Author notes:

Hey! I'm not dead! And I'm still writing things too! How cool is that?!

I'd like to thank all of you that have been keeping up with this story, and even bigger thank those who've written their feedback here in the reviews. I read all of them, and reply to just about as many. Thanks again!

Anyways, here's some more stuff I wrote for this story. Enjoy!

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To Do What Must be Done


/

Shortly after the Zoness mission, Kell Zura returned home on leave. When word of his daughter's promotion to Captain reached Kell, he insisted that he go back home and see her, to congratulate Sasha in person. It made a good excuse for Kell to get back home again, away from his work. Consumed with his work on the Venom project, Kell didn't get much time with his family, and even less so when the tensions spiked. So he took whatever time he could get to be with his family –his wife Tess and daughter Sasha– and he'd try to make the most of it.

Tess especially would grow lonely with the absence of her husband, and worry over him. It came with the territory of being married to a career military officer, but she was never entirely comfortable with it, especially after the family moved. Back on Corneria, Tess at least had the support of other military families and her social network of friends, which she had none of on Macbeth. It only made Tess even more lonely and worrisome when her daughter took a similar path in life, when she left for so long to train at Easthold, and then began her own tour of duty. She was happy –thrilled, in fact– to have her Sasha back home for those times when she was on leave.

This time would be a little different, however.

Kell and Tess had made travel arrangements for the week, rented a cabin in the rustic scenic Glamis Mountains, and left the family condo in Sasha's care for that time. The relatively upscale two-floor condominium hadn't really changed a bit from what Sasha remembered. It was very clean, very comfortable, kept so by Tess who found little else to do with her time. The windows showed an impressive view of the Wayland skyline. For all intents and purposes, it was less like an apartment and more like a house, only tucked inside a much larger high-rise building.

With Sasha's help, Tess and Kell gathered the last of their bags in the condo's foyer, where they made final preparations for their trip away. Most importantly among these preparations was their good-byes to Sasha.

"We're very proud of you Sasha dear," Tess said as she hugged her daughter tightly.

"Heh, a Captain already!" Kell exclaimed, placing one of his rugged hands on Sasha's shoulder, "keep this up, and you'll be out-pacing your old man in no time."

The younger husky stepped back from her mother, and looked to Kell. "That's nice of you to say dad, but there's no way I could compete with you."

"You know Kell, maybe we should put off the travel for a bit, and do something special tonight, as a family," Tess suggested, passing a hopeful look to her husband and daughter.

"That's okay mom," Sasha said, giving her mother a knowing smile. "You and dad have your arrangements, and I've already made my own plans for tonight anyway."

"Oh?" Tess asked, curious.

"I'm going out into town with Maya tonight," Sasha explained. It was only part of the truth, but it was the part that mattered, "celebrating the promotion, meeting people, having some fun."

"Well, if you're sure..." Sasha's mother said, sounding hesitant.

"Sasha's a big girl now," Kell said to Tess with a chuckle. "She doesn't need us hovering over her shoulder every moment anymore. This trip is about us, Tess." He stood behind his wife, and clutched her very close then, eliciting a somewhat embarrassed giggle from her.

It was... nice, Sasha seeing her parents let down their hair, ease up, showing their love for each other. It helped remind that her dad wasn't in fact the cold-hearted soulless excuse of a soldier that Corneria made him out to be. Perhaps Kell was ruthless, back before Fortuna, but he'd changed since. After his stubborn pride took a hit like no other, after being knocked down so many pegs, dad had grown to appreciate and love his family all the more. Most importantly, Kell Zura was able to step out from all that mess and he made things right, in spite of everything set against him.

It made him a hero in Sasha's eyes, the example of steadfast endurance she'd followed in her life.

"You two have fun, you've earned it." Sasha said with a smile, "I can hold down the fort here while you're away."

"Thanks for seeing us off, Sasha dear." Tess said as she stroked her daughter's cheek, giving her that look of pained maternal pride. She was proud to have seen Sasha grow up so well, yet pained that they'd grown so distant as well...

