Chapter 9: ‘Inta does the Dallas’: Part 3

‘Inta does the Dallas’: Part 3

Moments after June flew like a shot out of the maintenance hangar doors; a silence descended over the scene as Will and Ben leaned against the hull panting, the adrenaline rush slowly wearing off. Blast marks from laser fire pitted the hangar bay floor and surrounding objects, leaving slight scorch marks dotted Nestia’s hull.

“Holy fuck.” Ben exclaimed as he leaned his rifle against Nestia’s outer hull, then placed his hands on his knees as he bent over, the action of the last ten minutes finally overwhelming him.

Will reached over and placed a concerned hand on his shoulder. “Are you going to be alright?”

“Yeah, but let’s not do that again, huh?” Ben remarked. Will gave him a crooked smile and patted him on the back.

“Don’t Move! Drop your weapons!” several voices ordered as a swarm of armed Security Officers surrounded them. While setting his weapons on the ground, Will slowly raised one hand over his head, and Ben did the same.

“Turn around and walk backward towards me, slowly.” a brutishly large sergeant commanded, his rifle still trained on Ben and Will. Complying, Ben and Will followed instructions and backstepped into the open space in front of the armed officers.

“On your knees.” the large sergeant barked. They complied. The sergeant then approached Will as the other officers continued to train their weapons on Ben and Will. With one hand, he removed a set of cuffs from his belt, and with the other, he grabbed Will’s wrist, still over his head, and tried to wrench his arm behind his back, but Will was an immovable object.

Frustrated, the sergeant issued another command. “Hands behind your back.” Will complied with slow, non-threatening movements, and the sergeant locked the cuffs onto Will’s wrists while another officer did the same to Ben’s.

“Who else is in the ship?” He barked again as Will and Ben were pulled to their feet by officers on each arm.

“Inta, the silver girl, and two assailants,” Will answered. Just as he spoke, Inta exited Nestia through the cargo bay door, smiling and waving nonchalantly.

“Hi there,” she said, walking toward the officers. “The last two gunmen are trapped inside, but they don’t have much fight left in them. When you’re ready I’ll open the door.”

The sergeant squinted at her suspiciously as the other officers cuffed her, then jerked his head towards the short set of stairs leading up to Nestia’s airlock door. Half a dozen officers positioned themselves around the stairs, readying themselves for a fight.

“Open the door.” the sergeant ordered, and Inta did so with a nod. The security officer at the corner of the door peered inside and saw the devastation inside. The grenade blast obliterated the pilot, copilot, and engineer’s seats. The walls of the sitting area were blackened by scorch marks from laser fire, and the couches were a shredded mess. Blood and gore from the slain assailants covered everything, and sitting on the mostly destroyed couches were the two remaining gunmen, their boots covered by the blood and entrails of their compatriots. They held their guns loosely, pointed at the floor, and wore a thousand-yard stare on their faces.

The security officers yelled commands through the doorway to drop their weapons and exit, and they did so, allowing themselves to be taken into custody without a struggle. After they were cuffed, they were quickly marched away.

“Are there any other surprises?” the sergeant asked in a stern voice. Inta shook her head no, and then he sent a team into the shuttle to investigate.

“All Clear,” one of the security team called out from the open shuttle door. Satisfied, the sergeant barked, “Okay, get them out of here.” Officers surrounded Will, Ben, and Inta, and with two holding tight to each of them, they were led from the battle scene.

They were brought to a lift and descended to the next level, which turned out to be the barracks and offices for one of the squadrons of “Defender” fighters stationed on the ferry for defense. It was a hive of frantic activity, likely due to the attack and subsequent flight of the assailants in maintenance pods.

They were led through a corridor with several twists and turns until they were finally ushered through a secured door into a holding room with a single long metal table. June was already seated and cuffed to the table by a single thick link. The security team sat Will, Ben, and Inta next to her, re-cuffed their hands in front of them, and secured them to the table next to June.

As she watched the others seated in the uncomfortable metal chairs next to her and cuffed to the table, she thought of how Inta tore into the titanium containers at Penrose station and that she was now bound by the Security team only because she allowed it.

“Hey guys,” June greeted them. “We having fun yet?”

