Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it

Charlotte pretended to listen to the analyst half her age, as he droned on and on about profit margins and liabilities, off the book income and what the fuck did EBITDA mean again? Since she took over for her husband, she'd found that being CEO really just meant finding people that were smarter than you, putting them in a position that fit their skills and then waiting for the day they started stealing. It was all boredom and constant vigilance. She did enjoy crushing those people who been responsible for her first husband's downfall all those years ago, dreadful things really; starship crashes, drownings, heart attacks, even a wild animal mauling; now that had been satisfying. She ended the meeting with a sharp gesture.

It had been decades since Charlotte lived on the streets, scrabbling with rats and thieves to find enough bread to put in her and Kat's mouths. She'd sold her jewelry first. Then parts of herself when that ran out. She finally found a kind bar owner who let her and her sister wait tables and sleep in the back. That was her life she had before Francis found her. And together, they'd come all this way. Charlotte was nearly a mile into the sky above Sirius Prime. Above the dirt she'd been covered in as a teenager.

She'd nearly lost it all again a decade ago, during the purges. Sure Francis was married to a Carter, an Alliance family of good standing since before the war even began, so there was no legal action GalSec could take against him. It wasn't a crime to be a former Confederation patriot. But the contracts began to dry up. The banks, mysteriously needed to call in loans and lines of credit all at the same time. It was all too much for her poor, decent husband. Francis, that noble fool, wasn't built for knife fights in the gutter. Not like her. she may sleep in a penthouse, but the streets would always be her home. She lost Francis too soon. And CET looked close to following her husband into an early ****.

That was when she agreed to marry Keith. Keith who'd been the silent partner for decades. Keith who had connections, some of them legal, some of them just useful. Keith who didn't ask questions. Between that and Adam's constant influx of credits, they'd managed to turn things around, and transformed a family business into a small empire. Dozens of employees, multiple ships, contacts in government, independent investments, off the books revenue, Carter Exploration and Transport was a powerhouse now. Despite the constant expense from her second husband's embezzlement.

She stripped out of her business attire, letting it fall away from her seemingly ageless body. She'd learned to be hard, the streets were a harsh teacher. And she'd learned to be good, Francis had that effect on people. So what was she now? A 42 year old woman in a loveless marriage, with more power and money than she had any need for. She missed her kids. Adam especially. He was his father all over again. Stupidly noble, and stupidly proud. What was he even trying to prove, they'd long since had the money that they didn't need him to turn smuggler. He was still young. She would bring him to heel, and have him re-enrolled at the Citadel, put him on track to make something of himself. But more importantly, put him closer to his mother, who missed him dearly.

Keith hadn't touched her in years. Not that she minded THAT. But she was lonely. Only why did her thoughts go to her son more and more at night? Especially these past few days. They had always had a connection. He may have been Franicis' pride and joy, but he was her little boy. Her flesh and blood, ...she laid back on her silky sheets, she almost felt like she could see him, only he was different. Larger than the boy who'd run away from home- run away from her -to save his family, taller and filled out like a man should be. Harder, more like his mother, the cruelty of the world had finally sunk its teeth into him. She saw his fangs gnashing, muscles clenching, fists planted on either side of her head, he wasn't going anywhere until he finished with her. He would take everything she had to give and more, take her, take-

The steady pulse of a wave-comm trilled in the otherwise quiet room. She ignored it. Her soft breast cupped in hand, her long lost son towering over her, he reached down to nip at her exposed flesh- Another trill from the wave-comm woke her up. She felt like she was coming back from a fugue. Her and ...Adam? It was perverse-NO, just the word perverse, sent a dirty thrill up her spine. It was nothing. Nothing. Adam wasn't here, and when he came back to her, he would be her son, nothing more.

