Chapter 11

Shazza sat there hugging Korsa, while shaking with sobs of happiness. She could barely remember a time where she was free to make her own choices. Now, because of this stubborn and amazing woman she held, she finally had that freedom again! She could do whatever she wished, with whoever she wished for however long she wanted! That was a freedom that too many people took for granted!

“Doctor, how is your patient?” a masculine voice asked gently. Shazza peeped in alarm at the presence of Alexander Tomisic, who was much more imposing now that he stood so close. Her mind flooded with all kinds of thoughts, some unwanted, while others were ... enticing.

“She is well at the moment, though there are a few tests and the like that I would like to run on her. To ensure that she is full cleared medically, as I have done on Luminia,” Korsa stated to Alex as she broke the hug with the young woman.

Shazza shrank back from the rest of the crew and looked upon them all fearfully. Though she had good cause to believe that they wished her ill, she needn’t have worried. The looks she was getting now were more of curiosity and sadness, rather than fear. There was an apprehensive look that she picked up from the dusky-skinned woman with long black hair, but nothing major.

“Jaesa, are you recording this?” Alex asked out loud.

“Always, sir,” the AI stated as she materialized on a nearby holo-emitter. The movement startled the alien woman, and she yelped in surprise. Making some calming gestures, Jaesa then addressed Shazza in the Xuul’khani language.

“Hello ... young one. I am not an enemy and ... you do not need ... fear of us. We are ... present to ... help,” Jaesa said, as her use of the tongue was rudimentary.

“I can speak your language now,” she stated quietly, but to everyone’s surprise.

“How is it that you know our language? Have you understood us all this time??” the redheaded woman next to the man accused.

“I understand and speak it, because of the ... doctor?” she replied hesitantly, unfamiliar with the term.

“That makes sense. The Spock melded their minds so they could share memories and experiences to a degree, while keeping their minds separate. Because of the mind link, they both learned some of what the other knows,” the dark-skinned woman said out loud. Everyone turned to look at her in astonishment before looking back to Korsa and Shazza.

“What? Mama went into this machine and I would be damned if I didn’t read up on it, so I would know what it was capable of. If we had to do and emergency severing, I was going to be damn sure we got Mama K back as good as she was,” the woman explained.

“Smart woman,” Shazza told her.

“I should damn well hope so. I raised her to be one, so she bloody well better be!” Korsa remarked off-handedly.

“You raised her? She is your ... daughter?”

“Adopted daughter,” Korsa told Shazza. Seeing Shazza’s confusion, Korsa then explained the meaning of adoption and understanding lit up her face soon after.

“That is a very ... kind attitude to have. My people show no such ... kindness,” she said with a bitter tang in her voice.

Korsa then made introductions to everyone who was present. Though Lumi had to be coaxed out from behind Alex, still a bit fearful of speaking to a living, breathing Tsur’Shak(Light Eater). When Shazza looked at her as she was introduced, she was apprehensive, but also curious. She had been told that the Light Eaters had no compassion, no soul, but what she saw contradicted all she had been taught.

“Mama, what happened in there?” Natalya asked the big woman.

“Yes Doctor! I for one am eager to hear what you saw while you were in our ... guest’s ... mind,” Alex said, while eyeing Shazza with interest.

“How can you be sure she’s not playing us right now?” Kasumi asked. Inari and Priya seconded that line of thinking and questions poured out of everyone. Seeing that they weren’t stopping, Korsa raised her arms for quiet, which she got, starting with Nats. Moments later, the hubbub died down, and she lowered her arms before speaking.

Smiling good-naturedly, Korsa went into storytelling mode, going through everything she had seen, endured and pieced together. Though she did omit the voyeurism that she partook in when she witnessed the memory of Shazza and Palesia. She caught a grateful look from Shazza, as she could tell the woman was still a bit mortified that she had shown Korsa that memory. To be fair though, it wasn’t all of her that was in control of what she was doing then.

Everyone listened attentively, their eyes going wide at the things that Korsa described. With every detail and scene that was played out, the attitude the crew had towards Shazza softened considerably. Even Kasumi and Inari stopped glaring at her hatefully and looked at her with pity. Korsa finished her tale and everyone sat there, stumped and stunned at what went on in the mindscape.

