“Space Station: heroes rise to overcome the crisis!”
Athena Sifr and Fuuka Fujiwara smiled warmly at each other as they snuck out of their room, fresh and glowing after an impromptu sexual escapade. They couldn’t help it: the time they spent apart on that dreadful world had affected them deeply, even more so because Athena knew in her heart that her time with Fuuka was short, and that in a few years— eight, maybe nine at most— her beloved would have rotted away into a desiccated shell of her former self, and would then perish in pain, the victim of a fatal nerve dysfunction. That she still devoted her life to joy and healing was a testament to her indomitable (one could even say her dauntless) courage. Athena didn’t take a single moment for granted, and so once the two soulmates were reunited, they began to make up for lost time. Slipping into their room at the station for a little lovemaking was just one of the methods they employed.
But now, it seemed, the halls of the space station were lifeless. The two women held hands as they stepped across the hallway towards the main pavilion, feeling wary all of a sudden. Athena’s senses were slightly sharper than her lover’s, due to the extensive training and tests she went through in her former life, so she was the first to really believe something was wrong. She released Morisato from his slumber and held it aloft, shielding Fuuka with her free arm. Their presence was soon noticed as twenty figures, each one indistinguishable thanks to their dark clothes and protective gear, stormed into the hallway, bearing stun guns and electric prods. Athena bristled as she glared at them.
“So what the hell is this, someone’s idea of a prank?”
“Lay down your weapon and come with us!” one of the figures shouted. The voice was scrambled and distorted, so even Athena could not tell if it was a man or a woman. Fuuka showed no fear as she emerged from hiding and snarled at them.
“You’re the ones who are going to regret it if you don’t surrender. You don’t even have a clue as to what you’re up against!”
“This is your last warning!” they shouted, approaching nearer. Athena smiled grimly.
“Funny, I was about to say the same thing. Fuu-chan, go find someplace safe, and don’t come out until I say so.”
“Try not to make too much of a mess,” she moaned somberly. Fuuka knew only too well what Athena was about to do, and she resigned herself to accepting its necessity. It was either their lives, or the enemy’s. As she slipped back into her room and locked the door, Athena’s eyes narrowed, and an unquenchable fire burned right out of their orbs. A rage unlike anything ever felt by mortal flesh overcame her, and nightmares beyond reckoning spilled forth as she screamed bloody murder and sailed into the mass, swinging her sword with abominable strength. Flick— swish— thwack— she moved too fast to even see. Three heads were chopped off with a single stroke; one body was cut from shoulder to hip; legs and arms were hacked apart as she
flew into the wall, bounded off with her powerful legs, dove into the air, and spun around like a blender, slicing apart faces and craniums as she soared overhead.
Athena’s roar really intensified as she bounced off the wall again and flew into the remnant, soaring past the guns and the prods like a shark, her bite fatal and fast. Blood poured out by the barrel; innards spewed like gruesome fireworks; bones were hacked and mangled; limbs were crushed, ripped off, and twisted beyond recognition. Whenever she hit a wall, she simply thrust her legs and pushed herself back into the fray, an invincible whirlwind of death and mayhem, slashing wildly until she had amassed a grotesque pile of unfortunates. It took her the better part of two minutes to calm her frenzy, to catch her breath, and to wipe off the blood that had sprayed on her fur.
“Fuu-chan?” she said, turning to their room. Instead of her lover waiting for her, however, she saw another one of the figures, aiming a harpoon-gun at her. She froze, not yet able to pounce since she was floating in midair, unable to dodge or avoid the attack. She growled and held her ground, but was startled when a loud CLANG silenced her attacker, sending him groaning into unconsciousness. As he floated away, Athena’s heart nearly burst as she saw her beloved standing there, bravely wielding a frying pan.
“Fuu-chan!” Fuuka smiled at her bashfully, her paws trembling.
