Leave: Kayla's Story

To my sister, Genesisemo got married , on her birthday for 2007. Many happy times and many more to come. Hope you enjoy, sissy!


I hit the answer button on my comm as I began to strip off my flight suit. Instead of getting a typical greeting, I heard, "Gah! Augh, Kayla. That was not a sight I needed. I think you've blinded me, cuz."

I giggled as I realized my cousin, Griffin, had gotten a good look at my half-dressed form. "Sorry, Griff, but it can't be the first time you saw a naked girl," I replied as I pulled on a well-worn shirt, leaving the bottom half of my flight suit in place.

"It's not the first time, but I'm not normally looking at a naked girl who's related to me," he said. "So, how were finals?"

"Pretty good. I don't think I had any problems. Maybe a little with the astrophysics, but how much am I really going to need that? Point and shoot, that's me." I made the shape of a gun with my index finger and thumb and pointed it at Griffin's image.

"Speaking of point and shoot, did you complete your firearms' quals?"

"Yes. And no, I didn't break all of your records. I left a couple of them intact."

Griffin grimaced. "Gee, thanks. So, when's graduation?"

"We've got a scheduled Leave starting tomorrow, then we'll return, get any final promotions, our final orders, and graduation. About five weeks from now, I think."

Griffin tapped something off-screen and a date appeared on my screen. "Does this look right?"

I sighed and pulled my palm pilot out of my book bag, turned it on, and used the stylus to find the right date. "You're a day off, Grif," I told him and corrected his date, also filling in the time. "Do you, Aunt Miranda, and Uncle Galen plan to attend?"

"They definitely will. I have to see if I can get some family time."

I sent a request to the Chief Etiquette Officer in Charge of Graduation for three tickets to be left in my name at the auditorium. We were allowed to request up to six, but I couldn't think of anyone else I would be inviting. "Well, I asked for three tickets so if you get the time, you'll be able to attend."

"Thanks, Kayla. I wish Uncle Michael could have seen you. I think he would have been very proud of you."

I felt a clenching in my gut; the same one I got every time my father's name was mentioned or I met someone who had known him when he was in the Service. Most people didn't know the whole reason he had left the Service or how he had died. When I had first applied to the Academy, my aunt Miranda had tried to convince me to use her married name, but I didn't want to disgrace my father. I was going to succeed or fail according to my abilities, not my name. "I'm sure Dad would be proud," I answered Griffin when I was positive my voice would be steady. "Of course, he would have been proud even if I had decided to be a pirate."

Griffin winced. "I didn't mean it like that, Kayla."

"I know. I'm sorry." I wished I could hug Griffin or at least pat him on the shoulder. He had always tended towards hurt feelings more quickly than me, maybe because I had learned at an early age that there wasn't always someone there to dry your tears. "I didn't mean to be such a bitch, Grif. I'm just a little out of sorts."

"Not ready to leave the Academy and face the universe?" he questioned.

I'd been standing and pacing while we talked, but now I dropped into the only chair in my room. It conformed to my body and shifted me so I could continue speaking with Griffin. "I've been out in that universe, cuz, and it's a lot bigger and badder than the instructors here are telling us."

"Well, they don't want all those sheltered kids to go running for the hills immediately," he replied.

"I just don't think..." I started, but was interrupted by a page from his side of the transmission.

The page was garbled on my end, but Griffin could apparently hear it clearly. "That's me, Kayla. I've got to go."

"I understand."

"I'll let you know about graduation as soon as I know. Have a good Leave, cuz."

Before I had a chance to say good-bye, Griffin ended the transmission. I heaved myself out of my chair; deciding to change into work-out clothes and go pummel something in the gym rather than focus on the up and down emotions that the conversation with Griffin had dredged up.

* * * * *

The next morning was a flurry of activity as the entire graduating class tried to escape the dorms at the same time. I had worked myself into exhaustion the night before, but still found myself awake at the usual time. Since that meant I had a few hours before I left, I used the time to finish packing and clean up my room.