“Quiet,” one of the armed Security personnel standing in the room ordered. June smirked at Will, but he shook his head, indicating they should play nice and go along with security.

The four sat quietly on their uncomfortable chairs until the silence was broken when the door to the crowded holding room opened, and several people entered.

Ugaki, the Captain of the ferry, an older, portly man they recognized from his ship-wide broadcasts, entered and was followed closely by a tall, stern-faced woman. Her spine was straight, and her dark hair was up in a tight bun. Several armed officers accompanied them as they entered the room.

As he entered, he grabbed a chair against one of the walls and slid it across the room to the table. Then he sat, leaning back, resting his hands across the buttons of his rounded-out uniform shirt. He stared intently at the four across the table. Without speaking, he looked into each of their faces, evaluating what he was dealing with, before turning to the stern-looking woman standing to his right, who then handed him a tablet from which he began reading.

“I must say, you’re an eclectic bunch.” Ugaki scrolled some more. “June Harding and Will Foucault, academy-trained, and employed, until recently, by the Peirault Shipping Company. Both top of your class, stellar service records for the past decade, until very recently when you were declared lost with your freighter, the Saturn’s Heart.”

He continued scrolling until his eyebrows raised in mild surprise.

“And you, Mr. Toucuar, have quite the rap sheet. A litany of juvenile arrests, mostly for petty theft, eventually graduating to grand larceny. Says here you were a suspect in a massive fire that destroyed an entire residential neighborhood on Tellurius Prime and have associations with known criminal organizations. Seems you’re a real piece of work.” Ben’s face went white, and he hung his head at the ugly summary of his previous life. Pain and regret twisted his features; tears threatened in the corner of his eyes as his shame was casually put on display.

The Captain turned his attention to Inta. “And then there’s you. No record exists of you anywhere, in any database, on any planet. Hell, I don’t even know what species you are.” He shuffled through a few pages on his tablet. “Hmm. Though it seems you were involved in some business with Slavers on Penrose Station, recently.”

He was silent for a moment as he continued reading from his tablet. Then, speaking to them as a group, “You booked passage at the last minute with an unregistered, ‘experimental’ ship, failed to declare your weapons when you booked passage or mentioned that you were also carrying an attack craft. Then you proceeded to shoot up my maintenance bay, making quite the mess.” His tone was stern and serious.

Will opened his mouth to protest, but the Captain silenced him with a raised hand. “The Interstellar Ferry operational guidelines are clear on how I must proceed on these points, and I’ll have to confiscate your weapons and impound your attack craft.”

Before they could argue further, his expression changed as he gave them a wide smile. “However, you have performed a great service to this ferry, for which I am grateful. Pirates are a bane to interstellar trade and our ferry service specifically. When passengers, such as yourselves, take such courageous action, placing yourselves in harm’s way to protect and defend, as a matter of honor, I must show my appreciation. Commander, please remove their restraints.”

His stern-faced first officer raised one eyebrow at the Captain, then nodded to one of the Security personnel who went down the line and removed their bindings. June rubbed her wrists and then addressed the Captain. “Thank you, sir. We never meant to cause you or the Dallas crew any trouble.”

“I know, my dear.” Ugaki acknowledged. “Sometimes extraordinary people stir the universe up in their wake, and you lot seem much more than ordinary.” Then he sighed, rubbed his eyes, and turned his attention back to Ben. “There is the matter of your criminal record, young man. I have enormous leeway on how I operate my ship, but some matters can not be ignored.”

June was about to voice an objection and defend him, but Ben looked at her and shook his head. Then, he addressed the Captain directly. “I know I can’t expect you to take my word that I’ve left that life behind me. I’m ready to accept the consequences,” he said without lifting his head.

Will, June, and Inta all began talking over each other to defend Ben, but the Captain silenced them all with a quick bark. “Now, now! Pipe down. I’m not going to punish Mr. Toucuar after watching the video of him taking on those attackers and defending this ship. No, definitely not.” Ugaki seemed affronted by the suggestion. “But I will need to demonstrate to my superiors that I’m not just ignoring the situation. Therefore I am going to assign my first mate to check on you daily, to make sure you behaving yourself.”

