Mars Daybreak Fan Fiction ❯ Haunting Past ❯ Chapter 12

Haunting Past

 

By: A-Z Mark II

 

Disclaimer: I think that Sony Computer Ent. and Bandai own Mars Daybreak - maybe.

 

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Chapter 12

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“Warning!” came the synthetic voice of the robot crewman on the ship of Kuberness. “Buckler unit approaching,” the robot warned his master, Dread Pirate Kuberness - lone wolf of Mars. The pirate had only returned to his ship the evening before, and had been about to shove off for a small sight-seeing tour of the frontier before returning to his `respectable' business ventures. Very, very few people knew where his base was, and even fewer would dare to come up on him like this.

“Identification?” asked the pirate, intrigued by the approaching RB.

“Identification confirmed,” replied the robot. “Unit is the Flick.”

Kuberness blinked. “The Flick, eh?” he mused aloud. “That means Vestemona,” he said, thinking.

“Should I arm the defenses?” asked the robot. Kuberness frowned.

“No,” he said a moment later. “Stand down the weapons, open the docking bay,” he said. Standing from his command couch, he made his way down to the docking bay of his ship. He arrived just as the Flick powered down. Kuberness watched closely as the unit opened, his hand on his sword.

Seeing a familiar blonde head emerge, dressed in the dark, thin, one-piece suit she had found on his ship when she had first met him, he relaxed slightly. “Well, if it isn't Vestemona,” he said, smirking at her. The girl slipped down from the cockpit of her unit and landed lightly on her feet in front of him. “What brings you here?” asked the pirate.

“Kuberness,” she said evenly. Kuberness stepped forward so he was face to face with her, looking down on the shorter girl. Slowly, he circled her. She was wearing a different vest - one much like Gram's, he noticed - and the pink scarf she had tied around her waist was gone as well, but she was otherwise just like she had been when she had been on his ship before. Her hair is longer, he thought, she must be re-growing it. He stopped when he was once more in front of her.

“Well?” he prompted her. “Did you come here for a reason? Or did you just miss me?” he asked her with evil amusement. Vess met his gaze evenly.

“I came here to talk to you about something you might find interesting,” said the blonde. Kuberness grunted.

“Did you now?” he asked rhetorically. “Where is your man, Gram, at?” he asked her. Vess didn't react to that.

“He's near-by with our ship,” said the woman, a hint of a dangerous smile on her lips. “I don't recommend getting any strange ideas, Kuberness,” she gave him a veiled warning. “You should know that the Hope isn't the ship she was when last you saw her.”

“Indeed,” said Kuberness, smirk in place. “Still running with Elizabeth and the Aurora?” he asked. Vess didn't answer. “And what if I decided to kidnap you?” he asked.

“Gram would run this ship down within two miles and sink you,” stated the girl. Your ship is fast, but with that new engine and the upgrades, you are not fast enough - nor smart enough! - to evade Gram and the Hope, she added silently. “And that is to say nothing about what I would do to you,” she reminded him. He grunted once more.

“We already did that dance, Vestemona,” he reminded her. Tossing his head, he indicated the passage toward the living areas of the ship. “How about we get comfortable and you can tell me what it is that you think I will find interesting?” he suggested. Vess nodded.

“Sure,” she said, following him. “It is why I came here, after all,” she added.

-

“I don't know, Gram,” said Ester, her voice worried, “are you sure that it was a good idea to send her in alone?” asked the Naval Witch. She stood at the wheel of the Hope, Gram in his command chair, Enora sitting in Vess's chair. The Ship of Hope was sitting thirty miles from the pirate's concealed base, just barely within range of their sensors. Vess had warned them about the rings of sensors that surrounded the base, and had - with Gram - determined where they would be relatively safe. With the added speed and armor of their ship, they were certain that if anything happened, they could crash the party faster than Kuberness could possible believe.

“It's ok, Ester,” said the young man, “Kuberness's weakness is money and revenge,” he explained. “In spite of what you might think, he is actually a fairly principled man. I was able to hire him for just a single credit, back when you all were about to be executed, because Lauren had double-crossed him.”

Ester blinked. “You hired Kuberness for a single credit?” she wondered aloud. Gram nodded. “So, that is what he was talking about,” she murmured, recalling the silver credit coin he had been toying with.

“Well, that and the fact that he hates the military as much as the rest of us,” shrugged Gram. “So, Vess is going to appeal to his greed and suggest a way to settle some grudges at the same time,” he explained. Ester digested that.

“I see,” she mused. She had been - from the very start of her pirating career on Mars - on the opposite side from Kuberness, so she had never really bothered to dissect the man's psyche like Gram and Vess seem to have done. “How long do you think it will take her to convince him?” she wondered. Gram shrugged.

“As long as it takes,” he said simply. Enora looked over at him.

“Are you sure that you're ok with her being with that jerk alone?” she asked the object of her crush. “I mean, what if he tries something with her?” she pressed. Gram chuckled.

“Enora, she's packing her gun,” he reminded her. “And besides, you said it yourself: she's a one-man kind of girl,” he repeated back at her. Enora bit her tongue to keep from bringing up a topic she herself was still struggling with.

“I have to say, Ester,” came Gram's voice, Enora grateful that he was pushing the unspoken question from her mind, “I am surprised that you did what you did.” Ester knew what he was referring to.

“I explained why when I spoke with Captain Elizabeth,” the seemingly-young woman side-stepped the issue. “Besides,” she said quietly, “I wanted a break,” she said.

“Oh, we're both glad you came, Ester,” assured Gram. “We just don't want you to think that you had to come,” he explained. Ester smiled at him, her cheeks coloring slightly. Enora noticed.

“Yeah, Ester,” she grinned at the Naval Witch, “I know why you came with us,” she sniped at the shorter girl. Ester didn't reply, though the color on her cheeks rose as she recalled what she had done not a week before.

It was shortly after the sea trial of the newly-upgraded Ship of Hope. The core group was meeting on the bridge of the Aurora, planning and organizing the upcoming campaign. As the meeting drew to a close, Ester had stunned all of the assembled primaries by turning to address Captain Elizabeth. “Captain, I request your permission for a leave of absence from the Ship of Aurora,” she had said, without any warm-up.

Elizabeth had blinked at her first officer. “What?” she asked, confused.

“I am asking for your permission to depart the Aurora, Captain,” repeated Ester firmly. The faded-blonde haired captain had just blinked at her trusted first officer.

“Why?” she asked. Ester had maintained eye contact.

“It is my desire to serve on the Ship of Hope,” she explained. “Gram and Vess are short on crew, and if Vess fights in the Flick, then Gram is left to handle the Hope alone. This is not a safe condition if we are to undertake what we plan. It is my intention to serve in whatever capacity is needed aboard the Hope,” stated the woman resolutely.

“For how long?” wondered Neli, watching the First Officer with speculative eyes.

