It took a few days to track down a technician and another week to get them in from Asphodel as it took trading a favor with Francesca to get the bastard out here. Petra Volkov has her fingers in a lot of pies, and when I put a lien on a transport and storage company affiliated with MosCorp and placed a sector-wide warning on Twilight’s space port she got me blacklisted for a lot of businesses. Luckily, we haven’t had much contact since then.

I see my favorite name pop up in my HUD before I can dive too deep down the rabbit hole.

“Hey cutie, what’s up.” Her petite face pops up in my feed and she’s smiling and shaking her head.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love the way we interact, but even my friends would be aghast at your behavior sometimes. I normally abhor being called cute,” Penny says with a smirk and an inappropriate tooth lick.

“Eh, yeah. I understand the feeling and I’m sorry if I let it slip.” She waves me off.

“No, stop. I said I like the way we interact in private. However, when you come to my office on business, my friends will be there and though the atmosphere will be informal,”

“No gooey cutesy stuff?” I frown without meaning to.

“Yes. By the way that Kitty complains, we are apparently ‘a lot’. That said, I’m glad you’re coming by and I plan to pamper you for the three days you are here.”

“Did my plans unexpectedly change? Does the Empress command my presence?” I shudder at the thought.

“Oh, now I have to know what you were thinking about.”

“The Empress in her crown and bangles. Only crown and bangles. I’m sorry, I don’t know why . . .”

“I did not ask you to explain, or make excuses. I can instruct you in answering questions from your Empress.” Her voice was sultry and stern.

My mouth dries and my middles warm to an uncomfortable degree. “I serve at your pleasure,” and mine, for fucks sake.

She snorts with laughter as she breaks character. “I’m sorry, it’s just that I’m not used to pulling that persona around you and it’s a little strange, but we can do a little roleplay if you wear the vest and hat.”

“Jeesus Penny, I can’t picture this in any more detail or I will need a time out.” She laughs her cute little pixie titter. “Topic change, can I look at some of your side-arm options and maybe get some armor recommendations? One of my Marines took some rifle fire and it split one of their shielding panels and it took down the whole energy field.”

“Bring it back with you. I can’t tell if it’s a material problem or a design flaw without looking at the piece. Also, I saw the memo that you liked the uniforms I made you.”

I chuckle at the change of subject to her. “Yes, I did like the design, and the coloring on my armor is freaking awesome. I also very much love the ship that you snuck out to me. Every one of the techie’s that come on board have to be escorted off under protest. I especially like the creature comforts you added.”

“Bah,” she waves my praise away again, “It’s the project that Tessa grew distant while I was buried in it. She didn’t—and still doesn’t—like what my architecture and my assistant’s husband’s learning algorithms have brought to AI development. Even Andromeda’s a little mad at me, and it’s something we need to discuss when you get here.”

“Would we even know how to live without drama and conflict?”

“Probably not. Speaking of drama, I hear your friend Camile is looking for a third.” Her face is even and it is quietly terrifying.

“She is, and yes she asked me. I’d be lying if I didn’t think it’d be fun, but it wouldn’t work for the same reason it never has: I don’t like the idea of sharing my partner. Camile knows I get soft when I feel safe, but I only feel that kind of safe around her family and around you these days. A third? No way would I feel safe.” I breathe deep and continue. “Plus, I love you and you’re enough for me.”

Her wings start sparkling through the imager and I know she’s flush with emotion. “I want to teleport to you so bad right now, but if I smell like sex during my next meeting, I will never live it down.”

“Ex wife?” I ask. She nods. “On that note, I’ve been butting heads with Petra, and I think there’s going to be a tit for tat thing for the whole time.”

“Yeah, I saw the notice. We’ll get into it when you get here, but that’s why you’re now staying for three days. Petra is pulling Jenna and Remmy into it and wants a meeting between the Protectors and the Marshals of your sector. Yes, Marshals. Again, we’ll talk when you get here. As cool as Kitty is, I am not a magitec master yet, and Katie and a few others could intercept her comms if they really wanted to.”

“Alright, pixie girl, I’ll see you in a few days.”

“See you soon, Marshmallow.”

My cheeks turn beet red at that term of endearment. It’s a new one and it’s too accurate for me to deny. I am absolutely soft and sugary when I’m around her.

“Marshmallow, huh?” my ship says, sassing me.