The comm trilled again. Charlotte glanced over and froze. GalSec. It was almost certainly nothing, but it still sent a wave of fear crashing over her. Charlotte's past had a plethora of sins she'd left buried, waiting to be unearthed one day. And it would be GalSec, that dug them up. There would be a call one day, asking her to come in to the station to discuss something. A pretense to get her inside without a fuss. Once she was trapped, the questions would begin. And once they dug deep enough they would find it. The secret she could never bury deep enough. The curse from her 'family' that lingered in the quiet depths of her mind. It wasn't her crimes that frightened her. Charlotte Carter would walk to the executioner with her head held high if it came to that. But if someone, GalSec, anyone really, found of the truth, they would all burn together; her, Kat, the children.

Another wave-comm chime. This one from a spaceport. Charlotte pushed her fears back once more. She needed to keep moving forward. Acquire more wealth, more power, it wasn't safety, but it was the closest she'd ever get. Charlotte didn't bother to cover her naked form. She'd discovered years ago that most men expected a woman to cower when she was nude. A proud, naked woman shocked them, scared them, it was a power move, and she'd exploited it ruthlessly.

The port official she'd bribed to keep track of Keith was no exception. His eyes exploded at the sight of her naked form and then it was like he was looking into the sun. He cast his eyes away from her time-defying body and didn't look back up the entire time he ratted out her husband.

"So, you're telling me, Keith dumped the shipment onboard the Falcon 4 and took off without filing a flight plan?" Barely a nod, those eyes just didn't want to look up. Charlotte was livid. Although...

"Call Galsec, the Falcon 4 has been stolen." The man actually did look up now, mouth gaping. "And scrub footage of Keith Martell in the spaceport. You can do that, right?"

She cut the call before he could reply. That man was a fucking cockroach, she couldn't kill him. But at the same time, a little payback for his duplicitous ways wouldn't go amiss. Still, where was he going? And why bother to dump the car-

OH. MY. GOD. Cindi!

Bianca, the slim little asian girl, was a giggler. Adam wasn't sure what was so funny. She had insisted on leading the way to the mess, and she seemed to want to put on a show. Bad enough to watch a pert young ass bouncing in her party dress, but she kept stopping suddenly and bending over at the waist to pick things up. 'Cleaning for the party', she said. It took everything he had not to look up Giggles' short skirt. She certainly wasn't making it easier.

Imani was less starstruck. She finally grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him past the pouting girl, who had stopped to pick up yet another tiny piece of scrap, among the piles in the filthy hallway. Imani's hand was cool and her grip was firm, he bet she gave amazing handjobs- stop it. Think of Vanguard! And it worked, he felt the urges subside. He thought he had an idea of how it worked now. Lust, or emotion made him more susceptible, compounded by close quarters and extended contact. Miss Fox and he had unresolved tension, on top of a deep, if unspoken, friendship. As for that little slut on the station, chances are she had planned to fuck whoever landed on her pad, and things just built from from there. Adam was feeding off it too. He'd almost felt 'normal' after Miss Fox and he had... and again when he dumped his load in McKenzie. Too bad he couldn't jerk off. But maybe the little bead would help, maybe he could get this under control, and would it really be so bad to be like this if he could control it? He was a physical god and wanting to fuck someone you had lust or love for wasn't unusual or wrong. Of course there was the problem of who he had these feelings for. He could feel his sister glaring laser beams into his back. Why did she and she alone make him feel like he was going to lose control? He knew he loved his sister, but ...not like that, right?

Miss Fox wanted to slap the insipid little bitch already.

"So are you guys, like a couple or something?" Viola, had such a superior tone during introductions; she tried and failed to sound disinterested. Her eyes said otherwise, laser focused on that answer.

"Just through here is our stash. Take whatever you want and get out." Miss Fox wasn't in the mood to play. She didn't want to think about what taking stims every day for weeks was doing to her. She hadn't slept, of course and her appetite had increased, but she felt sore all over, even her breasts had been tender when she tried to shower this morning. Adam had to take that implant, she didn't know what they were going to do if he didn't.

