Project - Prometheus Ch. 42

"There is too much static and interference! I'm going to have to call in some help for this! Wait one!" Dagan responded. The line beeped a few times as Dagan waited for their new guest to join them. The connect signal sounded a few moments later and a feminine voice filled the signal.

"Captain Min! To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" Taal'ani asked.

"This is a tenuous situation, dear lady. One in which your help is required," Dagan told the catgirl.

"What do you need me to do?" she asked. Dagan then filled the woman in on the situation, letting her know what had happened so far. She then booted up several programs, eventually locking in on Vincent's signal. The bird was moving at a decent speed, but he was losing his pace against the rovers until a few minutes later.

"Something's happening! They are slowing down!" Vincent stated, as his signal shifted.

"Find a place to hide!" Dagan urged.

"That's what I'm doing!" the bird replied. "OK, I'm fairly certain they didn't see me! Just going to poke my head out for a brief look."

The group stayed silent on the comms as the bird performed his recon. They didn't have to wait long, as the parrot's voice filled the comms, but in a whisper.

"It seems these Confeds have an underground base that they built out here!" Vincent told them.

"Where?" Daved questioned.

"I'm taking shelter in the ruins of what looks to be an old house. Do you have a fix on my position?" the bird queried.

"Yeah! About one hundred and fifty kilometers southeast of here!" Taal'ani replied over the line.

"Could be the ruins of that new town that was going up during The Bombardment. I don't think it had been given a name yet," Daved stated, going through his memories.

"Did they leave anyone up topside to guard the base?" Dagan asked.

"That's a negative. The entryway was large enough to accommodate the rovers, so it must be a sizable base. The entryway sealed shut behind them before going back underground. If I hadn't seen it myself, I would have thought there was nothing here," the bird commented.

"So, now what?" Taal'ani wondered.

"I will stay here to keep an eye on things, should they change," Vincent volunteered.

"You don't have to do that! We have their location," Dagan told his pet, ready to order him home.

"If he wants to stay, I say let him stay. Besides, if anything changes, then we will need all the intel we can get on what's there," Taal'ani responded, siding with Vincent.

"I'm with your parrot on this as well. Him being there and watching for any changes would be invaluable. Especially if we wind up having to storm that base," Daved agreed.

"Very well," Dagan grumped. "You can stay, but stay hidden. I don't want you taking unnecessary risks."

"Already doing that. Found a wrecked cupboard that is large enough to hide me without anyone seeing me," Vincent replied.

"Good! Good! I expect a report every hour. Understood?" Dagan said sternly.

"Not a problem, Captain!" the bird responded.

"Keep us posted!" Daved stated before he cut the line and stepped out of the conversation. Just then, Inari walked into the house he and the rest of the law enforcement officials were in and headed straight for him.

"I assume you have some news for me?" Daved asked, knowing this was going to be a long night.

"I do! Most of the looters and opportunists have been dealt with, as have most of the gangs. Those who we haven't dealt with are being smart and lying low, staying out of our crosshairs. Also, we've restored power and water to most of the town. Just a few districts that don't have it up and running like they should, but that should be solved within the hour," Inari stated.

"How did you make that happen so fast??" Daved asked, pleased, but bewildered at the speed at which it was done.

"After we started getting a handle on things, I tasked the Sentries with getting things back online in the districts. Seeing as how power and water are needed, I had them start with fixing those, or finding workarounds for them. They have done so for most of the affected areas, with orders to start with debris clearing. Then to progress to infrastructure repair once power and water are fully restored," Inari told him.

"And what of the patrols? Who's backing them up?" Daved questioned.

"Any able-bodied people from the Shadow Dancers and the Children of the Wolf are helping with that. Courtesy of your wife," Inari informed the man.

"Speaking of Jenque, where did she get to?" Daved queried.

"I passed her in the streets while I was on my way here. She was taking the boys back home to get to bed. She had Banner do another checkup on Jack, which showed he was all clear. I'm guessing that one of my crew with... abilities... helped with that?" Inari questioned.

"Kasumi and Shazza. Whatever they did, they healed up Jack like he was good as new. Better than new even!" Daved smiled, glad to know that his son was going to be OK.

