Allison cloaked as soon as they exited hyperspace. What she had seen on the scanners did not set her at ease. No League patrol ships. They were all private. Most of them were armed with more than what she would call defensive weaponry. The Waypoint Station was… had seen better days. It was carved out of an asteroid. She shifted power to weapons.
“Bit, are you seeing what I’m seeing?”
“Yes, this appears to be lawless. I have detected several weapons that are considered illegal for civilian use. Are you sure we should stop here?”
Allison glanced back at Mary who was shifting in her seat.
“I’m going to go with yes. Pregnant humans have some real issues with bladder pressure from the fetus. Five hours seems like torture, I’m sure. You need to go pee right Mary?”
Mary nodded furiously. Allison accessed the system her aunt had told her about way back when. The one that could project a false appearance and sensor readings.
“Bit, pick a heavily armed ship. Conceal us with that sensor profile and hologram. Change the colors to something hideous, like pink and orange, faded. Make up a name. Make sure there appears to be an access hatch where we’d get out. Also get us docked. Use my League expense account.”
A few minutes later their cloak faded and was replaced by a boxy looking transport. Bit did all the communication with the station for Allison and piloted them towards the bay. She popped her harness off, kicked her shoes off and lifted her knees to pull her leggings off. She tossed them on the floor. She pulled two holsters from the combat webbing in storage with her survival kit and strapped them around her thighs. She slid her pistols in. She wanted to do this unarmed but there was no way she was doing it in a place that made the low streets in New Amazon look like a good place for a picnic. She dumped her school bag out. She replaced her school things with two flashbangs, a wad of League hard currency she’d withdrew from her expense account on her last visit.
“Bit, it goes without saying, if anyone touches you, use your antipersonnel defense measures. This place looks… about a safe as… well it is definitely not safe. We’ll find washrooms and get some food. If we’re longer than an hour… ah hell I don’t know, who the hell can help us here? Be back soon.”
Allison slid the canopy back and hopped down. She helped Mary down. Six two foot tall bipedal hairless mole rat looking aliens started towards her ship with fuel hoses and what she assumed was an antimatter extractor. She held up her hand and addressed them in Silwrathi it was like Alliance Basic, everyone in the League tended to know at least some of it.
“Hands off, my ship is very sensitive. I’m good on reactant and FTL by product. She has a security system that is controlled by a janky Synthlin AI. Old and a bit nuts.”
She heard Bit speak through her translator.
“I heard that!”
Allison ignored her. The mole rat people shrugged and scurried away. Mary had temporarily forgotten that she needed to go now, when she’d seen the strange aliens. Allison moved on. The fact there were no customs officers really didn’t sit right with her. Most of the text was in Silwrathi, between her translation matrix and her own knowledge she found the equivalent of a women’s washroom. She opened the door and motioned Mary inside. Allison quickly ran Mary through the use of their facilities.
The station was grimy. It was filthy. Just heavily lived in. They found a market. Allison did not find much of what was on offer appetizing. This place was not the center of the League, so the food seemed to be whatever got brought here by the lowlifes that called it home. Mary was keeping very close to Allison. While the League had a thousand member races, there were hundreds more that were nearby that were not members. There were a lot of aliens Allison had never seen before here.
One alien in particular was shadowing them. It was a bipedal scorpion with a spiked tale and everything. It was a male; She could tell that much from her scan. He was on the tall side with black chitin. She had immediately been suspicious, its similarity to the Sal’nash was not helping her opinion of him. The fact he was shadowing the pair of girls made her even less comfortable with him. Allison didn’t say anything to Mary. Several aliens tried to sell them things. Allison waved them all away. A woman with six black eyes and pale green skin popped up in front of them. Her four spindly arms held a beautiful red blanket that shimmered. She addressed Mary who had no idea what she was saying. She was speaking in Silwrathi.
“Endaga silk, perfect for the babe’s first blanket.”
Mary didn’t understand the words, but the implication was for her to touch it. The woman continued.
