Head for your shuttle.

It doesn’t take you very long to pack, your cabin is not very large and your personnel possessions are rather few in number; some weapons you had taken from particularly noteworthy foes join a pair of computer crystal’s containing treatises on naval warfare and another on space legends and mythology; you follow these with your limited supply of cosmetics and jewellery, most of it gift’s from admirer’s of all gender’s including a long, gold and emerald necklace from the king himself.

You stand before the long mirror fastened to one wall, looking at yourself admiringly in your Admirals uniform for the last time, I am going to miss this uniform you admit to yourself as you gaze into the mirror Shame really, I looked so good in it.

It’s true the uniform has always looked very good on your tall, impressively curved body. The tall, gleaming, black boots and the tight, snow white pants with their thick golden strip running up the sides; above that is a low necked, long sleeved shirt of the same snowy white that clung to your torso like a glove, over that went a short tabard of inky black with the Kings sigil, a Flaring Sun, was worked on the chest in sparkling golden thread. Rank pins glimmered at your collar and low slung on your hips are the same long, gleaming sword and the bulky, high powered energy pistol that have killed so many of your enemies in the past.

You slowly strip off the uniform you had worn for so long and turned to your small closet, wearing only a pair of small, lacy, black panties you searched through the rather limited supply of civilian clothing inside it before finally settling on a simple, knee length dress of a dark green, shimmery material and pulled it over your head.

Your dressing done, you tie your long ebony hair into its usual intricate braid and take one last look around the room before scooping up the pair of metal sided traveling cases containing your possessions and step outside into the narrow hall, almost colliding with your cabin boy as he barely comes to a halt before crashing into you. Paul’s face is a deep red and bears an expression of borderline desperation, a look that only gets worse when he spies the traveling cases in your hands; “It’s true then?” he says almost sulkily “You are leaving, Admiral?”

A sigh comes from your lips as you hear him; the boy was the younger son of a noble family the king owed several favours to and had been **** on you as a method of repayment; he was a handsome enough lad with a wiry build, long lashed blue eyes and curly hair of a glossy black. He was also only eighteen years old had been a truly excellent cabin boy, until three days ago when he had burst in on you in the middle of your bath to declare his ‘undying and eternal love’ for you; he had taken one look at the stunned look on your face and bolted from the room and done his best to perform his duties while avoiding actually being in your presence ever since.

“Yes Paul, I am retiring” you tell him, pressing the call button for the lift car with your elbow; his face crumples into a look of shame, humiliation and regret “It’s my fault isn’t it” he blurts out, doors opening as he speaks “You’re leaving because of what I said aren’t you?” you shake your head at him as the pair of you step into the lift car, press the button and put down your cases, you turn to look at the teary-eyed boy.

“Paul, look at me” you order firmly and only when his eyes meet yours do you continue “This has nothing to do with you, I was already planning on leaving” you lie “I know how you feel about me and while I am flattered, I feel the same way about someone else” you raise one finger to his lips when he opens his mouth to protest “No listen, this is goodbye, but you have been a good cabin boy to me so...” you grab him around the back of the head and pull him forward, pressing your lips against his in a passionate kiss that left him breathless and weak kneed “Goodbye Paul” you tell him as the door opens behind you.

When you step out into the bay where you’re shuttle is held you see the Durandal’s senior officer’s standing before your glossy, black shuttle, each one snaps to attention when you emerge from the lift, as you come abreast of them each one offers a simple, murmured “Admiral” and gives a picture perfect salute, only when you return the salute from the ramp of your shuttle do they turn as one and march towards the waiting lift.

The score of identical, metal sided boxes containing your share of the gold and treasure your vessel had taken over the years are already stacked in the small cargo hold of the shuttle and you place the smaller ones containing your possessions amongst them before proceeding to the cockpit and readying the shuttle for launch.

Your fingers move rapidly across the complex control panel and the shuttle emits a soft rhythmic hum as power begins to course through it in ever increasing amounts; you direct the power to the engines and guide the small shuttle out through the launch bay’s **** field and into the infinite depths of space that lie beyond. You feed even more energy into the engines and set the navigation system to begin the calculations necessary for an interspatial warp jump as you pilot the small craft further and further away from the Durandal.

“That’s right baby” you murmur softly, one hand gently rubbing your swollen stomach “Mommy is going to see Daddy soon” the panel before you emits a three toned beeping noise and you smile widely as your shuttle vanishes in a flicker of pseudo motion and a flash of brilliant light.