Stella was not surprised to get a call from Ktak to come immediately to her compartment. The date was in a few hours and she was about to call her herself. She fished out a package from the bottom of the closet. She had gotten it at their last trading station stopover exactly for this day. She wondered if the manufacturing shop had understood her instructions on using the designs, but they would find out soon enough. She also fished out her makeup and hairdressing bag and headed out.
Ktak’s compartment was a mess. Probably every item of clothing she had was hanging of some arbitrary piece of furniture. Most of it was uniform. Few were Tamare formal attire. Basically, a robe that was designed to make all hybrid species look alike. Not something one would wear to a date.
Ktak herself was worse. She had tried to do something with her hair. Unsuccessfully. It looked like a stork nesting attempt. She was standing in the middle of the mess in her underwear clutching her dress unform.
“Help?” she pleaded.
Stella stifled a laugh. She suspected her haughty commander might cry if she did and red eyes would not make it easier to sort this mess out.
“Alright”, she said and stared unpacking the gear.
The mysterious package was the last thing to be unpacked. What it contained was a set of lacy underwear and a sequined dress exactly in commanders’ size. Ktak’s eyes went wide when she saw the dress.
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“Oh my…” was all she could utter before Stella tossed her the underwear and the dress padded with an order to go change and be back for hair and makeup. Stella felt rather gratified by the speed with which The Commander obeyed.
Stella, unlike the young folks, was very much aware of the trouble they were getting in, but she had never been the sort of person to play it safe.
Ames was getting ready too. On maintenance deck 7 there was an old unused watchman’s post. The ship had originally been a battleship and this would be a position for a visual spotter in a battle. It was essentially a glass dome with an elevator going up to it. It could comfortably fit 3 people, not more, but the view of the ship and the space was spectacular and it was in half gravity. Only maintenance crews had access to it and most of the officers did not even know it existed. Ames hoped he would not run into anyone, because explaining why exactly he was running around maintenance deck 7 with a heap of pillows and a suspiciously clunky backpack would have been complicated. His prayers were answered and he reached his destination without uncomfortable questioning. Just in time to set everything up, add a few mood lights and dash back to his compartment to get changed into his only good suit and go pick up his date.
Stella eyed the product of her hard work. Ktak shifted uncomfortably.
“I knew I forgot something!” she exclaimed. “Shoes!”
Stella was furious with herself, but Ktak surprised her there. She went to the closet and shyly fished out a pair of black heeled platforms.
“I bought them a while ago… Just to try them out you know.” She said, trying to not look at Stella.
“I tried a pair like you have too, but breaking my neck seemed too likely.”
Now fully dressed, she looked amazing. Taller too. But well… she was so much taller than Ames anyway, a few more inches was probably not going to be a deal breaker.
There was a knock on the door. Stella went to open it. She felt the urge to say something to Ames and Ktak seemed grateful for the moment to compose herself.