“Just in time,” she gasped. Before she could fly into Athena’s arms, however, a loud snap surprised her, and Athena groaned quietly before drifting into the cold. Another figure had snuck up and jabbed her with an electric prod, and pushed the unresponsive Usagin out of the way as they approached Fuuka, gingerly wading through the carnage. Fuuka panicked, held her feeble weapon tight, and almost fainted out of fear and exertion. Athena needed medical attention, but there was an enemy between them, and Fuuka had tapped the last of her frail strength just to beat that last one— and they would wake long before Athena. She was completely trapped and helpless.
But something stirred inside that gentle Kitsune’s heart, a meek, timid ember that had stoked all of her passions and powers— that strength of will that made her continue going on in spite of the odds and her impending doom. And beyond that, imbedded into her DNA, was Animal Instinct in its purest, most savage form: the strength of Kitsune warriors and their Fox ancestors that had been accumulating over the years, just for this moment, it seemed. Fuuka didn’t know what she was doing as she leaped on the black-clad figure, snarling savagely, biting so hard that she almost ripped his whole neck out, scratching deep gashes that penetrated flesh and bone— she just knew she was fighting for Athena’s sake, and that nothing— nothing— NOTHING was going to beat her. The sight of blood dribbling down her jaw was not nearly as frightening as the image of her lover, floating there in oblivion, twitching slightly from the electric shock. Fuuka removed her outer coat and wrapped the warrior with it, then hauled her back to their room, locked the door, and put Morisato at her side as she began administering to her wounds.
It was her turn to protect the one she loved.
……
“Yes, I see. Thank you. I’ll do that right away.” Astor hung up, stood, and addressed the remaining three women in the room: Riene, Alala, and Iona. “There’s a crisis aboard the station, and I’ve been called to attempt negotiations. It’s a group calling themselves the ‘Hamaki na Gerni,’ people’s liberated front of Gerni, and they’ve taken over most of the station. Exits and entrances are blocked, all communication to the outside is down, and there are even hostages. This could be dangerous, so I want you two to stay here with Iona.” Clarissa spoke with such commanding authority that it was difficult to refuse; and the admiration of the two younger ladies spiked. Even so, the Felinis have a very stubborn nature.
“We’re not exactly kittens here, Director! We can help!”
“I know,” she said warmly. “Out of all the people I know, you three may very well be able to turn the tables. But I can’t risk it. I’m military personnel and you’re not.”
“If you’re going to negotiate, let me assist you,” Riene offered. “I do speak most of the galactic languages, and I’ve studied diplomacy extensively.”
“It’s dangerous,” Clarissa stated sharply. Riene drew a stun gun she managed to smuggle through.
“I’ve also been to the firing range. Don’t underestimate me, Director. I can be fierce if I have to.”
“And I’ll be damned if ya leave me behind!” Alala shrieked. Clarissa sighed, but one look from her wife told her that she wouldn’t be winning this argument.
“I thank you,” she whispered. “But don’t hold me responsible. Odds are that they’re after me and will go to any lengths to achieve their goal. Let’s go.” Iona quietly floated next to her wife, squeezing her hand as the four of them made their way to the main pavilion. There were people covered in black everywhere, but they were mainly concentrated at the entrances and exits, and a circle had gathered around all the hostages. As Clarissa identified herself, she was allowed to pass through, and Riene was permitted to go as well, providing she leave her weapon behind. Iona and Alala were left by themselves, which was ultimately a bad idea. The Hamaki na Gerni would soon come to fear the ancient Felinian proverb:
“Love us and you have a hundred friends; scorn us and you make a thousand enemies.”
“Here I am!” Clarissa exclaimed as she floated up to meet the leader of the Hamaki na Gerni. “I’m the Director of the UCM, Clarissa Esriel Astor, and I have brought a negotiator and interpreter to aid me. Her name is Riene Latoli, the student of a friend of mine, and her words are as good as mine. Tell me what I must do so that you will leave these people in peace.”