She left the socialite fuming and gaping, and proceeded down below to finish the repairs. The place simply reeked of warm carbon and engine grease. The smell was so strong she fought back the urge to hurl. Finish the job, Valerie. Finish and you can rest, Valerie. Be a good girl, Valerie!

That last thought made her shudder. She threw herself into her work. It wasn't hard, just delicate; perfect to distract her overwrought mind. One wrong move and the Invader- men were such silly creatures -would be burning a hole through the hangar floor. She ignored the footsteps coming closer and pushed the stubborn clip back in to place, there was a pregnant pause where she waited to die, and then the lights flashed. The computers reset with a hum and the ship was theirs. Finally.

The girl was practically hopping from foot to foot waiting to meet her by the ramp. Just watching her, made Miss Fox queasy. "Find your wee goodies?"

Viola nodded rapidly, already buzzing on their Xiz supply. "You should stay for the party!" Her words were simultaneously slurred and rapid-fire. "You're already dressed for it. It's Pirates and their booty!" She waggled her hips for effect.

Miss Fox threw up all over her.

Viola went completely still, silent, scandalized.

"Where's your medbay?"

The girls watched Adam tear through their food supplies. Fascinated, rather than upset. The ramen had been delicious, but more importantly it had been food. And if he couldn't indulge one urgent need, it felt good to take care of another. A few thousand calories later, Adam's mind was clear enough to return to his task. Imani's family, probably even Imani herself would have the kinds of codes he needed memorized. Only she was probably the least taken with him, even more than his sister, who hadn't stopped fuming since Miss Fox took her gun.

"Hungry, Captain Pirate?" Bianca's big brown eyes danced with mischief. Adam had refused to give out a name. Obviously his own wouldn't do, and a pseudonym felt a little pointless. Bianca had taken to the idea of calling him 'Pirate'. Or 'Captain Pirate' now it seemed.

Bite her?

Was that the only help he was ever going to get from that annoying little voice? Besides, he really didn't want this amazon trying to kill everyone else in sight, that little girl on the station was one thing, but this was a Khan. Her family had produced Admirals and Captains since the 2400's, she was military royalty. She'd had combat training since birth and she looked it. This girl wouldn't be a terror, she'd be a bomb. Fuck her, bite her, get the code, then kill her.

Why had he ever listened to this? It was insane. Maybe he could convince her to share them.

"Imani, your father is the military isn't he? Admiral of the fifth fleet."

"First, now." There was no small amount of pride in her voice. "How'd you know that?"

"Sorry, I've been away from the Alliance for a while." Adam shared a look he hoped was ingratiating. "Back when I attended the Citadel, he was leading the Fifth. He even came by to guest lecture a few times. We didn't agree on much. He was a big believer in fast reaction defense. Too cruel, I thought. People deserve to be defended."

"You went to the Citadel?" Bianca swooned. A troubled look crossed Cindi's face. There was something niggling at the back of her brain.

Imani wasn't impressed. "He who defends everything, defends nothing. With ideas like that, its no surprise you washed out."

"Technically I withdrew. Military service wasn't for me." That really ground her gears. As far as a Khan was concerned, service was for EVERYONE. "But I see his point now. As a kid though, I couldn't understand it leaving innocent people to die, while the core was protected-

"That isn't what he did!" Just like he planned, she rose to take the bait again. Anger was such an easy trigger. Pride too. Cindi watched him with suspicion. Just how smart was she?

"Oh. Did you serve?" He keep his tone, just this side of insolent.

"I was my father's aide-de-camp before I entered the Academy." She fired back hotly.

"We barely saw her for two years!" Bianca chimed in.

"I was just doing my duty." Imani covered Bianca's tiny delicate hand with her own. A weakspot?

"Maybe." Adam pressed on. "Or maybe the Admiral's daughter got the nepotism special. A cushy little summer job."

Imani bulged, not just her eyes, but her prodigious muscles as well. Girl was tense. She probably was just on her period, he stifled a laugh.