“The lengths that the ruling class of the Xuul’khan go to, just to maintain control over their own people? It defies everything that is both moral and right!” Alex said, thunderstruck at this revelation.

“It is what all of those who aren’t born to power, endure. Few among my ... people ... have their own free will and they are the worst of us,” Shazza replied.

“Being a prisoner in your own mind?” Luminia asked aloud, the shuddered at the thought. “That is a fate too horrific to contemplate.”

“But it is no longer my fate now. I can choose for myself and determine my own destiny!” the Xuul’khani woman said, with a ferocious sound in her voice. “I will never be a prisoner like that again!”

“Nor should anyone be,” Alex stated, before standing and glancing at his watch. “All right, it’s getting late and I think that we could all do with some rack time.”

“I second that!” Natalya and Kasumi said simultaneously. They both looked at each other before bursting into a fit of giggles. Alex chuckled, sharing their mirth, before making his next announcement.

“Shazza, you will be restricted to the hospital wing, until Doctor Korsa can do a proper workup of you medically. We need to ensure that you are carrying no pathogens of any kind before we can allow you to roam about the ship.”

“Captain? Are you sure that’s wise?” Kasumi asked, her voice tightening.

“The poor woman was as much a prisoner of her own people before she was ours. Worse, she was a slave to the will of a sadistic lord among her people. A man who had no compunction on using them all as disposable fodder for his ambitions. I aim to give her the benefit of the doubt,” Alex told her gently. “If it makes you feel any better, you can stay here and maintain your guard post if you wish.”

“That will not be necessary captain,” Korsa piped up. “I will assume full responsibility for her actions.”

“Mama, are you that sure about her?”

“Baby girl, I have been inside her mind and seen everything that lies within it. I know her just as well as I know you and I trust her,” Korsa told Natalya.

Shazza, witnessing their conversation, was both astounded and flummoxed at Korsa’s actions. Her people had gone and attacked hers, slaughtering all they could find, right down to the last child! Yet, she was showing both mercy and compassion. Shazza would not dare betray someone who was vouching for her! She had also seen both the skill and ferocity of her fighting ability, which further reinforced her decision.

“I wouldn’t dare do anything to harm the woman who freed me. I would sooner slit my own throat before I do anything like that,” Shazza said, loud enough to be heard by everyone.

“Very well Doctor. You are responsible for her every action then. I will leave the Sentries here for now, until you have cleared her medically,” Alex stated, swayed by Shazza’s words. “Shazza, you are now Doctor Korsa’s ward. Every action you do, will now reflect on her. So, I would suggest that you not betray this woman’s trust.”

“Yes ... sir,” Shazza replied, bowing her head.

“All right everyone, let’s all head to bed. It’s been a long ass day and I think we could all use some shut eye. In light of everything that’s been going on, I am declaring tomorrow a nothing day,’ Alex announced.

“A ... nothing day?” Luminia inquired, puzzled by the concept.

“A day where you can do absolutely anything you want, even if what you want to do is nothing at all,” Kasumi said, clarifying.

“Oh! Days like that almost never happen back on Talemkha! When such days do happen, they are days that everyone relishes!” Lumi said excitedly.

“And Korsa, when you are done, be sure to head to Officer’s deck when you are ready to turn in. Jaesa will guide you to your quarters,” he told her.

“Thank you, sir!”

With that, everyone filed out of the hospital wing, leaving Korsa to go through her medical examination of the woman. As they traversed the distance to the monorail station, Natalya called out to Jaesa.

“Jaesa, what is the state of the ship? Is there anything else that would need doing to get it fully back online?” she asked.

“The most essential systems are fully repaired and functioning normally. The work you’ve done with the assistance of the Sentries has been phenomenal! It is good to have the ship back again!” the AI enthused.

“How about the engines? Is there anything else that needs to be done to them?” Nats continued.

“Nothing at this time Engineer Vostrikov. With the engines back to full capacity and the retro thrusters back to full power, we are holding a stable orbit above Talemkha,” Jaesa finished.

“That is excellent news Jaesa! For the evening and the entirety of tomorrow, you have the ship. Be sure to alert us if anything is amiss,” Alex commanded.

