ¡°All journalists so far?¡± Jace asked tiredly, making his way towards another door ahead of him.


    ¡°Ayup. All looking for their next big story. They¡¯re rabid over the attack, and even more rabid over their perfect headlines!¡± Aybel threw her hands up in the air in exasperation.


    Suddenly, there was a sharp knock behind him and Jace glanced over his shoulder to see a familiar silhouette through the clouded glass. Theo pushed his way inside, a roll of newspapers and magazines under his arm. He grinned at Jace, and flipped Aybel a middle finger with his free hand.


    ¡°Oi! Don¡¯t you give me that!¡± Aybel protested sharply, standing from her desk. ¡°I don¡¯t need attitude from a living zimmer frame, I¡¯m getting enough from these assholes!¡± Her words were followed with a sharp nod towards the phone on her desk.


    ¡°Well, maybe don¡¯t do thirty-two flips in a dragoon during a parade, then.¡± Theo laughed heartily. ¡°You got the whole platoon in trouble, they¡¯re still washing the paving slabs by hand outside the Sapphire Lane Courthouse.¡±


    ¡°Oh piss off, grandad! The crowd was bored! They wanted to see what we can really do! Not just marching back and forth up the same road! I can''t help it if I''m just more in touch with the public!¡±


    ¡°And now you¡¯re more in touch with the phone!¡±


    ¡°UGH! Theoooo! Stoppit!¡± Aybel glared, slamming her butt back down on her chair. ¡°I just wanted to inspire people!¡±


    ¡°Enough, the pair of you.¡± Jace finally intervened. ¡°Be glad you still have a wage and a position, Aybel. Theo, stop winding her up please, she¡¯s handling the media storm that¡¯s battering my gates, and I''m incredibly grateful for that. Come on, my office please.¡±


    The rhargnorn snorted with laughter and quickly closed in behind Jace, following him through the next set of doors as they closed softly behind them. Jace¡¯s office was revealed in its full glory, an overly spacious room more akin to a trophy room than a traditional office. Glittering marble slabs lined the floor, shimmering in the soft amber downlights that kept the room feeling oddly cosy, all considered. It was on two height levels, separated by a couple of steps that spanned the entire width of the office, with his desk placed on the higher half at the back. Solid wood cabinets and bookshelves lined the edges of the room, along with a solid metal armoury display and a mannequin covered in sleek white armour. The armour matched Jace¡¯s broad stature perfectly, and featured a sizable combi-jet-pack array built into the back of the chest plate, designed to work in tandem with functional wings. The armour had been repaired and restored, and fastened to its front were several medals, different-coloured ribbons adorning each one. Behind the armour stand, fastened securely to the wall was an impressive, seven foot long halberd, constructed from thick silver and adorned with various ceremonial sashes tied over its worn handle.


    Opposite the armoury and armour display was an imposing filing cabinet, spanning the width of the wall, somehow more intimidating than the weaponry opposite it. The centrepiece of the room, Jace¡¯s desk, was hewn of solid obsidian marble, and currently stacked with papers and documents from the last few days.


    The commander strolled his way around to his side of the desk and planted himself on the cush black leather chair, inviting Theo to the still impressive but not quite as tall chair on the visitor¡¯s side. Theo chucked his magazines onto the desk and quickly helped himself to a seat, happy to take the weight off his feet - foot.


    ¡°Some choice headlines for you there.¡± He grinned, rolling his metal ankle and watching Jace eagerly.


    The commander leaned over, raising an eyebrow as he picked up the magazines one at a time.


    ¡°The Daily Scale. Hmm. Quality reading material here, Theo.¡± Jace scoffed dismissively.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Printed on the front of the paper was a blurry aerial shot of Diego, running for his life with Karen on his shoulder as the horde closed in on him. The headline read Komodo Kapers! Slave saves colony from sudden assault!


    A brief skim showed the article to mostly be focused on the sudden nature of the assault, Diego¡¯s heroism and the response from the DA, eager to highlight all the detail and drama for readers. It did mention just how rare Diego¡¯s species was, with there being only single digit figures of recorded coralith komodos across the entire draconic empire, highlighting just how unusual the event was.


    Next up was Wyrufal Weekly, a more respected contender in the DA¡¯s printing press. The front had another blurry aerial shot of Diego, but this one was him mid-strike, showing a visible shockwave of energy rupturing through the horde. The headline read; Enemies within the border, a colony under siege and our hero was a prisoner? with its final word in bold and underlined twice. This one was a stronger read, asking questions about Diego¡¯s origin and why he was a prisoner, but it didn¡¯t seem to contain anything more than speculation.