“Endaga silk in red, very rare. Very precious. For precious babe. Only three hundred Quataks.”
Allison had literally seen a store full of these sorts of things on Silwra, the red was the cheapest because it was the natural color. The price was laughable, Allison could have bought it for five. She rolled her eyes and spoke in Silwrathi.
“Endaga silk is that red when it comes out, and I could buy a hundred of those for three hundred Quataks on Silwra because I’m buying in bulk. Because she likes it, twenty, and I’m being generous because you look old. Try and haggle we’ll move on, we’re in a hurry.”
The woman smiled showing several rows of razor sharp teeth. Allison was pretty sure that meant she was happy she was being haggled with? She had no idea what this species was. She wasn’t league.
“Mama Fsssft, will give to you for fifty quataks, it rare here. Make you friends.”
Allison rolled her eyes.
“Thirty quataks and you tell us the best place to eat that isn’t whatever the market vendor found crawling in the ducts and service vents. Take it or leave it old woman.”
Mama Fsssft’s eyes all blinked each seemed to have three pairs of eyelids. It was somewhat disturbing even to Allison and she was used to aliens. Mary did not take it so well and released the silk blanket and hid behind Allison. The old woman draped the blanket over one of the upper arms and scraped her front row of teeth with another.
“Thirty. Blanket. I tell you of food. You come back next time you are in sector. No pregnant mate. We talk. Mama Fsssft has friends. Use someone like you. Weapons like those. Qual’sa, very rare, very dangerous. That mean you very rare and very dangerous. I remember Qual’sa. Mind powers. Not so dead are they if you here.”
Allison did not dissuade the old woman’s notion that she was a Qual’sa. Mostly because if rumors spread, they might be left alone. Allison carefully kept the full extent of her funds hidden and pulled out the requested amount. She held it to herself.
“Directions first, Mama Fsssft. I do not want to see what is going on in your mind, but I will know if you’re lying.”
The old lady crackled, causing her sharp teeth to chatter together creating an unnerving sound.
“I knew you Qual’sa. Follow market. Door on left. Bastion’s Rest. Bastion’s best food. Expensive…”
Allison offered up the currency and took the blanket which she handed to Mary who rubbed it against her face.
“See you around Mama Fsssft. Better luck next scam.”
Mama Fsssft clicked her two fingered hands together with glee.
“Mama Fsssft like you Qual’sa.”
Allison moved on holding Mary’s wrist firmly in case some crazy alien decided they looked tasty, like say the scorpion dude. She found Bastion’s Rest. The sign was faded and the neon that had once shone brightly was now a dimly lit ‘ast’. The double doors slid open revealing a loud bar that if Allison didn’t know any better was the alien version of an old west saloon. There were gambling tables in one section. Jugs for spit. She could see several ladies trying to find clients for the oldest profession in the universe apparently. Another section had a bar, yet another had round tables. Some people were eating at them. It smelled good, at least to Allison who had skipped lunch, and it was getting towards supper time.
It appeared you ordered at the bar and took it to a seat. Allison motioned to an open table that would give her a good view of the exits.
“Sit in the chair on this side of the table. Don’t talk to anyone. Pretend to be mute. And God help me if my mom finds out I went into a place like this. I never in my life thought I would see alien prostitutes. Those Alliance-Net porn sites got it right again.”
Mary gave her a look of slight disgust.
“Hey, its not me, I had a teenage wolf-born in my apartment before me, she had weird tastes…”
Allison held up her hand.
“Don’t ask. Please. I’ll go get us some food, it might not look appetizing but trust me, it will be edible at least. I haven’t detected anything on the plates that is toxic to us.”
Mary moved towards the seat Allison had indicated. Allison moved to the bar. The tallest Yorleer she had ever seen stood behind the bar. She was almost eight feet tall. She put both hands on the bar and leaned down to look at Allison.
“You’re a new species aren’t you. Draw in here, I’ll shoot you myself pink skin. What can I get you?”
