"Priority comm message coming in sir, it's marked as eyes only."
Bridger suppresses an annoyed snarl, he'd literally just gotten his interviewee settled into the couch arrangement preferred by Nagasha and gotten her some herbal tea.
"I'm terribly sorry Ms. Cascka, but can I ask you to please return to the outer office for a few moments? I have to take this."
The red haired beauty bows her head in a genteel manner, smiling pleasantly as she lowers her eyes. The Great Plains Nagasha woman's emerald scales glitter delicately in the light, making her look for all the world like a heroine in a movie under a spotlight. Her movements are nothing but graceful as she slides out of the chair and heads for the door with her tea cup perfectly balanced on its saucer, dragging her long tail behind her.
"Of course Captain Bridger, I understand completely, please excuse me."
Bridger hits the button to activate the message as the door slides shut, and immediately has to crane his neck as a massive hologram fills the space before his desk.
Instead of Admiral Cistern or someone who should be using the priority channels, he finds himself face to face with what appeared to be an absolutely massive Nagasha woman. She had striking red hair and the multiple arms of a Desert Nagasha but was... different. She was covered in glowing axiom infused markings, a mix of what appeared to be natural markings, and obvious gang tattoos for one, but there was something about her that Jerry couldn't immediately put his finger on species wise.
"...Well, I can't say I was expecting this, but... I'd assume you're the mother of the girls who attacked my wife and I?"
The snake woman offers Bridger a feral grin. "Oh my, very on the ball are we? Yes Captain Bridger, I am Rikaxza, I have the honor to be the clan mistress of the Seven Tails of the Nagasha. You killed four of my daughters, and for this I still owe you thanks."
"...So the blood money was a serious thing?"
"Of course, I have many, many daughters, killing off the stupid is quite literally doing me a favor. They did an incredible amount of damage to my reputation. Your killing them ended a lot of police inquiries immediately... After all, they were dead, problem solved. I still had to pay out twice what I paid you and your family in blood money to ensure some idiot prosecutor or "ambitious" cop didn't try and take a chance to go for my throat."
Rikaxza's tail thrashes, rage bleeding onto her face for a moment.
"Though you did take the chance to kill those little slags myself! Attacking a pregnant woman! The fucking gall. Attacking a man on top of it. Even if you humans are built slightly differently than the rest of the galaxy. Never mind roping in useful assets like Jaruna and that Feli engineer Wichen. Both of which are now no longer of possible service to me."
"I take it your criminal organization has... standards, shall we say?"
Rikaxza leans into the camera a bit. "Most certainly Captain Bridger, we are not mere bandits. Nor mere drug runners. Or any of the other industries I busy myself and my minions with... but the actual members of my clan? We are warriors, and we shall comport ourselves with some modicum of honor when engaged with peers or normal citizens. They, you, do not belong to our world. Killing a pregnant woman is the type of thing I'd reserve for sending a message to utter trash like the Dark Cabal, not some random civilian who foiled a stupid robbery attempt gone wrong."
Bridger raises an eyebrow. "I'm far from a civilian."
"By our terms you are, unless you're looking to join a clan? You have such a fine ship, I could get quite a bit done with a beauty like this, especially with all the warriors you have under your command now. Ghorza the Gutripper, wed at last, and her clan all becoming a higher grade of professional soldier, who would have thought? I don't think you quite understand what you've done there Captain Bridger."
"Enlighten me."
"Moving up in the Horchka warrior castes is rare. You took them from mercenaries, the lowest of the warrior caste... and not only made them proper warriors, the word is they're being inducted into a human warrior cult."
"You're very well informed. So what's that all equate to in the Horchka culture?"
"It pays to be informed Captain Bridger, something you might want to remember. As for the Horchka... you more or less raised them... three, maybe four levels of status, then offered them membership in a warrior cult, the cream of the crop as far as Horchka are concerned. You told the galaxy that they, who were nothing, were worthy of being recognized as skilled and lethal warriors. As more than just mere cannon fodder. As elite, lauded, and most importantly, again that very special word, worthy, soldiers. Those girls will follow you into your human hell and back if you ask them. They may even come to think of you as a father. Many of them no doubt see Ghorza as a surrogate mother."
