A

HEART

TO

CONQUER

Stein Willard

@2022

© Stein Willard 2022

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the express permission of the author or publisher.

Please note that piracy of copyrighted materials is illegal and violates the rights of the author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Editor: DEPE

Editor/Proofing: Ramona Walker

Cover Design: DEPE

BACK OF THE BOOK

After a tumultuous period where space pirates and organized crime syndicates ruled supreme, peace has come to the galaxy, thanks to the establishment of an intergalactic alliance that regulated peace and free trade in the sector. But not everyone wants peace, and just as the Alliance finally begins to show promising gains, an ambush brings two women from completely different walks of life together to restore the Alliance’s ideals.

DEDICATION

For my readers.

You rock!

CHAPTER 1

“They’re retreating, Captain.”

“On screen”

Captain Margaret Burkhouse was livid as she watched the two ships pull away and jump to warp speed.

“Follow them.” The bridge was quiet as everyone threw a glance over their shoulders at her. “Did I stutter?”

“No, Captain. Increasing speed to warp 5.”

“Make it warp 7, Lieutenant,” she directed the pilot before she turned to her First Officer. “Arrange for an away team to meet me in the Landing Bay in twenty minutes.”

The man nodded, even as his eyes conveyed his displeasure with the order. She ignored him as she walked to the lift. He was a third-generation soldier like her and knew not to question orders unless it was disadvantageous to the well-being of the ship and crew. The lift doors slid open and she entered. When she turned to face the doors, she caught the eye of her First Officer. It would seem he was going to break protocol after all and question her order.

She held his gaze until the doors closed and only then, did she lean back against the wall and take a shuddering breath.

A routine courtesy call by Admiral Michael Pearce, Earth’s Interplanetary Liaison, to the Vimt sector had quickly turned ugly. The attack came out of nowhere. They had left the Ingot territory and were about to jump to warp when their ship was rocked by a series of powerful blasts. The Venetian was the flagship of earth’s Spacefleet, ferrying admirals and other high-ranking officials between the various planets and sectors that made up the Galactic Alliance. It was also the fastest and most secure ship in the fleet. For it to have been thrown about like that, Margaret knew could only mean one thing.

Whoever had fired at them had obtained dithorium from somewhere, the only substance that could penetrate the Venetian’s hull. The mineral was scarce and thus dreadfully expensive. To have built a massive ship with the stuff had cost them a lot of money, but now it would seem their enemies were turning their strength into a weakness.

The lift doors opened and she walked briskly down the corridor, past rushing crew members, to the medical center. As expected, it was busy. The hull breaches had quickly been fortified with force field nets, but not before claiming some casualties. She nodded at the Chief Medical Officer as she made her way over to the more secluded medical cubicles in the back. A gray-haired man lay on a cot, unmoving. Margaret pursed her lips as she stared down at him. This, was perhaps the worst thing, second to losing your ship and crew, that could happen to a captain.

The death of an Admiral on board.

“Have you informed headquarters to prepare to receive his body?” she asked softly, knowing the doctor to be there.

“Yes. I should mention that the accident only exacerbated an already bad situation. Admiral Pearce was suffering from a failing heart and was scheduled for a transplant later this month.

“That is of no consequence, Doctor.” She pierced the doctor with a sharp look. “I want that to be omitted from the death report.”

“Aye, Captain,” the doctor said.

Margaret touched the deceased man’s hand and sighed softly. He was not only a superior, but a friend, too. Just the previous evening they had been playing cards in his quarters and he had mentioned his plans to retire and spend more time with his wife and grandchildren. It hurt to think that he would not be doing that anymore. She closed her eyes.

“Go well, old friend,” she murmured before she left the booth, more determined than ever to find the ones responsible and make them pay.

There were four crew members, including the First Officer, waiting in the Landing Bay for her. She clenched her jaw when she saw her First Officer was dressed for an away-mission.

“I’ll be leading the mission, Commander Light,” she said firmly, in a tone that brooked no argument. “The Nautilus will be here in a few hours and will escort you to Earth.” He opened his mouth, but after a scathing look from her, he nodded reluctantly.

“Aye, Captain.”

“Thank you, Commander.” She waved at the medium, but powerful space charger. The Windstar was perfect for this mission. It was fitted with two sleeping quarters with bunk beds, a medical center, a lounge that doubled as a kitchen and a spacious bridge. “Let’s not dawdle, ladies and gentlemen.” The crew quickly made their way over to the spacecraft and she followed at a brisk pace.

***

The screen flickered off and showed black, but still, the woman stared somberly at it. This was bad, really bad. The attack on the Venetian could spell trouble for the galaxy and its alliance. Since the cautious union of the twenty-seven largest planets and sectors in the galaxy a decade ago, there had been relative peace and prosperity as a result of interplanetary trade and the leisure industry. This act of violence was set to sabotage the gains that have been made up to now. Norma wiped over her eyes. It’s made worse by the death of a high-ranking military official. This was an act of war and Earth would be expected to retaliate.

The chime to her office sounded and she looked up. “Come!”

A slender Itom alien entered with a stack of palmreaders in her arms. “This came for you, Lieutenant Elkers.”

She waved at her messy desk. “Dump it anywhere you can find a space.”

The alien’s blue skin turned lighter, a sign of amusement. Klor had offered numerous times to help set up a filing system that would not only make her job easier, but also make her desk and office look neater.

“Don’t say anything,” she muttered under her breath and a soft melodic sound filled the room as Klor chuckled.

“I’ve learned to hold my tongue, Lieutenant.”

“Good.” She stood and shrugged into her jacket. “I’ll have to leave Earth for a few days. New orders just came through.”

“About the Venetian? Everyone’s talking about it.” She shrugged when she caught Norma’s eyeroll. “It’s true. Everyone is talking about it and I couldn’t help but overhear.”

“Fine. I’ll need you to arrange for a Halcon stealth charger and make up a story about my whereabouts.”

“I take it your mission is off book then?”

“Yes.”

“Are you going alone?”

Norma nodded. As an agent with a highly-secretive, newly-established agency, operating in the sliver of room between Earth’s military forces and the Galactic Alliance’s individual planetary police teams, she always worked alone. That gave the Alliance plausible deniability when a mission failed. Thankfully, it hasn’t come to that yet.

She buttoned up her jacket and smiled at Klor. “I’ll be at the shipyard in an hour.”

“Everything will be arranged and ready.”

“Thank you, Klor.”

It was drizzling outside and she regretted not thinking about bringing an umbrella. She pulled up the collar of her jacket as she walked, with hunched shoulders over to the nearest transport center. The Venetian attack and subsequent death of Admiral Pearce was terrible and she felt for his family. She had met him a few times when she was attending the Spacefleet Academy where he was a frequent speaker at events. He was funny and goofy, but he always managed to get his point across and many of them, especially her, had adored his silly jokes. The Admiral’s death was a great loss to the Spacefleet fraternity as well the new generations that would miss out on his inspiring talks.

And then there was the captain of the Venetian.

Norma admitted that when she was informed of the attack, her heart had skipped a beat. Her first thought had been of the very formidable Captain Burkhouse. The woman was a legend. Before she was assigned to command the Venetian at the very young age of twenty-six, she had been the only student to have graduated from the Spacefleet Academy with a full score. She had aced all her subjects and on top of that, had been awarded a Medal of Excellence, the first in the academy’s history, for her end-year thesis on where and how to track the elusive headhunter, Jolf. The criminal was in breach of almost all of the galaxy’s trafficking laws as he operated as a glorified abductor for influential people who could afford his services.

Her reputation grew even further when she, as the captain of the Venetian, had thwarted numerous coups on the Galaxy Alliance’s member planets. She almost singlehandedly strengthened the once tentative union between the member planets into a more cohesive, inter-reliant one.

But her admiration for the woman extended a little further than that. Since that first moment she had seen Captain Margaret Burkhouse, Norma had known that she had just set eyes on her future mate. That was four years ago, when she and a group of classmates had decided to go out to celebrate her nineteenth birthday. They happened upon the captain and lady friend at one of the drinking haunts and as soon as her awe at seeing the woman had dissipated, a deep jealousy towards the captain’s companion had settled in her chest. She had promised herself to bide her time and once the opportunity arrived for her to officially meet her crush, she would make sure that the woman didn’t forget her again.

That day was today.

***

“Evasive maneuvers, Lieutenant. Our fight is not with them.”

“Aye, Captain.”

Their chase had taken them beyond the Vimt territory and into an area of the galaxy which was, to this moment, still relatively unexplored, and crawled with pirates. Margaret kept her eyes fixed on the screen that showed the distinctive ion traces of the ships they were pursuing. All the Alliance planets, as a prerequisite of the Joint Accord, had adapted their ship’s energy outputs to conform to set safety and environmental standards, each with a specific signature to distinguish them from each other. The ones they were chasing discharged pure ion traces. She had suspected that the attack might have been an attempt to destabilize the peace accord that had led to the formation of the Galaxy Alliance, so finding herself in this desolate part of space only confirmed her suspicions.

“Captain, we’re approaching a planet.”

“Forward the coordinates to the helm, Lieutenant Pyre.”

“I can’t, Captain,” the man said, his voice sounding strained. She glanced over at him. He looked genuinely flummoxed. “The planet seems to have disappeared. The long-range scanners had picked it up just now, but…”

She checked her board and frowned. The ships were gone, too. There must be some sort of a protective shield surrounding the planet that interfered with their telemetry readings.

“Everyone, get rid of anything that might identify you as a Spacefleet officer. If this is the home world of our attackers, they will know how to identify us.”

An hour later, they were hailed.

“On screen.”

The speckled face of an alien with a bulbous nose and bulging eyes appeared on the screen. “Your ship’s energy signature shows that you’re from Earth. Who are you and what do you want?”

So much for hiding their origins, she thought.

“You simply won’t believe it if I tell you, …uh….”

The alien’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “What do you want?”

“We are looking for someone. A pirate by the name of Lukman. He took our money and failed to produce the dithorium he had promised us.”

A thin smile formed on the alien’s lips. He was obviously relishing in their misfortune.

“We don’t have someone here with that name. Nor do we harbor pirates. Now, leave our space before we have you removed by force.”

She shrugged.

“We followed him to these coordinates. If you do see Lukman; tell him that we want our goods and that he won’t get away with this.”

The alien rudely disconnected the transmission. Margaret turned to her operations officer.

“Anything, Lieutenant Killian?”

“I managed to piggyback on their transmission and plant a bug. Once we’re able to determine the right channel, we’ll be able to listen in on their conversations.”

She smiled. “Get on with it then. Paul, take us somewhere private, but still in range of their transmissions.”

“Aye, Captain.”

In the meantime, she’ll consult their database to see what information they had on this part of the sector. It might not be much, but anything will do right now. Twenty minutes later, she sat back and rubbed over her eyes.

“It’s seven o’clock, Captain.” She looked up to find their engineer, Beverly, peering into the bridge. “I’ve prepared something for dinner. Would you like to join us?”

Her stomach growled at the mention of food and she realized that she had last eaten something at breakfast. She stood and stretched the kinks from her tall frame.

“How far are you, Killian?”

“Still scanning, Captain.”

“Keep it running while we eat. The same goes for you, Paul.”

She was sure they were in for a long wait, but she wasn’t returning to Earth without the head or heads of those who had ambushed them.

***

The sounds and smells were familiar, but after eight years, also strangely foreign. This place and in particular the lifestyle, had once been a large part of her existence. She caught the eyes of some patrons as she made her way through the tables to a door that had the word ‘restricted’ stamped on it. Just as she was about to step through it, a large body cut her off, effectively blocking her path. She was tall; taller than most human females, but the alien dwarfed her as he glared down at her.

“You’re not welcome here.”

Norma studied the blunt nose and hard glittering eyes. A Pumit. Their kind were unusually aggressive and made for great security. Yet, they lacked the smarts to know when to step aside.

“Why not?”

“Because I said so,” the alien growled back.

“Well, in that case, I’ll give you a few moments to come up with a more acceptable reason before I break both your arms and …”

“You will do no such thing. Amon, let her through.”

The behemoth reluctantly stepped out of the way and she smiled at him sweetly.

“Saved by your boss, big fella.”

“Don’t taunt my staff, Violet.”

Norma stiffened at the use of the name and looked away from the sulking alien to the blonde standing in the doorway. Just like her, she was young and human, but unlike her, a violent lifestyle and suppressed rage had left their marks.

“Marigold. You look…alive.” She grinned when the woman’s lip curled into a sneer. “To be honest, I thought you might be worm food by now.”

The blonde turned and Norma followed her into an unexpectedly airy and subtly decorated office. Plush sofas, live flowers and an aquarium stocked with exotic fish gave the place a 21st century Earth feel. She took in the rest of the room. A large desk, tasteful paintings and a fireplace. The place was nice, really nice.

“I like what you did with the place. It had been a dump eight years ago.”

“Sit,” came the curt order. Norma remained standing as she met the cold green eyes of her one-time lover and colleague.

“Say please.”

Marigold’s face pulled into a mask of utter disgust. “I’m not playing your games anymore, Violet.”

“Norma. I’m known as Norma.”

The blonde looked stunned for a moment; then she burst out laughing. The sound was harsh and ugly.

“And you think a new name would change who and what you are?” Marigold shook her head. “You’re a traitorous murderer, NORMA. I wonder if those people you are trying so hard to impress even know half the things your depraved mind had come up with?”

Norma didn’t breathe or bat an eye. It was important that she remained still and keep the distance between them. Marigold was angry and she had all the right to vent, but as long as she didn’t touch her, Norma wasn’t going to react. It took the blonde a few moments to realize that she wasn’t going to get a rise out of her, for she suddenly fell into the chair behind the desk, looking deflated.

“What do you want?”

“There has been an attack on an Earth ship in the Vimt sector. What do you know about that?”

“Your new masters, eh?” The green eyes flashed. “No, I know nothing and even if I did, you would be the last person I’d tell.”

Norma shrugged. “Okay. I get it. You’re looking for a scapegoat and you’ve set your sights on me. I’m fine with it. However, I would suggest you…uh…ring the bell for last round.” She turned and just as she was about to leave, she heard the faint whine of a charged phaser. She spoke without looking back. “Also, make sure your fish are safe. I don’t think they’ll fare well in an explosion. I learned that rather late in my life.”

“What are you planning, Violet?”

She walked to the door. “I don’t know who that is.”

“Fine,” Marigold hissed and the whining stopped abruptly as the phaser was charged down. “About a week ago, one of my girls overheard a conversation.”

Norma smiled as she turned. This place used to employ a bevy of beauties.

“Mary still working here?”

The blonde’s eyes shot daggers at her. “She’s my mate now.”

“Oh! I apologize. Anyway, you were saying?”

***

The sound of static coming from the board made her want to smash it with her fist, but Margaret knew that she couldn’t afford to lose her temper. Too much depended on her keeping a cool head and getting to the bottom of his unprovoked attack on her ship. A man, a very good one, was dead and his family deserved answers as well as closure.

But for her to keep her faculties together, something needed to give. They had been holed up in their spacecraft for a day now, with no leads; no nothing. The signal they had slipped through the broadcast had yet to bear fruit. Their scans always ended in static. It was good to know that she wasn’t the only one affected by the inactivity and lack of progress. Both Paul and Beverly had snapped at each other a couple of times, forcing her to step in. Killian seemed to be the only sane one amongst them. He sat hunched over at his board for hours on end, shifting through the multitude of frequencies that crisscross the sector, and not once had he uttered a sigh or a complaint. She made a mental note to leave a recommendation in his file.

Since they were out of range of the Venetian and headquarters, they were in the dark as to whether the ship had arrived back home. This would be the first time since she had taken over as captain, that the Venetian would enter Earth’s atmosphere without her on board. She can’t imagine how that went down. There had been individuals who hadn’t been too happy with her being assigned to the Venetian at the tender age of twenty-six. Disapprovals included her age, her lack of experience and finally, her father’s inability to save his ship and crew during a routine patrol of the galaxy outposts. Back then, almost everyone was against the formation of a unified galaxy. Wars and coups had made many people rich and powerful and a unified force meant regulations and, shockingly, even peace. It was in that turbulent situation that her father had taken his crew on a mapping tour of the sectors. An ambush, strangely similar to what had happened to them a day ago, had seen the Ultra and its crew destroyed. No one had been officially charged for the act, but it was commonly accepted that pirates were the culprits. Margaret had her doubts, but after yesterday, she was sure that both attacks had been premeditated and were both coordinated from two sides. There had to be a saboteur on Earth, hiding in plain sight. Such thoughts could get her in trouble, but Margaret wasn’t going to take the chance of ending up like her father who was blamed for something he had no control over, while the real preparators were walking free. She would get to the bottom of this even if it killed her.

“Captain, we’re being hailed.”

She blinked in shock. How was that possible? They were cloaked. No one knew they were there. No one should’ve known that they were there. Best way to find out was to ask.

“On screen.”

A face appeared on the screen and for a moment, Margaret was speechless. It was a young, human female with very striking features. She had large dark eyes and her raven black hair was caught in a ponytail. Could she be lost? This far from Earth?

“Identify yourself.”

“Lieutenant Norma Elkers, Captain Burkhouse.”

The woman knew who she was and she, too, was a Spacefleet officer. That actually created more questions than answers, especially since she was now convinced there was some sort of a conspiracy to actively destabilize the Galactic Alliance. They may have a saboteur hiding in their midst.

“Why are you here, Lieutenant Elkers?”

The woman smiled. “I’m here to help, Captain.” Margaret was good at hiding her emotions, but the news that this young girl, who seem to be fresh from the academy, was here to help, was bewildering and she allowed her skepticism to show. “If you would allow me to come aboard so we could talk, it’ll make a little more sense, Captain.”

They were in an unknown and hostile sector of the galaxy where anything could be a potential danger to them and here was an unknown person asking for them to allow her to board their ship. Nope! She wasn’t taking any chances.

“Who sent you, Lieutenant? And how do we know you can be trusted?”

The smile was gone from the woman’s face and the dark eyes were intense as they held hers. “I assure you I am not here to harm any of you.”

A soft snort came from the helm as Margaret threw Paul a sharp look. She had seen deadlier looking adversaries in her day, but even after her initial skepticism, she wasn’t one to simply judge a book by its cover. She also couldn’t explain it, but the way the woman was looking at her as she had promised that she wasn’t there to harm them, made her feel as if she could be trusted.

“I’ll beam over to you.”

“Captain!”

“That is not…!”

She ignored the protest from her crew and noticed the slight widening of the young woman’s eyes. She had taken her by surprise and Margaret liked that. They can both play this guessing game with each other.

“Prepare for one to beam over, Lieutenant. Windstar out.”

***

Norma was almost hyperventilating at the thought of seeing the love of her life face-to-face for the first time in four years. She took a few deep breaths to regulate her breathing and to still her pounding heart.

“Oh, be still, you silly organ, before you embarrass us.”

She deactivated her shield and within a few seconds, the soft whirring sound of a transporter beam filled the cabin. And then… she was.

Tall, powerful and so beautiful.

Norma saluted, proud of herself that in her shaken state she hadn’t accidentally poked out her own eye.

“At ease, Lieutenant.”

She had blue eyes! The most beautiful shade of dark blue Norma had ever seen and the way that they were watching her with a quiet intensity made her throat go dry. They were the same height, but where she was slim; the captain looked athletic and sturdy.

“You said you wanted to talk.”

Norma nodded quickly and waved at the co-pilot seat. Her guest took a seat and waited, watching her. “I have an idea what happened, Captain.”

The older woman raised a hand. “Let’s start from the beginning. Who sent you? Why did they send you? How did you find us?”

Norma wanted to smile. The woman was no-nonsense, for sure. But she wasn’t in the least surprised. She wouldn’t expect anything less from the woman she planned to spend the rest of her life with.

“I was recruited by a newly-formed agency that operates under the auspices of the Galactic Alliance of United Planets.” She could tell that the news wasn’t completely new to the woman. “Not many people know of our existence, however, you don’t seem to be surprised to hear about us?”

“I suspected some shadow organization might be operating in the cracks where the formal military structures couldn’t reach or had any jurisdiction. What are you called?”

“Peacekeeping Corps.”

The captain’s eyes darkened slightly as she seemed to look right through her.

“Now that explains who you’re working for. I want to know why they recruited you?”

Norma didn’t want to delve into that part of the discussion just yet. It might detract from everything else she had to tell the captain.

“With your permission, may I disclose that information after I’ve told you everything I know about the incident?”

It hurt to see the suspicion in the woman’s eyes, but what did she expect? Norma undoubtedly didn’t look like a secret agent that would be sent into a dangerous situation to save the day. She had a mirror in her apartment and she’s had more than her fair share of lovers who had complimented her on her looks. Her big eyes and elven-shaped face didn’t instill fear; a feature she had used well to her advantage.

“Is what you’re about to tell me true or are you simply a distraction for your agency to storm in and save the day?”

Dream lover or not, the woman was difficult to fool. She only hoped she wasn’t half as difficult to please. Or maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to break through that tough shield and…

“You are wasting my time, Lieutenant,” came the terse response to the widening silence.

She held up her hands to placate the woman. “It’s the truth and no, I’m not here to distract you. My orders are to assist you in any way possible to find the culprits.”

It took a few heartbeats, but finally, the captain began to relax a little.

“What do you know about the attack?”

“A contact of mine owns an establishment on Egeros, a small asteroid dump three thousand lightyears from here. According to her a week ago, an unusual number of mercenaries have been congregating at her place.” The captain’s expression remained blank, but it was clear, from the sharp eyes that watched her closely, that she was listening. “She recognized two of them as having been in there before bragging about a big score they’ve been offered by the Homs.”

“Homs?”

“It’s the name of that big pile of dirt taking up space not far from here. The planet is called Homer. I believe you’ve chased the ambushers there but have been denied entry.”

“How do you know this?”

Norma smiled. “I have eyes everywhere and as a matter of fact, I grew up in this part of space. Many people still owe me favors.” She could see the questions in the woman’s eyes, but when she didn’t ask them, Norma didn’t offer any explanations. “Anyway, the Homs have recently come under a new rule and I believe the answers to all our questions are on the planet.”

She almost laughed at the frustrated look that flashed over the woman’s face. Luckily the captain hadn’t rolled her eyes at her for her obvious conclusion.

“I know that you have come to the same conclusion, however, I have a way of getting us on that planet.” The woman cocked her head to the side. “Not all of us, maybe just you and I. It’ll require some disguises, but I’m sure we can get in.”

The cabin was quiet as they studied each other. The captain, perhaps, was considering the merit of her plan, but Norma was taking the time to soak up the essence and proximity of the woman as she sat motionlessly, staring at her. Having met her face to face now, she was sure that it wouldn’t be easy to seduce the captain. The woman was naturally cautious and didn’t seem to believe in coincidences. If she hoped to seduce the woman, she would have to slip in undetected and never check out. By the time Captain Burkhouse realized that she was madly in love with her, they would already be busy picking baby names.

“What does the Galactic Alliance hope to achieve by getting involved?”

“We are all in this together, Captain. An unstable Earth could mean that the whole region would be dumped into war and pillaging. Even as fragile as the accord between the union planets is, everyone is enjoying the fruits of peace and stability. Interplanetary trading has elevated many out of poverty. You, of all people, should be aware how your contribution to the treaty has created a more sustainable life for those who were facing extinction through starvation.” She wanted to smile when she saw a faint red hue blossom on the older woman’s cheeks. “The Alliance hopes that the Peacekeeping Corps will one day become the intergalactic policing force—an add-on to the planets’ own interior armed forces.”

“How do you fit into this?”

Norma steeled herself. This was the hardest part of all her plans. If she can move beyond this, then the rest will be a cakewalk.

“How much do you know of the Borkon raid and its shutdown?”

The dark blue eyes grew even sharper, if it was even possible.

“The crime syndicate who kidnapped and trained child assassins? I’ve heard about it.” She blinked slowly. “From your age, I guess you were one of them.”

Norma almost snorted. The woman knew more than she was letting on. “Yes.”

The captain cleared her throat softly. “Which one, if I may ask?”

“Violet.”

This time the woman’s jaw went slack.

CHAPTER 2

Margaret was reeling from shock as she looked at the woman before her—really looked for the first time.

Violet.

The most prolific of all the child assassins. Hardened criminals had handed themselves over to authorities as soon as they heard that Violet was after them. It was impossible to identify the striking woman with the bloodthirsty assassin that had made the galaxy’s underworld quiver. The Borkon syndicate had ruled supreme for decades. At the heart of their operations was their highly-trained, innocent-looking, female band of assassins. These young girls, victims themselves, were kidnapped as toddlers and subjected to the cruelest training and abuse to hone them into the deadly killing machine they became.

She had a few run-ins with one or two throughout her service, but of all them, the most elusive had been the young woman sitting opposite her. The unblinking dark eyes never left her face and Margaret couldn’t help feeling she was being assessed, but not as a potential rival.

“Was your background a factor in why you were recruited by the Peacekeeping Corps?”

