There was no sunlight deep within the Starport to show when morning came, and no predestined alarm to tell when it was time to prepare for her shift. But still, after eight years of slavery Eta's internal clock knew how to move her from floating effortlessly within her dreams to awake and alert in an instant. She opened her eyes, giving them a moment to adjust to the gloom. The only light was a tiny glow given off by the lightswitch so it could be found in the dark, but it was enough Eta could make out the shape of Alex's lockers against the wall, and the doorframe out into the hall. A smile crept across her face as she slowly twisted her head, trying to see behind herself.
"Uuughmmmmm," Alex groaned, the movement causing the sleeping woman to squeeze her arms tighter around Eta for a moment. Eta froze, waiting a long moment before very carefully returning to her position and snuggling up as close to Alex as she could without disturbing her Mistress. Her mind drifted into a state of bliss at being surrounded by the warmth of the embrace, and she contemplated just how high a price she'd be happy to pay if every morning could begin like this.
Her thoughts wondered, and she began to day-dream. The main focus of her thoughts was unabashedly Alex: both the idea of being bound helplessly at her feet but also stargazing from beside her in the cockpit: not that the two were mutually exclusive. She wasn't sure how long she had spent enjoying the embrace, but eventually another low sound from Alex pulled her back to the present.
"Mmmmmmuuuuuughh," the Commander groaned, again pulling her companion tight up against her chest as she stretched out her muscles. She buried her face deep in the hair on the back of Eta's head as she made a low series of indistinct grumbles.
"Good morning, Alex," Eta whispered pleasantly, giggling at the feeling of her Mistress' nose rubbing against her.
"Morning.... You... too," was Alex's disjointed reply as the woman shook the sleep from her brain.
"Did you sleep well?" Eta asked happily, before her voice turned more hesitant. "Or.... should I be silent so you can rest more?"
"No... is good. Hate wake... up..... nothing... do... with...you," Alex managed, stringing most of the correct words together. But it was still a few more minutes before she was fully awake.
"Ah... yeah... I slept well," she murmured, very late for the question but answering it anyway.
"You still make an excellent teddy bear to hold while sleeping. Thank you."
"Do you normally sleep with a teddy bear?" Eta giggled.
"Haven't since I was a little kid. But you're better than any of the ones I had back then. None of them had tits. How'd you sleep?" Alex asked as she playfully reached up, cupping one of Eta's breasts in her palm before kissing the back of the woman's neck and pushing herself up into a sitting position. Eta let out a short intake of breath as a flash of red passed across her face, but a smile quickly followed as she rolled onto her back and looked at her Mistress.
"Very well, thank you Alex."
"Did you... have any more nightmares?" Alex asked apprehensively. But Eta shook her head.
"Dreams yes, but I am pleased to report they were very pleasant."
"Should I ask what they were about?" Alex chuckled. Eta blushed again but simply raised a hand and pointed at her Mistress. Alex laughed before grabbing the hand and pulling her companion off the bed.
The two began to dress themselves in pleasant silence. Out of the corner of her eye Alex caught the bruise forming on the side of Eta's neck and felt smugly proud of herself. She was less thrilled to notice the other less sexy bruises would be hanging around for a while longer. But a moment later as Eta was beginning the knot of her necktie a hand reached up to stop her.
"What part of your suit is recognizable as a slave uniform?" Alex asked curiously, now dressed in shore clothes: denim pants hugging her legs, and her leather jacket over a buttoned shirt.
"Um," began Eta in surprise. "The necktie is very Imperial, yes. And the fact the suit has shirt collars to accommodate it is distinctive. And the emblems," she added, gesturing at her shoulders.
"But other than that?"
"Other than that I believe it's a standard appearing white jumpsuit. Admittedly more form fitting than your flight suits, but I don't think that alone is of note. Why do you ask?" asked Eta, unsure where Alex was going. Alex just gazed at her for a long moment before reaching up and slipping off Eta's tie. With a calculating eye she tugged down the zipper at the woman's throat to reveal a palm's worth of collarbone. She gave a smirk as she crossed over to her lockers and dug around for a moment.