At the mention of her new assignment, Commander Cirillo whipped her head in the Captain’s direction and shot a look of disbelief at the back of his head.

“There is also the matter of damages incurred during your firefight.” Ugaki continued, unfazed by his first officer’s gaze boring into the back of his head.

“Uh, Unfortunately, I don’t think we can afford to cover any of the ferry’s repair costs.” Will stammered.

Ugaki threw his head back in a loud, good-natured laugh. “You misunderstand; I’m referring to damages you incurred. The ferry service can easily absorb our repair costs. I will waive the fee for your passage and provide any material or assistance you require to repair your ship so you’re space-worthy when we arrive at Centrailia.”

“That’s very generous, Thank you,” Will said, relieved, and then a thought crossed his mind. “Inta can coordinate with your people if there’s anything we need for repairs, but can I ask for something else instead of a refund of our fare? We currently only have short-range communications aboard our ship. Would it be possible to install a Q-net console? That would help us stay in touch when we’re back on our own.”

Ugaki considered Will’s request with a thoughtful expression on his face. “Not a completely unreasonable request, though a Q-net console is a little more expensive than what your fare would have been.” The Captain paused for a moment more. “Hell, I’m sure the Dallas has a few older spares that we can part with. It’s the least we can do to thank you. Will you need assistance with the installation?”

Will smiled gratefully at the Captain’s generosity. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary. Inta here is a wiz when it comes to comms,” he said, giving the silver girl a playful wink. Then his expression darkened. “ About the attackers, they seemed well coordinated. I think there may be more of them.”

Ugaki nodded solemnly. “You’re right, there were more. We identified all of the attackers and found that some of the cabins they were staying in were the same ones that the explosives had been set off in. All of their accommodations were booked by the man on the right,” he said, spinning his tablet around, displaying a photo of two men sitting in front of a table full of electrical equipment and monitors, both dead.

“Steven Rinaldi, a known criminal with a mile-long rap sheet, had been in and out of prison most of his life. An apparent murder-suicide; shot his partner in the temple, then put the gun under his chin and killed himself. He must have watched the whole attack go sideways and figured it was the easiest way out.”

Will looked closely at the photo. It all seemed too tidy; something felt off, tickling the back of his mind. He stared at the image for a few more moments until the Captain spun the tablet back around.

“The full investigation will take a while longer, as will the cleanup, but it won’t take Security long to resolve it. We’ll be back on schedule in a few days and be back underway. Again, I want to thank you all for your courage and extraordinary action in service to this ferry. You have my deepest appreciation.”

With that, Captain Ugaki stood from the table. “Excellent. I think that sorts out all the business here that needs my attention. It was good to meet you all, but I have other duties I must attend. Oh, and I’ll pretend that you don’t have any more secrets I need to worry about,” he said with a conspiratorial grin. Then, turning to Commander Cirillo, “Please make arrangements for your daily check-ins and include any updates in my daily briefs.”

His business finished, the Captain turned and strode out of the room, evidently with pressing business elsewhere.

Commander Cirillo stared balefully after the departed Captain for a moment, the additional task he charged her with already grating on her nerves. Then she composed herself and turned to the Nestia crew. “I have an opening in my schedule at five thirty every evening. Make sure you are available for me at that time,” she said with crisp efficiency, her composure again restored.

“We will skip this evening and have our first check-in tomorrow.” She looked down at her tablet and continued. “You are registered as lodging in your shuttle for this trip; will you require a cabin until your repairs have been completed?” She asked, professionalism masking any irritation she might be feeling.

“Maybe for one night, we should be able to clean up the Nestia in short order,” Inta spoke up.

“I’ll assign an empty cabin to you for a week, just in case,” Cirillo said, and after a moment of looking through the ferry’s registry, “Cabin 25172. Please see a Hospitality Representative for a key.” She turned and headed out of the room but stopped in the doorway. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Then she was gone, followed by all of the armed Security officers.

One of the command officers who had accompanied the Captain stayed behind. “I’ll see you off the security deck, then you can be on your way,” she said. The crew stood from their metal chairs and followed her through the labyrinth of corridors until they came to a lift that brought them back up to the maintenance deck. Then, she bid them farewell and left them to their own devices.

