Chapter 3

"Four minutes remaining." Missy was sure that the cold robotic voice was speaking directly to her. It didn't matter that she could look to her left or right to see her squaddies climbing the rock wall around her. It didn't matter that the other rookies were sweating, straining, and in pain as they scaled the surface just like she was. No, at this moment as her muscles screamed at her and her vision blurred Missy knew that the cold, metallic voice was aimed solely at her.

One hand up. Look for the hook. Grab. Pull up. One hand up. She let the mantra repeat in her head, trying to ignore the fact that even the slowest of her fellow squaddies had made it to the top. Her arms stung, trembling whenever she pulled herself higher. The joints in her fingers were on fire. She tried to distract herself by doing the math; she was forced up this wall three days a week, and she had been at the Academy for three weeks. Ten times on this hateful surface. On their first attempt, Captain Appet had assured them all that the course would get easier, that they would soon be able to finish the whole course in the twenty minutes. She told them that someday they would find it easy to run the mile, scale the wall, and make it safely through the attack track to grab one of the nine pendants that hung on hooks at the end of the track.

"Three minutes remaining," the emotionless voice droned, as Missy finally reached the top of the climbing wall, pulling herself up inch by agonizing inch until she was resting firmly at the top. Jackson had taken his pendant on his second day on the course. The rest of her squadmates had followed his example, eventually being able to get their pendants within the time limit as well. Boosted by the extra hours of physical training given to anyone who didn't win their pendant, even the weaker members of her squad had started finishing the course in twenty minutes.

Missy dragged herself to her feet and began running, each breath burning her lungs. The track loomed in front of her, and she wobbled slightly. The first hurdle sprang, spring-loaded, from the track, and she jumped it purely from muscle memory. She forgot about the second trap, a small laser that slammed into her back after a small audio alarm. It sent her sprawling on her stomach.

"One minute remaining." It was possible she missed the two-minute warning, but Missy was willing to believe that the voice was being vindictive, just to her. She wouldn't be able to make it. Her eyes filled with tears as she rolled over onto her back, staring up at the far wall, a row of empty hooks to hold pendants. Blinking away tears, she half-turned to check again, shouldn't mine still be up there?

"Ten seconds. Nine seconds." As the final time began counting down, Missy's view was obscured by Preston, jogging down his own track. With his pendant already collected, the traps and attacks had been de-activated, and his pace was easy and light.

"You look pretty beat," he had stopped next to her, hands in his pockets, a smile on his face. Missy tried not to swear, she simply groaned and turned her head away. A small weight fell on her chest, and she looked down to find her pendant, letters glowing in her name around the edge.

"Thought you could use a break," Preston somehow managed to act both offhanded and smug at the same time, and jogged off before she had time to respond.

"Time over," The robotic voice droned, and for the first time added "No pendants remain." Missy clasped her pendant in her hand, completely confused.

"I don't know, Missy, it's not like Preston is some monster, incapable of being decent once in a while." Aimee pointed out, as she spooned another bite of protein paste into her mouth and grimaced.

"You have to admit, it's out of character for him," Missy spoke lower. She leaned towards her friend, more worried than Aimee that Preston might hear them from the other end of the table, "he's not the kind of person who just does something for nothing."

"Well ok, maybe we haven't seen him do something for nothing, but so what? We've known each other for, what, a month?"

"Is that really all? It feels like longer."

"That's all. For all we know, Preston could have some hidden depths."

"No," Missy shook her head, "we know Preston. He did it to get something, or maybe he just wants me to owe him a favor." She was even more sure as she said it out loud, even though Aimee was shaking her head. The more she thought about it, the angrier it made her. How dare he make that decision for me? She hadn't asked for his help, and she'd been handling her extra physical training just fine, although if she was being honest with herself, the prospect of her first day without the extra hour of physical training was wonderful.

Missy lapsed into silence as she stewed for the entire length of the meal, and continued dwelling on the incident throughout the afternoon. She hated being the "fragile" one in her squad. Aimee had mentioned it before, how Missy's pale skin, tiny stature, and jet black hair made her look like a porcelain doll. In another life, she would've valued her delicate looks, but here it had become her bane. My squaddies feel sorry for me ... my friends feel like they have to carry me ... and Preston thinks he can take advantage of me. By the end of the rookies' final class she had worked herself into a fit of indignation. She stalked into the barracks bristling and ready to take offense at the slightest provocation.

Preston was leaning back in a chair, tossing his pendant into the air and catching it again. Jackson and Aimee lay in their respective bunks, reading on their respective tablets. Tess was lounging at the card table in the corner, hands behind her head, staring at the ceiling. Julia and Li had linked their tablets together to play a game. Alex and Marcus were elsewhere, forced to spend their small amount of free time to make up for various failures in training. Missy technically should've been out with them, and she blushed when she realized it. The indignation and resentment that had been boiling inside her burst out before she could stop it.

