Chapter 29

Graham walked into the station, heading off to grab some beers with the men. Though that part was true, it was also a cover to meet up with one of the three IA watchers that had been placed on the station. He thought it was a bit cheesy and also overdone, having watchers pose as dancers. But he couldn’t fault the level of intel they gained over the past months, as many people tended to become loose lipped around pretty faces.

There was also another reason why he was meeting with his contact, and that was because she had something for him. Though he wasn’t one to shy away from a gift, he was curious as to what it was. It wasn’t like his life or file was an open book, as it was sealed, along with many other deep cover IA operatives. She had insisted that it was something he was looking for, so he thought he’d roll with it.

He walked into a coffee shop nearby, which advertised blends for all species, and Graham figured he could use a coffee. He got into line and ordered himself a black Brazilian roast, medium sweet. The man also ordered himself a chocolate chip cookie and was surprised at the quality of it when he bit into the confection. They almost reminded him of the way his mother used to make cookies.

He then took a seat at a nearby table, happily munching on his cookie and enjoying his coffee, when he spied his contact. Lucy knew that the meeting would always have to be random, so as to avoid detection or watchful eyes. A signal beep sounded in her temple implant, indicating that she was near Graham. The moment her eyes settled on him, she knew to walk over.

Lucy kept it casual, making it appear as though she was there for a cup of java. She was dressed modestly, looking every inch like a courier, and even had a large bag slung over her shoulder, bulging with packages. Lucy made her order, and after finding her beverage to her liking, headed over in Graham’s direction. She craned her head around, as though looking for a place to sit, before looking directly at Graham. She approached with a sheepish smile on her face.

“Do you mind? Everyone else seems full up,” she asked sweetly.

“Not at all! Please sit!” he told her.

“Thank you! I also believe that I have something for you!” she stated.

“For me?” he questioned.

“Yes! I am a courier and I believe you ordered something! The company tasked me with delivering it, but you know how military protocol is with delivering things,” Lucy told him.

“What do you have for me?” he queried.

“First, I will need to verify your identity. If you will stand still, please?” she asked him while whipping out a small portable scanner. She took a scan of his face and the machine beeped in recognition, identifying him as Lt. Commander Graham Williams.

“Identity verified. You know, you’re really lucky to have gotten this! Skardonian lace made from Rondathan vine silk? Garments made like that are hard to come by!” she told him.

Graham almost did a double take when she told him that. If what she told him was true, then inside was a set of lingerie that Ana had been wanting for years! The only problem was that Skardonian lace was insanely expensive, especially when it was made from Rondathan vine silk! Though it wasn’t traditional Skardonian lace, the hybridization was so in demand that only a certain number was made per galactic year!

“I believe that it’s also a shimmer set. Those are insanely rare!” Lucy told him.

Now, Graham almost had a heart attack! Shimmer sets of the lace were unique, in the manner of how the silk had been treated, before it was sold to the Skardonians. The silks were often white when harvested and easily colored. There was a process which was seldom done to the silk, which made it shimmer to reflect light and emulate any color in the spectrum. Such cloth, when it was made available, was often thousands of credits, for just one yard!

“Oh, Ana is going to love this!” Graham chuckled. “Is there anything else for me?”

“Let me check my list, Lt. Commander,” she replied, going for a data tablet. She browsed over it a few times before telling him, “Nope. That is all for your deliveries today. Have a good day, sir!”

Graham smiled inwardly and thought about how Lucy was very clever with this drop. He had zero doubts that the information she wanted to deliver to him was inside the lingerie package. He was also flummoxed on how Lucy knew Ana had been wanting a set of this lingerie for a while now. He chalked it up to her being part of the same department and to her job, as only the best operatives were placed here on Veldhern.

He sat there, enjoying his coffee and cookie before he got up to meet the guys for some beers. Though he was tempted to sneak a peek at the lingerie, he didn’t want to risk any cookie crumbs or coffee stains on it. He knew that the moment she saw this; she was going to lose her shit. Which in turn also meant a long night of marathon sex for him. Graham grinned to himself as he imagined all the naughty things his wife would do to him while wearing her new outfit.

