Melinoe Ch. 06-10

Teffa unlocked the passenger door and as it opened Agatha and 'Una' got out, visually scanned for threats then stepped to either side of the door.

Agatha could have easily designated Vika and Astrid if they had been unknowns, she all but ignored them and she hoped it wouldn't be a distraction.

Astrid's remotes had serious advantage over the usual paparazzi and the two dozen or so Slarmians who were holding standard HD recorders were easily analyzed as the drones were able to piece everything together. The Slarmians soon realized what their remotes were, and a couple figured out who was controlling them.

One was so upset that he slithered up to Astrid and said some unkind things to her, she didn't understand him, but she assumed they were unkind. Vika did happen to understand what he said and gave the three-meter Slarmian a very impressive retort that made him back up and away from the rope line.

Astrid glanced down at her short wife and smiled her appreciation.

Vika blew her a kiss and smiled.

Joon was the first to emerge from the vehicle, Astrid made a "squee" but the remotes did not break the rope line protocol, but they did bend it, as they were deployed to cover five different angles.

Joon posed casually, and she reached out behind her, holding out her hand for Max.

Max reached out her hand and emerged from the vehicle while Joon gently pulled her forward and they walked together along the carpet.

Agatha and 'Una' followed the glamorous couple, Agatha scanned the crowd of onlookers, but couldn't pick out anyone who stood out... she kept scanning.

Max felt dreamlike for a couple of seconds and her smile was genuine as she walked with natural grace, her hand interlaced with Joon's.

They reached the door and it opened for them as they walked through.

Astrid and Vika followed the crowd to the periphery of the event: the short decorative wall was marked, and none crossed that barrier. From that distance the entire event was within view and was only obscured by incredibly ornate columns covered with inlayed precious metals and semi-precious stones.

The site of the event was the creation of a renowned Slarmian artist, and the columns were gifted to the Slarmian people and was frequently the site of government sponsored events. Ambassador Crinx certainly had the right to use it.

Vika glanced at the wall... She had to do her part.

Vika got Astrid's attention, "I'm going to move the 'bike, I'll be right back."

Astrid nodded, and smiled as she was controlling remotes, along the edge of the wall, and high above.

Vika maneuvered the Matsubara Z-750, further along the wall, right at a space in the shrubs... she nodded to no one, and quickly scampered back to Astrid.

Joon. was. in. heaven.

There were close to a hundred Slarmians at this event with a couple of other species represented; but Joon didn't see another human anywhere. This meant the crew of The Deirdre was representing their people tonight.

She had been to glamorous events before, but they all felt hollow next to this. This event was filled with the rich and powerful; but it was first and foremost a state function of an entire government hosted by an ambassador.

At that moment Ambassador Crinx slithered over to Joon and Max, He was accompanied by a Dauzakai in very elaborate ornate apparel.

"Crinx, is so happy you have chosen to attend, Lady Jooniper, and your lovely Captain as well." Crinx raised his two left hands to indicate his companion.

"Crinx, is pleased to introduce Ambassador Zess of the Dauzakai."

Joon and Max bowed to the Dauzakai, she nodded and said, "Crinx sssaid you were a musician of renown in the Terran Federation, I had the delightful opportunity to sssee your holo-net media. I hope you extend your musical planss to Dauzaki, we would enjoy your talent.

Max sobered and nodded, but of course Joon spoke, "I think that is a wonderful Idea, I may do an entire tour of the Minor Empires."

Ambassador Zess's eyes dilated, "I will be happy to contact you. Crinx will help."

Glancing at Zess, Ambassador Crinx nodded in acquiescence.

Crinx and Zess, the two Ambassadors, seemed to have a very close connection. Max had to remind herself that these two were both at the Trankaran Summit talks with Chancellor Niskera, and were then trapped by the Kirrix, almost over-run, then rescued by The Lion and his Lionesses.

They had a bond forged in fire.

"Crinx, tell me more about these columns." Zess pulled on one of his arms, dragging him away from the humans.

Joon smirked and glanced at Max.

Max glanced back, "What, sweetheart?"

"Those two... they are very close..." Joon giggled softly.

Max blinked, "You think they..."

Joon shrugged, "Maybe... they certainly have a connection."

Max nodded, "I hope they are compatible."

"I don't think that is nearly as important." Joon declared.

Max nodded, "I agree... we aren't, 'completely' compatible... so to speak."

Joon beamed a smile and squeezed Max's hand.

"Oooh... there is food..." Joon dragged her towering wife towards a long table set along the edge with two bodyguard's bobbing along in her wake.

Joon was just about to feed a spinach puff to Max...

When all hell broke loose.

Astrid recorded all of it, some kind of air lorry came in, a series of small explosions and eight Slarmian in dark apparel moved in from the perimeter, they managed to take out most of the security in the first assault, they knew exactly who and where they were.

Vika dragged Astrid back, away from the decorative wall towards the grounded vehicles.

Teffa immediately opened her cockpit and waved them over and let them in.

"What the Fuck?" Astrid was crying.

Vika hugged her petting her head trying to calm her.

Vika and Teffa could only watch the combat... the remotes recorded everything.

Agatha had immediately dragged Joon back behind one of the ornate columns, Joon could only see flashes of weapons fire and splatters of body fluids, and bodies... too many bodies.

Agatha unfolded her purse, the same time 'Una' did... Max nodded to her, and toed off the half boots that would be useless to her.

Slarmians had a constant contact with the ground... so Max would always have a go to target.