"Be sure to have fun of your own while you can..." Kell then said, his voice growing somber, full of regret? It almost sounded as if dad wanted to say 'don't make the same mistakes I did, Sasha', "Take care of the place while we're gone."

The younger husky nodded, "Don't worry dad, I will."

With their goodbyes said, it was only a matter of minutes until Kell and Tess were away, leaving Sasha alone in the family condo. That's when she went to work on her preparations for the night.

The husky had a good shower first, then brushed her freshly cleaned fur to a nice shine afterward. Sasha then slipped into a long black dress with an open back, tied in a bow with dress strings. She did her hair in a long braid that she let rest on her shoulder, and tied off the end in a black bow. Once satisfied with her outfit and general appearance, Sasha went to on to apply the finer cosmetics.

She was in the middle of carefully applying mascara to her eyelashes when her comm, which was sitting right there next to the makeup kit, went off with an incoming call. Sasha checked the caller ID, and found it was from General Silver. Of all the times he could be calling her up...

The husky quietly cursed under her breath as she picked up the noisy little device, and answered the call in as professional a tone as she could manage, "General Silver?"

"Ah, Captain Zura. Thank you for receiving me," the deep booming voice wasn't nearly as imposing over the comm channel as it was in-person, but it still carried the weight of command. "I'm sorry to impose upon you, but we need you to come in."

"General, I'm on leave," Sasha reminded her commander, trying to hide the irritation in her voice, "I have other things going on tonight."

"Yes, true, I am aware, but this demands your immediate attention, Captain Zura." The way General Silver phrased it meant it was an order, not a suggestion, "but luckily, it will only take a minute of your time, and you may return to your evening plans afterward unhindered."

How did he know about her plans? Maybe he didn't actually know. Whatever the case, it had better only take a minute like he said it would.

"Understood, sir," Sasha chimed back, stifling an irritated sigh before it came out. "Where am I going?"

"33 Foster Street, in the northern reclamation district of Wayland," the General answered curtly, "Come as you are, no need for a uniform."

"I'll be there shortly, sir." the husky replied, then ended the call with the final release of a growling, grating shout, directed nowhere in particular.

Sasha was starting to think General Silver simply took pleasure in this, playing sick practical jokes on the new spec-ops officers, making an effort to call them in when it is the absolute most inconvenient.

She tossed the little mascara tube in her purse so she could finish that later; right next to the small hold-out blaster she carried in there she realized. It wasn't just a little civilian-model derringer either, this was a high-powered Aran Arms 40V blaster handgun, snub-barrel variant, tucked into its concealed quick-draw holster in the outwardly stylish little handbag with two extra magazine cartridges. It was something of a grim reminder to Sasha, a reminder that the soldier would always be following her, always watching out for her, but also tagging along and intruding upon her private, otherwise innocent affairs...

She closed the handbag, and headed out, pulling a jacket on over her dress before exiting the family condo. It was a little chilly outside tonight, but more than that, it'd be a little awkward to go out into one of the seedier reclamation districts at night, wearing just a black dress and heels. That would just be inviting unneeded trouble, not that Sasha couldn't handle trouble, but still...

\


/

Thankfully, the northern reclamation district wasn't too far away from the Zura home, only a few minutes drive to get there at most. The area was a hodgepodge of older, outdated buildings, all abandoned. The district was vacated within the past several years, as part of Wayland's major rezoning project, meant to modernize and update degrading portions of the city that needed it most.

A noble goal, but for now, the northern reclamation district remained silent, and empty, at least on official business. It was well known to Waylanders that the reclamation districts were notorious for seedier activities, particularly at night. Drug dealing, illegal prostitution, gang activity and other street-level notoriety: that was what Wayland's reclamation districts were. At least, that's what these areas were supposed to be like.