Light streamed in through the window to the villa in which Alex, Natalya, Kasumi, Shazza and Korsa were staying. It hit the bed, where Natalya and Kasumi were still snoozing, getting their beauty sleep. Both women had been the primary focus of Alex’s attentions the previous night, which left them tired and satiated. Though he had some help from Shazza and Korsa, which left them squealing like virgin schoolgirls before long.

The light finally came at an angle which hit their faces, making them both groan in frustration. Kasumi came awake first, blinking against the sun, before turning over and opening her eyes. It had been a few days since they began their impromptu vacation, and every day had been nothing short of pure bliss. Kasumi smiled as she sat up and yawned cutely before stretching her arms over her head.

She looked down and saw that Natalya was stirring, and the redhead smiled. Last night would be making her smile for many years to come. It wasn’t just Alex, Korsa and Shazza that had given her unimaginable pleasure, but Natalya too. She always knew that Natalya was nympho and last night had all but sealed that opinion in Kasumi’s mind. To be fair, she was just as freaky with Natalya, and the memory of the night left her blushing.

She groaned slightly as she stood, more than a little sore from last night’s romp. Kasumi felt that a nice hot shower was in order, and padded over to the bathroom quietly. The reddish-brown stone, carved from the natural stone of Veldhern, was beautiful to gaze at. Much of the bathroom had been decorated in it, especially the spacious shower, which was large enough to accommodate all five of them easily.

Kasumi turned the shower on after doing her morning business, letting it build to a good steam before stepping under the hot needle spray. The hot water sluiced across her skin, soothing her sore and throbbing bits nicely. She moaned at the stimulation when she felt a pair of feminine hands on her back. They slid around her, stealing some of her warmth, but not enough to make her complain.

“Good morning, Nats! Sleep well?” Kasumi asked.

“Haven’t slept that well in ... decades,” she replied.

“Really? You’ve had trouble sleeping over the years?” Kasumi questioned, surprised that she didn’t know this about her lover and friend.

“Before meeting Alex and ... becoming his girlfriend, I always had trouble sleeping,” Natalya said to her.

“Is it because of what happened to ... your parents?” Kasumi wondered, turning to face her.

“Yeah. When Korsa took me in, she saw about getting me the help I needed to get past it. I did, mostly, but after a second encounter with that asshole, those nightmares came back,” Natalya stated.

“Wait, you ran into him, again? How?” Kasumi queried.

“Later, Kas. I don’t want to cloud our vacation with an old memory. I want to enjoy the time we have here, without digging into old wounds,” Natalya told her.

“That’s fair. But ... you’re sleeping well now?” Kasumi inquired.

“Mmmmm! Like a baby after a tummy full of milk! I thought it was just Alex who could do that for me, but ... all four of you do that for me. It’s weird,” Natalya said.

“I think I know why. With us, you no longer have to worry about those nightmares, because you have us,” Kasumi told her, while giving her a slow, loving kiss.

Natalya returned the kiss, moaning in agreement at the statement. Kasumi hit the nail on the head with that assumption. Natalya did feel safe, protected and loved, with Alex, Kasumi, Korsa and even Shazza. In her heart, Natalya knew she could always count on them to be there for her, no matter what happened.

“I couldn’t agree more! As much as I’d love to continue this, we only have this place for a few more days. I’d like to enjoy it as much as I can,” Natalya stated.

“You don’t have to tell me that! I loved going to the beach when I was a kid! This is almost a reminder of home!” Kasumi gushed.

“Then let’s clean up and get something to eat! I’m starving!” Natalya grinned.

Just then, her stomach rumbled, which made Natalya blush. Kasumi giggled, but said nothing as the pair of them got cleaned up. They let the heat of the shower massage the parts of them that were still tender before washing up. After they stepped out of the shower and got dressed, with Natalya wearing a yellow thong bikini, while Kasumi selected a deep purple slingshot.

They pranced on out into the kitchen, thinking to find the other three of their lovers waiting for them. Instead, the kitchen was empty, but the smell of breakfast lingered in the air.

“Mmmmmmmm! Smells like ... pancakes!” Natalya murmured.

