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Srettia exited the changing room and held her arms awkwardly out to her sides, paying close attention to the three females in front of her as she did so. "It feels like it's a bit tight around my waist, and these leg coverings are a bit itchy."

Caithen stared at Srettia in astonishment, turning to the clerk who seemed to be clapping happily. "How does an alien who's never worn anything other than zeroG suits wear this better than ninety percent of Terran women?"

The clerk looked back and smiled. "Her people have good hips to leg ratio and good back structure. Must be due to the tail. Not to mention her colour works well with the outfit."

Ankiah laughed at the statement and turned back to the T posing Srettia. "Well, I don't have the hips to pull that off, But it definitely looks better than I thought it would, for two colours, that is."

Srettia frowned as she patted her outfit down and turned to look at herself in the mirror. "It has fake pockets. Why aren't there any pockets on this outfit?"

Caithen let out a hearty laugh and turned back to the clerk, who was doing her best to contain herself. "Haven't we been asking that same question for two thousand years now?"

The clerk taped some icons on her pad and walked over to her counter. "Well, I don't know where you picked those stocking up, but they go well with the set. Is there anything else I can do for you today?"

Srettia began reaching for her top, only to have her hand lightly slapped away by Ankiah, who looked over to the clerk with a smile. "I think we're good. Maybe a bag for her raggy space clothes."

Srettia looked at Ankiah in shock. Putting her foot down and giving her a disapproving look as she practiced moving in the somewhat restraining garments. "My clothes are well maintained. I'll have you know."

Caithen bit her lip as Ankiah waved her off. "Yeah, that's not what she meant, though."

Srettia grabbed the bag with her clothes in it and waved them out of the store. "Let's head back to the ship. It's getting late."

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Viscia happily watched Tanda as he worked on inserting the gen-two strange matter conductor into the receptor unit, leaking a bit as he carefully slid the unit into its place. Upon hearing a gentle click, she watched as he put a bit of his weight on the conductor before stepping back to admire his work. "You're leaking again."

Tanda wiped his brow and turned to look at the blue scientist. "Well, it's a bit warmer than usual in here, thanks to a certain someone."

Viscia scented the air and let out her approximation of a Terran smile. "Well, I'm not complaining. I find the taste quite charming."

"Will you two cease the flirtatious speak. We are in the middle of important calibrations." Dr. Leviye added, walking up to the conductor with a scanner in hand. Waving it around for a few seconds, he hit the container soundly with his fist and nodded. "This is acceptable."

Vicia's mouth dropped at the action, and she quickly ducked behind the desk. "That's dangerous, you know. If it explodes, it could take half this hangar out."

Dr. Leviye continued his scan as Tanda took a seat next to the spooked scientist. "If it is so dangerous, then none of us would be here. We would have a drone do the insertion. Though it would take this portion of the station with it if it did explode."

"You mean like the unit being constructed in the room next to us?" Visca quipped, curling her tail around Tanda's waist as she sat back down.

Tanda adjusted his position as the tail curled around him and pulled out his datapad. "Well, as it stands, the fabricators can build most of the core. Little stuff like this and the major adjustments are all hands-on, though. As per your calculations."

Visca frowned, looking over the data streaming over to her from Dr. Leviye's scans. "That looked a little more than hands-on if you ask me."

"I can adjust my strength to match the force needed to insert the conductor perfectly. Neither of you two can." Dr.Leviye supplied, noticing the change in the core energy supply as it spun up. "I did not activate the core."

Viscia waved her pad as Dr. Leviye stepped back. "I did. Just a diagnostic. Nothing big."

Dr. Leviye calmly walked over to his station to work on his next task. "Warning, please. Though it is safe, you may have startled someone, not of my mind."

Viscia looked at Tanda, who nodded and turned back to the doctor. "Sorry. I'm not really used to working with others yet. Most people called me crazy for wasting resources on advancing our people and shunned me. Chrarada was the only one who understood my value."

"You may be surprised to hear that your value to the Terran Star Union is such that you have been assigned an entire power armoured platoon as security." Dr. Leviye responded, pointing to the two guards at the door.