“Well, well,” the leader said, brandishing a studded staff, “the rumors about you weren’t exaggerated, Director. Bold, beautiful, and devoted to your ideals in true militaristic fashion. Heheheh! You do realize that your life, your friend’s life, and the lives of everyone in this station are now the property of the Hamaki na Gerni, and we now have the right to kill and save as we please!”
“Such folly leads to destruction,” Astor warned. “Only God has the right to life and death.” The leader chuckled, and slapped Astor, pushing her backwards until Riene flew out and caught her.
“Keep spouting bullshit like that and you’ll see just how godlike we can be! However, I like your spunk, so I’ll pretend you didn’t insult us like that. Our demands are quite simple, my lady. The Hamaki na Gerni requires a vast sum of cash and military endorsement, and we’d like for you to give us both. You know, make a friendly deal. Of course, we’ll also have to take you into our custody so your friends don’t try anything foolish, but don’t think of it as kidnapping. You’ll just be…our esteemed guest and…personal protection.” Clarissa closed her eyes and rubbed her stinging cheek, weighing his words carefully. She had dealt with requests like this before, and although she knew very little about the Gerni, she didn’t believe for a second that she could rely on their word.
“Riene,” she said, “how would you handle this situation?”
“I asked YOU, bitch!” The leader smashed the butt of his staff in Clarissa’s solar plexus, causing her to cough loudly and whirl away. Iona gnashed her teeth together and clasped her hands, silently screaming for her love. When she looked around, however, Alala was nowhere in sight.
“Tell me what the Hamaki na Gerni movement is first,” Riene demanded. The leader glared at her, shouldered his weapon, and grinned.
“You wanna be next? It doesn’t bother me to hit girls, you know. Hell, I’d have you killed right now if you weren’t so amusing.”
“Please,” she whispered. The leader laughed out loud and put his weapon down. Clarissa slowly recovered and was drawn back to face her adversary.
“They mostly smuggle contraband supplies for several anonymous organizations,” she grunted. “They’re more than likely demanding that we stop UCM intervention, maybe even make their actions legal.”
“You’ve done your homework!” he cackled, tapping Clarissa with the staff.
“Not really. A subordinate officer merely ran into a convoy several months back. Her report was very precise.”
“Brr,” Kaori shivered. Sati raised her eyebrows.
“Cold?”
“No, I just get the feeling that somebody’s talking about me.”
“Hmm,” she squeaked, tilting her head. “Aren’t you confusing that with something else? Don’t your ears have to burn or something?” Kaori looked at her friend incredulously.
“Are you saying you can’t sense that? Something’s gone wrong.”
“Well, now that you mention it, my nose has been acting up lately. And here I thought you had bad taste in perfumes!”
“You can tease me later,” Kaori stated as she made a beeline for her closet. Even though she was on vacation, she still brought her Damascus suit with her, just in case duty decided to call. “Right now I need your help. Can I count on you?”
“Hey, you know I’m good for it! All the time and every time! Ooh, nice outfit!”
“Thanks,” she smiled. “A friend gave it to me. Let’s roll.”
“Brr,” Eve shivered. Quincy smiled and tickled her ear.
“What, is somebody walking over your grave?”
“No, I just get the feeling that somebody’s talking about me.”
“Isn’t that when your ears burn? Never mind. I want to hear what the Director is saying.”
“They’re not faring too well, are they?” Eve glanced up as the two women continued negotiations with the leader. After watching that animal hit the defenseless Director twice, Eve’s fists balled and she swore to wreak nasty vengeance the minute she was freed. The Jackal was as calm as ever, although in reality, her mind was jumbled with schemes and plots.
“Relax,” she said, placing a cold hand on Eve’s shoulder. “Your Quincy is more than just a pretty face. I figured they’d do something like this. While the goon squad was busy staring at the Director and their boss, I’ve been sending a message to an old partner of mine. Just be prepared to run when you see the signal.”