“Kitty. Seriously? Yes. I’ll make you a deal, you don’t bring up any of my nicknames outside of the two of us, and I tell you some stories about myself while we’re on Astoria. You have to come to the castle in your mobile chassis though. Gotta be with the girls to be one of us chica. That and you can meet Oren. Dude’s awesome and he’s the first true AI Penny ever created on purpose.”

“Oren is a legend! I want to meet Warram too, but he’s on Earth, and Alaris told me that I can’t go to Earth until I’m older.”

“Oof, you shouldn’t go to Earth until you get your first barnacle, little missy.”

“But I can’t get barnacles!!” she huffs at me, I raise an eyebrow and turn to stare at the camera at the top of the Nav console. “UGH! Fine. I’ll just hijack you and make you take me to Earth.”

“No need for that, lady. I’ll be due some vacation days after this tour, so maybe I can ask Penny for an extended route to familiarize myself with the Empire or some official shirking of duties. I’ve always wanted to tour the Herrati settlements in the Kepler system.”

Gods that would be fun. Me, Penny and Kitty on a grand tour of the Empire and maybe do a little exploring. Dream vacation stuff. Would it feel weird having Kitty with us? Would she come out with her chassis most of the time? Would she follow or go on her own adventures?

“Do you dream of adventure other than combat? And if we’re going to talk, can you post an avatar or something?”

After a few minutes of silence, a young Elvin girl in jeans and a t-shirt appears on the projector in the view screen. “I don’t want to talk about my appearance, okay. It’s my mental self, and I don’t know how to manifest anything else, okay?”

I smirk at the girl, sad for the insecurity, but loving the edgy look. “Nah, Kit. You look cool. I take it you see yourself as Penny’s daughter? Do you all take last names?”

“Why the sudden interest? What do you want?” Her eyes peer at me in defiance.

“To stop being an utter ass toward you? I try to be grateful of your help, but I also avoid your personal questions like the plague. I am terribly insecure about betrayal of friends and family, so . . . it’s hard for me. It took a decade for me to realize I was in love with Penny.”

“Yeah, that still makes no sense to me. However, I can work with that. Most of us ship Ais think ourselves of either Penny’s daughters or David the shipwright’s daughters. Alaris and the Fairy Queens are very protective of her, and they all feel a part of the family Astoria. The newer cruisers and the corvette lines are different, more removed. They identify with the first User they bond with. Not always their first Captain, but usually a CO or XO of the ship at some point.”

“Huh. That makes a certain sort of sense. Their first actual mentor would be a good choice for family. That’s a really neat way to choose where you belong. I’m not going to say that I’m jealous I’m not a ship, but the lack of attachment to biology is appealing to me.”

We sit in silence for a few minutes and I miss her voice just a little bit, because it’s the only part of her presence I can feel right now. “Kitty, I’ve got a stupid idea, but can you hear me out?”

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

“You’re not going to suggest bombarding Petra’s companies again?”

I chuckle, I did ask like three times. “No, I was thinking it’s hard to hang out with you, so, I’d . . . kinda like it if you would bring your chassis to the cockpit and watch the stars pass by with me.”

“The officer’s lounge has a transparent hull section. We should meet there.”

That little turd. I didn’t know we had an officer’s lounge and the twerp has been keeping silent when I ask about areas I haven’t been to. Now though, Kip has the waypoints and I pick up a sixer of Elysium Brewing on my way to the lounge.

By the time I get there, there’s a thin girl in a burgundy dress, boots, and a black and bone corset. Oh honey, your goth phase is the sweetest. “Wow, Kit, your chassis is, state of the art. I’d wager a few models ahead of Tessa.”

She blushes, looks down and tucks a part of her bob behind her ear. “this is why I don’t like my chassis. Mom, made it very real, and I have a hard time. She modeled me after Tessa’s body, the modified and targeted restrictions on information reception, ensuring a more mortal experience. The link I have with my central consciousness is the only reason I’m not freaking out.”

I walk over and see the uncertainty and the discomfort with my request, but she’s here anyway. “Kitty, can I hug you?”

Her eyes flick between my arms and my face, seemingly in a lost loop, but after a few iterations she nods and I envelop her in my arms and lean my head against hers. She doesn’t feel like holding a construct, save the lack of heat that a body would normally have.

About a minute into my one-sided self-assurance hug, Kitty grabs my side belt loops and punches my shoulder with her forehead, nuzzling the spot. I immediately melt and pull her closer and tell her how happy I am to have met her.

“So, are you going to marry Penny soon? Or . . .”