In the time Sasha had driven her hovercar through the darkened, dilapidated semi-urban area, down the many under-maintained streets, she had expected to see... something. Maybe some hungrily leering onlookers, seeing the conspicuous high-end hovercar coast through their turf eyeing possible prey. But no. The streets really were empty, devoid of any activity whatsoever, completely and utterly still.

It made Sasha feel uncomfortable, weary. It seemed like a trap, to be ordered to go somewhere secluded, no witnesses, plenty of ambush points in the surrounding buildings–

She stopped herself, before getting carried away in her thoughts. It was General Silver who ordered her here, her superior officer. She could trust him. He wouldn't do anything of the sort, would he?

The hovercar's on-board navigation system soon informed Sasha of her arrival at the destination, 33 Foster Street. As far as she could tell, it looked much the same as the other abandoned residences in the area; a crumbling torn-out husk of a building in need of replacement.

Sasha turned the car off, letting the vehicle settle to the ground, and exited into the cool evening outside. More troubling though was the sounds, or rather, the lack of it. She would've expected to hear the usual quiet murmur of these decaying urban streets: the quiet tired conversations, occasional angry shout, a wheezing under-maintained vehicle or two. Instead, there was only silence...

The husky held her handbag close, ready to retrieve the blaster hidden there, and made a visual sweep of her surroundings. It was empty, all empty...

A shape, a dull silhouette in one of the higher buildings, hiding out in one of the windows: a prime sniping perch...

There were footsteps nearby, closing in.

In a quick motion, Sasha drew the blaster from her handbag as she faced the oncoming threat. Her reflexes were primed, her resolve firm, and her trigger finger–

She nearly had a double-take from panic when she saw who was there. It was General Silver, the broad imposing gorilla that was her commander. He was out of uniform though, dressed instead in a modest sport-coat and slacks.

"Good evening, Captain Zura." the General greeted calmly, not at all perturbed by the firearm Sasha was aiming at his forehead.

Flustered, Sasha put her blaster back into its place inside her purse, fumbling as she replied, "evening, General."

"Come inside, please." The older gorilla turned and motioned toward the front door of the abandoned house, inviting Sasha in.

The two of them moved in without so much as a word; a tense, uncomfortable silence. General Silver didn't seem particularly cold, or frustrated though. It was more like he had a lot on his mind, a kind of quiet, pensive concern for larger, slower moving issues.

"Thank you for arriving on such short notice, Captain." Even at the quiet volume he was speaking, the gorilla's voice still carried that ubiquitous, low rumbling gravity into his words, "I promise this won't take longer than a few minutes."

The house on the inside looked about like one would expect: broken walls, old scattered furniture, long-forgotten refuse.

"What am I doing here, exactly?" Sasha asked as she further examined her surroundings.

"It will be clear in a moment." General Silver lifted a dusty framed picture off the wall, revealing a rusty wall-safe with an outdated mechanical combination lock. He dialed in a combination, and then something very bizarre began to happen.

Instead of the wall-safe opening, the floorboards of the adjoining hallway began to sink down to the sound of clicks and hisses from servo motors. In a few moments, the hallway had become a staircase leading underground. General Silver politely beckoned Sasha to go down ahead of him, which she did.

At the bottom of the staircase was little more than a small landing, and a very hefty steel blast door.

Silver followed quickly and stepped up to the panel next to the door. There, the hefty gorilla submitted to a palm-print reader and eye scanner, to which a mechanical voice responded with, "access granted."

The blast door slid open, revealing a sterile, straight hallway of concrete lined with several doors along its length. Every few meters or so, there was a security camera bubble; by their orientation, every angle was covered twice over, eliminating blind-spots, making it an extraordinarily difficult to bypass externally. Who could've been operating this place? How did they manage to build and maintain such an advanced facility in the middle of Wayland, Macbeth of all places?

Just then, Sasha spotted a soldier walking down the barren hallway, a simian from what she could make out. He was very stoic as he trod through, almost statuesque in his form; highly trained, highly disciplined, highly deadly. The mystery soldier was equipped in a set of black military fatigues, advanced body armor, and a helmet with a dark-tinted visor. He didn't say a single word when he passed, and only gave Sasha and the General a careful, scrutinizing gaze. Then he just went on his way, continuing his silent patrol.

