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Fortune helps the brave.
Publius Terentius Afer (190 BC - 159 BC), Phormio
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"Prrrahktrrrel, the ship is leaving slipstrrream." Rorquer vigilantly watched the sensors.

I moved the vessel back into regular space, in close pursuit of the small ship. It would be so easy to destroy them here and now, but I couldn't do that. Our most valuable possession was aboard. "Hail them, Narrrian."

"Yes, sirrr." The frequency was opened.

Our subject was standing in the center of the ship's control area with a gun in her hand. The crew all had looks of defeat and fear on their faces. She turned in a circle around the control area, aiming her gun at every one of them, obviously as a warning. She turned back to face me and crossed one of her arms over her chest.

"Bennett, what have you done?" I asked her.

"What does it look like? I've got a ship of my own now."

"My possessions do not need theirrr own vessels."

"You've got a lot to learn."

"Take a shuttle back to this vessel, or we will board yourrrs and take you ourrrselves."

"And the second you start that, I'm going to blow this ship into oblivion." She crossed the deck with aplomb and an air of arrogance.

"You would not do that."

"You wanna test me, kitty boy?" She was dead serious, I realized.

"What do you want?"

"I don't wanna be your Ice Queen anymore. I want to use this vessel and be an agent for you."

"You arrre lying."

She drew the weapon and shot one of the crew, the one that appeared to be the captain. He fell on the floor face down. "Do I look like I'm lying?"

"You would not kill the otherrrs."

"I don't give a damn about a single one of them. And if I'm in that ice box ever again, then I don't give a damn whether I live or die."

"I'll destrrroy yourrr vessel, then."

"No, you won't. I'm too valuable to you. You need me."

She was correct. I did need her for the success of our mission. And success was a higher priority than anything else. I could always lie to her. "Yourrr prrroject has been cancelled."

"Then, why are you here?"

A young blond human ran into the area suddenly. She trained her weapon on him for a moment. "Who is this?"

"This is my selected mate."

She had even taken a mate. She seemed serious about commanding this vessel. "He is weak. You want yourrr offsprrring to be rrrunts?"

"He has hidden strengths. And my selection has nothing to do with you." She grabbed the young man and pinned him to the deck below. My eyes and the eyes of my crew were glued on her. She had to want this command more than anything to do this. She released a feral growl as she straddled him.

"There are lasers and missiles firing at us!"

It was too late. I watched the small explosions and braced myself for the larger one that was to come. The young human had outsmarted us. But this wouldn't be the end. Maybe I was the fleet commander, but there would be another opportunity. And she would pay for this.


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The explosion was almost beautiful. The Nefile ship was no longer a threat to anyone or anything. I watched Lise release Harper and move to her feet again, blushing slightly.

"I thought I was actually gonna get some," Harper said sarcastically.

Lise laughed and then clutched her lower rib cage, groaning in pain. "It's part of the way they take command of a ship. They kill the captain first of all. Are you all right, Captain Hunt?"

"I'm fine. The pad absorbed most of the blast."

"What else do they do?" Harper asked.

"Then they choose a mate from the crew. And they...consummate that relationship in front of the rest of the crew for reasons beyond that which I understand. Guess they're just a bunch of sick kitties."

"How are you feeling, Lise?" I asked.

"I would be lying if I said I was feeling fine. The pain killer is wearing off."

"The threat is gone now. You can go back to Medical Bay," Dylan said. "As well as you, Harper."

The pair walked off of the Command Deck together. I wondered what would become of Lise. Dylan said she told him that she didn't want to be a burden to the crew. He expected her to rush through the process of choosing a new home. I would have been happy if I had heard that thirty-six hours ago. But now I felt she deserved more than that. I would talk to Dylan about it later. Right now, we had to get the Messinans to Utrecht.