"You're so smooth." She growled. "But Cindi told us you're trying to change your IFF." Bianca gasped. "What's got the big bad smuggler running scared?"

"I am in a bit of a bind." Adam's smile was all insolence now. "And I could use your help with some clearance codes, actually."

Imani laughed. "Fuck. You." She really was just like her father. Adam had needed Sam's help to beat him in the simulation in the academy. He was just so much better than anyone had any right to be. But that was his weakness, and hers as well. Overconfidence. Adam and Sam had lured Admiral Khan's ships into a trap, and once they'd ground each other down, it was just his one dreadnought against their two little frigates, Adam sent his own ship into a suicide run to take him out, leaving Sam the only ship left on the board. Watching that smug face turn to horror, then cold assessment had been been burned into Adam's memory. Technically Sam won, but the Admiral only had eyes for Adam after that.

Adam saw the same brutal certainty in Khan's daughter. She thought she had all the cards, but he'd surprise her too. "I thought maybe we could play for them. I know the PERFECT game." But he didn't look at Imani when he said it, instead he drilled holes in Bianca with his eyes. "You don't have to play, of course. But I bet Bianca would like it. I bet she'd love it."

The little asian cheerleader didn't disappoint. "I love games! Let's play. Let's play."

"I'll play." Imani's voice could have ground stones to pebbles.

"Perfect."

"Cindi needs to play too." Bianca cooed.

Not so perfect.

"What the game?" His sister asked.

"Its an old one. Truth or Dare. Rules are simple. I'll go first. I offer you a truth or a dare. Whatever you pick, you have to follow through, so choose carefully. Obviously for truth you answer any question and for dare, you perform any request."

"Sounds fun!" Bianca practically danced in her chair.

"Sounds stupid." Imani was less enthused.

"Only one sec, this game needs drinks to play properly. I think I saw a bottle of rotgut in the kitchen. Perfect for playing with a pirate." Adam shot one more shit-eating grin at the girls to keep Imani fired up and swaggered away. Heart hammering. So far, so good. But he knew pissing her off was only going to get him so far and booze wasn't going to get him over the finish line. He had a really, really bad idea, but it was also his only idea.

Reptile venom was far less potent when swallowed than injected into the veins. He hoped the same held true for him. If he could get them to swallow it. Only how exactly did he get it out of him? He tried biting his hand. He crushed his fingers between his jaws until blood flowed, but still nothing.

"Hey Pirate, did you get lost back there?" One of the girls (Cindi?) called out.

"Just a moment precious. All good things and all that." He yelled back.

It was some involuntary reaction. But maybe, if he focused he could find the muscle.

"Do you need a hand?"

Yes. A hand might do it. He pushed up just behind his teeth, fingering around, until he found a spot that felt oddly soft and-

A glob or shiny goo, thicker than saliva popped into his open palm. No time to fix individual glasses, he wiped it into the bottle. They'd all be riding this ride together it seemed.

"Sorry about that." Adam strode back in with a flourish. "I couldn't find glasses. The place is kind of a mess."

Cindi's eyes threatened to roll right out of her head.

"Let's play."

Miss Fox stared down at the tiny pink strip in her hand. Why did they even have these any more? Wasn't there some machine designed to just give girls heart attacks directly after sex, something more efficient than peeing on a sodding stick and waiting for line or pluses to appear. The symptoms added up. She felt tired, breasts tender, appetite increased, she even spotted her panties a little bit last night. Of course the whole thing was happening way too fast. But considering her partner, that wasn't surprising, hell. No that wasn't it. She was fine. She wasn't pregnant. It could even be the stims she was basically OD'ing on day after day after day, and please don't be pregnant. Please, please please don't let me be-

And there it was. Two pink lines. Congratulations, you're gonna be a mom, Miss Fox. Hope that dad doesn't eat it or whatever? She fought down her rising panic. There were half a dozen things in this very room she could use to 'fix' this if she needed to. Only- did she need to? She felt a curious little bundle of emotion when she touched her stomach, just below the navel. This thing, growing in her belly was a part of her. And she wasn't sure what that meant, but she wasn't ready to lose it yet.