"They do that. Helping people. They still grilling those Confed asshats?" Inari queried.

"As far as I know, yeah. They should be close to done by now, though," Daved stated.

"All right, then. I'm off to collect them, and when you're done here for the night, head on over to the Darkstrider. We've got a lot to talk about and I'd rather we did so in a more secured area. Too many ears otherwise," Inari told him.

"OK. Before you go, here. The comms signal for the guy who manages the town's infrastructure. You'll need to call and coordinate with him for the Sentries to do what needs doing correctly," Daved told her.

"I'll give him a ring in an hour or so," Inari said as she left, heading to find her crew mates.

Daved breathed a bit easier now, after hearing that things were resuming a basic sense of normalcy. He only hoped that this meeting that Inari had planned would yield some more good news. The man was nearing his limit at the amount of bad news he could take and hoped things would get better. If they didn't, then shit was about to get real in the worst possible way.

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Taal'ani ambled over with a tray full of mugs, each one topped up with fresh coffee. She had finished making the pot not too long ago, after having ensured that Jaesa was coordinating the Sentries correctly. Power and water was restored to the populace, and now their streets were being cleaned up, in an effort to repair the damage done by the bombs.

The catgirl walked into the lounge on the Darkstrider, where the crew had assembled, along with several guests. Leroy and Cara were there, as were Matthias and Gloria. Also, joining the group was Daved, Jenque and Zuzanna, who represented the ruling authority of Tanith's Gully. While Zuzanna wasn't a member of the council, she was a former Confed officer and her insight into their tactics was invaluable.

Dagan Min was there also, as he and his men had been generous with the dispensation of some of their supply stockpiles. They had charged a little bit, but only to those who were well off enough to pay. Those who had nearly nothing were given such aid for free, especially the children.

"Our people have settled into the shelters you have provided, Councilor Madsen. For that, my lady, you have our thanks," Leroy told the woman, who received a similar form of thanks from Cara.

"Given what you've gone through in facing down a mutual enemy, it's the least we could do," Jenque replied.

"We are all grateful for the aid and shelter you have all provided. Our people may not see eye to eye on many things, but our mutual hatred for the Confederacy cannot be understated enough," Gloria said to them.

"Given that they nearly killed our asses more than once, vengeance is a given. I'd say it's a safe bet that we'd all like to see them strung and hung by their intestines," Matthias stated as he smelled the aroma in the air. "Is that... coffee?"

"Fresh pot, brewed from a strain that is grown on Veldhern," Taal'ani told him. Everyone's eyes widened, as they knew such coffee strains were as expensive as they were delicious. They all helped themselves to a mug, each one adding cream or sugar to their liking. Once they had their java, the conversation continued.

"So, Talon, how are the infrastructure repairs coming along?" Alex asked as he stirred cream into his coffee.

"A bit on the slow side, but progress is being made. Right now, repairs are about twenty-seven percent complete, but it should be well above fifty percent by morning. If we don't get hit with any additional surprises, it should be fully complete within two days," Taal'ani reported.

"Bringing things back to the way they were will help keep spirits up, that's for sure. The thing that worries me the most is that fleet that Sargol stated is on its way. Do we have any intel on it?" Daved questioned.

"We do know that it's not a fully equipped fleet. There are no battleships among it, but they do have a battlecruiser, which is bad enough. Apparently, Sargol tried petitioning for a battleship to be committed to taking Prodosia. But he was overruled by Major Robert Sawyer," Kasumi said, having pulled the info out of Sargol herself.

"Still, the fact that a battlefleet is on its way is cause for concern. If they get here before we're ready and get dug in, then we're up shit creek without a paddle. They'll be nearly impossible to dislodge if that happens," Inari stated, having fought the Confederacy on more than one occasion.

"Even if they don't, having a fleet in orbit above the town puts them in a position to demand shit with no negotiation. Especially since Tanith's Gully had no shield system to protect them from any form of bombardment," Priya groused.

"That's... not entirely accurate," Zuzanna stated.

"What do you mean, Zuzie?" Jenque queried.

"Do you remember when we were trying to get a shield system for the town, but it was shut down?" Zuzanna asked, reminding Jenque.