“Bacon too!” Kasumi gushed. “Hey, there’s a note here.”

“What does it say?” Natalya asked, following her nose to the stove.

“It says, ‘Breakfast is in the oven. Join us when you’re ready, sleepyheads!’” Kasumi snickered.

“That sounds like either Alex or mama! There’s coffee here too!” Natalya told her.

“Oooooh! Coffee! Gimme, gimme, gimme!” Kasumi bubbled as she dashed over to pour herself a cup.

“I swear, I’ve never met anyone, human or otherwise, who loves coffee as much as you do, Kas,” Natalya remarked.

“I do love my coffee. One birthday, I remember my dad getting me a shirt. It was brown, with the words, ‘Give me coffee and no one gets hurt’ on it,” Kasumi laughed. Natalya couldn’t help but snort at this, thinking the whole thing beyond funny.

“Appropriate!” Natalya giggled. She doled out Kasumi’s and her breakfast before heading over to the table to eat. Kasumi joined her a few moments later, bringing over two cups of coffee and glasses of a citrus juice. It wasn’t pure orange juice, but it was a passable substitute, being a blend of human and alien fruits.

“So, you happy with the mods you got so far?” Natalya asked.

“Oh yeah! Enhanced speed, strength, and reflexes? I’m really glad that technology has advanced enough to where those mods are viable in fully grown adults!” Kasumi enthused.

“What else did you get? You were under for nearly as long as I was,” Natalya questioned.

“I also got the mod that gives me a higher pain tolerance and one that will help widen my hips over the next few months,” Kasumi admitted with a blush.

“Making your ass a little bigger?” Natalya snickered.

“Mainly to help with making childbirth a bit easier. I’m half Japanese and those with Asian genes generally don’t have hips as wide as white girls, or even black girls for that matter!” Kasumi explained.

“Ah! I gotcha! I got enhanced endurance and reinforced bone weave. Though I trained as a soldier and have the whole ‘tough as nails’ thing going on, my bone structure leaves a bit to be desired,” Natalya responded.

“I hear that! It’s good to know that many diseases and disabilities are mostly eradicated,” Kasumi smiled around a mouthful of bacon.

“Mostly and unless your case sits above the moderate level. If you want enhancements that make you more than just a traditional human, you have to pay for it,” Natalya informed her.

“Still, at least kids born with any conditions that would have hampered them, will now live a normal life. I knew a few people who were confined to wheelchairs or in need of walking braces to get around,” Kasumi told her friend.

“To everyone in this time, your time almost seems like a dark age,” Natalya grunted.

“That is something that we can agree on! Oh, and I almost forgot. When is our appointment for the reinforced spine and advanced healing factor supposed to happen?” Kasumi asked.

“Five PM local time. I think Inari is joining us for the advanced healing factor as well,” Natalya remembered.

“Didn’t she already get that during her time with Federation as a soldier and a pilot?” Kasumi asked.

“She did, but they are outdated. She’s headed up for an addon to the mod she already has, giving her healing ability a much-needed boost,” Natalya explained.

“It was surprising to learn that Inari had mods to begin with,” Kasumi laughed. “I honestly thought that she came out genetically perfect.”

“She did, mostly. There were a few mods that the Federation paid for, to strengthen her, but that’s about it. The mods that allowed her to keep her tits, no matter how much she muscled up, she paid for that,” Natalya explained.

“Inari also mentioned something about a form mod that she got? It was during her days in the academy,” Kasumi stated.

“Yeah. Inari told us about an accident that screwed up her hips and left them cocked to one side. The mods helped straighten her out, and it helps her maintain her form, no matter how she much she gets hurt. Though it isn’t a fix all mod, as she still has to be careful with what she does and how badly she gets hurt,” Natalya continued.

“Still, tit mods? Never thought that would be a thing! Then again, women in my time paid through the nose for good implants that looked and felt like the real thing,” Kasumi chuckled.

“Yeah! But her mods weren’t at the optimal point they should have been. They’re nowhere near as effective as they used to be, but that happens with age. Thankfully, Korsa found a way around that,” Natalya told her friend as she munched on some bacon.

