Project Prometheus

Dagan Min woke up, blinking his eyes several times as he wondered what had woken him up. The man then heard the sound that roused him from his slumber and groaned, as he knew what it was. It was his holophone ringing, which aggravated the man, but he sighed and got up to answer it.

"Seven AM in the morning, this better be good!" the man groused as he pulled a pair of lounging shorts on and answered the call. "Inari! To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

"Morning, Dagan! Was wondering how long it would take you to pick up. Been ringing you for at least ten minutes! Long night?" Inari questioned as she crossed her arms and smirked at the man. In response, Tawny and Kris came up behind Dagan and kissed the man's shoulders. Their nakedness was hidden by the man's body, and they grinned at Inari.

"You could say that we... keep the man busy most nights," Tawny told Inari. The Persian woman couldn't help but giggle at this display, happy to see the man had found some comfort in the galaxy.

"Between the two of you, I'll bet the man is a zombie by the time you're done with him!" Inari cackled. This led to both She-Wolves snorting and laughing at the wisecrack, while Dagan crossed his arms and huffed.

"I assume you have a reason for calling me at this hour?" Dagan questioned while giving his friend a mild stink eye.

"It's the day of the party that is being thrown in honor of our efforts for saving those people aboard that slave ship! Or did your... She-Wolves fuck you into a two-day coma?" Inari snickered.

"Oh! Damn! That's today?!" Dagan asked.

"It is! I assume you haven't stepped out to get yourself prepped for this party?" Inari wondered.

"Kind of difficult to do so, since those damnable reporters are always out there, never giving us a moment's peace!" Dagan griped.

"Well, the good news is they've been told to clear out by the ambassador herself. Some of the more sleazy shutterbugs might be around, but they'll keep their distance. Or risk her wrath," Inari giggled.

"Never good to have Khontaran woman angry with you. Especially one of her influence!" Dagan agreed.

"Wait, you've been invited to a party?" Kris questioned, looking at the man.

"He has. Him and several members of his crew have been invited to a party that is being thrown in our honor at the Khontaran Ambassador's home! As it turns out, several of the women we rescued from those slavers were friends and relatives of high-level diplomats and soldiers in the Khontaran Empire. This is their way of thanking us and showing their appreciation for what we did," Inari informed them.

"What kind of party is it?" Tawny wondered, as she smiled at the thought of it.

"Black tie and evening dress type of party. Lots of important people will be there. Diplomats, generals, and even a few celebrities," Inari informed the woman.

"I'm still having trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that I have been invited to a party of that kind! Me! A notorious smuggler and thief!" Dagan asked, still floored that he had been invited to such a party.

"Well, you have. Like it or not, Dagan, you're a hero now!The Steadfastshowing up and crippling that old clunker of a slave ship has put you near the top of the guest list! You and several officers among your crew have been extended invitations!" Inari replied with a smile.

"I... I... I would accept such a gracious invitation, but I am... afraid that I haven't anything to wear to such an event! Nothing proper!" Dagan lamented.

"On that, you won't have to worry about a damn thing. Meet me and my crew in the Skolahzza district of the station, and we'll spring for some shiny new duds. For you and your ladies," Inari told the man. Dagan had gone from shocked to short-circuiting, as his mouth refused to work as normal.

"We humbly accept your most generous offer, Captain Sunara! When should we meet you in such a place?" Tawny asked, stepping up for Dagan.

"In about an hour. Grab a hover-cab to the Ohnakhla Plaza. We'll wait for the three of you there!" Inari told the woman.

"We'll see you there! Again, thank you!" Kris replied.

"You're welcome!" Inari stated before she killed the call. Both women then turned to Dagan, who just sat there, looking like he'd been thunderstruck.

"OK... what just happened?" Dagan asked, curious about what he'd just heard and seen.

"Looks like we are going to a party, and a fancy one at that! If we're going to a fancy-sounding district, then it's got to involve some fancy-looking clothes! Especially ones for you!" Tawny purred.

"Me? What's so special about me in some fancy clothing?" Dagan questioned.

"Because you in such clothing is the type of outfit we want to peel you out of!" Kris said with a grin. "Why else do you think we are up at all hours, poring over the suits and outfits that men can wear?"

"Oh? Do you now?" Dagan asked with a chuckle, some of his usual self returning to the fore.