“Yes.” She shrugged. “I can take care of myself, move around without being seen and I know the galaxy better than most people.”

“Can I trust you?”

Margaret was shocked by the flash of pain she saw crossing the woman’s eyes, but it was gone so quickly that she was sure that she must’ve imagined it.

“Yes. Our employers want the same outcome.”

“You’re right. Now, tell me more about your plan to get us on Homer.”

The woman blinked slowly; a habit Margaret found unnerving considering her background. Like a coiled snake, ready to strike as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

“My contact mentioned that one of the taverns on Homer was looking for an exotic dancer.” The dark eyes seem darker as they raked over her. “Dancers usually travel with their own protection. Big, strong guards.”

Lieutenant Elkers’ plan sounded not only risqué, but her confidence made it clear that it could and would most probably work. This was the break they needed.

“When is the dancer expected to arrive?”

Lieutenant Elkers grinned. “She had a change of heart. She expressed her wish to remain close to her friends and perhaps settle down with her lover.”

Margaret lifted a brow. “Is she unharmed?”

“I’m an officer of the Peacekeeping Corps as well as a Lieutenant in the Spacefleet,” came the terse reply.

“If we have to work together, Lieutenant, you should learn to be less testy about being questioned and learn to respect my rank as your superior officer.”

If she was to rely on this dangerous woman, she needed to know that there was a line that she wouldn’t cross. Someone with her fearsome skill and reputation needed self-discipline and that was what being a soldier was about.

“Aye, Captain,” came the quick and crisp reply.

The quick acquiescence was surprising, but Margaret will take it. The woman was an integral part of their plan and it was a bonus for them to have one such her on the mission with them.

“We’ll leave for Homer tomorrow. What do you need from me?”

A peculiar look came into the Lieutenant’s eyes as she watched her.

“Only you, Captain. You’re all I need.”

Taken aback by the odd choice of words, Margaret lingered a moment longer before she stood. The brunette followed suit.

“How long will it take you to get us ready for departure?”

“An hour, at the most, Captain.”

“Beam over at nine o’clock tomorrow morning. Goodnight, Lieutenant.”

The moment she materialized on the Windstar; her crew visibly relaxed. She nodded at them.

“She’s a Spacefleet officer and has been assigned to our mission.”

Paul smiled. “If I may speak freely, Captain. That young woman looked like she had barely made it out of the academy.”

“She does, doesn’t she?” She shrugged. “Then I guess we’re lucky that she also happens to be the notorious former child assassin, Violet.” She was sure she had the same stunned look on her face as her crew when she heard the news. “She has a plan to get us on Homer.”

***

Norma tilted her head back so the water ran down her face and chest. She kept the water as cold as possible to cool her overheated body. If she had thought the captain sexy before, she felt she had grossly understated the woman’s appeal. The woman had both thrilled and intimidated her. It set off a fresh flutter in her stomach as she recalled the woman’s sharp eyes watching her as she had listened. How was it even possible that she wasn’t married or even engaged yet. Captain Burkhouse made her weak in the knees. She moved her hand down her belly to the place that hadn’t stopped pulsing since the captain’s arrival on her shuttle. But she dropped it after a few moments. If she hoped to remain professional and complete the mission successfully, then she needed to show some restraint.

Margaret Burkhouse may not be interested in her, but she knew for a fact that she wasn’t stupid either. She would be able to put two and two together and pick up on Norma’s attraction if she weren’t careful.

Norma feared rejection from the woman more than she did being caught by her erstwhile employers. That was one other thing that had her a little worried. She would hate for the captain to get caught in the middle of her feud with the remaining syndicate members.

Her hands slowly curled into fists. Anyone who dared to harm a hair on the woman’s head will find their body parts scattered across the galaxy and beyond. With her thoughts having turned dark quickly, she had lost interest in a long shower and snapped off the water, drying herself as she entered the small cabin. She slipped naked under the covers and rolled onto her back.

“Computer bring up file 345, personal code alpha 99520.”

“File queued.”

“Play.”

The opening song of Some Like it Hot filled the cabin and she felt herself begin to relax. She adored twentieth-century movies, preferably the Golden Age of Hollywood with its original themes, great romances and finally, the classy ladies and dashing leading men. She always imagined the captain and her playing opposite each other in one of them. Whereas she wasn’t much of a classy lady, the captain made for a dreamy leading lady. With a warm smile, she settled in to watch the movie for the thirtieth time.

***

Margaret was lost in thought as she sipped her seltzer. She was still struggling to come to terms with the knowledge that the deadly assassin was actually within hailing range of her after she had begun to think that Violet’s existence was but an intimidation ploy by the syndicate.

She wondered how it came to be that the girl… No, she corrected herself. That was a woman. She might be young, but she had lived more lifetimes than most people, to be called a girl. How did she manage to become a ranked officer in the same institution that had hunted her for years? Margaret was scared to consider it, but the only way a person of such notoriety would agree to submit to their biggest enemy meant that a lot of murky dealings had taken place and promises made. They held her father responsible for an ambush and yet the Fleet was willing to incorporate a known killer into their ranks.

There were a lot of questions that needed asking and she planned on raising them as soon as she was back on Earth. She rose from her seat and took one next to her operations officer.

“Anything?”

“Nothing yet, Captain.”

She nodded and settled in to spend at least a couple of hours with Killian

“Is she really who she says she is, Captain?”

Killian was looking at his board, but she could tell that he was expecting an answer.

“Yes, I believe so.”

“Do you still think it’s a good idea to go down to a hostile planet with her? I mean, she could be a double agent and…” His words died off.

“What would she gain? I have nothing of value for her to trade.”

The man looked surprised. “You’re…you’re a hero, Captain. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but every cadet in the academy dreams of serving under you.”

Only years of rigid training stopped her from blushing wildly as she listened to her crewman. A hero, to her, is someone like her father. A captain who goes down with his ship. She can’t even begin to compare herself to the kind of officer her father and all of those crew members on his ship were. In her opinion, the definition of heroism needed an urgent overhaul.

“You’re right, Lieutenant, I wasn’t aware. Even then, I doubt the Homs knew of me.”

“But I’m sure they know that you were the one to track and apprehend the headhunter, Jolf, and seven other high-profile fugitives, amongst them the Borkon syndicate members.”

It didn’t look like she was going to win this argument, so she simply shrugged.

“If it’ll make you feel better, I promise not to take my eyes off her the whole time we’re on the surface.”

The young officer nodded. “It will indeed make me feel better knowing you are aware of the danger you’ll be in, Captain.”

She stood and with a squeeze to his shoulder took her leave. The conversation had made her realize one thing, and that was that she was getting softer in her old age.  The one thing that had kept her alive all these years was her personal motto:

Don’t listen to what people say, watch what they do.

Lieutenant Norma Elkers had said a lot, it was time to see her put her words into action. For that, she needed to be well-rested.

***

The moment she beamed over to the Spacefleet charger; it quickly became clear that the crew was aware of who she was. A calculating look showed hands lingering close to phasers, eyes following her everywhere and one particular crewman always seemed to place himself between her and the captain. If Captain Burkhouse noticed, she didn’t say anything.

“We have an hour to get ready. What do you need, Lieutenant?”

“A processer.”

Forty-five minutes later, it was clear to Norma that she was a full-blown sadist. Her disguise was provocative and within the parameters of the latest trend for an exotic dancer. It showed a lot of skin that even made the previously hostile male crewmembers watch her with unconcealed interest. The captain, on the other hand, looked like a wet dream. Her tall, strong frame was encased in a tight leather suit that made Norma ache to run her hands along the sleek contours of the lean body. The look was completed with a short sleek haircut, an eyepatch and a thick unlit cigar that was clenched between her teeth. The overall result was stirring and it was with some jealousy that she caught the only female crew member watching the captain with hooded eyes.

“What are you thinking?”

Norma had to clear her throat to answer. “You look the part of a pimp, Captain. A very dangerous one, who will do anything to protect her charge.” The last part she said almost breathlessly and noticed the captain blink slowly. “I think we’re ready.”

“Paul, you’re in charge until my return.”

“Aye, Captain. Don’t forget these. I grabbed them before we left the Venetian.” He held out two small devices that looked like buttons. “We’ll know where you are at all times should an immediate evacuation be necessary.”

“Two-way contact?”

“It covers that, too. You only need to activate the function.” He held out his hand and slid the tiny button open. “Like this and speak into it. We’ll have the comms open at all times so we don’t miss a message from you.”

Impressed, Norma nodded at him. That was one thing she appreciated about Spacefleet officers, they took initiative and it saved time and lives.

“Good work, Lieutenant,” the captain verbalized Norma’s silent praise of the man’s ingenuity. “Ready, Lieutenant?”

Norma nodded and slung her backpack over her shoulder. She had the bare necessities with her. Rations, weapons and make-up. She hoped that was what a travelling exotic dancer’s luggage comprised of in this part of the galaxy.

They beamed over to her ship for the trip since it was clean and didn’t register any energy traces of Earth or the Alliance. The captain slid into the pilot’s seat. If she was the muscle then she had to show her dominance. After an hour of silence, they crossed into Homer space and the board pinged immediately. The captain threw her a glance to see if she was ready and after her nod, answered the hail.

“I’m Godnor. You’re in Homs space. What is your business?”

Norma leaned into the screen and noticed the alien’s eyes take her in slowly.

“My name is Lola and I’m here to meet with Ekilin. He recruited me.”

The alien looked suspicious. “A human?”

“Only he can answer that question. He asked for me and I came.”

A few moments of tense silence ensued as she and the alien squared off before his eyes turned to the captain.

“Who’s that?”

“My business.”

The alien’s displeasure at her answer was evident as he frowned heavily. “He won’t pass unless you tell us why he’s with you.”

With an elaborate sigh, Norma turned to the captain who was glaring at the alien; her body tense. She carefully turned the older woman’s face to her and leaned in to kiss her. What was supposed to be a basic clarification for the alien’s sake, left Norma with a fried brain and a liquified stomach. The kiss lasted a few seconds, but it felt like she had been dipped in hot oil and she silently mourned the ruination of her underwear. Please, Norma prayed to whichever deity out there would commiserate with her, give me this woman’s heart. I promise to take really good care of her.

“Enough!”

At the alien’s short bark, she smiled against the soft lips and with a naughty flick of her tongue, traced the sculpted lips. The dark blue eyes were wide as they stared at her. Norma pressed her chaste kiss against the bronzed cheek before she faced the alien again. He looked both a little embarrassed and interested.

“Have you received confirmation from Ekilin?”

“We’ll have him waiting for you once you have docked.”

She smiled brightly at the surly alien. “Thank you, darlin’.”

The screen snapped off and the silence and tension in the room became apparent. Norma swallowed. Had she taken it too far this time? Being a romantic couple hadn’t been part of the cover. However, Godnor had gifted her an opportunity, that she simply couldn’t let pass. She’ll make sure to repay the man for the favor.

“I know that wasn’t part of the cover, Captain, and I…”

“No need to explain. I understand why you did it. Smart thinking, Lieutenant.” Captain Burkhouse nodded at her and steered the ship towards the planet.

Letting out a soft sigh, Norma relaxed back in her chair. She had kissed the woman and it was so much more spectacular than she had ever dreamed. Now that their cover had been revised, she was excited to take on the mission.

***

It took all of Margaret’s willpower not to touch her tingling lips as she stood in the cramped office of the dock master. With him was a skinny man with bulging eyes and a wide nose, a prominent feature of the Homs. Ekilin, she assumed, was dressed rather flamboyant in bright colors, numerous face piercings and a hat that resembled an antenna. She thought that he was a good representation of a space pimp.

“And Marigold thought you would be perfect for the job? Why?”

“What do you mean ‘why’?” the young Lieutenant snapped back at the man who didn’t even look a little intimidated by her annoyance. Well, Margaret thought, he didn’t know who she really was otherwise he probably would be cowering under the table.

“We have a lot of beautiful women here. It doesn’t mean that they could dance or are any good at it.”

Norma blinked slowly and after that unexpected improv in their shuttle, which still had her whole body humming pleasantly, she couldn’t help but be scared of what the woman was going to come up with.

“You want me to dance for you?”

Ekilin looked bored as he critically assessed her, whereas the Dock Master was practically salivating. Norma smiled, a dangerous smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Do you have music?” Ekilin glanced at the Dock Master who nodded eagerly. “Good music; not the scratchy, ear-piercing alien crap you guys listen to.” The men looked faintly offended, but Norma, if she had noticed, ignore them completely. “I’ll do a solo routine and then a lap dance. Will that suffice?”

It was the Dock Master who nodded the hardest and Norma sneered at him before she turned to Margaret.

“Honey, will you grab a chair, please?”

Margaret’s heart jumped when she realized that she was to be the recipient of the lap dance. She hadn’t even recovered from the kiss yet. But remembering what they were there to accomplish, she coolly reached for a chair as if getting lap dances from a young, gorgeous woman was a common occurrence for her. The Dock Master looked heartbroken and Margaret wanted to stick her tongue out at him; but then, Spacefleet officers did not resort to childish taunting.

“Roll music,” Norma called out as she came over to push Margaret down into the chair. “I’ll be gentle, baby.”

Margaret dredged up a lecherous smile from someplace deep and dark inside her that she hadn’t even known existed, and gave Norma a slow once-over. She noticed goosebumps appear on the Lieutenant’s arms as she quickly pulled away and went to stand a few paces away. She unpinned her hair and shook the raven-black tresses free so they tumbled down her back. The act was so blatantly sexy and Margaret shuddered in response. She had been a bit negligent where ‘intimate selfcare’ was concerned and the beautiful Lieutenant Elkers was reminding her of that.

Sweet heavens! What had she gotten herself into?

The tempo of the music was slow and sensual with a deep, resounding bass that reverberated through the small office. Norma swayed to the music as her hands cupped her breasts. Dark, unblinking eyes held hers in a fixed stare as splayed hands moved downwards, over an exposed belly to the junction between her legs. With her bent over like that, her full breasts threatened to spill out of her tiny top and Margaret wanted to close her legs with a soft moan. She wasn’t sure if she had imagined it, but she could swear there was a flash of hunger in the black eyes. Norma unhurriedly stretched to her full, towering height as the pumping music spurred her into a series of agile moves as her hips swayed and thrust while her wild mane whipped through the air.

Margaret steeled herself when Norma stalked over to her with a predatory gleam in her eyes. She almost gasped out loud when the brunette grabbed her knees and yanked them apart. The dark eyes burned with an unreadable emotion as the hands on her knees slid towards her inner-thigh.

“Enough!”

Margaret wanted to both kiss and throttle the man for stopping Norma. As awkward as the moment had been for her, she also couldn’t ignore the dampness in her own underwear.

Ekilin had a gleam in his eyes. “You’ve proved to me that you can hold our attention. Now if you could do that in a room filled with horny miners, we’ll see.” He turned to the Dock Master and Margaret returned her attention to Norma. The young woman looked like she was struggling to compose herself as she stood with a heaving chest, staring down at Margaret.

“Ok?”

Norma nodded and for a brief, very brief, moment, desire flashed in the dark eyes.

“Yes.” She spun on her heel. “You pay me well, Ekilin, and I’ll give your miners something to remember me by for the rest of their lives.”

The alien frowned. “Do not assume that you can tell me how I should…”

“I can leave if you feel my services won’t be needed,” Norma shot back. “You may not understand the trade as well as I thought you did, but I’m a professional. I don’t work for peanuts and nor do I allow myself to be intimidated.”

A tense standoff ensued between the two and Margaret found that her stomach was doing summersaults as she observed the young Lieutenant’s arrogant stance. With her hands on her hips and her shoulders tense and straight, she met the glaring alien’s aggression head-on. Margaret had always been attracted to strong, assertive women. They knew what they wanted and didn’t have any qualms asking for it. With a soft grunt, she stood and placed herself between the two glaring adversaries.

“What’s it going to be, alien?”

The man’s glare shifted to her. “It’s Ekilin.”

“Oh, you’ve got a name? Good for you. What’s your decision?” She reached over and took Norma’s hand. “Perhaps we should give him some time to think this over while we visit Promptiens for a few days.” Promptiens was a pleasure planet located four thousand light years from here. She gave Norma a lustful glance. “You could use the time to practice your lap dance on me and maybe even see if someone there could make you a better offer.” A luminous smile came over Norma’s face and Margaret’s heart thudded in her chest at the sight. The woman was very distracting and if Margaret wasn’t careful, she might just forget that all this was part of the mission and not get herself entangled in the woman’s charms.

“Great idea, honey.” She walked over to collect her jacket and gave Ekilin a withering look. “See you around.”

The alien pursed his lips. “Not so fast. You’ve taken me off-guard.”

“I did?” The syrupy sweet voice made the alien’s eyes spark with anger and Margaret stepped closer drawing the man’s eyes.

“Why don’t you take a day to relax a little. I’ll book you into our best hotel and you two can spend the day…” He shrugged. “…doing whatever it is you were planning to do on Promptiens.”

“Are you paying for this?”

“Of course.”

Norma turned to her. “What do you think, honey? It’s not Promptiens, but…”

“As long as we’re together, I’m good.” She watched the alien’s reaction out of the corner of her eyes and noticed a calculating expression on his face. They’ll have to keep their eyes on him. “I, however, would rather that we choose our own accommodation. Mr. Ekilin can be contacted by the establishment to settle the bill.”

The alien blinked slowly as he studied her with renewed interest. It was obvious now that he had planned something—obviously nothing pleasant—for them.

“If that is what you want; it can be arranged.”

***

For its isolation and location on the verge of the galaxy, the planet was doing remarkably well. To Norma not much has changed since the last time she visited. That was almost eight years ago. She had been on the trail of a weapons manufacturer. Her bosses wanted him out of the way to save their own interests in a competing weapons manufacturing outfit. That, she had found out only later, but at the time the man had been painted as a vicious child molester and all-round crook. Norma had to pose as a child prostitute and after numerous attempts to get him to notice her, he did. But not in the way she had expected. Instead, he had offered to buy her food and rent her a safe place to spend a few nights. A total contrast to the kind of monster he had been portrayed. She had two more interactions with him and when he had turned her advances down each time, she had come out and asked him if he wasn’t interested in her. His response had been that he was happily married and the father of girls not much older than her. He even looked awkward at having to turn her down. It was then that Norma came to understand that she might have been duped. It made her realize that she was nothing but a cocked weapon, sent into explosive situations that she knew very little, if anything, about. The syndicate was unaware of this, but the man was still alive, hidden away with his family. She, on the other hand, had spent two weeks weighing her options before returning to her bosses and telling them she wanted out. It had been the biggest mistake ever. Several of her friends and former comrades had been sent after her. The ensuing bloodbath had left many dead and herself critically wounded. She had only one other option and it was to turn to her enemy for sanctuary.

“I don’t know what I expected, but this is far from any idea I may have had of the place,” Captain Burkhouse said as she looked out of the transporter’s window. They were flying over the shiny, cosmopolitan main city of Homer. They had insisted on making their own way to their hotel by renting an urban transporter and assured Ekilin that they would be in touch soon. She had no doubt that he had them followed, but it was okay. She knew where she was going and even Ekilin’s goons would think twice about following them there.

“Due to their location and isolationist ideology, they’re not bothered being unofficially known as the haven for many powerful criminals. These outlaws pay to be protected and the Homs use the money to maintain and expand their armed forces.” She noticed the captain looking at her intently. “I’ve been here a few times before.” She read the question in the woman’s eyes, but was relieved when Margaret looked away without a word. To have a future, she needed to deal with her past, but nothing scared her more than having the woman next to her be turned off by what she had to do for survival.

“Everything looks normal and mundane. No one would believe that they were hosting a bunch of criminals.”

She chuckled. “More than a bunch, Captain. They have whole suburbs to themselves where they flaunt their ill-gotten gains and live like kings out of the reach of the Peacekeepers.”

“Peacekeepers?” The captain cocked her head.

“Us. The organization that is patrolling the territories.”

“Ah. I remember. Does it mean that you have no jurisdiction here?”

“Not necessarily, no. If they go out and commit atrocities against any of the member planets or its citizens, I will come here and drag them out of their mansions by the nostrils without a moment’s hesitation.” She noticed a slight stiffening of the older woman’s shoulders and Norma cursed herself for her tactlessness. She wasn’t doing a good job of making the woman see her as a suitable partner. Even during the impromptu dance show, the captain had been so infuriatingly cool and unaffected. It had made her want to elicit a reaction, anything, but then Ekilin had stopped her.

“Where are we going?”

“I know someplace where Ekilin’s men won’t dare to follow.” She noticed a small smile on the captain’s lips. She had surprised her with her knowledge of them being followed. Well, if it takes something so small to surprise the woman, Norma had some hope. She had many talents that would surprise the sexy captain.

They left the sleek skyline of the city behind and approached a suburb that even from the air was spectacular. Large houses, gleaming skyscrapers and manicured gardens with theme parks gave the impression of a 21st-century millionaires’ playground.

“Wow!”

She smiled at the shock in the woman’s voice. It was surprising how very little the people on Earth knew about the galaxy. There were many more planets like Homer out there that offered the most deranged criminals a safe place to hide.

“They are competing with each other on who can afford the biggest and the best.”

“It’s obvious. I wonder how many of them are on the Earth’s most wanted list.”

“Almost all of them. If not on Earth’s list, then surely on the Peacekeepers’ list.”

The captain shook her head. “To think that they can hide out here and live the good life, while their victims are struggling to put the pieces of their broken lives back together.”

The tinge of pain in the woman’s voice wasn’t missed by Norma who made a vow to capture each and every one of these crooks if it was going to make the captain feel better.

“They are all living on borrowed time, Captain.” The dark blue eyes were almost sad when they met hers. “We will eventually come for every one of them. The Homs are not happy with their government allowing these vermin to camp out here. Sooner than we think, there might be a change that will see their protection disappear and they’ll be left out in the open.”

“I hope I’m still alive to see that.”

Norma was horrified. The idea of this woman not alive for her to love caused the blood in her veins to turn to ice. She would die first before she would allow anything like that to happen to the captain.

“You’ll have a front seat as we shake them out of trees and scoop them out from the rocks they’re hiding under.”

Captain Burkhouse blinked in shock as she watched her and Norma felt her cheeks and neck grow warm with embarrassment. Maybe she needed to tone it down a little, lest she gave herself away and effectively scare the captain away. It was hard enough for her not to drown in the woman’s peculiar dark blue eyes every time she looked at her

“I’m sorry, Captain. I seem to forget myself sometimes.”

The blonde woman shook her head slowly as she watched her and Norma can’t remember ever feeling as if someone was looking right through her.

“No need for an apology, Lieutenant. I like that you have such a positive outlook on the future. I could learn that from you.”

Norma smiled at hearing that. There was much she wanted to teach the captain, but first, she needed to get through this mission before she collapsed at the woman’s feet and proclaim her undying love.

CHAPTER 3

Margaret followed the confident young woman down a long corridor to a door at the end. Lieutenant Elkers never ceased to surprise her and was becoming even more complicated the more time she spent in her presence. They had landed at the communal terminal of the urban center of a suburb called Liberty. Aptly named considering that almost all its residents were destined to lose their freedom if Lieutenant Norma Elkers had anything to do about it. They had to register their names and purpose for their visit at a checkpoint before they were allowed passage and Margaret was fascinated by how quickly the Lieutenant switched roles as she flirted outrageously with the security personnel to get them through the process. Norma had secured an urban transporter for them and drove them to a less glamorous part of the Liberty. For some reason, Margaret found herself trusting the young woman enough to let her take the lead.

The area that they were in was a far cry from the posh mansions and manicured parks. It was rough and the people who loitered the streets looked desperate and willing to do anything to better their position on the pecking order of criminal society. They reached the door and Norma knocked.

“Go away!”

It elicited only more knocking from Norma, which even Margaret found to be excessive. Whoever was on the other side must have nerves of steel to ignore the irritating sound, for she doubted she would’ve lasted very long.

The door suddenly swung open and a young woman with disheveled blonde hair and a cigarette dangling from her lips stood in the doorway. Her annoyed expression morphed into one of shock and then fear as she took them in—mostly Norma though. The cigarette slipped from her lips and dropped to the dirty floor.

“Vio…”

“Norma. Can we come in?”

The woman nodded jerkily as she stepped back. As a precaution, Margaret stomped on the cigarette as she followed after Norma. She would hate for the place to catch fire with them inside. The interior of the apartment was a total contradiction to the building and the area it was located. It was spacious, luxurious and decorated with the finest furniture and state-of-the-art appliances. She could only look around in surprise. Even after almost fifteen years in the forces, she didn’t make enough to furnish her apartment with a quarter of the items on display.

“Ho…how have you been, Vio…?” The woman swallowed audibly. “Norma.”

Norma smiled as she looked the other woman up and down. “Not as good as you, Lily. What have you been up to?”

Their hosts brushed over her disheveled hair. “This and that. Will you excuse me for a moment?”

“Of course.” The way Norma said it, made a strange thrill chase down Margaret’s spine. It held a deadly warning. Whatever Lily was planning on doing, better not be to report Norma. Lily caught the warning and smiled.