She had to find Adam.

The game had started innocently enough. Adam picked Cindi, who chose Dare. He had her give him a foot rub. Cindi, then turned on Imani, dare again, she made the big girl rub her Adam's shoulders.

"Hold on, it will feel better without my shirt." The girls couldn't hide their appreciation, not even Cindi.

From there things had escalated. The rotgut was strong enough without his little addition. And they all took long pulls directly from the bottle. All except his sister, who had refused to imbibe. Adam admired her nerve, and her body. Was this stuff working on him? The mood was definitely changing. The next round, he wasn't the only one with clothes coming off.

Bianca's turn. "Cindi. Truth? Or Dare?"

Cindi smiled, she had started getting into the game too, even without the drink. "Dare."

"I dare you...to kiss him. A real kiss. Not those baby ones you give me." This girl was a treasure. Wait, what had she said? They kissed each other?

"Ewww. No!" Cindi laughed. "I pick truth."

"Uh uh uh." Bianca's eyes sparkled with mischief, one finger waggling back and forth in Cindi's face. "Once you choose one thing you have to do it or drink. And since this stuff 'hurts your tummy', that means..."

"No fair, Bianca!" Cindi retorted.

"Come on, Bi, you know she's still a virg-"

Cindi snarled and swatted her hand aside. Adam prepared for a middle school lip-lock and he was flabbergasted when his innocent little sister grabbed him by the hair and yanked his head back. She swung one leg over and straddled him, then dragged him in for a sensual open mouthed kiss, and followed it up by dragging her tongue up the side off his neck, before biting him in the ear, her hot breath exhaled at the end. Think of Vanguard. Vanguard. Vanguard. Vanguard.

Cindi was pissed when she returned to her seat.

"Bianca."

"Nope." The petite girl answered back with a smile.

"What." Cindi's eyes could have lit a fire.

"You can't pick me. I picked you, so you have to pick someone else. Rules." Adam didn't recall explaining that. And he had a sneaking suspicion this girl was a LOT smarter than she pretended to be.

"Fine." His kid sister growled. "Imani, show us your tits!"

"What? No-I." Adam happily offered her the bottle and she guzzled the entire remaining supply. "Happy?"

"Not for a long time." Cindi replied back. But it was Imani's turn now.

The Amazon sat still for a long time, before she spoke softly, in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "Bianca, could you kiss me like that?"

"You have to say truth or dare, silly." Bianca laughed. "But of course. I'd do anything for you."

Adam was almost rooting for the big girl. Hell, he was rooting for her, so long as he got what he wanted.

As he and Cindi watched the scene unfold in front of him, he found he his gaze wandering back to little sis. What he felt towards her and his mother wasn't the Instinct. It was all Adam, he'd realized. He'd had these urges toward his family for years, like a tangle of unresolved feelings and issues, he'd buried since they broke apart years ago, and had since metastasized into powerful need to draw them back together, on his own terms. Adam wanted her, not like a brother should, but it didn't matter, all that mattered was sitting across from him. He stood up to grab her and bumped into Bianca who was stumbling back to her own chair.

Everyone burst out laughing as he fell back into his seat, even him. That was too close. Only now he knew he couldn't be here. He needed to get that info and get gone, immediately.

"Do me, Bianca. Truth, dare, whatever you want."

"I'd love to, big boy." Bianca jeered, much to Imani's dismay. "But what would be a good dare for our lovable pirate? Hmmmm."

"Let's see what the little man is packing." Imani cut in. "He's so proud of himself. But can he back it up?"

That was certainly a step in the right direction. Adam stood up and struggled out of his pants, and it was a struggle, his cock emerged like an angry serpent, iron hard and not happy about being dragged out around his waistline. The room had gone dead silent, even Imani looked impressed and his sister, well she couldn't take her eyes off it. Adam didn't bother to put his pants back on.