"We're also pretty sure that there are select... outfits and such that you want to peel us out of as well," Tawny told him with a lascivious smirk.

"And what kinds of outfits would those be?" Dagan asked, having a good idea of where this would lead.

"The kinds that showcase our bodies in a manner that makes every man want us. Or want to be you, because you are the one we are with," Kris replied with a giggle.

Needing no further encouragement, Dagan popped to his feet and got dressed in a flurry of motion. Both Tawny and Kris were right behind him, getting dressed in a mishmash of their leathers and spacer gear. Once they were properly attired, the trio left his cabin and made their way to the airlock, encountering several of the crew along the way.

"Captain Min, sir! Heading off to see the sights?" Geralt, his second in command, asked.

"Not quite, Geralt! We are heading out to do some shopping!" Dagan said. He then informed the man of the invitation he and his crew had received to the Khontaran Ambassador's home. The man looked just as shocked as Dagan was at being told this news.

"An invitation to a high society party? Now that's something!" Geralt said with a grin.

"Indeed! Ensure that you and the rest of the crew get cleaned up and purchase some new clothes! First impressions will go a long way in impressing ourselves on the minds of the attendees tonight!" Dagan told his First Mate.

"Yes, sir! I'll have rotations set up, so everyone gets a good chance to go and shop for what they need for the evening!" Geralt told his captain with a salute.

"Very good! Well, we are leaving just now, so the ship is yours," Dagan told the man as he and his ladies made their way to the airlock.

They saw their way out ofThe Steadfastwithout much trouble and walked out of the docking bay. The trio noted a few people looking like they were meandering about, waiting for someone. They paid close attention to the man and his ladies and figured these were the shutterbugs Inari told him about. The moment they were clear of the docks, they flagged a hovercab driver, who was waiting for anyone to hire him out.

"Ah! Now, where can I take you fine folk today?" the cabbie asked with a slight drawl to his voice.

"Ohnakhla Plaza, if you please," Dagan told the man as he tipped the man his hiring fee.

"Skolahzza district? You three get invited to a fancy to do or something?" the cabbie wondered as he opened the cab to let the ladies in.

"You could say that!" Dagan replied with a smile as he got into the passenger seat.

"Well, in that case, let's be off!" the cabbie said with a grin.

In moments, they were airborne and on their way. It didn't take long to leave the docking bays behind, and soon, they were cruising the airways to the upscale districts in the city. Tawny and Kris looked out at the cityscape that passed by them with wide-eyed wonder. Neither woman could believe that such places could exist, yet here they were, seeing it with their own two eyes!

"I take it those two don't get out much?" the cabbie asked.

"No, they do not! This is their first time seeing such marvels!" Dagan admitted.

"Whereabouts are you lot from, by the way?" the cabbie wondered.

"Prodosia."

"Oh! That explains a lot! But if I'm being honest, I wouldn't mind seeing the galaxy like they are now! The sense of awe and wonder when it first hits you is something that can never be replicated!" the cabbie stated.

"On that, we can most certainly agree!!" Dagan chuckled as he looked about, taking in the sights and sounds of such a resplendent station.

******************************

"Inari, I'm OK! Korsa, Nats, and Jaesa have cleared me medically!" Zuzanna protested as she finished getting dressed.

"You're not feeling anything wrong with you at all?" Inari questioned, making sure Zuzanna wasn't telling fibs.

"No! Here!" Zuzanna stated as she took one of Inari's hands and pressed it over her chest. Inari could feel Zuzanna's new heart beating strongly inside her and looked at her newest lover and girlfriend. She could see that Zuzanna was being honest with her and was more than eager to be off the ship.

"Love, I think Zuzie is going to be fine. Besides, once her heart was showing signs of full acceptance into her body, Korsa put her in the Regen Pod," Priya told her.

"Korsa did what?!" Inari gasped.

"Yeah. Once she was sure that I was going to be okay, she figured the best thing to do was to put me in and fix me further. I had a few mods put in years ago that haven't really been working right. So, once she was certain that I'd pull through the process, Korsa not only patched up my scars but fixed me like new!" Zuzanna told her.

"Where was I during this?" Inari asked.

"Out like a light, snoring like a saw through a knot of Rondathan hardwood," Priya giggled.

"I do not snore!" Inari shot back.

"Sorry hun, but you do! It is a cute snore!" Zuzanna told her in a cutesy voice.