“For as long as necessary,” Ester wiggled out from under the direct question. Captain Elizabeth was silent for several moments, obviously thinking about the request. In the mean time, there were several small conversations ricocheting around the bridge as a result of the Naval Witch's request.

“Ester, I'll be crewing on the Hope, too, you know,” said Enora. “I can help out Gram if Vess goes out in the Flick,” pointed out the girl. Ester gave the girl a smile.

“Yes, Enora,” she said. “However, you lack both the skill and experience that I have, and in combat, that is vitally important,” she said delicately. “Besides, even with me aboard, you will still find yourself with more to do than you can possibly accomplish,” warned the woman.

“What will we do without a first officer?” wondered Poipoider. Ester turned to look at the Beluga whale.

“Actually, Poipoider,” she countered, “I am redundant to the operation of the Aurora. In combat, Captain Elizabeth takes direct command, and I take over either a mission group, or man the sensor station - both jobs, I should remind you, that are already covered by the skills of others on the crew.”

“True,” came Clara's voice, “but I doubt that that is why you are asking this,” the car sniped smugly.

“Would you like to accompany me?” replied Ester, her eyes meeting the feline's gaze. A short purr came from the cat.

“Perhaps I will,” demurred the cat. Ester heard several of the core crew whispering among themselves. Peeking to the side, she saw that Vess and Gram were looking at each other. For some reason, she felt her heart rate kick up and she found herself swallowing nervously. Feeling the red eyes of the Naval Witch on them, the two looked at her, smiling as one.

“If this is what you want, Ester,” said Captain Elizabeth, “then I have no call to try and stop you.” Ester exhaled a relieved breath.

“Thank you, Captain,” breathed the short woman. Captain Elizabeth nodded to her.

“How about it, Gram, Vess?” said the Captain, looking at the two from the Hope. “Will you give her a place on your ship?”

“Gladly,” said Gram, Vess nodding. Enora smiled at Ester.

“Well, that's that,” said Captain Elizabeth. “Thank you for your hard work on the Aurora, Ester.”

“And welcome to the Ship of Hope, Ester,” said Vess.

-

“So, that is what you all plan to do, is it?” asked Kuberness, sipping his wine. He was sitting on the couch in his `living room' as it were, with Vess sitting at the opposite end of the couch, a glass of wine in her hands as well.

“More or less,” the woman said, sipping her own glass of wine. Kuberness studied the girl in the soft light of the room.

“”Kind of a basic plan, isn't it?” he probed.

“I'm certainly not going to lay out all the details and timetable before you commit,” said Vess dryly. Kuberness silently considered the possible advantages he could gain from throwing in with the Hope and the Aurora. Vess waited patiently.

When Kuberness refilled his own glass, she accepted another refill from the man who had taught her the skills of a pirate and RB pilot. It wasn't that he was necessarily a friend, but she and he had come to an understanding, and they shared a common trait or two. Vess reflected that if it hadn't of been for him, she might not have succeeded in reuniting with Gram. His influence had provided her something to measure her goals against, as well as providing a mirror for her own actions.

“Before I commit,” said Kuberness at last, “I want to get a few more details,” he said. Vess studied him.

“Such as?” she asked. Kuberness smiled.

“Such as what do you propose to do if this goes the way that you hope it will? Who will be the new power bases on Mars?” he asked her. Vess sipped her wine as she quickly tried to predict where he was going with the question. The meeting ran long, the robot crewman bringing a fresh bottle of wine as necessary.

-

“Gram, it's nearly morning,” said Ester, glancing at the young man on his command chair. “I will take the watch, if you like, so you can get some rest,” offered the girl.

“I guess that Vess is having a hard time selling Kuberness on it,” replied the young man. “It's probably going to be morning before she gets back,” he mumbled to himself. “Are you sure you are ok?” he asked Ester. The girl nodded.

“Yes,” she confirmed. “I had a two-hour nap while you and Enora stood watch, and there is a fresh pot of coffee up, so I am fine,” she assured him, smiling at him. “If anything happens, I'll sound the alarm, ok?” she prodded.

“Ok, Ester,” smiled Gram, rising. “You should take one of the chairs, Ester,” he said, pausing as he passed Ester, his hand touching her shoulder. Ester swiftly scrambled into his chair. Gram chucked as he stretched his aching body out. “Well, I guess I'm going to bed,” he said.

“Rest well, Gram,” said Ester, adjusting the terminal. “And be careful not to disturb Enora if she is resting,” she reminded the young man. He nodded.

“Sure,” he said, yawning as he made his way to the captain's cabin. Entering the cabin, he saw a lump in the bed, and Enora's ship-board clothes on the foot of the large bed. Quietly, he undressed and eased into bed, finding the girl to be sleeping in the center of the bed, which allowed him ample room on either side of her. As he settled in, however, she rolled over and scooted over to snuggle up to him, her naked flesh pressed to his.

“Gram?” she asked sleepily.

“Yeah, sorry to wake you,” he said, settling an arm around her. She shook her head.

“I was only dozing,” she demurred. “With you here, I can get some good sleep,” she purred. Gram kissed her forehead. “Is Vess back yet?” she wondered, intertwining her legs with his.

“Not yet,” he replied. Enora hummed.

“Oh,” she breathed. I get him all to myself! she gloated. Not to waste the chance, she slowly dragged her hand down his chest toward his belly. When she reached his belly, she paused, then began to move lower. Brushing her hand over his curly pubic hair, she could feel her heart-rate increase as she brushed against his semi-hard member.

“Enora?” asked the young man. The girl twitched, silently biting her lip. Slowly, she closed her hand over his shaft, feeling it harden in her grip. On her cheek, she felt Gram's fingers brush her soft skin before gently, yet firmly, tilting her head up toward his. Did I mess up? worried the girl, wondering what Gram was up to. Instead of saying anything, Gram kissed her softly on the lips, the girl almost melting in relief and pleasure. Her hand sped up a little on his dick, his shaft now hard in her hand.

“Mm,” she moaned quietly as Gram broke the kiss. Shifting, she offered her bare breasts to Gram, who accepted her silent offer, cupping her mounds and kneading them proficiently. Before she knew it, her hard, erect nipples were being mercilessly stimulated by Gram's fingers as her neck was being showered by kisses, interspersed with caring nips and what she was pretty sure would be hickies along her collarbone; not that she was complaining.

As he worked on her, Gram gradually moved her over so she was lying on top of him, and his hands moved to her ass, his lips taking their place on her nipples and breasts. Enora arched her back, her hand braced on the bed beside Gram's head for balance. Her position allowed Gram perfect access to her breasts without making it awkward for him to work on the rest of her. After leisurely caressing her firm ass, he teasingly slid his hands down between her thighs, guiding them to either side of his hips, her throbbing pussy resting on top of his dick, which was pinned between their bodies. Reaching between her legs from the rear, he stroked her lower lips, finding them to be puffy and aroused, but not as wet as he would like them to be. Well, that can be fixed, he absently thought, seeking out her clit.