“I’ll be back soon,” she said as she rushed from the open-plan lounge and kitchen. Norma turned to her.

“We were both working for the syndicate.”

“I gathered as much.” She looked around with a raised brow. “She’s doing well for herself.”

“Most of them are working as private mercenaries now.”

“Is that why she is hiding out here?”

“Not really. I saved her life and brought her here.”

Saved her life? If they were all well-trained assassins why would Lily need her former colleague to save her?  The woman in question returned to the lounge with a stack of papers in her hand.

“These are for you.”

Norma reached for the papers and as she shuffled through them, Margaret noticed her face softening and her eyes shining with unshed tears.

“These are beautiful. How is she?”

“At school.”

“Oh.” Norma appeared shocked by the news. “Where?”

“Earth. I have placed her in a boarding school.”

Intrigued, Margaret glanced at Norma who met her eyes.

“Lily fell pregnant just before the raid and they threatened to abort the child. We came up with the plan to hide her until she could give birth.” She held the papers out to Margaret. They were stick drawings of a young child and each was signed off with For Aunt Violet. Margaret felt her own heart melt as the studied the drawings. They were of two women each holding the child’s hands as she walked between them.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Lily blushed. “I wanted her to fit in and have a normal life…” The blonde’s eyes grew moist. “…unlike us.”  The two women unexpectedly rushed to each other and embraced. “When I saw you just now, I thought something had happened to her.”

“If she’s on Earth then I believe that she’s safe.”

“I pray you’re right.”

Margaret stood quietly so as not to interrupt the reunion. She had very few friends and none as close as the two women before her obviously were. Her initial thought had been that Lily was scared of Norma, but it would appear it had been a mother’s fear for her child.

“Why are you here?”

Norma turned to Margaret. “This is my commanding officer, Captain Margaret Burkhouse. A Spacefleet ship was ambushed a few days ago and an Admiral was killed in the process. The attackers came here. Do you know anything about that?”

Lily’s eyes raked over her and Margaret returned the scrutiny with one of her own. The blonde was about the same age as Norma and just as beautiful and naïve-looking. No one would suspect someone like Lily to be a dangerous assassin.

“Welcome to my home.”

“Thank you,” she responded crisply.

Lily returned her attention to Norma and this time her eyes were hard and calculating.

“They are very strict about allowing new faces on the planet lately, especially if what happened to Spacefleet originated from here. The new regime is completely in the pockets of the outlaws. How did you manage to get in?”

“Marigold told me that they were looking for an exotic dancer.”

“You went to her?” Lily looked angry now. “I wish you hadn’t done that.”

Margaret felt the hair in her nape stand on end; even Norma appeared a little tense now.

“Why not?”

Lily walked over to a large painting and pressed a button under the frame, it slid sideways to reveal six small monitors.

“Marigold is still working with Mother.” She scanned the monitors and pointed at one. Stepping closer, they saw a solitary figure studying their transporter. “In fact, some would argue that she is the new ‘Mother’. Instead of snatching them herself, she buys children from traffickers and trains them.” Lily looked at them. “You’re under surveillance and probably have been expected long before your arrival.”

***

Norma cursed under her breath as she stared at the monitor. She should’ve known something like this could happen. How could she have expected loyalty from one of the most disloyal people she knew. She had saved Marigold’s ass on numerous occasions, but the woman had not been bothered to come after her when Mother had ordered her death.

“Is there another way out of here?”

“There is, but that is not your biggest problem. You won’t be able to get off the planet.”

“We have that covered,” Captain Burkhouse said quietly, but Lily shook her head.

“If they know they have imposters here, they’ll activate the planet-wide shield to jam all electronic communications and transfers.”

Norma took a deep breath.

“What is your escape plan, Lily?” The captain looked surprised. Lily was probably the most resourceful person Norma knew and she had time and again managed to get them out of very sticky situations.

Lily frowned. “You’re not gonna like it.”

“Try me.”

“You need to surrender yourself.”

“No. We’re not doing that,” Captain Burkhouse said forcefully. “That may be a death sentence to her.”

“Not necessarily, Captain,” Norma said as she nodded at Lily; trying not to concentrate too much on the captain’s obvious concern. “If anyone can get us out of this, it’s Lily.” The captain pursed her lips. “I promise you; it will be fine. Lily?”

“Mother has a residence here in Liberty, but she prefers to reside on her spaceship. It is fitted with a cloaking feature and she is believed to be orbiting the planet.”

Norma had always wondered why the woman had been so difficult to track down. Like they say; a moving target was difficult to hit. Smart, very smart. Still, there was something else tickling her conscious. If Marigold had set her up, how did that fit into the ambush of the Venetian?

“We’re missing something. What does Marigold’s deception have to do with the attack on the ship?” She glanced at the captain. “Any ideas, Captain?”

“I’m not sure. If you are who they were after, why attack us? And if it’s Spacefleet they are after, why send you into a trap?”

Lily cleared her throat softly. “Norma has her fair share of enemies, besides the syndicate, who she had betrayed and who would use any opportunity to do her in, I can’t help but wonder if perhaps you’re being distracted for a reason.”

Norma shrugged at the captain who was looking at her with a pensive look in her eyes. “Which is? I can’t think of anything.”

“After the raid, everyone was freed and the heads of the organization were all arrested except for Mother. She has managed to evade capture to this day.” Norma tried to think, but it felt like she was reaching a mental wall. Would revenge be the reason? She had been the one to sell out the organization in the end. Did that warrant such an elaborate scheme to get her to leave Earth? If Mother had wanted her dead, she easily could’ve ambushed her while she was travelling as a Peacekeeper. She had tried to keep a very low profile, but since her recruitment to the clandestine police force, she had been instrumental in the capture of several criminals on many planets. Mother could’ve found her if she had wanted to.

“How instrumental are you both in Earth’s defense forces?” Lily had lit another cigarette.

“Captain Burkhouse is commanding Spacefleet’s flagship vessel and is also credited for capturing many high-profile outlaws over the years. I’m the most senior officer currently operating under the auspices of a galactic interplanetary agency. Why would they want us sidetracked?”

Lily dragged on her cigarette. “Like I said it’s just a feeling I got. The only way to be sure, is to get you to a place where you could get some answers.”

“Surrender?” The captain still didn’t look happy with the plan. “And what if we can’t get away?”

“That’s not an option, Captain. We need to get off this planet and back to Earth. If Lily’s gut feeling is right; something is going down and for some reason, they didn’t want you or me to be there when it happened.”

Norma’s hands clenched into fists. She’d have to make capturing Mother a priority if she hoped to live a free life with the love of her life by her side.

“If you’ll allow me, Captain, I have a plan.”

***

Margaret followed the staged phaser battle on the monitor, her heart beating fast in her chest when Norma went down but got up to return fire. A few moments later, she collapsed again and this time, Lily swooped down on her. The young Lieutenant’s body shook as Lily released several volts of electricity into her body. It was impossible to even comprehend how Norma could bear the pain of being electrocuted on top of suffering several phaser burns. The training they had undergone as assassins was clearly on show and she now understood why the syndicate went unchallenged for as long as it had. Thanks to Lily, she knew now that Norma had been the one to turn on her bosses. It also explains why Spacefleet was willing to make some concessions where the young woman was concerned. With the Borkon syndicate out of the way, the Alliance stood a better chance of succeeding. It still smarted that her father hadn’t received the same concessions posthumously, but Margaret knew he would’ve agreed with allowing Norma into the fold. She was willing to make peace with that, seeing the pain the woman was willing to endure for this mission.

She glanced over her shoulder at the body bag. The plan was for her to be injected with a numbing serum that would simulate death and have Lily deliver her as a casualty of her takedown of Norma. When the serum worked out after an hour, Margaret would set Norma free. Apparently, some prominent fugitives, such as Mother, were held in such high regard by the Homs government that they had been issued the codes to a section of the planet’s shielding system. If they should find themselves having to return to the planet in a hurry to evade capture, they needn’t have to call it in first. If they could deactivate the shield, the Windstar could beam them out. She walked over to where the medical injector lay. Lily will be back soon and she might bring company with her. Their stalker; the lone person who had inspected their transporter earlier, must’ve witnessed the shootout. Before the injection, she needed to do something else first. She set her phaser on the heavy stun setting and after injecting herself with the serum, she shot herself in the stomach. The burn would look more convincing even though the pain was excruciating. Fleetingly, just before she lost consciousness, her last thought was to hope Norma was okay. The Lieutenant was brave beyond words and if she was fighting on their side, then it was Margaret’s duty to make sure that Norma returned to Earth with her—in one piece.

***

It hurt like hell, but she breathed through the pain to remain awake so she could make sure that the captain was safe. Nothing should happen to the woman. Lily had attached small hover pads under her body and was using them to float her injured body back into the building. She was clinging to consciousness, but the shot in her shoulder was bleeding a lot and was sapping her strength. She wouldn’t last long.

“You’ll have to patch her up if you hope to present her to Mother alive,” a voice said and Lily stopped short.

“This is none of your business, Rose.”

Rose? Wow! She had thought the girl already dead and buried. She had been one of the first ones who had come after her.

“The bitch crippled me,” Rose hissed and the hatred was clear in her voice. “I would say that she is my business.”

“That’s too bad, but you seem to forget the first rule of our training. Don’t take things personally.”

“You promised that you would help me avenge the loss of my eye?”

“That I did, but I also promised Mother that I would deliver Violet to her when I next saw her. Now, why don’t you run off and report that I will be along shortly with my captive.”

A chill went through her at Lily’s words. Had she been duped once again? Does it mean that Margaret was in danger? She pushed the lethargy from her system as she fought to remain alert. She had to protect Margaret.

“And the other one? There were two.”

“Dead. I poisoned her and that was what set Violet off. The woman was her superior officer.”

They continued on their journey and it was only once they were back in Lily’s apartment that she opened her eyes. The hatred and anger that she was sure was evident in her eyes, made the blonde throw up her hands in surrender.

“I had to tell Rose something. You know how paranoid she is.” She helped her to sit up and the first thing she did was look around for Margaret. The woman lay on the floor in front of the couch. She walked over to kneel next to the unconscious woman. Without thinking about how it might appear to Lily, she gently brushed a lock of hair from the woman’s cool forehead.

“You Spacefleet types have a strange way of showing respect for your commanders,” Lily said softly. “Unless, this one is the exception to the rule.”

Norma sighed softly. “She’s my Cary Grant, Lily.” The admission came surprisingly easy. She had been with Lily when they had to raid a warehouse of an avid collector of the antique, rare and bizarre on Minos. It was there that her love for old movies began. The guard had been watching Gone with the Wind and it was the first time she had seen a television or a movie since she had been kidnapped when she was only five years old. After they had secured the item they had come to retrieve, she had grabbed herself a television set and a compact digital storage device with thousands of movies on it. Mother had simply shrugged when Norma had declared her loot and after that day, Lily and she had spent hours watching movies together while the others went out and partied.

“Cary Grant!” Lily almost shouted. “It’s that serious?”

Norma caressed the soft cheek. “She doesn’t know and I don’t want to scare her off.” She turned to look at Lily. “Please protect her, Lily. Even if I have to die; I want her to survive. She is a good person and if I can’t have her, I’m sure there is someone out there who would be thrilled to be with her.”

Lily looked stunned as her gaze flicked from her to the captain. The green eyes were warm when they met hers again.

“Do you like her enough to have babies with her?”

Norma knew that she was treading on dangerous grounds by revealing her vulnerability to a known killer. Someone, she wasn’t entirely sure was on her side. But she had no one else to talk to about this and she was dying to tell someone—in case she didn’t survive the mission.

“Yes.”

“She’s a little intense and so much older.”

With a groan, she climbed to her feet. “Exactly the way I want her.”

Lily nodded. “I’ll take care of her for you, but let’s see to your wound now.” She helped her over to the couch. “I met a scientist on one of my trips and he gave me something. It’s experimental, but the result is phenomenal.” She left the lounge, but was back quickly with a small vial. “I’ve only seen it work on one of his lab rats, but I was impressed.”

Norma studied the vial suspiciously. “What does it do?”

“Once it spills into your blood, it electrifies your brain and enhances your strength, speed, you name it. He was being hunted by Mother and other outlaws because he refused to share the formula. I stashed him someplace safe and as a sign of his gratitude he gave me his first and only sample.”

Norma had her doubts about taking an untested drug, but a look over her shoulder at an unconscious Margaret helped make up her mind. “How do I take it?”

“We need to be clever about this, Vio…Norma. I think we should inject it into a capsule that you keep in your mouth until you need to use it.”

“Let’s get on with it then.”

Lily will never know how disconcerting the sight of a motionless Margaret was to her.

***

The first thing she noticed when she regained consciousness, was the cold and secondly, the loud voices nearby.

“…said to wait until she had confirmation.”

“What difference would it make. She’s already dead. Chopping her up now or later won’t change a thing.”

Chopping her up? No wonder she was cold. She cracked her eyes open a little. She was naked and two men were standing at the foot of the cot. One was human and the other some grey-toned alien with a cone-shaped head.

“Orders, Cassius,” the alien was saying to the human. “We need to wait for her orders. Unless, of course, you want to be the next one I have to cut up for the boss.” That seemed to calm the human down and take a step back from the alien.

“Then what’s taking so long? I have to be somewhere soon.”

The alien shrugged. “You could always call her and tell her to hurry up, you know.” The remark got him a scathing look from Cassius. “Now, go and smoke a cigarette or something because you are working on my nerves.”

Mumbling something under his breath, Cassius left and she shut her eyes again. She felt a presence next to the bed and held her breath.

“I know you’re awake.” The matter-of-fact tone of the man proved that she had been caught out. But she refused to give up on the pretense. Too much depended on her getting out of here. “I know the signs and effects of the paralytic serum you’ve taken. So, you might as well give up and open your eyes.” She slowly opened her eyes and met deep, intelligent ones. The alien nodded as he raked his eyes over her naked body. “Except for a large bruise where you had taken a phaser blast, you’re uninjured.”

“What are you going to do now?”

He shook his head. “It’s more a case of what you could do for me.”

Margaret stiffened as she prepared herself for the assault. She was naked and unarmed, but if he thought he could abuse her, without her fighting him, he was in for a big surprise. “And what’s that?”

“I know you want to escape from the planet. Take me with you.”

What was it about this mission that seems to take on so many twists and turns? She studied the alien carefully. He wasn’t breaking eye contact as he waited for her to respond.

“You need to make your decision before Cassius returns.”

She pursed her lips as she realized that she was cornered. How would they be able to hide a big, grey, alien as they tried to escape? Yet, they had no other choice.

“It depends on what you can offer us?”

“Your life, for one. Cassius wants you chopped up and pieces of you sent to Earth.”

Margaret wondered what would make another human despise his own kind so much. But that will have to wait until they are off the planet.

“Why should I trust you?”

The alien shoulders sagged a little. “They’re holding my family captive on Mother’s ship. I need to get to them before they are harmed.”

She made up her mind. Since they were already about to achieve the impossible, why not up the ante.

“Okay. How do I get to the control panel?”

“The control room. But first, we need to get rid of Cassius. He is unpredictable and impatient, but his paranoia is his biggest advantage. He will suspect something and sound the alarm unless he is taken out.”

The idea of killing another human didn’t sit well with her, but by his association with the Borkon syndicate, he had chosen a side and sealed his fate. Footsteps came down the corridor.

“He’s back.”

She closed her eyes and regulated her breathing as the alien pulled a sheet over her nakedness.

“Any news?” Cassius sounded frustrated as he walked through the door.

“Nothing.”

The man sighed loudly. “This is a joke. I say we chop her up and be done with it. Mother will thank me for taking the initiative.”

“And if she doesn’t? Do you think she won’t take her wrath out on me, too?”

There was a tense silence in which Margaret strained to hear what the man would do next.

“You know what? I’ll do it myself. You can go stand in the corner or go wait outside, but don’t get in my way.”

“Ok. Fine. As long as you know that this is all on you.” The door opened and closed, alerting Margaret to the fact that she was alone with Cassius. She prepared herself to strike as soon as the sheet was removed. She heard soft breathing next to the bed and coiled her body for the coming attack.

A soft chirp elicited a startled gasp from the man and she used that moment to explode into action. Cassius was surprised when she suddenly sat up and reached for him. He tried to reach his phaser, but she boxed his ears hard, disorienting him. She slid to her feet, finding her legs wobbly as a result of the drug she had injected. That didn’t stop her from diving onto the confused man and taking him to the floor. She grabbed his head and banged it hard against the floor. He fought back, but her desperation and determination gave her extra strength as she repeated the action a couple of times until he went limp under her. Breathless, she rolled over to lay next to him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the door open.

“We don’t have much time. He has a lot of friends and any one of them could come by to look for him.” The alien effortlessly hauled her to her feet. “You’ll need clothes.”

She glanced at the body of Cassius. “I’ll take his.”

“No, you’ll draw too much attention in his flashy rags. We’ll find something else.” He leaned her up against the cot and left the room in search of clothing. Margaret took a shuddering breath as she dropped her chin to her chest. Where were they keeping Norma? Her priority was to find the Lieutenant first, then find the control room.

***

Norma was thirsty when she regained consciousness and looked around her. She pursed her lips when she noticed that she wasn’t alone. The young woman glaring at her was vaguely familiar; clear identification made difficult by the scar on the left side of her face and the gaping hole where an eye once was.

“Appreciating your handiwork?”

She attempted a shrug, but the pain in her shoulder made it difficult to complete the action. “Hi, Rose. You’ve looked better.”

The woman closed the space between the bed and where she had been leaning against the wall, to punch her hard in the face. Her mouth quickly filled with blood where her teeth had caught her tongue. She spat out the blood and smiled with satisfaction when it landed on Rose.

“You bitch!”

The next punch threatened to render her unconscious, but she stubbornly fought to stay alert and protect the capsule from breaking as Rose delivered two more punches.

“What the…” an enraged voice called out and Rose was dragged away from her. “Have you no shame? You’re attacking an unarmed woman, who is also chained to a bed.”

“She is a monster,” Rose screeched as she struggled in Lily’s grip.

“From where I stand, she appears more like the victim of a monster.”

Rose spun around on Lily, but the blonde gave her a hard stare which caused Rose to return her ire to Norma.

“Thanks to you, I’ll have to fix her up again. As if I have nothing else to do,” Lily snapped as she pushed Rose in the direction of the door. When Rose hesitated, Lily reached for her phaser. “I won’t ask you again, Rose. Mother made it clear that she wanted to deal with Violet herself. If you come between me and the execution of my orders, I won’t hesitate to eliminate you.”

Rose threw one last look at Norma before she slammed out of the room. With an exasperated sigh, Lily turned to her.

“You need to watch your back with that one.” Lily’s eyes held a sharp warning that made her aware that the room was probably fitted with surveillance devices. “I’ll need to get something from the Doc to treat your wounds. I’ll be back soon.”

She closed her eyes as she listened to the sounds around her, focusing all her senses. And yes, she could feel herself being watched. Lily had been right to warn her. When Lily returned, she treated her wounds in silence. She left afterwards without a word spoken between them. She closed her eyes again, but once again kept her senses on high alert. Who was watching her and why? She had her answer when the soft whine of a transport beam sounded. Knowing who it was, she didn’t open her eyes immediately.

“You’re all grown up, my child.”

“It’s known to happen over time.”

A soft chuckle reached her ears. “Still as stubborn and out-spoken. I had thought that you would’ve learnt some discipline by now. I never told you, but I, too, wanted to attend the Spacefleet academy when I was young.”

That was news to her and she opened her eyes to look at the woman she had loved to hate for most of her life. Mother, as she was known and had insisted the girls call her, was a petite woman with a pinched face and sharp muddy brown eyes. Her brown hair, now peppered with gray, was always fastened in a long braid. Not much had changed, except that the woman’s eyes were all over the place. She had always been the picture of complete confidence; the pin around which the girls’ lives rotated. That was not the case anymore. She was alone, save for a few girls still loyal to her and her face on every Wanted list in the galaxy.

“What are you looking for?” The question was asked almost snidely.

“Nothing, because there is nothing to see.” The woman’s eyes hardened, but she kept her distance. “What do you want with me?”

“What? You didn’t miss me?” Mother grinned; showing blindingly white teeth. The woman had always been obsessed with her teeth. Norma remembered having to kidnap a dentist once to see to Mother’s chipped tooth.

“You’re boring me. If you’re here to kill me, then I would suggest you get on with it.”

She noticed the woman’s hands curl into fists as she took a step closer; her eyes glittering with hatred.

“You forget who I am, child. It would serve you right to remember that.”

“Who are you?” she snapped back. The woman was grating on her nerves and she wished she wasn’t tied up, so she could punch her in the face. “The syndicate is disbanded and you are living on borrowed time. You are a nobody.”

This time Mother reached for her phaser, but before she could squeeze the trigger, a commotion outside the room drew her attention. She watched as Mother’s hand reached for her chest where a badge was visible. She was going to beam out again, but Norma would have none of that. She bit down on the capsule and scorching heat poured into her bloodstream. Her body arched off the bed as she clenched her jaw to stop the scream that wanted to burst forth at the pain.

“Beam out…NOW!” Mother’s voice was shrill with panic. Hearing the request, Norma pushed the pain aside as she jerked her hands up to break the restraints and leaped on the startled woman, just as a glittering beam enveloped them both.

“Norma!” She twisted her head to see the captain burst through the door and then it went dark.

CHAPTER 4

“Here!”

Margaret looked at Lily’s open palm. It was the locator button. She grabbed it and slid it open.

“This is Captain Burkhouse, do you read me?” She glanced at the alien. “They’ve activated the shield from their side. We need to get to the control room.”

“There are men guarding it.”

“I’ll deal with them. Show me.”

They made their way out into the hallway, only to be greeted by a hail of phaser fire. The alien went down, having taken a shot to the stomach. She quickly dived back as she tried to think of a way to save the injured man. Lily pulled out her phaser.

“I’ll lay down some fire while you try to get to him.”

When there was a lull in the shooting, Lily opened fire and Margaret crawled over on her stomach to grab a hold of the alien’s arms and pull him into the room. The wound looked bad and she feared that he wouldn’t make it.

“We need to get him to the medical room.”

“No. You’re wasting time. Get to the ship and save my family.” The alien took a shuddering breath. “Make sure they are safe.”

Lily stopped firing and glanced over at them. “He’s right. More guards will show up to block our way to the control room if we don’t move now.”

Margaret knew it made sense and that the doctor would probably not make it at all, but she was trained to save lives, be it human or alien. She met the alien’s eyes and he shook his head as if he could read her mind.

“No. We need to treat him first.”

“Please, Captain, my family are…”

“I want you to live so you can tell them how you’ve cheated death to rescue them.” She turned to Lily and found the blonde looking furious. “We need to do this. I’m not leaving him behind.”

“Norma will kill me if something happens to you.” Margaret frowned at the strange remark, but Lily seemed to realized what she had said because she pursed her lips. “Fine. I’ll keep them distracted while you take him to the medical room.” She pulled two circular devices from her pocket. “Use this to transport him. They are mobile floating devices.” She suddenly looked up and fired her phaser. A Homs guard fell face first next to them. “I need to return fire. Wait for my signal before you move.”

Margaret was aware of the alien’s fury as she attached the devices to his body. She squeezed his shoulder and activated them just as Lily glanced over her shoulder.

“Now!”

Margaret pushed the alien out the door and down the hallway at a running pace. They weren’t too far from the room she had woken up in earlier, but the chance of running into an armed guard was great. She made a turn and came to an abrupt stop. Cassius stood in the hallway outside the medical room, gingerly touching the back of his head. She left the alien’s side and ran full speed down the hallway to plough into the preoccupied man. His head made a sickening sound when it collided with the floor and almost instantly a pool of blood began to form under him. She rose quickly and went to retrieve the doctor. When they entered the room, he pointed to a cupboard.

“There is a medijector in there and a case filled with bottles. What you’re looking for is a coagulate first.”

She did as he instructed and after she had administered all the drugs, he had pointed out to her, she looked around for a weapon. They needed to get back to help Lily.

“Cassius was armed.”

She peered out into the hallway and dragged the body into the room. She put the setting to kill and turned to the alien.

“What’s your name.”

“Joas.”

“Margaret. Are you ready?”

He nodded weakly and she pushed him into the hallway towards the sound of phaser fire.

***

Her body felt light and her blood fired up as she rose to her feet, but before she could reach for the stunned woman at her feet, a salvo of phaser fire made her dive for cover.

“Quick! Seal off the area and open the hatch,” Mother shouted as she crawled on her stomach to where her guards were shooting at Norma.

That wasn’t good, Norma thought as she looked around her for something to use that would help her get out of the transporter room. There was nothing to use. Everything was where either bolted to the deck or build into a box. She blinked.

Of course! She was in the transport room; the only exit off the ship. She wrenched open a side panel and jerked out the cabling. She didn’t know what she was doing but sabotaging the ship was her only opportunity. If she was lucky, she could close the door and override access to the hatch.

