Shego pulled away from Kim gasping for breath but her captain needed more. Her fingers ran through her raven hair tenderly and locked behind her head and pulled her back down to her waiting lips. The pirate half-heartedly resisted for but a moment but her own eager lips refused to be denied. Their passions locked and drove the other to even greater heights of urgency. Fingers and tongues tickled, explored, and massaged in areas that caused them to moan in pleasure. The need was getting too great for either of them to ignore. Caution was thrown to the wind and their passions intertwined in earnest.
The moans and groans of her captain was music to Shego's ears. She had waited for this moment for so long and now what was only once a dream had become a reality. But with the escalating urgency came the damning Hunger. It was on her with the force of a hurricane and there was no way to stop it. Lost in the throes of desire she felt the power build up within her, a gnawing, endless hunger that demanded to be satiated. She felt her body change, she felt her wings sprout from her back. Her eyes locked with her captain's and Kim's eyes turned glossy and dilated with lust. The connection was made, their souls and minds joined in the act of complete intimacy. Unable to stop herself Shego could only continue. Her captain glowed with the pure, vibrant life force that resided in all living creatures.
Then Shego began to glow as they reached the apex of their intimacy. Shego cried out as the glow around her captain faded, consumed by the Hunger. Satisfied, the Hunger retreated back into the depths.
Shego blinked and at once realized what happened. She recoiled in horror at the sight of the empty, dead husk underneath her. She tried to cry out in disbelief and despair at what she had done but no voice came forth. She stumbled off of the bed and she found her voice.
"No!"
"No!"
Shego nearly jumped out of the bed, her eyes wide in shock and horror from the vivid images of the terrible nightmare. Sweat dripped from her forehead and her body heaved from breathing heavily.
"Shego? It's okay, it was just a bad dream," a gentle voice cooed from the darkness.
"K-Kim?"
"I'm right here," her captain replied using the same gentle voice.
Shego's eyes focused. She was in the captain's cabin, in Kim's bed. The incessant tick-tocking of her impressive collection of time pieces wormed their way into her ears. Her head turned toward the sound of Kim's voice and a massive wave of relief washed over her when she saw her unharmed.
Kim was up and had a blanket wrapped around herself to protect her modesty. She stood next to the bed on Shego's side and gave the raven-haired pirate a look of concern. Shego's body shuddered as the emotions within her threatened to burst forth. For a moment Shego looked vulnerable and scared which was unlike her. Shego quickly found herself and the masks were put back into place. Kim noticed her vulnerability and silently marveled at the pirate as she got her guards up just as quickly.
"It was only a dream," Kim reiterated as she placed a hard reassuringly on her shoulder, "It's over now."
"Thank the gods for small miracles," Shego muttered darkly as she got out of the bed.
Kim averted her eyes and turned around. She grabbed a long blue robe and handed it to her. Shego mumbled her thanks as she took it and slipped inside the bathroom to put it on. Kim took the time alone to change into her captain's outfit choosing a white, frilly shirt instead of the usual cream colored one. Shego stepped out of the bathroom wearing Kim's blue robe. Kim turned to her and offered a sweet smile.
"That color looks good on you."
"It's not green or black," Shego replied as she made a face and stuck out her tongue.
"Sorry, I don't have anything in those colors."
"It'll do," Shego said dismissively then focused her gaze on Kim, "What's the plan for today?"
Kim slid her rapier into its sheath on her side. "Let's see...avoid the Imperials, run through a few drills with the crew and hopefully get to Rhendarin in one piece."
Shego sat down at the table and was surprised to see a cup of piping hot coffee already there for her. Kim grinned, "Black and strong, right?"
Shego took hold of the cup and took a sip. She nodded and offered her captain a hint of a smile, "With a pinch of maple sugar. Good job, pumpkin, you got it just right."
Kim beamed at the compliment. Then her cheeks blushed as she walked up to Shego. Impulsively she gave the pirate a quick soft kiss on the cheek. Shego eyes widened in surprise at the gesture and almost dropped her cup.
"Thank you for last night," Kim breathed in her ear, "I slept like a baby."
Shego coughed and fidgeted in the chair uncomfortably, "Y-you're w-welcome," she stammered.
Kim turned away quickly and headed for the door.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to check on Monique and see how she's doing," Kim answered, but Shego noticed the way her voice wavered when she said her former lover's name, "I'll see you on the bridge later."
Shego put the cup up to her mouth and nodded. With that Kim left closing the door quietly behind her. Shego took another sip of her coffee but her mind was busy replaying the simple kiss on her cheek over and over again.
She put the cup down and stood up. She looked around the room and her eyes fell onto the shelves displaying the various time pieces that Kim's mother collected.
Time.
To a half-succubus time almost had no meaning. Then again, not much had meaning for Shego. Her thoughts turned back to last night. Despite everything that had happened and her overhearing Kim breaking down in Ron's arms as they waited for Doctor D to finish saving the life of Monique, Kim seemed to have rebounded well. Shego took some small solace in the fact that perhaps she was able to help, not as much as she would've liked, but she liked to think that it did in some way.
Maybe that's why she was so...willing...last night. Shego never had a good mood, and there was good reason for that. Every day was a non-stop battle for control of herself, the slightest slip-up would result in disaster to everyone around her, as her constant nightmares so vividly illustrated almost every night. She couldn't accept the fact that she felt sorry for Kim, she just couldn't. So why did she act the way she did last night?
Shego knew the answer as only one word came to mind.
Monique.
Shego heard the pain behind Kim's voice when she said her name. She tried so hard to hide it but Shego had suffered heartbreak too and she could tell the telltale signs. There was no doubt about it, Kim hadn't gotten over the breakup.
And she still loved her.
Shego didn't detect any falsehood when Kim told her that it was over but that was before they rescued her captain's former lover. That's why she acted the way she did last night.
Shego was jealous, it was just that simple.
The dark part of her mind told her that a real relationship with Kim wouldn't work based on the fact that if they ever became intimately involved Kim would die. That was a fact. But it wasn't like Shego could just find a cave and hide away forever. Succubi were extremely social creatures, compelled more out of a need for sustenance than a need for companionship. But Shego was only half, the other half was mortal, flawed, and terribly human.
The other part of Shego's mind yearned for companionship and all of the trappings and foibles that came along with it. She had resigned to herself long ago that a normal life was never going to be possible but she tried to present a reasonable facsimile of one. The only thing that was missing was...
She sat back down at the table and took another sip of coffee. It was good, damn good. She didn't ask for it but Kim made it for her, knowing that she was not a morning person and the only cure for that was hot, strong coffee. She sighed.
The whole relationship thing was a grand experiment that had a lot going against it. They were rivals and former enemies. Kim still infuriated her at times with her decisions and her mannerisms. But Shego couldn't deny the fact that those decisions had kept them alive and had turned a tidy profit. Shego attributed that more to luck than skill although skill played a part. Back when she worked for Doctor D when he was doing his evil mastermind thing Kim and Ron were always around to stop them. It would've been easy for Shego to hate Kim for defeating her time and time again, but that never happened, not even when Kim finally defeated her in their last epic battle.