“Ah!” gasped the girl, feeling his fingertips assault her slit and clit. “Gram!” she squealed, trembling slightly as she eagerly spread her legs wider and arched her back more, giving him better access. Gram didn't answer, since his mouth was full of succulent Enora-tit. He did, however, gently graze her hard nipple with his teeth, earning him a high, aroused eep! from his lover. Distracted, she didn't feel his finger ease into her passage.

No hymen, he thought, not finding any sign of the barrier he had been concerned about. Tight, though, he absently thought. His fingers revealed another fact to him. She's certainly wet now, he thought, grinning around her nipple. His hand was soaked by her girl juice, and he was certain that there was a growing wet spot on the sheets. That, however, was not a concern to be addressed at this time. Carefully, he pressed his finger into her until he reached her cervix. Easing back, he teased her clit for a moment, then began to work two fingers into her slick passage.

Enora mewed as she felt herself stretched by his fingers, the sensations ten times stronger than she had ever felt with her own fingers. Unrestrained, her arousal spiraled upward at a rate she would have thought impossible. Gram's…he's…we're going to…Y-E-S! she silently screamed with what rapidly-diminishing mental capacity she had left. Enora succumbed to a strong, hot orgasm.

Feeling some hot, wet drops on his forehead, Gram released her drool-covered tits and looked up. Enora's head was hanging down, a huge smile on her face, and a thin line of drool coming from her mouth. Her eyes were closed, but she was clearly floating on cloud nine. Chuckling fondly, Gram managed to bring his lips to her lips, getting some response from the girl. Wiggling his tongue into her mouth, he playfully teased her tongue until it responded to his, the two tongues writhing together as Enora let her body come to rest on his own.

When Enora finally managed to focus enough to break the kiss, she felt a throbbing heat against her belly. Foggily, she tried to recall what it might mean, and why she was so keenly interested in that throbbing, soft-but-hard object. Enora ground her lower belly against the object, feeling a tingling sensation spike through her drooling sex.

“Enora,” came the panting voice of her current mattress. The girl blinked, her mind clearing slightly from her orgasmic vacation. Gram! That's his dick, and I…! she didn't bother to finish the thought, not caring to waste more time on a meaningless idea when she could put that time to better use by curling her strong abdominal muscles, pulling her hips up so his hard length stood proudly forth like a monument to manhood. Grinning, she realized that such a proud, perfect monument should be appreciated, and fortunately, she had the perfect way to appreciate it.

Wiggling around, she found the correct purchase and balance, and raised her soaked hips up, balancing over his tool. What was Vess saying about doing it like this? she tried to recall. Oh! That's right, she placed the fragment of conversation the two had had a while before. Reaching down, she used one hand to caress Gram's hard shaft, finding it to be slick with pre-cum, and her other hand to swiftly check her own readiness. Feeling her entire pussy - and a good bit of her thighs - soaked in her fluid, she easily spread herself open for him, easing down until his tip met her opened sex, settling right at her entrance.

“Ready?” came Gram's lustful voice. She nodded, letting herself sink lower, his wide tip stretching her virgin passage to fit him. Oh, god! was all Enora could think, feeling herself being taken by him, and loving the almost-painful-but-not-quite feeling of being stretched by his hard cock. He's making me his! she thought happily, dropping lower. Feeling Gram's hand once more cup her breasts, she surrendered all control to him, knowing that he would use her as he saw fit - and just as certain that she would love every second of it.

“Oh, Gram…” she purred, feeling him finally bottom out in her passage. Her harsh panting filled the room as Gram began to slowly pump into and out of her. Sounds of passion and lust escaped her throat in meaningless intervals, the teenager lost in the feeling of finally being with the one she had fallen in love with more than a year before.

Beneath her, Gram clenched his jaw as Enora subconsciously began to bounce on his dick, her super-tight grip on his shaft pushing him toward release far faster than he would have liked. Moving a hand down to their joined sex, he pressed his thumb against her hard little clit and began to rub. Enora went wild, her sudden activity throwing him closer to release. “Cumming!” he gasped.

“Yes!” shrieked Enora, her hormones doing all the thinking for her. Seconds later, Gram seized her hips, pulling her down as hard as he could as he pushed his hips forward, his tip buried deeply within Enora as he blew his load. Enora, for her part, flopped around like a seizure victim before going limp, dropping on top of Gram, asleep before she came to full rest. Gram caught his breath, adjusting their positions as he did so. As was his preference with Vess, he made sure that their positions allowed them to remain joined as they slept.

“Sleep well, Enora-chan,” he murmured, kissing her cheek before succumbing to sleep himself.

-

Vess took a deep breath before standing, her hand absently raising her suit's zipper back to where it had been at the start of the evening. Looking over, she saw two empty wine bottles and a place with some crumbs that had been dinner. Her balance was slightly off, but she was certain that she could get back to the Hope without incident. Still seated, Kuberness smiled at her. “Sure you shouldn't stay the night?” he asked, draining the last of his wine.

“No thanks,” said Vess, concentrating on her words to keep them from slurring. “Gram's waiting for me,” she said, turning for the door. “We'll be in touch,” she said, carefully moving around the table. Shouldn't have had that much wine, she thought to herself. Kuberness stood and stepped to her side, taking her elbow.

“Well, I suppose I should see you to the Flick,” he offered. Vess glanced at him, but said nothing. “It's the least I can do,” he said, amusement in his tone. Vess just grunted softly. Silently, the two made their way to the hanger. As Vess climbed up into the cockpit, Kuberness had one more thing to say.

“Sure you won't re-consider my offer to join me?” he said. “You and I make a good team, Vestemona,” he repeated. “It's a pity that you aren't using your full potential.” he added. Vess paused, staring at him from the lip of the cockpit.

“I can only be myself when I'm with Gram,” she said softly. “Without him, I can't achieve my potential.” With that, she closed the hatch and her RB came to life, launching from the hanger immediately. Kuberness considered her words.

“Sadly, my dear, I think you might be right,” he admitted to himself. Should have made a move on her before she reunited with Gram, he thought, seeing where he made his initial mistake. Well, there are things to be done, he dismissed his musings about the blonde who had just left. Glancing at the ship's clock, he made his way to the bridge. “This will require the personal touch,” he said to no one.

In the Flick, Vess increased the oxygen ratio in her cockpit, allowing her mind to clear some from the wine-induced sluggishness. Hiding a yawn, she considered the negotiations she had just concluded. “Could have been worse, I guess,” she decided. I have to remember not to let him ply me with wine next time, she made a mental note. Looking at the display, she realized it was later than she had thought. In fact, daybreak was less than two hours away.

