Project - Prometheus Ch. 11

"Inferiority doesn't lie within the blood or the race of a being, Shazza. It lies within the mind. Those who are too small minded to see anything beyond themselves, they are the inferior ones," Korsa told her gently, while drawing her in for a hug.

Shazza embraced Korsa and snuggled into the massive woman, appreciating the gesture. With the radical change to her mindset, there was much that Shazza had to contemplate. Her way of doing things, her core beliefs, everything was changing, and it was a scary thing for certain. But also, it gave her a sense of hope. Hope for a better life, a life that was hers to decide.

"Jaesa, it's been a long day. Perhaps you could ask Shazza your questions tomorrow, after breakfast has been served?" Korsa asked the AI.

"Very good, Doctor. I will retire for the evening then and I bid you ladies good night," Jaesa stated warmly, before disappearing in a shower of pixels. Korsa thought it was odd, the way Jaesa was acting. The way she seemed almost... human in her interactions with everyone. Shaking her head, Korsa chalked it up to both tiredness and Jaesa's programming, which was to emulate humans, but not quite be one.

The car arrived at the Officer's Deck nearly a minute later and both women disembarked. Korsa had taken a tablet from the Hospital wing, which she was using as a map to guide her in the correct direction. It wasn't long before the women had arrived at the door and walked in, the portal opening at their approach.

Inside, was a spartan cabin, with little in the way of decoration, but it was still sizeable. Jaesa hadn't lied when she had told her that the cabin had been fully refitted. The bed, the overhead space, everything had been adjusted for Korsa. She squeed in delight at the fact that she'd have a proper bed to sleep in! She hadn't slept in one in several days and it was making her ache all over in the mornings when she woke up.

She walked over to the closet and found several outfits that were tailored to her specific size, just like Jaesa said! Smiling, Korsa went through the clothing but had found no nightshirts of any kind. She thought abut calling out to Jaesa about this, but then her body reminded her of just how tired she was. Korsa closed the closet and disrobed. She looked over and still saw Shazza standing in the doorway of her cabin and beckoned her forward. Starting at the action, she walked on inside quickly and looked away from Korsa bashfully.

"You know, technically, we have both seen each other naked, so there's no reason for looking away you know," Korsa told her charge.

Snorting a laugh, Shazza remembered that and then went about removing the clothing she wore as well. In moments, both women were naked, save for a pair of panties that each one wore. Each woman then took a beat and admired the physical form of the other. Shazza smirked and was somewhat envious of the size of Korsa's breasts and how perky they were.

Korsa similarly appraising of Shazza tight and muscular form. Though she wasn't as well defined or cut as Inari was, the solid ropes of muscle could be seen. Especially Shazza's legs, which Korsa could tell were her strongest part. Small wonder that Shazza had been able to outdistance them from earlier. Gazing at one another like they had caused both women to blush, as they remembered the lurid encounter the shared in the dreamscape.

"Come on. Time to go to bed," Korsa said as she moved towards it.

Twitching aside the covers, she slid on the mattress, while gesturing for Shazza to join her. Crawling in next to the big woman, Shazza found that despite the big woman's size, she had plenty of room to move about in the bed. She shivered for a moment and snuggled up to Korsa, letting their shared body heat warm them up. It wasn't long before they were both toasty warm beneath the comforter and had fallen fast asleep.

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Inari blinked her eyes as she slowly woke up. She yawned quietly as she saw Priya still snoozing soundly next to her. Sliding out of bed as quietly as she dared, Inari made her way to the washroom, to carry out her morning business. Once she was done, she walked back into the bedroom and sat back on the bed.

Pree was facing away from her and she looked down on her lover and girlfriend. She could see the scarring that had been left behind from her re-entry to Talemkha. Though the suit and armor plating she had worn absorbed the brunt of the damage, there was still significant scarring on her back and shoulders. The mottled skin was still tender and red, Priya was recovering from it well.

The salve that Korsa had put together was a Godsend and one that the crew of the Darkstrider had made use of innumerable times. It was a recent thing that Korsa had put together and it worked wonders on any and all burn marks, blisters and scarring damage. Though the marks and scars would still remain, the fact that they'd been lessened as they had was a minor miracle. Pree stirred momentarily, before turning her head.