“You never told me why you wanted me so bad? Is the riff-raff you’re left behind with not up to scratch?”

“You do think too much of yourself. But no. We’ve learned our lesson the first time around. To rebuild the syndicate, we are paying close attention to our recruitment process. I should’ve killed you when they brought you to me.” The words dripped with hatred.

Norma agreed. They made a grave mistake in recruiting her. She had turned out to be their ultimate downfall. Revenge for them having wrecked her young life.

“I see you’re still smarting, but I know for a fact that time spend in a penal colony, under strict supervision, will help you come to terms with your loss. Don’t you agree?” A blast of phaser fire was her response. “I guess not then. So, why not kill me on sight?”

“Because he wanted the honors of doing it himself.”

“He, who?”

There was a short silence. “Who else? The man you have betrayed and who you had locked up in that godforsaken prison.” This time there was glee in her voice. “Did you really think he would be so easily beaten?

The only person she had betrayed and who was currently… Mother had spoken in the past tense. The only person besides Mother who survived the raid was Kallmont. She felt her anger bubble to the surface.

“I wonder how Kallmont is doing. You know we use to call him Shithead behind his back, because his head was always shoved so high up your behind, his breath stank to high heaven.”

She almost laughed when another salvo came her way, this time lasting longer than the last.

“I seem to have struck a chord there, Mother dear. I must say that shooting up a Spacefleet ship and killing an Admiral in the process, to get little old me, is quite flattering. You both must be quite hard for me.” She took off her shoe and, without looking, slammed it on the board above and setting off a loud peeping sound in the process.

“She’s destroying the board, Mother. If she continues, she might disable the shield and we won’t be able to restore it unless we physically access the controls.”

“I should’ve drowned you in your bathwater when I had a chance,” Mother seethed.

“I guess you shoulda,” she muttered as she jerked another handful of cabling from the cabinet. Now that she had their attention, she made a show of destroying their only way off the ship. She only prayed that Lily had remembered to give the captain her locator.

“What do you want?”

“I’m still thinking about it. No, wait! I know! I want you handcuffed and tossed into the deepest, darkest hole I can find on any of the penal colonies.”

“You little bitch! Kill her!”

Oh, that escalated rather quickly. The only weapon at her disposal was the drug burning in her blood and a few handfuls of cabling. She shot out from her hiding place and reached for the man closest to her, he squeaked in surprise as she used him like a shield to absorb the phaser fire from Mother and the three other shooters. She felt a zing in her side and realized that they were shooting through their mate to her. With a strength she had had never experienced before, she tossed the dead man at the shooters and used their scramble for safety to make it to the door.

“Shoot her!” Mother screeched, the desperation and fear clear in her voice. Norma found that she liked hearing it. The woman had subjected them to the harshest treatment when they were young. Brutal beatings and rapes. Sleep deprivation. Torture. As she mentally ticked off the woman’s transgressions, her anger grew until she saw red as she plunged through the door to reach the woman. She felt the searing heat and pain as she was hit by phaser fire, but the only thing she could think about was getting to Mother. If she survived this mission and she had the old hag behind bars, she would make it her duty to visit her every time she reached a milestone in her life to rub it in Mother’s face. Her vision cleared and she was surprised to find herself standing in the corridor outside the transporter room. The three guards were scattered around her with their heads bent at strange angles. A slapping sound drew her attention to where Mother was hitting her phaser against her hand. It appeared as if the weapon had jammed.

Some deity was smiling down on her, Norma thought as she turned to the woman, ignoring the droplets of blood following in her wake as she moved.

***

“What?! You brought him back! We’re not taking him with us!” Lily shouted when Margaret joined her in the corridor, where to her surprise the blonde seemed to have succeeded in pushing the shooters back. They were at the corner of the corridor, which according to Joas, led to the control room.

“He’s coming with or I’m staying with him.”

Lily’s mouth fell open in surprise. “You can’t be serious. You don’t even know the guy.”

Margaret peered around the corner, narrowly missing being hit. “I’m not leaving him.”

She heard Lily mutter something under her breath, but ignored it. They had bigger problems to deal with at the moment.

“You’re bleeding.”

Margaret frowned as she looked at Joas. She wasn’t even hit and the doctor wasn’t looking at her. Lily ignored the man, but the growing red stain at the blonde’s feet couldn’t be ignored.

“We need to see to your wound, Lily.”

“Not now; we have little time to get to the control room and get you off the planet.”

She wished the blonde was a Spacefleet officer so she could pull rank over her, but as things stood, she had no such luck. As a last resort, she looked at the button she had attached to her tunic. She removed it and slid it open.

“Windstar, this is Captain Burkhouse. Do you read me?” She was greeted with static. “Windstar, come in.” Once again, there was no response.

“They won’t hear you if the shield is up,” Lily said and to Margaret’s concern, the blonde’s words sounded a little slurred. She was losing a lot of blood. Think, Maggie! Think! She had two injured companions and they were blocked off from their route of escape by an undetermined number of hostiles with superior fire power. She had no other choice. As the only one capable of running, she needed to draw their fire so that the other two could make it to the control room.

“This is my plan,” she said softly, but before she could say anything further, Lily held up her hand.

“No. You’re not going out there. I promise Vio…Norma that I’d protect you and…”

She felt her annoyance rise. “I don’t need your protection and I outrank the Lieutenant. Now, as I was saying, I’ll draw their fire while you and Joas get to the control room. You might encounter some resistance there, but I trust you to deal with it easily.” Lily looked unhappy with the arrangement, but didn’t say anything. Margaret glanced at Joas.  He, too, didn’t look pleased. “Get to the ship, Joas, and free your family. I’ll meet up with you there.”

“How?”

She held up the button locator. “I’ll leave a channel open and as soon as I hear from my crew, I’ll have them beam me out.”

Lily looked skeptical. “You make it sound so easy.”

“It’s not and I know it, but the two of you are injured and I can’t sit by and do nothing.”

“You won’t be doing nothing if you are shooting at the bad guys.”

“How long do you think, before our phasers run low on power? What then?”

“I promised that I wou…”

Margaret clenched her jaw in frustration. “I’m not discussing that again.”

“I know, but you should know that Violet is not someone you want coming after you. If you get hurt, she won’t think twice about killing me.”

There was a pleading look in Lily’s eyes and it was on the tip of her tongue to ask ‘why’, when she realized that they were not in a situation to analyze the strange behavior of the former-assassin-cum-secret agent.

“I’ll be careful,” she snapped and changing the setting on her phaser to the spray function, she stepped out into the corridor from the hiding spot. With the phaser on that particular setting, she ran the risk of losing power faster, but she could hit more targets at once. Her first salvo caused a slight hesitation which she used to gesture for Lily to make a move. She kept firing as she ran down the corridor to surprise the guards where they were hiding around the corner.

***

“How…how are you still standing?”

The shock in Mother’s voice made her look down at herself. She was shot and bleeding profusely. Yet, she only experienced a little numbness around the wounds. Whatever Lily had given her was working quite well. Only, she wasn’t sure what would happen once the effect wore off. She pushed the woman into the transporter room and watched dispassionately as she fell on her face. She didn’t know how many men Mother had on the ship and perhaps had she not been so desperate earlier, she might’ve been able to find out by using the computer board she had destroyed earlier. Perhaps, she could salvage something from it, but first, she needed to lock them in here to keep anyone else out. She opened the panel next to the door and indiscriminately jerked out the connections.

When she returned to the board, she noticed that Mother was eyeing the fallen man curiously. Making a quick detour, she grabbed him by the leg and pulled him behind her to the smoking computer board. Basic electric engineering was part of her training, but she’ll admit she never paid much attention.

“What happened to you?” When she didn’t respond to the question, Mother continued. “You used to like going on missions. You loved the travelling, the nice clothes and even the killing. You were so good at it.”

Norma ignored her as she tried her hand at trying to reestablish some connection to power the board.

“I recall how much you loved visiting The Luminion, especially the girls who danced there. You had a good life; why did you give it up?”

Norma wasn’t going to tell the woman where the turning point for her came. But she remembered the day vividly. It happened during the two weeks after she had helped the weapons manufacturer and his family hide from the syndicate. A fake image of the slain man had appeased her bosses, but the knowledge that she was being used to kill innocents had been difficult to stomach. Her mission had taken her to Klepti V, a hell-hole mining planet in the middle of nowhere. Her mission was to eliminate a greedy speculator who, unwisely had decided to cut the syndicate’s revenue from the ore sales. The man wasn’t a fool and had anticipated retaliation. Norma had walked into an ambush and just barely made it out alive. Upon her return home, Lily had insisted that a nice romantic comedy would cheer her up. She had lost the coin toss to the blonde and Lily’s choice for the evening had been a movie that she had always skipped because she had found the name rather uninspiring. Monkey Business. The actors were attractive enough and soon she found herself immersed in the quirky, romantic tale. She would admit that it wasn’t the best movie from the lot she had watched, but that night, after a harrowing day, she had found herself occupied with the idea of falling in love and having her own dashing leading lady. She was seventeen years old and felt sixty with no future, except perhaps an early death. It was with that mindset she had decided to call it quits. It was also the day she had decided that she would change her name to Norma, after one of the actresses. She loved how the character played a sexually liberated woman in an era where women felt immense societal pressure to get married and become homemakers.

“You’re wasting your time, you know.”

She gave the woman a cold glare. Why can’t she just shut up? The urge to shoot her was already so overwhelming that it would take her only a nano-second’s hesitation before she shut her up permanently.

“The only way to deactivate the shield would be from my residence on the planet. You have effectively stranded yourself on my ship with fifty men outside that door waiting to rescue me.” The woman chuckled. “You’ve come full circle. You’ve run straight into the arms of the person you’ve fled from all those years ago. What do you have to say about that, my little flower?”

She pursed her lips as she focused her attention on what she was doing to stop her from killing Mother. It had been the woman’s idea to give them flower names. Violet, Iris, Lily, Marigold, Rose, Hyacinth, Jasmine and Daisy. She had been on Earth for almost eighteen months when she finally felt ready to find out more about where she had come from. Eight toddlers couldn’t have disappeared from the planet without a trace. The news feeds had carried the stories of their disappearances for almost five years before they had finally given up hope of finding the eight girls alive. Their parents had tried to keep their memories alive, but they too, had finally made peace with their loss. To this day, she hasn’t found the strength to contact her parents, although she knew exactly where they lived. She hadn’t been that ponytailed girl, clutching a long-eared rabbit in her arms, for a very long time. It was better, she had thought, to let them think that she was dead.

A soft whine filled the room and she snatched the man’s phaser and changed it to the stun function, before she shot Mother. The woman had trained them to think on their feet and most importantly when they were cornered. Mother’s eyes grew wide in shock as she crumpled to the floor. She couldn’t take the chance of Mother trying to hitchhike on the beam to return to her residence. It would be very difficult to apprehend the woman when she was back in an environment where she had the whole Homs government to protect her.  Two figures took shape under the beam and Norma’s cursed loudly when she saw that Margaret wasn’t amongst them. The pair stepped from the beam that was obviously kept on a loop.

“Where is she?” Her voice was oddly calm, but even she could pick up on the threatening edge in it. “You promised to take care of her.”

Lily swallowed hard. “She wanted to save us by drawing the fight away from us. I left the beam on a loop so she could use it once she returned to the control room.”

Norma took in the sight of the two and realized that they were both seriously injured. She reached for her locator and stuck it to Lily’s chest.

“There are fifty armed men behind that door. I suggest you contact the Spacefleet vessel and wait for our return there. Take Mother with you and let them throw her in the brig.” Without a backward glance, she went to stand on the podium.

***

Margaret peered around the corner, but quickly pulled her head back when a phaser strike passed a hair’s breadth from her forehead. Her phaser was running out of power and she was boxed in from both sides. Her exit route to the control room was cut off and the Windstar had yet to respond to her hails.

“We know you’re running low; surrender now and we’ll save your life.”

She glanced down at the phaser in her hand and grimaced. It had done its job. She had taken out almost fifteen hostiles and Lily and Joas were safe. At least she hoped they’d got away. She sighed. Her end would’ve come one way or another, but she hadn’t expected it to be so far away from home. Her mother would be devastated. They had last spoken the night before the attack on the Venetian. As was the norm nowadays, their conversations always ended on a tense note. The reason for that being Amanda Hewes. The chef wasn’t her mother’s pick of the ideal girlfriend for Margaret. Although Margaret had come to accept Amanda’s mood swings as part of her artistic temperament, her mother, though, thought the redhead to be rude and totally wrong for her. After two years of playing mediator, she was growing tired. That was one thing that needed urgent addressing. Were she to survive here, she would tell Amanda that they were doing good, but that they were capable of doing so much better—just not together. It has only been twenty hours to her estimation, but she’d had enough time to do some soul searching.

She didn’t want to go back to a strained relationship and an unhappy mother. She needed some change in her life. Freedom and happiness were what she wanted to strive for. Margaret bet her mother would be over the moon to hear that. To tell her meant that she would have to try hard to survive this. With her mind made up, Margaret sent a round of shots down the corridor. She grinned when she heard a shout of pain. That’s number sixteen. For the next forty seconds, she leaned back into the doorway as she took fire from both sides. The shooting suddenly stopped, then started up just as abruptly and Margaret frowned. They were shooting in the opposite direction. Hearing the shouts of pain and curses, she found herself wondering if she needed to be scared of what was coming towards her.  The shooting stopped again and she tightened the grip on her phaser. She didn’t have much power left, but she wasn’t going to down without a fight.

“Don’t shoot, Captain.”

Norma! She climbed to her feet. How did she get back here?

“Lieutenant Elkers? Is that you?”

“Yes, Captain.” The woman stepped around the corner and Margaret was shocked by her appearance. She was bloodied and her face was ashen. Just as she was about to step from her hiding place, concern for the young officer making her forget about where she was, Norma shouted a warning and she ducked just in time as a shot went over her head. Norma returned fire and came to crouch next to her. Up close, she looked even worse and Margaret could only stare at her. How such a young woman could be this brave and tough was unbelievable. She noticed that Norma was staring back at her just as penetratingly. It made her breath quicken and her stomach clench as she returned the look.

“You shouldn’t put yourself in danger like this, Captain.” The quiet tone held a wealth of frustration, but it didn’t show on the beautiful face.

“Last time I checked, I outranked you, Lieutenant,” she responded harshly. No matter what the circumstances were, she wouldn’t tolerate any challenge to her command. The dark eyes seemed to burn with rage then, just before the young woman leaned forward and kissed her hard on the mouth. Had she not been so shocked, she probably would’ve said something. Her mouth was otherwise occupied, too. The kiss was over quickly, but the tingling of her lips remained even after the woman had moved away and was returning fire.

“We need to get to the control room. Lily left the beam on a loop, but I’m not sure for how long before the government engineers override her code.”

“Ok.”

She shook her head mentally at the inane response. She had been chastised by a junior officer and when she reacted to that, said officer kissed her in anger and all she had to say was ‘ok’.

“Let’s go, Captain.”

They ran to the end of the corridor and caught the backs of two men as they scurried for a hiding place. Both she and Norma shot at them to scare them further down the corridor, but had to dive for cover, too, when the men turned to return fire. They were a few doors away from the control room now and she wondered if they should expect guards to be waiting for them in there.

“How many guards should we expect in the control room?”

“I locked it after I came through.”

After having fought for an hour straight to stay alive, the idea of simply locking a door to keep the bad guys out sounded almost comical to her.

“How?”

“I changed the code. They’ll have to override it if they want to get in. With everyone either dead or dying, no one will be trying anything like that soon.”

***

Norma was angry with herself. She was sure she had blown it when she had kissed the captain. Margaret had been angry as she had all the right to be when her command position was being challenged. For Norma to have retaliated by kissing her in helpless anger was stupid. She was sure that would not be the end of it. Captain Burkhouse would bring it up again and might even end with a write-up on her record. Her bosses wouldn’t be happy about this.

When they reached the control room, everything was as she had left it and they beamed over to Mother’s ship. Her head almost exploded when she found the wounded Torkan there, watching over an unconscious Mother. There was no sign of Lily. Had she misjudged the blonde’s loyalty?

“Why are you still here?”

The Torkan looked intimidated by her tone and she felt the captain push her aside to approach the alien.

“Joas? What happened?”

“I wanted to go get my family, but Lily insisted that she go instead.” He threw a concerned look at the door. “I heard a lot of phaser fire, but it went quiet about five minutes ago.”

“I’ll go see what’s keeping her,” Margaret offered.

“What?! No!”

Glacial blue eyes met hers and Norma knew that if the kiss hadn’t done the job, then she had just effectively alienated the captain forever.

“You remain here, Lieutenant, and keep an eye on the Doctor.”

“You can’t go out there alone. It’s not safe.”

“And I’m the ranking officer here and I’ve just issued an order.” The captain’s tone was hard. “Another word from you and I’ll make sure that you never wear a Spacefleet uniform ever again. Do I make myself clear?”

She nodded, but the cold gaze didn’t leave her face. “Aye, Captain.”

Raging silently, she watched as the older woman stared at the haphazard connections on the door. She knew she could sulk and leave the woman to make a fool of herself as she struggled with the door, but to her surprise, the door slid open less than a minute later. It would appear she was the only one who was a fool. She unclipped the locator from her chest and activated it.

“Windstar, come in.”

After a brief moment of static, there was a connection.

“Windstar, here.”

“Lieutenant Elkers. We are on an enemy vessel and have secured the transporter room, but the computer board is damaged. I have two people to transfer; the human female is a fugitive that needs to be held in the brig.”

“Yes, Lieutenant. Is the captain with you?”

“Not at the moment, but I plan to go and find her. Beam the locator back to this position upon receipt of the two.”

“Copy that, Lieutenant.”

She grabbed Mother and dragged her over to where the Torkan leaned against the bulkhead. She held out the locator to him. “You need to hold on to her, Doctor, for the double beam-out to work. Two to beam out, Lieutenant.”

The two dematerialized and Norma waited patiently for the locator to return. As soon as it appeared, she grabbed it and made for the door. The woman could have her court-martialed if she liked, but her life was more important to Norma than a uniform. She could work in a dark, rotten mine, for all she cared, as long as Captain Margaret Burkhouse was alive.

CHAPTER 5

Margaret stepped over several bodies as she made her way down the corridor which looked eerie with the red alert light flickering on the frozen faces of the dead guards. She was relieved when she turned off another corridor and didn’t encounter a similar macabre scene. Lily probably hadn’t come down this way, she thought as she moved briskly down the quiet passage. As she come to the end, she heard the hum of voices and quickly pulled back, only to bump into something solid. Turning around with her weapon ready to fire, she encountered Lieutenant Elkers. She pursed her lips in displeasure. The woman had disobeyed a direct order.

“Before you say anything, Captain. The Doctor and our captive are safe aboard the Windstar. I believed I could be of much better use by your side.”

That strange look was back in the dark eyes. After that unprovoked kiss on the planet, she had a better idea of the brunette’s intentions. Sadly, for Norma, she didn’t date subordinates nor was she interested in younger women. The sound of phaser fire erupted and they both snapped to attention.

“It came from down there,” Norma said as she stepped in front of Margaret.

“Lieutenant.” Margaret was livid. “If you don’t move out of my way, I will shoot you.”

The young woman quickly stepped back and had the grace to look embarrassed.

“I apologize, Captain.”

“Don’t let it happen again—ever.”

“Yes, Captain.” The shooting was getting closer and without waiting for any order, the brunette stepped around the corner and into the corridor, her phaser blazing. After taking a moment to calm herself, Margaret followed suit. Lily’s fire was pushing the guards towards them and she quickly instructed Norma to change her phaser settings to stun. She wasn’t going to slaughter these men unnecessarily. When they had felled the last man, they waited with their phasers drawn for Lily to make her appearance. The blonde peered around the corner and smiled broadly when she spotted them.

“Hi there.”

Margaret returned the smile as she walked over to hold up the swaying blonde. She will forever be amazed by the toughness of these young women. Lily had sustained another wound, but was shieling a petite Torkan woman and two small kids with her body. The Torkans looked shaken, but unharmed.

“Come; let’s get off this ship.”

“Good choice. I heard them calling in reinforcements and there should be Homs ships advancing on our location.”

Their ragtag group made it to the transporter room just as the ship was rocked by a phaser canon. With two locators between them, they created a chain and requested a beam-out. Margaret was immediately swamped by her three officers, sporting identical expressions of relief on their faces.

“Welcome back on board, Captain,” Lieutenant Mika Killian said with a wide smile.

“Thank you, Lieutenant. Please see to our guests.”

“Doctor Joas is already being treated by Lieutenant Chase.” He looked at Norma with shocked eyes. “How…how are you still standing, Lieutenant Elkers?”

“Adrenaline, Lieutenant.”

He nodded, a gleam of admiration in his eyes. “Please, follow me, Lieutenant.”

With everyone taken to the small medical center, Margaret walked over to Lieutenant Osbourne at the helm.

“Get us out of here and to the nearest point in friendly space, Paul.”

“Aye, Captain.”

The powerful space charger leapt into action and she threw herself into a nearby chair with a sigh. She couldn’t help but feel that the hardest part of the mission still lay ahead of her. She’s had her run-ins with the Spacefleet top brass over the years and she was sure the arrival of the Venetian without its captain must’ve caused quite a stir.

***

A presence next to her cot made her open her eyes to find Lily standing there. The blonde looked much better after a day of bedrest and the full attention of the Spacefleet doctor on board. The syndicate had been well-equipped, but she felt they had always skimped on good doctors with gentle bedside manners.

“How do you feel, flower girl?”

Norma grinned at the name. They had taken to calling each other that as they were growing up. Since their names had basically been weaponized, they had wanted something softer and nicer to call each other. It had been Hyacinth’s idea.

“Rested. I must say that whatever that doctor had put in his serum, got the work done. Don’t you have any more left for reproduction?”

Lily shook her head. “No, but I’m sure he would love to work with an organization that promotes peace and prosperity. As expected, the syndicate wanted his serum for an opposite purpose.”

“Not a bad idea.” The Peacekeeping Corps was beginning to grow faster now that the Alliance was showing favorable gains and stability; more positions were becoming available weekly. She grinned up at her childhood friend.

“How about you? Wouldn’t you like to promote peace and prosperity across the galaxy? We could use someone like you?”

Lily raked her fingers through her hair. “I don’t know if I’m cut out for a life with rules and regulations. By the way, the absence of Mother gives me an opportunity to travel some more and see what’s out there before I think of settling down. We’re still young enough to have a little fun before things get too serious.” There was a naughty twinkle in Lily’s eye. “The same can’t be said for you, though. You’re already settled into a job and you have your sights on your own Cary Grant.”

Norma sighed inwardly. In the day since she had been laid up in the medical center, the captain hasn’t once been by to check up on her. What did she really expect? The woman was older and already well-established in her life and career. She wouldn’t be tempted by a young, start-up with a lack of respect for authority and a horrific past.

“I’ve probably been too starstruck to realize that I’m wasting my time here.” She never thought she would ever utter those words; yet, here she was. Facing the facts.

Lily shrugged. “Maybe not. All I know is that I’ve never seen you feel so deeply for someone. You shouldn’t give up, Norma.” Lily smiled gently. “There are people who are living real-life fairytale romances, complete with happy endings.”

Norma doubted these people had set their sight as high as Margaret Burkhouse; the most unattainable woman on Earth.

“I can actually see you trying to talk yourself out of this thing. Lick your wounds and feel sorry for yourself, but afterwards, go get the woman and make her understand that you’ve already picked your baby’s name and on which side of the bed you would prefer to sleep.”

The image of her cornering the towering, solemn woman with that, was funny, but it also made her sex tingle pleasantly thinking of making babies with the captain.

“You’re right. I shouldn’t give up. If this works, I want you to be my child’s godmother.” She swallowed back a sudden urge to cry when Lily glanced away, but not before she had seen the sheen of tears in her green eyes. “Is that too much, Lil?”

Lily wiped at her eyes and smiled. “No; it’s a huge honor.”

“Good.” She wiped at her own eyes. “Tell me more about Robin.”

That afternoon, she was discharged by the doctor, who, to her biggest surprise, thanked her for having kept their captain safe. Her return to her shuttle and familiar environment helped to restore her balance and reinforced her decision to seduce the reluctant Captain Burkhouse.

“Where should I drop you off, Lily?”

The blonde smiled. “Anywhere will do.”

“Do you think Robin would like some goldfish? Are they even allowed to keep pets at their school?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe I should ask her.”

“Good. I have to make a quick stop to pay a visit to our dear Marigold.” She wanted to kick the hell out of the woman for having set her up and for putting innocent children through the same hell they had to go through. She also knew that Mother had something to do with the attack on the Venetian although the woman hadn’t come out and said so. Their motivations were still unknown.

***

The woman’s eyes were blank as they stared back at her and Margaret had to fight the urge not to grab Mother by the neck. She had caused immense pain to eight families on Earth when she had their daughters kidnapped. She then proceeded to turn those innocent girls into fearsome killers, using the cruelest means possible.

