Project - Prometheus Ch. 31

"Then we need to enlist their help, before they leave!" Admiral Kantori stated. "If they would be willing to help us?"

"I am certain that they would, sir. Not only have we cultivated them as allies, but so have the Ooantahl," Ana informed him.

"The Ooantahl have formed relations with this crew?" Lamkhar questioned, his awe apparent.

"They have. They seem particularly interested in the Xuul'khani woman, Shazza. She has a title among their people," Captain Fitch told the admiral.

"A title?? What title?!?"

"They call her, 'Lightworker.' Something about her being prophesied to bring light and life back to the galaxy. At least that's what the translation comes out as," Karl told the Naucturi admiral.

"So, it would stand to reason that the crew of the Darkstrider would be willing to help us. For the Ooantahl's sake, if nothing else," Commodore Williams told him.

"Then we must get in contact with the crew of the Darkstrider before they leave!" Kantori reiterated.

"In that case, we are in luck, sir. I have just received word that the Darkstrider has docked at the station. Something about picking up additional items before they leave," Dohbalan told him.

"Sir, I recommend we dispatch Lt. Commander Hardick here to speak to and retrieve them. They have dealt with him before and will trust his word that we wish to speak to them," Ana suggested.

"Very good. Well? You heard the Commodore, soldier," Kantori ordered the man. Without another word, Hardick saluted and turned to collect the crew of the Darkstrider.

*****

Alex, Natalya, Korsa, Kasumi and the rest of the crew were enjoying a light lunch and bantering back and forth. They wanted to have one last memory of Veldhern before they left for Prodosia and were soaking in the moment.

"Seriously, Nats? You used to do what?" Kasumi asked.

"I was in demolitions for the Federation Navy, along with being an engineer," Natalya stated.

"How did you balance that?" Alex questioned, wondering how she was capable of keeping the two jobs separate.

"Well, I started serving as an engineer and was good with engines and keeping them online. It was only when a new engineer was assigned to the London that I was 'reassigned'. The bastards didn't say, but it was easy enough to figure out that my replacement was some admiral's son who wanted my posting," Natalya groused.

"You couldn't find another posting on another ship?" Shazza wondered.

"Nope. Everyone was fighting to keep their postings, and I caused quite a ruckus about being sidelined like that. So, I looked around for what was available, and demolitions caught my eye. I had to be retrained, but they didn't mind, as I was already a capable soldier. Besides, my engineering training came in handy with learning what they taught me," Natalya stated.

"Huh! So how long did you do that for?" Alex wondered.

"Three years, which was one tour. Stepped away from that life, mainly because of everything that was required to carry on with it. It asked far too much of me and I felt like I had done enough for the Federation," Natalya went on.

"What did you do afterwards?" Kasumi inquired, curious about her friend's and lover's past. Natalya opened her mouth to speak, but clamped it shut a few moments later, as she saw Lt. Commander Hardick approach the seated crew.

"Greetings, everyone!" the human man called out, seeing that he'd been spotted.

"Lieutenant! Good to see you! Things going well for you, I would assume?" Luminia asked, smiling at him.

"It's Lt. Commander now," Hardick replied with a shy smile.

"A promotion? Well done, Lt. Commander! I'd say after seeing you in action, it's a well deserved one!" Alex stated as he stood and shook the man's hand.

"Was there something you needed? Or were you just stopping by to say hello?" Inari queried.

"I wish I was just dropping by. I'm asking you all to come with me, as your presence is requested by station and fleet command," Marcus told them.

"I see. I would expect that our aid is being sought after?" Alex questioned.

"Yes, sir. I know you have already done much, but if you'll just hear us out..." Hardick started, before Alex raised his hand, cutting him off.

"I can see by the look on your face that this is serious business, so don't fuss about trying to convince us. We'll be along in a moment, if you'll allow us a few minutes to finish our meals," Alex said.

"Of course. I'll be waiting just out here," the Lt. Commander replied as he pointed to the area just outside the restaurant. Nodding, the crew went back to their lunch and huffed as they finished up.

"I guess they're not letting us go so easily," Natalya groused.

"If they try to detain us... well, let's not visit that train of thought just yet, shall we?" Korsa rumbled.