"Respect and courtesy are high value coin for those who receive little of it."
"Quite. One of your human philosophers?"
"Admiral Cistern actually, he's quite the diplomat."
"Yes, a fascinating man... his first wife has always been an interesting woman, and now I hear he’s wed Speaker Ticanped..." Rikaxza scowls. "Well. I wish your Admiral luck, I have little time for the Pavorus species, and even less time for our dear speaker of the council."
Bridger sits back in his chair a bit and decides it's time to push this conversation forward, this chat was far too casual for his taste.
"Madame, while I appreciate this fascinating conversation, I would like to get to the purpose of your call, I have a potential staffer waiting for me."
"Oh don't you worry Captain, my daughter is a very patient girl, and she is very excited at the possible opportunity to go on something of an adventure with you."
Bridger puts two and two together in a heartbeat.
"Wait, Ms. Cascka is your daughter?"
"Why yes, don't you see the family resemblance?"
"...Yes actually now that I think about it. She's got your eyes, hair and scale colors... but you have six arms, your other daughters have six arms... so you married a Great Plains Nagasha? But that doesn't work, those would just be your sons..."
The crime boss allows herself a throaty chuckle. "I do like you humans. Your curiosity, your bright eyed fascination with the universe is very refreshing. My husband is in fact a Cannidor."
"Interesting, but how does that explain..."
"I am what is called a Primal Nagasha. The species from which all Nagasha are born. Under the right circumstances I can give birth to any of the Nagasha subspecies."
Jerry's mind processes that information and immediately spits out a memory from his education.
"You're an Echidna."
"A what?"
"Echidna, the mother of monsters, a figure from one human culture's mythology... she looked a hell of a lot like a Nagasha as it happens."
Rikaxza's eyes narrow, clearly considering that information.
"Echidna... and she looked like a Nagasha? Fascinating. I like the title of mother of monsters though, I might add it to the ones they announce me with."
"Echidna gave birth to many legendary monsters in that mythology, of many shapes and sizes and configurations."
"Oh I do like that!"
"Would you be willing to share genetic information on your species with us? The idea of being able to actively reproduce into multiple species alone is... fascinating."
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
"I'll forward some research I've commissioned on the subject in return for everything you can give me on "Nagasha" in humanity's collective history or mythology. The Primal Nagasha are rarely studied and more kept in superstitious awe by most Nagasha. Many things in our culture are unfortunately. I like the stories as much as any other Nagasha worth her tail. I was there when some of them were written, but ye goddesses and little fishes, the treatment of things like mental illness alone..."
That has Jerry's attention. "You have a deal, but if I might ask... how do the Nagasha treat mental illness?"
"Well, it depends. If I develop a traumatic stress disorder, I would be treated and sent on my way. Same with things like depression. Certain developmental disorders however... well. If they're missed in vitro, and they are, due to incompetence, or the defect being very subtle or presenting differently, people being unwilling to pay for high level analysis and so forth. Because one is born that way, many say they should not be treated, but helped to live their best lives in their own way. Because many such disorders are baked into the DNA, a healing coma can't really help without taking a child back to pre-infancy, which would be quite traumatic to say the least, especially for a child."
Rikaxza sighs. "There are treatments of course, some even help, but Nagasha culture refuses them. We're proud, perhaps even protective of these individuals, so called "Jingays". Yet not so protective as to not indoctrinate them with their own saga and instead help with modern medicine. Even one of my own daughters was taken in this way, despite my best efforts to clandestinely get her treatment. The priestesses had their hooks in her before she'd finished her first year of education.”
The matriarch lets out another aggrieved growl rubbing the bridge of her nose as if trying to relieve a headache.
"Still... my little Jingay, while like her other sisters in that title, has never been anything but bold. She ended up as a crew woman on a pirate ship." Rikaxza cackles gleefully. "A pirate ship you're familiar with actually."