“I would advise you to cooperate if you hope to receive a warmer welcome where you’re going.”

The woman’s lips curled into a taunting smile. “We’re not there, yet, Captain.”

The remark made Margaret leave her chair and access the intercom system near the door.

“Lieutenant Chase, could you please join me in the brig. Bring your bio-scanner with you.” She turned back to the woman and noticed that her lips were pursed now. “If you don’t want to be caught, you shouldn’t underestimate your adversaries, Mary-Ann.” The woman’s head jerked back as if she had been slapped hard across the face. Not many knew her name, but Margaret had spent a full day digging into Earth’s archives for a woman with Mother’s features and cross-referenced them with missing people during a determined period. The name of Mary-Ann Pierson had come up as a woman who had gone missing twenty years ago during an intergalactic cruise. She had been sixteen at the time of her disappearance and was never heard from again, until today.

“Did you truly think your identity would remain a secret forever?” Margaret took her seat and leaned back comfortably. “We’ve crossed into friendly space early this morning and your relatives have already been informed of your capture.” Mother’s face grew pale as she sat, staring. “So, Mary-Ann, will you…”

“Don’t call me that,” the older woman hissed at her.

“In that case, why not cooperate with us?” She leaned closer. “I hear they are not very fond of child molesters and kidnappers in penal colonies.”

The woman’s eyes blazed with hatred. “I should’ve had you killed when I had the chance.”

That was news to Margaret. She hadn’t even known that she has had a contract out on her life.

“That only shows how inept you are without the backing of your syndicate.”

“Had it not been for the bitch, Violet, who interfered, you won’t be here running your mouth. You should thank her when you…”

The doors slid open to reveal Lieutenant Chase. Margaret nodded at Mother.

“Scan her for trackers, if you find any shock her to neutralize them.”

“You wouldn’t dare…” Mother began, but Margaret was already out the door and on her way to the transport room. “Where is Lieutenant Elkers?” she asked Paul, who was busy updating the computer board.

“She left a couple hours ago, Captain. Said she had one more stop to make before she returned to Earth.”

“Can you track her ship?”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Good. I need to contact Headquarters, but I want you to track where she is going and to set a course.”

“Aye, Captain.”

She had suspected that the woman wasn’t telling her everything, but to keep the news of her own attempted assassination from her was pushing it. She wanted answers while they were still away from Earth and before Margaret was outranked by the admirals and Peacekeepers Corps bosses and blocked from acquiring further information.

***

“Can you believe it?” Norma exclaimed as she studied the fish. “They look bigger than the last time I’ve seen them. Is that even possible?” She glanced over her shoulder at Marigold, completely ignoring the phaser in the woman’s hand. Marigold had shot to her feet the moment Norma had tossed her burly guard with door and all into the office.

“What do you want, Violet?”

She sighed as she turned to face the redhead. ‘Norma. I go by Norma now.”

“I don’t give a fig what you call yourself. Why are you here?” Marigold appeared a little pale and there was a slight tremble in the hand holding the phaser.

“I simply wanted to give you an update on my visit to Homer. A little uptight the Homs, if you ask me. But it would seem they had been expecting me.” She slapped her forehead. “At first, I was surprised by it, you know. Then it began to make sense. You have set me up.” She smiled broadly. “I must tell you that you haven’t lost your edge at all. You’re still the backstabbing cow I know.”

“You threatened me. What did you expect?”

“You’re right. That was rather stupid of me.” She approached the woman and saw her finger tighten around the trigger. “I have one question, though, before I let Lily blow your little establishment to smithereens. Why attack a Spacefleet ship if you wanted to catch me?”

Marigold looked a little surprised before she blinked. “You don’t know? I thought you captured Mother.”

“I did, but you know how much she loves small talk.”

Marigold chuckled. “If she hasn’t said anything to you, then the plan was successful.”

Her eyes must’ve given her intention away, but before Marigold could react, Norma struck. The sound of a bone breaking sounded loud in the quiet office.

“You broke my arm!” Marigold screamed as she looked down at her limb hanging limply by her side and the phaser that had fallen at her feet. It had taken some effort to move and snap the bone and Norma felt her recovering wounds protesting a little.

“Oh, that must hurt.” She kicked out at Marigold’s knee and the woman howled in pain. “I heard to distract you from your pain, you should create another injury. Is it working?”

“You…you…”

“I know. Now, tell me what the plan was or I’ll have to break your other arm to distract you from the pain in your arm and knee.”

“I won’t…” She gasped loudly when Norma’s fist connected with her nose.

“You were saying?”

Marigold’s eyes glittered with anger and hatred. A thin trickle of blood ran from her nostril to stain her tunic. “They wanted to get both you and that Captain off Earth, so they could break someone out of prison.”

“Who?” Marigold pursed her lips. “I will not ask you again.”

“Helmont.”

Norma nodded slowly as the pieces began to fall into place. Mother had mentioned something about rebuilding the syndicate. Only, she wasn’t going to bring in fresh blood, she had wanted it exactly the way it had been before.

“Shall I assume she had hoped to capture me to work for her again?”

Marigold wiped the blood from her nose. “I told her it was a stupid idea.”

“You were right. You know what else was stupid?” Norma asked as she walked over to the fish tank and looking around, spotted a small net. She dumped the flowers from a nearby vase and filled it with water from the tank before she scooped the fish inside. “Setting me up wasn’t very smart. I absolutely detest being shot at.”

“What are you doing? Where are you taking my fish?”

She threw the net into the tank when she was done and walked to the door. “I told you before; fish don’t do well in explosions. Humans fair even worse. Perhaps you should make a move and get the hell out. The moment Lily sees me leaving the place, she’s gonna light it up.”

“I hate you!” Marigold shouted as she hobbled to the door. “I’ll get you back for this; I promise you.”

“I know.”

A large group of dancers and patrons were gathered outside when she exited the building, a cursing Marigold following behind her.

“For your own safety, I would recommend you all run for cover lest you get blown up with this dump.” The crowd dispersed immediately and she grinned when she could make out the distinct sound of a photon canon coming towards the building. The explosion was deafening and the power cause her to stumble a little and cradle the fish protectively as she calmly walked away.

“You’ll never…” Marigold coughed where she lay on her stomach in the dirt. “…you’ll never capture Helmont now he’s escaped. He is long gone.”

“I know,” she tossed over her shoulder. “I’ll see you soon, Marigold, to talk about those kids you’re holding captive. They better have been returned to their families, unharmed, when I come back.” She stopped then to give the woman a hard stare. “I’m dead serious, by the way.”

Lily was waiting in the shuttle for her when she arrived. She placed the fish aside and smiled at her friend.

“I guess this is goodbye?”

The blonde shrugged. “I thought that maybe I could go visit Robin and find out for myself if they allowed pets.”

“That’s a great idea.”

“I think so, too. However, we’ve been hailed by the Windstar while you were gone.”

Margaret! Did something happen? She patched them through to the Spacefleet vessel. Her shoulder sagged with relief when she saw the captain’s face.

“You hailed us, Captain.”

“We need to talk, Lieutenant. We’ll rendezvous with you two light years from where you are now. Lieutenant Killian will send through the coordinates.”

“Aye, Captain.” The screen went blank as she turned to Lily, who looked back at her with raised eyebrows.

“She didn’t look very happy.”

“I saw that, too. Let’s go find out what I did wrong this time?”

***

Lily smiled tightly as she greeted Margaret and soon afterwards, beamed herself over the Windstar to visit with Joas. That left only the quiet brunette who was watching her with an inscrutable expression on her face.

“When were you going to tell me that Mother had tried to have me killed?”

“Did she…uh…tell you that?”

“Yes. More like in a ‘she-wished-you-hadn’t-been-there-to-thwart-her-plans’ kind of way. When was this and why wasn’t I informed? Did you know they were trying to have me assassinated and didn’t alert Spacefleet?” Margaret was getting angry the more the thought about it. She had the right to know. Dammit!

“I didn’t know they planned to eliminate you, Captain. The attempt was made a year ago on Oldair. You and a friend were visiting the Swinging Pillars of Ephers when I noticed a man following you. I intercepted him before he could cause you or your friend any harm.”

A year ago? That recent? She took so little time off that she immediately remembered the occasion. Amanda had been invited to the planet to cater for a wedding of a prominent Earth politician. She had begged Margaret to accompany her and to avoid another argument Margaret had gone with her. Though that still didn’t explain Norma’s presence.

“Why were you there, Lieutenant?”

The woman looked away but not before she spotted the slight reddening of her cheeks.

“I was taking a break too, Captain.”

Margaret felt a strange sensation in her stomach as she slowly began to put the pieces together.

“Were you following me, Lieutenant Elkers?” The red had extended to the young woman’s neck.

“Of course not, Captain. I saw you and being an admirer, I planned to introduce myself.”

The silence in the cockpit was deep as they looked at each other.

“Was that why you kissed me on Homer, Lieutenant?”

The woman quickly averted her gaze and just like that, Margaret had her answer. She felt an odd sadness fill her chest as she looked at Norma. She was beautiful, brave and smart, yet Margaret knew that nothing would come of the woman’s infatuation. She was too young and had only just been reintegrated into society. She wasn’t sure if Norma needed the distraction of a relationship with an older woman at such a crucial junction in her life. She had to do this, even though she felt like a cad for what she was about to do.

“I was young once, Lieutenant, and I can attest to the fact that I had developed several short-lived crushes on my superiors over the years.” She hated how preachy she sounded, but she wanted to be tactful and not hurt the young officer’s feelings unnecessary.

“This is not a crush,” the woman said in a soft, but firm tone.

It made her hesitate. She hadn’t expected that. Which, come to think of it, was rather stupid of her. If she looked back to the grueling twenty hours they had spent on that planet, almost every act by the young Lieutenant had been to protect her. Even Lily’s many warnings made sense now. Violet will kill me if something happens to you. Violet is not someone you want coming after you. And then there was the kiss and the strange look in the dark eyes when she came to rescue her. Norma actually came back for her; shot up and bleeding. Margaret’s heart felt like breaking.

“Lieutenant…”

“It’s fine, Captain. I understand. You don’t have to worry about being bothered by me again.”

The brunette’s face was back to its blank expression, but Margaret swear she could spot a hint of pain in her eyes.

“I have new information about the attack on the Venetian. It would seem that Mother and the remaining members of the Borkon syndicate had been planning a prison break and for that, they needed both of us off the planet. You for your tenacious pursuit of the Borkon and me, for knowing their strategies and potentially derailing their plan.”

It was difficult to switch from an emotionally-charged moment to work, but if that was what would help Norma get over this quickly, then so be it.

“Who did they plan to break out?”

“Helmont.”

Margaret reached for her locator. “We need to warn Headquarters.”

“That won’t be necessary. Helmont was killed four months ago in a prison brawl by a relative of one of the syndicate’s victims.”

She gaped at Norma. How much was being kept from Spacefleet? “And we weren’t informed?”

“Spacefleet Admirals were made aware of the death, Captain.” The tone was crisp and cool and Margaret wasn’t sure that she liked this impersonal side of Norma. She decided to leave things the way they were and hoped that one day they would both forget about this moment and the conversation that preceded it.

“I will take it up with them, Lieutenant. Good work. I’ll make sure to leave a recommendation in your file.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

As Margaret beamed over to the Windstar, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had just made a grave mistake.

***

She ignored the knock on the door, which followed the soft chimes that had also gone unanswered.

“Don’t let me bypass your code, because you know I can.”

Norma sighed and rolled onto her side. A day had passed since the ‘talk’ with Captain Burkhouse. With the mission completed, there had been no reason for them to remain in contact and she had pushed her shuttle to put as much space between her and the older woman. They should enter Earth’s atmosphere within the next few hours and then she could drown herself in her work and begin the process of purging the woman from her heart and mind.

The door slid open and the bed dipped behind her as Lily took a seat on it. A gentle hand caressed her back and she blinked back the tears that threatened to fall.

“Hey. I’ve made us something to eat. Why don’t you join me for dinner?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Oh, Norma, you haven’t…”

“It’s Violet; my name is Violet.” There was a stunned silence and then she felt a firm hand on her shoulder as she was rolled over to look up at her friend.

“Your name is Norma. That’s the name the Academy and your friends know you by. Nothing will change that; not even a hot captain who is as blind as a bat.” Lily tenderly wiped at her eyes and Norma was shocked to find that she was crying. “By the way, Violet wasn’t a very happy girl, compared to Norma. The world has so much more to offer Norma than Violet.”

She sat up and burrowed into her friend’s arms, craving closeness and warmth. It felt so cold and lonely in her misery. The hypnotic caress on her back helped her relax and she slowly pulled back to look into Lily’s eyes. The green eyes held a sympathetic look.

“Don’t even think about it, flower girl. First of all; I don’t bat for your team, and secondly, you’ll be disappointed, because it’s not me you really want. I’m too short to be a Cary Grant.”

Norma dropped her head on Lily’s shoulder as she considered her future without the captain. “What am I going to do now, Lil?”

The blonde stood. “You’re going to come have dinner with me. Then you’ll pilot this shuttle home and we’ll go out and get drunk.”

Not very exciting, but it was better than moping at home. “OK. What’s for dinner?

“I don’t know; something in a foreign language. It sounded nice.”

She rolled her eyes as she stood to follow her friend out of the cabin. Their dinner was a very well programmed Moroccan dish and Norma felt a little better afterwards, thanks to a nice glass of wine and good company.

Four hours later, Norma was nursing her fourth beer and squinting up at the long, naked legs of the dancer. Their return trip had been successfully logged and the shuttle docked at their assigned hanger at the shipyard before she had dragged Lily to an old academy haunt of hers. She used to come here with her friends, but now most of them were assigned to vessels and were either on patrol or quelling unrested on other parts of the planet. Lily made for an excellent companion and was picking the dancers she wanted Norma to tip. The blonde would blush a deep red every time Norma would tip a dancer by tapping her credit plate on the inner thigh of a dancer where the clever woman had taped her payment collector.

“Should I get you some water?”

She glared at the blonde. “Why? I’m perfectly fine.”

“If you say so, but you do realize that you’re checking out somebody’s wife and that the significant other is getting riled up.”

Norma smiled. “He should learn not to bring his hot wife to a place like this. Here, it’s open season, my dear. She’s gonna get stared at.”

“Uh…Norma, I think we should leave before there is trouble.”

“Trouble? Really, Lil? Trouble is my middle name.” She had barely uttered the word when her head jerked back and pain exploded in her head. “What the…” she spat a mouthful of blood out and stood to look up at a giant of a man. “You, sir, are gonna get your ass whipped properly for hitting a lady.”

“Oh, really. I don’t see a lady around her, except for a drunken dyke…”

“Remember; you asked for it,” she said as she dodged the man’s ham-like fist and punched him hard in the groin. He went down with a howl, clutching his genitals and leaving the rest of him wide open. She boxed his ears and when he reached up to cover them, she delivered a hard kick to his groin. When he moved his hands downwards, she boxed his ears once again.

“What the hell is going on here?”

She looked up with a wide smile of pure pleasure to encounter blazing dark blue eyes that were almost black from rage.

“Captain Burkhouse? What…what are you…?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but this is a shortcut to my home. I heard the commotion and wanted to assist the owner, only to find you to be the culprit.”

She looked down at the man who had tears and snot running down his face; looking utterly pathetic and she turned back to the captain. “He started it, Captain. I was only defending myself.”

“She is speaking the…”

“Quiet, Lily!” The captain looked around her and she followed her gaze. Everyone was looking at them. “You’re supposed to set an example as a Spacefleet officer instead you act like some drunken hooligan in a public setting.” There was disappointment and rage on the older woman’s face. “You should be ashamed of yourself, Lieutenant.”

A man stepped forward. “Lieutenant Karl Mensies, Captain. If I may speak freely, ma’am.”

“You may,” Captain Burkhouse snapped.

“The Lieutenant was telling the truth, Captain. She was attacked without provocation by the gentleman.”

In her drunken state, Norma made a point to remember to thank the Lieutenant for speaking up.

“That doesn’t excuse her behavior. Security, lock this man up for assault and you,” she turned to Norma. “...you two come with me.”

Norma took a step forward and almost immediately doubled over to vomit. Unfortunately for her, the captain’s shiny boots were in the way.

“Oh, man! Now you’ve gone and done it, Norma,” Lily muttered under her breath.

CHAPTER 6

“You do realize the seriousness of the situation, Captain Burkhouse,” the gray-haired man said as he squinted at her. “You abandoned your post to pursue a faceless enemy. That is not the actions of an experienced and celebrated captain. Least of all, the commander of our fleet’s flagship.”

It cost her to keep her cool as she listened to the man. It was going on three hours now and not one of the members of the disciplinary committee had acknowledged the fact that her mission had been successful in capturing the culprits. Margaret was tired of keeping quiet and taking these blind punches.

“Permission to speak freely, Admiral Bailey?”

“Yes.”

“I left the ship in the experienced and trustworthy hands of my First Officer, Commander Jordan Light, once I was sure that the danger had passed. I left promptly so as not to lose track of our attackers, sir.”

The admiral harrumphed as he looked at his three colleagues, all of them wearing looks of displeasure. She was sure it was because she had corrected them. Had they really not learned from their previous interactions with her? She wasn’t easily intimidated.

“Semantics, Captain Burkhouse. You’ve abandoned your post and left your crew to fend for themselves. That is what it looks like from where we stand. Your father at least had the dignity to go down with his ship.”

Her breath got stuck in her throat as she felt her rage surface and she noticed an almost gleeful gleam in the Admiral’s eyes. He had wanted to bait her and was waiting for her to respond. This was what her mother had warned her against. Spacefleet had long lost its credibility when it became an institution that could be bought by money and prestige. Her father had been a victim of the greed of these men and women, most of them not having served a day in their lives, but rich enough to have bought themselves a rank.

“I understand, Admiral.” She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that his barb had hit home and was burrowing even deeper as she speak. “I take full responsibility for my actions, sir.”

“As you should, Captain. After careful consideration and taking into account your experience and time served, we’ve concluded that a temporary demotion was in order.”

She stood there, not showing any emotion as the man continued.

“You will relinquish command of the Venetian to Captain Dorian Matfield with immediate effect. You will also submit your Captain insignia and in turn collect those of Lieutenant for the next twelve months. Once your temporary demotion period has expired, you will be expected to compete with everyone else for a command position.” The man gave her a fake look of regret. “I know it sounds harsh, Captain Burkhouse, but we need to set an example for the next generation. You are dismissed.”

She saluted. “Thank you, Admiral.” With a slightly shaky hand, she removed her Captain insignia and place it on the desk before her. Margaret held her head high as she walked briskly from the room.

She needed a drink.

Urgently.

***

Norma was taking a sip of her water when there was a knock on the door.

“Enter.”

The door opened to reveal a tall alien with a long silvery mane and bright blue eyes. Norma hastily set her water aside and shot to her feet.

“Lord Bunq?”

He waved her back into her seat which she took almost hesitantly. She reported to the man, via a number of advisers of course, but this was the first time that the Head of the Galactic Security Council personally sought her out.

“Can I get you anything, sir? Perhaps something to drink?”

He shook his head. “You have a very tough-as-nails reputation, Lieutenant Elkers, but I must say seeing you like this…” He chuckled softly.

She blushed as she took her seat. “I apologize, sir.”

“No need for apologies. I need your help in coming up with a strategy to lure someone into our fold.”

Norma wasn’t sure she liked the use of the term ‘lure’. It sounded vague and not very legal.

“I don’t understand, sir.”

The man stroked his long white beard. “I want Lieutenant Burkhouse to come work for us.”

Lieutenant? “I believe her correct rank is Captain, sir. Captain Burkhouse.”

“Not anymore, Lieutenant. She was demoted for abandoning her ship during an active threat to its wellbeing and that of the crew.”

Norma’s jaw dropped at hearing that. What? That’s not true. Margaret would never do that. The woman was possibly the best captain in the whole of Spacefleet. And to be demoted two ranks lower was an insult to such a decorated officer. Heck, demotion itself was an insult.

“I don’t know what to say, sir.”

“Tell me how we can get her to come work for us.”

The last time she had seen the woman, she had thrown up all over her shoes and had been ordered home to sleep it off. She didn’t even know that the captain would be court-martialed. Not when she had apprehended the perpetrators. Mother was a huge fish in the galaxy’s criminal pond. What a messed-up organization Spacefleet had become. If she would get away with it, she would like to send them a massive stink bomb and…

“I should remind you. Lieutenant, that I can read your thoughts when they are as loud as yours are right now,” Lord Bunq said with amusement in his voice. “Did you really throw up on her shoes?”

She was so embarrassed she could barely get a word out as she blinked at the smiling man.

“I…uh…yes, sir. It was an unfortunate accident.”

“Almost all accidents are, my dear. Now, what do you think? How can we approach her?”

“I’m not sure if she would want to join us. She comes from a long list of former Spacefleet officers and she would probably never give up on winning her command back. She doesn’t give up easily.”

“That is what I’ve heard about her. It makes me more eager to bring her in as our Grand Admiral overseeing all operations and departments.”

That was a much higher position than the Spacefleet Admirals. She would oversee operations across the galaxy pertaining to the twenty-seven member planets, including Earth. She smiled to herself. If Margaret accepted, she would outrank those idiots who had humiliated her.

“Let me see what I can do, sir.”

“That is all I’m asking, Lieutenant.” He stood and walked to the door. “By the way, perhaps it is time for you to reconsider your ties to Spacefleet and consider this your permanent home.” He left without waiting for a response.

***

The image on the screen was a little hazy and she wiped at her eyes only to realize that they were wet. She wasn’t even aware that she had been crying.

“Are you okay?”

“No.”

There was a long silence. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Margaret shook her head as she took a large gulp of her drink. Instead of visiting a restaurant or a bar, she had come home and rummaged through her cupboards for a bottle of genuine Irish whiskey. It had been her father’s favorite drink and they would meet every Saturday, if possible, to share a drink and trade war stories. Then he died and she found she couldn’t stomach the drink anymore. Until today.

“You’ve been demoted to Lieutenant, Maggie. Whatever you did must’ve really been bad. Please, tell me.”

She sighed and after another long drink, gave Amanda a summary of the past week. When she had wrapped up her account, she noticed that Amanda’s face was pinched. It felt good to know that someone was feeling her anger at the unjust treatment she had been subjected to.

“What were you thinking?”

She blinked in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“You abandoned your ship at a crucial time. I wish I could be on your side, but I think you need to take responsibility for…”

“An admiral was killed during an attack on my ship, Amanda. It was my duty to catch the perpetrators and bring them to justice—which I did. If I hadn’t set off after them, I don’t think we would’ve ever been able to capture them.”

Amanda looked skeptical. “According to you. The admirals don’t see it that way.”

She slammed her hand on the table, jostling the screen. “Those admirals have no idea what it means to be in the field and lead a crew. They are administrative heads who were elected into their positions.”

“I can’t talk to you when you’re like this.”

She took a deep breath to calm herself. “Like what, Amanda? Frustrated at having been unfairly judged? The ship was in safe hands and operational enough to return to Earth, under escort, while I tried to capture our attackers.”

Amanda shook her head and looked off-screen. “We’re talking in circles, Maggie. I have to be somewhere now.”

Margaret couldn’t help but feel the brush-off. “Will you come by later tonight? I could use some company?”

“I…I think it’s better if you take tonight to think and decide what you want for your future. I’ll talk to you soon, ok.” The screen went black and she closed her eyes. She didn’t want to look for a scapegoat for her anger, but she couldn’t help to wonder if this was the side of Amanda that her mother had been talking about all this time? Aloof and unsupportive? She tossed her drink down and stood on unsteady legs to walk over to where the bottle stood on the kitchen counter. She’d have her a liquid dinner and crawl into bed. The thinking could wait for tomorrow. With a fresh drink in hand, she threw herself on the couch, spilling almost a quarter of her drink on her. With a sloppy shrug, she brought the glass to her lips and drank deeply.

The silence was pierced by her door chime and she groaned. Margaret didn’t want it to be her mother. She decided to ignore the chime and after a few moments, a loud knocking sounded. Afraid that it might disturb her neighbors, she climbed to her feet and stumbled to the door.

“Who is it?”

“Lieutenant Elkers, Captain.”

She snorted at the title. “I’m afraid you’re at the wrong place, Lieutenant. There is no Captain in residence here.”

The hesitation was brief. “Let in me, Margaret.”

She blinked at the young woman’s gall to call her by her name. It was also surprising how her name sounded different coming from the young officer.

“I won’t leave until I’ve had a chance to talk with you, Captain.”

Captain again! She opened the door and studied the woman standing on her doorstep. She was still dressed in her uniform and Margaret’s eyes fell on the lieutenant insignia. She had forgotten to collect hers earlier. The need for a drink took precedence.

“Good evening, Captain.”

“It’s Lieutenant now, Lieutenant Elkers.”

“Not to me, it isn’t. May I please come in?”