By the time I joined the crush of cadets leaving, I had managed to put aside the annoyance Griffin's comments had caused. I knew he wasn't trying to annoy me, but sometimes his words just rubbed me the wrong way. Since all of my relatives were working during my Leave, I had decided to take a short cruise on a space liner and then go down to Earth to play tourist there for a few days. Being a cadet, I got a cheaper price on my travels than most people.

I hadn't taken cruise on a space liner since Griffin had come to fetch me from my mother's keeping so I was a little apprehensive as I boarded the ship. When the first few days passed without a significant incident, I began to relax.

* * * * *

I started my third day as I normally did, with a workout in the gym. I was halfway through my routine when I became aware that someone had fallen into step with me as I completed the sixth lap of my morning run. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye to see if it was the guy I had noticed shadowing me. When I saw it was, I decided he had finally become brave enough to approach me. I wasn't going to make it easy on him though. I didn't speak and as I rounded curve of the track, I began to subtlety increase my speed. I hadn't been running full out and I knew I could kick it up a notch or two and still talk if he started a conversation.

He faltered a bit when I started to pull away, but recovered quickly and caught back up to me. "How many more laps are you doing?" he asked me after we were running side by side again. He sounded a little breathless, but not alarmingly so.

I shrugged; making it part of my running motion. "Seven or eight more laps."

He nodded and kept pace with me, running in silence for a few moments. "Can I buy you breakfast or something when you're done?" he asked finally.

"We're on a cruise liner," I pointed out. "All of our meals are comped."

He grinned, exposing a dimple in one cheek. "All right. Then how about keeping me company? I'm Slade, by the way."

"Kayla."

"Nice to meet you, Kayla. So...breakfast?"

I tipped my head and grinned a challenge up at him. "if you can keep up with me for the rest of my run, I'd be happy to join you for breakfast." I'd been sneaking looks at him while we ran and talked. He wasn't much taller than my height of 5'5", but his shoulders were broad and he looked well-muscled beneath his shirt and sweatpants. His sneakers weren't new, but also weren't falling apart either. He was keeping pace with me, but not forcing himself to match me stride for stride and his breathing was easy. It was obvious he hadn't picked running to show off, but because he believed he could keep up with me. I stopped trying to challenge him to a race and slowed down to an easier pace. Without commenting, Slade also slowed his pace. Even though we both had the breath to spare to talk since we had slowed to a job, neither of us opened up the conversation again.

When I veered off the track at the end of my run, Slade followed me. I had walked the last lap, knowing the dangers of just stopping after a run. "I'd like a shower and a change of clothes before we eat," I said as we paused by the edge of the track.

He nodded. "Sounds good. Shall we meet here when we're done?"

I agreed and we separated to go to the locker rooms. Even though I had gotten used to co-ed locker rooms at the Academy, here on the cruiser, the rooms were still separated by sex. When I came out twenty minutes later, having indulged myself a little since I didn't have to conform to Academy rules, Slade was waiting for me. He was leaning against the wall, standing on one leg. The other was bent at the knee and his foot rested against the wall. He pushed himself away from the wall when he saw me, a slow smile gracing his handsome features. "That was quick," he remarked. "I figured you'd be at least another half an hour."

I stretched, working out the last of the muscles I had used in my run, and knowing it showed my toned body off to a good advantage. "Academy training. That was actually a long shower."

He nodded and placed his hand on the small of my back, guiding me out of the gym. "I wondered why you were in such good shape and worked out so diligently. Its unusual to see a rich girl who works out."

"Oh, I'm not rich," I corrected as we entered the lift that would take us up to the Promenade Level, where a lot of the restaurants were. I moved away from Slade, not sure I was comfortable with his hand on me, and faced him to continue our conversation. "I got the cabin I did because I'm a Service cadet. I'm on my last Leave before graduation."

Slade indicated Forage, a restaurant that served a buffet style meal where you were given an option of foods and ingredients to create your meal. We separated briefly to gather what we wanted to eat, then met again at one of the smaller tables designed for intimate conversation. I took a minute to pick out the few red peppers that had fallen into my omelet before saying, "So, you know what I do or actually what I'm going to do. What do you do for a living?"

Slade had managed to slouch in his chair while at the same time sitting alertly. Now he watched me carefully as he replied, "Well, that's kinda hard to explain. I guess you could say I'm in procurement."