Once they were alone, Will turned to the others. “A hell of a day,” to which they all nodded in agreement. “I suppose we need to get back to the Nestia and start cleaning up.”

“Dallas security has already removed the remains of the hijackers, and I’m already cleaning up,” Inta said, placing her hand on Will’s chest. “You’ve all done enough for today; let me take care of it. Why don’t we find that cabin so I can care for all of you? You look pretty beat and seem to need some TLC,” she said, roping the three of them into a tender group hug, for which they were grateful in light of the morning’s excitement. “Come on, let’s go,” Inta said, leading them on.

Compaan crawled on his stomach through a cramped access-way, deep in the belly of the ferry, small enough to give a spelunking cave diver claustrophobia. It was damp and smelled faintly of oil and burnt wires, and he hated everything about his current situation. As he watched his meticulously planned strike being executed to perfection, he had been so sure that by this point in time, he would have been on his way to the rendezvous point to inspect his prize.

The images from his team’s body cams of the ensuing carnage and running gunfight as the operation fell apart, were seared into his mind and, for the thousandth time in a few hours, caused him to shake in rage. He had been meticulous in his planning but once again was thwarted by his quarry.

As soon as it was apparent that the operation was lost, he issued the command for ‘plan C’, which unfortunately for his comm operators, required a patsy or two. After arranging the scene, he left the two dead men in convincing poses and slunk away through the maintenance tunnels.

Calming himself, he continued his belly crawl through the tight passage. After another ten minutes, he emerged from the tight tunnel into a larger void where two of his men were carefully splicing into a bundle of wires spilling out of an opened electrical conduit.

He decided that the Dallas ship schematics he purchased were worth every coin he spent. After careful study, he found dozens of similar spaces in the inner workings of the ferry, all near critical systems that he could take advantage of.

“Is the rest of the team out of sight?” Compaan asked his men.

The man who was not elbow-deep in wiring turned to him. “Yeah, Boss. They’re all in their spots and have begun digging in.”

“And did you make contact with the others? How many ships will be ready?” Compaan asked impatiently.

“All of them.” the man said flatly.

“The first bit of good news all day,” Compaan said, a wicked smile slowly stretching across his face.

The cabin door control chirped, and the small indicator light blinked green, indicating it had been successfully unlocked. Ben pushed the door open and entered, followed by June and Will. Inta closed the door behind her, and as soon as they entered the small sitting room, all but Inta dropped heavily onto the furniture, exhausted.

She smiled and softly patted Will’s shoulder as she passed, heading into the kitchen looking for refreshments for her weary lovers. Rummaging through the fridge, she found what she was looking for. “Looks like they stocked up on all the essentials. There’s a bottle of red, some fruity dessert wine, and a couple of six-packs of lager. Who wants what?”

“The red, please,” June called out, slumping on the couch next to Ben.

“Same,” Will and Ben answered, almost in unison. Wine glasses clinked as Inta gathered them and the bottle up and brought them to the sitting room. She handed out the glasses, uncorked the bottle, and then filled each glass with a generous portion before sitting on the couch, squeezing in between June and Ben.

Ben took a sip of his drink and rubbed Inta’s thigh through her blue and white sundress. “They made quite a mess of the faux shuttle. How long do you think it will take us to put it right?”

“Most of the damage was superficial, a day at the most,” Inta replied, throwing her arms around June and Ben’s shoulders. “I’m already working on it.” She smiled and squeezed June and Ben tight, who then laid their heads on her shoulders.

Will smiled at seeing his family sitting across from him, safe, snuggling close, and looking contented. Inta caught him watching, then re-crossed her legs, briefly flashing the bounty between her legs, smiling suggestively.

“Insatiable,” Will chuckled aloud. “If I weren’t so exhausted and sore, I’d ravage you right now,” he said as his cock stirred in his pants. He saw a glint in her eye as a thought came to the silver girl.

“I know just the thing to treat my poor, tired Loves,” Inta said, extricating herself from the couch to stand. She slid the low coffee table to one side, then stood back to visually inspect the space before them. “Just enough room, I think,” she said as three waist-high silver-covered tables slipped out of 4-D, materializing in the space she made. The silver flowed off like a withdrawn curtain, revealing three massage tables with soft white cushions.