"Yeah! I remember that! I was pushing hard to keep the initiative, but the idea was eventually scuttled and funding for one dried up. Those most opposed to the idea, and who led the charge in shutting it down? The traitorous scum that the deputies are holding," Jenque growled through clenched teeth. She was more than a little angry at herself for not seeing their true colors back then.

"Well, when we initially got the go ahead for the funding, I remember you telling me to find channels in which we could get the pieces to build our own. We got some of it shipped here before the funding was cut off. I didn't know what to do with the pieces, so I kept them in a storehouse, not far from the clinic," Zuzanna told her.

"Wait a minute! Are you saying we have the parts to build a shield generator? One big enough to protect the town from an orbital strike?" Daved asked, hope lacing his voice.

"Not quite. More like half of one. It's not finished and I'm not sure we could even make it work," Zuzanna sighed.

"Show me the parts you got, and I'll see if I can't make it work!" Natalya stated excitedly.

"Do you think you could do it?" Jenque asked with that same note of hope in her voice.

"I am going to need additional parts to make it happen. After I see what we're working with, then I can go from there. With Talon helping me out, it shouldn't take long," Natalya told them.

"What about additional parts? I mean, we can fabricate a few bits here and there, but I doubt it will be enough with what we have here on the Darkstrider," Priya replied.

"That is where my advice comes in," Alex said out loud, catching everyone's attention. "The picket ships that are up in the sky at the moment, they'll be little more than target practice to a battle hardened Confederation fleet."

"Then what will stop the Confeds when they arrive in the system?" Daved asked.

"That's where we come in. This ship has some powerful weapons and exotic toys. We're not throwing our lives away trying to take down the fleet single-handed, but we can put them on the defensive," Inari told him. "Besides, I've been itching to use the big honking gun again."

"What will we do with the ships, then? Are they just going to sit the fight out?" Daved asked, wanting to know what the gameplan was.

"Once they're all planetside, we'll get around to conducting what repairs we can on them. Maybe replace a few key components that will give them the edge they need to fight and come out alive from an engagement," Alex told him.

"You think you can upgrade our ships to fight the Confeds on even terms?" Daved replied in disbelief.

"You forget, we have our own automated workforce," Alex smirked. Daved was confused for a moment until he remembered the Sentries. If they could restore the town's functionality like it was nothing, then being tasked for ship repair was a no brainer.

"We'll get those ships down here now. The sooner we can get them ready for a fight, the sooner we can stop worrying about these damned Confeds!" Jenque breathed. She sipped on her coffee, tapping on her ear to inform the remaining councilors of what was happening. Daved did the same with his deputies, then placed a call to the picket ships, calling them to the surface.

"The only thing that remains is that base. What are we going to do about it?" Shazza asked, concerned about what they were going to do with a nest of Confederate agents that were housed nearby.

"Not much we can do about them at this point. Being underground gives them a sizable level of protection at the moment. We could try bombing their asses to the hereafter, but they don't know that we know where they are. On top of which, I don't want to give away any advantage we currently possess. They don't know what the Darkstrider is capable of, and that's a surprise I want to save for when their fleet gets here," Alex smirked.

"Surprise will often turn the tide of any battle, if timed correctly," Shazza agreed.

"But don't expect it to carry the day. Confed commanders will adapt to any situation and, given enough time, they will find a way to counter it," Zuzanna warned.

"You make it sound like their commanders are as efficient as the Borg!" Kasumi joked.

"That's a pretty close analogy, in fact. They will adapt much like the Borg do, and if you have them at your mercy, show them none. They won't show any to you," Zuzanna stated, drawing from her own memories and experience with the Confederacy.

"Noted. How long before the ships get down here?" Alex asked, directing his question to Daved.

"A few hours, tops. It will take them a few hours more to vacate everyone from the ships before we can start effecting repairs or upgrades," Daved told the man.

"Very good. Well, we have some time to wait, and the town is relatively calm once again. I think some rack time would be a good call," Inari stated, keeping up the charade that she was the one in command.

"No arguments from me! It's been a long ass day and I think we could all use a little shuteye," Daved agreed.