"Excuse me?!" I'm sure my mouth dropped open in shock and I couldn't think of anything else to say, although I tried to stammer something out.

Slade had the grace to look abashed and a light blush stained his face. "Okay, that came out really, really wrong." He stopped and ran a hand through his brown hair. It wasn't really long enough for the hand to disarray anything, but the motion did seem to steady him. "I have a knack for being able to find things, I turned it into a business. I won't say it's made me rich, but I'm comfortable."

I picked at my food as I questioned. "What type of things do you find?"

"This and that." He gestured at our food. "Fresh foodstuffs for cruisers not as well supplied as this one. Books sometimes for the Clans. Pretty much anything someone asks for I try to find it and supply it if I can."

"What about people?" I asked, remembering one argument between my parents about a cargo Mother hadn't had time to check before it was loaded. When Dad had cracked one of the crates, he had found bodies and a few people still alive all huddled in various contortions. They had fought for hours until Mother finally convinced him that she hadn't known what was inside the crates. They had opened the rest of the shipment to discover that only twenty out of the three hundred bodies were still alive.

"I can't say I've never trafficked in people, Kayla. But I've never taken one against his or her will. Or kept them if I found they'd been taken against their will."

"So you're not in the slave trade?" I questioned, wanting to be sure.

He shook his head. "No. A former boss of mine was adamant about us not trading in slaves because her husband had been in the Service and I continued that when we lost her."

I choked on the potato I had just put in my mouth and Slade jumped up, pounding me on the back. Grabbing my napkin, I spit the potato into it, the coughed until my throat was clear and I was able to take a drink of my apple juice. Slade waited until I had finished coughing before sliding back into his chair. "You okay?" he asked, concern tightening his features.

I nodded, taking another sip of my juice before speaking, "Sorry. Just swallowed the wrong way."

Slade looked me, concern written on his features. "Everything okay? That sounded painful."

I nodded. "It was. I guess you just surprised me. I didn't expect to meet someone with Service connections out here."

"What can I say? The Service pops up everywhere."

I giggled a little and decided it might be safer to change the subject. "What's the strangest thing you've ever been asked to find?"

Slade leaned back in his chair and began to regale me with stories of his adventures in procurement.

* * * * *

Over the next few days, Slade and I spent quite a bit of time together. He joined me for my morning work-out most days and then, after separating to shower, we would breakfast together. After breakfast, he would excuse himself, citing business concerns, and disappear until dinner. Dinner was the only really structured mealtime on the ship with two servings; one at 18:30 and one at 20:30. I preferred the later serving because it was quieter and less crowded. That first night after working out with me again and then joining me for breakfast for the second time, Slade had shown up as I was entering the dinning room. He'd asked if I wanted company and when I said yes, he continued to join me at other times. After that night, he'd show up for where ever I was a few minutes before I went to dinner. This unnerved me for a few minutes until I remembered that the cruise ship AI kept track of the passengers and was able to tell other passengers locations when asked. Since I was always in a public place when Slade found me, I decided not to let it bother me.

When dinner was over, we'd do something fun; sometimes going down to the club and dancing for a few hours or catching a movie in one of the theaters or even just strolling on the Promenade Deck. Than Slade would escort me back to my cabin. Slade would leave me at the door each night with a chaste kiss and walk off, more often than not whistling.

After four days of this, I was starting to get extremely frustrated. Despite the signals I was sure I was sending out, Slade was not making a move on me.

As we finished up our dinner on the fifth night, the waiter came over to our table. "May I get you anything else, miss, sir?" he asked.

I shook my head, 'no,' but Slade motioned him down and whispered in his ear. The waiter smiled at me, then nodded, and hurried away. "What are you planning, Slade?" I asked, picking up my silverware to toy with it. I was done eating, but he obviously wasn't as he sliced into his steak again.

"What makes you think I'm planning something?" he asked when his mouth was empty again.

I speared a piece of steak off his plate. "Gee, Slade, I don't know. Maybe you whispering to the waiter or the smile he gave me or the way you're avoiding my question right now."