"My turn."

"Imani. Truth or dare?"

"Like I trust you? Truth."

"Fine, tell me what your families clearance codes are, so that I can fix my stolen ship, and escape the gangsters who want to **** me and my partner."

"Nice try, you prick." She was slurring now. The **** and venom fogging her brain. He only hoped it didn't fuck her up so bad, she couldn't give him what he needed. "Dare, then."

"Ok. I dare you to tell me the true clearance codes."

"That's-your-your cheating!"

"So is changing from truth to dare."

"I'm not giving you the codes, ashhhhhole." Her eyes had that same defiance he saw years ago in her father. But just like her dad, Imani had already lost this game. She'd given him the tools to beat her, and she was going to give him the spoils, like it or not.

"But you drank all the booze, which means you have to answer." They were locked stare for stare now. This game wasn't friendly anymore.

"Its just a game. Dim. I quit. You win. Happy?" She wasn't. That was for sure. The Khans didn't like losing. Only, her father had known that drawing out a defeat, only made it more painful, sometimes you had to cut your losses. Adam was going to have to crush this girl.

He leaned in close and whispered. "If you forfeit, my next dare is for Bianca. And you know what I'm going to ask her for. Don't you?" His eyes flickered down to his raging cock, just for a moment. She knew and she hated him for it. But she surrendered, and that was all that mattered.

"1B772-541-3!5"

"Code phrase?"

"Mockingbird."

"Was that so hard?" He regretted it the moment the words left his mouth. Khan, Admiral Khan had warned him about his loose lip.

Imani's eyes bulged. She was going to hurt him. Time to go.

"Girls, you've been amazing. But I wasn't kidding about the gangsters. I think it would be better for everyone if Miss Fox and I departed."

"But you'll miss the party!" Bianca stated the obvious.

"I'll make it up to you. I promise."

Cindi's starred at him like a knot she just couldn't unravel. Still it was Imani's low boom that stopped him dead.

"No. I get my turn first. Then you can go."

Adam didn't like where this was going. "Well-"

"You started the game. You had the first turn. Which means someone else gets the last turn." Imani's face promised that he would not like what came next.

"That's a good point, Adam." Bianca loved to stir the pot, even when things were boiling over.

Cindi seemed to sense the danger. "I think its over. It's my birthday. I say its over." She was ignored by everyone. Bianca's eyes sparkled, little bitch was getting off on this.

"Truth. Or. Dare. Pirate."

He swallowed, eyes tracing the wall for weapons, hands itching for his missing revolver. "Truth."

"Dare, it is. We'll do an easy one. Sit down." She commanded and Adam sat. "Cindi, give this asshole a proper goodbye. He's been eyeing you all night. And he's never, ever gonna have you. But I think you should give him a show, let him see what he's missing."

"Its not even my turn!" Imani just glared at her. "Okay, and then its over, right?"

Cindi took a deep breathe and threw on that confident face. And she strutted over to him like a model on the catwalk.

Adam was surprised. He knew she had hidden depths, and while he wasn't sure what quite tripped his sweet sister out of nerdy science girl and into jail-bait, piece of ass, he was quite curious find that particular trigger. Right after he enjoyed the hell out of this.

No sooner had she reached him, than Cindi turned around, shoving her ass in his face. Adam had been trying not to watch her all this time, so he hadn't really paid attention; with her plaid skirt and thin white top, Adam realized she had dressed up like a schoolgirl for the party. He swallowed. The copper smell wafted into his nose. He tried to stay calm, keep his urges down. He could practically feel the venom pounding in his veins.

Baby sister started slow, waving her hips from side to side. The skirt bouncing delightfully off her firm young rump. Her hand dragged the lip of the skirt, achingly slow over her delicious bubble butt; her white lacy thong looked like perfect gift wrapping on an ass, a present Cindi was just waiting to give to him. She looked back over one shoulder and said, "Remember, no touching."