"Morning gorgeous!" she said, smiling at her captain and lover. "Sleep well?"

"Much better than I have in the last few months, if I'm being honest," Inari admitted, while she looked over Priya's naked form. Pree also wasn't shy about getting and eyeful of Inari, who was also naked.

"I think it's the atmosphere of where we are right now. We are safe aboard a massive ship with lots of food, our family is OK, and we have made some new friends. Plus, we're not being chased by pirates. I think that goes a long way in us having peace of mind," Priya stated.

"All true. I was going to hop in the shower. Did you want to join me?"

Smirking, Priya leaned up and kissed Inari, before getting out of bed, taking her lover by the hand into the bathroom. Starting up the shower, both women stepped underneath the hot needle spray and washed up. They lathered each other up, taking the time to play with each other in a teasing manner. Inari was gentler with Pree than usual, taking great care to not scrub her too harshly on her burns.

"Does it hurt?" Inari asked when she saw Priya wince.

"A bit. Less than it had from that first day. That salve that Korsa made, it works wonders for the pain!" Priya smiled.

"I know! Last time I got torched from that superheated pipe in engineering, back on the Darkstrider, that salve kept my skin from falling off!" Inari enthused.

"We really need to get on Korsa to patent her mixture and get it out there into the wider galaxy!" Pree said with a mischievous smile.

"Definitely! We might need Nats' help on that though, since Korsa doesn't think it's ready yet," Inari told her lover.

"Yeah," Pree said while her stomach growled. Inari would have said something about those sounds, but her belly chose that moment to rumble. Both women snickered at each other as they sluiced the lather off their bodies.

"I think it's time for breakfast," Inari stated.

"Yup!"

With that, both women finished their shower and dried off. Pree lingered at the mirror for a few minutes while Inari got dressed. She joined her lover and was dressed in a flash. Inari looked at her girlfriend and knew that something was up.

"What's the matter?"

"These scars. They're likely going to be a big part of me for the rest of my life. Just getting used to the idea I suppose," Pree sighed dejectedly. Inari nodded, knowing that even though she had survived being burned and the battle down on Talemkha, her confidence had taken a big hit. Priya knew that Inari found scars sexy, but she didn't feel sexy, not with this large of a scar.

"Maybe you won't have to," Inari stated thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?"

"Later. We'll talk about it after breakfast, but let's just say that I've got an idea," Inari told her with a wink. A skeptical look was on her face, but Priya knew that if Inari had an idea that it would likely work. She joined her lover on the walk to the Officer's Lounge and the source of a most delicious smell.

The lovers walked on into the lounge and found both Natalya and Kasumi standing there, jabbering like a pair of long-lost friends. Inari smiled at this, as she had sensed a tension between them earlier. Now, it seemed to have melted away in light of their new camaraderie.

She was about to ask what had happened when the door behind her and Pree opened, admitting Luminia and Taal'ani. The two of them were yammering away like Kas and Nats had been doing. Her smile widened, happy to see that even though they were women of different upbringings and cultures, they had put aside all differences. She had a sneaking suspicion though that the friendship between Kas and Nats was because of Alex and looked around for the man.

"Inari? What are you looking for?" Kasumi asked.

"Just curious as to where the captain is. Do you know?"

Kasumi pointed right behind her, in the direction of the kitchen. Inari kissed Pree on the cheek and bade her join the others while she went to talk to Alex. Priya had a quizzical look on her face about what her love was up to, but she just waved her hand, telling Pree that she had this.

Walking into the kitchen, Inari was hit full blast by the smell of something delicious cooking. Alex was standing right by the stove, cooking what looked like crepes, along with several mixtures in bowls on the counter. Noting her entrance, Alex saw that Inari had a look on her face and he figured that this was her coming to talk to him about what she had seen.

"So, I noticed that both young ladies out there are smiling and chatting like kittens who've gotten into the cream. I would guess that you had something to do with that?" she asked the big man.

"You could say that," Alex stated while he worked on breakfast, smiling like a fool the whole time.

"Well, I came in here to warn you that things aren't easy when it comes to Nats. And now it appears you are boning Commander McKenzie as well. You do know the minefield that you're stepping into when it comes to what you're doing?" she asked in a motherly tone.