The screaming and chaos actually helped Max and Agatha for a few moments, the attackers wouldn't be able to pick them out as combatants until it would be too late.

Max signaled Agatha to guard Joon, but cover Max at range, she signaled affirmative.

The ever-present earbud crackled, "Captain, break cover for support or stand down?"

Max glanced at Agatha, "ETA?"

Agatha clenched her jaw, "Ten minutes..." came across her earbud.

Max shook her head, "Stay put..."

Agatha nodded.

Agatha took up positions on either side of Joon at the column near the edge, next to the doors.

Max saw Crinx and Zess huddled behind the next column, she also heard Zess, "Who did you piss off this time, Crinx?"

"I'm going to send the Ambassadors back here," Max glanced at Agatha's eyes, she nodded, "Don't shoot them."

Max lunged around the column and leapt to the next column, frightening both ambassadors.

"My apologies your excellencies, but if you would fall back to the last column, Agatha and 'Una' will keep you both and Joon alive." Max saw both Ambassadors nodding in her peripheral, and then scampered and slithered to the last column.

Max peeked around the corner, caught the edge of one of the terrorists, they were still working their way down the columns, one by one, killing as they went.

Max followed her training, and her emotions were tucked away for use later.

The Slarmians who were still alive cowering behind columns were in hysterics.

Max saw an opening, as the terrorist kill squad shifted back to the other row of columns... poor training, they were clumping, letting their blood lust dictate their actions, Max would make them pay for that.

Max sprinted down the long row of columns, while that window was open, her silver dress riding up exposing her pussy as she ran, she didn't even realize it, it wasn't even taken into account.

Max peered around a column, noting the positions and weapons, she also noted the lorry hanging in the air above the exhibit, it was nondescript, but obviously converted.

She eased back, out of view.

Their level of professionalism would be determined when their losses started to become apparent.

Her job was to be as stealthy as long as she could, the columns were terrible cover, but they were hard cover, and she would use that fact ruthlessly.

The mob started their way back over again, they had fired several times, she could hear some of them reloading weapons. This was going to be like a walk in the park.

The first weapon came into view, she pulled it, and slammed her elbow into the head of the Slarmian who came along with that weapon, his impact with the column a fraction of a second later rendered him unconscious, and his weapon was hers, it was some kind of SMG with three barrels and a thick triple stack magazine: a Slarmian spray and pray design.

She decided it wasn't worth trying to figure out... but he was carrying a blade. The knife was also Slarmian design, the crescent inner edge was serrated, perfect for quiet dispatch.

The second and third Slarmians went down even faster than the first, she was now behind the mobs, picking off the slower killers.

Then the body of her first kill was discovered, and predictably, they panicked.

They shot at all of the columns, the event guests screamed louder, and the killers did nothing but amp up their anxiety and empty their weapons.

Max picked off two more in the confusion, the last one had a heavy shotgun. She picked it up and rushed the last group, first putting the butt of the shotgun into one of the terrorist's throats: a slight spin kick then turned the butt of the weapon and sent it into the third and she finished the second with a shotgun blast to the skull all in one connected move. She then quickly checked her kills, dispatching any suspected survivors.

It was good she did, if she hadn't taken the time to assess her kills, she would have missed the unmistakable wind-up whirring, of a Gatling Laser.

The Lorry was now unveiled and the column she had been behind before she checked her kills was being shredded by the powerful anti-aircraft weapon.

Max was running out of time and no one would survive. Max kept her line of sight from the lorry turned gunship.

Max quickly scanned and assessed her environment.

The lorry came around to the other side, and shredded another column.

Max slipped back during the lorries shift, and crouched behind the shredded column, she could feel the heat from the rock on her bare skin.

Then she spotted it, she didn't question how it got there, she just formulated a plan, ratified it, then initiated it.

Max left the heavy shotgun behind, and sprinted to the fifth column, circled around it, and hopped over two corpses she just made.

The Gatling Laser had a bead on her now, and followed her trajectory, the silver target easy to see.

But Max double backed right under the barrels of the Gatling Laser. Her diversion would only last a second and she ran flat out, her adrenaline at full tilt.

Max leapt, clearing the short decorative wall and landing just between two ornamental shrubs. Her bare legs gripped the saddle of the Matsubara Z-750 as she thumbed it to life. Pulling it up and out, she rocketed at the lorry.

The bike had a chunk of starship armor welded to the front of it, Trankaran ablative plating.

The Slarmian at the Gatling Laser was sure he was hitting his target, but the thing wasn't exploding or disintegrating.

One moment the Gatling Laser was firing at full rpm...

The next moment Max rammed the Gatling Laser with the altered hover bike. She sheared it from its mounting, shoving it through it's operator and embedding it into the other side of the Lorry.

Something felt strange to Max, but she still wasn't finished, she crawled... with one arm to the hover bike, her balance was off but she kept going.

Max pushed her self up with her arm, she smelled barbecue. Reaching behind the plate she pulled a surprisingly warm heavy pistol, she clicked off the safety.

Turning left she saw the cockpit was an open cabin She saw the pilot and the co-pilot: it was like a snap shot, just like in training.

She double tapped both of them in the head, then Max turned right, she was having trouble turning, but she just kept trying.

As she saw three Slarmians trying to raise weapons at her... she calmly double tapped each one, one in each eye, it was slow and easy.

Max felt weightless, her eyes slowly turned to see the edge of the column exhibit center go by the open door.

A sudden change: Max felt darkness fall across her eyes, the last thing she heard was Joon screaming her name.