“Aye aye, sir!” Jaesa said, before her voice faded away.

“Are you sure that we can trust this woman?” Inari asked, giving Captain Tomisic a pointed look.

“The woman has just been freed from a type of mental control that has more or less dictated what she could and could not do. How would you be?” Alex asked her.

Inari looked a bit abashed at that, knowing that being imprisoned in such a way was not something that was taken lightly. She remembered the story that had broken on the galactic news net a few years ago. About a group of girls who were used as pleasure slaves and had been abducted from their families at a young age. They were brainwashed into doing things that even hardened whores were reluctant to do.

When the so called ‘harem’ was discovered, the authorities arrested everyone involved and set about freeing the girls from their torturous existence. The problem was, these girls were conditioned to enjoy their miserable lifestyle and didn’t want to be freed. It took years for any of them to approach any sense of normalcy again. Inari simply nodded her head and continued on with the rest of them to the station.

Shazza now sat on a hospital bed, completely nude while she was being scanned by the machinery that Korsa was operating. They had migrated from the psych wing to the general treatment wing. Though Korsa was sure that Shazza was carrying no harmful pathogens of any kind, she wanted some hard data to back up her belief. There was little sense in making a claim if you had no hard evidence.

So, she had poked and prodded Shazza, who had endured the procedures without complaint. She then had her strip down, so she had a baseline for what to expect as far and Xuul’khan physiology was concerned. The analysis of her blood was still going through the motions, but it wouldn’t be long before that bit was completed. Korsa had then focused on what she had found out about Shazza so far and it was interesting to say the least!

From what she could tell, Xuul’khani were extremely resilient when it came to enduring pain. The amount of pain receptors in Shazza was less than what the average human had, by nearly twenty percent. That would likely explain how it was that Xuul’khani could shrug off blows that would have felled other species.

Also, her bone structure was far denser than what she’d seen! Humans sat at around 3.88-2.90 g/cm squared, and that depended on whether you were male, female and in good health. Khontarans, sat anywhere between 5.10-4.02 g/cm squared for bone density. Shazza sat at nearly the female Khontaran equivalent and Korsa was astounded by what she’d seen!

“You can get dressed now Shazza. I have everything I need,” she told the prone woman as the scans completed. Sighing in relief that it was now done, Shazza sat up and started donning her clothing. She was in a similar room to what Luminia was in and like Luminia, the space she stood in was encased in a force field. Such measures were done to ensure that if she was carrying anything, it would be contained.

Korsa also went through Shazza’s DNA structure and found something that went even beyond what she had imagined! There seemed to be various mutations within Shazza’s helical strands! Many of them appeared to be in a dormant state, though a couple of them were active. If Korsa had to guess, she figured that it was these mutations that were responsible for Shazza’s leg shape.

She was delving deeper into the strand structure when a pinging noise sounded. Craning her head to turn around to look at the screen from which it emanated, Korsa saw that results from the samples she had taken came back. All results were negative for anything that was infectious or for any known and unknown pathogens. A few irregularities aside, Shazza was perfectly safe to everyone around her.

“Well, it looks like everything is all green!” Korsa said delightedly as she deactivated the force field and let Shazza out.

“That is good news! I couldn’t stand it if I had infected anyone with anything that I might have been carrying,” she said with relief.

“Indeed! I ran a risk already, exposing you like I had to everyone here in the hospital wing. But in light of your state of mind, it was a risk I was willing to take,” Korsa told her warmly.

“I am curious though, what is the mental state of the crew towards me? Do I have to worry about any of them? I am especially worried about those two women, Inari and Priya. I seriously hurt them with my actions, when you were all trying to capture me. I also was part of the boarding party that was sent to seize this ship and its secrets for my Prince. How can they all forgive me for what I’ve done?” Shazza wondered, tears finding their way down the sides of her face.

“Despite what you have done, the actions following your attempt on Priya Patel’s life have been, for lack of a better word, serendipitous. The events transpiring our landing were less than ideal, but we weren’t just going to let shit happen to us. We fought our way out of it and not only got back aboard the Perseus but also helped save a people stave off enslavement and subjugation,” Korsa told her.