He took my wrist in a gentle grip and guided my fork into his mouth. When he had finished chewing and swallowing, he said, "Why don't you curb that attractive impatience and just wait a few minutes?"

"So, you think I'm attractive?" I asked coyly.

He turned my hand over and began to trace random patterns on my palm and wrist. "Fishing for compliments?" he questioned.

"Maybe."

"Well, you don't have to fish." He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, and peering deeply into my eyes, said, "The passion in your eyes burns like a raging fire. The heat from it is hotter than the sun that lights the earth and your beauty is overwhelming."

I could feel the heat creeping up my face and was sure I was blushing, suddenly I was glad that the lighting in the restaurant was dim. Slade smiled when I didn't reply after a minute. "Done fishing for compliments now?" he asked as he accepted the dinner tab from the waiter and scrawled his signature on it. He picked up the box the waiter had deposited on the table and offered me his free arm.

I scooped up the shawl that went with my dress and slipped my arm through his. On a whim, I had dressed for dinner that night. The dress actually had two layers. The under-layer was form fitting and ended halfway down my thighs. It was also what Griffin called slut red, but I referred to it as siren red. The top layer tempered the color if not the design. The over-lay was a black lace flowery design that turned the under layer a deep maroon. It was about two inches longer than the under-lay and not nearly as form-fitting; hinting at my curves instead of outlining them. The top barely contained my breasts and I had noticed Slade's eyes roaming downwards throughout dinner. He had been the perfect gentleman, though, and his eyes had never strayed for long. I thought a couple of times it had been a real effort for him to drag his eyes back up to my face.

Slade had also dressed up and I had found myself sneaking admiring glances at him when I could. I had even gotten a chance to check out his well-formed ass at one point. He wore a pair of tailored charcoal slacks and a blue button down shirt that brought out the blue in his eyes. He had been wearing a jacket that he now draped around my shoulders when he saw me shivering in the cooler air of the corridor. He rested his arm around my shoulders after the jacket was settled.

"So, what's in the box?" I asked as we entered the lift.

Slade used a finger to push the right button. "You're just going to have to wait. Shall we adjourn to your room or mine?"

Since Slade had been controlling the evening; choosing the restaurant, steering me towards the dinner he thought I would like, even the mystery of the box, I decided I would be more comfortable on my own turf. I linked my fingers through the hand that rested on my shoulder and smiled up at him. "Why don't we go to my room?" I suggested.

"Sounds like a plan to me," he agreed.

We were quiet as we walked down the hall to my room. I punched in the code that would unlock the door and Slade stepped back to allow me to enter first. "Do you want a drink?" I asked as I tossed his jacket onto the chair in the living room area of my two room suite. My shawl followed it and I kicked off my heels. I wiggled my toes in the carpet, glad to be free of the shoes. I was used to the boots required by the Service, but had never gotten used to high heels. I bent to look in the bar fridge, checking out the contents. "I have red or white wine."

Slade had set the box he carried on my small table and was using a knife he had pulled from somewhere to slice it open. "Red sounds good. Do you have glasses?"

I checked the shelf above the bar and nodded, although he couldn't see me. I reached up and pulled two down before taking a bottle of wine from the fridge. I carried all three things over to the table where Slade was lifting a cake from the box. I groaned at the sight of it. "Are you trying to make me fat?" I asked, jokingly.

"I don't think I have a chance in hell of that the way you work out. I just thought you'd like a nice treat," Slade said as he set the dark chocolate cake on the table. He licked his finger where some of the chocolate had gotten on it. He took the wine bottle from me and looked around for a minute. "Any idea on how to open this?"

"There should be a corkscrew in the bar," I replied.

He crossed the room, waggling his finger at me. "No touching the cake."

"You don't want me to cut it?" I asked, looking down at the cake.

"You don't cut that type of cake. You scoop it out with a spoon and eat it that way," he replied as he rummaged around in the drawer above the bar. He crossed the room back to me and picked up the wine bottle, expertly opening it. I settled myself into one of the chairs by the table, curling my feet up under me as he poured the wine and found the spoon that had been packed in the box with the cake. He scooped out the center of the cake and, with one hand under the spoon to catch the drips, guided it into my mouth. I closed my eyes as the bittersweet flavor of the chocolate exploded on my tongue. Slade was grinning at me when I opened my eyes again. "You like?" he asked.