She made a screaming approach to the Hope, and managed to dock with only a tiny bit of difficulty. Securing her RB, Vess climbed down from the cockpit, almost losing her balance twice as she did so. Tired and drunk is not a good combination, she thought sagely. “Welcome back, Vess,” came Ester's voice over the ship's squawk box in the hanger. “How did it go?” asked the new crewmember.

“He accepted our offer,” said the woman, hiding a yawn.

“Took him a while,” noted Ester blandly. Vess frowned.

“Actually, I thought it went kind of fast,” she replied. “Gram? Enora?” she asked the other woman, making her way toward the bridge.

“Both asleep. Enora went to bed several hours ago, while Gram has only been sleeping for about three hours,” answered the Naval Witch. Vess nodded to herself.

“Oh,” she said aloud. Reaching the bridge, she dropped by long enough to check on Ester, who was sitting in Gram's chair. Seeing the small, cute woman almost curled up in Gram's comfortable command chair struck her as amusing for some reason, and she surprised Ester by leaning over, hugging the startled woman, and touching her lips to Ester's forehead. “I'm going to bed,” she said, straightening. “Get us under weigh for Liberty City, Ester,” she said. The Naval Witch nodded.

“Aye, aye, Vess,” she replied. She watched the taller blonde exit the bridge, hearing a soft giggle escape her lips as the hatch closed. She seems to be drunk, thought the Naval Witch. She had caught a fleeting whiff of alcohol on the woman's breath when she hugged her. Or perhaps drugged? she wondered. “NAMI,” she addressed the AI.

“Yes, Ester?” came back the AI's voice immediately, her icon popping up on the main display.

“Display the information from Vess's monitoring chip, please,” directed the Naval Witch. Immediately, she saw that Vess was entering the cabin, and a moment later, her locator stopped moving, which meant that she had shed her clothes. Beside the location beacon, there were her basic vital signals. Since the transmitters that Gram and Vess favored rested against the skin, the Naval Witch could get some standard data from the tiny device. Breaking down the information, she found that Vess's sweat had grown rich with alcohol over the course of the night. “Drunk,” murmured Ester, relieved. She didn't trust Kuberness at all, and it was a relief to know that Vess hadn't been drugged by the man.

Her mind came up with other possibilities, but she hadn't seen any sign of them, so she focused on the hug-and-kiss Vess had given her. I wonder, was that just because she was drunk, or was it something more? wondered the short woman as she laid in her course for Liberty. She was still trying to piece together the exact dynamics of the relationships between Gram, Vess and Enora, not to mention trying to sort out her own feelings. She and Gram had become fast, close friends during his first tenure on the Aurora, and now, she had voluntarily - even eagerly - left that ship to crew with him on his own ship. It's not like I lied to Captain Elizabeth, she reflected. All the reasons I listed are both true and valid, and yet, I know that it wasn't for those reasons that I left the Aurora, she admitted candidly to herself. Engrossed in her own thoughts, the woman lost track of time.

“Morning, Ester!” came the cheerful, energized voice of Enora. Blinking, Ester realized that she had zoned out, lost in thought, for hours. NAMI was driving the ship, so there wasn't much for her to do, but it was still sloppy of her to do that.

“Morning, Enora,” she replied, looking over to find the young girl practically floating on air and nearly visibly glowing. Always energetic, the teenage Earthling seemed unusually chipper that morning. “Something good happen?” she asked the teen, who only tittered excitedly.

“Yes, actually,” she said, all but levitating into Vess's chair. “I've got the watch, Ester,” she said happily, humming between sentences. “Why not hit the rack?” she suggested. Ester realized that she had been on watch for more than half a day non-stop, and she was feeling a little tired.

“I suppose I could use some rest,” she said, slowly climbing out of Gram's chair. “Are…?” she began, only to have Enora anticipate her.

“Vess is out cold,” she said. “Must have been up late,” she theorized, “and Gram is sleeping, though I think he will be up before too long,” she reported. “When I woke up, he woke up too, but wanted to stay with Vess for a bit longer,” she shrugged. “I went to bed before him, so it makes sense,” she explained.

“I see,” said Ester. I'll just sleep in the First Officer's quarters, she decided without enthusiasm. Enora seemed to read her thoughts.

“You aren't planning to sleep in the other cabin, are you?” asked the girl suspiciously. “It's not as comfortable as Gram and Vess's cabin is, you know,” she reminded the older woman. “You'll wake up sore and stiff if you sleep in there,” warned the younger girl. “Besides, the Captain's cabin is closer,” she added.

“Very well,” replied Ester, giving in without much of a fight. Exiting the bridge, she heard Enora giggling to herself and humming happily. She didn't have to be as smart as she was to guess what had happened. Unfortunately for Ester, that only raised concerns of her own standing with the young man. Pushing them aside, she slipped into the Captain's Cabin, finding the two masters of the ship peacefully resting in the center of the large bed. Silently undressing, Ester climbed into bed.

“Ester?” came Gram's voice.

“Uh, yes, Gram,” she confirmed, feeling him wrap his arm around her and pull her to his side.

“Sorry about leaving you on watch all that time,” he whispered into her ear.

“It's no problem,” Ester assured him. Gram hummed, rubbing her back as he did so.

“Maybe not, but I still should have relieved you earlier,” he insisted. Feeling his warmth next to her, Ester found her eyelids drooping. Settling her cheek on his chest, she swiftly fell asleep.

When she awoke, she found that she and Gram had switched roles, with herself being a pillow for Vess, and Gram missing from bed. Looking and feeling, she discovered that she was on her back, Vess's head resting against her breasts, one of the blonde's arms around her short ribs, and the other tucked under her back, the hand resting on Ester's hip. Her own arms looped over Vess's shoulder, one hand on the taller woman's belly at her bellybutton, and the other hand resting on the elbow of the arm that circled her waist from the front. Vess was still very much asleep as best as Ester could determine.

Looking past the other woman, she saw the ship's clock, displayed on the communication panel of the cabin. Her eyes widened. I have been asleep for ten hours? she thought, stunned. She rarely slept that long in one sitting. How could I have slept that long? And why didn't I awaken when Gram got out of bed? she wondered. Looking down, she watched Vess sleep for a moment. I wonder why Vess is still sleeping, she thought to ask herself. Carefully, she leaned over the other woman's head as best she could, moving a hand to Vess's face.

Touching her forehead, Ester didn't feel any excess heat. Gently pressing her fingertips to the woman's neck, she felt the strong, steady heart beat of the woman. She seems fine, Ester decided, her soft palm coming to rest on Vess's exposed cheek by chance. Vess's skin is soft and fine, she thought absently, delicately caressing the other woman's cheek.

“Mm,” hummed Vess, shifting to press her cheek into Ester's hand. A moment later, her green eyes opened and focused. “Oh. Ester,” she said, clearly surprised to find Ester touching her instead of Gram. “What time is it?” she wondered. Raising her head, Vess glanced at the ship's clock.