She had wanted company as she had told Amanda. As long as it wasn’t her mother, she was fine with anyone. She took a step back and opened the door wider for the woman to enter. She caught a whiff of a soft, enticing scent as Norma passed her and Margaret inhaled it deeply. She liked it.

“So,” she asked as he closed the door and turned to the brunette. “What brings you here, Lieutenant?”

Norma was taking in the interior of her apartment, but faced her when she spoke. The dark eyes raked over Margaret, lingering on the wet spot on her chest, before they met hers.

“I heard what happened and I wanted to come and see if you needed anything.”

“News travels fast.”

“Bad news travels even faster.” The woman cocked her head to the side as she studied her and Margaret felt like she was trying to look right through her. “Aren’t you going to appeal the verdict?”

“What use would it be. If the news is already out there then I can just as well accept it and move on from here.”

“You’re giving up, then?”

She felt a stirring of annoyance at the implication that she was a quitter, but the anger fizzled out and died just as quickly. She didn’t have the energy to fight anymore. All she wanted to do was to get drunk and sleep.

“Is there a point to this,” she asked as she walked over to pick up her glass and downed the contents.

“Yes.” She jumped slightly went the woman spoke from very close behind her. She had forgotten how quiet the woman moved. “If you’re not going to fight, then you need to get even with them.”

Margaret frowned. “Get even with them? What does that even mean?” She turned to find Norma watching her with that same intensity in her eyes that made her stomach do funny flips.

“First, we need to get you something to eat, clean you up and then we talk.”

“What! You’re not serious. You come into my house and…” She didn’t get to speak further, because Norma had captured her lips in a soft, but firm kiss.

***

Norma’s legs threatened to give out as she kissed the other woman. This wasn’t what she had intended, but the woman tasted delicious. It was an excellent whisky she was consuming. She reluctantly ended the kiss and held the stunned blue eyes for a moment longer.

‘My apologies, Captain, but I needed to get you to stop talking and I know that kissing you is quite an effective tool.”

The older woman swallowed visibly and licked her lips, an act that made Norma grow wet as she watched her.

“So, it’s a habit of yours to kiss women into submission?”

“No. I’ve never tried it with anyone but you before.” She noticed that the blue eyes grew a shade darker and she took a deep breath. “Let me prepare you some dinner, while you change your tunic and then we can talk while we eat.” She expected Margaret to tell her to leave, but instead, the woman nodded. Her easy acquiescence, a sign that the older woman was tired of fighting, made Norma angry. A true warrior like Margaret Burkhouse didn’t deserve such an injustice. With slightly stooping shoulders, Margaret walked down the corridor to what Norma assumed was her bedroom. Her jaws were clenched as she walked over to the processor to program their dinner.

The pasta Alfredo was on the table with a green salad and crusty garlic bread when she looked at the chronometer on the wall. Ten minutes had gone by and still, the captain was not back from changing her tunic. She’ll give her two more minutes before she’ll go investigate. A minute of the two minutes had passed and Norma shot to her feet and walked down the corridor.

“Captain?” There was no answer and her anxiety grew as she pushed the door open. The shower was running in the en-suite and she gently knocked against the door. Once again, she received no answer. Her hand shook when she opened the door and exhaled with relief when she spotted the captain’s naked frame through the frosted glass. Since the woman appeared not to be aware of her presence, she turned to leave only to come up short as a trembling sob reached her ears. Her heart broke at the sound and her instinct to protect this woman with her life and heart pushed her forward and she slid the glass door aside to step in under the warm spray. Margaret looked up in shock, but Norma quickly pulled her into her arms to hold her tightly against her, wanting to absorb her pain. Finally, Margaret’s arms circled her waist as she clung to her. Norma didn’t know for long how they stood holding each other, but her own tears flowed as she listened to the broken sobs of the other woman. Rage and helplessness warred inside her, but it was the powerful urge to harm those who have dared to hurt this woman, who meant the universe to her, that scared her most. When the water began to run cool, she gently guided the woman from the shower cubicle and wrapped her in a thick towel before she pulled her back into her arms. She was almost sure at the moment that she needed the embrace more, to keep her from storming out of here and finding those admirals and skin them alive.

“I need to get dressed.”

The hoarse words pulled her from her violent musings and she reluctantly released Margaret. Their eyes held and a wealth of emotion and words passed between them at that moment.

“I’ll go warm up our food,” she murmured as she stepped back.

“You need to change, too.”

She looked down at herself and noticed that her nipples were straining against her wet uniform. When she looked at Margaret, she noticed that the woman’s eyes were also leveled on her chest. The air in the room suddenly felt lighter as she experienced a slight spell of vertigo. The blue eyes were still focused on her chest and she felt her nipples contract further under the inspection. She swallowed a moan when Margaret’s eyes moved up to her face and their eyes locked again. The hunger in the woman’s eyes made her body heat up with expectation. The seconds dragged on between them as they stared at each other. Not able to bear the tension any longer, Norma reached out and taking Margaret’s hand, placed it over her breast. Her knees buckled when two fingers found and rolled the hardened tip between them. A gush of liquid heat soaked her underwear and she ached for more. With a shaky hand, she took Margaret’s other hand and slid it past the band of her trousers into her panties. The older woman’s mouth was open in a soft gasp; her pupils dilated. A thin line of cobalt blue circled dark pupils. The hand in her undies moved deeper to cup her intimately.

“Oh…Margaret…” She needed to feel more. With a deep growl, she reached down and tore at her trousers and felt them sliding down her legs to pool at her feet. Her undies followed and she widened her stance to allow Margaret’s hand more room. She threw her head back when a finger entered her and curled upward to tap against the tight wall. “More…Give me more, Margaret.” Another finger joined her inside and she lifted her leg to hook it around the other woman’s waist to allow for deeper penetration. Margaret went so deep, and Norma panted with each thrust to offset the fullness she felt in her sex, her chest and her heart.

***

Margaret was mad with lust as she pumped her fingers into Norma, reveling at the soft cries and pants as she pleasured her. This was exhilarating and she shrugged the towel off. She wanted to feel Norma’s skin against hers.

“Remove your tunic,” she ordered sharply and a tremor went through the younger woman’s body at the order. She pulled her fingers out and ran them through the slick wetness as she watched Norma struggle to undo her uniform tunic. “Now, Norma!”

With a helpless cry, the brunette tore wildly at the clothing until she was finally free of it. Margaret pulled the woman close and briefly, closed her eyes at the sensation of the smooth skin and soft breasts pressing against her own. She walked backwards until the back of her legs hit the bed. As she sat down, Norma quickly straddled her lap, taking her fingers in deeply. The woman’s moans echoed through the room as she pumped her hips wildly, alternating between quick, short thrusts and long, unhurried ones that made her eyes roll back and made her moan even louder. All the while, Margaret watched this siren with her panting mouth, trembling breasts and beguiling sex as she fought not to let out a primitive shout of conquest. The woman made her feel things she had never experienced before. She opened her mouth to take a nipple into her mouth and flicked the tip of her tongue over the rough surface.

“Oh…oh! Ohhh….” Norma's hips lost their rhythm as her thighs began to tremble and her eyes grew even wider.

Not ready to let her off the hook yet, Margaret removed her hand and smiled at the loud protestations coming from Norma.

“Lie down.” She watched the woman crawling over the bed to throw herself on her back, her arms outstretched. With a happy sigh, Margaret lowered herself on top of her lover and kissed her deeply. The kissing dragged on until she felt the trembling in Norma’s body subsiding. Norma's hands slid between them and Margaret hissed when a thumb caressed her clit. She was closer than she had thought. Norma Elkers was as intoxicating as the whisky she had consumed earlier. But unlike the whiskey, she wasn’t willing to rush her ravishment of the beauty. She pulled Norma’s hand away and with deft skill opened them both for what she had in mind. Their first naked touch, had them both moan in delight at the sensation. She hooked her arms under Norma’s shoulders before she began a slow thrust and slide movement that had them both panting and grunting at the friction. The pace soon increased to a point that had them sweating and kissing messily between issuing soft growls.

“I’m close. Oh…I’m…”

“Wait for me,” she gasped back as she increased her thrusts until she began to see small stars behind her eyes. “Now, darling. Let it go.”

Their cries of release echoed through the room as they clutched each other close and rode out the storm. Margaret shuddered as she held Norma in her arms, her mouth pressed into the young woman’s neck. She smelt even better; her scent having blended with sweat and pheromones. Surprisingly, Margaret felt her clit jerk in reaction to the scent. This had never happened before. Usually, after she had climaxed, she needed a few moments to recover. Amanda would… Her mind screeched to a halt.

She had forgotten about Amanda.

Before she could form another thought, the room canted and she found herself on her back with Norma’s tongue slipping down her chest to her sex. She arched her hips when the hot mouth sucked on her clit while a teasing tongue laved the sensitive tip. She muttered unintelligibly as she felt all her senses tuning in on what was happening between her legs. This was the most sinfully, delicious licking she had ever experienced and she was scared that her brain was going to blow as her legs lifted off the bed and her toes went rigid. Where did the woman learn to do that? She covered her face with her hands as she tried to stop the soft cries that were slipping from her mouth, but to no avail. She gave up the fight and moaned loudly as Norma took her to the brink of release, only to bite hard on her clit to stop her from hurtling over the edge. When she thought she couldn’t hold back anymore before she had a seizure, Norma lifted her head and smiled wickedly as she rose to lie next to her, pushing her perky derriere into the air. Like a starving beast, Margaret rose and knelt behind the woman to pull her into her crotch as she rubbed herself furiously against the soft globes. Her hand slipped between Norma’s legs and briskly caressed the woman until they both came loudly and crashed onto the mattress.

***

Norma was smiling madly into the dark as she listened to the soft snoring of her lover. She turned her head to the side. Her lover!  And what a lover she had been! No one had ever made her come so hard and so many times in one night. She hadn’t gotten to what she had come over to do, but at least now she knew what she had to fight for. Imagine fifty-plus years of having this every chance she got? She licked her lips, tasting Margaret again. They had made love until the covers had fallen off to the side and the bed had squeaked loudly. Every time was like the first time and she had tasted every part of her gorgeous captain’s body. She was just as commanding a lover as Norma had envisioned. Focused, relentless and indefatigable.

She wasn’t naïve to think that the woman would now declare her love after a night together and that they would live happily ever after. This, to her, was the start of the most difficult part. Convincing Margaret Burkhouse that they were destined to be together and to raise a small family. Sooner than later. She wanted to carry her captain’s baby and watch the woman fall deeper in love with her and their little girl.

Margaret sighed loudly and turned to throw an arm around her. Norma eagerly moved into the strong body and felt her eyes well up when a soft kiss was placed on her naked shoulder. She was already so deeply in love that it scared her. Maybe she needed to put some space between them before she brought up the job offer. She didn’t want Margaret to think that tonight was a bribe or something like that. She didn’t want anything to spoil this beautiful night for her. With a heavy heart, she turned in the arms holding her and planted a series of tiny kisses across the sleeping face before she slipped from the bed to program herself an outfit downstairs. Unbeknownst to Norma, dark blue eyes blinked open slowly as she pulled the front door closed behind her.

***

She was aware of all the eyes on her; more specifically her chest, where her newly-pinned Lieutenant insignia was visible. The chapel was full as she made her way down the aisle to where her mother was seated.

“You’re late.” Martha Burkhouse muttered under her breath.

“Sorry. What did I miss?”

“The admirals had just wrapped up their butt-kissing and Ester is about to extend her gratitude before the close family remains behind.”

Margaret looked around and spotted the widow of Admiral Pearce. She and the rest of the family were seated in the first row directly opposite the casket of their late family patriarch. She felt her throat close with emotion as she remembered her last chat with the admiral. He had spoken about his family and grandchildren with such love and devotion. She’ll never really forgive herself for what happened to him; especially since his safety had been her responsibility. A hand covered hers and squeezed it lightly. Her mother’s eyes were warm with love as she glanced over at her and Margaret felt her sadness slowly dissipate. She will mourn for her friend and mentor when she was alone.

“Good afternoon and thank you for taking part in Michael’s final journey home. For some, he was a hero, a mentor and a colleague. To us, he was a mischievous husband,” a few snickers sounded. “a loving grandfather who cheated on his diet, and a father who rejoiced at the beauty and kindness of his daughters. He was a normal man, who didn’t like being in the spotlight, while unbeknownst to him, he was the sun we were all drawn to. I want to thank everyone who made his life a joyous and adventurous journey, but most specifically, I want to thank Captain Margaret Burkhouse for giving our family closure, and through her bravery had made sure that justice was served.”

“You tell them, Ester,” Martha cheered under her breath as a soft murmur went through the chapel. Margaret knew it was the use of the incorrect rank, but it didn’t seem to faze the elderly woman at the podium.

“The pain of losing a loved one is exacerbated by our lack of knowing why and how they came to their end. Captain Burkhouse, who was like a daughter to him, served him until his final moment. Thank you, Captain.”

She left the podium accompanied by applause and soon after the service concluded, leaving only close family behind. As she stood to leave, one of Admiral Pearce’s grandsons came over to them.

“My grandma asked that you and Mrs. Burkhouse remain behind with us, Captain.”

“Thank you.” She held her arm out for her mother and moved to where the Pearce family was congregated. A few admirals were loitering around, but were openly ignored by Mrs. Pearce.

“Ester, my deepest condolences. Michael will be missed.” The two widows embraced and exchanged kisses on the cheek.

“I forgot that you’ve been here before, Martha. Thank you for coming.” Mrs. Pearce turned to her and Margaret expressed her condolence. The woman cupped her cheek and smiled warmly.

“Thank you for what you meant to him, Captain.”

She grimaced. “It’s Lieutenant now, Mrs. Pearce.” She felt the admirals’ eyes on her as she corrected the woman.

“You’ll always be a captain in my and Michael’s eyes. He was convinced that you would make an excellent admiral one day. Said that you needed to lead the lot instead of taking orders from them.”

From the rushed footsteps she heard behind her, Margaret could tell that the admirals were fleeing the sharp tongue of an unrepentant Mrs. Pearce. She saw a gleeful look enter the old woman’s eyes.

“They’re scurrying away like the rodents they are.”

Her mother chuckled. “You haven’t changed a bit, Ester.”

“With Michael gone, I’m done playing the prim and proper Spacefleet wife.” She returned her attention to Margaret. “I heard what they did and Michael must be throwing things where he is now. You should know that you’ll have our eternal gratitude. He loved and admired you.”

Margaret blinked rapidly to quell the tears that threatened. “Thank you, ma’am.”

“You shouldn’t let them get the better of you. Better yet, get out while you’re still young and can start over somewhere.”

“Thank you for the advice.”

The woman tapped her cheek again before she hooked her arm into Martha’s and the two ladies moved toward the casket. She looked around the chapel and her eyes grew wide when they fell on the person sitting in the last row. Norma. An alien in a strikingly white robe sat with her. He rose when he saw she had noticed them and came over to her. He moved smoothly, but quickly. When he reached her, he bowed his head.

“Captain Burkhouse, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“It’s actually Lieutenant. Lieutenant Burkhouse. It’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Lord Bunq.”

The man smiled widely and glanced over at where Mrs. Pearce and her mother stood.

“I would rather not incur the wrath of Mrs. Pearce. I saw how the admirals fled the chapel earlier. She seems like a formidable woman.”

“That she is, sir.” She looked at Norma. The woman looked beautiful in an official black and silver uniform. What had happened to her Spacefleet uniform? “Lieutenant.”

“Captain,” she said with a tiny smile and Margaret rolled her eyes. It had been two days since the brunette had slipped from her bed and Margaret had found herself thinking about her a lot. She especially remembered the sweet, tiny kisses the woman had left as a parting gesture. They’d haunted her ever since.

The alien cleared his voice softly and they both realized that they had been staring at each other.

“I was hoping to extend a dinner invitation to you, Captain.”

Margaret watched the man closely, trying to gauge his intention, but his eyes were clear and open. His stance was relaxed. She glanced at Norma. She, too, appeared calm.

“May I enquire as to why?”

“We would like to offer you a position in our organization. Actually, we would be honored to have you listen to our proposal, Captain.”

Ah, that’s why. She turned her gaze on Norma and found the woman looking everywhere but at her. How strange? But her interest was piqued. Not that she was looking for another job, but she was willing to hear them out.

“I accept, Lord Bunq.”

The man’s face lit up and she hoped that she hadn’t given him hope only to have to crush it later.

“That’s excellent. We won’t keep you any longer, Captain. Thank you for your time.”

“Margaret,” her mother spoke next to her and she introduced her to the two agents. “Yes, I remember a while back there was a news report on your wife having given birth to triplets. Congratulations and I pray she’s faring well.”

Margaret sensed the man's pleasure as he gave her mother a dazzling smile. “Thank you for enquiring about my wife’s wellbeing, Mrs. Burkhouse. She’s doing well and the children are growing stronger by the day.”

“That is good news, milord. I wish you all the best.”

The alien bowed low. “My immense gratitude, Mrs. Burkhouse. I’ve been taking up enough of your time, Captain. Mrs. Burkhouse.” He spun on his heel and just as Norma was about to follow, her mother spoke. “Lieutenant Elkers, would you care to join us for a meal after this?”

Both Margaret and Norma gaped at the older woman and Martha smiled apologetically.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to assume that you have time.”

Norma looked around her and shook her head. “I…uh…I would love to join you, ma’am.”

“Splendid!”

CHAPTER 7

The restaurant was one of the pricier ones where you have to either have the money or social clout to get a table. Their table was a fifteen-seater that was set apart from the rest of the patrons and hidden behind a glass partition. Norma prided herself on her ability to adapt to any situation and place, however, she found herself completely out of her depth in this setting. The Pearce clan was friendly and talkative, but it was the quiet Burkhouse women that made her nervous. Margaret, for obvious reasons. Forty-eight hours later and her body still hummed from the woman’s touch. Norma had managed to keep her distance, but it hadn’t been easy.

Mrs. Martha Burkhouse was making her palms sweaty. The woman had her daughter’s sharp blue eyes and was watching her closely as they chatted and indulged in the fabulous buffet.

“I apologize for staring, Lieutenant, but I was simply thinking about something.” She blinked at the woman, not knowing how to respond to that. “I’m wondering how such a beautiful woman like you decided to join the armed forces? You should be on billboards, media feeds and magazines.”

She had been called beautiful by many people on too many occasions to remember, but the older Burkhouse woman’s interest was genuine. Next to her, Margaret kept her eyes on her plate.

“I was wondering the exact same thing, Martha. It boggles the mind, my dear.” Mrs. Pearce looked genuinely puzzled. “No offense and this is no jab at your abilities, dear, but you’re extraordinarily good-looking.”

Margaret was sitting up now, but still not looking at her. It was almost as if she was about to interrupt. It warmed her heart that Margaret felt the need to protect her.

“I…uh…My…” She blushed. “I wanted to do something good for a change.”

Mrs. Burkhouse's eyes were warm as she looked back at her. “Then that is all that matters, honey,” she said tenderly and smiled. “You remind me of my Maggie. She, too, joined to make a difference.”

Norma’s heart was beating hard in her chest as she glanced at Margaret. She was looking at her with a look in her eyes that send a thrill down her spine and which reminded her of their night together. The woman didn’t talk much, but her silences were always so incredibly loud.

“I’ve admired the captain since I was a cadet in Spacefleet,” she said softly and quickly averted her gaze, unaware of the wide-eyed looks that passed between the two widows.

“Oh my gosh. Of all the places she could’ve gone,” Mrs. Burkhouse muttered with annoyance that made Norma’s head snap up. The older woman was glaring at someone at a table close to the partition. A redhead was smiling up at another woman. Norma easily recognized Margaret’s girlfriend. Or was it former girlfriend now? She glanced at Margaret and found her looking at the woman with a blank expression on her face. Perhaps not former-girlfriend, yet.

“Who is that, Martha?” Mrs. Pearce asked. “I don’t think I know her.”

“How lucky for you, Ester dear,” she said with a sigh. “She’s actually a nobody. Forget what I’ve said.” She turned her attention to Margaret and smiled. “How’s your chicken, honey?”

Margaret slowly dragged her eyes back to her plate. “Wonderful. Will you please excuse me for a moment?” She didn’t wait for a response, but stood quickly and made her way in the direction of the bathrooms. Norma followed her with her eyes before she turned to the table where the redhead sat. The woman had spotted Margaret. How could she not? The captain drew attention wherever she went. Not only because of her status, but her height and bearing commanded attention.

Her eyes narrowed slightly when the redhead excused herself from her companion and followed behind Margaret.

***

Margaret flushed the toilet and left the cubicle to wash her hands, when she spotted Amanda. She stood to the side, her face a little strained.

“I didn’t expect to find you here.”

Margaret shrugged. “I was invited.” She rinsed her hands and went to hold them under the dryer. Seeing Amanda had made her realize that she hadn’t spent a single moment thinking about the woman. She didn’t even feel guilty about that. What she did feel guilty for, was not having made a clean break before taking Norma to bed.

“You didn’t call me.”

“Which I think was a good thing considering who you’re here with.” She caught the woman’s reddening face in the reflection of the mirror. “I’m glad you found someone. Reese is a good person and a great captain.”

“Look, Margaret, I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t know how?”

She smiled and noticed that the act made the redhead nervous. “No need for that. I need to confess, I’ve been feeling guilty for having gone behind your back, but I know now that we’re even, though it’s not something I’m proud of.”

“You…you cheated? When? With whom?” Amanda’s voice was climbing as she fired off the questions.

“I don’t think it matters anymore, Amanda. For what it’s worth, it was unplanned, but I don’t regret it.” She found that the words were true. She hadn’t stopped thinking about Norma since the woman had left her apartment two days ago.

“I want to know. You know who I’m with; why can’t you tell me?”

“I only know who you’re with because I saw you together.” She smiled warmly at the woman. “You need to be happy and I couldn’t give you that. Like I said, Reese is a nice person. I have to go.” She walked past the stunned redhead and back to a table that was quiet and tense as everyone watched her. She chuckled. “Do I have toilet paper stuck to my shoe or what?”

The relief on the faces was almost comical. Only Norma appeared tense as she ate her food.

“Are you enjoying the food, Lieutenant Elkers?”

The dark eyes were deep and mysterious as they met hers. “It’s delicious, thank you for asking.”

“Good. Leave space for dessert. I heard they had the best dessert in the city.” Norma looked a little confused, but nodded. She wanted to spend more time in the woman’s presence before she had to return to her empty apartment where the ghost of the brunette was haunting her.

Two hours later the group had broken up and left. Margaret, her mother and Norma stood outside the restaurant.

“It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lieutenant Elkers.”

“Please call me Norma, ma’am.”

“It’s a beautiful name. Did your mother choose it?”

“I picked it myself.” Norma's cheeks were red as she said it. “It’s the name of a 1950’s movie star. She was called…”

“Norma Jean Baker and later became famous as Marilyn Monroe. Not many people nowadays watch old twentieth-century movies.”

Margaret’s heart melted when Norma’s face lit up. “I love them. I have watched over three hundred already.”

“Wow! Margaret should bring you over one weekend and we can swap favorites.”

“I would like that, Mrs. Burkhouse.”

Her mother turned to her and Margaret rolled her eyes at the older woman. “I’ll make time to accompany Lieutenant Elkers.”

“Then it’s settled.” She kissed her on the cheek and Margaret was surprised when her mother pulled a stunned Norma in her arms and kissed her cheek, too. “Thank you for joining us, honey, and I hope to see you soon.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Burkhouse.”

The older woman walked the few steps to a transport center, leaving the two of them alone. Norma’s cheeks were still a little red and there was a sheen of tears in her eyes, but she blinked them away quickly. Not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable, Margaret didn’t make a mention of it.

“Did you know that your boss wanted to recruit me?”

“Yes. That was why I went to see you the other night, but I didn’t get to talk to you about it.”

“Oh.” Margaret hadn’t expected that. She had thought the woman had simply come over to see how she was doing after the news of her demotion became public. “Why didn’t you say anything after…you know…afterwards or even the day after?”

Norma looked uncomfortable as she looked around before she met her gaze. “I didn’t want you to think that I seduced you because of that.”

Margaret didn’t know how to feel about that. The young woman had avoided her for the past two days because she was scared of what Margaret would think.

“I understand,” she finally said, even though she wasn’t sure that she did. “When is the dinner?”

“Tomorrow night.”

“Will you be there?”

“Yes.”

Their eyes held for a long moment and only the sound of the loud laughter nearby broke the spell.

“Then I will see tomorrow night.”

“Yes, Captain. Have a nice evening.”

“Thank you; you too.”

They lingered a moment longer, before she began to move away. It was mindboggling how awkward they were in each other’s company now that they have slept together. She had always thought that intimacy brought people closer. Apparently, they were the exception to the rule.

***

“Did you see her?” Lily asked the moment Norma entered the apartment. The blonde had visited her daughter and managed to get the school to allow her daughter to keep the goldfish in her room. Instead of leaving as Lily had declared, the blonde hasn’t made any plans yet to leave.