Viscia waved at the Terrans and turned to Dr. Leviye. " I thought they were your guards. They kinda just showed up."

Dr. Leviye nodded as he assigned the specialized fabricator a new construction task. "They were. I had four platoons guarding me. Nearly one hundred seventy soldiers. Did you not read your notice. Thirty of my personal security have been assigned to you."

Tanda laughed and pulled out his datapad. "None for me then?"

Shifting away from his workbench, Dr.Leviye turned to Tanda. "You have been in close proximity to Viscia since the beginning of this project. It was deemed unnecessary."

Viscia smirked at the remark and looked over her notice. " I thought it was strange. I kind of thought I was going crazy with all the Terran power armour I was scenting in the air. I could never spot them, though."

"Out of sight, out of mind. You're most likely tailed twenty-four-seven by a cloaked soldier or three. It's good to know you can scent them in the air, though. That's some important information." Tanda supplied, sending a new report to Admiral Miles about the discovery.

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Viscia frowned as she skimmed the remainder of her detachment notification. "Why do I need so many guards? Isn't this a military base and Terran crime rate ridiculously low?"

Tanda pinched the tip of Viscia's tail, eliciting a yelp and a scowl from the curious VIP. "There's a large civilian population on this station. And while the odds of something happening to you is nearly zero. It's still not zero, and you're critical to this project. It's standard protocol."

"Well. I guess it makes sense, though I'm not used to being protected. It makes me feel a bit weird." Viscia added, finishing up her reading and opening a new notice from Chrarada.

Dr. Leviye scrutinized the new data from the calibrations and threw Viscia a sideways glance. "I would get used to it. You will most likely be protected like this for a very long time."

Viscia finished her quick read and shot up to look towards Tanda. "I need to go to medical immediately!"

Tanda quickly gathered his wits and moved towards his locker. "What's wrong?"

Viscia smiled at his reaction and grabbed her provisions bag. "I want an implant."

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Michael stood on the smog clouded stage, dressed in a black-furred vest and pants. His beard was long, and hair flowing down his back. With leather arm guards decorated by studded metal and his leather greaves lined with tufts of fur.

Waving to the crowd as he walked off the stage, he wiped his brow as he sat in a nearby chair. " Man, I haven't done that in ages.

As the cries of an encore reached his ears, Michael pinged his implant for the time and sighed. "Sorry, guys, no time for that today." Ending the karaoke program. Michael walked out of the hard-light room, making sure to take a trip through decontamination as he made his way to the kitchen area. "You back yet, Jack?"

Getting nothing in return, Michael began his meal preparation while humming to himself. "Guess I'll get some veggies in me today since the carnivore isn't around." Turning the music on and as loud as he could handle, Michael selected an excellent stir fry dish and had the fabricator print out the individual pieces rather than the entire meal.

Smiling as he turned the stove burners on, Michael then began chopping the vegetables. "Computer play go-to list. Start with Mirror Mirror."

"Your taste in music is as ancient as that concert you just put on, partner."

Surprised as the music started playing. Michael laughed as he put his knife down to look in a nearby camera. "Jack! Hey buddy! how did everything go?"

"Poorly. Koma is keeping the being company while we run some extensive data comparisons. Otherwise, I believe its name is Yirphayen. Koma, however, disagrees. But he has deciphered a handful of words where I am stumbling to do so. It is disheartening."

Picking up the knife and continuing to cut his vegetables, Michael frowned. "So, Yirphayen. That's quite an interesting name."

"You believe its name is Yirphayen?"

Throwing his chopped veggies into the wok. Michael turned to look at a nearby camera. "Why would I doubt you? You've got two alien languages under your belt. Koma has zero. Just because he beat you to a few words doesn't mean he's better at it than you are."

"Thank you... Have you even read the Silmarillion?"

"Sure did. I did my seventeenth-grade old English final on it... I didn't do well." Turning back to his fabricator to print out more ingredients, Michael decided he would ignore the laughter echoing throughout the ship.

"Well, you certainly chose an interesting book for such a thing."

