I Smile and elaborate. “That may be true, but her death serves us a purpose.” I pause a moment, folding a leg over my opposite thigh. Settling into my chair as I continue. “Laza’s death will shake things up in House Vansae and create a problem that the Matron must attend to.” I smile coyly. “Getting her attention will make our job easier because while Matron Vansae is a formidable planner, she does not account for unforeseen events such as one of her daughters being killed by an unknown assailant.”

Galinae stares at me in confusion “How does this make our job easier?” she voices aloud “If anything it makes our job *harder*!” she sighs “Kara, you can't be serious! House Vansae is not an enemy we need!” I sigh and elaborate in response. “House Vansae is but a means to an end, it is no secret that Matron Vansae treats with the High Matron, even providing security using her staff. If we can draw out Matron Vansae, we have a direct lead to the High Matron.”

After a pause, I continue “Laza’s death will shake Matron Vansae’s mind and disrupt any plans she currently has. Which puts her on the backfoot with us. In the meantime…”

I glance at B’Nan “I need you to find anything of relevance from the data I extracted. Plans, names, transactions, dates, locations... Something we can use to get to the High Matron.” B’Nan smirks flirtily at my order “A ‘please’ would help greatly..” I roll my eyes in response “I was not asking, I was ordering you...” I deadpan at B’Nan with a tense stare, making direct eye contact for a moment.

Gali meeps at the brief stare before B’Nan grunts and looks away, standing. “Very well. I will have something within the next few hours.” I stay quiet as B’Nan exits the room before I look to Galinae “That’s all I have for you, Gali, you are dismissed.”

***

A few hours later.

After some time preparing, planning, and considering a list of careful observations, I retire for the rest of the evening to my quarters. I remove my zip-up blazer and jacket, down to a tank top and pants. I unbuckle my gun belt and remove it before I slip out of my pants and slip the tank top over my shoulders. Now down to my underwear, which I slip down my legs.

I turn towards the shower stall and turn on the water. Running water was a rare commodity in spaceships. It was expensive to put on a ship and the treatment, storage, and recycling equipment took up useful space for other more essential, functional systems.

turning back to the vanity to look at myself in the mirror, I notice that below my neckline, I have a scar from a cut below my clavicle that ran to the innermost part of my right shoulder. I suddenly remember the Chimera operative I had killed to end my training with Farsa, looking away from the mirror to the side.

My mind goes over possibilities with that encounter. Why was a Chimera on the Iridian homeworld? Was I followed? Who was their employer and why were they searching for me? Certainly, the first assumption was a Terran Federation agency that would use external assets to do their dirty work outside of Human spheres of influence.

Shaking that train of thought, I look back to the mirror. My eyes wander down past my breast and cleavage to my stomach and navel before I look back up at my face. I have bags under my eyes. A rather weary appearance, all the mental exhaustion seemed to be catching up to me at this point.

After a sigh, which signals resigning myself to shower and some rest, I Turn around and step into the shower stall under the hot water. Letting it run over my skin, I start to feel my muscles relax as the hot water runs over them, relieving the aches and pains I never knew I had all over my body.

reach A hand for a foaming soap bottle, I squeeze a dot onto my palm. Rubbing both hands together to lather it up. I use the soap to wash dirt off myself as I think quietly. My hand brushes over the scar on my lower back, which is a fresh scab now. My healing factor means this is normal so the sting of the soap touching it is a reminder of that fresh wound.

I seethe a moment in pain before I sigh and go back to my thoughts, rinsing off the lather. I half-lid my eyes and stand under the water for a while. After ten minutes I shut the water off, wring out my hair, and exit the shower, wrapping myself in a towel.

I emerge from the restroom portion of my quarters, and I pause. B’Nan is sitting on the foot of my bed waiting. “Are you done, Captain?” I feel my cheeks warm up in a blush and I grab my gun from atop the short metal locker to my right. I yell at him in my fluster “GET OUT!”

B’Nan stands and heads for the door, remarking aloud “Women are strange.” he shakes his head as he exits my quarters. I sigh and calm back down, muttering “Pervert”.

I turn and put together an outfit, laying it out on the bed before I head back into the bathroom to dry my hair with a blower. I come back out to redress in a mid-thigh length skirt, thigh-highs, a buttoned corset, and calf-high boots with 2-centimeter heels. After combing my hair straight I head towards the door. Not bothering with makeup as I head to the CIC to get B’Nan’s findings directly from him.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

emerging onto the CIC from the bridge, looking around for B’Nan. Spotting him by a console in front of the holo table in the center of the CIC, leaning on the console as he watches data streams scroll upwards with an observant eye.

approaching the other side of the table, I lean back on the ledge of a console. “So what do you have for me, B’Nan?”

The Gravidan grunts in thought. “I have a few options, but. The most viable is a dinner party being hosted on Eridan III in the High-Matron’s residence in the next two weeks. We need to move fast to set up whatever it is you have planned.”