"How dare you!" She shouted, and the entire barracks suddenly went quiet. Her face went hot as the entire room of her squadmates stared, startled and confused. For a moment Missy tried to remember if she had ever raised her voice with her squaddies before. Preston looked the most shocked of all, his head cocked to one side inquisitively, and his look of innocence enraged Missy into continuing at the same volume. "What, am I just some charity case to you, is that it? 'Poor weak blushing Missy'?" she knew she wasn't doing herself favors by flushing, and she blinked away tears as she almost screamed the rest, "you figured you'd better carry me along so I stopped embarrassing the team?"

"I'm gonna see if they've got something to snack on in mess," Tess stood suddenly and made her way past Missy, followed awkwardly and silently by Julia and Li. Ainee grabbed Jackson by the wrist as she too left. On her way out she mouthed something at Missy with a pained look, but Missy simply shook her head, too angry to process what her friend was trying to say.

Preston was on his feet now, crossing his arms and lifting his chin in a look that was somewhere between confusion, defensiveness, and hostility.

"What the fuck are you so mad about?"

"You think I'm too weak to take care of myself? Or do you think I owe you now?" Now that Missy was alone with him the situation didn't seem quite so clear cut. The conversation had gone a lot smoother in her head, and she was starting to feel self conscious.

"You weren't gonna get the pendant so I got you the pendant, what's the fucking problem?" Preston shot back, "why does it have to be some big deal?"

"It is a big deal!" Missy squeaked, regretting the words even as they were leaving her mouth, "Maybe I wanted to get the pendant on my own! Maybe I don't want to be the weak little fragile doll that everyone has to take care of!"

"I don't think you're a doll-"

"And I don't want you lording it over me, acting like I owe you a favor now!"

"Who said anything about a favor?" Preston looked so helpless and frustrated that Missy's anger was starting to fade away.

"I just don't want to owe anyone anything," she mumbled, embarrassed and slightly ashamed now that her anger was wearing off.

"Ok, you don't owe me anything," Preston placed a hand on her shoulder, looking at her closely, "I told you already, I just did it 'cause you looked like you needed a break."

Missy felt awful, and the kind action of the hand on her shoulder was so unlike Preston that she felt even worse. I wouldn't think he's the type to be kind like this. I would expect him to make some horrible joke about giving him a blowjob to even the scales. She blushed at the thought, and immediately hated herself for it. I don't want to be the blushing innocent teammate. Just once, I want to be the smooth girl who's in control.

The thought came to her unbidden; a way to become the smooth woman in control and to not feel beholden to Preston anymore.

"Um ... can you..." no, don't ask him to do it, tell him to do it. "Sit down on the bed there," she commanded. She was already blushing furiously at what she was about to do, but she was also steeling herself up for it. To his credit, Preston had obeyed, sitting on the edge of the nearest bunk and giving her a confused look. That tiny bit of obedience gave Missy a little bit of confidence, and she knelt on her knees beside the bed. She reached forward and hooked two thumbs into his waistband ... then stopped. I can't pull his pants down, he's sitting on them ... STUPID she berated herself. "Stand up again," she ordered.

"But you just told me to sit, you're being confusing." Preston was now looking at her so thoroughly puzzled that Missy felt foolish once again.

"If you want me to suck your dick then you'll stand up and shut up and I'll be as confusing as I fucking want to be." Missy had never in her life said anything so dirty, and she rarely swore, but she was quite pleased at the effect her words had. Preston stood up so fast he cracked his head against the bunk above him, wincing slightly but staying silent.

That's more like it, she thought with satisfaction, and without another word she reached up and slid his pants down.

Missy didn't quite know why she had always assumed Preston had a small penis. Perhaps she just guessed from all of his blustering that he was compensating for something. Whatever the reason, when his member sprang from the fabric of his pants, she was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't small at all, about the length of her hand from wrist to fingertips. As she gently took his length in one delicate hand, Missy felt a surge of ... it wasn't lust exactly, but excitement. He was so hard, just at the suggestion of what she was about to do. She looked up at him to see him staring down at her, his green eyes filled with such a ferocious lust that she was taken aback. The look on his face, the man's slavic features full of desire for her, and knowing she had done that, brought a grin to Missy's face.

Who's fragile now?

Very deliberately and delicately, Missy flicked her tongue out and slid it in a circle around the head of his cock. She could feel his pulse quicken against her slender fingers as she held him. Sliding those fingers up and down his shaft, she kept on swirling her tongue in circles, combining two motions and hoping it felt as good as she imagined. Preston's hips bucked forward just a tiny bit, as if against his will, and she felt a glow inside her. Missy began licking his member, long strokes of her tongue that slid from his head down his shaft, all the way to the base. The tips of her fingers brushed against his balls as she alternated licking and kissing, never in the same place twice, carefully holding his length exactly where she wanted it. He was breathing so hard, his whole body tense with enjoyment of what she was doing. She felt powerful and more in control that she ever had her entire time at the Academy.