Grabbing his new ingredients, Michael threw some onion peels at the camera in protest. "Well, Terran standard is easier than English anyway. How was I supposed to know that old, old English was mixed in with the book, making it impossible to read."

"Some research would have told you that partner."

"Bahh! I was young and stupid."

"With your taste in music, I would have thought otherwise, partner."

"Thanks, Jack. I am pretty smart, aren't I?" Michael stated, Throwing the rest of his ingredients into the wok.

"I was referring to the first part of your statement, partner."

"Hey! That's uncalled for, ya jerk." Michael complained, laughing as he grabbed a stool to sit on.

"It seems Srettia has entered the hangar. Ankiah and her escort seem to be with her."

"Guess I'll throw some more food on then. Any idea what Voktlix will eat?" Michael asked, printing out some meat for Srettia.

"They seem to resemble a scavenger-type species. They can eat most things without hard alcohol and spices."

"Got it. I'll get some more veggies and meat printed out then."

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Srettia itched a spot on her leg with her tail and walked up to her ship. Taking a deep breath, she keyed the ramp and watched as it descended. Looking to Private Caithen, who had some kind of weird facial expression, Srettia sighed. "You sure I look okay?"

Palming her face, Caithen reaffirmed the purple lady. "Listen to my words. When I say it's unfair how you can wear something so perfectly, I mean it."

Ankiah pushed Srettia onto the ramp and gave a huff. "Your mate was attracted to you when you wore that.. what was it called? Zero gee garb? He'll definitely be fine with this."

Srettia walked up the ramp and entered her ship. As she walked in, she scented the air in agitation, happily finding that Michael was in the kitchen, searing a large portion of meat. "I guess he's in the kitchen. I'll go put my stuff away."

Grabbing Srettia by the shoulders, Ankiah directed her towards the kitchen. "Nope, I'll hold your bag. You go say hi. I'll be in the sitting couchy area."

Being left to her own devices. Srettia slowly shuffled towards the kitchen. First, she decided to poke her head around the corner. She smiled as Michael waved his cooking tool at her. "Hey! Did you have fun? I made you some chicken and steak."

Still poking her hear around the corner at Michael, Srettia eyed the stove in delight. "Yes. It was... Interesting. Terran fashion is quite interesting. You have a shop for everything."

Michael laughed as he turned the stove off. "Well, you gonna come get some food or hide your new outfit away?"

Srettia pulled her head back around the corner and took a breath. "How did you know?"

Plating her dinner with a chuckle, Michael walked over to the table with their meals. "Would have been less obvious if you weren't hiding. I was thinking about acting surprised, but you seem terrified for some reason. I won't judge. You said you had fun, and that's what matters, right?"

Srettia stilled her tail and did her best to keep her hood from vibrating as she walked around the corner. "So. I uh, thought it looked nice. The leg coverings are a bit itchy, though."

Michael grabbed a chair and sat down, observing Srettia as she fidgeted with her fingers. "Well... Uhh... Sorry, it's incredible...."

Srettia sat down at the table and grabbed her fork. "The... Pencil skirt, I think they call it. It's a bit confining."

Michael laughed, bending over to peek under the table. "The stockings complete the business lady look. I could give you a ruler, and we can have some fun RP with that outfit. Should I call you boss or teacher?"

Taking her black blazer off and rolling up her white sleeves, Sretta let out a sigh. "I don't know what RP is, but I can make a guess, you know."

Michael bit his tongue as he swallowed some green beans. "Hey! It's not every day your lady comes in wearing an expensive business suit. It looks absolutely amazing on you."

Ankiah bounced around the corner with a laugh. "See, I told you! I might not like Terran fashion, but the look on his face says it all. You could scoop his mouth off the floor with a shovel."

Michael looked over to Ankiah and sighed. "Well, She looks great. Also, I made you some dinner." Pointing to the counter beside the stove, Michael smiled. "Go get Private Caithen and help yourselves. Lots of veggies and meat."

Ankiah walked to the door and stopped, turning to Michael before she left. "Wait until you see what she's got on under those clothes."

Michael choked on his broccoli and looked over to Srettia, who apparently found her chicken suddenly very interesting.

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