“Yes,” she murmured as she threw herself on the couch next to Lily. A movie was playing on the large viewscreen she had splurged on to watch her movies. “What are you watching?”

“All about Eve.”

She smiled. It was one of her favorites, however, today she wasn’t in the mood for romance or comedy.

“What happened? Did she talk to you? Did you talk to her?”

“Her mother invited me to join them for a meal after the service.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lily’s mouth fall open.

“Has she told her mother about you? What is she like?”

Knowing that she wouldn’t get any peace until Lily have heard it all, she told her everything from when she spotted Margaret walking into the chapel to the moment when they said their goodbyes outside the restaurant. As expected, Lily was beside herself with excitement when she told her about the older Burkhouse’s invitation.

“It’s a good thing she likes you, don’t you think?”

Norma closed her eyes as she recalled Mrs. Burkhouse’s embrace. The only time she had experienced such peace and tenderness had been in her daughter’s arms. She would give anything to feel that sense of belonging, but she wasn’t sure about Margaret’s intentions anymore. The night they had spent together had been a godsend, albeit unplanned, for her, but she wasn’t sure about the older woman. The night had been spectacular and a precursor to what she hoped would lead to a more permanent liaison one day. Margaret had already made her refusal to commit to her known, but she might not be completely opposed to a no-strings-attached arrangement. Norma wasn’t going to compromise on this. It was all or nothing for her.

“Hey? Are you okay?”

She shook her head slowly. “I don’t think so.”

Lily threw her arms around her and held her. They didn’t speak again as they watched the movie in silence.

***

Margaret was changing out of her uniform when she heard the ping of her desk computer alerting her to an incoming call. She made her way over and shook her head when she saw who it was before she connected the call.

“Out with it, Maggie. Who is that girl?’

“I introduced you to her, Mother. Her name is Lieutenant Norma El…”

Her mother leaned closer to her screen. “I don’t mean her name. How do you know each other?”

With a sigh, she took a seat in the chair and rubbed her face. She should’ve expected this call. Her mother hadn’t invited Norma to join them without an ulterior motive.

“She was with me on the mission to catch the people who had ambushed the Venetian.” I also happened to have spent the most wildly erotic and satisfying night with her and now I can’t stop thinking about her. “She works for the Galactic Security Council.”

“Is that all?’

She frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“I saw the way you two were looking at each other.” Her mother’s eyes were sharp as they flitted over her face; looking for any cues.

“You must be imagining things, Mother. She is young and you said yourself that she is a pretty woman; she must have someone in her life already.”

“Young, you say? How old is she? In her twenties, perhaps?” Margaret nodded and her mother snorted. “Your father was fifteen years my senior, dear. As for there being someone else, I’m not so sure about that. The way she looks at you, makes me think that you’re that ‘someone else’.”

Margaret couldn’t stop the heat that grew from her neck to engulf her whole body. Her mother exhaled loudly.

“I’m glad that it’s not one-sided. That girl has more emotion and personality in her pinky than that android you have been shacking up with.”

“Mother!”

“It’s true. That woman was simply using you to boost her own profile. Didn’t you see how quickly she had moved on now that you’ve been demoted? She was bad news from the start and I saw right through her.”

She didn’t want to make any disparaging remarks about Amanda, but the timing of her new hookup was rather suspicious.

“I can see you trying to make excuses for her, but that’s too late. I know a budding love when I see it and our beautiful Norma already has you under her spell.”

Love, really? Her mother was way ahead of herself on this. Margaret still remembered the pain in the dark eyes when she had told Norma that nothing would come of her ‘crush’ on her. She also recalled the ensuing feeling of personal loss after she had thrown the woman’s affection back in her face. Not once during their time spent today had she sensed anything other than discomfort from Norma. The young woman wasn’t going to allow her close again anytime soon.

“When are you going to see her again?”

“Tomorrow night. Her boss wants to offer me a job.”

“Oh!” Martha smiled. “That sounds promising. If you ask me, Michael Pearce was the only thing that stood between Spacefleet and their complete loss of integrity. Are you going to take the job?”

Margaret frowned. “I don’t know. They still have to tell me what it will entail.”

“At least go in with an open mind, darling. Those political hags at Spacefleet will bring the organization down and I would hate for you to be there when that happens.”

Her mother had a point, but as doomed as she made it sound, being a Spacefleet officer had been her dream since she was a child and she had already spent twelve years building her career.

“I’ll hear them out, Mother, but I promise nothing.”

“That’s all I’m asking, honey. I need to go now. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Mother.”

She sat staring at the blank screen for a long time, slowly becoming aware of the quiet and loneliness surrounding her. She used to welcome the solitude and quiet, but of late, it began to feel more oppressive. It was too late to go out and she didn’t want to go out alone. As she walked towards her bedroom, a thought struck and she immediately spun around and walk back to the lounge to where her viewscreen was. She activated it and searched through the available databases. Twentieth-century movies. Norma Jean Baker. A list of movies appeared and she selected the first one as she settled in to spend the night figuring out just what Norma Jean and Norma Elkers had in common.

***

Margaret kept her expression blank as she approached the digital noticeboard and typed in her new code. She had submitted her request for an assignment on a ship—any ship. She didn’t care where it was or for how long the tour would last. All she wanted was to get back into space and away from the gawking. There were dozens of eyes on her as she opened her personal ad.

No placement available.

She sighed and logged off. Of seven hundred ships operating in the galaxy, not one was willing to take her on. Either there really were no openings or she had subtly been blacklisted by the admirals. She had heard of that happening to other officers, but had thought it pure malicious gossip. Spacefleet operated by a set of strict ethical rules and regulations. No one had the right or rank to prohibit an able-bodied and skilled officer to find work in their field. She seems to have been wrong. She left the hall and walked out to blend into the crowds that surrounded the campus and administrative headquarters. With non-seeing eyes, she walked through the streets and mumbled apologies as she moved with no destination in mind. It was only when she reached the transport center that she realized that she was on her way home. She stopped in her tracks. She didn’t want to go home. Being alone wasn’t what she wanted at the moment. It was a Saturday morning. Her mother would be at home. She could go there and while away the hours until her dinner meeting.

“Lieutenant.”

She looked up and smiled when she saw who it was.

“Commander Light.”

Even though he looked faintly uncomfortable, he still approached her. They shook hands and she noticed that his palms felt a little damp as he nervously licked his lips.

“How have you been, Jordan?”

He shook his head. “Not well, Capt…” He sighed as he dragged his eyes to the Lieutenant insignia. “Can we go somewhere to talk?” He looked around almost nervously. “I really want to talk to you.”

Margaret looked around her and spotted a small café not far from where they stood. “Follow me.” They entered the eatery and at this time of the morning, it was filled with the Saturday breakfast crowd. Jordan looked around and she could see that he was scared of being noticed, so she led him through the café to the backdoor. The man looked like he had something heavy on his heart and desperately needed to get it off. Before she could say anything to put him at ease, he spoke.

“I told them that we weren’t in any danger. That you had made sure we were safe and had an escort before you set off after the attackers.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “They kept asking me numerous times to summarize the events and every time they pushed their own narrative.” He closed his eyes. “I’ve tried to set the record straight each time, but they kept at it until I realized that they weren’t interested in the truth.”

She had been vilified on purpose. Although she had suspected as much, it still hurt to hear that she was right all along. They wanted her out of the way, yet she didn’t know why. Her career was important to her; as was her dream to make a difference in the world.

“Thank you, Jordan. I appreciate your support immensely.”

He shook his head. “I feel I could’ve…should’ve tried harder.” He wiped at his eyes. “You always fought hard for us and I failed to…”

“Hey.” She squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. “Believe me, I know how difficult it is to try and make people see the truth. I’ll be fine.”

Jordan searched her eyes as if he wanted to make sure that she wasn’t only saying it to placate him. “How can you be. Everyone is afraid of assigning you to their ships, even though you are their first choice.”

“I know. Even then, I promise you that I’ll be okay. Now how about having a drink with me and tell me how things are going on the Venetian?”

“I would like that, Captain.”

She smiled. “It’s Lieutenant, Commander Light.”

A sad look came into his eyes as he shook his head, but didn’t correct himself.

***

“You look beautiful—glamorous and sexy.”

Norma smiled hesitantly as she checked her reflection in the mirror. The dress was one of five she had tried on. She’s been nervous about tonight because it was becoming more difficult for her to keep her composure around Margaret. She doubted she would ever be able to look at the woman without feeling her pulse quicken and remembering the look in those cobalt eyes as they watched her fall apart. With a final tug on her modest little black dress, she turned to Lily.

“I’m nervous.”

“As you should be, flower girl. You look good enough to eat and I won’t be surprised if your captain tries to nibble on you. If you ask me, she looks like a nibbler.”

She gave Lily an exasperated look. The blonde had just effortlessly ruined her underwear with that reckless remark.

“What? It’s true. I might not swing your way, but I’m not blind. You’re breathtaking.”

Norma blushed. It was difficult to believe that, when the one person she hoped would notice, didn’t.

“I don’t know how long I’ll be,” she said as she walked to the door. “Will you be okay?”

Lily had a naughty look in her eye as she blew her a kiss. “Stay out as long as you need to.”

With a shake of her head, she left herself out of her apartment. The short walk to the restaurant, which was only a few blocks from her apartment building, felt long and torturous. She had drawn unwanted attention on a few occasions, but a cold glare from her quickly made would-be suitors melt back into the shadows. It had taken her hours to get ready and she wasn’t going to destroy her hard work by kicking some drunk idiot’s butt in her high heels and classy dress.

The restaurant was packed when she arrived and after giving her name, she was led to their table. Margaret was already there, staring at the menu with a small frown. When she appeared at her side, the captain looked up and Norma’s legs buckled slightly under the weight of her gaze. There was an immediate flare of desire mixed with appreciation as the older woman’s eyes raked over her. She blinked slowly and the desire was replaced by an unreadable expression as Margaret climbed to her feet. Her whole aura was different and Norma felt goosebumps break out on her forearms as Margaret gave her a small smile.

“You look incredible, Lieutenant.”

She had to swallow to wet her dry throat before she answered. “As do you, Captain.” Margaret was dressed in a sleek and expensive-looking tunic and trouser-combo which encased her tall, fit body like a glove. Her blonde hair was a little windblown and gave her a rakish appearance, which was distractingly similar to how she had looked as they had made love. She nodded her thanks when Margaret pulled out a chair for her.

“It’s Lieutenant, by the way,” she said softly over Norma’s shoulder as she pushed her chair in. Her warm breath in her neck set off a new wave of goosebumps. “Lord Bunq left word that he was running late, but would join us shortly. Would you like something to drink now?”

Oh yes! Anything to help her keep her mouth from drying out. It was astounding how effortlessly the captain had stepped into the role of seducer. She had fooled herself into thinking that the seducing would be one-sided.

“I would like that.” She smiled, before adding. “Captain.”

With a roll of her eyes, Margaret gestured for the server. “I give up.”

Norma wisely kept her mouth shut as she picked up the menu. Giving up was not something she wanted to think about tonight. She had finally gotten the response she had waited for from the captain. The server arrived at the table and while she ordered a wine, Margaret went for a beer instead. The woman must’ve noticed her surprise.

“My mother is a sommelier and after years of tasting and appraising wines, I’ve found that I don’t enjoy it as much anymore.”

That was the first time the woman had mentioned anything remotely personal to her.

“Where does she ply her trade?”

“She runs her own wine boutique and bar not far from here.”

“I love wine.”

“Then I should take you there one day.”

The implication of them going out together to a wine bar sounded suspiciously like Margaret was asking her on a date and Norma was unsure of how to respond to that without causing the woman to retract her invitation.

“All the places around here are very expensive. Do you think we’ll be able to afford a glass of wine there?”

Margaret chuckled. “You’re right, it’s quite expensive. Luckily, as part-owner, I get a decent discount.” The blue eyes didn’t falter under her strong gaze. “You tell me when and I’ll take you… there.” Margaret added the last word almost reluctantly.

She spoke quickly, her voice sounding breathless even to her own ears. “How about after our meeting tonight?”

The older woman blinked in surprise, and just as she was about to withdraw her suggestion, a wide smile lit up Margaret’s face.

“That’s a great plan.”

Norma released a silent sigh of relief at not having messed up her chances with her rash response. There was a commotion at the door and she spotted her boss coming their way. Good timing! Her mouth was threatening to act reckless tonight, amongst many other body parts.

***

To Margaret’s surprise, Lord Bunq stated that he couldn’t stay long since his wife has been having a slight setback after the delivery of their children.

“Mina is small in stature and feeding three hungry mouths around the clock is taking a toll on her. I was hoping to see if I could help her out tonight so she could get some much-needed sleep. Having a maid helps with the workload, but her psyche needs the support of her mate.”

Warmed by the man’s caring nature and obvious love for his mate, she nodded quickly.

“I understand. After everything is gone, family is all we have left. You are an admirable partner, Lord Bunq.”

She didn’t know much about the Ethenen, except that they were a peaceful, technologically-oriented race, whose large planet is the tech paradise of the Galactic Alliance. Bunq was of noble descent and thus was the chosen one to represent his race on the Alliance.

“You honor me with your words, Captain. Thank you.” He glanced at a quiet Norma. “You won’t mind answering any further questions the captain might have regarding the position, Lieutenant?”

“Not at all, milord.”

He smiled at her as he lifted his coffee cup to his lips, a look of pure ecstasy came over his face. “The coffee here is really good, but I’ll leave it up to you to decide. My Ethenen tastebuds may not be very accurate and I must admit I’m completely biased when it comes to coffee in all its forms.”

Margaret couldn’t help but smile. She found the man’s quiet expressions of joy fascinating. His expressive eyes practically glowed when he talks about something he enjoys and loves. Besides his family, coffee seems to be it.

“I must say that had we known of the existence of coffee before coming to Earth, the Ethenen would’ve been a more productive people.”

Both Norma and Margaret chuckled. The Ethenen were one of the most hardworking and advanced races in the galaxy and for Lord Bunq to think they could’ve done even better was almost too absurd to comprehend.

“I’m sorry to cut back to business now, but as you know I need to be somewhere else soon. Our consideration of you for this position is coming on three years now, Captain.” Margaret was stumped by the admission. “You did warn us that you’re only willing to listen to the proposal, but I want to stress that we are very patient and would wait as long as it takes for you to make your decision.”

Considering her current situation, she couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit flattered at being wanted again. Her ambition had scared the wrong people at Spacefleet, but seemed to only make her more appealing to the Galactic Security Council.

“It’s an honor to be held in such high esteem, milord.”

“You deserve it, Captain. Your career has been a spectacular journey of honor and selfless service. The Galaxy would benefit from having someone like you watching over it.”

She blinked. “Watching over it, milord?”

“Yes, Captain. We want to offer you the position of Grand Admiral. You will oversee all operations of the Galactic Security Council and the department heads will report to you.”

Margaret stared at the man in shock. She could feel Norma’s eyes on her. Had the woman known of the position they were going to offer her? Her quiet poise proved that she did. This was obviously a mistake. Wasn’t Lord Bunq the one overseeing all operations? “I’m confused, milord? Aren’t you offering me your position?”

“I am. I will be stepping into the position of Alliance Ambassador, liaising between the Alliance and its member planets. We hope to attract more worlds to the coalition and in doing so, cast a wider net of goodwill and prosperity.”

She stared into her beer, catching her own stunned reflection. It was an important position, with a wider scope and responsibility than she had expected. Lord Bunq was looking at her expectantly.

“I don’t know what to say, milord.”

“You offered to listen, Captain, and I respect that. Take as long as you need to consider the proposal. I assured the Alliance President that I will only take up the ambassadorial position once I have found the perfect replacement for me.” He took a long drink from his coffee and gave the cup an almost sad look now that it was empty. “I hate to leave you at this moment with more questions than answers, but Lieutenant Elkers is well-placed to assist you. Should you need more information, I am available via my home communication station.” He smiled at her. “Thank you for making the time to listen to us, Captain Burkhouse. Lieutenant. Enjoy the rest of the evening.” He was gone just as quickly as he had arrived.

Still reeling from shock, Margaret turned to Norma who was watching her with a faintly amused look on her face.

“Did you know about this when we were on Homer and also the other…that night?”

Norma carefully placed her glass down.

“Did I know what, Captain? That you were the perfect candidate to fill the position or that you would be the best commander to turn the Peacekeepers Corps into the strongest, most effective policing force in the galaxy? If that’s what you’re asking, Captain; then my answer is yes.”

Margaret could only stare at the woman before she finally cleared her throat. “I didn’t expect that.”

Norma cocked her head to the side. “Really? You are a living legend, Captain Burkhouse. Commander of the flagship, Venetian, at age twenty-six. By simply applying your mind as a young cadet, you’ve managed to track down a prolific space pirate and, on top of that, you officiated numerous first-contact situations which have cumulated into the expansion of the Galactic Alliance. Why wouldn’t we be chasing after you?”

Margaret was humbled to hear the passion and conviction in the young woman’s voice as she leaned forward to bring her point across.  Her eyes landed on Norma’s lips. They were red tonight and looked utterly kissable.

“How come then, if I am such a legend and fighter, couldn’t I track down the legendary Violet?”

Norma’s slowly leaned back in her chair and reached for her wine glass. After taking a small sip, she smirked at her and Margaret felt her sex clench at the sensual upturn of the full lips.

“Your approach back then needed a little adjustment, Captain. Something I can assure you that you’ve managed to accomplish with great success.”

The reference to their torrid lovemaking had them both staring at each other with gleaming eyes.

CHAPTER 8

“Try this one, my dear. It is an experimental blend of fresh and dried out grapes.” Martha smiled when Norma gaped at her. “Don’t worry; I had serious reservations about it as well.”

Norma took a careful slurp. She wasn’t much of a wine connoisseur, but to her meagre knowledge of winemaking, dried grapes were raisins. She rolled the wine in her mouth allowing it to fully coat it and her eyes widened slightly at the thick texture of the wine, but when she spat it out, her eyes grew even larger. A diverse range of flavors exploded on her tongue. She could taste honey accents, some orange and even a bit of tree bark.

“Wow!”

“Wow, indeed,” the older Burkhouse echoed. “I bought a box from a trader who said he picked it up from a small-scale winemaker on Kelo III. The man used primitive means to produce this masterpiece in the glass and the people in the surrounding areas apparently guzzle it down like a cheap beer, because it’s relatively affordable to them.”

“Have you contacted him?”

“I did. I offered him a contract to supply at least two consignments to me every month. I sell it at a fixed price and send half of the profit his way. I wouldn’t want him to stop making more, not when its popularity is growing amongst my clientele.”

Norma looked at the bottle and shook her head. She had been to Kelo III at least four times on business and not once had she thought of sampling the wine there. Probably a good thing too. She was destined to make the discovery as Norma and not Violet. Violet would’ve guzzled it down just like the locals. Her life had no sense of beauty in it back then as opposed to now. She found it was much easier for her to absorb and appreciate new things as Norma.

“Excuse me, dear. Duty calls.”

Norma took a piece of bread to chew on as she looked out over the full lounge. Margaret had not exaggerated when she said the place was expensive, but she failed to mention that it was also very popular. She had identified a number of celebrities, politicians, business tycoons and even, to her disgust, a few Spacefleet admirals. The gall of those bottom feeders. If Margaret decides to accept their offer, they will have to look to her for direction. Earth was but one planet, whereas Margaret would have the galaxy and all twenty-seven Alliance member planets call on her for backing and counsel.

“You’re looking serious. Was the wine that bad?” Margaret asked as she appeared at her side.

“Not at all, but some of the individuals in attendance left a sour taste in my mouth.” She saw Margaret follow her gaze to where the Spacefleet admirals were seated.

“Oh, them?” She chuckled. “I had to stop my mother from serving them the water that we rinsed the glasses in.”

Norma laughed out loud and noticed a few heads turn their way, including those of the admirals. She could read their annoyed expressions clearly and was tempted to stick out her tongue.

“I wonder what they’re thinking, seeing the two of us together,” Margaret said quietly, at the evidence of her superiors’ obvious displeasure.

“Probably about how you hold me down in bed as you make me scream until I’m hoarse. Their minds are usually the dirtiest of all.” When she didn’t get a response, she glanced at Margaret and almost fell from her chair. The woman was staring at her with undisguised lust that caused a mini cloudburst in her nether region. The jovial companion was gone and in its place was this hunter that was staring unblinkingly at her.

“Norma,” she said in a strangled tone, almost as if she found it difficult to form the words. “I don’t think you…”

“Maggie!” The call from Martha made them both stiffen in surprise. Still, Margaret hadn’t moved an inch as she continued to stare.

“Your…” She cleared her throat. “Your mother needs you.” The woman moved away slowly, almost reluctantly, and it was only when Margaret was gone, that she felt she could breathe again. What was wrong with her and her big mouth? Twice! She had put her foot in her mouth twice tonight already.

“Norma, honey. Would you mind taking the cheese platter over to the admirals?” As she stared intently at the cheese on the platter, Martha spoke again. “Don’t worry, I already licked the Camembert.”

Norma burst out laughing and watched the older woman’s eyes melt with amusement.

“You are something else, Mrs. Burkhouse,” she whispered.

“You’ve ain’t seen nothin’ yet, darlin’. You’ll have to stick around for that.”

A fellow movie buff, Norma appreciated the line and left with a wide smile on her face. Oh, she was planning on sticking around.

***

It was two a.m. when Margaret helped her mother lock up the wine bar and greet the serving staff. Most of them were young and students at various universities in the city, which meant that they wouldn’t be going home this early on a Saturday night. She grimaced as she thought of her younger years. She was a serious child who didn’t date much or go out with friends for drinks. The academy and Spacefleet were all she could think about. She joined her mother and Norma where the two were whispering conspiratorially.

“What are you two gossiping about?”

“Nothing,” they both answered too quickly and she knew instantly that they were either planning something or had done something. Her eyes grew wide as she looked between the two of them.

“The admirals. What did you do?”

“Nothing,” her mother said quickly. “We wouldn’t stoop to their level, honey.”

“Ok. I’ll take your word for it. Do you want me to walk you home?”

Her mother frowned. “What about Norma? It’s late and she’s alone.” Her mother really sounded worried and both Norma and Margaret smiled.

“I’ll come along, if I may.”

Martha grinned as she hooked an arm through Norma’s and the two began to walk towards the transport center. This late on a Saturday, the center crawled with youngsters who were out to make the most of the weekend.

“Can you believe that Maggie never really went out? She preferred to stay home and watch old war recordings with her father.” Margaret rolled her eyes at her mother. “You were a beautiful girl and so many boys wanted to ask you out.”

“No wonder she achieved so much at such a young age,” Norma said before Margaret could form a reply. “And if she was a beautiful girl before; then it’s good to see she’s improved on her looks as well.”

Margaret almost walked into a pillar as she followed behind the two and her face heated up. This night had been one of many surprises. Norma had openly flirted with her and she was sure that even her mother must’ve noticed. Speaking of her mother, the older woman had one hand behind her back, with her fingers crossed. It made Margaret smile. Her father had always said they made her mother and then broke the mold. Martha Burkhart, nèe Devroux, was one of a kind. She was vivacious, funny and passionate—all traits that Margaret had always hoped to possess. In contrast, she was her father’s daughter. Staid, focused and resolute. Her mother used to tease them for being party poopers. Margaret’s gaze shifted to the tall woman walking arm-in-arm with her mother and smiled. She might not know Norma as well as she’d like, but she was sure that the mold they made her mother from had been repaired for one last use.

The young woman laughed at something her mother had said and their heads unconsciously drew together until Norma’s rested on top of her mother’s. Margaret shook her head again. It would appear that her mother had already chosen her daughter-in-law and now it was up to Margaret to get with the program. As her eyes traveled down Norma’s frame, she realized that she wasn’t opposed to the idea of having such a gorgeous, exciting partner. There was a lot that they needed to figure out about each other, but they had all the time in the world to get to know each other better.

Now, all she needed to know was whether the young woman would be interested in seeing more of her.

***

Norma waited breathlessly for Margaret’s response. Her mother had invited them to spend the night at her place, citing that it was already too late for them to walk back to the transport center. It was late, but Norma had been out much later on numerous occasions. The success of her previous work had largely depended on the lateness of the hour. People were more relaxed at night and that was when she would always strike.

The mansion was spectacular. It was located in the more affluent part of the city where all the rich and famous have their homes. If Margaret came from such affluence, the older woman never showed it. Even as a third-generation Spacefleet officer, Norma doubted that the money came from her father’s side. Mrs. Burkhouse, on the other hand, looked more likely to be the heiress. The ease with which she carried herself and her home; the subtlety of the decor, spoke of someone who was accustomed to the finer things in life. It’s always the ones who never had money who felt the need to flaunt it.

“Amy aired out your pool house apartment last week. I’m sure it’s habitable.” The older Burkhouse threw her arms wide. “You have no idea how lonely it is to wake up in this big house all by myself every day. It would be nice to have people over for breakfast once in a while.”

Margaret looked at her and Norma smiled.

“I don’t see a problem with that. I think your home is beautiful.”