“After today’s excitement, you all need some pampering. So finish up your wine, and I’ll give you a nice rub down.”

“Oooh, a spa day,” June said as she gulped down her wine and stood. Inta went to her and pulled her close, kissed her tenderly, then began to help her undress. Ben and Will watched with hungry eyes as Inta pulled June’s shirt up over her head, revealing her plain white sports bra, which followed swiftly afterward, leaving her upper body and pert breasts exposed. Inta traced the lines of June’s silver tattoos down her sides, then up her soft belly, taking each breast in hand, squeezing gently, and tweaking her already hard nipples.

That earned Inta a moan as June’s eye fluttered closed for a moment, reveling in the sensation. As she undid June’s pants and shimmied them down over her ass, two more silver girls stepped out of 4-D space in front of Will and Ben, helping them to their feet. Inta undressed Will and Ben with the same slow efficiency, caressing their skin as it was revealed, depositing the articles of clothes on their empty seats.

“On your bellies, please,” Inta requested, guiding them to the massage tables. She helped Ben to the middle table, Will and June to either side, then arranged their limbs in neutral positions as they settled their faces in the hollow of the head supports.

Inta paused for a moment, taking in the beauty of their naked bodies, laid out for her like a banquet feast. The intricate silver design across their skin was a delightful reminder that they were hers and that she belonged to them.

Once they were arranged and rested comfortably on the cushioned tables, Inta rubbed and gently squeezed their trapezius and shoulder muscles. All three groaned involuntarily under her expert ministrations as she sought out light or bunched knot of muscle and kneaded it until it released its tension. As her hands worked across the skin of their backs, working her way southward, her palms left a thin, silvery slick sheen, secreting small amounts of pre-cursor fluid, using it as massage oil.

Her skilled hands worked down their backs, vacillated between loosening knots and light, gentle stroking, as much for her pleasure as to release serotonin, soaking their brains in the wonderful feel-good neurotransmitter. Inta was enraptured by the feel of their bodies beneath her fingers; June’s athletic musculature hiding just underneath her soft feminine curves, hips flaring out to the perfect-rounded, peach-shaped ass; Will’s broad and rounded shoulders and the rippling muscles of his back tapering to a vee just above his tight ass; Ben’s thin and wiry frame, belying the hidden strength he possessed.

Ever the consummate multi-tasker, the multiple forms of Inta stroked, worked, and worshiped their bodies with more attention than three individuals could have, attending to each little curve and every tight muscle until their entire world shrank to the loving silver hands on their bodies.

“I hope you are enjoying this as much as I am,” Inta said in a low sultry tone as she finished massaging their asses and moved down to the backs of their legs. A barely verbal chorus of, “Mmm Hmm,” and the extreme contentment she felt pouring off them was confirmation that they were. She meticulously rubbed the silvery lotion into their feet, paying close attention to the arches of their feet, heels, and balls of their toes.

“All done on this side, now to flip you over.” They were surprised when each of the Intas sprouted two more sets of arms and then effortlessly supported their weight as she gingerly rotated them to lay on their backs, like some Hindu goddess from ancient Earth. Now, six skillful silver hands worked up each of their bodies from their toes, heading north. A calf at a time was supported in the air by two hands while four other hands squeezed and massaged in a rippling fashion. Their thighs were given the same treatment, Inta rolling and kneading their flesh. All of her hands stroked and caressed their bellies and chests, with extra attention paid to firm pectorals, soft breasts, and sensitive nipples. Though she could feel that her attention on June’s nipples affected her more than the boys, they were not immune, as evidenced by their stiffening cocks.

Inta’s three forms bent over each of her lovers wordlessly, tenderly holding their faces and softly kissing their lips. Will, June, and Ben reached up and embraced the silver body caressing them, returning the kiss with fiery passion.

But Inta could feel how weary they were, so instead of the full sexual romp she was always ready for, Inta settled on giving each of them their ‘happy ending’, then helped them off the padded tables and sent them off to the shower with a playful swat on the ass as they left. After showers, June, Ben, and Will climbed into the king-size bed, slipped under the sheets, and swiftly fell asleep.