Shego thought that she would be left for dead and her desire for oblivion would finally be fulfilled, but that wasn't the case. Kim and Ron had somehow rescued her before the lair self-destructed. She fled to lick her wounds and brood.
She was angry at the time, hell, it still made her angry when she focused on it now, but in the end she couldn't fault Kim for making that decision no matter what she might say aloud for anyone listening to hear.
In fact, Shego was grateful. She'd never admit it to anyone, least of all Kim, but that didn't change the fact. By all rights the red-haired hero and her companion should have left but they didn't. The choice was perplexing and made no sense to Shego's mind, but that was what heroes do. Score one for Kim.
In their intervening time together Shego had to come to terms with her feelings for the red-haired pirate. In truth she still hadn't come to grips with everything but it was a shock that Kim herself wanted to try a relationship without any knowledge of what Shego really was. In the end it didn't matter to her, all she wanted was a chance.
For all the pain and hurt Shego caused to her in their battles, this girl, this hero, offered to open herself up in a way that she never expected. Score two for Kim.
How could she resist such an offer?
It wasn't easy and not for the obvious reasons of the Hunger or anything. Rather she had to search down deep inside that part of her that she thought was dead. To her own surprise she found that when she was truthful to herself she had feelings for the girl. The lust had been there from the very beginning and ribald dreams helped to keep her warm at night, but the feelings were there. It wasn't like she was in love or anything, but...aside from Doctor D Kim was the only other person to show her any kind of kindness and now that kindness was replaced with something even better: genuine affection.
But could she reciprocate? Should she? The most correct answer was an emphatic HELL NO, but the opportunity was too tempting to pass up. Shego was careful not to go too far the night before because she didn't want Kim to go off the deep end, her emotions were already jumbled with what happened earlier. It took Shego some time to center herself and to keep the Hunger at bay, and as long as Kim kept her hands to herself everything went fine.
In that respect this grand experiment was showing promise. She proved to herself that she could control the Hunger after a fashion. It was a tiny step, but at least it was a step in the right direction.
But with Kim's former lover now in the picture the dynamic between her and her captain could change and there wasn't anything Shego could do about it without bringing more harm and pain to everyone involved. And anything she might try could drive a wedge between her and Kim and that was something she didn't want. She found herself in the unfamiliar territory of being caught in events that she had little control over. All she could do was wait and hope for the best.
That was what Kim and this grand experiment represented to her. That was what she had thought she lost years ago.
Hope.
With that thought fresh in her mind she finished the coffee Kim made for her, made the bed, got dressed, and went to work.
Sick Bay
Kim opened the door to the surgery room and to her surprise she saw that Monique was awake. Drakken was there doing last checks on the patient and then he turned to Kim when she entered.
"Captain," he said formally.
"Number One," she replied with a nod then turned to look down at Monique, "How's she doing?"
"I can answer for myself," Monique said hoarsely and weakly as she struggled to sit up.
"Please be still," Drakken said as he put his hands on her shoulders to restrain her.
She relented reluctantly and winced in pain as as she laid back down. His job done he turned back to Kim.
"I am done here for the time being. I will be on the bridge but do not hesitate to call me if her condition changes."
"I will."
He bowed," By your leave."
She returned the bow and Drakken left. Kim moved to sit on the edge of the bed and stared down at Monique. She ran her fingers through the girl's dark locks to keep the clumps away from her face. The dusky skin of Monique's cheeks blushed beautifully and her pained expression changed for a moment.
"How are you feeling today?"
The pained expression returned. "Sore all over, my Vanima Lote, but at least I'm alive."
Kim felt her own cheeks burn at the Elven nickname, but she didn't draw attention to it. Her tone turned grave as she spoke, "You were up to your hair in Imperials, Mon. The Black Monica is gone and the souls of your crew were taken by Azzir Klatch, one of the Undead Pirate Lords shortly after we arrive to rescue you. You're no Air Pirate, Mon, so why are the Imperials after you?"
"I-I don't know," she lied.
Kim held her gaze for a moment then turned away. Kim could tell that the injured pirate was lying through her teeth and it hurt her that her former friend could lie to her in such a way. But then a thought entered her mind, perhaps she kept the information from her for a reason. She sighed inwardly as she came to the decision not to confront her about it...yet.
"What do you remember?"
The pain on her face increased. "We were making a cargo run for Sardal Goldthorn, a wealthy elf merchant based out of Stormhaven. The cargo wasn't anything special but it was expensive. Elven spices, silks, and trinkets mostly. There wasn't anything illegal about our cargo so I still don't know why we were attacked."
"Where were you going?"
"The Isle of Rain in the south. The trade routes went around The Three Fingers but we'd get a bonus if we delivered early so I made the decision to go through the Fingers."
Her face fell, "And here I thought I'd be doing the crew a favor with going for that bonus. Our normal routes paid well but this was an opportunity to make some real money. I guess it's all moot now."
"Mon," Kim said quietly, sharing her former lover's sorrow at the loss of her ship and crew.
"I-I still can't believe they're all dead," she said as she shut her eyes tight to keep herself from crying.
"Please, Mon, be still," Kim said quietly, "You don't want to injure yourself more than you already are."
"What's the point, Kim? I have no ship, no crew! I-"
She stopped as her body spasmed in from the trauma of her injuries. Kim was on her feet in an instant and gently held her shoulders down on the bed until the spell passed. Monique breathed heavily and in obvious pain. "I told you not to strain yourself," Kim admonished hotly, "You're under my care here, Mon. As such you're a guest on my ship but here I'm still the captain and I will have my orders obeyed!"
The tension in Monique's face lessened somewhat and she nodded, "Aye-aye...captain," she replied huskily.
"Good," Kim said, her voice softening as she spoke, "You get some more rest and I'll make sure we get some food down here for you later on."
"I-is that an o-order?"
"Affirmative."
Despite the pain Monique smiled, "Aye-aye."
Kim couldn't help herself as repressed feelings resurfaced. She stroked Monique's cheek with the back of a finger and Monique's smile widened. Her face moved slightly to get more contact with Kim's finger. Kim retracted it as Monique settled into a more comfortable position and drifted off into sleep. Kim got up and left for the bridge, her mind still reminiscing about happier times with their sleeping "guest".
The Bridge
Kim arrived on the bridge in a sour mood. Shego and Drakken were pouring over the shift rosters and the duty lists while everyone else was at their station. The Boatswain whistled and called the bridge to attention. Kim waived him off and took position next to Drakken.
"What's the 'sitch, Number One?"
He passed the rosters and duty lists to Shego and turned to his captain. "There is no "'sitch" to report, captain," he said evenly, "We are on course for Rhendarin, but we are sticking to lesser used routes to avoid Imperial contact. Therefore our estimated time of arrival is at or just after daybreak tomorrow."