"Venomian Shadow-Guard," General Silver said, answering the question he knew Sasha was asking in her mind.

"Venomian?" the husky repeated. "What is this place, General?" And also, though Sasha didn't ask aloud: what were they doing here? What did they want with her?

"It's merely a safehouse, nothing more," the gorilla answered. Sasha figured there was more to it, but he wasn't saying.

They arrived outside one of the many doors along the hallway, where another one of these so-called 'Shadow-Guards' stood sentinel, rifle held at stock-still attention. When the dark-clad soldier saw General Silver approach though, he stood aside, and pressed a few keys on the wall panel next to him.

The door slid open, into a darkened room, and General Silver beckoned Sasha to enter. "Once you're inside, I believe you will understand my haste in bringing you here."

There was a note of finality in the General's words, as if he didn't intend to go in with her, "You're not going in?"

"No," the gorilla answered, shaking his head slowly. "This is for you alone, Captain."

There were a few silent moments then, nobody did anything. All Sasha could think about was questions: who would go through this much trouble to bring Sasha here alone? Why wouldn't General Silver say anything? Could this be some kind of trap? How skilled were these macabre seeming 'Shadow-Guards' actually?

In the end though, Sasha simply accepted that going inside the dark room was the thing that had to be done. Still, she kept a hand ready to retrieve the blaster from her purse, just in case.

"Understood, sir," the husky replied, even though she really didn't understand anything at all.

She stepped inside the room, and the door slid shut behind, putting her in total darkness, but only for a moment.

The lights switched on, revealing a very plain square room, with nothing but two chairs and a small table in the center. No windows, no cameras; nothing but the light fixtures and a small air vent.

"Good evening, Miss Zura," A polite older man's voice greeted.

Sasha knew that voice, there were very few people in Lylat who didn't recognize it. The voice belonged to the older simian man sitting at the table: Dr. Andross. He looked much as he had in his speeches, in a comfortable sport coat and simple shirt. He had a demeanor that was much more like a scholarly professor, receiving a student at his office in a university, rather than a major political leader.

"I do apologize for having General Silver rush you in on such short notice. It's... well... rather dangerous for me to be conspicuous these days," Andross confessed. "You understand, I hope."

"Actually, I don't understand at all," Sasha rebuked. "What exactly am I doing here, with you, alone?"

Sasha found it remarkably easy to speak with Andross. She would've expected to be far more intimidated to be in the presence of someone as iconic to the Venom movement as Andross himself, to be flustered or tongue-tied. Instead, the calm, receptive air he presented gave Sasha a certain feeling of freedom, of security.

"A fair question," Andross conceded with a small nod of agreement. "Have a seat, and I will do my best to clarify things."

The elder ape gestured to the chair across from him, inviting Sasha to sit down. She did so, and Andross continued.

"My good friend Connor Griffon tells me you've done exemplary work on Zoness, that you 'played a crucial role' in tying off the loose end that was a certain individual named Richard Cooney. Is that right?"

"I just helped turn Cooney's own bodyguard against him, that's all," Sasha confirmed with a little shrug.

"Your modesty is admirable, Miss Zura, but you need not be so quick to sell yourself short. You used what few other soldiers would have were they in your position: guile, deception, personal manipulation– and to great effect, I may add. Most others would have taken the more direct route, killed off Cooney and his bodyguard with him, which would have alerted his contacts to our involvement, and thus seriously gum things up with our own network of contacts. It's much cleaner this way."

"Cooney was only one man, and his bodyguard was happy to turn against him. It was hardly anything exemplary."