"You may be taller than me, but you're not any wider in the shoulder. Try this on," she said, holding out an older leather jacket, light grey as opposed to her own brown. Her companion did as instructed, and as Alex had observed the jacket fit well enough, other than the sleaves being a little short. It was strange, Eta didn't remember the last time she had felt the weight of a garment like this resting on her shoulders that hadn't been a space suit. She was pulled out of her thoughts as Alex stepped up in front of her, holding a pair of safety goggles from Eta's own toolbelt. The Commander draped them around her companions neck, positioning them so the strap and lenes obscuring her suit collar. Next Alex wrapped a belt around Eta waist. Eta blushed when she recognized it as one her Mistress had bound her with the night before. Alex secured the buckle, letting the belt sit lightly on Eta's hips.
Eta looked down at herself as Alex spoke, "There! And the colours don't even clash horribly. So what do you think? Would it pass as a normal outfit?"
"I believe so," Eta determined, nodding slowly. "I... presume you would prefer I not look like a slave?"
"Well... I can't exactly take you out in public looking like you should be carrying my luggage," Alex answered with a shrug. Eta's eyes widened.
"Take me out...." she said in surprise before her voice trailed off.
"Yeah! I want to buy you some clothes that aren't slave uniforms. But I'd need to take you to a store for that. And it's tradition to make one's date breakfast the morning after. But my cooking consists of plugging things into my food printer so we can do better out in the Starport," Alex chuckled before catching Eta's nervous look.
"You don't love the idea," she observed simply, but her companion quickly wiped her expression.
"No, no," she answered as she bowed her head. "I am happy to be taken wherever my Mistress would like."
"Eta," Alex said sternly. "What was the first rule of sex I told you last night?"
A flash of confusion crossed across Eta's face as she cast her mind back.
"If I'm not wanting to do something, I have to tell you," she repeated, realizing what Alex was getting at.
"Good girl," Alex chuckled, and Eta turned a bright shade of red as she dropped her gaze.
"So..." the Commander prodded. Eta closed her eyes and took a long breath before speaking.
"I admit I am nervous about venturing into public pretending to not be a slave. And I feel guilty you intend to spend more money on me. But... I know you wouldn't propose this if you felt it would put me at risk."
"Well unless you never want to eat and are content only switching between your two uniforms then you're just going to have to deal with me spending money on you. But why do you feel nervous?" asked Alex gently, no judgement in her voice. Eta hesitated for a moment.
"You said yourself that traveling with someone who's visibly an Imperial Slave would draw attention. What if I am still recognized? I don't want to cause you trouble. But.... I trust you," she stated, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.
"Eta you don't have to go anywhere if it makes you uneasy. I can guess your size and buy you some clothes. And I can just bring back food like I did last night."
"No... I trust you," Eta repeated, her voice growing more certain as she extended a hand. "I am happy to be led."
Alex studied her companion for a long moment before gently taking hold of the woman and heading towards the boarding ladder.
The maze of hallways snaking below the hangers were abustle with activity. Maintenance workers and people wearing flight suits milled about or moved between the waiting ships. Fuel, armaments, and seeming every other commodity flowed like blood through the beating heart of the Starport around them as the pair made their way towards the kilometers long elevator that would take them down to the more commercial areas.
But even for how busy the hangers were, they paled in comparison to what awaited them as the doors parted. As they stepped out of the elevator Eta couldn't help but let out a small gasp at the scale of the crowds moving around them. They were in a wide plaza that stretched out both directions far enough Eta could clearly see the floor following the curve of the Starport's ring. One side was punctuated with large windows looking out into space, and the one side was lined with all manner of businesses, and people milling between them all. Eta felt Alex take her hand and gently tug her along as they made their way through the crowds. The Commander leaned over as they walked.
"You look like you've never been on a Starport before," she whispered with an amused expression. "What, they never give you shore leave?"
"No shore leave for sla... for people like me. And I have been on Starports before, but the only time we were in public areas...." she paused, not wanting to say anything to specific.
"We were not permitted to wonder," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"What do you think?" asked Alex, glancing at her with a quizzical smile.
"It's wonderful!" breathed Eta. "Overwhelming, but it's so alive!"
Alex chuckled before giving her companion's hand a squeeze.
"If you get overwhelmed enough you want to go back to the ship, just tell me, I'll take you back."
"Thank you, Alex," Eta replied gratefully.
"Now. Last night, were you serious I could dress you however I wanted?"
"Completely," Eta quickly answered.