“Run? Signal?” Eve didn’t know what the aptly-named Jackal had in mind, but she knew it wouldn’t be pretty. She had no choice but to trust the older woman, and given her record, that was much easier said than done.
……
“Oh, gimme a break!” Yenae groaned in exasperation. “I thought she was dead for three years and all of a sudden, she comes back and tells me that? Psshh, what a selfish little cunt! Always has been, always will be! I don’t even know what I saw in her! Oh, fine, I’ll save your scrawny little ass one more time, but you’d better be freaking grateful!” She rubbed her horns and went looking for Alala, who had managed to sneak away from Iona and perform some reconnaissance. Yenae saw a familiar silvery tail flash by, and scurried over towards it.
“Hey!” she hissed. “Alala! Over here! Turn this way! Psst!” The feisty catgirl heard her name being called and scurried over, grimacing briefly as she discovered who had summoned her. But this was no time for mistrust, so she put her feelings aside.
“What is it?”
“I’ve got a plan to save the day, and I’m going to need your help! We’ll make our way to the station management room and flip the artificial gravity on. Lyara’s going to link up with everybody telepathically, so we can coordinate our attacks and get these losers out of here. I need you to help me sneak in and hold the guards off.”
“Um, okay,” she replied awkwardly. She wasn’t used to Yenae acting so…responsibly, and it took her off guard. The mood was softened as Yenae giggled and licked Alala’s cute pink nose.
“Ready to go kick ass, partner?”
“Yeah, but you better watch out I don’t kick yours first! Lead the way!”
“Regardless of how much you know about our fine establishment,” the leader resumed, “it still doesn’t change the fact that you’re still not agreeing to our demands. I think I’ve been more than reasonable, and since you’re in no position to bargain, it would be wise of you to just give in and forget about this mess. Hell, I might even consider letting you go, Miss Director, if you take off your clothes and lick the bottom of my shoes!”
“That’s inhuman!” Riene exclaimed, but Clairssa stopped her from lunging. She started to unbutton her blazer and kicked off her shoes; they floated mindlessly through the air.
“My pride isn’t nearly as important as their lives, Riene. If this will honestly help them, I don’t mind stooping to that level. I’m only one person, anyway; it’s not as if it matters.”
“But you can’t,” she murmured. Clarissa took her hosiery off next, and loosened her necktie. Before she could remove her slacks, however, a voice called out to her, and a tiny creature fluttered above, flailing her limbs wildly.
“Yes, oh, listen to Riene, she’s quite sharp, you know, for a human, and if it’s someone lowering themselves that you want, Mr. Gerni leader, I’d be more than willing to take her place, because I’m really more valuable than she is, but listen to my proposition first, okay, I could pay you ten times what the military has to offer, oh yes, quite easily, and don’t you give me that look, Riene, it’s in my authority, or have you forgotten I’m still carrying that note from the Vicegerent, huh?”
No mistaking it: there was Vimmy, flying above the leader’s head, wielding her treasured parchment. Below, Mink lowered her head in humiliation.
“Oh, master Vimmy, how could you make such a spectacle of yourself?”
“A Norgrim?” the leader bellowed. Vimmy brandished her parchment and lifted her wig, tipping it like a hat.
“Indeed, but normally I’d call in our police and charge you for using that name, however, I’m feeling generous, I’d really like your people to leave quickly and, erm, painlessly, if possible, do you think it could be done, honestly now, you can’t talk to humans, they’re not good with business, but you can get a fair deal with me, I’ll treat you properly, and maybe we can be friends.”
“I’ll be!” he exclaimed, crossing his arms boldly. “An honest-to-goodness Norgrim! If I’d known there was one of you aboard this flying trash pile, I wouldn’t have gone to so much trouble with the Director! So you say you’ll give me what I want?”