"To you perhaps, but I've... dealt with Richard before, years ago. His involvement in his enemies' affairs was something not unlike a plague to their plans –eroding away at years of hard work, billions of credits invested, thousands of good people betrayed– all by this singular... insidious worm of a man." There was a touch of anger seeping through Andross's voice now, an inkling of personal resentment. He paused a moment, regaining his calm composure, and continued again. "While it does sadden me that Connor couldn't bring him into our family, convince him to see things our way, I take relief in knowing that we won't have his fingers tangling things up for us, and I thank you for your part in it."

"I barely did anything though," Sasha insisted. "There was no fight, no major conflict; just one shot fired, and one dead spy."

"Precisely, Miss Zura. Precisely." A knowing smile drew across the sagely simian as he said this, "I have always believed the bravest, most valiant actions are those with the fewest lives destroyed in the process. Believe me, with Cooney out of the way, far fewer innocent people will be caught in the impending crossfire now."

"Crossfire?" Sasha asked. "What crossfire?" She had a feeling what it was, but she wanted to hear Andross explain his side of things.

"Surely you've seen it, Miss Zura: conflict with Corneria is all but inevitable. We are at odds against each other, and both sides are actively preparing for full-scale war, a war which I sincerely hope will not have to be fought." The words almost pained the old ape to say them, pausing a moment to gather himself before going on, "but, if certain plans are seen through to fruition, I believe we can end this war before it starts, before anyone has to die needlessly."

"What do you mean? Why are you telling me this?" the curiosity was tearing at Sasha now, to get at the heart of why Andross brought her here. A figure as singular as Dr. Andross wouldn't do something like this on a whim, hopefully.

"Because, Miss Zura, in order to see these plans through, I will need certain people I can count on to help, people in whom I can trust above and beyond all else, individuals with the resolve and dedication to do what must be done."

And there was his reason.

"You want me to be one of these people."

The elder simian gave Sasha a slow, sincere nod, confirming this.

"But, I'm just a soldier," Sasha insisted.

"But you are also far more than just a soldier," Andross insisted back. "You are a resourceful, cunning woman; decisive, commanding, dedicated. Most importantly: you have a good heart, you proved as much on Zoness. On the contrary, Miss Zura, you are exactly the sort of person I need as a part of a special cadre."

"What exactly does this 'special cadre' of yours do?" Sasha asked, intent to get as many details as she could.

"Whatever must be done," Andross answered coolly. "More specifically, whatever I cannot trust others to do."

He was vague, but there were some telltale signs of what he was implying. "Are there trust issues in your chain of command?"

"More than you realize, Miss Zura," the elder simian answered, his voice weary and tired. "The most damaging enemies to the cause of Venom are not far from us, but within: with those we believe to be our allies, our friends, even our family. Richard was one such enemy in his time, and I can promise you that he will not be the last."

"Are there specific threats you're worried about?"

"No, and that is the true horror of it," Andross answered in a grave, almost fearful voice. "Many who claim to follow my vision of peace are mere brutes, no better than the petty Cornerian warmongers we've been pitted against. Others are spies, working to undermine us on behalf of our outside enemies. Some of our supporting powers seek to sway my vision to favor them at the expense of the true cause, and are willing to stoop to the lowest means to attempt to persuade me. The cause of Venom has grown fast in its time, too fast. The militaristic opportunistic peripheries of the cause has far outgrown its core mantra of peace and progress, and threatens to destroy everything I've worked so tirelessly to achieve. They threaten to make a hornet's nest out of our beehive!"

"Excuse me: a hornet's nest?"

"You understand basic ecology, yes?" Andross asked, with a sudden lightening up in his demeanor. "The significant difference of ecological functions between bees and hornets, despite outward similarities?"

"It's... been a while since I had to study for that class." What did this have to do with what he was talking about?