The collective group there nodded, all of them more than a bit tired themselves. They all said their goodbyes as they took off for their respective homes. Matthias and Gloria were invited to use a couple of the spare cabins they had on the Darkstrider, which they happily accepted. One by one, every member of the crew paired off for some time with one another.

Zuzanna caught the looks Inari and Priya were giving one another and felt a slight pang of jealousy. The futa woman knew that she had screwed up her chance with that woman years ago. Still, seeing her happy made her both glad and envious at the same time. Glad that Inari had found someone worthwhile, and envious because the woman she was looking at wasn't her. Sighing, she walked down the ramp and to her home.

As everyone headed for their respective cabins, Alex sought his ladies to see what was going on. He soon found out that Natalya and Korsa had dragged Kasumi off to have themselves some girl time. Alex chuckled, as that left him standing there with none other than Shazza. He wasn't complaining, as he hadn't had much time with the Xuul'khani woman. Not like he had with the other three, and Alex wanted some more time with her.

Shazza seemed to sense this, as she pulled him into an embrace and kissed him. It was a slow and careful kiss, as she wanted to enjoy this and the time they had. The fight ahead was going to be a long one, with little in the manner of respite. This time together was to be savored, remembered, as no one knew who was going to come out of it alive. Alex moaned into the kiss, letting this woman know just how much he appreciated her.

"I've seen the inside of your cabin. How about you come and see the inside of mine?" she asked him as she broke the kiss, looking up at the large Croat hopefully.

"I'd be a really big ass if I didn't take the time to get to know you," he told her with a smile. Shazza sighed at him and smiled, as she walked backwards towards her quarters, guiding Alex there. The door opened as she neared it, allowing her to pass through unhindered. Alex stepped through it and was amazed at what he saw.

The room was tastefully decorated, with various bits of human pop culture decorating her walls and shelves. There were also some pieces of artwork that were foreign to him, as he'd never seen the like before. Alex made a mental note to ask Shazza about this later as he looked on. Some plants were also growing in the room, in their own little pots, which lent an earthy and sweet smell to the room.

"What do you think?" Shazza asked, wondering if he liked her style.

"It's... different, but in a way that makes me want to know more," he rumbled happily, turning his gaze to the woman in front of him. That stare with his eyes made Shazza melt and feel all gooey and mushy inside. She kissed him again, her hands roving across his muscled chest, slowly finding the edges of his clothes, before peeling them off his large frame.

Alex's hands were similarly occupied as his fingers found their way to her flesh, teasing and enticing her. Shazza's breathing quickened, wanting nothing more than to let this man have his way with her. But she had her own desires that she wanted fulfilled and she would see them done. Her shirt was just off her shoulders when she called out a command to give them the privacy they desired.

"Door, lock. Engage privacy mode."

With that handled, Shazza turned to sliding Alex's clothes off his body, a task that happened easily enough. Her own clothes fell off her frame just as easily and quickly, pooling on the floor with his. They were only left in their underwear, which they soon saw each other out of.

Shazza was wearing much more than a simple bra and panty set, though. She was wearing a glimmering white set of lingerie made of a smooth and silky material. She wore thigh-high stockings, held up by a garter belt, with a matching thong and lacy bra, which glimmered in the low light. Seeing that she had his attention, Shazza did a little twirl, showing Alex every angle of her.

Alex's eyes nearly fell out of his head as he took in Shazza's ebony skin contrasting against the white fabric. She was gorgeous because of who she was, inside and out, but the lingerie she wore enhanced her beauty. It made her seem ethereal, almost like a goddess made flesh before him. Shazza giggled a little, knowing that she had Alex, hook, line, and sinker.

Alex undid her bra, letting her heavy breasts come free of their confines. He then slowly peeled her out of her thong, kissing her belly and lower as he kneeled to get them off. Alex also made creative use of his teeth, making Shazza shudder in delight at this gesture. It made her feel desired and sexy, wanting Alex to do more than just pull her panties off using his teeth.

Her wish was granted a few moments later, when she felt his hot breath on her nethers. Shazza's knees buckled for a moment, but she was steadied when she felt Alex's strong hands slither over her ass and hold it firmly. Alex then pressed his mouth to her pussy lips, making the woman moan in lust. Shazza then pushed her hips forward, filling Alex's mouth with her quim.