Adam nearly came then and there.

But then Cindi start to really move. Her hips flicked in and out, shaking to some invisible beat. Followed by slow round circles with her whole ass. She bent forward, without moving her knee an inch, swayed at the bottom enough that he could catch a glimpse beneath that skirt and popped back up, back arched and hair thrown back in a golden spray. She spun and faced him, her face flushed, the coppery pheromones were affecting her too. Her breathing was deep and she seemed to savor it for a moment before throwing a leg over his and sitting down in Adam's lap. She wrapped her slender hands around his neck and ground her hips into him. His cock, an iron bar between them, spitting pre-cum all over her shirt, both of them saw, neither one of them cared. She raked her fingers through his hair and licked his chest, all while rocking back and forth, that skirt ridden up to her sumptuous hips, only the thin layer of her panties, a tiny barrier between her and the brotherly cock she was teasing. She dropped her neck back and pushed her eager young breasts in his face. It would be rude NOT to lick them, right? But before he could even try, it was over.

Cindi had snatched herself away, breath coming in short sharp gasps, flushing to her roots. Adam could feel the wetness on his leg. Her wetness. She wanted him too. Bite her. Again the urges came as strong as anything he'd ever felt. He was going to fuck this spoiled little tease, sister or not, willing or otherwise. But he wasn't going to turn her into one of those fucking zombies. He wanted his family back not a bunch of slaves. He wouldn't bite her. He wouldn't. But he had to have her. He stood up and was again shoved to back to his chair.

Adam and his sister, weren't the only ones affected by the show. Imani had forgotten about Adam in her desperation to have her crush. She barreled forward and swept the little Asian troublemaker up in her arms. Planted a kiss like she was claiming ownership. "I want you Bianca. I've always wanted you. Do you want me?" Bianca squeaked and nodded.

The moment broken, Adam and Cindi trotted out into the corridor, closed the door on increasingly high-pitched gasps and growls. It was finally over. Safe. Finished. Rock hard still, even after he managed to slip back into his shirt and pants- thought that had been considerably more difficult. Adam surveyed his sister, maybe for the last time. He hadn't realized how much he missed them. How much he needed them. He wished he had come back years before, under ANY other circumstances. But as it was. Adam was a dead man, and so was anyone around him.

Keith Martell eyed the station in front of him. His hails had gone unanswered. There was a jammer in effect, he recognized the signs from when ol' dear departed Francis and he, had made runs all over the Alliance. In the good old days. Back before the war, when a man could have whatever he pleased if he was strong enough to take it.

He sighed, running a hand across his larger belly, he'd fought the clock for decades, and he didn't have the gene mods, to keep fighting for him. He was getting old. But he still had one thing left he needed to do. An obsession that had been dancing through his lower cortex for years now. Cindi Carter was a prime piece of unused pussy. And he meant to plant a flag there. Use her up like a man should and leave a little something behind for when he was dead and gone. Her mother had always been too cold to enjoy- lord knows he'd tried -but it was like fucking a dead robot. But Charlotte's daughter.... he was going to shape this little vixen in the perfect whore for his cock. Hell, maybe he'd even loan her out, once he'd put his mark on her. Sometimes he like to watch.

As he pulled in to the hanger he noticed another ship, black and terrible in the far berth. The source of the jamming? Worry shot through him. His little Cindy! Only no pirates worth their salt would let leave their ship unguarded. Most be some rich kid's souped up toy, he figured. Another smaller shiver of fear hit him. Whatever overcompensating young buck was here already, better keep his hands and his cock out of Keith's property, or he'd show him the airlock. Better to stay strapped, just in case.

Keith emerged into the empty hangar, the only sounds the buzzing of auto-loaders behind him disgorging his cargo. Booze, fresh food, and a few additions of his own; he smiled, recalling the sorts of evil toys he brought, each one designed to bend a young woman to her proper whorish shape. He simply couldn't wait to introduce lil' Cindi Carter to them.