    The final magazine, Membrain, brought a smirk to Jace¡¯s face immediately. The entirety of the front cover was graced with the presence of D¡¯Boris Thornscale''s portly face. The photo was in black and white, with the main man himself positioned under an intense spotlight, looking as serious and sorrowful as his flaccid face could manage. Diving deep with D¡¯Boris; ¡®How a slave seduced my wife and took my home!¡¯


    Unable to resist the tepid writing, Jace quickly flicked to the article and was greeted by the same aerial shot used by The Daily Scale, only this time it was crudely annotated with speech bubbles. Apparently, the editors thought it was prudent to have Diego saying ¡®Bun in the oven!¡¯ whilst the horde yelled behind him ¡®Homewrecker!¡¯


    A quick scan of the article revealed that D¡¯Boris¡¯s interview mostly centered around his alleged friendship with Diego, that ended with the komodo eventually seducing his wife and impregnating her, supposedly against D¡¯Boris¡¯ wishes. It was a dubious article at best, if not amusing, not dissimilar to D¡¯Boris himself.


    ¡°Well, this is just¡­ delightful, Theo. Thank you for bringing me such fine reading material. Do you think Diego was a close friend of Mr Thornscale?¡± Jace smirked again, gently sweeping the magazines aside.


    ¡°Oh, I''d never question the journalistic integrity of Membrain.¡± Theo grinned, his pointed teeth bearing from between his lips. ¡°Nah. Diego seemed like he had more than two brain cells, it''s hard to enjoy that prat¡¯s company when you can actually understand words and concepts. D¡¯Boris is just a thoughtless bottom.¡± Theo shifted his weight and leaned onto his metallic leg. ¡°Honestly, I thought this bullshit might at least bring a smile to your face. Although, I gotta say, seeing a rack full of D¡¯Boris¡¯ face like that sent my fight or flight reflex into overdrive. I nearly threw my coffee across the room like it was a grenade. The media is going crazy over the attack.¡±


    ¡°They definitely slimmed his cheeks down in the editing suite¡­ But regarding the media, can you blame them? It''s a hell of a story. A dreadnought showed up out of nowhere and began a planetary invasion, three rims deep into the border. Plus it''s got all those fun little details people like to speculate over. This will be feeding the media for months.¡±


    ¡°Diego can¡¯t catch a break apparently. There was¡­ something I noticed though.¡±


    Jace sighed quietly and leaned his head back against the leather. He could feel his heart rate rising uncomfortably.


    ¡°Cyrune?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Theo nodded, plucking Wyrufal Weekly from the pile. ¡°I¡¯m surprised no one has talked about it yet. Or speculated. The satellite imagery is kinda shit, I guess... But, uh¡­¡± Theo cleared his throat and tossed the magazine aside. ¡°I think he might be from Cyrune.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain?¡± Jace asked, his gruff voice several shades softer than usual.


    ¡°...On reflection, I''m absolutely convinced he is. Or¡­ well -¡±


    ¡° - Did I station an agent of Cyrune on a class-B colony at the new spheres?!¡± The colour was visibly draining from the dragon¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it''s that simple.¡± Theo interrupted quickly. ¡°I didn¡¯t get Cyrunian vibes from the dude up close. I just¡­ recognised the psyonics. You can¡¯t get that anywhere else. He must be Cyrunian¡­ Or at least, used to be. Although I¡¯m not entirely sure how that can be the case. No one leaves Cyrune.¡± Theo frowned down at the magazines, and D''Boris frowned back.


    ¡°Tell me about the psyonics.¡± Jace said quietly, the leather creaking under him as he gently rocked back and forth in his chair.


    ¡°It was high-tier, complex psyonic work. Multistage, powerful shit. From what I know, that sort of stuff is absurdly difficult to conjure and even harder to make effective. But he made himself bulletproof. I saw AC rounds bouncing off him. Not sure if he¡¯d be vulcanproof, but the fact it''s even a question is terrifying.¡±


    ¡°Defensive psyonics are rare, no matter the faction. Harder to stop energy than simply conjure it.¡± Jace nodded in agreement, tugging at the cuffs of his sleeves.