“It is early afternoon, Vess,” said Ester, her chest suddenly feeling cooler without Vess's head resting on her. “We are under weigh for Liberty city-ship, and should reach it within three days, since we are running at one half power,” said the Naval Witch, frowning as she pulled her hand back from where she had been reaching for Vess's shoulder to bring the woman back to her former position.

Vess yawned. “Guess I should get up and get something to eat,” she said, sitting up fully and stretching. Turning, she smiled at Ester. “Want to come with me, or do you want to sleep a little longer?” she asked the Naval Witch.

“I'll come, too,” said Ester immediately. Together, the two girls slipped out of bed. As she stood, Vess delicately sniffed at her arm.

“How about a shower?” she suggested, her nose wrinkling slightly. Ester nodded.

“Sounds fine,” she said. Silently, the two gathered their supplies and made their way to the bathroom. One of the things that Ester really liked about the Hope was the more luxurious bathroom on the ship. Showers were fine, but Vess and Gram had a large shower area, a tub, and even a spa. Vess set her basket aside, tossed her towel over one of the hooks, and started the shower as Ester did the same.

Once the two had scrubbed down, they settled in the warm tub, relaxing and enjoying life. Vess's head appeared to be somewhat sore from the expression that flittered across her face when she moved her head suddenly or when there was sharp sound. Ester found herself asking Vess about what had happened with Kuberness during the time that Vess had been negotiating with the pirate.

-

“Anything yet, Clara?” asked Captain Elizabeth of the feline. From the sensor station that Ester usually took, the cat shook her head.

“No, nothing yet, Captain,” she replied. Captain Elizabeth frowned.

“We should be well within range, so where are they?” she wondered. Clara checked the readouts once more.

“No telling, Captain. We are at the right coordinates, and we are on time, so either they are late, or something happened to them,” she suggested. Captain Elizabeth didn't like either option.

“Yagami,” she called out, MAKI connecting her immediately.

“Yes, Captain?” asked her ace RB pilot.

“Feel up to some recon?” she asked him, grinning. “Our friends aren't here, and I would like to know where they are,” she said.

“Understood, Captain,” he replied. “I'll run a search of the immediate area right away,” he said.

“Captain!” came Junior's voice, a window popping up a split second later, showing his face in his RB. “I'll go too!” he offered excitedly.

“No, Junior,” replied the woman. “You stay on stand-by in case we have unexpected visitors,” she ordered.

“Aw, man!” he whined. Captain Elizabeth chuckled as MAKI closed the connection.

“Still the impulsive hothead,” Poipoider laughed. Faintly, they heard Yagami launch.

“Yes, but he's coming along,” said Elizabeth. “Someday, he might be one of the best wireless RB pilots on Mars,” she suggested.

“After Yagami, Gram, Vess and Kuberness, you mean,” interjected Aki. Still, the kid's come a long way, he admitted to himself.

“Captain, still nothing on the sensors,” reported Clara, reminding them of what they were supposed to be doing.

“Maintain full sensor watch, Clara,” said Elizabeth, sitting down on her couch. Minutes passed. “I wonder how the Hope is doing?” she thought out loud.

“I'm sure they are just fine, Captain,” said Milhe confidently. “Gram, Vess and Ester are seasoned crewmembers, and from what we saw of the ship's capabilities, I can't see how they would be at a disadvantage to anyone,” he reminded them.

“Still, they were going to talk to Kuberness in his own lair,” worried Elizabeth. “Of all the people on Mars, he is one of the most unpredictable; and dangerous,” she fretted.

“Have some faith in them, Captain,” said Clara. “Vess has some history with him, after all, and say what you will, but Kuberness is, in the final analysis, a mercenary,” she pointed out. “Show him how to get money or power, and he's anyone's partner,” she said certainly.

“Yeah, until he gets what he wants,” muttered Elizabeth. Then, he's as likely to back-stab you as not!

“In any event, once we make contact with this bunch, we're bound for Liberty to meet up with them, so let's just find these smugglers already,” said the woman after several moments of silence. Her crew silently manned their stations.

“Yagami's RB is approaching,” said MAKI without warning.

“Guess he found them,” said the Captain, standing. Yagami hooked the communication tether into place and reported.

“I found them, Captain,” he said, his voice tight. “Or, more accurately, what's left of them,” he said. Captain Elizabeth's eyes narrowed.

“Where?” she asked her pilot.

“Twenty six miles on course zero nine six,” he said. “One small SHIELD ship - cargo version - and two small scout transports. They are sunk in a small canyon system,” he went on. “From the look of things, they were taken from ambush by a patrol ship that sported RB units. Sound familiar?” he asked her grimly.

“Too familiar, any more,” replied Elizabeth sourly. A thought occurred to her. “Any signs of the ambushers?” she asked. Yagami shook his head.

“No,” he replied. “It looks like a hit-and-run, and from the ambient signs, I'd say that they were here before us, got hit, and the attackers left as we approached,” he read the situation. “I doubt that they hung around long; they never do,” he added.

“I see,” replied Elizabeth. “Any chance of following their odor-print back to their base?” she wondered. Yagami frowned.

“Don't know, Captain,” he said. “They were running stealth as they approached, but maybe…” he trailed off. “You have that sensor pack handy?” he wondered. Elizabeth nodded.

“I'll have Neli get it up and ready. Can you fit it without docking?” she asked. Yagami nodded.

“Piece of cake,” came the confident reply of the ace of the ship. Elizabeth minimized the window with Yagami and opened one to Neli. Moments later, the sensor pack was jettisoned, Yagami snatching it up and zipping off. In his wake, the Aurora swung around and followed his RB unit, Aki at his post and Junior prepped for emergency deployment in case they ran into the ship that had attacked the smugglers.

It took Yagami six hours of playing bloodhound, but he finally found the heavily-camouflaged base that the smugglers were using. Apparently, the base was undiscovered by the enemy forces, since it was still intact. Yagami volunteered to have a peek, and carefully maneuvered his RB into the dock. Not seeing anyone, he climbed out of his unit and quickly scouted the base.

It was packed full of materials, goods, and parts, with practically every single nook and cranny piled, stacked, loaded, filled and occupied with `merchandise'. The living quarters were stark and not unlike a prison, except for the lack of locks on the doors. Obviously, the smugglers spent most of their time in their ships, and very little actually living here. Yagami swiftly moved through the base, taking digital pictures of the lot numbers, production series, serial numbers and trans-shipping brands that he could see without getting into a re-stacking marathon.

Retreating to the Aurora, he docked and dismounted his RB, the pirate vessel already moving away from the base. Once he reached the bridge, he thumb-nailed the situation in the base. Clara was busy working on researching the origins of the material that Yagami had taken pictures of, while MAKI was generating an updated map of the area, the better to find the base again if the need arose. Captain Elizabeth listened to Yagami's report, considered the situation, and ordered a course change.