“Yes, indeed, you can trust my word, and my assistant is down there somewhere in the crowd, she’ll help seal the deal, give your fellows the cash they need and the freedom they deserve, I mean, what’s more important than enterprising, and how cruel of the military to restrict you like that, Ms. Astor ought to be ashamed.” The leader laughed uproariously, but nobody else was in such a good mood. In fact, Riene felt sick.
“I always knew that Vimmy would be the end of us— someday, somehow.”
“You should put more faith in your comrades,” Astor replied. She subtly gestured to the ground, where Mink, Shana, Yenae, Alala, and Herut were slipping through the crowds, completely undetected. “This is a situation only a Norgrim could handle,” she continued, her voice firm and sure. “An unscrupulous merchant such as Miss Fonester can turn the balance of power faster than the entire military combined. Besides, even if she really is betraying you, she’s also buying the others plenty of time. Thank goodness they’re such a garrulous race.” Riene hadn’t counted on that factor, but sure enough, Vimmy’s chattering was giving the others time to act. Herut and Shana were hacking into the revised computer programs and unlocking all the blockades, while Mink was flitting around freeing the hostages little by little. Yenae and Alala were heading to management, presumably to take control of the space station, and people like Lil, Aseria, Kyrie, and Naja were ready to fight their way to victory. Riene felt hope flaring up, and whispered her thanks to the “annoying little troll”.
“The bad news is,” she chuckled, “we’ll never hear the end of it.”
……
Kaori and Sati fought through several waves of attackers as they made their way to the main pavilion. They were alarmed to discover the whole station had been taken over by terrorists, but they wasted no time and started to “clean house”. Sati was definitely more experienced in actual hand-to-hand combat, and she whirled her way through the opposition like a leaf caught in a twister, taking advantage of the zero gravity. Kaori wasn’t too shabby, but her real strength rested in the Damascus suit, which boosted stamina and reflexes, and could protect against mortal wounds, something even Sharyn’s Lesser Armor couldn’t do.
They only stopped their assault out of prudence. The pavilion was littered with people in black, far more than they could ever hope to defeat by themselves, and there were many hostages to consider as well, so for the moment, the two friends hid themselves, uniting their minds to hatch a plan. The real trouble rested on Yenae’s shoulders as she and Alala approached the management room, which was protected by six of the black-clad terrorists. Yenae quickly downed two of them with her knives, while Alala sprang into action and took down three more. The last one was crushed as Yenae jumped on his chest and twisted his neck; not a single one had been given time to call for help.
“You know what to do!” Yenae grinned, flashing a thumbs-up. Alala couldn’t help but feel elated by her confidence and tenacity, and her trust in the mischievous woman strengthened. She ran in first, leaping into the air and kicking two of the black-clad people in the chin, then hid in the ceiling pipes as they fired their stun-guns into the air. Yenae swooped in, slashed their knees, and grabbed hold of the controls. She glanced over to check up on the hostages, but they had been killed: two men working at this station had their throats cut. She grimaced in anger and resolved to avenge their loss; Alala, meanwhile, was holding the rest of the guards off, fighting with the strength of her ferocious ancestors as Yenae worked her magic.
“I hope I know what I’m doing!” she exclaimed as she ignited the artificial gravity.
The effects were felt almost instantly. To start off with, Vimmy plummeted straight onto the terrorist leader’s face, which ultimately saved her life when he came crashing down. The force of the fall broke his spine, and with Vimmy lying on top, his skull was busted in (she would forever brag about how she had heroically “vanquished” him). Clarissa and Riene also fell, but Iona rushed in to catch her wife, and Lil caught Riene in her arms. She grinned brightly as Riene hopped off, slightly dizzy, and tried not to blush.
“Pretty lucky save!” she cackled. “So doesn’t the hero get a kiss from the princess?”
“She will if she acts heroically,” Riene wheezed. She was quite disoriented from the sudden shift in gravity, but managed to compose herself just in time to catch a flying stun-gun.