“We also found an abundant amount of materials that we would need to not only repair the Perseus but also to repair our own ship. We have established peaceful, if not abundantly friendly relations with these people. These Artucian, which is what they are called, have agreed to allow us to take these materials. They are allowing this, in exchange for helping them make their quality of life better,” Korsa continued.

Shazza stood there, speechless at all of what Korsa had just told her. They had done all of that? Because they had gone to retrieve their friend and crashed on the planet below? That in itself, was truly amazing and one hell of a good takeaway from what had initially happened! Though, Shazza would be sure to not try to blow people up from now on.

“So, despite your intention to kill us with that makeshift bomb, everyone survived. A little worse for wear, but alive and intact. Because of that, it grants you the possibility of redemption in their eyes,” Korsa then finished.

“I’m not sure if I believe that. But, believing that I could be more than what I was, is something I thought was gone forever. So, I will try to believe that I can find forgiveness and redemption in their eyes,” Shazza mumbled.

“No! Try not! Do, or do not. There is no try,” Korsa told her semi sternly, while trying not to laugh. “I always wanted to say that!”

Looking quizzically at the giggling woman, Shazza was left scratching her head all the while. Korsa finally came out of her giggling fit long enough to explain herself and where the quote came from. When it all dawned on Shazza, she couldn’t help but laugh a little herself.

“So, let me get this straight, you’re telling me, that I am supposed to take the advice of a little green alien, that is imaginary, and could channel the power of the lifeblood of the universe?” the Xuul’khani woman asked.

“Basically, yeah!” Korsa chuckled.

“Do you have any idea how absurd that sounds?”

“I do, but the principle of the advice is sound,” Korsa reminded her.

“I guess, but...” Shazza then stifled a yawn. “Even though I’ve been out for the better part of a day, I need some rest. How long have we been here?”

“A few hours at least,” Korsa replied, after checking the time.

“I suppose I would go back to the brig then?” Shazza asked.

“You most certainly will not! The captain made me responsible for you, so you will come and stay with me for now,” Korsa told her in no uncertain terms.

“But...”

“No buts! You are coming with me and that is final!” Korsa said in a tone that told Shazza that arguing was a waste of time. She then dismissed the Sentries as she beckoned for Shazza to follow her. Nodding, Shazza fell into step with Korsa as they left the hospital wing and headed to the monorail station.

When they arrived, Shazza was left in wide-eyed wonder at the idea of having carts that would ferry you across the ship, so you didn’t waste time walking. After sitting in one of the cars, Korsa called out ‘Officer’s deck’ before the car moved and they were on their way. Jaesa then appeared on one of the holo emitters in the car as it made its way through the ship.

“Hello ladies. I am glad to see that you both well from your ordeal. I just thought I should tell you Doctor, that the captain had the Sentries and service bots refit your cabin,” the AI told her.

“Refit my cabin?” Korsa asked, confused.

“Yes. As the only medical officer aboard the Perseus, the captain went to a few lengths to make your stay more comfortable. The Chief Medical Officer’s quarters has been refitted with a bed, clothing and amenities befitting someone of your size and stature,” Jaesa informed her.

“That was awfully nice of him!” Korsa smiled.

“He also had me fabricate some additional clothes, scrubs and other everyday items for you. They are waiting in your cabin now,” Jaesa told her. “And worry not Miss Shazza, we will fit a cabin and clothing for you as well.”

“Thank you and it’s just Shazza,” she replied quietly.

“Very well then Shazza. Also, I had a few thousand questions I wanted to ask you,” the AI bubbled.

“Questions? About what?”

“You, your people and everything you can tell us about them. You see, when the Xuul’khan attacked, there was no reason given as to why. Humanity, among many other races, tried to open a dialogue with them, but no communication was given or received,” Jaesa stated.

“That was because no dialogue was to be ever be opened with ... inferior races, as I was taught to believe you were,” Shazza explained.

“I see. So, Xuul’khan believed themselves the pinnacle of all life then?” Korsa wondered.

“Yes. They do and I ... did,” Shazza admitted.

“Do you still believe that?” Korsa asked.