"It's quite simple, really," Dr. Andross took on the air of a teacher now; a wise scholar to an engaged student. "Honeybees are first and foremost: workers and builders, all part of a greater whole that work not just for the benefit of themselves, but also for the benefit of the environment they live in. They help to pollinate plants in the area, allowing them thrive to the benefit of other creatures that use them. True, the bee is armed with a potent venom, but will only use it as a last resort, to drive off a far greater threat and to preserve the work of the hive. Hornets are armed with venom as well, but they are infinitely more aggressive, and far less useful to their ecosystem overall. Hornets will actively attack and prey upon any other animal that strays too near, plundering the nests of other insects like savage raiders. They do not pollinate plants, nor produce honey. They are often little more than pests; dangerous. and highly volatile pests..."

The elder simian seemed so much more in his element in this state, as a teacher, helping to explain the workings of the world. He looked so much less comfortable discussing the grave situations and grand plans of Venom, the way she'd seen during his speeches, the way he soon switched back to.

"I am not oblivious to history, Miss Zura," Andross continued. "The dangerous and volatile pests of Lylat's past were always, without exception, hunted down, fought against, and stamped out by far more determined opponents. If the cause of Venom continues to become corrupted by aggression and hate, justifiable as it may be, the cause will fail. We will find ourselves facing relentless enemies against which we simply cannot prevail, and our sympathizers will abandon us when they see how depraved we become. This is why I need people I can trust, beyond a shadow of a doubt, to eliminate obstacles and confront threats I cannot trust to the armies who fight in my name. This why I need people like you, Miss Zura."

He leaned in, and gave the husky a look, a kind of imploring, not-quite commanding look. It was a look that trusted Sasha unconditionally, but which also demanded similarly deep trust in return.

"I'm... flattered –honored, even– that you'd take me in like this. It's just..." Sasha took a moment, trying to know the best way to phrase this. "Well, you've given me a lot to think about, Andross sir."

"It's quite alright, I understand," the older ape said as he lightened up with a little chuckle. "You've planned a well-earned night of leisure for yourself, which I've so rudely interrupted, and you're pressed for time. Don't let me keep you any longer, please, you deserve better than this from me."

"I appreciate it," the husky stood up, adjusting the jacket over her black lacy dress. "Who should I contact?"

"Oh don't you worry about that, Miss Zura. We shall be in touch, that much I can promise you," Andross assured her, standing up himself. "For now, you have an evening to go and enjoy."

He showed Sasha out, and gave her some final parting words. "This is an absolutely lovely dress, by the way."

"Thank you," the husky replied with a polite smile back, as she exited the room, and left Andross behind.

\


/

A few minutes' drive later, Sasha left the northern reclamation district behind, along with all that business with Andross. It was a lot to think about, a lot to consider, but not now. Now was the time to go back to the original plans for tonight: dinner with Maya. Hopefully Sasha wouldn't be too late after being sidetracked by all that before. Parking would've been tricky, if not outright impossible, but a space near the restaurant had opened up just as Sasha pulled near it.

About a minute's walk after that, and Sasha was at the restaurant.

The restaurant Sasha and Maya had agreed on for tonight, like many, would be particularly busy on the weekends, and tonight was no exception. The entrance to upscale eatery, which served mostly popular Zonessian style food, was packed from one end to the other, with a line extending outside a ways. Sasha worried for a moment if she'd be able to find Maya in this throng.

The husky walked up the stairs outside into the restaurant's entrance, past throngs of waiting people. Sasha noticed she was catching a few eyes in the process, watching her elegant display.

The entrance was guarded by a sharp-dressed avian maître d', standing sentinel behind a small podium that stood between the entrance and the restaurant proper. He was flanked by a highly trained bouncer: a tall equine with a slick black coat against whom not even Sasha would want to tangle with, not even on her best day.

"May I help you?" the avian behind the podium asked in a cool, but still hospitable voice.

"Reservation for Kaido and Zura." Sasha requested.

The maître d' looked down, and confirmed the information on his podium's digital display before responding, "Ah yes. Ms. Kaido arrived shortly before you did. I will have someone show you to your table."

The avian motioned for a nearby idle waiter, who arrived immediately, and led Sasha into the main dining floor of the restaurant itself. She felt some anticipation building up now, like an anxiety, but a good kind of anxiety. The prospect of being with Maya would usually make the husky giddy, but this time, there was no fear getting in the way to make her nervous. It would just be the two of them, with each other.