"Hmmph! So, you're all better, then? Korsa made sure to put you through some stress tests?" Inari asked.

"Yeah! In fact, I had so much energy last night that I wound up hitting the gym while Korsa and Aesha were having a sparring match! I asked if I could join, and Korsa was delighted to have me there!" Zuzanna stated.

"You made it through a session of Kha'Varen?!" Inari blinked, incredulous that this was possible.

"More like crawled! That woman is something beyond what I thought possible! She's not mortal, or even a goddess! That woman is the very definition of an unstoppable, universal force!" the blonde woman replied as she remembered being thrashed handily.

"Well, making it through a Kha'Varen session with Korsa as your teacher is no easy feat! I think a leisurely stroll won't be a problem, since you managed to push through that!" Inari replied, relenting on her mindset.

"Yay!!" Zuzanna squeed as she tackled Inari and peppered her face with dozens of kisses. Inari laughed the whole time, then finished it by meeting Zuzanna's mouth and kissing her passionately. Zuzanna peeped, then moaned as she responded to the kiss, pressing her lush body against Inari's hard one. Both women came apart, breathless and insanely horny as they stared at one another.

"Ahem!" Priya said with a polite cough. "While I do love watching the pair of you have at it and would love to join in, I think we should get going."

"Oh, don't think you're not getting anything, Pree!" Zuzanna told her.

She pasted the Indian woman to the wall and kissed her just as passionately. Priya would have protested, but lost herself to Zuzanna's warm and inviting mouth. They came apart, chests heaving, and Inari breathing heavily as she fanned herself from watching her ladies kiss.

"Priya is... right. We should... get going, but... damn if I don't want to stay and..." Inari stated, letting the implication hang in the air.

"I know! We have ourselves a party to get to! But what's saying we can't have a little fun while we're out shopping?" Zuzanna asked with a wink. With that, she turned and skipped out of her new cabin, leaving Inari and Priya behind. Both women looked at each other and grinned, as the gears in their heads were already turning.

"How do you want to play this, babe?" Priya asked, as she saw the evil grin spreading across Inari's gorgeous face.

"Tag team."

******************************

"You ladies get all the searching done that you wanted?" Alex enquired.

"That we have! You know it pays to know where to go to look for the exact look you want, right?" Natalya asked her man.

"I know, and I'm grateful for the help! Still getting used to how the galaxy works and all!" Alex replied with a grin as he finished adjusting his jacket.

The man smiled at his outfit, looking like the perfect merchant navigator. He and the rest of the crew of theDarkstrideragreed to forgo any semblance of USA uniforms or insignias. While some of the galaxy knew about them and had allied with their new initiative, there were those who would sabotage them given the chance. The powers that be would not take kindly to a new player on the block. One who they would be hard pressed to contend with, if they continued gaining ground as they had.

While he was eager to see their new initiative gain more allies, Alex knew they had to be prudent in whom they told. So far, they had been lucky with the UCW Veldhern defense force and the people of the Abandoned Frontier. Both parties owed him and his crew a great debt and they could be trusted to keep things quiet. The only thing that worried him was the Takharian warlord, Arcann Saubath.

The man had been a sleeper agent of the Tosh'Kanthi Collective, and there had been some chatter Jaesa had picked up about them. Nothing major, but there had been some movement and things changing out in the galaxy. Assets had been shifted then vanished, as though the Collective was going into hiding. That suited Alex just fine, as the Collective retreating like that was a good thing.

Maybe Saubath had his own agenda in mind? The Takharian had struck Alex as someone who was more than he let on. That could have been his allegiance to the Collective or something else. Whatever it was, the man had dropped off the map, but he would keep an eye out for him should he ever resurface.

"Hello? Earth to Alex? Are you there?" Kasumi asked him, waving her hand in front of his face.

"Sorry. Spaced out there for a sec," Alex replied.

"What were you thinking about, babe?" she wondered.

"Potential problems in the future. Notably, those who got away in both Veldhern and Prodosia encounters," Alex sighed.

"Don't worry too much about it, sweetie. Jaesa's on it and making sure that if anything pops up on the waves, we'll hear about it," Shazza told him as she ambled up next to him.

"Not to mention that Talon's called in a few favors to keep watch on the darker sides of the omniweb. If Sawyer or Saubath get mentioned out there in passing, we'll know," Natalya reminded him.