“No. The moment you gave me my freedom, without asking for anything in exchange, it has ... given me much to think about. None of you here are like that. You are ... better than what I was led to believe,” Shazza said, ashamed of what she had believed as truth for so long. She now knew it to be a vicious lie, designed to twist and bend other Xuul’khani to their leader’s collective will.

“Inferiority doesn’t lie within the blood or the race of a being, Shazza. It lies within the mind. Those who are too small minded to see anything beyond themselves, they are the inferior ones,” Korsa told her gently, while drawing her in for a hug.

Shazza embraced Korsa and snuggled into the massive woman, appreciating the gesture. With the radical change to her mindset, there was much that Shazza had to contemplate. Her way of doing things, her core beliefs, everything was changing, and it was a scary thing for certain. But also, it gave her a sense of hope. Hope for a better life, a life that was hers to decide.

“Jaesa, it’s been a long day. Perhaps you could ask Shazza your questions tomorrow, after breakfast has been served?” Korsa asked the AI.

“Very good, Doctor. I will retire for the evening then and I bid you ladies good night,” Jaesa stated warmly, before disappearing in a shower of pixels. Korsa thought it was odd, the way Jaesa was acting. The way she seemed almost ... human in her interactions with everyone. Shaking her head, Korsa chalked it up to both tiredness and Jaesa’s programming, which was to emulate humans, but not quite be one.

The car arrived at the Officer’s Deck nearly a minute later and both women disembarked. Korsa had taken a tablet from the Hospital wing, which she was using as a map to guide her in the correct direction. It wasn’t long before the women had arrived at the door and walked in, the portal opening at their approach.

Inside, was a spartan cabin, with little in the way of decoration, but it was still sizeable. Jaesa hadn’t lied when she had told her that the cabin had been fully refitted. The bed, the overhead space, everything had been adjusted for Korsa. She squeed in delight at the fact that she’d have a proper bed to sleep in! She hadn’t slept in one in several days and it was making her ache all over in the mornings when she woke up.

She walked over to the closet and found several outfits that were tailored to her specific size, just like Jaesa said! Smiling, Korsa went through the clothing but had found no nightshirts of any kind. She thought abut calling out to Jaesa about this, but then her body reminded her of just how tired she was. Korsa closed the closet and disrobed. She looked over and still saw Shazza standing in the doorway of her cabin and beckoned her forward. Starting at the action, she walked on inside quickly and looked away from Korsa bashfully.

“You know, technically, we have both seen each other naked, so there’s no reason for looking away you know,” Korsa told her charge.

Snorting a laugh, Shazza remembered that and then went about removing the clothing she wore as well. In moments, both women were naked, save for a pair of panties that each one wore. Each woman then took a beat and admired the physical form of the other. Shazza smirked and was somewhat envious of the size of Korsa’s breasts and how perky they were.

Korsa similarly appraising of Shazza tight and muscular form. Though she wasn’t as well defined or cut as Inari was, the solid ropes of muscle could be seen. Especially Shazza’s legs, which Korsa could tell were her strongest part. Small wonder that Shazza had been able to outdistance them from earlier. Gazing at one another like they had caused both women to blush, as they remembered the lurid encounter the shared in the dreamscape.

“Come on. Time to go to bed,” Korsa said as she moved towards it.

Twitching aside the covers, she slid on the mattress, while gesturing for Shazza to join her. Crawling in next to the big woman, Shazza found that despite the big woman’s size, she had plenty of room to move about in the bed. She shivered for a moment and snuggled up to Korsa, letting their shared body heat warm them up. It wasn’t long before they were both toasty warm beneath the comforter and had fallen fast asleep.

Inari blinked her eyes as she slowly woke up. She yawned quietly as she saw Priya still snoozing soundly next to her. Sliding out of bed as quietly as she dared, Inari made her way to the washroom, to carry out her morning business. Once she was done, she walked back into the bedroom and sat back on the bed.

Pree was facing away from her and she looked down on her lover and girlfriend. She could see the scarring that had been left behind from her re-entry to Talemkha. Though the suit and armor plating she had worn absorbed the brunt of the damage, there was still significant scarring on her back and shoulders. The mottled skin was still tender and red, Priya was recovering from it well.