"I hate dragging our feet," she grumbled.
"It is necessary," Drakken said, "Especially since we have a patient with extensive injuries."
"I know," Kim replied, her mood still dark, "Anything else to report?"
"Doctor D gave me the shift rosters and the duty lists, I'll be handling those," Shego said.
Kim nodded at her then turned back toward Drakken, "Good. I want Ron to run the fist set of drills with the second shift, Shego can do the other sets. Drakken, you'll handle first shift and I'll handle third."
He nodded, "Yes, captain."
Shego walked behind her and quietly asked," How's the patient doing?"
"She's still in a lot of pain," Kim answered as she turned towards Drakken and nodded, "But thanks to the good doctor here she should make a full recovery in time."
Drakken heard the compliment and nodded back.
The strain and worry in Kim's voice was unmistakable but Shego didn't say anything and went about her duties. Kim busied herself with the command of The Dauntless but her mood didn't change.
On the way to Sick Bay, hours later
Kim held the closed tray of food carefully; she knew that Monique had to be starving since no one knew the last time she ate. She saw the door open and Ron exit. He held the door open for her and closed it after she entered.
Kim smiled warmly," Hungry?"
"Yes," Monique exclaimed emphatically.
Monique was already sitting up and smiled back at Kim. She placed the tray on a table next to the bed and removed the cover revealing a select menu of food prepared by the cook. Monique's eyes glittered when she saw it.
Kim pulled a chair up to the bed and sat down. She placed a plate full of food on her lap and fed Monique. Her sour mood had softened somewhat as she watched Monique eat. The color returned to her face and the drugged look was gone from her eyes. Monique ate what Kim gave her slowly and carefully swallowed each bite.
"I saw that Ron came by to visit you," Kim said conversationally.
Monique nodded and blushed. "Yeah, I...I missed him."
"He missed you too," Kim said.
Monique declined the next bite and turned to stare directly into Kim's eyes. "Kim...I...I wanted to say-"
"Don't," Kim interrupted, "You don't have to say anything, Mon. You need to get your strength back before anything else."
"N-no," Monique said adamantly, "I...I need to say it. Kim, I'm...I'm sorry...for everything."
Kim forced the mist from her eyes and smiled sadly at the former captain. "I...I don't expect you to believe me," Monique said in a small voice, "But it's true. I...I remember what you said and you were right; I was everything you said I was. I..."
She took a shuddering breath to steady herself and her resolve. "...I can't ask for your forgiveness, I don't have the right to ask that for what I've done, but you should know that I am truly, deeply, sorry for what I did to you and...to us."
To Kim it looked like Monique was almost to the point of tears. Gingerly she placed a hand on her cheek and brushed away a few stray hairs. "Mon," Kim said quietly, but her voice was full of emotion, "Don't do this to yourself. That was all in the past, it's over now. I..."
The alarm klaxon cut off the rest of her words. Kim placed the plate on the table and stood up.
"What's wrong?"
"We've got company," Kim replied then turned to look down at Monique, "You stay here and eat," she ordered, "I'll be back when I can."
Monique nodded and Kim left.
The Bridge
"What's the sitch," Kim asked as she stormed onto the bridge, completely ignoring the Boatswain as he announced her entrance.
Drakken turned toward her, "We have company," he said in alarm as he pointed out the window.
Kim walked up to him and stared out the main window. "Who is it?"
Outside a large tri-mast ship approached on an attack vector. The hull was battered and patched in various places, showing the many battles the ship had survived through. The wooden hull was painted in deep red and the outlines of its triple gun decks were outlined in black. A black flag was raised on the main mast and it displayed the typical skull and crossbones motif that was all the rage among air pirates.
"It's the Blackjack," Drakken answered evenly.
Kim exhaled in annoyance, "Oh no," she groaned, "Not him!"
Drakken gave his captain a rueful look, "I'm afraid so."
"What the hell's he doing here?"
"I don't know, Shego," Drakken answered, "But it seems that he has been following us for some time."
"Battlestations," Kim commanded and headed for the door.
Shego ran up behind her, "Where are you going?"
"To the deck," Kim answered, "I need to see what this is about."
"I'm coming with you," Shego said.
Kim didn't argue so Shego fell into step behind her and they left the bridge.
Outside
The Blackjack veered off its attack vector enough to come alongside The Dauntless. Kim and Shego met up with Ron and the rest of the crew as they stared at the ship their hand close to their weapons. The crew on the Blackjack faced them and waved their cutlasses menacingly and jeered at them. Before them stood Blackjack himself, a tall, stock man, he was broad shouldered, his hair and beard long and unkempt. He had slow burning matches tied to the end of his beard in an effort to look intimidating, and it would be intimidating on just about everyone else except him. His right eye was lazy and stared off in the other direction and he insisted on wearing baggy leggings that were several sizes larger than his frame.
He pulled a massive cutlass from his scabbard and thrust it towards The Dauntless. "Kim Possible," he roared, "I told you I'd be back! No one escapes from Blackjack!"
Shego turned to Kim and asked, "What's he talking about?"
She sighed, "Right before you and Drakken joined us we ran into this...man. He took us for a prize ship and attacked. He wasn't expecting us to fight back."
A wicked smirk appeared on Shego's face, "I'll bet."
"We beat them back and tore up their ship pretty bad in the process. It looks like he got her patched up though."
She turned back to Blackjack. "Go about your business, Blackjack! You know what happened last time you tried to attack us!"
Her crew roared in agreement, even Ron waved his sword above his head. Shego looked around and was impressed. The crew was ready for a fight!
In response the gun decks on the Blackjack opened. Kim didn't have to give the order because her Number One already knew what to do. The Dauntless's gun decks also opened. Kim frowned in annoyance and cursed herself inwardly, she didn't want to fight, not with the injured woman on board and them so close to Rhendarin. There was also no telling if there were any Imperial ships around the area either.
Blackjack roared a challenge and his ship veered off, gaining speed. Kim grabbed the railing as The Dauntless gained speed and yawed in the other direction. Both ships circled about and came at each other head on. Kim guessed correctly that the pirate wanted to take The Dauntless the hard way. Grapples fired from the Blackjack and latched onto the deck of her ship.
"Prepare to repel boarders," Kim barked as she drew her rapier.
The Blackjack stopped alongside of The Dauntless and its crew swung over onto the deck. Kim's crew met the attackers with their weapons and the battle began in earnest. Kim blocked a clumsy lunge from one attacker and ducked under another. Shego pulled out her blade and engaged three pirates simultaneously. Ron fended off two attackers with his sword as more pirates swung over.
Kim lashed out and caught one pirate in the shoulder with the tip of her rapier. He yelled in pain and dropped his cutlass. She kicked it away from him and followed through smashing her basket hilt into his ugly face. The pirate reeled from the blow and fell to the deck but Kim didn't have time to celebrate as two more pirates closed in on her.