    ¡°More than that though - He protected Lockblade, and his friends in high orbit with it too, so the dude¡¯s got reach.¡±


    ¡°It reached Seeth¡¯s crew in orbit?!¡± Jace exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock.


    ¡°Ayup. I heard them talking about it when I checked in afterwards. From the way I saw him swinging Lockblade¡¯s axe, I would think he was a crusader captain maybe? He knew how to swing and handle great weapons, which lets face it, ain¡¯t exactly common either. He was doing some weird psyonic thing as well, adding force to his swings. That was new to me though, not seen any Cyrune cultists doing that. They usually just do that generic physical enhancement one¡­ what''s it called?¡± Theo clicked his fingers a couple times as he tried to recall the name of it. ¡°Champion¡¯s Boon! Makes ¡®em stronger and tougher by a few degrees.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s not using the latest stuff on Cyrune¡¯s roaster,  maybe it¡¯s old?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, could be.¡± Theo nodded in agreement. ¡°According to his ex-keeper, he told her he was over five hundred years old. His control over it was flawless though. No wasted energy, and it made the axe sheer straight through several bodies without slowing. Just a flash of red and then a ton of blood. He turned a few of them into organic shrapnel too, slapped their bones straight out of them. It was precise, effective and powerful as hell. Dude would have sheared clean through a hover barge, for sure.¡±


    ¡°Obviously well practised at whatever this old combat style is, then? Likely a senior or high rank?¡±


    ¡°You can say that again. His defensive incantations ramped up too, I saw golden energy arcing off him, frying the Barons taking pot-shots at him. That one is definitely Cyrunian. I¡¯ve seen it before.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s its purpose?¡± Jace asked, pulling out a pad of paper from inside his desk drawer and scribbling to make notes.


    ¡°Fuck people up for shooting at them. If you shoot long range weapons at folks protected by the psyonic, you¡¯ll get a nice, painful zap. Strength and range varies of course. You know Cyrune looooove melee, sending hundreds of thousands of cultists straight at you, knives to the sky at dusk. The counter-bolts are a big middle finger to those trying to gun them down at range. Again though, even among them it''s rare as hell. From what I gather, those kinds of psyonics are difficult. Diego¡¯s was fucking strong, outright killed the Baron¡¯s shooting at him. It wasn¡¯t just a deterrent from shooting him, it was forcing the battlefield to go his way. ¡±


    ¡°Which is¡­?¡±


    ¡°A ¡®come into axe range, no, I''m not asking¡¯ kinda way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t see lowly zealots using that then?¡± Jace sighed, then fumbled and knocked his pen to the floor. He pressed his fingers against his forehead sharply.


    ¡°Unfortunately not.¡± Theo chuckled lightly as Jace leaned over to pick it up. ¡°We¡¯re reaching about the limits of my knowledge on this stuff. The only other thing I''d add is that these types of psyonics are extremely expensive and difficult to maintain, which is why the Cyrunian¡¯s offload the cost onto their psyonic web, rather than trying to use their own energy for it. But Diego was clearly using his own strength.¡± Theo paused then, seeing the stress wrinkling the corners of Jace¡¯s eyes. ¡°Oi! Don¡¯t beat yourself up, the dude''s profile was falsified! Whoever fabricated this whole thing is to blame. And beyond that, I should repeat, in spite of everything I just said - the dude did not give me Cyrune vibes.¡±


    ¡°It could have been a disaster, Theo. I put everyone in that colony in danger. As well as the moral issue of keeping him prisoner for my own plans.¡±


    ¡°Okay, dick move on the last part but¡­ I don¡¯t think you put people in danger.¡± Theo responded more firmly this time. ¡°You said his only offenses whilst in the labour program were some escape attempts? He didn¡¯t stab or try to convert anyone. And we¡¯re still haven¡¯t talked about the fucking shockwave he did at the end.¡±


    ¡°I saw the report. You said he floored the entire horde? I don¡¯t see how that helps my position.¡±


    ¡°Just listen!¡± Theo insisted stubbornly. ¡°One of the clean-up drones found part of Lockblade¡¯s axe on the colony''s moon! He flattened thousands of them! The civvies in the bunker felt the ground quake! That sort of power¡­ Jace, if the guy was bad news, he would have used that strength on us. If he wanted us gone, he could have flattened the civic centre, and me with it. But he didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Fair point.¡± Jace¡¯s shoulders relaxed a little at Theo¡¯s words. ¡°He seemed well-enough liked within the community from what we gathered, ignoring D¡¯Boris¡¯ interview. Final opinion on his psyonics then?¡±