"That's real chocolate!" I exclaimed. "And yes, I love. Its delicious." Slade scooped up another spoonful and offered it to me. "Don't you want some?" I asked after I had swallowed the second bite.

Slade took some of the outside of the cake and ate it. "I'm not really fond of chocolate, but I know you are. I just thought you would like it."

"I do like it." I took a sip of the wine he had poured for both of us. "I just felt odd that I was eating all of it."

Slade drank some of his own wine. "Don't feel odd. Like I said, I don't really like chocolate, so you're welcome to it. Its not something they normally have on board, so I had to pull some strings to get it. I called in a couple of favors and had it delivered yesterday."

"Well, it was awfully nice of you to get the chocolate for me and have the cake made. It's delicious." I helped myself to some more of the cake as Slade began to regale me with a complicated tale of a time the ship he was on had been boarded by a Service Patrol. While the cargo they carried wasn't contraband, it had been borderline and the crew had had a tense few hours while the Service searched the ship.

Slade grinned as he finished up the story. "Its a good thing you weren't in that boarding party," he said. "You would have known right where to look for the hidden compartments and we would have lost a lot of money."

I had finished off the cake while he talked and now I frowned. I hadn't had more than a couple of sips the wine; in fact my glass was still half-full, but I felt light-headed as I had drowned three or four glasses in quick succession. I checked the level in the bottle, but it hadn't changed so Slade hadn't been filling my glass on the sly. "I don't feel well," I complained as he started to get to his feet.

"Let's get you to bed," he suggested, helping me to my feet and putting his arm around my waist. I stumbled slightly, but Slade had a good grip on me and he carried me into the bedroom of the suite. He scooped me up when we neared the bed, depositing me on it. Gentle hands straightened my skirt out, pulling it down from where it had ridden up, then brushed my hair off my face.

"What did you do to me?" I tried to demand, but it came out slurred and I wasn't sure he could understand me.

Slade did apparently understand me, though, because he knelt beside the bed and spoke softly to me, "I'm sorry, Kayla. I had my orders."

* * * * *

When I first became aware again, I didn't immediately open my eyes. Whatever Slade had used to knock me out and then keep me asleep packed a hell of a wallop and left me with a headache of hangover proportions. The pain was bad enough without opening my eyes, I wasn't sure I wanted to chance it and see what light would do. Without opening my eyes, I moved my arms and legs slightly; enough to discover that I wasn't bound in any way. Deciding that I needed to find out as much about where I was as I could, I finally opened my eyes.

Despite the lights being low, the addition of even a little light caused pain to jackknife through me. Force of will allowed me to hang onto my stomach and not throw up what I had last eaten. I waited until the pain had subsided a bit before attempting to sit up. The room wavered and my stomach rolled, but a few more minutes of holding still and everything settled down again. Without moving more than my head, I began to scan the room.

It looked like a typical stateroom on a liner. It wasn't as big as the room I had been in, definitely not a suite, but large enough that I would have room to pace if I ever felt like moving again. The bed I was sitting on, a nightstand on one side of it, and a dresser along the wall at the end of the bed were the only furnishings and there was nothing loose I could use as a weapon. Deciding that I wasn't really going to make matters that much worse by standing up, I got to my feet and waited for my nausea to settle. I was still in the dress I had worn to dinner with Slade so I checked the dresser first, unsurprised to find my clothing inside. As swiftly as I could, I changed out of my dress and into jeans, a more comfortable bra, and a pullover shirt. I looked around but didn't see any of my shoes, but wasn't really surprised to discover they hadn't been moved with my clothes. They would make good weapons when held in a hand. I added a pair of socks to keep my feet warm and contemplated my next move.

I hadn't even tried to open the door, assuming it would be locked from the outside, but now I looked it over. There was no doorknob on my side, but a keypad rested just above my waist on the wall next to the door. I didn't bother messing with the keypad since I didn't know how many numbers the code needed and there were the usual zero through nine on the pad. I also didn't have any tools to try to break into the keypad and override it.