-

“Gram, I am detecting an increase in odor-print trails,” noted NAMI. “Density and strength suggest that this course has been used heavily and recently by numerous ships,” she continued. In his command chair, Gram frowned.

“This is the secondary approach course to Liberty,” he said. “Pirate ships have been scarce lately, so where is all the use coming from?” he wondered.

“Unknown,” replied his AI. Across from him, Ester frowned back at the young man. She, too, didn't understand how that much traffic could have occurred on this course.

“NAMI,” she said, “see if you can identify any unique signatures among the tracks. You have MAKI's IFF files, correct?” she confirmed.

“Affirmative, Ester,” the AI affirmed. “Beginning analysis,” she added, her icon being replaced with a complex, moving graph. Moments later, the graph disappeared, NAMI's icon back on the screen. “I am unable to establish conclusive identification of any of the tracks, though there are several high-probability matches,” she reported, a window popping up with ship's names and the percent of odor-print that matched them. Ester saw several of the regulars at Liberty, and even a couple of the `second tier' ships, as Elizabeth called the pirates that were good, but not good enough to be in the same bracket with the Aurora and Kuberness.

“Quite the collection,” murmured the diminutive woman. “Gram?” she asked, knowing that he was thinking what she was thinking. Almost being sunk makes you a touch cautious when you're looking at jumping into a situation blind, she thought, a faint smile touching her lips.

“Yeah,” he sighed. “but we have to find out, right?” he replied a moment later. Slowly, Ester nodded.

“Agreed,” she concurred. The two heard the bridge hatch open, and a moment later, Vess was standing next to Gram's side, her hand on his shoulder, while Enora stopped by Ester's chair, her hand resting on Ester's shoulder like Vess's hand rested on Gram's. Quickly, Gram filled them in on the situation.

“We need to know what is going on at Liberty,” said Vess. “Our plans are relying on a certain level of cooperation from the other pirate ships and some merchants, and if Liberty has suffered the same fate as Taklen and the others, it is going to be a problem for us,” said the blonde. She sighed.

“That being said,” she continued, “I don't really want to have the Hope shot up again, nor do I want to have you stabbed again,” she said darkly, her grip on his shoulder tightening instinctively. “I would just as soon not go to Liberty with this situation, but if we don't go, there is little reason to bother with the plan,” she admitted.

“So, we take a look?” guessed Enora. Ester nodded.

“Yes,” replied the Naval Witch, “but we do it carefully,” she qualified. Vess glanced at the shorter woman.

“I'm heading down to the hanger,” she said. “Enora, stay here and be ready to follow the direction of Gram and Ester,” the blonde say, bending over to thoroughly kiss Gram. Ester and Enora noticed the amount of tongue-play in the kiss, both women feeling twinges of jealousy, knowing what Vess was enjoying. Breaking the kiss, Vess smiled at her lover before gracefully exiting the bridge, bound for the hangar. Enora settled into the forward support post, bringing up the terminal. Several moments later, Gram heard Vess's RB launch.

“Vess is free,” came Enora's voice. Gram nodded.

“We'll let Vess take the lead,” he directed. “Ester, keep us close to her, but don't crowd her; she might need to make some sudden, violent maneuvers,” he said. “NAMI, load the forward tubes with two ADCAP mark nines, two Delta-class mod threes, and two anti-torpedo interceptors. And arm the lateral defensive launchers, too,” he added.

“Done,” came the instant reply from NAMI, her icon minimized at the bottom of the display. Ester touched some controls on her terminal, and the screen brought up the tactical overlay. Seeing a blinking icon on the side of the tactical display, Gram tapped his terminal, opening the link to Vess in the Flick.

“Vess, anything?” he asked his lover. Vess's face appeared in the port third of the display.

“No, nothing yet, but the back-scatter sonar indicates an increasingly-dense field of debris ahead, about fifteen miles,” she notes. “NAMI, you getting that?” she asked the AI.

“Yes, Vess,” replied the AI. “Increasing bandwidth and focus of sensor array,” she said. A moment later, she spoke up again. “Field is following the current, with heavier particles settling to the bottom, and lighter particles slowly rising to the surface. Extrapolated mass of debris closely matches estimated mass of Liberty city-ship,” she noted. Vess and Gram were silent.

“Gram,” said Vess, her tone tense.

“Yeah,” he said, tapping commands into his console.

“What are we doing, Gram?” asked Ester.

“Single high-speed pass,” he said, the communication cable withdrawing from the Flick, which shot off at full speed. “NAMI, bring the engines up to full. In thirty seconds, we're going to go to flank, passing right over Liberty city-ship's location. Leave the docking bay open - Vess will dock as we overtake her Buckler,” he said.

“Understood,” confirmed NAMI.

“Gram, what - exactly - is this plan that you and Vess seem to have agreed on?” wondered Ester. Gram sent her a grin.

“Vess and I used to have to steal food from the street vendors of Undertown,” he explained, his tone fond. “Sometimes, we would pull this little trick, where one of us would move ahead, find an opportunity, and get in position. Then, when we were ready, the other one would yell `stop, thief!” and sprint forward. Well, people would try to get out the way - and try to figure out who we were supposedly chasing - and as we came close, the first would grab the item and dash forward. By handing off the item to the second, the first could stop running and wouldn't have anything in the event that the shopkeeper accused them of stealing,” he chuckled. “It worked really well, too,” he reflected.

“You and Vess got all that from one word?” marveled Enora. Gram nodded.

“Vess and I have a history together, you know,” he reminded her, smiling that fond smile that made both women melt.

Beside Gram, Ester felt a tingle shoot through her as she looked at Gram. To have him look at me like he looks at Vess, she thought wistfully.

Vess is so lucky, having all that time with Gram before I came on the scene, Enora thought with a sting of jealousy.

The thoughts of the two women were derailed by the sudden surge of acceleration as the Ship of Hope dashed forward. All three of them marveled once more at the capabilities of the upgraded ship. Sweeping over the lip of the canyon that shielded Liberty, they caught a glimpse of Vess's RB unit streaking up to meet them, the Flick making the dock at maximum throttle. Once the hatch was closed, the Hope rolled onto a new heading. It wasn't long before Vess entered the bridge.

“Well?” asked Ester, starting to get off Vess's command chair. Vess shook her head, stopping Ester from leaving her post.

“Liberty has been destroyed,” she said. “I only had a few moments, but it looked like something had cut a long slash through the outer hull, and there were signs of explosions inside the city-ship. I couldn't tell if the cut came from inside or out, or what made it, but the explosions had the inward-curve of torpedoes fired into the hull from outside, through the cut,” she said. “Oh, and there were several broken hulls littering the area around the city-ship's base,” she added.

“Analysis indicates that at least seven ships were destroyed,” came NAMI's voice. “I have identified three of them by distinctive markings on the remains,” she added. “The Blood Moon, the Lamprey, and the Hammerhead 2 are confirmed destroyed,” the AI related. “Debris at the scene has possible matches to several other ships, but those three I have one hundred percent matches to,” she confirmed.