    ¡°Ultra-class for sure. Diego¡¯s kit is tailor-made for leading armies from the front and kicking your nuts up through your mouth.¡±


    ¡°...Hmm. I have to say though, this only poses further questions if he explicitly didn¡¯t give you the typical Cyrunian demeanour. How did he escape from them? And why is someone of that calibre just milling around nomad space? And from our side, who would be stupid enough to cross someone with that kind of history?¡± Jace¡¯s eyes briefly flickered to the floor before landing straight on Theo. ¡°If this is the Dynasty, their hubris has grown exponentially over the last year. And that doesn¡¯t bode well for us.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he was onto the Dynasty? Or had tangled with them in the past?¡±


    ¡°Could be. Or it could have been a mistake. The Grey Wall hasn¡¯t just hidden the empire¡¯s past. Maybe, for whatever reason, he made a preferable target, but they bit off more than they could chew with him? Scyler stretched pretty damn far to bring this guy in. He knows something. I just don¡¯t know how to bridge that gap yet. But, there is another elephant in the room that needs addressing.¡±


    It was Theo¡¯s turn to look uncomfortable now. ¡°The dreadnought.¡± The rhargnorn grumbled, wiggling back and forth in his chair.


    ¡°I know these conversations are uncomfortable, even for the two of us. But I need to know what you know.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Look - ¡±


    The back of Theo''s neck suddenly bristled, a sharp electric shock-like feeling spreading down his spine. From inside his head, audible to no-one else, a voice suddenly barked;


    ¡°TELL HIM WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SHIP. BUT SPEAK OF THIS ARRANGEMENT, AND YOU KNOW WHAT WE¡¯LL DO.¡±


    The words echoed up his bones. It was shrill and near-deafening, revibrating through his body like a circular saw to his skeleton.


    Understood, cunt. Just you fucking wait.


    If only they could hear his thoughts.


    ¡° - It was pre-Grey Wall. Hell, it was pre-Red Ditch!¡± Theo continued quickly, eyeing the subtle raise of Jace¡¯s brow at his pause.


    ¡°Before the Red Ditch?¡± Jace¡¯s expression turned to one of mild shock. Usually any conversation directly involving the civil war was handled very districtly by the pair, fearful of who could overhear them. Even in the privacy of Jace¡¯s office, surrounded by DA technology, was it ever truly private? ¡°Should we be discussing this here, Theo?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fed up of dancing around this, we need to start being honest. Besides, the ship has exploded across the tabloids. If we¡¯re not talking about it, they sure as fuck will.¡± Theo shrugged, leaning back in the chair. ¡°I know the ship was used in hit and runs of escaping civilian craft who got beyond the border. But it wasn¡¯t built for that purpose explicitly, I guess? I don¡¯t know what its service history was, but it was around for quite a while before then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing it was ordered to be mothballed as part of Grey Wall, and someone found it. Why is it I just have more and more questions the more I find out?¡± Jace sighed, picking up the copy of Membrain and tearing D¡¯Boris¡¯s face off the front of it. He crumpled the page into a ball and threw it across the room at a small bin in the corner. As he watched the paper ping off the rim, his eyes narrowed, his scales bristled uncomfortably. A cold shiver dropped through his spine and landed straight at his feet.


    ¡°Jace? You okay? It''s just a bin, man.¡± Theo asked, his chair creaking as he leaned forward, his face wrought with concern despite his crack at a joke.


    ¡°The - The dreadnought¡­ It warped in at the exact coordinates I gave Seeth. I only sent them to her. No one else.¡±


    ¡°You think¡­ Lockblade betrayed us?!¡± Theo asked in disbelief.


    ¡°No.¡± Jace replied firmly. ¡°She spent the last six months doing everything in her power to make this happen. And she fought against the attackers. It makes no sense. Either she is compromised... Or I am.¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s tapped your gear? How?!¡±


    ¡°No idea. But I always keep it secured in RMD facilities¡­ My list of trusted RMD officers has just dropped to a single page¡¯s worth. After the Barru X incident, I had a bunch of comms officers and data handlers fired because of the sloppy work on Diego¡¯s profile. The whole smash and grab for him was fabricated, so everyone involved was cut loose. I figured I¡¯d scrubbed the RMD clean at that point, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Listen, before you get too deep into that, you should at least ask Seeth to check her stuff. She¡¯s a nomad, it was her ex-crew that turned up, there''s more chance it''s her, right? Of all the divisions, I don¡¯t reckon its the RMD thats infested with scummy Dynasty fuck heads.¡±


    ¡°Theo. Do I need to remind you that Scyler used to be RMD? I fired him of course, but¡­ Maybe this rot is deeper than I originally thought.¡± Jace¡¯s brow furrowed, his voice trailing off towards the end of his sentence.