“Oh? How did she do that?” Kasumi wondered.

“Mama put Inari in the Regen pod we have aboard the Darkstrider. She had to do some test runs and cycle through it a few times before she tuned the pod properly. After that was done, Mama had Inari undergo a repair therapy. Now her mods are functioning as they should be and have integrated with her genome properly,” Natalya stated.

“I read that was a risk that anyone who has mods had to deal with. The percentage is fairly low that they don’t take properly with the recipient, right?” Kasumi asked.

“Less than four percent, but thankfully, the routine Mama put together reduces the risk to less than one percent. Like, point zero, zero, zero, one percent chance of the mod not taking,” Natalya explained.

“Think the same would work for us?” Kasumi asked, happy to hear about minimizing the risks.

“Yeah, but we should wait at least six months, for our mods to settle, before we fiddle with our DNA. Don’t want to become a slushy puddle of goo,” Natalya warned.

“Good plan! Screwing up our genetics is the last thing I want to do!” Kasumi agreed after finishing the last of her pancakes. “So, do you think we’ll catch Alex’s attention today, with these on?”

“Oh, I think he’s going to have a ... difficult time in keeping his hands to himself,” Natalya giggled. Chuckling with her friend, Kasumi stepped out with Natalya out into the sun and headed towards the beach. Kasumi then put a sway in her step, making her ass shimmy left and right as she moved.

“You’re just a glutton for punishment, aren’t you, Kas?” Natalya snickered.

“I could say the same for you, Nats! Wearing a thong that could almost be considered a micro? I think you’re the one who’s looking to be punished,” Kasumi shot back with a laugh.

“Well ... my ass did escape a proper reaming last night. I’m hoping that this will ... entice Alex to make a proper go of it,” Natalya admitted, while batting her eyes.

“Seems like we are of the same mind! It’s why I chose this one!” Kasumi replied, gesturing at her slingshot suit. “I wouldn’t mind a session where it’s just our butts getting pillaged. Anal is something that I love experiencing, and I hope that Alex corrects this ... missed opportunity.”

Giggling evilly, both women headed down to the beach where Alex, Shazza and Korsa were busy sunning themselves. Natalya got a truly devious idea and hoped she’d get some help from Shazza and Korsa in making this idea a reality.

At the tourist docks, a passenger liner docked with the station, eager to offload its complement of tourists. Among them was a thin, but well-kept man who moved with pride and purpose. He approached the security checkpoint when it was his turn and was passed through without incident. The only thing was that no one knew that such a well-dressed young man was the infamous hacker known only as Void Lord.

He proceeded through the promenade and took in the sights, having never been to Veldhern before. He passed the storefronts and kiosks, taking a mild interest in the items they had to offer before heading to his accommodations. Being a highly sought after hacker had its perks, and anyone who hired his services had to pay astronomical prices to secure him.

When he was tabled this offer initially, he considered passing it up, but that was before he knew about who he’d be facing. Hearing that Taal’ani, a.k.a. Talon of Justice was one of the people he’d be stealing from, the man had taken the contract immediately. Facing down Talon and beating her was something he’d been dreaming of since she had exploded on the hacker scene years ago.

Over the years, something of a professional rivalry had formed between the two of them. After several encounters and duels, it had quickly turned personal, for him at least. Void Lord had been a top shelf hacker and was regarded as the best, until Talon had beaten him handily, more than once. Such slights weren’t easy to shake off and often dug at the man.

What hurt the most wasn’t just that she’d beaten him, but that she’d done it like it was nothing. After enough battles between each other, with her as the victor, Void Lord was soon regarded as the lesser of the two. For him, he couldn’t let such things stand and had often tried to take her down, but failing each time. He hoped that this time he would have enough and be enough to finally bring her down.

He didn’t just want to win either; he wanted to win at such a level that it would humiliate her. That the Talon of Justice would be considered a memory of a has been who couldn’t stand against the might of the Void Lord! Such a victory over her would be sweet, and with his newer toys and programs, he believed it was possible.