Allison glanced at the menu behind her. She selected a few meat dishes and a few vegetable plates. She asked for water to drink. The Yorleer looked down at her.
“Two alcoholic drink minimum, pink skin, you and your mate.”
Allison was really getting confused as to why everyone assumed she was Mary’s mate, they were both girls. She shrugged.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“Look, she’s pregnant, alcohol is bad for the baby, and I have to fly. Can’t we work something out? How about I order two shots of Silwrath Screech, drink it at the bar. You got any of that?”
She laughed.
“You drink two shots of that without dying, I’ll give you your meals for free. Twenty Quataks for the privilege of dying at my bar, pink-skin.”
Allison put the quataks on the bar and tapped it with two fingers.
“Well don’t keep me waiting, you think I want to be sober when that thing comes out screaming and eating faces?”
The Yorleer barkeep poured out two shots of alcohol, only one of which usually put Silwrath into a stupor. The Yorleer leaned her elbows on the bar.
“You survive those, how about you show me what a pink-skin can do for my bark after work?”
Allison had never considered doing anything sexual with a Yorleer, she found she really didn’t want to find out the answer to that question. The bartender motioned.
“Well? Don’t keep me waiting. I haven’t seen any idiots try this in thirty years.”
Allison hoped her nanites could handle this. She drank one shot, then the next slamming the shot glasses down upside down. She was feeling lightheaded, then ravenous as her nanites struggled against her poison intake. She winked at the barkeep who was staring at her in awe. Allison pointed at the table she’d picked.
“I’ll go wait for our food and water. On the house right.”
The barkeep slapped the bar with her large green hands and laughed again.
“Go sit down before you fall over pink-skin. Your food will be out soon.”
She picked up the empty shot glasses and put them in the sink. Allison pushed off the bar and let her head stop spinning before she walked to the table. She was rather upset to see three of the scorpion-men huddled around a very frightened Mary. She glanced at the bar and saw a very prominently posted sign. Draw and you will be shot. She decided to go big. She swaggered up to the table doing her best Ajay impression. She grabbed the closest scorpion-man by one of his arms and tugged him hard. He stumbled to the ground.
“What the fuck are you doing around my woman? Get the fuck back.”
She hit her chest hard. She inwardly winced. Men could get away with it, teenage girls, not so much.
“You wanna go? Come on fuck face.”
The tallest scorpion-man clicked his mandibles.
“A female is a female’s mate?”
Allison slammed him into the wall.
“Female? Do I look like a fucking bitch to you? That’s a bitch. My bitch.”
Allison pointed at Mary.
“What are you blind? Can’t tell the difference between a male and female human? You got four eyes motherfucker.”
The third scorpion-man’s tail was starting to twitch. She looked at him.
“You keep that up you’re gonna see what’s under my war-kilt freak. This thing comes up some motherfucker’s gonna die.”
She grabbed herself through her skirt with a cupped hand.
“You wanna die?”
She tossed the scorpion-man away she’d been holding. She forced her fangs out with some effort she glared up at the third scorpion-man.
“I wonder what you taste like under that black shit you call bones. Back off motherfucker.”
They quickly moved off. Allison slammed her chest again.
“That’s right. This bitch is taken. It’s like you fuckers have no sense of smell.”
She sat down across from Mary who was staring at her. Of course, the girl had understood none of what Allison had been spewing because it was all in Silwrathi. Her body language had probably translated though.
“Are you alright?”
Allison nodded.
“Sorry, was trying to avoid a gunfight. They were uh, suggesting we should come with them to work for them, or they’d sting us and do it anyway. They said the baby was worth both of us together. I could have shot them all but then you’re here so, I figured, why not scare them off. I told them you were my… basically that I was a man, and you were my wife.”
Mary blushed.
“Such a thing. Pretending to be a man.”
Allison sighed.
“Would you rather you and your baby get shot by accident? My training says, ‘The greatest victory is that which requires no battle’. It’s from an old book. Art of War. I guess appear strong when you are weak also applies here.”