"You should know that this wasn't originally my idea. Both of those women ambushed me with it, via a very... interesting night," Alex said, blushing all the while.

"Wait what?"

"Yeah, they came at me, offering what they did and gave me a choice to accept either just one, or both of them. I was just getting to know the commander and finding her interesting and engaging when that happened. Needless to say, it was an... eye opening... event," he continued.

"Wait, what?"

"But just because I am pursuing a relationship with both of these women doesn't mean that I won't make mistakes. It's a learning curve, but one where all three of us are communicating with each other, so there are no misunderstandings. I know that Nats and Kas have checkered pasts, and so do I. But it's something we are helping each other through, together," he told her.

"Well, that's... not what I expected to hear," Inari said truthfully.

"What did you expect? Me to be a typical guy and tell you to piss off and keep your nose out of my affairs?" Alex asked while giving her a look.

"In a way, yeah. Pardon me sir, but most of those that I have dealt with in positions of command have been total dicks. I'm sorry that I believed you to be one as well," Inari apologized.

"No apology necessary Commander. You had every right to come at me and berate me for this, as Natalya is still a friend."

"And I look after her like a little sister. Though it's not me you really need to be worried about. It's Korsa, who is the 'mommy' figure among the crew," she told him.

"Oh!" Alex said, while his eyebrows climbed his brow and his eyes widened. "I suppose that Korsa would want a word or two with me concerning her adoptive daughter."

"Was I Korsa, I most certainly would!"

"I will speak with her about that. I do want to be on that woman's good side, since I am seeing her daughter," Alex told Inari.

"Smart boy."

"Now, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to finish making breakfast. Out!" the large Croat told her as he shooed her away. Nodding, Inari left the big man to finish with the food. Though the chef in her was tempted to stay and help, she knew that too many chefs spoiled the meal. She walked out and joined the girls at the main table and took part in their conversation.

The ladies were chattering away happily when the door opened once more to admit Korsa and Shazza. The moment they were noticed, the whole room went quiet as the assembled women looked over to where they stood. An awkward silence hung in the air as everyone seemed to be at a loss of what to say or speak about. Natalya broke the silence, speaking her mind on the matter.

"Ladies, I know that this woman is part of a race that has tried to exterminate the rest of the galaxy. But the fact is that Mama went into her mind and undid the damage that was done to make her into a remorseless killer. Shazza has earned Korsa's trust, which is a hard-won thing. And if Mama is inclined to trust her, then so should we," Natalya stated to the group.

"Yes, but only Korsa was in the dreamscape and saw what was there. How do we know that Korsa hasn't been deceived by this woman? Maybe she was fed false memories in an effort to gain our trust?" Priya voiced. Kasumi seconded her opinion.

"This woman came aboard with the intent of killing every human here. She was part of the boarding party that had set the Perseus adrift in the first place. How can we bring ourselves to trust her?"

"Now wait just one Gods damned minute! I was in the dreamscape for a good while and know how to tell the difference between true and false memories! Just because..." Korsa began, ready to defend Shazza.

She would have gone into a full-blown tirade, had she not felt Shazza's hand on her arm. The big woman looked down and saw that Shazza wished to speak. In a rare event, Korsa released the anger that had risen and let Shazza have the floor. Stepping forward so that everyone could see her, she told her tale.

"You may or may not believe me but let me tell you of what I have endured over my life. It started when I was a girl of six, and I was separated from my mother, to be given to our lord as a servant. I fought against being taken from her, but I was six, with no skill and no weapons," Shazza began.

She told her story in full, about how she was soon bound to her Lord, who would eventually rise to the rank of Prince among the Xuul'khan. How she was selected, among many other girls, to become an assassin for her Prince. The training and abuse she struggled through, just to survive, had even Luminia goggling at the monstrosity of it.

How she was required to kill one of her best friends, in order to receive her rank. After, she listed all the assassinations that she was given. Many of which were targets that had deserved death, one way or another, given that they too were nobility among her people. She also detailed the ones she had killed, who were innocent. They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and had seen too much.