The man continued the on-station hotel, which was a lavish and well looked after structure. He gave his cover name, which resulted in him having his key in hand a few minutes later. He took the nearest elevator to his room, which was very well appointed, and had all the additions he had asked for. One thing he saw were two men in the room, one a human, like him, while the other was a Takharian.

“Void Lord?” the human man asked casually.

“Shhh! The walls might have ears!!” the man hissed.

“Doubtful, since we have already handled those, per your request. It wasn’t easy, but we got it done,” the Takharian man told him.

“Still, I don’t like being careless!” Void Lord told them.

“I wouldn’t expect you to be. Your reputation precedes you and from what I understand, you will be able to procure us what we need,” the human man told him.

“Your money is good, so whatever you need, I am more than happy to provide,” Void Lord replied.

“Excellent. You need not know our names, but just know that we require the most delicate of touches on this. The job requires stealth and discretion and it is of the utmost importance that it be done without the other side knowing what’s happening,” Dexter told him.

“Sounds simple enough. What am I stealing?” Void Lord asked.

“Hyperspace routes and co-ordinates to something that has been lost to us. We’d like to get it back from these ... thieves,” Saubath stated.

“We will need you to be prepared ASAP. We are expecting the ship with the logs and routes in question to be docking later today. You will find all the information you need in this data docket we have prepped for you,” Dexter told Void Lord, handing him a datapad.

“All right. Where do you want the info delivered to?” Void Lord asked, wondering who he’d be sending it to.

“You will deliver the information in person. The data is far too sensitive to just be transmitted over any lines, even secure ones,” Saubath told the diminutive man.

“You guys are seriously kicking it old school with this! How about a renegotiation of my rate?” the man asked them with a casual smirk.

“You greedy little...” Saubath cursed, until Dexter slapped his hand on the big man’s chest, stopping him.

“A bonus will be added to your already ... considerable fee, provided you deliver on your end of the bargain,” Dexter told the hacker. Saubath calmed considerably at this, thinking it was fair.

“All right. I can go with that. If you two are done here, I’d like it if you let me be. I need to get to work, as you so eagerly asked me to,” Void Lord told the men.

“Very good. Lor’kanth, we need to let the man work. If you will,” Dexter gestured towards the door. He watched the men leave the room and when they were gone, he turned to his baggage and started unpacking them.

Inside them were some basics that everyone required, clothes, toiletries, etc. the most important thing he’d packed was his hacking rig. Most personal computers were far more portable than the old and bulky PCs and laptops of centuries past. Most were now small handheld affairs, in which mountains of data could be stored. Some were even as small as a standard wristwatch, but that was mainly for those who needed only the basics.

Void Lord’s rig was a bit larger than an old style reader tablet and looked just as innocuous. He placed his finger on the screen and spoke out his password, turning the machine on. A beam then shot out of the screen, searching for its owner. He kept his face close by, as it was checking to be sure that it was him trying to access it. After scanning his face and eyes, in chirped an affirmative sound, before powering on.

Nearly instantly, a jumble of holographic readouts and tools popped out of the rig. Void Lord cracked his knuckles and started shifting things to where he liked them, as he opened up the data packet. He held the tablet to his scanning tool, and it copied all the information he needed onto his rig. He then took the tablet and smashed it to pieces, doing what he always did to keep his tracks covered.

The man opened up the data files and went over what he’d been given about every member of the Darkstrider crew. He also went over the supposed layout of the Darkstrider itself and its possible security measures. A detailed scan would have been preferred, but these two men, whoever they were, hadn’t gone that route. He knew that members of the Collective didn’t advertise who they were and what they were doing, so he’d have to work with what he had.

Void immediately nixed trying to sneak aboard and establish a link directly. With the crew being the types they were, there was no way he would survive a physical encounter with any of them. That left doing this remotely, and while it wasn’t ideal, it would have to do. He was up to the challenge though, and relished the idea of finally putting Taal’ani in her place.

He smiled as he read the scheduled docking time they had and why they were coming back up to the station. The materials purchase and the loading of said materials would give him the perfect cover to infiltrate the ship’s systems and take what he needed. With everyone busy minding the loading of the items, they wouldn’t see him coming!

