Twelve

Calvo had never so much as exchanged a single word with the Captain, as she wasn't exactly given to fraternizing with convicts, and except for the brief period after his recapture he'd never spoken to Twelve, either. He was aware he had the benefit of objectivity here, something neither Eighteen nor the lieutenant possessed, but still, it was a tough choice to make.

He had saved the Captain's life once already, and in a strange way this made him feel responsible for her continued well-being, but on the other hand, there was Twelve...

Calvo looked over at the table where Twelve lay restrained. She seemed so young, so ****, and the invasive machinery she was hooked to only accentuated this. He clearly remembered the fear in her eyes when she was being strapped down, and he instinctively felt protective towards her.

There was also, he admitted, stepping closer to her spread-eagled body and sweeping his gaze over her delicate face and perfect, perky tits, a fair bit of lust involved.

"I think we should take Twelve," he said.

Eighteen flashed him a look of gratitude, but the lieutenant only scowled. "Why?" she demanded.

Calvo thought fast. An appeal to logic had worked before, so he figured he might as well try it again.

"If they were both awake right now, wouldn't the Captain say the same thing you told Eighteen? Be reasonable, forget her, and save who you could? Don't you think she feels the same responsibility, if not -more-, for her subordinates as you do?"

She had opened her mouth to protest, but now hesitated. He could tell she was wavering.

Eighteen chimed in. "Besides, our sisters are going to -need- the Captain here. These filthy mercs caught us all by surprise before, seperating everyone in the attack and then capturing us one by one." She gazed around the room at the sleeping soldiers, her hands on her hips. "But when they all recover from the hyperspace jump they'll be together, and they'll have the Captain to organize them. Guns or not, it'll take more than a few pirates to stop a group of Tau Ceti's finest, and I wouldn't be surprised if she took over the ship and carried their heads back to the capital herself."

Calvo had no idea whether she honestly believed that, but the important thing was that the ra-ra appeal to pride and solidarity seemed to be having its effect on the lieutenant.

"The mercs were afraid of something like that happening," he said. "When they captured the Captain they weren't going to bring her aboard. They intended to kill her."

He briefly related the story of the hanging and how you both escaped, and noted with some satisfaction the look of new respect and almost admiration in the women's eyes.

The lieutenant slowly nodded. "All right," she said, "We'll take Twelve."

"Yes!" Eighteen shouted gleefully, quickly moving to unhook her from the hyperspace rig.

"That's good," Calvo said, stepping up to help her, "All the other reasons aside, there's also the fact that four people in a fighter are going to be packed in like sardines as it is. At least Twelve is tiny."

Once the restraints were undone and Eighteen had gently removed the catheters, Calvo started to suggest that she let him hold the gun so that she could carry her lover, but the Amazon had already picked Twelve up with one muscular arm and leaned her easily over a shoulder as though she weighed no more than a kitten.

Eighteen nodded at Calvo and gestured at the door with barrel of the gun. "Lead the way."

He glanced over her shoulder to see if the lieutenant was following, and saw that she was standing next to one of the tables, her dark hand resting gently on a pale breast while she bent low to whisper something into the Captain's ear. She placed a soft kiss on the red-haired woman's forehead, and then straightened up, quickly wiping her eyes.

Calvo was just as quick to avert his, and tried to appear just as clueless as Eighteen when the lieutenant marched up and barked, "What are we waiting for? We have, what, six minutes left? Let's -go-."

Nodding, he shoved the door open and peered down the hallway. It was clear, so he started toward the landing bay at a brisk place, the lieutenant, Eighteen, and the **** Twelve right behind him.