    ¡°True¡­ I didn¡¯t think about that! Shit¡­ I still think it''s more likely that Seeth¡¯s end was compromised this time, that''s all. I¡­ think I just saw one of your chin plates change colour. This shit¡¯s turning you grey, old man.¡± Theo smiled, trying to find some humour in the situation.


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk.¡± Jace muttered back; he wasn''t sure if he appreciated the change in topic or not. ¡°I¡¯m avoiding the mark three therapy for as long as I can. Although the reasons why make me sound like a conspiracy theorist.¡± Jace rolled his eyes and shook his head at his own opinion. The line between inspiring commander of the RMD and gossiping lunatic felt perilously thin sometimes within the DA.


    ¡°Yeah, me too man. Although, I got a huge question right now, it''s been bugging me all day.¡± Said Theo his toothy grin returning sharply, his claws drumming the arms of the air menacingly.


    ¡°Oh no. No. No. As a commander in the RMD I forbid this next question.¡±


    ¡°When are you seeing Isabelle next?¡± Theo asked, outright ignoring Jace¡¯s orders as the wyrufal crumpled up another page of Membrain, and threw it at Theo instead.


    ¡°Tonight. She''s just helping me arrange my thoughts again! Last time I confided in her, she was extremely helpful.¡±


    ¡°Fuck! That''s sooner than I thought! You move fast, old man, already asking her out on a date.¡± Theo continued to grin unabated as the paper pinged off his head.


    ¡°Date? N-No! Why would it be a date? That ship has long since sailed, Theo.¡± Jace scoffed, seemingly offended at the suggestion. ¡°And you''re older than me!¡±


    ¡°Pfft. Bullshit. Things didn¡¯t end between the two of you because you stopped loving each other. Isabelle left because you''re a stubborn old fuck. For the record, I get you. I¡¯m a stubborn old fuck too. But she still loves you. And you still love her.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I appreciate your dryness and willingness to speak plainly. Sometimes.¡± Jace rolled his eyes. ¡°It''s not a date, Theo. If - If she was here, she would clear this up immediately! You would see. We both completely understand, it''s purely professional. Just two friends helping each-other.¡± Jace laughed nervously, his eyes suddenly widening as Theo raised his arm and tapped on his gauntlet. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare. Theo! Stop! You fucking -¡±


    But before Jace knew it, Theo was on the phone.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Isabelle! It''s Theo Kintrax!¡±


    ¡°Theo! So nice to hear from you!¡± Isabelle¡¯s smooth voice came through loud and clear, only amplified as Theo turned the volume up higher. ¡°I¡¯ve only got a couple of minutes free, is it a quick one?¡±


    ¡°Super quick, hun. I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re going on a date with Jace tonight, is that true?¡±


    Jace pulled on his ears and spun around in his chair, showing the back of the leather to Theo as the rhargnorn¡¯s menacing grin only continued to grow.


    ¡°A d-date? I mean¡­ I-I-¡± Isabelle stuttered and laughed awkwardly. ¡°Theo! We''re just having a few drinks! He just wants to talk about work, and how much of a pain in the ass you are..! Wait, why? Has Jace said something?!¡±


    ¡°Nope, nothing you need to worry about! I¡¯m just being a nosey fuck if i¡¯m being honest with you, Bells. Speak to you later!¡±


    ¡°O-Oh, okay¡­ Bye Theo?¡±


    The line cut and Jace span back around in his chair, his cheeks bright red with embarrassment.


    ¡°THEO! ASSHOLE! I should write you up on the spot!¡±


    ¡°That didn¡¯t sound like it was purely professional to me! I should write you up for being a total wimp!¡±


    ¡°You are unbelievable!¡± Jace sighed, resting his arms on his desk.