"Not just yet, no, but be prepared in the event of such an outcome," Alex told her and the rest of the crew. "Let's go and see what they want from us. Hopefully, it's nothing too major."

In a few minutes, the crew devoured what remained of their food before standing and joining the Lt. Commander and his squad. They followed along, surrounded by the escort of soldiers, but staying aware of any potential treachery. Though the UCW had been good about leaving them be, they hadn't met the commander of the First Fleet yet.

The crew had hoped to have finished their business and be on their way, but that wasn't in the deck of cards today. If Rear Admiral Kantori was one of those bureaucratic types who demanded things rather than ask for them, this would be a very short meeting. Alex could feel the Aether bubbling beneath the surface, ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice. He kept it in check, wanting to see how things would play out first.

"In here, if you please," the Lt. Commander directed, as he opened the way into the secured meeting room.

The entire command structure for Veldhern station and its fleets were there, everyone waiting on them to arrive. In the middle of the room stood a powerfully built Nauc'turi man, whom everyone assumed was Admiral Kantori. Though he wasn't as tall as Alex was, he was still possessed of the bearing of a seasoned officer. He stood at ease, with his hands clasped behind his back as he regarded the crew.

Now that Lamkhar had laid eyes on the crew in person, he could sense why Williams had been reluctant to detain them. They carried themselves with a level of assertion that told him picking a fight with them was suicide. Especially Alex, whom he saw as an equal, as the aura that exuded from the man was... impressive. He carried himself with dignity and respect, which was plain as day to the Naucturi man.

"Good day to you, crew of the Darkstrider. I am Rear Admiral Lamkhar Kantori, commander of the First Veldhern Defense Fleet," the man stated.

"I would assume that the Admiral has been read in on the situation then, Commodore?" Alex asked Ana.

"He has," Ana replied.

"Commodore Alexander Tomisic, Captain of the Prometheus class vessel, Perseus," Alex introduced himself as he stuck out his hand in greeting. Lamkhar took the offered hand, shook it, certain that trying to apprehend these people was a bad call.

"We have a request to make of you before you leave," Ana told them.

"More tech upgrades? We've said before that because of what happened, we are leery of giving out any more of the tech that we have," Alex reiterated, firmly rebuffing any attempt at getting more of their tech.

"What we're asking doesn't fall in line with asking for upgrades... per se," Graham told them.

"What does it involve?" Inari questioned, curious about the direction this idea was going.

"Just your help. More specifically, the help of Jaesa and Natalya, and anyone else who is mechanically or technologically inclined," Ana filled in for him.

"Help with what?" Natalya wondered.

"Scaling down the systems that defend Veldhern station, so they can be mounted on the ships of the fleet," Kantori stated, cutting straight to the point.

"Are we talking about scaling down the Bulwark? Because that's going to take more than a few hours to do," Jaesa replied, shaking her head.

"I've already got drafts and blueprints on possible variants that could work. I'm just having trouble making them work at that size," Graham admitted.

"If you already have the plans, let's see them. If we know what you've got, then we can formulate something that could plausibly work," Jaesa told him.

Nodding, Graham uploaded the blueprints and variants he'd been working with, even the discarded ones. Jaesa and Natalya scrutinized the holograms that popped up, cycling through them as they looked each one over. They set aside several hopefuls and a handful of discarded ones, as they all had aspects that could be used. After about twenty minutes of this, the women chatted amongst themselves quietly before nodding.

"I think that we have something that could be put together and built, which would function much like the Bulwark system. Same could be said about the energy couplers that give the station's cannons the additional punch they now have," Jaesa stated.

"Well, if you two are going to be building things like this, you'll need someone to help with double checking the programs," Taal'ani told them, stepping forward.

"How long will you three need to make this happen?" Alex asked anxiously. The women knew he wanted to get to Prodosia without any further delay and understood his stance. Natalya smiled good-naturedly before offering her assessment.

"Maybe... four hours? That's to draw up a viable blueprint and to simulate tests in VR, to be sure that the theory and physics of this works," Natalya replied.

"With the Lt. Commander having done much of the groundwork, that should be the longest it should take us to make it happen," Jaesa agreed.

"Four hours? That's an acceptable ask. I think we can kill four hours while we wait for the prototype to be drawn up," Alex agreed, breathing a sigh of relief.

