Well...

Melodia wasn’t lying. These arches really are majestic. You’re no geologist, so you have no idea what caused them but you’re really glad it happened. Smooth yellow and ochre rock gracefully bends far above your head. An irregular semicircle 200 feet in diameter. There are a dozen more stone features that you can see, including a few pillars that look like they may once have been arches, but there are none as awe inspiring as the Glory Hole.

The Glory Hole bridges a shallow canyon. Nothing like the one Dogsville is built into: this one is large enough to park the Breaker in, but nothing larger. It also has gentle slopes as opposed to Dogsville’s sheer cliffs. Weird white plants between two and four feet tall with hook like branches poke out in between the rocks.

You lie next to one of the arches two bases.Your chameleon cloak adopts the soft browns and yellows of the environment perfectly. To avoid giving away your position, your sniper rifle has been painted tan. Also under the cloak is you’re back up gun, a needler. This particular one was non-lethal, and fired darts coated in your special toxin. Even if someone knew exactly where to look, it would take a trained eye to spot you.

You keep Melodia in your sites. Specifically, you keep her ass in your sites. For the purposes of the mission, you have allowed her to wear clothes with the understanding that she will be punished for this breach of **** etiquette upon completion. When Melodia offered to go naked, you informed her that she would receive additional punishments for putting the mission in jeopardy, as such an act would arouse suspicion. Having said all that, she does look sexy. She wore denim booty shorts that, while not letting the ass hang out, still left nothing to the imagination. An army green tank top paired nicely with a military cap and boots. Maybe I’ll let her wear that outfit while I punish her. She is idly playing on a datapad. Recently, Melodia has begun acquiring things you don’t recall giving her. The data pad probably came from your ship but you have no idea where she got those clothes.

“Comms check.”

“For the love of gods, Melodia, That’s the third one.” You’re communicating through earbuds. They are so small, the only way to notice them is to get up real close. As an added benefit, you could hear anything Melodia hears.

“I’m bored. You won’t let me hike around and check things out. How many times are we gonna be able to see something like this?”

“You go off hiking and I will shoot you in your very cute patootie.” She gives you a couple of obliging twerks. “Cute, but I will still shoot you.”

“Come on. Why did we need to come out here so early?”

“Patience is the mark of a good sniper.”

“I’m not a sniper.”

“No, you’re bait. Bait sits obligingly and waits to be snatched up. Now shut up and play with the data pad.”

“You have no apps and the only two games on here are asteroids and some weird old card game where you can only play against yourself.”

I have games?

You are about to chastise her when you hear a dull roar in the distance. Melodia hears it to and turns to face it. It seems to be coming from the south, and it’s getting louder. Much louder. In less then a minute from when you first hear the noise a silhouette that caused terror on a dozen worlds blasts into view. Whoever this Bellextra is, she has a flair for the dramatic that you find over the top. She deliberately flies through the Glory Hole even though it would have been more convenient to set down without doing so. Honestly who does that?

When the ship finally does set down you take a good look at it. In your experience, you can learn a lot about a lady from her ship. Bellextra’s ship tells you she’s not one to cross. As is typical of Iah Kuruh longship, the whole ship seems to be built around two things. A powerful engine and an armored prow. The prow is for ramming and boarding enemy ships, and the engine is to make sure it gets there. Other features, such as the dozen long, skinny, maneuvering thrusters emerging from the sides or the weapon arrays, seem to have been added as an afterthought.

“Okay Melodia. Showtime.”

“Yeah… Show time.”

A ramp descends. Smoke billows from the opening. I swear, who is this vain? A tall figure can be seen descending through the haze. As it clears you can get your first glimpse of your competition. Red skin covers rip cord muscles. Not the kind of muscles bodybuilders have. These are the muscles that are only gained through actual use. In spite of this, she still has a feminine figure, with generous breasts and luscious hips. A large weapon is casually slung over one shoulder, a grenade launcher you suspect. The hand opposite the one holding the gun is encased in an oversized gauntlet. You’ve heard of these. Power gauntlets can supposedly amplify the strength of the wielder, deliver electric shocks, and if legends are true, even generate personal shields. The last one is of course ridiculous. There is no way something that small could generate a shield.