"Yeah, I know. I still worry, all right? It's in my nature," Alex replied with a smirk.

"How about we give you something else to worry about?" Korsa asked as she strode up with the rest of the crew in tow.

"Oh? Like what?" Alex wondered.

"Like who's going to be ravaging your ass after the night is over? You know the effect a well-tailored suit has on a woman," Kasumi told him.

"Fair enough! Everyone ready to go?" Alex asked with a chuckle.

The entire crew was there dressed in casual clothes, and all nodded. As one, they all walked to the exit point of theDarkstriderand debarked as quickly as possible. Once they were clear of the ship, they made their way to the station proper, flagging down multiple cabs for the lot of them. The cabbies were told where to go and after around twenty minutes, the entire crew was on the ground in Ohnakhla Plaza in the Skolahzza district of the station.

"Ah, dear Captain Sunara! Glad to see you arrive!" came the jovial voice of Dagan Min.

"Hey there, Dagan! Sorry for the wait!" Inari apologized as she finished paying and tipping the cabbies.

"No need to apologize, dear lady! It was a bit early, and we were all a bit peckish, so we got something to eat while we waited!" Dagan grinned as he finished what looked like a bagel.

"All right, then! So, are you and your ladies ready to look at some fancy new clothes?" Priya asked, giggling with enthusiasm.

"Well... this is something completely new to us! We've always had to scavenge for whatever it was we wanted or needed! Shopping is... very new to us!" Tawny replied, and Kris nodded in agreement.

"In that case, how about you come with us while we look about and see what works for you ladies?" Zuzanna asked, threading her arms into those of the She-Wolves.

"But first, I think hitting the spa and a mani and pedi is needed!" Inari stated, looking over her nails and thinking they could use some love.

"A spa day with shopping and proper pampering before a ritzy party? I'm sold!" Gloria said enthusiastically.

"Since that is what you ladies are agreeing on, I think maybe you lot should go together! I'll take these three gentlemen and we'll get ourselves ready for the night's festivities!" Alex said.

"Sounds like a plan! You boys have fun!" Korsa replied with a smirk.

Both groups then separated, with the ladies heading in one direction while the gentlemen went in another. The women knew what they wanted and started with the spas, getting full body rubdowns to relax their muscles. It was a novel experience for the She-Wolves, as they had never had such things done for them before.

Even Jaesa and Delilah were part of it, with both the AI and VI enjoying themselves immensely. Though they were artificial constructs, their new programming allowed them to enjoy the sensations that organics did. Not to mention that the pair of them easily fooled the scanners and sensors that dotted the station, making it easy to blend in.

Afterwards, the women made their way through the boulevards of the station, feeling refreshed and amazing. As they walked along, looking at several jewelry retailers, Korsa noticed something out of the corner of her eye. It was slight and almost invisible, but she saw it and sighed inwardly. She had spotted a few Khontarans not far from where they were, shadowing the group.

"Alex, are you there?" Korsa asked, tapping into her wrist communicator.

'I'm here, babe. What's up?'Alex responded over the comms.

"Not sure if you've got any shadows, but I've spotted a few around us. Khontarans. Don't be alarmed if you see them," Korsa told him.

'I hadn't noticed them until you said something. They seem very interested in what we're up to at the moment,'Alex replied.

"Probably people dispatched by the ambassador, to ensure our safety. Would be pretty damned embarrassing if something happened to us just before we, the guests of honor, show up at a party being thrown for us," Korsa said with a smirk.

'You got that right! So, don't lose them?'Alex queried.

"No, let them follow along. They've got a job to do, and as long as they do it without interference in our little jaunt, leave them be," Korsa advised.

'Maybe I can see what they think of the clothing in question we are looking to purchase. They're close enough to where I can see the expressions on their faces and gauge what works and what doesn't,'Alex chuckled.

"You, sir, are playing with fire," Korsa gently admonished.

'They can look all they please, but there is only one Khontaran woman who gets to touch and have their way with me,'Alex told her in a suggestive voice.

"Oooooooooo! Smooth one, charming!" Korsa shuddered.

'I try!'Alex finished before the line went dead. Korsa grinned and went back to the shopping spree she and the other ladies were enjoying. Thoughts of the things she would do to Alex ran rampant in her head, and she grinned at how she was going to rock his world later.