"We'll need some place quiet to work and study the systems and blueprints further. Another trip down to engineering wouldn't hurt," Natalya proposed.

"You and Jaesa still have clearance to go down there. With Lt. Commander Williams along, no one will give you any trouble," Administrator Dohbalan assured them.

"And me?" Taal'ani piped up.

"I'll vouch for you, Miss Taal'ani. No one on the station would dare challenge me on that," Graham replied, smiling warmly.

"Well? Get to work!" Kantori urged, eager to see the prototype brought to life. The quartet laughed as they turned and left, heading down to engineering. Lt. Commander and his squad escorted them out, continuing their duties.

"If that is all?" Alex questioned.

"It is. We shall reconvene here in four hours to see what has been created and how it works. We are adjourned," Lamkhar stated.

With that, the crew of the Darkstrider left, heading out with Ana Williams, as she left to oversee the fleet repairs. Dohbalan sighed before he too stood and left, heading for his offices. The work of lead administrator on the station was never done, and he still had a mountain of items, requests and paperwork to sort through before his day was done. Karl Fitch departed, heading for the shopping concourse, as he had promised Bianca that he'd look into getting some toys for the girls.

Lamkhar Kantori, though, left and headed for the hospitality sector of the station. It had been months since he'd had any time for himself, as the job of the First Fleet commander was a busy one. He thought that he'd seize this rare opportunity and go see his daughter, D'zalah.

*****

D'zalah Kantori sat in a plush chair, enjoying the feel of it as she went over the last reviews of the new crew they'd taken on. Rasner had been correct on most of his picks, on which mercs could be turned. Many of them were much like he was, only taking the job for the money. Veldhern's pay rate was astronomically higher than what the pirates were paying, so for most of them, it had been a no brainer.

There were a few of them who had sadistic streaks in them, which made them ineligible for the job. D'zalah was thankful for her training in weeding such people out, as keeping such undesirables away from their system was a must. She hadn't told the man how she was able to see them for who they were, nor would she, if it could be helped. D'zalah wasn't sure that he'd understand, being human and all.

She had just finished her second to last interview with the men they had selected, which left only one more person; Rasner. Though she could have interviewed him right out of the gate, she wanted to save him for last. Something about the man had tickled her fancy, and she wanted to see what exactly it could be. D'zalah smirked as she thought about the man and how easy he was on the eyes.

She thought about his eyes and how they were the most calming shade of blue. They went with his auburn hair beautifully and his solid jawline left her licking her lips. His musculature wasn't anything to frown at either, as he filled out his clothing nicely. She shook herself back to reality, as she needed to stay focused. Though she loved to daydream about hunky men, she needed to stay in the present.

"Come in," she called out, when she heard the door chime in question, letting her know someone was outside. The door opened and there stood Rasner, wearing the green and black uniform of a UCW soldier. D'zalah had to admit that he looked striking in it! She made sure to keep her mouth closed, so she didn't drool all over the place and embarrass herself!

"Lieutenant Kantori!" Ron saluted as he entered, coming to attention in front of his superior officer.

"At ease, Corporal. Please, sit," D'zalah implored.

"Thank you. I imagine that this is my last interview?" Rasner questioned.

"It is. Though with how much you've helped us, especially in light of saving the lives of at least a dozen soldiers during the Collective's attack, this is more of a formality," D'zalah told him.

"I see. Regardless, go ahead and ask me any questions you wish. I have nothing to hide," Rasner told the woman. Hearing this put the Naucturi woman at ease, and she relaxed as she sat across from him.

"Tell me, what was your intention of freeing those three women from Dorian Johnson?" D'zalah asked, starting with an out of left field question.

"To get them away from that sadistic bastard. If you had been aboard the Cerberus and heard the God awful screaming coming from his cabin, you'd not only want to help them, but be compelled to," Ron answered. Knowing he was telling the truth on that matter, D'zalah smiled and she continued.

"What did you plan on doing with them once you were clear of Veldhern station?" she questioned.

"Go back to my world of New Haven and find my friend, who's a doctor. Not just a traditional one, but a psychologist who could help them in recovering what was left of their lives," Ron replied.

"Hmm. Did you plan on staying in contact with them afterwards?" the woman queried.