Though he’d been contracted for a certain job against these people, it never hurt to take a little more than what he needed. He never knew what could be useful later on down the road. Void Lord sat there and smiled at the sweet feeling of revenge that he’d be tasting soon!

“I don’t trust the man. Too greedy and too slick for my tastes,” Saubath grumbled as the pair of them ambled along through the station.

It wasn’t an uncommon sight for the pair of them to be spotted together, as their ranks required them to work together occasionally. They’d been careful to keep things professional when in public. Now that they were out of earshot and in the sector of administrative offices that Dexter controlled, they could speak freely.

“I don’t like the man either, but he was the only one with the skillset who was close enough to contract. Anyone else would have taken a week and a half to two weeks to arrive here,” Dexter told him.

“Just make sure to tie up any loose ends when the job is done. I want this done as clean as possible,” Saubath reminded his compatriot.

“It will be. Don’t worry so much, Arcann. We will have what we require and once we have it, we can walk away from our covers and start overseeing the monumental work the Collective will build,” Dexter told the Takharian.

“They see it as something that important??” Saubath gasped, shocked at the recent change.

“Yes. Because of this, once we have the information, we are being recalled immediately. With a ship like the Perseus at our command, we will be able to have battle ready fleets constructed in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost!” the human stated, exhorting his comrade-in-arms.

“And the technology level we will possess will make every other fleet be little more than flying scrap heaps!” Saubath grinned, remembering the raw, unfettered power the Darkstrider possessed.

“Yes! With enough time, we will topple all governments who stand against us, no matter their numbers!” Dexter grinned. Just then, a quiet alarm sounded on Saubath’s arm. The Takharian man looked down at it and groaned.

“I have to get back to minding my fleet, before I’m missed. Let me know when things are ready and I’ll enact our exodus from the system,” the commodore told Dexter before he left. He walked out of the office and followed a pre-planned route out, so he wouldn’t be noticed.

Saubath couldn’t help but smile to himself as he thought about what lay out in space, ripe for the taking! As a hatchling, he’d been told the tales of the technological marvels that the humans once held. How they had lost it, just before the outbreak of the Dark War and how of the eight dreadnoughts, only one was destroyed. He’d dreamed of one day finding such a ship and commanding it himself! Now that dream was within reach!

The Takharian man had changed much since his days back on his homeworld. He was no longer a scared youngling who had been the runt of the litter. The power he commanded would have made most warlords envious. He also remembered a vow he had made to himself when he was still young; to finally unify his people under one banner.

Though his planet and people were among the myriad of advanced civilizations, they remained divided. Many warlords had tried to unify the Takharian people under one banner, but they often failed due to incessant levels of infighting. Every male and some females often fought to prove they had the strength and will to lead. This often led to more Takharian blood spilled than was necessary.

Now that the Perseus was within reach, he would finally have a way to crush the bickering warlords. Saubath could become the Supreme Warlord and unify his people, leading them to conquest! With this dream now within reach, he felt it was possible for his people to become the new power in the galaxy!

The Tosh’kanthi Collective, while powerful, was far too subtle and stealthy for his tastes. Arcann Saubath joined them because they seemed like the best chance he had to become the Supreme Warlord of the Takharian people. The Collective wasn’t aware of his aspirations, at least as far as he knew. Still, if he was going to betray the Collective, he’d have to be careful about it.

Thinking about what was occurring at that moment, Saubath knew it was unlikely that this job would go off without a hitch. Most high risk operations rarely unfolded as planned. Though he had to get back to the fleet, Saubath knew that he’d have to have his exit plan on standby. It was this mentality that had seen him rise to the rank of commodore, and he wouldn’t wind up in a cell or worse by being careless.

Graham was still in utter shock at what he had just learned! Not only was Dexter Malkaran a sleeper agent for the Tosh’kanthi Collective, but so was Arcann Saubath! This sort of situation called for extreme measures, but Graham couldn’t act, not yet. Though the audio files that Lucy had squirreled away in the lingerie were damning, it could be fought in court. No, Graham needed something that damned both men beyond any shadow of a doubt.