Stowaway on the Valkyrie By Thrax_the_Virus

Author's note: Set about three years before Cale met the crew of the Valkyrie in Titan A.E. I don't own the following titles and concepts except of course for Kersleaf and the storyline.

***

The worn cargo style ship hummed to life as it prepared to leave the docking bay. Her first mate ran a quick systems check, his keen yellow eyes tracing the monitors with an almost sentimental familiarity. Finally he turned to the rather rugged looking Human behind him. "All ready for departure, captain, just as soon as Stith gets her tail onboard."

Korso nodded, glancing out the view port to his right. "Thanks, Preed. The sooner we get off this rock the better,"

The Akrennian silently seconded that, then glanced down ad the scanner beeped, signaling another life form had boarded. He cracked his knuckles in smug pleasure. "Lovely. Now we can be off." A second beep stopped him mid- sentence and he frowned, staring down at the monitor which now showed six individuals abroad the Valkyrie. His expression deepened a moment later when the Sogowian joined them on the bridge, checking her weapons as she settled into her seat. "Stith, my dear, I'm confused."

"And that should surprise me?" she asked sarcastically, clicking the safety on one of her324 cobra T1000 S-rifles as she sighted down it's barrel.

Preed let that one slide for now. "Did we recently change our policy of not taking on passengers without my knowledge?"

"No," she looked up and furrowed her brow. "Why?"

"Then we have an uninvited visitor," he responded, unstraping the blaster he always carried from its holster on his left calf before heading back toward the hold.

Preed cocked his head to one side and sniffed, his single ear twitching as he circled the bulkhead. His long fingered hands slid over the curves of the gun, reveling in its deadly glint as he paced and began to speak softly aloud, "I like to think of myself as a decent sort of fellow, but what an Akrennian hates most is someone trying to get something from him for free!" he whirled on the last syllable and aimed at the quivering form in the shadows.

"Tell me about it," whispered a distinctly feminine voice as the figure rose and stepped into the light, making Preed's eye arches shoot up in startlement.

A slender female of his own species stood there fidgeting. She was dressed in a simple crimson flight-suit with punkish armbands, spacer's boots and golden wristlets. Emerald eyes studied him uneasily as she crossed her arms over her chest." I flirted with every Akrennian flyboy who passed by trying to get a lift out of this dump. I finally decided to try relying on Human kindness. My mistake."

The gun's muzzle never strayed from her heart. "You don't have money for a passport but you can traipse around displaying golden jewelry?"

A stunned look formed on her face. "Pawn my mother's wristlets? Perish the thought!"

Preed smirked, his index finger stroking the trigger. "No pawning required, my dear. No one would wear something so gaudy unless as a way to hide hard cash." She scowled, pulling out a fifty-point credit chip from the right cuff. "Damn, you're a smart one, aren't you? Common thief."

He tucked the chip in his waistband. "And you, my dear, are an officious liar."

"Why, thank you."

"No, thank you." He reholstered the blaster and offered her a hand. "Now, we go have a word with the Captain."

* * *

Korso glanced up as the two Akrennians entered the bridge and raised an eyebrow. "I see you found our stowaway."

The female blushed slightly and shot Preed a nasty look as he shoved her forward. She stared into the taller humanoid's eyes pleadingly until he ran a hand throw his crew cut and sighed.

"Well if you're gonna stay, you're gonna work. Akima," he gestured to a purple haired oriental-looking woman of approximately her age, "Flies the Valkyrie. Stith is our weapons expert and Gune is the navigator."

"And what does he do?" the female demanded, jerking a thumb at Preed. He crossed his arms and sneered indignantly.

"Preed is my first mate," Korso replied, stifling a chuckle at her forwardness.

"You mean he plays with the computer," she smirked, much to Preed's chagrin and distaste. "I guess that leaves good old Kersleaf here with the job of scullery maid." She was less that enthusiastic at the prospect.

"Dinner is promptly at six and do be a dear and give those pans a good scrubbing, Precious," Preed taunted smugly before the grumbling girl was beyond earshot down the hall.

* * *

"Do be a dear and give those pans a good scrubbing, Precious," muttered Kersleaf in her most mocking version of a male voice as she worked a week's worth of dried grease off a skillet. Her fingers were pale and wrinkled from dishwater and she swiped at the sweat on her forehead with the grimy apron she'd found stuffed under the sink behind a box of tools and cleaners. She moved to retrieve the next item, carefully pulling it from a three-foot high pile of dishes and grimaces, flinching and squeezing her eyes shut as everything chattered and crashed to the ground.

"That's it..THAT'S IT!!" she shrieked, snatching up a bottle of disinfectant and throwing it as hard as she could at the door.

Preed ducked sharply as he poked his head in, narrowly avoiding getting hit by the bottle as it sailed over his head and slammed into a bulkhead behind him. He looked back at her, this disheveled, dirty excuse for a space voyager and snickered. "Not in a good mood I take it?"

"What do you want?"

Sobering, he bowed to her in an almost regal manner and smiled wolfishly," I just wanted to drop by and see how you're doing. We didn't get off to a very good start I fear."

"Oh." Some of the glare faded from her expression and she nodded as if she'd know that would happen all along, going back to her work. "Well, I don't think we did either, but it's nice of you to apologize."

"Apologize?? Surely you jest, what would I be apologizing for."

"URG! You know what, just go away," She spat, whirling and snapping a towel at him so he backed up. "Captain Korso! Captain Korso!"

Korso appeared in the doorway, looking confused, "What."

"Just remove him from my kitchen!" Kersleaf snapped, turning her nose up away from the other stunned Akrennian who broke into a sarcastic, stuttering laugh.

"YOUR kitchen? You've been here for two hours and now.."

"What did you do to her, Preed?"

"ME?? She's the one who."

"C'mon," Korso cut him off, leading him out of the kitchen. He was biting his lower lip to conceal a half-smirk that Preed took a great deal of offense at. What right did he have to stand up for her? "Now I understand that you might have an unspoken attraction for this girl but..."

"ATTRACTION???" Preed yelped, pointing back at the kitchen door, his eyes bulging and his jaw almost unhinged, "To that skinny little brat?! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!?!"

Korso grinned, shrugging, "Hey calm down. It was just an observation."

"Attraction," Preed scoffed as he followed the captain to the bridge but when he was sure his friend's attention was elsewhere he risked a glance over his shoulder at the kitchen and a small smile.