Shego ducked and weaved through the clumsy assaults of the three pirates on her. Her weapon was a longsword which was heavier than a rapier and a bit slower but she knew how to use it for deadly effect. The three pirates came at her all at once and she was ready for it. She brought her blade up at a slight angle and caught all three of the pirate's blades. She screamed as she heaved outward, her strength surprised the pirates as she flung their weapons clean out of their hands. She spun around as they stared stupidly at their open hands and sent out her boot. The boot smashed into their faces one by one, sending them spiraling across the deck.
Ron and the rest of the crew held their own against the invading pirates and covered the doors to the bridge and below deck. But more pirates were swinging over from the Blackjack, how many crewmen did he have anyway?
Kim tumbled out of the way of the first pirate's lunged and flipped up to her feet and was barely able to get her rapier in place to block the attack from the other pirate. She heard an angry growl behind her and she ducked and felt the air swish past above her as she dodged a swing from a heavy cutlass. She flipped backwards to dodge two more swings from her front and sailed over the assailant at her back. She landed on her feet, her rapier out defensively. Her attacker from the back was Blackjack himself and he roared and came at her again.
Shego found herself losing ground as more and more pirates came at her. None of the pirates against her were particularly talented with their weapons but their sheer force of numbers more than made up for any martial deficiency. She found herself fighting back to back with Ron and he was having a hard time like she was. Wordlessly, they switched positions. Ron jumped over a low lunge and swung down himself, knocking back one pirate. Shego pressed her attack and forced the other pirates back as more members of the crew came to their aid.
Kim grunted as pain shot through her sword arm from the shock of Blackjack's cutlass as she blocked it. He came at her again, roaring and swinging wildly. She ducked and spun around the large pirate. She planted a boot in his rear end causing him to lose his balance and he fell into the pirates in front of him. He threw them away roughly and turned around to face her. She was crouched low in a defensive position, her rapier at the ready. He ran toward her, his cutlass out wide. Kim leapt at him before he could bring his cutlass down on her and smashed his face with her knee. He staggered back and she lashed out with her rapier, cutting off the belt that held his leggings together. They dropped exposing the pink and white striped underwear he wore.
The pirates were starting to gain ground against the crew of The Dauntless. Shego and Ron backed up a step as more pirates came over from the other ship. "This isn't looking good," Ron remarked grimly.
Shego wasn't as worried, she could call on the Glow and end this before it got worse but there was a chance that her plasma could ignite the ship and there was only one place to go after that.
Straight down.
Suddenly the sky darkened overhead and thunder rumbled ominously across the clouding sky. Everyone stopped and looked up at the gathering swirl of dark clouds. Lightning flashed followed by more thunder. Kim and Blackjack disengaged as they looked up in wonder. The clouds swirled into a massive funnel as the wind picked up. The funnel came down as the wind grew stronger and stronger. Kim sheathed her weapon quickly and dashed for the railing that lined the deck and held on for dear life as the wind continued to howl and grow. The rest of her crew did the same, grabbing on to anything that was tethered to the deck. The funnel lowered more and several miniature funnels appeared on the deck, sweeping over the attacking pirates.
The pirates screamed and howled in fright as the swirling funnels gathered them up and carried them back over to the Blackjack. Blackjack himself gamely stood his ground, comically holding his leggings up with one hand. It took two funnels to lift him off of the deck and carry him over to his ship. The large funnel continued to lower and when the last pirate was carried over the dark funnel engulfed the Blackjack.
Kim could barely make out the ship swirling out of control and at the complete mercy of the maelstrom. The funnel raised back up to the clouds carrying the ship and crew with it. Flashes of lightning pulsed inside the dark cloud and Kim could see secondary explosions on the Blackjack caused by the lightning. The dark cloud moved away and began to dissipate. Another small funnel of swirling dark air came down from the cloud and made its way towards The Dauntless. The dark clouds overhead disappeared completely and there was no sign of the Blackjack. The wind died down as the funnel touched down on the deck near where Kim held onto the railing.
The small funnel dissipated revealing Monique floating in mid-air, her eyes shut tight in concentration and her arms out. Her eyes opened as her feet gently touched the deck.
Kim was up in an instant and ran over to Monique.
"An Air Mage," Shego breathed in wide-eyed awe.
"I prefer the term...Wind Witch myself," Monique said huskily then her eyes closed and she collapsed in Kim's arms.
"Monique," Kim cried angrily, "I told you to rest! You could've hurt yourself even more than you already are!"
"S-sorry, captain," she said weakly, "B-but it looked...like you...needed some help."
Kim lifted her into her arms and made her way to the door that led below deck. One crewman opened the door for her and Kim took the now unconscious Wind Witch back to Sick Bay.
Back in Sick Bay
Kim put the damp compress on Monique's forehead and stroked her cheek with a knuckle. Her eyes fluttered open and focused on Kim. The Wind Witch noted the look of concern the red-haired captain gave her.
"D-don't fret over me, c-captain," she said weakly, "I'm f-feeling better."
"Sure you are," Kim replied angrily, "It's not your fault that you can't follow orders from the captain. Only fellow captain's feel the need to disregard orders."
Monique couldn't help but smile at the sharp remark, "Guilty as charged," she said.
Kim sighed heavily and shook her head, "Mon, what am I going to do with you?"
"I'm sure you'll think of something," she replied coyly.
Kim blushed at her words and opened her mouth to reply but a loud, sharp cough behind her prevented that. Kim turned to see Shego and Ron standing behind her.
"Just checking on the one who saved our collective asses," Shego said as she stepped up to stand next to Kim and knelt down next to her while Ron stood behind his captain.
"Thanks for the assist, Mon," Ron said gravely with a nod.
"Don't encourage her," Kim admonished to both of them, "She could've really hurt herself out there!"
"Glad to help," Monique said with a weak smile.
"Look, pumpkin," Shego said in a reasonable voice, "Yeah, we probably could've beaten them back but they had numbers on their side. Doctor D did a head count and we didn't lose a single crew member. If she didn't help things would've been much worse."
"I know, but-"
"But what? So she has a tough time following orders. So what? She's not even a member of the crew."
Kim sighed. "I just don't want her to get hurt again," she said, her voice full of emotion.
"I'm tougher than I look," Monique said quietly as she grabbed Kim's hand and squeezed it tenderly, "But you're right, I'm your guest and I'm sorry for disobeying your orders. It won't happen again...unless you get into more trouble."
Kim gave her a look of mild disapproval but she couldn't hold it for long because of the way her former lover smiled at her. Kim's voice softened and she ran her fingers through her hair. Monique let go of her hand and closed her eyes. Kim bent down and gave her a light kiss on her cheek. "Rest easy, Mon," she whispered then she stood up.
Ron and Shego followed Kim out.
"She'll be okay, KP," Ron said in a reassuring voice.
"Ron, once we make port in Rhendarin I want you to accompany me and Monique to the Temple District. There at least I can be sure she'll get the help she needs."