I purse my lips in thought, then I smile coyly. Perfect! This is just what I need for the job. “Very good, can you forge an invitation?” B’Nan smirks “I can, and I can do it within the next 2 hours.” I nod. “Then I have some preparations to go over for our visit. I expect the invitations soon.” after a smile, the Gravidan offers me a mGlass. “Here is the intel. I also compiled a list of potential preparations you may want to consider.”

Taking the mGlass, I slip it into my cleavage. This catches the Gravidan’s attention, which seems to remind him of something. “and Kara?” he looks up at me and my brow furrows in confusion. “mmmh?”

“Would I be too direct if I said that your ample chest seems to make a great storage space?” While I knew B’Nan was quite gruff and that he was quite direct and hated mincing his words, I never thought he’d go that far. I sigh softly and shake my head “B’Nan? Sometimes it is best to keep words to yourself.” I flash a smile and walk away. Feeling a blush coming on.

I head up to my quarters and flop onto my bed. Shutting my eyes as I slowly drift off to sleep with my thoughts. Was B’Nan really that infatuated with me? Or was he simply physically attracted? Would it be right or wrong for me to reciprocate that feeling? Was I truly attracted to that Gravidan or was I merely in a phase?

These thoughts whirl around in my head as I drift off to sleep.

***

My eyes open to a rush of cold wind past my face as it assaults my left cheek. I look down at my feet. Toes tucked into a crevice. Heels out in thin air. a cliff that spans far below me.

I swallow nervously and continue my climb. Hands gripping any outcroppings in the shale rocks they can find, knees straining as they push my weight up higher. Climbing this cliff was supposed to be easy!

After a minute of climbing, which felt like hours, I reached the top of the bluffs. A flat, tree-covered mesa stretches out before me with a large walled-off facility hidden in the treeline.

I shoulder my M47 Carbine and advance into the trees, scanning for enemy patrols on my approach. Emerging from the treeline in the total darkness of night to infiltrate the perimeter before I stop at the base of the wall. taking a knee, I do one quick spot-check for enemy patrols. Noticing one approaching around a corner section of the wall. I can hear their voices banter back and forth as they approach my position.

"I just wanna fuckin' sleep, man!"

"You and I both know that if you do, it's yer ass! they'll rip ya a new asshole if they catch ya sleeping on your patrols."

"You gotta smoke?"

"That's the third one in the last hour. Do you wanna be in the infirm waitin' on a lung transplant?"

"What doesn't kill me, just makes me stronger!"

The two voices get louder as the patrol gets closer. I crouch behind the corner. About a foot off the wall, and wait for them to round the corner. Aiming at about head height.

"Hey, did you hear that Lazlie is leaving?"

"Huh. Laz? No shi-"

Two dull thumps, two shots from my carbine. Blood spatters out the back of their heads, misting into the air and staining the ground behind them along with small fragments of bone and pink bits of grey matter. A neat entry hole and a 5-centimeter exit hole signal the subsonic 6.5x48mm projectiles worked as advertised. I stand after confirming no more hostiles were present. After a glance around my immediate surroundings, I lower my weapon and proceed to drag both bodies to the tree line. Stashing them against a tree, Positioning the boonie hats they wore to give the impression of a sleeping patrol.

Returning to that corner of the perimeter wall, I produce a grappling hook from my assaulter pack, which I used previously on this op to scale some steep sheer cliffs about an hour ago. The walls were not tall enough to prevent the grapple hook from reaching the top. I swing it around over my head and let it fly. The hook passes over the top of the wall and falls back to earth. Giving the long Myofiber wire a light, juking tug to align the barbs with the concrete, before giving another heaving tug to accelerate it towards the concrete below.

A satisfying sound of metal softly clanking on concrete signals the hooks are set. I test the line before tying a half-hitch knot and hooking it to the carabineer on my gun belt to scale the wall.

Upon reaching the top, I throw the grappling hook off the side and crouch to scan my surroundings, slowly advancing to the guard rail to peer at the motor pool below. I spot a few vehicles parked. Getaway wont be an issue. Slowly and quietly, I work my way to the spiral staircase leading down to the ground. Cautious in my advance so as not to make a sound. I had no chance at backup, stealth was the only option. I pause as footsteps advance up the staircase. I crouch low and draw my knife, letting my carbine dangle by the sling at my left flank. I take up a knife-fighting stance and wait for them to advance to me.

Once they round the corner, my blade sinks into their gut and my hand covers their mouth, they grunt in pain "hmmmrngph!" Being stabbed in the gut is quite painful. I pull out the blade and stab into their neck. Slamming them back-first into the wall. My blade goes all the way through their neck, leaving a mark on the wall. I stare into their eyes as the life leaves their hazel-color eyes and they slump against the wall. a puddle of blood pools underneath them, dripping down the staircase. I search their pockets, finding an access card.

After slipping the access card into my cleavage, I continue down the stairwell. Immediately coming across an industrial worker with a foreman's jacket on. She squeaks when the suppressor of my sidearm presses into her temple. my voice deadpans "Strip. Now."