A few moments later, Sasha spied someone sitting at a table set for two, in one of the quieter, more intimate corners of the restaurant floor. It was Maya! The husky found herself walking straight there, with a comforting warmth rising inside her at seeing her good friend...

There she was, wearing a stunning red strapless satin dress that ended above the knee, her legs covered in black stockings. Her white-tipped black tail waved behind her, betraying a bit of nervousness from Maya at the moment as they met up. Without a word, the beautiful feline stood up, and wrapped her arms around her date in an intimate embrace. This caused a minor tremor of feelings to rush through Sasha, but she caught herself before getting carried away.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, Maya," Sasha said as they separated from the embrace.

"It's alright, Sasha," the feline assured, giving Sasha a sweet smile. "I only got here a few minutes earlier anyway."

Sasha couldn't help but notice a few of Maya's not entirely usual mannerisms: swaying tail, wandering eyes, fidgeting fingers. "Everything okay?" She asked the cat.

"I'll be honest, I'm still kinda nervous about all this," Maya confessed, her voice a little strained.

"You? Nervous?"

"Don't make fun of me, Sash!"

"But it's cute though, seeing you like this for once."

This was unusual for the cat, for her be the nervous one on a date. Normally, Maya would be firmly in control during these romantic situations, as she had been in her relationships with guys before. It'd be understandable now though, with this being Maya's first romantic date with a woman, even it was her longtime friend.

Sasha gently grasped the dark feline by her hand to reassure her, and walked her back to her seat at their table. It was an especially intimate table, set for two, with a single rose resting in a vase at the center. The candle next to it was now alight with a little dancing flame, courtesy of the waiter who'd lit it just then.

Sasha took off her jacket at set it on the back of her chair, fully displaying the lacy black dress she'd picked out for this special evening.

"Oh wow, this looks gorgeous!" Maya said to the husky, commenting on her dress as they sat down across from each other.

"Thanks!" Sasha couldn't help but blush at those words from Maya, "but you know, I have you to thank for helping develop my taste in fashion."

The two of them exchanged a couple heartfelt smiles, and a few moments of content silence in each others' company. A few moments later though, Maya spoke up.

"So... how many girls have you dated?" the cat asked asked, very curious, almost suspiciously so, "I've never really seen you out with anyone before."

"Well, none, actually," Sasha confessed, more than a little embarrassed. "I've never really had the courage to ask anyone."

This got an amused little laugh from Maya, "You mean to say, Captain Sasha Zura of Macbeth's Special Forces –she who has the courage to face down insurmountable enemies, leading her crack squad into the heat of battle– is afraid, of all things, to ask a girl out?"

"Yeah, I know..." Sasha replied, shifting awkwardly in her chair, "Its just so silly."

"It's not that bad, it's a lot like some of the shy guys I used to know," Maya replied in a reassuring tone. "All of them were adorable, but nowhere near as you, Sasha."

This got a major blush from the husky. Maya called her adorable! How could she not feel good about that after all?

"Still, you found the courage to go ahead and kiss me." Maya leaned forward, not-so-accidentally flashing some cleavage at Sasha across the table, along with a playful little smile. Seeing her date show off her bust that way only made Sasha's blush deepen, going into such provocative territory.

Maya couldn't help but laugh a little at Sasha's blatant inexperience, try as she might to hide it. Still, inexperienced as Sasha was, this was bold new territory for Maya as well, to romantically engage with a woman for the first time in her life. Sasha wasn't sure how she could ever repay Maya for the chance she was taking on her...

Well, actually, Sasha had a few ideas how to thank Maya: ideas she was anxious to try later that night, after dinner. One way or another, that night was going to be one to remember, that much Sasha could be certain of.

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/

Author notes:

Well, there's really not too much more to say here, other than to stay alert for new developments, new content, and to stay cool!

As always though, your feedback is most welcome.