"Of course, KP," he answered with a nod.
Kim turned to Shego next, "Shego? I'll give you some funds and I'd like you to get our rooms at The Destiny of Fate. Once we're done in the Temple District we'll meet you there."
"Okay, pumpkin," she said.
"Good. Now back to business; I'm heading back to the bridge. Shego, I want you to work with Number One on a damage assessment. Have him give me the report in an hour or so. Ron? Go through the sails and the rigging and make sure everything's okay."
"Right, KP."
Ron split off from the pair to complete Kim's orders. Shego chanced a glance at Kim from the side and she noted the depressed look on Kim's face. She wanted to say something to her to get that face off of her but she couldn't think of anything.
"Yes, I'm bothered," Kim said aloud.
Shego blushed, "Sorry, but when you look like that I tend to worry."
Kim stopped and turned toward her. "It's nothing, Shego. I know the ship and the crew are fine, and they did great against Blackjack and his goons."
"So why the long face then?"
Kim looked away from her on purpose. "I...I don't want to talk about it right now, maybe later, okay?"
Shego nodded and they made their way back to the bridge. Luckily for Kim the rest of the day passed without any further incidents.
The Captain's Cabin, late evening
Kim had already showered and changed into one of her silk robes by the time Shego entered the cabin. Kim sat at the table and was going through her father's journal when Shego came in quietly and carefully closed the door behind her. She turned around and gave Kim a look of surprise.
"You're still up? I figured you'd be asleep long before I came in."
Kim yawned and closed the journal. "Couldn't sleep," she said tiredly.
Shego walked over to her and stopped a few feet away. Kim suddenly felt very self-conscious as she knew Shego was staring at her.
"What is it?"
"You've worn that sad face ever since we beat Blackjack," Shego said with a worried look of her own, "Are...are you okay, pumpkin?"
Kim tried to wave it off, "Just stressed, I guess," she replied nonchalantly.
Shego didn't buy it, but she didn't voice her concerns...yet.
"The water's nice and hot and the towels are clean and fresh if you want to shower," Kim said as she placed her father's journal on top of her mother's.
"Thanks," Shego said and walked off to clean herself up and get ready for bed. Kim spent the time staring at the burning candle on the table. She felt depressed...no, depressed wasn't the right word. She felt betrayed. She knew better than that, Kim thought to herself, If things went badly she...she could've...
In a surprising fit of anger she suddenly slammed her clenched fist on to the table, knocking over the candle. Kim reacted quickly and righted the candle before it burnt any of the valuable maps that was the lifeblood of The Dauntless.
Shego had finished her shower and tied her green and black robe together and watched in surprise at her captain's short outburst from the bathroom. She hadn't seen Kim depressed before and this made her feel...odd. The feeling was strange only because it arose a need in her to make her captain stop feeling that way. Shego never had that kind of feeling for anyone before, and she wasn't sure what to do about it.
"Kim? Is...is everything alright?"
Kim sighed heavily, she felt the weight of the sundered world on her shoulders. The weight was magnified with each setback and false lead in her quest to find her parents. The burdens only increased now that her former lover had entered the picture. Shego had enough problems of her own, a self-endured private hell that prevented any kind of intimate contact because the alternative was a hollow death for the victim of Shego's affections. Kim couldn't lie to herself and deep down she knew she still had deep feelings for Monique even despite how things ended. How could she make Shego understand?
"I...I don't think it's appropriate for me to talk to you about it," Kim said with an edge of bitterness and sadness in her voice.
"Well you can," Shego offered as she walked over to stand behind Kim.
Gently she placed her hands on Kim's shoulders and she felt just how taut her muscles were. "Why don't you come to bed and we can talk."
Kim nodded and Shego backed away so Kim could get up from the chair. Shego blew out the other candles as Kim made her way to the bed. Shego blew out the last candle and felt her way to the bed. Kim scooted over and Shego slid between the cool sheets. Shego got comfortable and was surprised when Kim threw her arms around her and hugged her so tightly that Shego had trouble breathing and then Kim buried her face in Shego's chest. Shego gingerly put her arms around her captain and held her. Shego felt Kim's body shudder and that was followed by muted whimpers. Shego held her until she stopped crying and Kim eventually pulled away.
"S-sorry," Kim said miserably.
"It's okay, pumpkin" Shego said in a soothing voice.
Kim sniffed and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "You really want to know what's bothering me?"
"Yes."
"Fine, I'll tell you. It's Monique, but it's not what you think."
Shego thought she had already prepared herself for this conversation but the cold feeling that wormed it's way in the pit of her stomach told her just how unprepared she was.
"What do you mean?"
"Yes, she and I were close, very close, once. But I want you to understand that all of that is in the past, Shego. Please believe me when I say that."
"Oookay," Shego replied in a questioning voice.
"I still love her and...and I think I always will. But I'm not going to let my feelings for her come between us. I still want there to be an 'us'. I don't want you worrying about what Mon and I had, nor do I want you worrying about her trying to steal me away from you because its sooo not gonna happen."
"Are you sure? I mean, you know what I am and what we can't do. Have you thought this out yet?"
Shego's answer was a sudden, deep, passionate kiss that went a long way toward allaying her fears and inner doubts. Kim pulled away quickly for fear of igniting the Hunger.
"Sorry," Kim said breathlessly, "Are you alright? I shouldn't have done that."
It took Shego a moment to compose herself and find her center to keep the Hunger at bay. "I-I'm okay," she replied in a faltering voice.
Kim leaned in to snuggle close to the raven-haired pirate. Her body heat enveloped Kim like another blanket. "I haven't forgot about visiting the South Lands," Kim said quietly as she nestled her cheek against Shego's chest, "We will find a way to get around this, I promise, Shego."
Shego hugged her in response then spoke, "Thanks, pumpkin. That...that means a lot to me."
They held each other for a long time then Kim readjusted herself so that her back was against Shego's front and the pirate's arms were wrapped around her protectively. Shego could tell that Kim was feeling a bit better but she was still depressed.
"Kimmie?"
"Hmm?"
"What did you mean when you said that you were bothered by Monique but it wasn't what I thought?"
Kim sighed heavily. There was a noticeable moment of silence between them before Kim answered.
"She lied to me, Shego...again. I asked her why the Imperials were after her and she lied directly to my face. I...I can't just let her go by herself, I just can't. But having her around could put the crew in even more danger than it's already in. I don't know if I'm making the right choice as far as my crew is concerned."
"Well, we're already wanted by the Empire so I'm not too worried about that," Shego said, "Maybe you should confront her about it once she's fully healed."
"I'm going to," Kim said sadly, "But either way I don't think it's going to be pleasant."
Shego hugged her captain tight, "That's something for another time. We should both get some rest, we'll be at Rhendarin soon."
"Good night, Shego."
"Sleep well, pumpkin."