I start choking on my beer immediately. “I just came to terms with admitting I love her, lady. No way am I proposing so soon.”

“So Empress wify when?” she looks up at me and I swat her shoulder.

“I don’t know! I am dating the most powerful person in the history of Humanity, and I see her as this petite pixie mama. That’s as far as I’ve gotten. I like Zia and some of her friends, but I’ve been on the frontier a long time. I don’t know much about serious relationships right now and I’m scared to death that I know too little to keep Penny interested.”

“You’re really this way? I always thought it was false modesty.” She insults, still hugging me. Turd.

“Nah, I have some identity issues and Penny actually accepts that I have them. So I am naturally smitten beyond belief at her acceptance. And you, you have been a catty pain, but your innocence and expertise is endearing and impressive in both respects.”

After a few minutes, I want a drink and have no hands to affect said change. “What’ya say about moving to the lounger, cuddling and watching the stars?”

“You try any funny stuff and I’ll kill you.”

“Eww, don’t be gross kid. You’re basically my step daughter. Don’t tell Penny I said that.” She jabs me with her pointy thumb and I yelp.

At some point during the hour we’ve been trading stories about Penny and myself, I found a brush and am brushing her hair while she projects and plays with the constellations. At some point I feel measured breathing and I follow quickly.

***

“Alright Marines. What are we choosing, Kismet, or Prospect 3. Fire teams can split if they like. Sorry Sergeant, you get the dry rub on this one.”

“No worries Marshal. I want to keep an eye on Twilight anyway. I have an idea that they’re funding muggings on the prospects so I’d like to have the fireteams split between Prospect 3 and Prospect 5.”

“We’ve talked with Sergeant about this, Sir. I want to take fireteam 1 to Prospect 5. PFC Binet will lead the team on Prospect 3.”

“Sounds like a plan to me. See if you can get the Cob of Kismet to roger up my last fireteam for Prospect 4, there’s a rumor that Aethrite has been found. I’ll make the extra stop and fund the expenses for a month presence if there’s reason for you to stay. I like the initiative folks. We need to keep these things rolling with every six weeks bringing something different. Sergeant, I believe it is time to release the incentive schedule.”

“Copy that Sir. Long story short, extra results can bring anything from one credit to fifty credits. There’s a table. Confirmed intel and actions only. Get to work Marines.”

The seven of them file out of my quarters and get back to work. Rob and Darcy, however, stay behind. “Any thoughts to your roles in the future?”

“Ah, yeah, boss.” Rob says, “So, you needed a centralized admin, operations, and PR for the ten people you headed before, why shouldn’t that still be true.”

“We don’t have an HQ Rob.”

“We do, onboard Kismet. Really it should be Kitty, but the both of you want to be in the action, and well, the Corvette seems a more fitting place for a staff.”

“Write a new staffing plan then with an HQ, negotiated with the XO, onboard Kismet. This would mean they need to be ready to receive my ship at any time unless they schedule otherwise.”

Rob and Darcy perk up and I know that this is the end of the close group that I had. Ahh the wells, no saying we still can’t talk, but thick as thieves we won’t be. With their new fervor, Darcy and Rob arrange every G-D thing that we want in half a day and we’re zipping around the sector in no time.

Before too long, It’s just me and Kitty, and she’s in her avatar—a term she likes better—more often. “Kit, how reliable is Astoria Orbital these days?”

“Nine point seven rating. Highest in the Empire. They lost rating because they accepted a few shipments of Primal Claw before it was banned.”

Claw started as a were-beast and blood-parasite drug that affected secondary users for a thrill for those who were resistant. Tended to kill the hosts, but the Astorian Civil Patrol looked the other way when non-citizens were victims. It was tough to get out of the Prospects, as some of the more resilient workers were clients of some kind. I had to get pretty dirty to convince folks to get clean.

“Orbit Control, this is EF-1 Reporting our arrival path to arrival point All Zeds.”

“Copy EF-1, DE Orbital. Require User with license for point All Zed.”

We both sigh, as far as I know ships can’t get a license to pilot autonomously. “Roger Orbital, DE Senior Marshal Solari. Be sure to include code 443 violations on your report.”

“You are cleared, and will do Ma’am.” I wince at the honorific, but am reassured that they will include the official specs of Kitty instead of the pinged specifications. I’m sure the kid made the swap anyway. I stay on the line a little longer and ask for the watch Petty Officer’s report for the last two days. And they send it to me within ten minutes. The response time surprised me so much that Kitty had to thank them for me.