The serpent woman's grin has Jerry feeling a bit unnerved. Like she's about to swallow him whole. Still he considers the pirates he's come into contact with recently... many had Nagasha crew women... but... his mind jumps to the bridge crew of the pirate ship ‘the Claw’, also known as the EFL Tiger. Hadn't Lilpaw or Miles called one of the bridge crew Jingay?
"...On the Claw, correct?"
"Very good." Rikaxza's smile widens a bit. "Who could have guessed that my little Jingay would be one of the most successful of my daughters? She cut her own path in the universe. Went her own way, and now she's happily married to a clan that rules a goddess damn planet! Hah! Admittedly I rule a few star systems myself, but it just goes to show, even when hobbled from birth my daughters all have potential if they can either be smart enough, strong enough, wise enough, or, like Jingay, tenacious enough to seize it. Such a charming son in law too. I'll have to visit Vucsa 5 soon... I'm sure I can find some business opportunities for the clan."
The massive snake woman preens herself, clearly as pleased with the successes of her daughters as she was wrathful over other daughter's failures.
"On another note. Excellent memory retention and analytical skills... yes... I think I'll propose putting you to work to your Sir Philip. We share some interests, your leaders and I... and you shall make a fine instrument of our will when our wills overlap."
Jerry sips his tea slowly, he was learning all sorts of interesting things from this conversation. The mention of Sir Philip was also interesting, but not surprising. Especially considering the recent operations against the Dark Cabal. If Rikaxza loathed said group... Jerry puts the thought aside. Time to change subjects to something slightly less dangerous.
"How did you meet your husband by the by?"
"Oh that? I "liberated him" from one of those warrior sisterhoods the Cannidor like to put together after they challenged me. He was most grateful, and after a few months of realizing he wasn't a prisoner anymore, he did his damnedest to seduce me! Me!"
The massive Nagasha woman cackles happily.
"Man is certainly hefting some. Easily the most feminine man I've met till you humans turned up. He babies our girls a bit, but I couldn't ask for a better father for my children. He's raising our sons tough too... I imagine at least one of them will follow Cascka in joining your Undaunted. Such a male positive environment is a young man's dream. Male companionship, encouragement in learning the arts of war. Actively stomping every stupid bitch who thinks she's hot shit and doesn't approach with respect."
Rikaxza licks her lips. "It's delicious. You humans don't know what you have... well. Sir Philip and Cistern might, but Cistern won't exploit this opportunity... his honor won’t let him. you are going to have many recruits to your Undaunted. Women yes... but where there are so many men... Men will come. Many men will drag their families over for a chance to be more than just a man. Boys will flee intended first marriages for political asylum with the Undaunted. Political and business alliances will be shook up... or the Undaunted will become party to those alliances through their new recruits. Entire clans will join you at the word of their husbands, desperate to escape their gilded cage by any means necessary.”
Rikaxza gestures, and a sigil that looks like the logo of a business appears in the palm of her hand.
“For example... There's a clan of mostly scientists and researchers. They operate an independent cutting edge axiom research collective I have influence with. Eighty girls strong or so. Their husband plays cards with some of my sons. He is ever so desperate to work out bringing his family over. One example of many. Warriors, scientists, business women, gangs, pirate crews, hell, military units could potentially defect! You could wield this newfound power through these men and end up with your hands in the guts of a thousand fold worlds. But as cagey as he might be, I don’t think Cistern will use such leverage as I would. But the Undaunted shall ascend all the same."
Bridger sits back in his chair and considers the consequences of all that chaos. "We could end up connected to some very powerful people."
"Oh my dear Captain Bridger... you already are, and men haven't even begun to join you en masse yet. For example, I have one daughter married to a senior Undaunted officer. If my luck holds I’ll have a second soon enough. That’s just one example. You have connections in places you cannot even begin to imagine yet. You’re all thinking too small still, that you see the big picture as you do, or rather your leaders do is admirable. To come from nothing onto the galactic stage is no small feat.”