“Astor!” Herut and Shana had done their work well, and were throwing weapons to all their allies scattered around. Astor wasted no time and jammed an electric prod directly into the forehead of the nearest terrorist, blasting her brain to bits. Iona was slightly more peaceful about it, and merely shocked them in the stomach or the neck; Valti armed herself with six prods, and laughed wickedly as she started to go on a rampage.
“Mwahahahahahaaaaa!! Run, run— or you’ll be well done!!”
“She is having way too much fun,” Shana sighed.
Kaori blinked and tried to sit up, but something was weighing her down. She didn’t quite expect the gravity to return, throwing everything into chaos, but she was glad for the distraction, and if she could…just…move…then she would be able to help in the fight. But something was on top of her, so heavy that she could barely budge. It wasn’t her armor— that had helped save her when everything came crashing down— but instead…
“Ooh, soft! Smells nice. Hey, I was wrong about your choice in perfumes, Kaori-chan!”
“GET OFFA ME!!”
“Whoa!” Sati was thrown so far that she crashed into one of the terrorists. Without thinking, she sprang into action and broke his shoulder bones, then squirmed around and kicked him in the guts, permanently erasing him from the fight. Kaori limped out after her, glaring with dignity. Sati blushed and apologized.
“No need, it was just an accident. Uh— GET DOWN!!” Kaori whipped out a stun gun and shot the attacker in the eye, then ran over to push her away. She quickly whirled around, absorbing three prods as she clutched the outstretched arms tightly, yanking her enemies out with a judo toss and slamming them on the ground. In the distance, Kaori saw someone wielding a blowtorch, cackling wildly as she set the unfortunate black-clad figures on fire.
“This is a catastrophe!” she exclaimed. Sati rubbed her head bashfully.
“They are getting a little out of hand.”
Kyrie was the one with the torch, naturally, but she didn’t mean to lose control. She had resisted the terrorists from the start, and had been stuffed inside a storage room for her efforts. Not one to be deterred, and wielding a secret agent’s resourcefulness, she quickly constructed a torch out of the materials she found and burned her way through the door’s hinges. Of course, once she got going, it was impossible to stop, and she kept burning and scaring people away as she ran
through the pavilion, laughing wildly. Valti saw her, but decided it would be impossible to calm her down.
“And to think you had sex with that monster!” Riene sighed. Brignor chuckled.
“Oh, it wasn’t all bad.” Kyrie eventually ran out of fuel, however, and her fire died down. Her spirits remained as strong as ever, though, so when seven of the infuriated terrorists surrounded her, each one wielding a melee weapon, she grinned and flashed her claws.
“Who wants to be the first?” she hissed. None of them were brave enough to charge the demonic creature, so Kyrie struck first, tackling the nearest one and gouging his eyes out. She jumped over a flying wrench, hovering with her wings, and dove down to smash the head of another, crumpling his spine like an accordion. She felt the icy kiss of a knife caress her skin, and circled around with a renewed fury, slashing so hard that the woman’s intestines leaked out. She head-butted the next one, goring him with her horns, and finally lashed out and ripped a poor girl’s mask and voice filter off with her teeth.
The entity was literally faceless. She perished instantly, suffocating without her breathing device.
“AW, HELL NO!!” she roared. “WHAT IN THE FREAKING FROZEN HELL WAS THAT!! He…she…it…there wasn’t a face! They didn’t have a face!”
“That’s good to know,” remarked the Acheron twins, who were running up to join the fight. Kay had wanted to get the hostages to safety, while Tee insisted that they start clobbering people. Since both mind shared only one body, they were forced to come to a compromise, and flipped a coin to see whose wish would be fulfilled first. Tee had won, but they both stopped to check up on their comrade. “Are you okay? You’re bleeding.”
“It’s their blood,” she said, spitting out flecks of yellow and white (strangely, Pyrosians do not have red blood; theirs is pallid).