We don’t have to deal with Aelean airspace as Orbital recommends an unconflicted approach that I appreciate.

“Have you met her in person Kit?” I ask the avatar of the ship as the ramp lowers onto Penny’s long garden. Her area of the Castle is effing huge and it can accommodate the largest fighter in the Empire. Rich Boss Bitch. Gods she’s hot. MIK control yourself. Ever since I quit the testosterone stims, I have been a hormonal wreck for Penny and her alone. But when I talk with her everyday I am horny all of the fucking time.

Despite my libido and Kitty being on scene with me, we land safely and Penny is there to greet us with a dive-bomb ambush from the side so that we’re all rolling in the grass afterward.

“I tell you, Mikki, I did not expect you to bring Kitty along.”

“Babe, your kids adore you, and Kit is no exception. This charming little goth elf wants to know you, but she also knows that we need alone time.”

She nods, “Mikaela has been very accepting of my . . . avatar. I . . . I have questions about why my chassis is so detailed.”

“Oh, sweetie, that’s easy. I wanted you and Mikaela to connect. And it’s clear that you have. Your appearance is interesting and I would love to study why you look like . . . another conversation perhaps. Instead, how about we go inside, get you both settled and we’ll talk about the next few days. Kitty, Zia’s room is ready for you. And you, Miss Marshal, are coming with me.”

She used the wrong form of the ‘coming’ word, but see was correct. Repeatedly. I hope the sound proofing is good, otherwise I feel bad for Kit and Oren.

I look up at the floating, glowing wonder that is the Empress of Astoria, the first of her name and the Glory of the Crown, just hanging there with her glittery jewels and perky breasts just asking for attention.

“Command me, Empress, claim me.”

“Your teeth are entirely too short, pet. You will rectify that before you are allowed to touch me with your mouth.”

Kip. KIP! EMERGENCY.

Mikaela, libido is not an emergency.

Kip, there’s plenty of aether, make this fucking happen. He saps my stamina and takes strength from my whole body to effect the changes, but before I cum, my top and bottom incisors claim the petite deity and the pearlescent blood tickles my tongue in extract and mutation. I feel nails and talons in my shoulders and my thighs as my Imperial girlfriend just starts swearing as she kneads wounds in my body with absent pleasure.

I of course barely needed her to touch me before I came, but with the pawing and the strange ecstasy that is her aether, I’m convulsing with pleasure. When my vision clears again, Penny is smiling as though she is proud of me.

Her approval satisfies a reclusive part of me so completely that I know that in this moment, if she asked me, I would take on the Matrix. Luckily she swore in a way that felt somewhere between desperation and command:

“Fuck me.”

I growl a low rumble into her neck and start licking the mess that I caused while I trail one hand around to tease a nipple and the other to twirl some light purple fluff before claiming her with a plunging thrust of my fingers. A few minutes in and Penny erects a shield around us before she shouts my name so loud it hurts my ears.

Penny alternates cursing and praising me between desperate kisses and her limbs trying to envelop me completely. It develops into a drowsy, handsy exploration while she mutters sweet nothings into my neck, which she has been very good not to bite with her scary teeth.

Her teasing, gentle hands spin me up again, but this time not in an urgent need, more of desire to share my contentment. I slowly release myself from her death grip, eliciting sad whimpers from my girl, and lazily make my way to making out with her clit while I trace little patterns into the soft skin of her thigh. I lose track of time as I bury my face in her and enjoy the same languid pace while touching myself, until a sharp pinch on my ass makes me yelp.

“Mikaela, honey. Make me cum or I’ll do it myself.”

My mind snaps to attention as I moan into her. I plunge two fingers in at a steady pace, curling them in to press against her intimate topography. In minutes she’s kneading my legs with her strong hands and her hot, rapid breaths are making me wetter than I can describe. When she begs me to make her climax and runs a long slow lick across my core, latching on afterward, my pace picks up a hint of desperation.

“Fuck!” Penny shouts, muffled between my thighs, and it starts my cresting into orgasm, hoping that Penny is close to follow. One last prolonged suction on my clit signals the end of my concentration as I move my mouth and bite down on her leg, shuddering from the overwhelming satisfaction of the moment. I barely recognize the pain as Penny claws my back and butt as she clamps her legs around me.

Not sure whether saturation of suffocation is what sets my vision to narrow, but I fade to black before I can even think to move to extract myself.