After the massage, Inta picked up and sent her other two forms away into 4-D space. Then, after giving all three a peck on the cheek, she carefully climbed into the large bed between Ben and June. She lay there and smiled, listening to the slow, measured pace of their quiet breathing.

Inta followed Joe behind the bar, helping him carry a couple of trays of freshly washed glasses from the kitchen. Trixie sat a few stools away, folding napkins, and Inta handed glasses to Joe, who put them away in preparation for opening for the night.

“I can’t wait,” Trixie said, placing a neatly folded napkin on the stack and reaching into the small linen basket for another. They’ve finally lifted the curfew, which means all of the best late-night parties will be popping back up soon.”

“You know Dallas Command was just being cautious, right?” the burly bartender said to the blue-haired waitress, continuing to put away the glasses Inta handed him.

“I know, but the best way to honor the dead is to live, and in my book, the only way to live is to have the best time possible.” Trixie placed another napkin on the stack. “Everyone knows that the private cabin parties blow away anything happening at the clubs. They close down at eleven. Eleven! God knows that this ferry needs to blow off some steam after the last two weeks.”

“I think this has more to do with the fact that you haven’t been able to spend any time with your ‘mystery couple’ than the general well-being of the passengers,” Joe declared as Trixie carefully tucked the stack of napkins under the waitress station.

“If you got as well fucked by Daniel and Belinda as I do, you’d be as eager to see them again as I am.” Trixie sighed, a dreamy look plastered on her face.

“Ah, so that’s why you’re so bubbly tonight,” Joe deduced, grinning widely. “You have a date tonight.”

“Yup,” She chirped happily. “You know, Inta, they’ve been asking me if I know anyone who’d be interested in a foursome,” she wiggled her brows mischievously. “They are hot as fuck and know how to have a good time. You should come with me tonight.”

Inta beamed a salacious grin at the blue-haired girl. “That would be incredible. I love ‘meeting’ new people,” she said in a breathy voice.

Trixie’s grin grew into a bright smile. “Oh, they’re gonna love you.” Joe shook his head from side to side and chuckled at the two.

The trio’s preparations were interrupted by light rapping on the glass door at the front of the house. Inta went over and peered through the blinds to see who it was; then her expression brightened when she saw De’noke’s looming form waiting patiently. Inta quickly unlocked the door, flung it open, and rushed to hug him. Her arms barely made it around his waist as she squeezed him tight, feeling his seemingly ever-present monster erection carefully hidden beneath his robes. He returned her warm embrace, then asked, “Are you busy? I need to ask you something.”

“Not at all, come in,” Inta said, ushering him inside the still-empty lounge. De’noke ducked his head as he stepped through the doorway and followed Inta to the bar.

“Joe, Trixie, this is De’noke,” she introduced him to her co-workers.

“Nice to meet you,” Joe greeted him pleasantly.

“Why, hello, De’noke,” Trixie said, undisguisedly surveying De’noke. Inta didn’t mention she was dating someone so tall and handsome.” Then, turning to Inta, without lowering her voice, she said, “Is it true about Toparians...” she said while holding her hands apart about a foot and a half.

De’noke’s face turned a deep shade of red, so Inta gently nudged Trixie back in the direction of the bar, giggling. “That’s enough of that. Why don’t you go fold some more napkins or something.,” sparring De’noke further embarrassment. Inta took him by the elbow and led him over to an empty section of the restaurant and away from the flirty Trixie, who sported a Cheshire cat grin as she folded more napkins.

“So what brings you here tonight, De’noke?” Inta said, still smiling from Trixie’s antics.

“Well, erm, ah,” De’noke stammered, still flustered by how close to the truth of De’noke’s feelings for Inta Trixie had unintentionally been. He had spent much time with Inta recently, meeting daily to discuss Toparian history. He found her fascinating in more ways than one; she was kind and attentive, and she was insightful and thought-provoking during their long conversations. He was keenly interested in her personal history, where she had been alive when his archeological digs were built and used. But most of all, she was a lovely woman, and De’noke found that his platonic affection for her was growing into something more.