Of her lost love, Palesia, who helped her find a chink in the training and indoctrination of the Xuul'khan. How she was finding a way to be free of the command of her Prince and how close she was to carrying it out. Then about how their battle fleet had stumbled upon the Perseus, and how she found her way into the cryo tube of Anita Mariano.

"The rest of the tale, you all know. I was a prisoner and a slave to my Prince's will, and I didn't even know it. I have lost everything!" she cried, falling to her knees in front of the group.

"Inari, Priya, Kasumi, I beg you to forgive me for my actions! I do not deserve your mercy and if you believe the same, strike me down now! I will offer no resistance, because it is no less than I deserve!" Shazza blubbered, emotion choking her words.

The entire crew looked at the woman in surprise, wondering where this contrition had come from. They looked up at Korsa, who held her hands up, showing she had no hand in this. She was just as surprised and bewildered at this gesture as the rest of them were. Kasumi wasn't so sure and undid the holster that held her sidearm and her hand hovered over the weapon, until she heard something in her ear.

"Commander, don't! She's being honest!" Jaesa admonished her.

"How can you tell?" she sub-vocalized, not entirely convinced.

"I have been analyzing the whole conversation via vid-feed and monitoring Shazza's vitals. I can assure you that she is telling the truth," the AI told her. "Here."

With that, a set of information, measuring heart rate, blood pressure, response timing and so on, was displayed on Kas's contacts. The lenses, which she had started wearing that morning, displayed all sorts of information about her environment, people she was talking to, etc. She had been monitoring Shazza's vitals, to see if she was playing it up and had spotted no deception.

Jaesa's information corroborated what Kasumi was reading. Shazza wasn't deceiving anyone, she was being honest with everyone present. Clipping the holster shut, she walked on forward and knelt in front of Shazza. When the black-skinned woman looked up, she didn't see hatred, anger or disdain. She saw only compassion and understanding in the redheaded woman's face.

Kas then leaned in and gave Shazza a hug. She knew that if she was to become a better person; she needed to stop being so damn skeptical. Just because a bunch of horrible people had hurt when she was young, didn't give her license to hate everyone. Peeping in surprise, Shazza cried even more as she returned the hug, wrapping her arms around the human woman.

She felt another presence approach and opened her eyes. She saw Priya kneel next to Kasumi with tears in her eyes and wrap her arms round the kneeling women. Inari was right behind her girlfriend, taking part in the group hug. Shazza then heard three words that she had not expected to hear, from not just one of the women, but all three.

"We forgive you."

Shazza's heart swelled with happiness as she heard those words. All three women, whom she had hurt, were offering her forgiveness, with no strings attached! This kind of thing had never happened to her, ever! The emotions that raced through her were wild, untamable and foreign to her! But they were also comforting, endearing and warming, which further fueled her sense of hope.

"If there are others out there like you Shazza, they deserve the chance to be freed. It is a fate worse than death," Alex's voice said as it carried through the lounge.

"You know, you shouldn't eavesdrop on conversations you're not a part of, sir," Kasumi chided her lover.

"My ship, my rules. Anyway, Brunch is ready," he told the women as he disappeared into the kitchen.

Since the moment wasn't exactly spoiled, everyone stood up and made a place for Shazza at the table. She was sandwiched between Priya and Natalya as she sat and waited. Moments later, Alex walked out with several large platters of food, but it was shaped oddly. They almost looked like crepes, but they had already been rolled up, which some of the women had thought to be odd.

"Crepes for breakfast? You must've been busy! They normally have to be left at rest for a few hours!" Inari said, impressed that the captain had gone to such lengths for breakfast.

"These aren't crepes, Inari. They are called palačinka, which are best eaten straight away, while they're still warm," Alex told the woman.

"Wait, you know how to make palačinka??" Inari queried; her eyes wide. "That recipe has been lost since Earth fell!"

"Well then, I guess I have made you all a blast from the past! Dig in!" Alex said, grinning. "Oh, and the ones on the blue plate are fruit jam, and the ones on the white plate are a sweet cheese mixture."

He then turned back into the kitchen while the ladies helped themselves to the food. Alex came back out with pots of black coffee, black tea and a pitcher of orange juice. After setting them on the table and making sure he had retrieved all the condiments, he sat between Natalya and Kasumi and served himself. The ladies had already dug in and moans of pleasure rippled across the table.