Shego didn't close her eyes until Kim's breathing became slow and deep indicating that her captain had finally fallen asleep. She snuggled against her captain and buried her face in Kim's red hair and slept.
The Free City of Rhendarin, early morning
The Free City of Rhendarin was large and majestic in scope, larger by far than Sal Sagev and even many of the Empire's largest cities save for the capital. The island itself was massive and the singular dominating feature was the tall single mountain that encompassed virtually all of the space. The city itself was carved from the very mountain with towering, majestic spires, two thick rings of walls that encompassed the city, and a modern street system that allowed the city's populace to go about their day with a minimum of difficulty. Like other cities Rhendarin was divided into districts with walls separating them from each other. The city had four active ports with three of them able to accommodate the largest of cargo vessels and military ships.
Rhendarin had a strong and well-trained navy with many fast sloops, cutters, and a number of heavily armed frigates. Rhendarin included two steel-clad vessels in its inventory, a medium cruiser, and a heavy destroyer. These two ships alone were a match for most ships, including many of the ships commissioned in the Empire. To complement Rhendarin's navy each ship had two mages assigned to them and they all specialized in fire magic making the ships they served on even more dangerous.
The Free City of Rhendarin was in a prime location as it was a central hub of commerce. Three major trade routes liked the city to the Empire, the Elven Lands, the South, and to the north several smaller trade routes connected the city to several Orc tribes that were somewhat friendlier than the rest. Gold, spices, and silks flowed freely into the city and out at all hours of the day making the heads of the trading companies richer by the day.
Aside from commerce there was a heavy adventurer presence. Being the hub of major trade routes Rhendarin was a great place to meet and hire adventurers and mercenaries for any job. The Adventurer's Guild has a presence in the city and is a major patron for adventurers of all types. The Guild is the major backer for Rhendarin's sole center of learning, Bastion University, called a bastion of knowledge and a bastion against ignorance. But Bastion University had a deserved reputation for being a launching point for ruins exploration and anything else that the Adventurer's Guild required than an institute of higher learning.
Where the architecture of Sal Sagev was a throwback to an earlier era Rhendarin was far more modern. All of the buildings were cut and shaped from the mountain itself and the towering smokestacks reached into the Aether and competed with the spires for domination. A labyrinth of pipes connected all of the buildings, providing them with running water and other amenities that Sal Sagev didn't have.
Rhendarin was a metropolis on par with the Empire's largest cities and aside from being a hub of commerce the city was an industrial power, making its own ships and weapons as needed. Lucrative contracts with other free cities and the Elven Lands made Rhendarin a comfortable buffer zone between the other free lands and the Empire. A popular saying in Rhendarin was "if it can be thought, it can be bought", and the Council of Elders ensured the city ran smoothly so that gold flowed easily. Slaves were the only thing outlawed by the Council, but everything else was fair game with restrictions for public safety. But drugs, hardware, and weapons outlawed in other nations could easily be found and purchased with little or no risk to the buyer if he or she was smart.
Rhendarin was an adventurer's paradise and many a lucrative career was launched from the bowels of the city. Like Sal Sagev Rhendarin had an inn and tavern that rivaled The Raven's Nest in fame, the Destiny of Fate Inn and Tavern, but most just shortened the name to The Destiny. Like the Raven's Nest it was a meeting place to wind down, meet contacts, hire mercenaries, and gather information, because everybody knows that bartenders know everything about everything and if they didn't they knew where to point to find the answer. The Destiny was the second largest spire in Rhendarin, only the fortress that housed the Council and the guard was larger. The Destiny was famous for its bouncers, great food, and the competitive area housed inside. Anyone could enter the ring and fight, and betting was encouraged. Fortunes were made and lost every night and a portion of the bets went to the staff of clerics that made sure no permanent injuries marred the combatants. The arena had become so popular that The Destiny sponsored a yearly event where warriors from all around would show up and compete for the title of top warrior. The object was to be the last one standing and that one was the winner. The purse for the winner was huge, and The Destiny Games, as it came to be called, drew more and more spectators every year.
All of this made Rhendarin an interesting place to visit and Kim Possible felt a wave of relief fall over her as the city came into view from the top deck of The Dauntless. The first rays of the sun pierced through the darkness as The Dauntless pulled into the western port. Kim wore her leather of iron outfit as she regarded her assembled crew. They stood in rows on the deck and stared at her expectantly. Kim turned to Drakken who was impeccably dressed in one of his old Imperial uniforms, but he had torn out the chevrons that showed his rank long ago. He nodded at her and stiffened as she turned back to her crew.
"Men, we made it; welcome to Rhendarin. Now, I want everyone on the best behavior like you all did at Sal Sagev. The guards here are very good at their jobs and I don't need word coming back to me that someone from my crew did something they shouldn't, you hear me?"
The crew grumbled their assent.
"Good. I know you all are tired so I want you to relax and enjoy yourselves while we're here. So, the sooner our cargo is offloaded the quicker you all can enjoy your R & R. Number One? You have anything to say to the men?"
He shook his head, "No, captain, I do not."
"Very well. Men? Get to it. Dismissed."
Her assembled crew dispersed and went about getting their cargo offloaded quickly. Kim leaned back from the banister and turned towards Drakken. "I'd like you to accompany me to the Temple District so we can get Monique healed. The clerics might be interested in what you did to save her life."
He bowed regally, "Yes, captain. It is appropriate for me to come along anyway since I do need to brush up on my surgical skills and this provides the perfect opportunity. I will be ready when you are ready to leave."
Ron and Yori climbed the steps to the higher deck where Kim and Drakken were talking. Drakken turned to leave as Ron stepped up to Kim with a small smile.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come along with you, KP? I mean, she's my friend too."
"No, I want you and Yori to go with Shego to The Destiny and help get us set up with rooms. We'll be staying for a few days at least and I want everything in place for us after our business in the Temple District is over. I already gave Shego the money for the rooms but I want you both there in case things get hot."
"Right," he said but Kim could feel the disappointment in his voice.
"Look, this is something I want to do by myself, okay? Hopefully it won't take long and we'll meet up with everyone at The Destiny."
Both Ron and Yori nodded. Shego appeared on the upper deck clad in a set of black high boots, tight, black pants, and a dark green shirt. She turned to Ron with a smirk, "You ready blondie?"
"Give me a few minutes to gather some things," he said.
Shego nodded, "I'll wait here for you."
Ron and Yori left. Shego turned to Kim, "Don't worry about the rooms; I'll have everything ready by the time you get there."
"Thanks, Shego," Kim said with a smile.
Shego smiled back, "From all of the things I hear about The Destiny I should fit right in."
"I've never been there but I agree; from what I heard The Destiny sounds like your kind of place."
"So why are you sending blondie and his girlfriend to babysit me?"
"It's not like that and you know it," Kim replied, "I'm just doing what I can to make sure everyone's safe."
Shego humphed but her voice had a note of resignation in it as she spoke, "I'll stay out of trouble, pumpkin. And I'll make sure the others stay out of it too."