    ¡°Hey, do me a favour, chat shit about me together tonight over a nice bottle of mulled wine and bond over how much you both hate me.¡± He chucked, pushing the chair back a smidge to stand up. ¡°And stop lying to yourself about this. Have some fun with the girl, for Chance¡¯s sake, Jace. Isebelle is a fucking catch, girl¡¯s like that don¡¯t grow on trees.¡±


    Jace inhaled sharply through his nose, taking a deep breath and holding it in his chest. He raised a single finger, looking like he was about to scold Theo, but the words just wouldn¡¯t come to his throat.


    ¡°That''s what I thought. You know I''m right. You can lie to yourself, but you can¡¯t lie to me.¡±


    ¡°You do remember that I was married to her, Theo?!¡±


    ¡°I remember, you sure you do?¡±


    ¡°One of these days, Theo, your mouth is going to land you in trouble.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in more trouble than you¡¯ll ever know, boss.¡± Theo smirked. As Jace went to reply however, a sharp knock on the door grabbed both of their attentions. Aybel quickly entered the room, looking a lot more concerned than she did just a few minutes ago.


    ¡°Jace, I¡¯ve received an urgent priority alert for you.¡±


    Jace''s face immediately hardened again. He sighed deeply and made to stand.


    ¡°Let''s hear it.¡±


    ¡°A nomad ship has crossed the border and gone straight to the ruins of the XITD space station that was attacked earlier this year.¡±


    ¡°Evangeline¡¯s station?!¡± Jace bolted upright from his chair.


    ¡°Yes sir. And we believe it''s the same ship that conducted the assault!¡±


    The corners of his eyes twitched as too many thoughts and ideas colidied in his cerebrum.


    ¡°Tell the shipmaster to warp us over there immediately! I want to handle things personally this time.¡±


    His shoulders tensed and his scales bristled, but it wasn¡¯t from anxiety or fear. It was a call to action.


    And it was about time too.


    *


    Aboard the Minitaur - eight hours after planetside return


    *


    Tivy padded quietly through the steel corridor towards the med bay. The air had a hopeful warmth to it that perhaps only Tivy had felt over the six months, but was now finally flowing freely amongst the crew. She carried two large metal canisters, each not far off the size of her, her antenna bobbing up and down with each step. The left canister had ¡®Seeth¡¯ scribbled on its side along with a couple of hearts, the ink worn and old. The right canister had ¡®Diego¡¯ written on it, the ink as fresh as could be, with an ample amount of kisses around it.


    Her journey took her past the living quarters, where Oxyi was snoozing on a comfortable looking blue sofa. A blanket was lovingly draped over her, with far more care than she¡¯d taken arranged herself anyway as her arm was hanging off awkwardly to the side. A tired but happy smile found its way onto Tivy¡¯s face as she spotted Oxyi¡¯s canister by the lioness¡¯s hand, a small trickle of dried orange soup stained its lip.


    She huffed and puffed to keep the canisters upright, shuffling their positions a couple of times to get them more comfortable before finally looping them under her arms and scuttling up a small set of stairs to get to the correct deck.


    The med bay was open, just another door of a few in this corridor. The Minitaur wasn¡¯t super homely at the moment, but Tivy had plans to fix that at a later date. Right now, there were much more important tasks at hand. From within, she could hear two sets of quiet snores¡­


    She rounded the door and was greeted with sight of fast asleep Seeth, leaning over a far too small for her table, right next to Diego. The lizard was placed one of the inset med-beds within the room, one of four, all cosily built into the walls themselves, leaving the middle of the room clear for more specialised equipment if required.


    There were a few vital monitoring screens above and to the side of his bed, most of which didn¡¯t mean much to Tivy, but they all seemed to be steady and nothing was flashing red. Like Oxyi, both of them had blankets draped over them and both were completely asleep. Seeth still had drying black goop lining her neck, despite changing out of her clothes.


    Wash cloth. Okies. I¡¯ll get her a bowl too! Tivy thought to herself, placing the soup canisters down carefully on the floor. There was no force in the universe that was going to separate Seeth from her man, so the sink was going to have to come to her. Tivy¡¯s eyes landed on Diego, only somewhat visible from this angle. Despite everything, there seemed to be a small, subtle smile on his face. It was infectious, as Tivy soon found herself just idly grinning at him, a warmth permeating through her chest and tingling through her limbs. She exhaled deeply, feeling all the pressure, anxiety and worry over the last few months just released from her body.


    And with that, she had only one thought in her blissful mind:


    I hope he likes soup!