With few exceptions, she, and she is a she, is buck ass naked. Those exceptions include a combat harness with extra grenades and equipment, the skull of something with horns and very large teeth strapped to one shoulder, a power cell for the gauntlet so big it needs to be carried as a backpack, and a cock ring. Yup. She’s got a dick. You just stare at it through your scope. It is beautiful and terrifying all at once. Just shy of forearm size, it could definitely tame a bitch. In spite of her impressive piece of masculine equipment, she has a rugged beauty. Dark hair is braided into a long ponytail. Strong cheekbones accent a aquiline nose and graceful brow. What really catches your attention are the eyes. Someone who only knew flattery would call them doe eyes. You, knowing something of predators and prey, would call them wolf eyes.

After a not so casual survey of the surroundings she approaches Melodia with slow purposeful steps. You can hear Melodia gulp over the comms unit, and while you are a little worried she’ll blow it, you have a pain of sympathy for her. Not that you would let yourself be intimidated in Melodia’s place, but you are glad to be watching this down the barrel of a high powered stun rifle. It’s not until they are only a few feet apart that you really appreciate how tall she is. You suspect that she would match the Brut0X in height.

“Melodia.” Her voice comes in deep and clear over the comms bud.

“Hey, Bellextra. Long time no see.” Melodia gives a half hearted wave. She’s having a hard time meeting Bellextra eyes. Half of it’s nerves and half of it is Bellextra’s assets.

“It took you a long time to get here.”

“Well you know how it is. Traffic was, uh, terrible, and I couldn’t get a ride, and things, and stuff.”

“You were not followed?” Bellextra starts to slowly circle Melodia. Don’t let her circle you. Predators circle prey. Don’t be prey.

“Nope,” she says quickly. “Not followed. No siree bob. I am certain I was not followed.” Too eager.

“Are you alright?” Bellextra leans in from behind Melodia. “You seem different from what I remember.”

“Me? Different?” Melodia turns to face Bellextra and puts her hand over her chest. “What about you, huh?” That’s it. Be feisty. “You’re the one creeping.”

Bellextra takes a step back. “I apologize.” She is staring at Melodia with the same expression one has when they are reading a who-done-it novel.

“Forget it. Did you get it? The Dixon VII?”

“Of course. It took some persuasion, but I was able to find a working model.” You are quite sure Bellextra stiffens ever so slightly when she says persuasion. Given that she’s splitting her attention between Bellextra's breasts and her cock, you’re equally certain Melodia noticed it too.

“Great,” Melodia says after just too long of a pause. “Where is it?” Good work. Don’t take your eyes off the prize.

Bellextra places a hand on Melodia’s shoulder with all the inevitability of a setting sun. “Don’t worry. I have already installed it.” For the first time since Bellextra left her ship, Melodia is looking her square in the eye. “Are you sure you are alright? You seem, very, nervous.”

“Nervous? Nope. Just excited. Let’s get this show on the road.”

You smile. That’s your queue. Good girl. You settle in and wait for a clear shot when a sudden gust of wind rips through the canyon. To your surprise, Bellextra stands up straight and tilts her head back as if daring you to make a headshot. Who are you to turn her down? You line up the shot. You have a perfect view through your scope. She is gorgeous. Maybe Melodia won’t be alone in your dungeon when this is over. You take a moment to admire your prize She has features softer than you would expect from a warrior people and you can see every detail. Her fine hair, almost manicured eyebrows, twitching nostrils. Wait, what?

In a movement too fast for you to track or react to Bellextra has grabbed Melodia with her gauntlet and is using her as a human shield. The other is pointing the grenade launcher in a direction far too close to your own for comfort. Right. Twitching nostrils. Like a wolf when it catches a scent. She fires off three grenades. Two go wide. The other lands no more than 20 feet away and you are showered in dirt and rocks.