The serpentine woman gestures and brings up a map of the galaxy, letting the hologram spin in her palm.
“And yet, there is just so much more. You humans have made quite a splash amongst the real circles of power in the galaxy. The good news is the impression Admiral Cistern has made is an excellent one, welcomed with more or less open arms. Even if some of those arms still have weapons close to hand. A new long term thinking stabilizing factor in the galaxy, an apex species... and an opportunity for those like me to send our sons to a positive place for them to become mighty in their own right."
"I uh. I feel like this is way above my pay grade."
"Perhaps Captain, but as the second commander of a human ship in the wider galaxy... it very much will be something you'll have to deal with. Prepare for that."
Jerry stifles a gulp, keeping his face still and free of emotion. "On another note... I feel like you'll tell me if I ask. Is Cascka a spy? We don't really have anything to hide and I'd rather she be a known factor on my ship."
"Why would you ever believe what I say on the subject?"
"Because you promote yourself as an honorable woman, and I'd rather meet you as an equal on this subject."
More laughter.
"Goddess, look at the pair on you! I almost wish I was a few centuries younger and unwed, I'd have done just about anything to get my coils on you."
Rikaxza leers down at Bridger and he finally reaches out and adjusts the size of the hologram so he can stop craning his neck.
"Cascka is not a spy. Sort of."
"How is one sort of a spy?"
"Because she is absolutely going to gather information for me, but she's not ferreting out that information or doing anything subversive or untoward. She might not even know that she'll be doing it. She'll write to her father and I regularly, in the course of that correspondence she'll tell me all about her daily life with humanity. If I'm very lucky she'll end up married. I imagine she'll likely be quite attracted to you, specifically Captain Bridger. Her best friend growing up was an Apuk girl, and the love of fairy tales involving powerful men rubbed off on her."
"I'm no sorcerer madame."
"Neither is her father, but she's had examples of strong men before her her whole life, a man commanding a spaceship, possibly even a warship? Whatever clever things you're up to in that dry dock. I imagine that'll get my daughter's fantasies running wild. It's one of the reasons I've encouraged Cascka to join you actually. My sweet daughter is not meek per se... but she's no desire to be like the failures you killed. She's not interested in the family business. I worry about her meeting a man. I worry about her growing an actual spine. She seems to think that not being a limp noodle means being a crime boss like her successful big sisters, and that's simply not the case. It's just her other successful sisters don't live at home. Plus with all the men around I imagine even she can find a husband who's hefting some even if she isn't, and I'd at least like my grandchildren to have a little fang to them."
Rikaxza snorts happily and leans into the camera, all teeth.
"Though as I said, I'd greatly prefer it if she managed to get her coils around you, if only because it'll prove my sweet and innocent princess finally got ambitious and excelled at something besides studying axiom."
Another lewd grin, but this time Jerry can tell she's actively trying to throw him off. Rikaxza had been testing him this whole time.
"So what's the end goal of this research that isn't research?"
"To decide if I want to actively make friends with humanity in general and your Undaunted in particular past occasional collaboration. I have no need to make enemies with anyone, and your removal of the stain on the universe known as Darla Swipe has earned you quite a bit of credit from me as a species. Anyone who opposes the Cabal's heiresses and their butchers will get nothing but support from me. I believe in a higher standard of organized crime. I also like some of the power plays your Admiral Cistern's made, and the activities of some of his spies... you humans really do deserve the title of Apex. However, I don't think I'd marry my organization to the Undaunted, like the pirates in your EFL... I have more girls on Centris than your species has humans outside of Cruel Space, but there's other ways we can be friends. I'm a businesswoman after all."
Rikaxza settles back into what can only be called a throne. "There, all the cards on the table. I hope you give my daughter a fair shake Captain. I've seen how you fight, and you handled our little chat perfectly. I won't negotiate a marriage for my daughter, that's not how you humans or I do business after all. But I will say I quite approve of the match. I imagine any of my granddaughters you sired with Cascka would be some of the toughest little monsters in my family not long after they hatch. Rikaxza out."