“I see,” said Ester. “I have some familiarity with the Blood Moon,” noted the Naval Witch. “They would occasionally scavenge the remains of a kill from Kuberness, and their crew were good, if all suffering from some delusion or another,” she shared. “While I am not happy to see them sunk, I can't say that they will be missed.”

“Why Liberty?” wondered Enora, looking at the images from Vess's RB that were on the main screen. “I mean, it can't have been because it was easy to take, and it isn't really on the frontier, either,” she mused.

“Liberty was a pirate strong-hold, where information could be rapidly gathered, processed, and disseminated,” pointed out Vess. “If they are to sacrifice the pirates, they must keep the pirates from realizing what is happening,” she reminded them.

“Gram,” interjected Ester, “the Aurora was supposed to rendezvous with us at Liberty. What can we do to keep them from either missing us, or running into a trap?”

-

“Captain,” came Clara's voice as the Aurora made its approach to Liberty, “I'm picking up the odor-print of the Hope,” she said, her feline mouth unable to correctly frown, but her voice clearly displaying the frown.

“Well, that's good news, Clara,” replied Elizabeth, “we were supposed to meet up with them here,” she reminded the cat.

“Yes,” agreed Clara, “but the odor-print is circling Liberty's approach,” she said. Elizabeth found herself frowning.

“Circling?” she wondered.

“Yes, Captain,” replied the feline crew member. “It's very odd,” she added unnecessarily, “why would they circle the approach?” she wondered.

“I have no idea, Clara,” replied Captain Elizabeth. “Where does the odor-print trail lead?” she asked. A moment later, MAKI spoke up.

“Captain, the odor print leads toward a sea mount seven miles to port,” said the AI. “All other odor-print trails are several days old, and I am detecting no emissions from Liberty,”

“Odd,” said Poipoider. “Liberty is shielded, yeah, but we can usually pick up something from them; or at least from arriving or departing ships.”

“I think we should see where the Hope's odor-print trail leads us,” decided the captain. “But, we're gonna do it at battle stations,” she added.

“A wise precaution,” agreed Clara. MAKI sounded the alarm to alert the crew as the ship swung around to follow the odor-print of the Hope. Nosing along, the ship made their way to the sea mount, finding an expended scent-torpedo impacted into the slope about two-third of the way to the summit. MAKI confirmed the torpedo as having been launched from the Ship of Hope less than two days before.

Why would they launch a decoy? And why have it impact this sea mount? wondered Elizabeth. Her mind grappled with the question, trying to think like Gram. Suddenly, she grinned. “Yagami!” she called out, the young man's face popping up on the main screen.

“Captain?” he inquired.

“Run out, grab that torpedo and get your ass back here, double-quick!” she ordered. Touching a command stud, she took the ship's wheel in her gloved hands. “Neli, once he's back, we're clearing out of here - fast!” she said firmly. “Make sure that we have full power available,” she said.

“Captain?” wondered Poipoider, lost about the sudden actions of the captain. The tall woman grinned at Poipoider.

“Just thinking like Gram,” she half-explained. Yagami had the torpedo back aboard the ship in less than three minutes, launch to secure. As soon as the hatch was sealed, Captain Elizabeth spun the wheel. “Ahead flank, Neli,” grinned the captain.

“Aye, Captain,” said the chief engineer, the Aurora faintly trembling as it accelerated hard to full speed.

“Captain, just what…?” began Junior, only to have MAKI interrupt him.

“Contacts,” came the AI's voice. “Four unidentified ships rising from the seabed near Liberty. No matches to profiles or signatures on file. Ships are pursuing,” said the AI. Elizabeth grunted in sardonic vindication.

“Always something new with these jokers,” she muttered. “MAKI, classify them as enemy ships. Log what you can of their profiles and signatures. Program a spread of camouflaged sensor mines with the ship's estimated mass plus/minus fifteen percent, and spread them thick in the projected intercept courses. I'll make it easy for them and run straight-line for the moment.”

“Aye, captain,” confirmed MAKI.

“Milhe, load a pair of interceptor into the stern tubes; they'll probably fire a spread at us if they can't match our speed,” ordered the captain.

“Got it,” came the gruff reply. As if in response, MAKI chimed in again.

“Twelve torpedoes launched, all tracking us,” said the AI.

“Milhe!” called out the Captain.

“Firing interceptors now, Captain,” replied the big man.

One, two, three, four, counted the captain silently. “MAKI, deploy the sensor mines!” she ordered. Can't have the interceptors detonating the mines with the shockwave of the intercepted torpedoes being detonated now, she absently thought.

“Mines have been launched,” confirmed MAKI. “Suggest altering course,” she added.

“Not just yet,” denied Elizabeth. From behind, they heard the dull booms! of torpedoes being intercepted by their defensive torpedo interceptors. “Give me ninety seconds on this course, then we're going to the fair,” chuckled Elizabeth in anticipation. Most of the crew groaned. It was, after all, the cold truth that no one, not even Kuberness, was as crazy as Elizabeth Laiti when her dander was up; though, lately, some of the crew were beginning to discuss the possibility that Gram River and Vess might be a match for their captain in that regard - singly or together.

Seventy seven seconds later, MAKI reported the detonation of the mine field. “Two enemy ships sunk, one crippled, captain,” the AI reported. “Fourth ship has ceased pursuit,” she added a moment later. Six seconds passed before MAKI spoke again. “Fourth ship has fired on and sunk crippled ship,” said the AI.

“What? They killed their own crewmates?!” gasped Poipoider.

“Dead men tell no tales, it seems,” muttered Elizabeth, catching Clara's glance. “Maintain flank, but alter our course, MAKI,” she said in a louder voice. “Randomly change heading every six minutes after that until we have passed beyond one hundred miles from that last ship,” she directed the AI.

“Aye, Captain,” said the AI as the wheel slid back down into its housing.

“Clara,” said the captain, the cat swiftly jumping and climbing to rest on Elizabeth's shoulder, “let's go see what Gram has to say about this little incident,” she suggested, making her way toward the hangar where the expended odor-print decoy torpedo rested. “Neli, meet us in the hanger - and bring your toolbox!” she added as the hatch closed behind her and Clara.

-

Ester stood under the shower nozzle in the main bathroom of the Hope, the warm water flowing over her face, down her neck, to caress her breasts, belly, legs and feet before draining into the environmental reclamation system. She had just finished a watch with Vess, and was grabbing a shower before hitting the sack for some rest. Gram was working on a minor glitch in one of the hydraulic sub-systems, and Enora was making dinner for them.

This dispersion of the crew gave her some time to herself, though she wasn't sure if that was good or bad, given her current spare-time dilemma. Raising her head, she exhaled, massaging her neck with her fingertips as she shut off the water and stepped - dripping wet - into the tub of warm water, sinking into the welcome, relaxing warmth up to her shoulders. You are not getting any younger, Ester Ein Astrada, she told herself, feeling the faint stiffness in her joints soak away.