The others would be back soon; at the very least she had to worry about schedule bells ringing off the next shift. Missy didn't want the feeling of power to be diminished, she wanted him to remember this. She looked up, trying to catch his eye, but his were closed, his head thrown back. Instead, she leaned forward and took him in her mouth, still twirling her tongue in circles around his head. Preston moaned out loud, and his hands moved to her head, brushing against her scalp and pushing her towards him further. At the same time, his hips thrust forward, pushing himself even further into her mouth.

Missy leaned back, smiling at the moan her actions drew from him, and slapped the hands that were on her head. "This is my repayment, no interfering," she ordered. Preston obediently placed his hands behind his back, and again Missy felt the surge of power in the control she had over him. She bathed in his attention, meeting his eyes again as she leaned forward slowly, carefully kissing him on the very tip. This is ... so much more fun than I thought it would be she thought, watching his lips part as he sucked in a quick breath. She kept on kissing, trying to move so lightly that he could barely feel her lips brushing against sensitive skin. She felt and saw a shiver pass through Preston's body, and decided to finish him off.

Missy took a deep breath, and in a quick motion took him in her mouth, grabbing his hips and pulling him forward, deeper, until his entire length was in her mouth and throat. Preston cried out in shock and pleasure, and Missy saw his hands move to grab her head again, but then move back behind his back. She was glad; it was harder than she thought to keep her throat relaxed, and if he had slammed himself forward like he had before, she didn't know if she could keep from gagging.

For awhile she continued on like that, first taking him in her mouth as deep as she could, then slowly pulling back, trying to swirl her tongue around to vary the sensations along his cock. After a while she even got the hang of relaxing her throat, and she started increasing the pace of her bobbing, taking her cues from how his hips were moving and bucking.

"Fuck that's good Missy" Preston breathed, and his hands moved to her head, but instead of pushing her, his fingers simply stroking her head, brushing against her scalp. His fingers felt surprisingly nice running through her hair, and hearing her name like that felt nice as well; she decided not to move his hands away as she felt his member pulsing against her tongue as he came. Her mouth filled with his salty fluid, and she was relieved to find it wasn't as disgusting tasting as some of her girl friends had told her it would be.

Missy looked up, to find Preston fixing her with a look that was halfway between confusion and adoration. She found the look adorable, and she liked the feeling that the adulation in his green eyes was giving her. Leaning back, Missy pulled his pants up over his spent member, and stood, meeting his eyes. Her eyes never leaving his, she swallowed with an exaggerated motion. Preston made a small sound in the back of his throat that might've been an attempt at words, then a second attempt.

"What was ... why..." he stuttered, and despite herself Missy grinned

"Now we're even, favor for favor," she pointed out, "you helped me on the track, and even though it's not what I wanted, you had good intentions. I felt like I owed you one." Feeling more confident than she had since she'd come to the Academy, she twirled on her heel and walked to the door. A thought occurred to her, and she turned at the door to point at him, "But if you grab my pendant again, I'll do something to you that you won't enjoy nearly as much."

The screaming alarm shook them awake, different in pitch and tone than their normal morning alarm. Missy stumbled out of bed, disoriented, and glanced at the clock above the door. 0132 hours ... what on earth? The lights came on, but a pair of red lights flashed above the door in addition. Adrenaline shot through her, waking her up instantly, and judging from the sudden rush of motion from her squaddies, she wasn't the only one. She jolted into action with them, yanking the next day's uniform from the drawer built into her bunk. The alarm stopped blaring, letting her string actual thoughts together in a tired mind, but red lights continued to flash. The squaddies had awakened enough to begin talking as they pulled on uniforms, grabbing additional gear as they went.

"Red priority, shit, I can't remember what that means, which alerts count as red?" Li was asking as he struggled to put both shirt and belt on at the same time. Missy racked her memory, but the alarm codes had seemed so unimportant compared to the other things she had to learn. She listened as well as she pulled her sleepwear off and stumbled into her uniform.

"Red is on-board invaders, Drake attacks, structural damage," Alex was rattling off the alerts from the edge of her bed as she slipped boots on, "pretty much anything that threatens to kill people on the Academy itself." Her words did little to reassure Missy. She slid the sealing toggle of her uniform up, and only then realized that her squaddies were giving her strange looks, especially the boys.

It suddenly struck her that she had just stripped and changed without a care at all. For the rest of them, it had only taken a week for them to be comfortable changing around each other. For the nine of them to live and train together, constantly change between flightsuits, workout clothes, orbital uniforms, and maintenance gear, privacy was just too much of a hassle. Missy, on the other hand, had gone through the hassle every time; besides Aimee in the showers, none of them had never seen her naked. Even now, realizing that she had just shown everything from her small pale breasts to the neat patch of black hair between her legs, she didn't feel anything like the horrified embarrassment she always assumed she would. Instead, the confidence she had felt twelve hours ago made her look at her past reservations seem silly. I've had Preston in my mouth, it would be silly to be embarrassed being just as naked as everyone else gets. It's not like they've never seen a nude girl before With a mental shrug, Missy began slipping on her boots, ignoring the attention she was getting.