The bartender came out and placed the plates and water on the table. Allison did a scan to make sure nothing was toxic to them. The bartender cupped the tray under her arm.
“Those Skarliks hurt you at all?”
Allison shook her head.
“No. I explained things to them.”
The bartender shook her head and chuckled.
“They run the slave pens around here. Be careful on your way back to your ship pink-skin.”
Allison smirked.
“Well, if we’re on the way back to our ship I won’t have a draw and be shot sign hanging nearby will I?”
The bartender wagged her finger at Allison.
“I like you, pink-skin. Next time you’re in the sector stop by I’ll show you just how soft a Yorleer can be.”
She then flicked her skirt up slightly revealing her long thighs. Allison blushed in spite of her best efforts not to. The Yorleer winked at her and wandered off. Mary was watching for Allison to start eating. Allison grabbed one of the meat sticks and started eating it hungrily. Her nanites were ravenous after the alcohol. Mary tentatively took a bite then started matching Allison’s pace. Allison spoke quietly to Mary.
“Hey, the bartender just told me those scorpion guys run the slave trade here. So, we’ll need to be quick heading back to Bit. If anything happens, you get behind something hard and stay out of it. Even if I seem to die, I’ll get back up. Sorry I thought these waypoint stations were all secured by the League military, guess I was wrong.”
Allison glanced up when she heard the clank of hard-soled boots on the metal floor of Bastion’s Rest. The boots belonged to a six-and-a-half-foot tall humanoid wolf, or close to wolf. Allison had seen the video of Hazel’s wolf out when she shredded the assault bots with her claws. This was like a wolf-born in war form but… sexy. Well with proportions of a humanoid, as opposed to a monster that was basically fur covered muscles, claws and teeth. She was wearing some form of hide pants and hide boots. She had a tactical vest on. She had two holsters that each held a pistol. Her fur was black with silver highlights. She had her thumbs in her gun belt. A triangular piece of metal on the left breast of her tactical vest.
“Well, as I live and breathe. A battlelord in this sector. Why that hasn’t happened in… five hundred years. I see you met the local slavers. I thought you were gonna shoot them. Was hoping you might. You squash one of those things, six more pop up in their place.”
The bartender rushed over.
“Marshal, quit bothering my customers.”
The Marshal looked at her.
“Lorna, do you know who this here, lady is, you’re feeding royalty.”
The bartender looked confused.
“Oh, I forgot you don’t read the bulletins, this young woman, here is Duchess Allison Wanjala of the Qual’sa, and a Battlelord to boot. To bad you shoot people who draw, I was hoping she’d take out the trash for me.”
Lorna’s cheeks went bright green as she looked at Allison. The teenager shrugged.
“I’m flattered you think I’m hot. Do you want us to leave?”
Lorna shook her head.
“A battlelord, now? That means…”
The marshal nodded.
“It does indeed. She’s already started taking out the trash. Those bugs that swarmed last few thousand years, she killed a whole planet of ‘em.”
The Marshal pointed towards the center of the station.
“There are few more bugs over there that need killing, bounty if you’re interested. But I suppose you just do it for the love of the game, huh. So, who’s this? She ain’t your mate. I make it a point to study the anatomy of my future lawbreakers. You’re no male human. You really had those bugs convinced though didn’t yea?”
Allison looked at Mary.
“She is a League citizen I am transporting deeper into LSR space. So, any help you can give me in getting her back to our ship safe and sound, I would appreciate, Marshal.”
The Marshal pulled out a chair and looked up at Lorna.
“Could you grab me the usual, sweetheart?”
Lorna blushed a brighter shade of green and left them alone. The Marshal looked Allison over.
“I thought you would be taller in person. I guess as human females go, you’re plenty tall though. Is this one more average?”
The Marshal motioned to Mary who was five foot two on a good day.
“She’s a little on the short side. Average is in between.”
The Marshal nodded.
“I see it. You’d have shot those bugs just as soon as look at them. If she wasn’t here. You’d have taken your chances with Lorna’s laser rifle.”