“Well, if you can stand, I suppose you’re okay. Could you do us a favor and help the hostages?”
“No, I think she should fight with us. Did you see the way she handled those others? Kyrie can really kick ass!”
“Um, thanks, you two, but this is kinda confusing…”
“Well somebody has to help all those people! Admit it, you wouldn’t stop bitching if I had won that toss! At least I’m not complaining.”
“Oh, don’t pretend you don’t like cracking skulls, Kayleigh! You’ve been itching for a good brawl ever since we took out that monster together! Remember, Kyrie?”
“Yeah, but we’re kinda wasting time here…”
“The needs and lives of the civilians are more important than your…war-lust!”
“I thought you weren’t going to complain!”
“I’m not! I’m just saying that we can’t ALL play the warrior here! Who’s going to protect those people from all the strays?”
“Guys, really, I don’t mind doing it if you’re going to argue like that…”
“That’s what the police are for! You saw all those UCM suits wandering around! Besides, who’s to say that one of our crew isn’t helping them?”
“I’d just rather be safe than sorry, is all.”
“KATIE!!” The Acheron sisters froze and glared at Kyrie hatefully. Nobody had ever fused their names together like that and walked away from it.
“Oh, you didn’t. You’re in for it now, Red! Prepare to be the last Lastgear ever!”
“Oh for heaven’s sake, Teleah, is that your idea of a joke?! If you’re going to break the poor girl’s skull, you could at least come up with a better line!”
“Oh? What do you have in mind, hotshot?”
“Uh, yeah,” Kyrie whimpered, “I think I’ll just leave you two in peace.” She shuddered and scampered away quickly. Luckily, the sisters stopped bickering long enough to notice she was gone, and that there was a battle still going on. They put their enormous differences aside and went back into the fray, a two-headed warrior-goddess that quickly became the bane of the Gerni.
With the entire crew of the Dauntless working together, they were able to kill, disable, or route most of the terrorists, and guided the hostages and civilians to a safe place, where Lil and Aseria stood their ground with Naja as a last line of defense. While things were slowly beginning to settle down outside, the wildest members of the crew got to see some last-minute action as a swarm of dark-robed enemies came their way, loaded for bear. Aseria held her palms out and began whispering a spell, but Naja stopped her.
“Hey, it’s been too long since I’ve had a good fight, so you just leave these fools to me! I don’t give a rat’s ass about those people back there, but if one of these fuckers slip through, don’t let them get any nearer! Time for Naja to undergo some stress management!!”
“Heaven help them,” Aseria gestured, crossing herself sarcastically as Naja cracked her knuckles. The abilities of the Elshyrin are legendary, and Naja was one of the roughest ever borne from that pit of vipers. She waited until all fifteen of the enemy had come out to face her,
clutching their weapons nervously. She made sure to give them a great, poisonous smile before leaping into battle.
Oddly enough, the enemies drew first blood, plunging a dagger into Naja’s scaly skin. The knife went in all the way to the hilt, but Naja completely shrugged it off and slammed her palms on the woman’s head, cracking her skull like an egg. She lifted the body and used it as a shield, sweeping her legs underneath to smash her enemies’ knees, then tossed the headless corpse into their midst, leaping after it as she brandished iron fingers and deadly teeth. She sunk herself deep into the nearest man, digging her hands into his body until they passed out his back, then charged after another and punched her fist right through his mouth, caving his teeth in and breaking his jaw. A second punch ruptured his windpipe; she threw her second human shield away, lashed out to shatter a woman’s ribcage, and jumped after her, digging her feet into her chest.
It wasn’t as if she was invincible or impervious to attack. Naja was cut, stabbed, punctured, slashed, beaten, thrown, and even shot with an electric prod. That last attack actually slowed her down, but in respect, she had slaughtered all but three of the enemies, and the remaining few were mortally frightened. She squirmed and convulsed on the floor, trying to hoard her wits and willpower, but even Naja had her limits; she had used a lot of energy in the fight, and was now bleeding in several places. Lil stepped in to take over, but with a sudden burst of defiant strength, Naja dismissed her.