Their host grimaced. “Thank you, dear, but until Maggie decides to get married and have children it will only remain a house. A big, empty shell with…”

“Ok, Mother,” Margaret quickly interrupted her mother. “We’ll stay over tonight.”

The older woman clapped her hands together. “Great. Then we can have lunch together before you leave.”

Margaret sighed and nodded. “Are you okay with having lunch here tomorrow, or do you have other plans?”

“No plans, whatsoever.” Lily knew how to feed and entertain herself. “I’ve never spent a night in such a nice house.” Mrs. Burkhouse came over to cup her cheeks. “Then I wish you a wonderful first night here.”

First night? She smiled at the woman. She wasn’t being subtle at all and from the look on Margaret’s face, she had noticed as well. Mrs. Burkhouse left soon after to turn in and the two of them stood in the quiet foyer.

“So, where would you want to sleep? There are ten bedrooms upstairs and then there is the pool house.”

Margaret was looking at her closely as she gave her a choice and at that moment, Norma didn’t want to think of tomorrow or whether this was a good idea or not. Tonight, Margaret Burkhouse had been riding her senses hard. The smell of her as she moved past her as they helped at the wine bar. The way she would smooth her blonde hair back when she was talking to someone. Everything she liked about the woman had been amplified tonight and she felt particularly wild and a whole lot daring tonight. Holding the intense gaze, she slowly shimmed her tight dress up and hooked her fingers into her underwear as she pulled them down. She daintily stepped out of them and approached the gaping star ship captain.

“I go where my undies go,” she muttered as she pushed them into Margaret’s trouser pocket.

She gasped when Margaret suddenly stirred from her stupor to grab her hand and began to pull her down the hallway.

“Where are we going?” she whispered with amusement as she allowed herself to be led.

“To find a room for your undies,” Margaret responded with a determined look on her face.

***

Margaret was almost dizzy with need as she dragged Norma out the backdoor and through the garden to the pool house. What she planned to do to Norma shouldn’t be overheard by anyone—least of all her mother. The door was unlocked and she pulled the brunette inside and quickly lock it behind her. Norma was looking around when she came up behind her and holding on to the slim hips, pushed against the brunette. She had dreamed of a repeat for three days and now that she had it, she didn’t want to waste any more time. She angled Norma’s face so she could kiss her neck.

“I love you in the dress, but I want to see more of you right now.”

Without hesitation, Norma slipped the straps off her shoulders and Margaret took a step back to look at her. The muscles played in her arms and back as Norma slowly revealed more of her nakedness to Margaret’s hungry gaze. She felt a rush of heat when the dress slipped to the floor and exposed a smooth, bare bottom. As Norma stepped out of her dress, Margaret swooped down on her, but the brunette held up a hand.

“What?”

“I want to undress you.” The dark eyes burned brightly as she put her hands on her chest and quickly undid the tunic. The article was tossed to the side and her undershirt followed quickly. When her breasts were revealed, Norma ran her hands over them, fondling them. She wasn’t particularly big, but there was enough weight to them. Norma took a nipple in her mouth. Margaret never knew she was sensitive there until that night when Norma had toyed with them until, to her great surprise, she orgasmed.

“Don’t make me…”

“I won’t. I want to be there,” Norma’s hand cupped her mound through her pants, “when you come.”

The image of Norma between her legs made her close her eyes with a soft moan. She was bewitched by the woman. Nimble hands made quick work of her pants and she threw her head back when she felt Norma’s lips move downwards, leaving scorching kisses in their wake. The first intimate touch made her wish she had something to lean against or maybe even to hold onto. The choice was taken from her when Norma, who had lowered herself to her knees, lifted Margaret’s leg over her shoulder, giving her no other option but to hold on to her. Not that it was an entirely sound solution. Her knees were already buckling and she knew she would take the woman down with her should she fall. But Norma’s skillful mouth quickly made her forget about her discomfort as she held the back of the woman’s head as she was suckled and kissed until she felt her head was about to blow.

“Don’t…”

“I’m sorry, my darling,” Norma murmured against her as she bit down on her clit and flicked the tip with her tongue until Margaret erupted with a shout. She had a vague memory of being walked over to the bed, but she wondered how, because she couldn’t feel her legs. The coolness of the sheets against her back sobered her somewhat as she lay there gasping for air. Norma stood by the bed looking down at her with a small smirk. The minx. She had asked her not to make her come because she had so much planned for them. Now look at her; a sweaty, wilted mess.

“You play dirty, Norma.”

“I know.” She sat on the bed and gently ran her fingers through her hair. “You were too tense and in desperate need of an orgasm.”

“You mean I was that desperate?” she asked breathlessly; not in the least offended.

“No. I didn’t want you to approach this like a mission, with plans and the lot. I wanted you relaxed and playful; like our first night together.”

Ah! It makes sense. With a smile, she held her arms out.

“Come here.”

Norma crawled over to her, but instead of laying down in her arms, she straddled her and moved up until her sex hovered over Margaret’s mouth.

“Your turn, Captain.”

She didn’t wait to be invited again and pulled the woman to her lips. Norma growled and kissed her before she began to devour her. With her lips, teeth and tongue she made the young woman quiver, her body arching as she panted loudly. Margaret caught a glimpse of the woman’s face as she leaned forward to grab the headboard. The fierce look of pleasure made her double her efforts.

“Oh my…!” Norma blinked rapidly as her body began to jerk. “I’m coming.”

The next moment, she had to hold on to the woman as she spasmed and whimpered as her orgasm hit. Margaret doubted that she had ever seen a lovelier sight. Her gorgeous lover glistened with sweat she as rode out her orgasm. Afterwards, she tenderly helped her to curl up in her arms and cradled her. She stroked the sweaty dark locks as she listened to the harsh breathing. After a while, she realized that the breathing had evened out and that Norma had fallen asleep. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table and yawned. It was a quarter past four in the morning. Rolling the brunette over, she spooned her from behind as she followed her into slumber.

***

Norma stretched languidly and stiffened when she bumped into a body. She wasn’t accustomed to sleeping with people and always left when they were done.

“It’s just me.”

Her pulse instantly picked up at the soft, husky voice and she slowly rolled over to find Margaret leaning against the headboard, watching her. She looked adorable with her mussed hair and wide cobalt eyes.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning, Norma.”

They watched each other in silence before Margaret spoke again. She suddenly looked uncomfortable and Norma felt herself beginning to shut down as she prepared herself for the bad news.

“Do you recall our conversation after the mission? The one when we spoke about your interest in me.”

Norma steeled herself as she sat up. “I remember,” she said brusquely.

“I think that…”

Not able to hear anything further, she swung her feet off the bed and sat with her back to Margaret.

“I know what you’re going to say and I can spare you the…”

“Please let me finish, Norma.” Margaret’s tone was soft, almost pleading.

“OK.” She’ll listen and then she’ll get the hell out of there.

“I think I owe you an apology.”

Norma swallowed hard, but didn’t look back at Margaret. She simply couldn’t look at the woman when she felt so vulnerable at that moment. Naked and scared.

“Why an apology?”

“For my lack of foresight.” Margaret was silent and Norma strained her ears to hear her next words. “I wasn’t completely unaffected by you, but I chose to ignore it.”

“I live my life according to a predetermined schedule and I wasn’t ready to change that. You were…are the complete opposite. You think on your feet and improvise with incredible skill and confidence. It scared me. Your life, I thought back then, had blurred boundaries, if any, and it made me anxious.”

Well, that was a different, and not a bad way, to look at her life, Norma admitted to herself. Her life was a little jumbled but that was just how she liked it. At least it wasn’t static.

“But after spending these past few days with you, I realized that your borders weren’t drawn in bold colors and outlines, but they were there and impossible to miss. Only you didn’t allow them to hold you back. Just like my mom.”

Norma almost giggled. Did Margaret just liken her to her mother? The older Burkhouse was wickedly sweet and it was an absolute privileged to be compared to her.

“My borders are made of solid walls. I’m a prisoner there and I could never find my way out of it, until the one thing that I thought would always be my purpose, caved and left me stranded. Without Spacefleet, those walls crumbled and for the first time I felt alive—truly alive.”

Norma turned to look at Margaret, the older woman looked terrified now. This was the first time that Norma had heard her say so much in one sitting and she couldn’t imagine what it must’ve felt like for the fiercely private woman to open up like that. She rolled back on the bed and laid down as she looked up at the woman of her dreams.

“What are trying to tell me, Margaret?”

The woman blushed and glanced away. “I want to ask you out on a date—many dates.”

Norma’s heart melted at the sudden shyness of the usually confident woman, however, there was one very important issue that needed an urgent mention. She covered her eyes with her arm. As much as she wanted this, she knew deep down that she was willing to compromise or even let go of her dream for Margaret. She would rather have Margaret Burkhouse, than be unhappy without her.

“I want a baby, Margaret. Soon.”

The room was quiet as she lay there, trying to not think of this being the pivotal moment that she had pushed Margaret away. They haven’t even been on a formal date yet, and here was she talking about babies.

“I…uh…I don’t know, Norma. If she’s going to look like you then… perhaps… we could have a deal. I’m partial to brunettes, you know.”

Had she heard correctly! Norma blinked at the rush of tears that flooded her eyes. Had Margaret just now agreed to them having a baby? She slowly lifted her arm and the tears slipped from her brimming eyes at the nervous look on Margaret’s face. She rolled closer and slipped her arms around Margaret’s waist to press her face into the woman’s stomach and sob with relief.

***

“Norma, honey. Please don’t cry?” The sobbing increased and she decided not to say anything further lest she aggravate the situation. So, she settled to hold the woman as her tears wet her and the bedding. Was that really all the woman had wanted to hear. For her to agree to them having a child? It was incredibly humbling to think that such a confident, successful woman wanted to procreate with her. She ran her hand over Norma’s hair just as she had done a few hours earlier.

“I’ve never had any real good memories growing up. When you’re being manipulated, you’re not sure what is real anymore. But the first time I saw you, as an academy cadet, I wanted to marry you.”

Margaret closed her eyes. To think she had reduced Norma’s affection to a mere crush. She gently cupped the dark head against her.

“You were the first true and happy memory in my life.” Norma lifted her head and looked at her through shiny eyes. “There will be many, many more from this day on, but I want you to know that you’ll always be my first and best happy memory forever.”

The tears came unexpected and she allowed them to fall as she held the woman. She knew for a fact that she probably already loved Norma and would love her for an eternity. All she needed was time to allow herself to fully wake up to that reality.

There was a soft knock on the door and she kissed Norma before she got dressed and went to answer it. Her mother stood on the doorstep.

“Good morning, Mother. How did…”

“You were crying,” she said sharply. “Why were you crying? Where is Norma? Did something happen?”

“Good morning, Mrs. Burkhouse,” Norma said from behind her and Margaret stepped aside to allow the brunette to stand next to her.

“Norma, dear, what happened?”

Norma looked at her and she nodded.

“Margaret agreed that we could have a baby soon.”

The Burkhouse matriarch’s jaw dropped as she looked from Margaret to Norma and back at Margaret. Her lower lip trembled as she stared at her.

“Maggie? Is that true?”

“Yes, Mother. We want to start a family.”

They were both engulfed in a strong embrace as the old woman cried softly.

***

Margaret logged in to check the status of her request for an assignment only to be greeted with the ‘Unassigned’ next to her name. She calmly logged out and this time, she purposefully walked to the bank of elevators and pressed the button for the top floor. The door opened in the foyer of the Executive Administrative Floor and she approached the receptionist.

“How can I help you, Lieutenant Burkhouse?”

“I need to see Admiral Bailey, please?”

The receptionist checked her schedule. “Do you have an appointment?”

“No.”

She looked up and shook her head. “The Admiral is in a meeting now and I’m afraid he’ll be unavailable for the rest of the day. Perhaps you could make an appointment and I’ll see when I can slot you in.”

“No need for that. Thank you.” She turned on her heel and was on her way to the elevators when an image of Norma flitted before her mind’s eye. The young woman had left her bed early this morning with a loving kiss and a promise that she would always love her. They had spent the Sunday night together at her apartment, unwilling to be parted again. As she had escorted the brunette to the door and hugged her, one thing had been very clear at that moment. She wasn’t the same anymore. Not after Norma Elkers had made love to her and declared her love for her. She wouldn’t be able to go back to the person she was before. That meant that she would have to stop consenting to the blatant harassment she was being subjected to.

She spun around and made straight for the admiral’s office door.

“You can’t go in there!” The receptionist tried to intercept her, but she careful held her at an arms-length as she pushed the door open. They were all there; coffee cups in their hands as they talked and laughed. It took them a moment to spot her and she approached the seating area where they were congregated.

“What is the purpose of this, Lieutenant Burkhouse,” Admiral Bailey ordered sharply, emphasizing her rank.

“I wanted to see you, sir.”

“And you thought interrupting a private meeting would make me want to accommodate you?” he snapped.

“No, sir.” She removed her Lieutenant insignia and placed it on the bookcase nearest to her. “I wanted to tell you in person that I’m resigning my commission and to thank you for the opportunity to have served as a Spacefleet officer.”

For a brief moment, the man’s face registered shock, but just as quickly, it morphed into one of satisfaction.

“It’s sad, but understandable. No one wants to report to you anymore, Lieutenant. That makes it difficult to find assignments for you.” He stuck out his hand. “I wish you all the best for the future.”

“Thank you, sir. I’m sorry for the interruption.”

“No need to apologize, Miss Burkhouse. Just make sure we have a resignation letter on record before the end of business today.”

“Yes, sir. Goodbye, sir.” She turned and left the office; feeling oddly calm and relieved. An hour later she walked into an expansive foyer and approached a smiling receptionist.

“Good morning, ma’am. How can I help you?”

“I’m here to see Lord Bunq, please.”

“Do you have an appointment with Lord Bunq, ma’am?”

She grimaced. “No, but I was hoping…”

“Thank you, Moise. I’ll take over from here,” a voice said and she turned to find the man in question standing there. “Good morning, Captain. I was just about to get myself a coffee in our employee lounge. Care to join me?”

“I would love to, milord.”

She allowed him to show the way and a minute later, they entered a large venue with high ceilings and large windows which let in an abundance of light to add to the tranquil atmosphere. Small four-seater tables were placed in an eccentric pattern as opposed to the rigid rows at the academy cafeteria. A large fish tank covered the one wall while the opposite wall had a bank of food processors on the one side and on the other, an actual 21st style cafeteria display counter, where wonderful smells were emanating from.

Margaret loved the space.

“Any preference as to where we should sit, Captain?”

“Anywhere will do, milord. It’s a beautiful place.”

He smiled as he led her to a table near the windows. The beautiful skyline of the city was visible from her seat.

“We wanted to create a space that appealed to everyone.” He held up his hand and a woman came over to take their coffee orders. “I hope you don’t mind, but I prefer the real thing to the processed version.”

“I agree.” She looked around the lounge and back at Bunq. “I’ve come to a decision”

“Of course. But before you tell me what you’ve decided, I want you to try the coffee first. We’ve acquired it from Ecuador.” The server returned with a tray and served them.

Margaret smiled as she picked up her cup and took a sip. He was right. The coffee was delicious.

***

Norma’s eyes didn’t stray from her opponent. He was bigger than her. Huge, actually. But that was what was slowing him down. She saw the slight pull of a muscle under his eye and knew an attack was imminent. He came at her with surprising speed for such a big man and Norma waited until the very last moment before she fell on her back and grabbing his knees tipped him over her head only to throw her body over him and jerk his knee back. He gave a harsh shout and she released him.

“Sorry ‘bout that, big man,” she said as she helped him to his feet. “The doc will check you out before you leave.” She turned to the others and found them grinning. “Any of you want to take his place?” They quickly shook their heads. “I thought so. Pair up and show me at least three techniques of taking down an opponent with minimal effort.”

“I think you’re needed somewhere, Lieutenant,” one of the students said and nodded at the door. She turned and gasped softly. “I’ll be back. Now start.”

She approached the pair, but it took great effort not to stare at Margaret. Lord Bunq greeted her with a smile.

“Is Burto going to be okay? That’s the first time I saw a Mika fly through the air. They are usually the ones doing the tossing.”

“Except for a bruised ego, I think he’ll be okay. As your personal bodyguard, he needs to be prepared for anything. Good morning, Captain.” Margaret smiled as she looked down at her chest and Norma noticed the lack of an insignia. She only blinked. “Well, once a captain; always a captain.”

“Good morning, Lieutenant. Impressive technique.”

She smiled as she thought of the older woman's own impressive techniques. “Thank you.”

“I’ve already spoken with Captain Burkhouse and I was hoping you would show her around. I will clear out my office by the end of the day for it to be ready for its new occupant.” The man’s face was bright with joy as Norma could only stare at her lover. “Once again, welcome on board, Grand Admiral.” He left with a slight jump in his step.

“You’ve accepted the offer,” Norma said softly and Margaret nodded. “I thought you would take longer to decide.”

“You’re very persuasive, Lieutenant Elkers. I thought the quicker I settle in, the sooner we can plan a wedding and pick out our baby’s name.” Norma stared at her lover as she reminded herself that they were in public and that if they were going to be colleagues that some basic rules needed to be established. However, she couldn’t resist a wink at the gorgeous woman.

“If you’ll give me a moment, I’ll go freshen up and then I’ll take you on a tour of the facility, Grand Admiral.” Just like Bunq, she whispered the title conspiratorially.

“No need to rush, Lieutenant. I love to see you in action. Would you mind if I stay and watch for a moment?”

She grinned as she gave Margaret a once over. “As long as you know that you’ll be an active participant tonight. Pay close attention and remember, I love you.” She walked away with an extra swing in her hips, knowing that she had an avid audience.

EPILOGUE

Norma kept her expression blank as she greeted the dignitaries as they filed past her into the auditorium. It would be the first sitting of the quarter for the Galactic Security Council and all the top security brass of the twenty-seven member planets were in attendance. The meeting was to gauge the training capacity of the individual planetary forces, threat assessments, recruitment opportunities and finally to the introduction of the person now occupying the top position at the GSC.

As the outgoing head of the organization, Lord Bunq was officiating the conference which would take place over three days, with today being the introductory session and a review of the minutes of the previous conference.

“Welcome to the first sitting of the Galactic Security Council for the year. It is always good to see all our colleagues congregated here like this. It emphasizes our solidarity and commitment to keeping our territories and people safe. Over the past decade, we’ve proven to the naysayers that we could find a common cause which would see every citizen in our Interplanetary Alliance root for the same outcome. Peace. We’ve maintained peace and all that is thanks to this organization and its close working relationship with individual planetary armed forces. Where your arm couldn’t reach, the GSC acted as an extension.” Thunderous applause followed. “We have each other’s backs, as my colleague, Lieutenant Elkers, likes to say. Today is another feather in our cap. A week ago, we were lucky to secure the expertise and service of one person who had been unanimously endorsed, by all the members of the Galactic Alliance, our mother body, to lead the GSC.”

From where she sat behind the audiovisual board, Norma kept her eyes on the six Spacefleet admirals. Oh, they were in for the shock of their lives.

“If you’ll consult your information board, we’ve supplied an extensive biography on the person you’re about to meet. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our new head of the GSC, Grand Admiral Margaret Burkhouse.”

Her pulse raced as her fiancée walked up the stairs in her black and gold uniform with the Grand Admiral insignia displayed proudly on her chest. She was sure had the applause not started; someone would’ve overheard her loud heartbeat. Thankfully no one overheard nor did anyone know of how they had played stern Grand Admiral and insubordinate Lieutenant last night to break in the new uniform.

“Ah, Lieutenant Elkers, the biography?” Lord Bunq called out. She hid her blush as she pressed a button to disperse the information. She wouldn’t dare look at Margaret now, for she was sure she would melt in a puddle. The craze about uniforms never made sense to her until she saw her lover in hers last night. It definitely did something to her.

The session would only run until the lunch hour after which the participants would visit various GSC sites and prepare for the next two full days of the seminar. She had to oversee the lockdown of the auditorium after the group had moved to the employee lounge for lunch and was disappointed to arrive at an almost depleted buffet.

“Ah, Lieutenant Elkers, Grand Admiral Burkhouse asked to set aside plates for you and your team,” Lizzy, the head chef informed her. “Let me get them for you.”

She fought to quell the emotion that threatened to choke her. Man, her woman was sweet and considerate.

“Here you go, Lieutenant.”

Norma thanked Lizzy and found a table where she would wait for her team to join her. As she swept the room for Margaret, she spotted her talking to none other than Admiral Bailey.

Who’s answering to who now? She had been enraged when she had heard Admiral Bailey’s excuse for why they were pushing Margaret aside. Karma is still alive in the 24th Century.

***

“I believe congratulations are in order, Admiral Burkhouse,” Admiral Bailey said as he held a hand out to her which she shook.

Before she could respond, Lord Bunq appeared at her side. “It’s actually Grand Admiral, Admiral Bailey. Since she will be outranking Admirals, we want to make sure that there is no confusion and that the members get it right from the start. It’s been two weeks and still, I can’t believe our good luck. Grand Admiral Burkhouse and Lieutenant Elkers tracked down and captured the serial killer, Herrick Dump. Already they are proving what a first-rate team they are.” He smiled broadly as he squeezed her shoulder. “I’ll find you later for the update on the Keti V situation.”

“Yes, milord.”

He left and she turned back to Admiral Bailey. The man gave her a fake, toothy grin.

“Everything seemed to have worked out in the end, wouldn’t you say.”

“It appears that way. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

“Before you go, Grand Admiral.” She could see that it galled the man to use her title. “We have recently begun to review your case and preliminary findings proved that there had been a massive misunderstanding in the information relayed to us about the incident and that the demotion had been a rash decision.”

Margaret looked at him. She didn’t comment or even made any gesture to acknowledge his lies. Her silence seemed to unnerve him and he gave a nervous chuckle.

“We thought it would give you some peace of mind to know that the issue will be cleared up soon.”

“I need to go, Admiral. I’ll see you tomorrow.” As she walked away from him, her eyes sought out Norma, who was already looking at her intently. She stopped by the brunette’s table. “How are you, Lieutenant?”

“Thank you for seeing to it that my team and I don’t starve, Grand Admiral.”

She grinned. “You’re welcome. Have you received any news about the apartment?” Norma had decided to move in with her soon.

“Yes, Lily decided to take over the lease.” She looked around as if to see if anyone was eavesdropping. “She has also enquired about the admission requirements.”

That was unexpected, but still very good news. The GSC would benefit immensely if they could recruit such a skilled operative.

“That’s wonderful. Let’s not push her lest we scare her, but we could invite her over for dinner one night.”

“I like that. Will you stay late tonight? I probably will have to.”

Margaret spotted her assistant trying to get her attention. “I can keep busy until you’re ready to leave. I’ll wait for you in my office.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

She noticed the sly look in the dark eyes. “You can thank me properly later,” she said under her breath and nodded before she moved away to attend to business.

Her life was more perfect than she had ever imagined it could be. All thanks to a beautiful brunette with a very dangerous streak in her.

“These application letters came in during the early session, ma’am. Lord Bunq suggested you go through them personally.”

Since when had this become the Grand Admiral’s task, she wondered as she accepted the palmreader. “Thank you, N’ikl.”

“Ma’am.” She muttered and stepped aside. It was expected of her to do it right now? With a soft sigh, she activated the device and the first application popped up. When she saw the name, she blinked in surprise. Jordan Light. She read through the application to make sure it was the same person. Then she read the motivation and her throat swelled shut with emotion. He hadn’t minced his words. He stated simply that he wanted to work for an organization that was headed by her. Apparently, she was the most courageous, considerate and experienced leader he had ever served under. She felt a strong gaze on her and turn to catch Norma’s. She smiled at her before she scanned through the first ten or so applications of the hundred and forty. All of them were once her crew members on the Venetian. Almost all offered the same motivation as Jordan.

She looked at her assistant who had a tiny smile on her face. The Mion wasn’t known to smile much, but this situation seemed to warrant one.

“I’ll deal with it tomorrow, Lieutenant. Thank you.”

THE END

OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR

The Guardian Series

Book 1: A Guardian’s Touch

Book 2: A Guardian’s Love

Book 3: A Guardian’s Passion

Book 4: A Guardian’s Salvation

Book 5: A Guardian’s Eternity

The Eternal Series

(Guardian Series spin-off)

Book 1: An Eternal Family

The Stone Warrior Series

Book 1: To Be Unbroken

Book 2: Carved in Stone

Book 3: Shatterproof

The Regency Series

Book 1: The Discreet Servant

Book 2: The Enigmatic Steward

Book 3: The Alluring Cook

Book 4: The Reserved Doctor

Book 5: The Future Beckons

Book 6: A Noble Pledge

The Wolven Series

Book 1: Claimed

Book 2: Lycan

The Pharmac series

Book 1: Afterglow

Book 2: Hereafter

Other

Phantom of the Heart

Spoils of War

Random Convergences

Blood Oaths (Anthology)

Worlds Apart

Thicker than Blood (Anthology)

Immemorial