I was considering my next move, since I obviously couldn't get out, when the door slid open. Slade stood in the doorway. He leaned against the doorjam. "Hello, my Love, did you have a good nap?"

I crossed the room quickly, causing him to take a single step back, although he stayed in the doorway. He was smiling, a look I had found attractive just a few hours before, but now it was just aggravating. That smile disappeared as I smashed my small fist into it. "Bastard!" I spat, putting all my indignation and pain into that simple epithet.

He reeled for a moment as I grabbed my temper with both hands and shoved it down. "That's the fiery spirit full of passion that I've some to like and admire about you," Slade said, once he had recovered.

"Pretty words from a captor, but words spoken through bars lose their charms," I tossed back at him.

"You didn't have to hit me, Kayla." He touched two fingers to his lip, examining the blood that he found there.

Of course I didn't have to hit him, I wanted to and even though my hand stung, I felt better because I had hit him. "You didn't have to drug and kidnap me," I retorted. "Where the hell am I?"

"You're aboard a ship, the Karelia. it's a good ship and you're safe."

"Being drugged and kidnapped hardly merits being called 'safe'."

"You're obviously not in the mood to listen to me. When you've found you can be pleasant to me again, hit the comm and ask for me." He stepped back and the door slid shut before I could cross the room.

I let out a frustrated yell as I stared at the closed door. Stuck in the room for the foreseeable future, I began to explore more diligently. It didn't take me long to discover my first impression was right, there was nothing in the room that would help me break out or could even be used as a weapon. There also wasn't anything to keep me from getting bored.

I curled up on the bed and dragged a blanket over my body. Within seconds of laying down, I was sound asleep.

* * * * *

Startled out of sleep, I reached under my pillow for the knife that wasn't there. I sat up, brushing my hair out of my face and turned towards the noise. Slade had said I was safe and despite everything, I trusted that. He hadn't hurt me physically himself, just emotionally.

A woman was setting a tray on the dresser. She rearranged the dishes and then turned to face me. "There you go, lambkins. Its nice and warm now so you might want to get up and eat."

I frowned. The last time I had eaten something someone else had prepared for me, I had wound up here. Despite the rumblings the smell of food was causing, I wasn't sure I wanted to eat anything. "What'd Slade put in it this time?" I asked.

She clucked her tongue at me and I swear if she'd had an apron on she would have shaken it at me. "Frankie didn't put anything in it, lambkins. Cookie prepared it and I brought it down. He never even saw it. You made that boy so mad I doubt he even remembers to eat himself much less orders food brought to you."

It took me a few seconds, but I connected Slade to the name Frankie. "Slade's real name is Frankie?" I asked, giggling. "Frankie?"

She shook her head. "Francis really, but he refuses to answer to that. Now stop laughing at the poor boy and come eat your food. And think about talking to Frankie." She picked up my discarded clothes from earlier, ran a practiced eye over the room, and left.

I dropped back onto the bed as I realized I hadn't even considered escaping. I had the overwhelming urge to throw something to vent my frustration, but the only thing to throw was my dinner tray. I picked up the cover on the tray and looked at the food. That almost started my giggles all over again. In trying to keep me weaponless, my dinner consisted of a hamburger and fries. The plate was metal though which would actually made a pretty good bludgeon.

I decided not to waste the food, even if I used the plate later. I picked up the pickle and deposited it on the tray, making a face at it, and then picked out the fries that had been contaminated by the juice. I found small packets of salt, pepper, and other condiments and used them on my burger before settling in to eat.

I felt better after I ate and not the least bit dizzy so apparently Slade didn't feel the need to drug me to keep me docile. I amused myself for a few minutes using the French fries and pickle to build designs, but soon tired of that. With nothing else to do, I crossed the room to the comm. When a voice answered, I announced, "Tell Slade his prisoner is ready to talk."

Much sooner than I expected, there was a buzz at the door. I started at the noise, surprised that whomever Slade had sent had bothered to announce themselves. I waited a minute, but the door didn't open. I studied the comm for a moment, then discovered how to make it broadcast in the hallway only. "I can't open the door from this side so you're going to have open it."