Her lips twitched into a small smile as she recalled the shocked expressions on her former crewmates when they had finally learned her real age last year. Ester might look like a girl of Enora's age, but she was much, much older. Her smile faded at the thought of Enora. That girl has changed a lot since I first met her, she thought. And she has changed more since that day, she added.

That, of course, brought her back to her unresolved debate. Irritably pushing the matter from her mind, she concentrated on enjoying her soak in the tub. Gradually, her mind relaxed, until she was almost dozing. Her tranquility was interrupted by the door to the bathroom opening, and Gram entering, his towel over his shoulder, and his basic bath supplies in hand. “Gram,” breathed Ester, her heart rate increasing and her cheeks coloring.

The young man blinked, his mind clearly having been somewhere else. “Oh, hey, Ester,” he said, smiling at her. “Dinner will be ready in about a half hour,” he shared, stepping into the shower area and starting a nozzle. “Enora is making pasta and breadsticks tonight,” he continued, beginning to lather up once he was soaked.

“I was going to get some rest,” said Ester, “but it couldn't hurt to have a meal, I suppose,” she added. Gram hummed, his face under the spray, scrubbing the traces of his recent work off. Ester found herself watching him from the tub as he cleaned himself off. “Join me?” she asked him, her tone hopeful to her ears.

“Sure,” he replied easily, slipping into the tub next to her. For several minutes, nothing was said.

“I assume you got the glitch repaired?” asked Ester at last. Gram nodded.

“It was just a faulty pressure regulator switch sensor,” he shrugged. “No big deal once I found the issue,” he assured her. Again, silence fell between them. Finally, Ester spoke again.

“Gram?”

“Yes, Ester?” he replied, looking over at her. The small woman licked her lips.

“Do…” she paused, re-thinking her words. “That is, I was wondering if you found my uniform too….stiff,” she said, not liking the way that it came out. Gram frowned.

“Stiff?” he wondered.

“It is not like Vess's or Enora's ship-board uniform,” Ester explained. Gram nodded.

“Well, that's true,” he allowed, “but I don't think any of us mind,” he added. Ester licked her lips.

“I was wondering if I should change my clothes to something more like they wear,” she nearly whispered. Gram studied her face, which was highlighted by the rich color on her cheeks.

“Isn't that uniform the one from the unit you used to head up?” he asked. “You said that each part of it was something important to you,” he added, recalling her explanation of the headpiece and cuffs, as well as the uniform. Ester nodded.

“They are,” she confirmed. “But,” she continued, “lately, I have been wondering why I have kept wearing the uniform as my sole apparel,” she elaborated. “It isn't that I don't find other clothes appealing, and I have had chances to change my style of dress before, but I have not taken them.” A pause preceded her next inquiry. “Do…you think I would look better in something like Vess and Enora wear?” she whispered, not looking at Gram directly, but rather at his rippled expression reflected in the water.

“You look good in anything, Ester,” replied Gram seriously. “Are you sure you want to set aside your links to your past?” he asked her.

“That's just it, Gram,” Ester now looked him directly in the eyes. “My uniform, the accessories - they are all reminders of who I used to be; mementos of a place and time I can never return to,” she said. “It is not like I will forget if I don't wear the reminders of my past,” she murmured, more to herself than to the young man sitting naked by her side.

“Do you want to change your clothes?” asked Gram softly. Ester flicked her shoulders in a tiny shrug, causing interesting things to happen below the surface of the water as her breasts reacted to the mini-shrug.

“I think…I might,” she said. Gram nodded.

“Then, do it,” he said with great certainty. He smiled at her, one of his hands casually sliding behind her neck, Ester leaning forward so he could drape the arm over her shoulders to give her a brief side-hug. “Change can be good, you know,” he added, smiling the same warm, caring smile that made her shiver with desire.

“What…um…I mean, is there anything you'd like me to wear?” she whispered to him, her breathing quickening. Gram winked at her, opening his mouth to answer. He didn't get to answer her though, because NAMI interrupted, transmitting Enora's call of dinner time a moment before Vess stopped by the bathroom on her way to the dining hall.

-

A quiet chirp interrupted the silence surrounding a trio of dark-clad figures, sitting in a darkened room in an apartment building in Ardena's Uppercity residential sectors. Extracting a small communication unit, one of the figures quickly worked the box. A few minutes later, the communication unit was put away. Rising, the one who had taken the message motioned to the other two.

Grouping together, they studied a set of detailed diagrams and maps and pictures, displayed on a desk-top holographic projector. Without preamble, the leader got to business. “The last pre-op mission has been completed, but the operation was not completely successful,” came the quiet voice of the leader of the trio. “A ship discovered the site and escaped before any attempt at interception and silencing could take place. It's signature wasn't fully captured, due to the speed with which this ship operated, and the fact that it failed to stop at the site. A second ship - the Aurora - came by the site thirty seven hours later, but evaded the ambush.” The leader paused. “We lost two ships in the pursuit, another was crippled and the remaining ship had to silence the crippled ship before withdrawing.”

Her two teammates waited. “And so,” she went on, “we are forced to initiate the plane earlier than projected,” she explained. “It could be looked upon as fortunate that we were given this assignment, since it allows us the perfect opportunity to initiate the plan early.”

“Priority?” asked one of the two teammates. The leader brought up a row of targets.

“As discussed, we hit Alpha first, then proceed to Beta before destroying the communication capabilities of this city-ship. Once the communication with other city-ships and off-planet have been silenced, we take down Charlie, Delta and Echo. Destruction of the MDF RB capabilities comes next before we silence Fox and Gamma.”

“Schedule is tight,” muttered the second teammate.

“We have no choice,” was his curt answer. “From the liquidation of Alpha, we have only twenty four hours to complete the mission. The supporting troops will be arriving twenty six hours from H-hour, and we have to be ready.” said the leader.

“H-hour is?” wondered the second teammate.

“Oh six hundred hours tomorrow, Mars time,” said the leader. “The other teams will be executing their missions simultaneously with us, so we can't mess it up again,” said the leader.

“We are two weeks ahead of schedule,” noted the first teammate. “We're ready, but is the rest of the operation in place and ready to run?” he worried.

“We aren't responsible for any other parts of the operation but Ardena,” reminded the leader. “Whatever else happens, our responsibility is only what we have been preparing for.”

“Yeah, but I don't want to end up hung out to dry,” muttered the second teammate. The woman stared at him.

“Do your job, sergeant, and leave the others to do the same,” she said harshly.

“Sir, yes, sir,” came the immediate response from the two. Glancing at the clock, the woman frowned.

“Let's grab two hours of sleep before we begin to prep our gear,” she directed. “We won't be sleeping much in the next three days.”