Allison shrugged.
“Takes a lot to put me down.”
The Marshal chuckled. Lorna dropped off a plate full of medium rare meat strips. The Marshal put her arm around Lorna’s waist and pulled her closer.
“You’re in a mood, how about I stop by after your shift, if this one hasn’t stolen you from me.”
Lorna blushed and patted the Marshal’s cheek.
“We’ll see, I still got a lot of day to cover. And the Duchess hasn’t said no yet. Gotta keep my options open. Marshal.”
The Marshal nipped at Lorna who giggled girlishly and picked up some dirty dishes.
“Heartbreaker that one. But oh, so good.”
The Marshal ate her way through her meat strips while the girls finished theirs. She finished and licked her fingers off then pointed at the silk blanket.
“I see Mama Fsssft convinced you to buy some of her junk. Careful around her. She seems witless but she’s cunning, runs all of the merc business here, acts the fool. For food, stick to here, Lorna brings it in special. Prices are high, but you ain’t gonna die from toxic vent cleaner poisoning ‘cause you ate a roasted rodent.”
Allison nodded.
“We’re out of here as soon as we finish eating and stop for a washroom break. Hey, how safe are ships in the hangers here.”
The marshal downed the last of her yellow alcohol.
“No one touches ships here. Yoggi tends to behead folks then ask for details afterwards if someone messes with a ship in his docks. People try from time to time but his ugly little shits tend to take a chunk off ‘o them then deliver the rest to Yoggi. He likes squeezing people until the head pops off. Runs a betting pool on how long someone will last. You can always tell someone’s been doing what they shouldn’t down at the hangers. People love a show.”
Allison looked at Mary who was still eating away then back to the Marshal.
“Marshal, uh… why don’t you arrest people?”
She laughed.
“And put ‘em where? There ain’t no brig here darlin. It’s the law of the gun. I keep the peace between the factions, shoot the slavers when they slink away from their secure zone. Let the crime bosses do their thing unless common folk get caught in the middle. Market, here, they’re safe spaces. Protected by me. I don’t mess with Yoggi’s fun. He runs the hangers because he likes look’n at ships. I’m not going to fetish shame a Slagithsith. As their fetishes go this is mild. Mama Fsssft runs a tight ship. I ain’t got no call to interfere with her business. I don’t work for the League. I work for the crime bosses on this station. I keep the peace between them. Kill the vermin, and if you’re wonderin what that means, slavers. No one likes those shits. If you’re looking for a bastion of law and order in the League, you’re at the farthest place from it.”
The Marshal stood up as Mary finished the last of their food.
“Now, Yoggi clocked you for League government official right away with your expense account. Yoggi told my employers, who told me to make sure you get off this station with a minimum of fuss once your business was concluded. Dead League government folks are bad for business. So, I will in fact, escort you and your charge here to your ship. Yoggi says next time you come back he wants to see your real ship not your fake hologram. He says he’s heard things about it that make him gooey all over. Also to check in with him so you can get the proper respect from the other bosses. None of us want to be bug chow.”
Mary was very confused. Allison helped her up.
“She’s a protector. She’s going to escort us to the ship. She was just telling me about the station.”
Lorna blew a kiss at Allison then held up her hand in farewell. Allison waved back. The trio retraced the two teenagers’ steps back towards their hanger. Allison had to ask.
“Okay, how… can it possibly work with a plant woman?”
The Marshal chuckled.
“Yorleer can grow any part of themselves if they’re flexible. Lorna is very flexible. She can touch you in places you never imagined.”
Allison blushed profusely as against her wishes her mind started imagining those places. She gave herself a mental slap. Bad Allison! The Marshal helped Allison get Mary into the rear seat. Allison stood on her ladder and looked at the Marshal.
“What’s your name?”
The Marshal nodded to Allison.
“Everyone just calls me Marshal. You want more, next time you’re around, buy me a drink.”
Allison shook her head.
“Well, see you around Marshal. Thanks.”