"I just wanted to make sure you weren't going to greet me with a punch again," Slade answered.

"No, I won't punch you again."

"Good. Step back from the door and I'll come in."

I sighed and crossed back to the bed, sitting down on it. A moment later, Slade entered the room, carrying a chair with him. He set the chair down just inside the door and sat on it. "So explain to me why I had to step back from the door?" I asked once he was settled.

"I honestly just didn't want to hit you with the chair. If you'd feel more comfortable, I'll have another chair brought for you."

"I'm fine sitting on the bed. Could you please just tell me what's going on?"

Slade ran a hand through his hair, something I had come to notice he did when he wanted a moment to gather his thoughts. "I'm not sure where to start or how much to tell you. I'm also not sure how much you'll already know and how much I'll be repeating myself."

"Start at the beginning or what you think is the beginning. Or better yet, start with why I'm here," I replied. "And, Slade? The truth would be a good idea."

Slade winced at my last sentence. "I'm not sure you can handle the whole truth."

"You don't know me well enough to know what I can and can't handle. I want you to tell me everything."

"Everything starts with you at sixteen and a call your mother made to your cousin."

"A call Mother made? Sixteen? That's when she sent me to live with Aunt Miranda and Uncle Galen because Dad had been killed." I started to add together things Slade had let slip over the days we had spent together. "Slade, what is going on?"

"I'm a pirate, Kayla." He paused for a moment to allow that to sink in and when I didn't react except to stare at him, he continued, "I'm third in command of the pirate group, Liberation Committee." He must have seen the look of comprehension on my face because he nodded. "Yes. You're mother's group. This isn't the way I wanted to tell you, but she was killed on a raid about six months ago."

He stopped and watched as I stood up and began to pace. "Mother's dead?" I questioned.

"Yes and that's part of the reason why you're here. Grevan took command when she was killed and everything was fine for about a month. Then things began to change."

I paused in my pacing, rifling through my memory of the men and women who had been part of the group when I left. "Why isn't Ziza in charge? She was the second in command when I was here."

"Ziza was killed in the same raid as your mother. That left Grevan in charge."

"And he never agreed with Mother's policies," I mused. "Which is one of the reasons she never wanted him to be third in command. She has been trying to get rid of him for years." I dropped back onto the bed and stared hard at Slade. "What happened to my mother?" I demanded.

"I wasn't there," he admitted. "I wasn't there and I should have been." It was his turn to get up and pace as he tried to explain. "A few days before the raid, I came down with a virus. I have no idea what it was but it laid me out good for a few days. By the time I was up and around again, the raid was already planned and Ariana told me that I wasn't going. I argued, but Ariana wouldn't budge. She took Ziza and Ella Jordan and Grevan, along with Ultair, Celia, James, and Zander. I was left behind, in charge the ships. When they returned, with the bodies, honestly, Kayla, at first we were in shock. It wasn't until days later that we even thought to question who was dead and who was hurt."

I nodded, matching the names to the faces in my memory. I knew they would be six years out of date, but I wanted to be able to recognize my enemies once I was out of this room. "Who was injured? Who was dead?"

"Ziza and Ariana were the only ones dead, but Ella, James, Zander, and Celia were injured. Despite Grevan claiming he led the charge, he didn't have a scratch on him."

I nodded. "I've seen it before. Its rare but it does happen. And Ultair? What was his excuse?"

"He didn't have one. He let Grevan do all the talking."

"He generally does." I glared at Slade. "I'm sure you didn't kidnap me to tell me my mother's dead though. What do you want from me?"

"Ella ordered your kidnapping, although I'm not entirely sure she wanted me to kidnap you. She just ordered me to get you here. You know your mother's codes and can, I assume, break into the computers? Ella wants you to take over from Grevan. She wants you to take control of the Liberation Committee."

I nodded, assembling the facts in my head. "I know her codes or at least the ones she used when I was here last. She probably changed them, but I should be able to figure them out. Did you bring my laptop with us? Who knows I'm here and who I am? What type of movement am I going to be able to have? I'm going to need a map of the ship, including conduit tubes."

