A Year and a Day Later

“All hands, prepare for hyperspace exit!” Makleth's voice is heard throughout the entire ship, his already booming voice amplified by the intercom. Electricity arcs between the crew as there is the subtle shift in reality. Gravity feels a little sideways for just a moment, the colors slightly less real as you reenter real space.

“Two ships on sensors.”

“Two, eh?” You lounge lazily in the captain's chair, idly playing with your stun whip while one leg hangs over the armest. As befits a dread captain of your status, a **** girl is chained next to you. The blonde bombshell waits expectantly to the side, resting on her knees with her legs spread and her arms behind her back. “Is one of them our target?”

“Unless there’s another civilian liner with a HORE transponder in the area captain. Activating holoviewer.” The defenseless craft is displayed before you and the bridge crew. The platinum sheen of the civilian vessel probably serves a legitimate purpose, but to you, it just symbolizes a valuable target.

“And the other one?”

“No active friend or foe transponders. Destroyer class. Heavily armed. Possibly military but it doesn’t match any known configurations.”

“Pirate then.” Your interest is mildly peaked.

You gaze with passive curiosity at the 3D display, idling running your fingers through the **** girl’s bleached hair. “Looks like the Syndicate has finally rebuilt a respectable ship,” Makleth says. The holoviewer presents a sleek profile, highlighting densely-packed weapon pods, overlapping shield generators and other critical systems of note. No cobbled together pirate junk is this, but a true warship. You would be quite disappointed if the Syndicate had managed such a feat. Not with the Syndicate of course, but with your informant. You’ll have to have a talk with her after you resolve this.

"They're hailing us."

A simple nod is all the confirmation your crew needs and the viewscreen shifts to an image of a very attractive woman in a smart uniform decorated with medals and an adorable little hat. The leather clings to her curves like a Senagol’s tentacle. A short skirt reveals toned thighs that run into tall boots with stiletto heels. Color yourself intrigued.

“Natalia Demsys. I am Admiral Thane, and I am here to offer you a position within my organization.”

“Pleasure to meet you, but I find it odd that you know my name.” And how to find me. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“Let’s just say that your reputation precedes you. Afterall, you did single handedly take down the Sirius Syndicate.”

“Oh, posh. I hardly did anything at all. The Syndicate put all their eggs in one basket. I just happened to steal the basket. It was others that did the dismantling.”

“Quite so. I may have had a hand in that. Nevertheless, I would dearly love to acquire someone of your talents.” Even through the holoviewer you can see her eyes snake down your body. “And stature. I cordially invite you aboard so I can discuss terms of your employment. I have some rather exotic refreshments.” Through the speaker you can just hear the whimpering of an off camera sex ****.

You narrow your eyes. “I’m sure there is a most generous benefits package and salary, but I rather like working for myself. Besides, I came here to do a job. If you could vacate your ship from the premises and let my people get on with it, I would be most appreciative.”

“Oh, I’m afraid I can’t take no for an answer.”

“Two more ships coming out from behind the moon captain! They’re swinging around our rear.” Makleth is grinning like an idiot. Either he’s excited for a fight or still bathing in the afterglow of that BJ the throne **** gave him earlier. Could be both.

“As you can see, I have you surrounded and outnumbered. Now please, come aboard my ship and we can keep this civil. I would hate for things to escalate, especially with that faulty targeting system of yours. These backwater scrap yards can be so unreliable can’t they?”

“Yes they can. Fortunately, I got one hell of an engineer. Destroy whatever is closest to us.”

Thane’s face retains it’s smug expression save for her eyes, which flit to and fro nervously. The deck plating rattles as a full salvo lances towards one of the newcomers. The small corvettes flanking you are perfect for chasing down **** freighters. Well, one of them is. The other one is scrap. It’s shields put up a token resistance before they crumple and the hull is perforated. With a single volley the ship is rendered lifeless, filled with jagged holes revealing the starlight on the opposite side. Debris dances away from the wreckage to the tune of zero g.

Thane cuts the channel without a word. How rude. The holo projector shows her two remaining vessels moving off in opposite directions. Annoying. “Which one should we pursue, Captain?” Asks Makleth.

“Neither. We came here to do a job and I’m not going to let some trumped up pirate wannabe keep me from it. Now, get me that HORE vessel.”

They don’t keep you waiting, as if they were hoping you would call. Even through the grainy projection, the woman is obviously gorgeous. An hourglass figure is hugged by a professional but regal gown with a thick choker studded with Oo’lick symbols of authority. Leave it to the Oo’licks to make a collar a badge of office. “Unidentified vessel. I am Magistrix Me’alobaKambeenn Nyrthre Betty of the Human Oo’lick Reproductive Enclave.”

“Betty?”

She smiles graciously “I live and work with humans. It’s easier this way, both for your species and mine. I want to thank you for your timely rescue. Those brutes had us holding position for hours, threatening great **** if we attempted to flee. I feared for my people. We are a colony ship, traveling to a new world in free space!”

Well Betty, sometimes you get what you pay for.

“Please,” she continues, “What is your name, so my people can know their savior.”

“Natalia Demsys. Captain of the Freedom Redefined. And if you would like to come aboard, I assure you, your people will have every opportunity to show their gratitude.”