"Just with my friend, to see if they were progressing and doing OK. My life was complicated enough at the moment, and I still had a lot of shit to figure out," Rasner commented.

"Hmm. So, you were concerned about their welfare?" D'zalah asked, keeping her mind focused on Rasner's answers.

"Yes, I was. Seeing all the marks that bastard put on them, and not just the physical ones, wouldn't you be?" the man asked her.

"A boy scout's answer, but one that I can tell is the truth. Men like you truly are rare in such a dark galaxy, Corporal Rasner," she replied with a smirk.

"Thank you!" Ron said to her, blushing slightly.

"Before I conclude this interview, I have one final question I must ask of you," Lieutenant Kantori told him.

"Ask."

"Why did you, a spec ops soldier for the Federation, fall into such highly disreputable company? I mean, you had a choice to either fall in line with the Collective, or with us, and you chose us. I'd like to know why," she queried, as she leaned forward, eager to hear the answer.

"I spent several years with the Federation, doing all the behind-the-scenes jobs that couldn't see the light of day. I wound up seeing the worst in people, civilians, our enemies, our own side and... even some of my own friends. I became disillusioned with the bullshit and the bureaucracy of the Federation, so I just gave up. I took my discharge when it came and became a mercenary, thinking it would be better."

"I learned the hard way that it was brutally more honest than my life as a soldier and how I had to fight my way forward to survive. It really opened up my eyes to how bad it was out there. I signed on with various merc companies, taking what work I could find, when I could find it. Never put any real loyalty into them, as I was just a gun for hire. I stumbled upon this group not that long ago, when I was looking for work," Rasner explained.

"I honestly thought that they were just an unregistered merc company who couldn't pay the registration fees. I've rolled with companies like that before, so I thought this group was no different, really. It wasn't until we started attacking passenger liners that I realized I had signed on with a pirate group. The moment I learned that, I had to tread carefully, if I wanted out with my life intact," Ron replied.

"As for stepping up to face down the Collective, that was something I've always wanted to do. Since my days with Wraith Squad, I always dreamed of taking down such brazen and backwards thinking animals. This gave me the opportunity to hit back at these bastards and I took it. If nothing else, it was my chance to do some good that the galaxy would be thankful for," Rasner finished.

"I just wanted to thank you for saving the lives of Carter and Sahl'tako. The two you pushed to the ground before Deak's squad was ambushed," D'zalah clarified. "They are two of my best friends and they're only alive and out of the hospital because of your actions."

"Well... you're welcome, Lieutenant!" Rasner smiled.

"Before this interview is concluded, I would like to... show you my appreciation. Door, lock. Activate Do Not Disturb sign and all outer sound dampeners," D'zalah called out.

"Wha-what's going on?" Ron questioned as he sounded quite panicked. His worried question was answered when D'zalah pranced over to him and straddled his lap.

"Ummm... Lieutenant... I..." Rasner stuttered.

"Shh. None of this Lieutenant stuff right now. Call me D'zalah," she said to him with a smile.

"All right... D'zalah. You can call me Ron, if you like," Rasner answered, feeling emboldened by how she was sitting on him. His dick had woken up the moment she sat on him and it was nudging against the fabric of his pants, wanting out.

"Oooooo! Someone's happy that I'm sitting where I am," D'zalah teased.

"Why shouldn't I be? I mean, a gorgeous woman is literally sitting and... uggghhh!... grinding on my dick!" Rasner moaned.

"I was afraid at first that you wouldn't want me," the Naucturi woman pouted. "Few women of my kind cross the species barrier, which often leads to men of other races shunning us."

"That's something I'm well aware of, which I think is stupid. I mean, women of other races do have their... charms, which I greatly enjoy," he growled as his hands snaked to her ass and pulled her hips into his.

D'zalah moaned happily and leaned forward to kiss him, her mouth latching onto his. Their tongues danced back and forth, each one searching the other out, looking to heighten the pleasure they both felt. They came up for air a few minutes later and D'zalah could feel herself getting stupidly wet. Rasner could tell, as he was sure that he could feel her moisture through his pants.

"Before we keep going, I need to know something. Why me?" Rasner questioned, as he held the Naucturi woman close to him.