The salve that Korsa had put together was a Godsend and one that the crew of the Darkstrider had made use of innumerable times. It was a recent thing that Korsa had put together and it worked wonders on any and all burn marks, blisters and scarring damage. Though the marks and scars would still remain, the fact that they’d been lessened as they had was a minor miracle. Pree stirred momentarily, before turning her head.

“Morning gorgeous!” she said, smiling at her captain and lover. “Sleep well?”

“Much better than I have in the last few months, if I’m being honest,” Inari admitted, while she looked over Priya’s naked form. Pree also wasn’t shy about getting and eyeful of Inari, who was also naked.

“I think it’s the atmosphere of where we are right now. We are safe aboard a massive ship with lots of food, our family is OK, and we have made some new friends. Plus, we’re not being chased by pirates. I think that goes a long way in us having peace of mind,” Priya stated.

“All true. I was going to hop in the shower. Did you want to join me?”

Smirking, Priya leaned up and kissed Inari, before getting out of bed, taking her lover by the hand into the bathroom. Starting up the shower, both women stepped underneath the hot needle spray and washed up. They lathered each other up, taking the time to play with each other in a teasing manner. Inari was gentler with Pree than usual, taking great care to not scrub her too harshly on her burns.

“Does it hurt?” Inari asked when she saw Priya wince.

“A bit. Less than it had from that first day. That salve that Korsa made, it works wonders for the pain!” Priya smiled.

“I know! Last time I got torched from that superheated pipe in engineering, back on the Darkstrider, that salve kept my skin from falling off!” Inari enthused.

“We really need to get on Korsa to patent her mixture and get it out there into the wider galaxy!” Pree said with a mischievous smile.

“Definitely! We might need Nats’ help on that though, since Korsa doesn’t think it’s ready yet,” Inari told her lover.

“Yeah,” Pree said while her stomach growled. Inari would have said something about those sounds, but her belly chose that moment to rumble. Both women snickered at each other as they sluiced the lather off their bodies.

“I think it’s time for breakfast,” Inari stated.

“Yup!”

With that, both women finished their shower and dried off. Pree lingered at the mirror for a few minutes while Inari got dressed. She joined her lover and was dressed in a flash. Inari looked at her girlfriend and knew that something was up.

“What’s the matter?”

“These scars. They’re likely going to be a big part of me for the rest of my life. Just getting used to the idea I suppose,” Pree sighed dejectedly. Inari nodded, knowing that even though she had survived being burned and the battle down on Talemkha, her confidence had taken a big hit. Priya knew that Inari found scars sexy, but she didn’t feel sexy, not with this large of a scar.

“Maybe you won’t have to,” Inari stated thoughtfully.

“What do you mean?”

“Later. We’ll talk about it after breakfast, but let’s just say that I’ve got an idea,” Inari told her with a wink. A skeptical look was on her face, but Priya knew that if Inari had an idea that it would likely work. She joined her lover on the walk to the Officer’s Lounge and the source of a most delicious smell.

The lovers walked on into the lounge and found both Natalya and Kasumi standing there, jabbering like a pair of long-lost friends. Inari smiled at this, as she had sensed a tension between them earlier. Now, it seemed to have melted away in light of their new camaraderie.

She was about to ask what had happened when the door behind her and Pree opened, admitting Luminia and Taal’ani. The two of them were yammering away like Kas and Nats had been doing. Her smile widened, happy to see that even though they were women of different upbringings and cultures, they had put aside all differences. She had a sneaking suspicion though that the friendship between Kas and Nats was because of Alex and looked around for the man.

“Inari? What are you looking for?” Kasumi asked.

“Just curious as to where the captain is. Do you know?”

Kasumi pointed right behind her, in the direction of the kitchen. Inari kissed Pree on the cheek and bade her join the others while she went to talk to Alex. Priya had a quizzical look on her face about what her love was up to, but she just waved her hand, telling Pree that she had this.

Walking into the kitchen, Inari was hit full blast by the smell of something delicious cooking. Alex was standing right by the stove, cooking what looked like crepes, along with several mixtures in bowls on the counter. Noting her entrance, Alex saw that Inari had a look on her face and he figured that this was her coming to talk to him about what she had seen.