"I appreciate that," Kim said then her cheeks blushed noticeably, "Have you given any thoughts about sleeping arrangements?"
"There's no way you're not being my roomie, pumpkin," Shego answered with a wry grin.
Kim's blush deepened, "Good, I'd like that."
"I knew you would, besides, I'd probably barbecue anyone else, well, maybe not Doctor D," Shego mused.
"Thank you for being a real trooper and looking out for the well being of the rest of my crew," Kim said in a playful, sarcastic voice.
"I do what I can," she deadpanned, not missing a beat.
Ron and Yori arrived a moment later and Shego left the ship with them. Kim went to sickbay and was surprised to see Monique standing on her own. Drakken was already there to give her assistance if she needed it.
"I'm ready," Monique said to her with a warm smile as she watched her enter.
"Are you sure you're able to walk? We can wheel you to the temples you know."
Monique waved her off, "No, Kim, I'm good. In fact, the good doctor here did a fine job patching me up. I could probably make it on my own."
"That is not an option," Drakken declared.
"I know," Monique said as she sighed in resignation.
Kim and Drakken helped their injured guest off the ship and slowly made their way to the Temple District.
The Destiny of Fate Inn and Tavern
Shego was surprised to find out that not only was Ron and Yori tagging along with her to The Destiny but that almost a quarter of the crew came along as well. Motor Ed was among them and she tapped him to help her keep the rabble in line and she had to admit that the burly engineer did a good job at it. It didn't take them long to reach the Destiny nor was it hard to spot the second largest building in all of Rhendarin.
The Destiny of Fate Inn and Tavern was located at an intersection of the wall that connected the Mercantile District and the South Docks District. The wall went around the massive stone building and the guard presence here was lighter than Shego would have at first suspected. She craned her neck up to take in The Destiny in it's entirety, all fourteen floors. A pair of burly, human bouncers guarded the equally massive double doors that served as the entrance to the establishment. They were all checked for weapons which they left on the ship and one of the bouncers opened the doors for them. Being an engineer, Motor Ed was allowed to keep his massive wrench, but he was given a stern warning.
The Destiny was equally massive and imposing on the inside. Like the city The Destiny was sectioned off into separate areas. Shego walked down a few steps to enter the inn proper and came to the first section: the arena. A huge stone pit was dug out of the floor and it reached down two flights to where the ring actually was. Above it were crowded spectators watching the fight between a heavily armored minotaur and a tall, bald, massively muscle human covered head to foot in stylized tribal tattoos. Shego peered down to watch as the human went fist to fist with the massive minotaur. Then she was roughly shoved aside by Motor Ed.
"What it you big oaf," she said angrily.
Motor Ed acted like he didn't hear her. Shego opened her mouth to admonish him again but the engineer promptly leaped down to the ring below. All Shego could do was watch in shock as his feel landed on the turnbuckle.
The fight wasn't going well for the tattooed human. The armored minotaur was strong, he'd give him that, and fast for a two legged bull. His silent ruminations were interrupted by a massive stone-like fist to the face from the minotaur. The man staggered back and leaned against the turnbuckle right as Motor Ed landed on the ropes. The man looked up in astonishment.
"Dalron! Fastball Special," Motor Ed yelled.
Without missing a beat the man grabbed Motor Ed and unceremoniously threw him at the minotaur. Motor Ed drew his wrench and extended his arms as he held it. The minotaur didn't react fast enough and Motor Ed slammed into the minotaur, his wrench striking the creature in the stomach, making a loud clang that echoed sharply above the crowd's cheers and jeers. The minotaur doubled over from the impact and fell heavily to the stone floor and stopped moving. Motor Ed roared in triumph and heaved his wrench above his head then he lowered it and kissed the head of his wrench and turned to the tattooed warrior with a wide grin.
"The Gutwrench! Works every time!"
The crowd cheered and Shego turned away shaking her head. "Idiot," she muttered under her breath and continued on.
The next area was more of what Shego was used to for an inn. The rest of the area was an inn proper with rows of tables and chairs for eating and drinking. Booths lined the walls for a quieter atmosphere and even though it was still morning Shego was surprised to note that The Destiny was full of patrons. With The Raven's Nest the atmosphere and tone was subdued and generally quiet, whereas The Destiny was loud, boisterous, and in your face.
Shego liked it.
She made her way to the bar which stretched across the back wall. She stopped at the bar and tapped her finger on the bar. A human bartender who was too muscled to be a wimpy bartender put down the mug he was cleaning and looked at her.
"What can I get you," he asked in a deep voice.
"Rooms," she answered, "For a party of forty or so."
He nodded, "The lower floors are booked. I'll have to split the group between floors eleven and twelve, is that acceptable?"
Shego nodded.
"Payment is by the day unless your group is staying for a week then the payment is due at checkout."
"We'll be staying for a week, I think," Shego said.
The bartender nodded and Shego pulled out a pouch of gold to complete the transaction. It took a while to get the sleeping arrangements sorted out but in the end everything was set. Now all she had to do was wait for Kim to arrive.
Several hours later
Kim, Drakken, and Monique entered The Destiny after a surprisingly short stint in the Temple District. The Temple District was lined with various temples of different religions and both Kim and Drakken chose the Temple of Light, which was dedicated solely to healing and health and not religious affiliation. The high priest was an elderly bald man with a long white beard, but he was friendly and his eyes sparkled with kindness. The payment for the treatment was less than what Kim expected, and a simple heal spell later, Monique was almost as good as new. The rest of the money that she was going to use for Monique's treatment went to books and journals on anatomy for Drakken.
Kim stared wide-eyed at the majesty of The Destiny. She led Drakken and Monique past the arena and on toward the bar. There she spied Ron and Yori who waved at them from a long table.
"Over here, KP," Ron exclaimed.
Kim, Drakken, and Monique made their way toward the table and sat down. Rufus popped out of his breast pocket and jumped down on to the table. He carried a small silver key in his hands and he scurried over to Kim and dropped the key in front of her.
"It's your room key," Ron said, "It's on floor twelve."
"Thank you," she said to Rufus with a smile and she scratched underneath his chin with a finger. Rufus enjoyed the attention immensely then he went back to Ron's pocked when she finished.
Ron turned to Monique, "How are you feeling, Mon?"
"Much better, thanks," she said with a smile.
Kim looked around the tables but the raven-haired pirate she was looking for was nowhere to be found. "Where's Shego?"
Both Ron and Yori shrugged. "I don't know," Ron said as he turned around to look, "She's around here someplace, but the bartender wanted to see you once you got here. His name's Slade and he said he wanted to talk to you. I think it's about your parents."
"Thanks Ron," she said as she got up and headed over to the bar.
The burly human behind the counter spied her as she walked over and he put the mug down that he was cleaning. Kim sat at a stool and regarded the bartender.
"Hello," she said pleasantly.
