The
Darkstrider
popped out of hyperspace at Voleskar Hyperspace waypoint, the final waypoint in their journey to Prodosia. Inari was in the pilot's chair, going through the motions of what needed doing before they made the jump. She noted the merchant traffic there, and it was higher than usual.
The woman thought it very odd, as this was one of the more remote waypoints. It normally shouldn't be seeing this much traffic here, with it being so close to the Abandoned Frontier. The radar scans came back, and it rendered the ships at the waypoint on the holo on her left. Inari scrutinized the ship holos and narrowed her eyes at the sight of one of them.
"Jaesa, you there?" Inari called out.
"For you captain, always. What's up?" the AI asked.
"Could you please scan all channels and search for any encrypted transmissions?" the Iranian woman questioned.
"There are several grades of encryptions that are flying through the channels right now. Did you have anything specific in mind?" Jaesa queried.
"Anything military grade or higher?" Inari pressed.
"Scanning... sorry, captain. I'm not picking up anything of that grade anywhere," Jaesa replied.
"Would you mind keeping an eye out for such transmissions?" Inari asked.
"Not at all, captain. I'll keep you posted of any changes, or if I detect anything," the AI replied.
"Hey love. Something wrong?" Priya asked as she ambled up behind her girlfriend.
"Not per se. More like a niggling feeling at the back of my skull," Inari responded. The older woman then detailed what she'd seen and how she felt about the situation.
"Well, when coupled with the waves we made at Veldhern and the pirates we put down, I think some folks will have heard about it by now," Priya agreed.
"Here's hoping that they're not the unfriendly type of people," Inari sighed as she brought the Darkstrider to the co-ordinates to make their jump.
"It's not like we can't handle such idiots when they pop up," Priya chuckled.
"Yes, but I'd rather not deal with such types, you know what I mean?" the captain replied as she activated the hyperdrive and made the jump to Prodosia.
"I get it babe, but with the upgrades we have on this baby, it's going to be hard to not be noticed," Priya reminded her lover.
"I know, I know! It's just a little much to take in from time to time," Inari rambled.
"Again, I get that. Don't forget love, we're all in the same boat," Priya reminded her. "You're not normally this agitated. What's wrong?"
"Nerves, I guess. I haven't been back to Prodosia in years, and I left with a gun pointed at my back," Inari stated.
"You think they might pull something when we get there?" Priya asked, thinking about the locals and their attitude towards Inari.
"I don't know. It's been years since I've seen them, so anything is possible," Inari replied.
"Well, let me help you take your mind off things for the moment," Priya told her lover.
"What did you have in mind?"
"Snacks, wine, some of our favorite holovids and lots of cuddling," Priya said to her, hoping the idea would help settle her nerves.
"Count me in! I could do with some cuddling," Inari sighed, feeling more than up for some quality time with her lady. With their course laid in, it would take the
Darkstrider
at least seven hours to get to Prodosia. This gave the couple plenty of time to take some downtime with each other, which they both needed.
******************************
Natalya took a deep breath as she came awake, blinking against the soft light of the room. There was a source of warmth on her left and the amount of heat coming off it told her it was Alex. Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw her man's sleeping form lying there, resting soundly. She grinned to herself, thinking that Alex needed the rest since their little romp earlier.
While on the way from the second waypoint on their journey to Prodosia, both she and Shazza had double teamed Alex, sending the poor man into an erotic coma. Though the double teaming had only happened after she'd had her way with Alex, twice. Natalya grinned as she remembered just how much of a monster Alex could be in the sheets!
They could easily say the same of Shazza, as she'd done things that would have made a hardened whore blush. Natalya knew Kasumi was next with him, but felt that Shazza deserved some more time with the man they all shared. They had all gotten some time with Alex, sure, but they had shorted Shazza more than once. The four of them had agreed to share the man, but Natalya knew that she and Kasumi had monopolized their time with him.
She then gazed at the woman on Alex's right and smiled at her, as she slept soundly in their man's embrace. Though she was a Xuul'khan, Shazza was an honest woman, who'd been bereft of love or a true emotional connection. Natalya knew what cutting yourself off from all emotion could do to you, and she didn't wish that on anyone. Least of all, someone that she trusted and cared for.
Ever so quietly, Natalya slipped out of the bed and padded over to where her discarded clothing sat piled up. She quickly got dressed and made her way to the door, while trying to be as quiet as possible. Natalya failed at this, as she saw Shazza's head pop up and scan the room. Her eyes lit on Natalya and the Xuul'khani woman yawned and made to get up.
"No, no, get back in there," Natalya motioned. "You take some time with Alex and have some more fun with him."
"It's Kasumi's turn with him next, isn't it?" Shazza protested tiredly.
"You've been getting the short end of the stick when it comes to time spent with him. Consider this my way of trying to fix that issue," Natalya replied.