“Stay the fuck out!” she groaned, her voice and movements now distorted. Slowly, the serpentine woman slithered to her feet, staggering and limping weakly. That shock certainly did a number on her body, but she was just stubborn enough to see the rest of the battle through. One of the women ran screaming, while the others charged after her. She grabbed one and bit him in the neck, injecting her venom and killing him instantly, then snapped out at the last, grabbing her by the leg. With the last bit of her strength, Naja ripped the limb off, and dove after the doomed terrorist, launching her elbow into the base of her skull, and there was where she rested.
“Holy shit,” Lil whispered in awe. “Remind me never to piss you off!” Aseria knelt down and began weaving Sindarin healing magic over her wounds, smiling in gratitude.
……
Needless to say, there was a lot of cleaning up to do once the last of the Hamaki na Gerni was accounted for, but many heroes were praised and rewards were given out. The Director and her wife didn’t stay very long, wanting to avoid a public spectacle, but everyone else decided to remain for another day and rest up. That night they spent was particularly memorable for some people: for one, Alala talked to Yenae about the offer that Clarissa had made her, and after nearly squeezing the life out of the silver-haired Felinis, Yenae gave her unconditional support, and even swore that, should Alala get the position, she would be more than happy to act as her right-hand officer.
She also suggested they share the same bed. This was promptly rejected.
Quincy Winchester was paid the most for her services, and was finally able to treat Eve to a day at the spa. Later, they were seen walking into the same hotel room, and were not seen again until the afternoon of the following day. Mink watched their actions stoically, and if she ever did show any emotion, it was doubt: was Eve merely throwing herself at this suitor out of desperation, or was there a real connection between the two? That seemed highly unlikely…but who was she to judge? She returned to the astronomy lesson Shana was giving her, and gave the petite lady her brightest smile when their eyes met. Shana blushed, but didn’t dare look away: her expression was so sweet and sincere.
I’m so unsure of myself, she sighed mentally. There’s Herut, and then there’s Mink. I wish I were more experienced— then I would know for sure. For right now…
She held Mink’s hand and snuck a quick kiss before peering into the telescope. Mink’s grey skin turned rosy, and she pressed her lips against Shana’s forehead, feeling true love finally crawling out of hiding. Suing had but to tilt her head a little, and all of her questions would be cleared, or so she believed. She tried it and, as sweet a sensation it was, still felt lost. Oh well.
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Preview of next chapter
Valti: Well, it looks like everyone had fun on their vacation! We’re off to Silvanus to visit Hallow’s Point in the next episode! I mean, we may as well go somewhere…
Kate: But what if we run into an obstacle? Considering this ship’s track record, it would take a miracle for us to actually reach somewhere without being sidetracked!
Amy: Somebody call for me?
Valti: Yeah! Let’s kiss her!
Amy: Nnnnnnnoooooooooooooooo!!
Valti: (madly kissing)
Kate: Uh, yeah. Whew! (blush) Anyway, just what happened on the space station during that sultry night, and what sorts of obstacles might we run into before we reach Silvanus, and if we are stopped, what the hell is stopping us?!
Valti: I’m hoping it’s candy.
Amy: (out cold)
Valti: Whoops, I overdid it! Ah well! The next chapter should be a fairly nice filler! It’s part flashback, part continuation in, “Horrors: hostile environment!”
Kate: Uh, yeah, it doesn’t sound very fun.
Valti: Look, Allegra’s in a bikini!
Kate: Where, where!! (zoom!)
Amy: (groaning) Is it over yet?
Valti: No, my sweet, the fun’s just beginning!! AAHAHAHAHAHAH!!
Amy: Ack! Rachel, help meeeeeeeee!!
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