"Nice to meet you," he replied in a deep voice, "Name's Slade, I'm the owner of the Destiny of Fate Inn and Tavern."
"Kim Possible," she said.
"I know who you are," he said in a neutral voice, "Back in my adventuring days I heard a lot about your mother and father. A bouncer under my employ served with him for a time and it comes to my understanding that you are looking for them."
"I am."
"Well, they were both here almost six months ago. They were heading out towards the Rift to the north."
"The Rift? What for?"
Slade leaned over the bar, "From what I hear you're following in their footsteps. You've cause quite a bit of trouble yourself for the Empire."
"They keep getting in my way," she said in a dark tone.
He leaned back, "I have no love for the Empire nor do I want to raise the ire of anyone from the Possible Family. Your parents came here looking to talk to Dalron, one of my bouncers. He was the one who served with them for a time but I don't quite remember what they talked about."
"Is Dalron here? Can I speak to him?"
Slade nodded. "I'll get one of the private rooms set up for you out back."
He motioned for one of the waitresses to come over to the bar and one did. "Take Miss Possible to meeting room three and make sure she is comfortable."
She nodded, "Follow me, Miss," she said.
Kim followed the waitress to a door on the wall next to the bar and down a hallway. The waitress stopped at a door and opened it. She motioned for Kim to enter. Kim did and noticed how similar The Destiny's back rooms were to The Raven's Nest. She sat down on a comfortable couch as the waitress entered behind her.
"Can I get you anything while you wait?"
"Some coffee please and thank you."
The waitress nodded, "I'll be right back."
She closed the door behind her leaving Kim to herself. She took a moment to take in the posh furniture and the tasteful paintings on the wall. She didn't have to wait long before there was a loud succession of knocks on the door. The door opened a moment later but instead of the waitress a towering man, overly muscled, and covered from bald head to foot in tattoos stooped down and wormed his way in to the room. In one large hand was a mug of steaming coffee. He wore fatigues, black boots and a black muscle t-shirt. He stood over seven feet tall and with his free hand he closed the door behind him. He turned to face Kim and she was taken aback by his steel gray eyes.
"You ordered the coffee," he asked in a deep, rumbling voice.
"Y-yes," she said meekly.
He walked over to her and handed her the mug then he backed away from her and folded his massive arms across his huge chest.
"Name's Dalron. Slade told me you're lookin' for James an' Anne Possible. What for?"
Kim placed the piping hot mug of coffee on an end table next to the couch then had to crane her neck to look up at the imposing figure. "M-my name is Kim Possible; they're my p-parents."
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she felt his gaze pierce through her. An uncomfortable moment of silence passed then he spoke.
"I thought it was weird when Ed showed up all of a sudden. But I guess he was speakin' the truth an' The Dauntless still floats."
"It does," Kim said more forcefully, "I'm her captain."
Dalron raised a hairless eyebrow, "Captain? Wow, that's rich."
He unfolded his arms and sat down heavily across from her. "Okay Kim, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"Slade told me that they were here a little under six months ago and that they came here to speak to you before heading north towards the Rift. They've been gone for longer than six months now and I and my crew are looking for them. If you have any information as to where they are I'd be forever grateful for it."
His gaze fixed on the small golden pin attached to her collar. "I've seen that pin before, where did you get it?"
"From the owner of the Raven's Nest," she answered.
"Zahn," he said darkly.
Kim gulped and nodded. "He served with them for a while as I did, but he parted ways under...difficult circumstances. I left a short time later but our parting was nowhere near as ugly. Your parents came here to find me to ask me about the Lost Orrerys."
"Lost Orrerys?"
"Yes, there are four of 'em if memory serves, an' I've even been to one before. It's beyond the Rift to the north which is exactly what I told your parents. I asked 'em why they wanted to look for the things but all I got was some claptrap about some lost prophecy or another; as if this world isn't full of 'em to start with."
"Do...do you have directions on how to get there? I've never been through one of the Rifts."
"It sucks," Dalron said, "But I should have a map or two in my trunk of old stuff; I'll go through it and see what I can find."
"Please and thank you," Kim said vehemently. At long last here was a lead that pointed in a definite direction.
"You know," Dalron said in a musing tone, "I got plenty of vacation time coming my way. I could just guide you there, this place is getting kinda boring if you ask me."
"We're sorta tight on funds so I don't know how much we can pay you to guide us."
He waved his hand dismissively, "I ain't in it for the money, 'sides, I got enough stashed away to live comfortably for a while. It'd be nice to be on board the old girl again though. An' I see that Ed is still servin' his girl. I'll bet he's still havin' problems keepin' that engine runnin'."
"It's a handful," Kim admitted, "But he's got a dedicated crew of gadgeteers working for him and they keep everything running smoothly for the most part."
"Good. All I ask is a full plate or two at meal time and the chance to knock some heads together once in a while."
"No problems there," Kim muttered aloud but more to herself.
"Yeah, that's right. Word's come down that you an' your crew are causing all sorts of problems for the Empire. That I like. They're growing too big for their borders an' it'll be only a matter of time before they start expandin'."
He regarded her under a new light and if half of what he heard was true this little slip of a girl was definitely trouble. He always liked trouble. He grinned at her. "I'll smooth things over with Boss Slade so that shouldn't be a problem."
"Sounds good to me," Kim said with a smile.
They both stood up and Dalron extended his huge hand to her. She took what she could of it and shook it. "I'll be seein' ya around, Kim Possible," he said then he turned toward the door, opened it, and left.
Kim sat back down on the couch and grabbed the mug of coffee. She took a sip and it was strong, bitter, and hot. She spent some time alone in the room until she finished her coffee and then she left.
She made her way back to the table where Ron, Yori, Drakken, and Monique sat. She looked around for Shego but she still was nowhere to be found. She looked at the others and Ron was the one who shook his head at Kim's unspoken question. Suddenly there was a loud eruption of noise from the spectators over the area followed by the sound of a thunderous impact. Kim walked over to see what the ruckus was about and the others got up from the table to see as well. There was the sound of another thunderous impact followed by a low groan of astonishment from the crowd. Kim made it to the rail and peered down to see what had happened and her eyes went wide in shock.
In the center of the area stood Shego, crouched defensively, her hands clenched into fists. She was breathing heavily and a small trickle of blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. The crowd of spectators had gone silent from the scene before them. A large ogre and a misshapen troll both lay at her feet, unconscious. She looked up toward the crowd and raised her fist in victory. The crowd cheered and applauded at the spectacle while Kim could only watch on in amazement. Shego ate up the adoration until her eyes met Kim's. Kim saw the raven-haired pirate smile at her and blush. Kim returned the smile and shook her head in astonishment. Then Kim felt a massive presence behind her and as she turned she was uncomfortably close to the tattooed warrior, Dalron.
"That was some fight," he said appreciatively, "Is she yours?"
Kim couldn't help but smile at the unintentional double-meaning behind his words and she blushed a little before she answered.
"Yes, yes she is."