"Conduit tubes? Why do you want maps of the conduit tubes? And why are you so eager to help me now?"

"I know I don't look that much like Ariana, but I do resemble her somewhat. Besides there are enough people around who remember Michael and would be able to match me up to him. I figure the more I can stay out of sight, the better. I'm small enough to crawl through most conduit tubes." I took a deep breath. I hadn't been able to do anything when my dad was killed and not just because my mother had shipped me off with Griffin as soon as she could. He had been killed in a raid, by other pirates and defending our pirates, and there was nothing I could do. This was beginning to sound like my mother had been killed by her own group though, and there was something I could do about that. "Revenge, Slade. Is that good enough for you?"

"I can get you a computer. For now I would suggest staying here in this room. Only Ella and I know who you are. A few other people know you're here, but they think you're just someone I brought back with me."

"Slade, if I stay here too long, I'll go stir crazy. I need to be able to get out."

He shook his head. "Not yet. A day or two, maybe a little more. Then we can pretend to make up and I can start escorting you around."

I nodded. "I can handle a day or two in here as long as I have the computer. You didn't bring mine, I gather?"

"I've got your computer. What guarantee do I have that you won't use it to break out or cause problems?"

I grinned and I knew that it wasn't a pleasant smile. "Oh, I'm going to cause problems. Just not for you."

Slade pointed a finger at me. "You are a scary woman. I'll get the computer and dinner. Would you like some company for dinner? It would help our story of making up."

"That's fine. Provided you let me choose which tray I eat from. I don't need to take an unscheduled nap again."

"Would you have preferred I knock you on the head?" he asked as he reached for the chair. "I'll be back as soon as I can." He left before I could answer his question.

Left alone again, I contemplated my first move. I knew there were some codes my mother would have changed, but others would have been left alone. I decided that once I was into the database, the first thing I would do is take a look at who was still around from my childhood. I was pretty sure I would be able to tell who to trust just from where Grevan had them placed in the power structure. I wasn't sure why Ella and Slade were still in positions of power, but I suspected that the rest of the people higher up would be his. I rifled through the drawers of the dresser again and finally found a notebook and a pen. Sitting down on the bed, I began to make a list.

* * * * *

By the time Slade returned, I had made a list of the people I could remember who might be trusted in a mutiny. I also made a list of the people I most likely suspected would be on Grevan's side. I was just completing a third list of the codes I could remember my mother using and even some my dad's, when Slade re-entered the room.

I looked up from my notebook as Slade re-entered the room. He stepped aside to let someone else push a small dinner cart into the room, then waved him back. Slade put the small bag he had slung onto his shoulder onto the dresser and then moved the cart over to the bed where I was sitting. He brought the chair he had been sitting on earlier over and set himself up opposite me. "Dinner is served," he announced.

I closed the notebook up and sat up as he pulled the domes off the plates. Both plates were artfully arranged with a whole lobster on each surrounded by ko'adoc over rice. Slade lifted a third dome to reveal chocolate covered strawberries and a cheesecake. Smiling almost gleefully, I reached for a fork and dug into the ko'adoc on my plate. Ko'adoc is normally served over rice and consists of a creamy sauce mixed with whatever vegetables that are on hand. The sauce has a zesty flavor to it and the dish had always been one of my favorites growing up. It was considered a specialty dish though so I hadn't had it while I was at the Academy. Slade grinned to see me eating with such gusto. "So how did you know?" I asked after I emptied my mouth.

"Know what?" Slade cracked the shell on his lobster before indicating mine. "May I?"

I nodded. "Sure. How did you know that I love ko'adoc?"

Slade shrugged. "I didn't actually. It just happened to be made tonight. So I gather this is a good thing?"

I nodded, using my fork to mix the rice and ko'adoc together more. "Its a very good thing," I replied, grinning at him.

Slade watched me for a few more minutes as I ate, then indicated the notebook with his chin. "What have you got?"

While we finished eating dinner, I ran through my list of names and plans with Slade. He confirmed that except for Ella Jordan and him, the pirates in positions of power were on Grevan's side.

By the time we finished eating, we had outlined a plan of attack and I was ready to get to work. Slade helped me network my computer into the system and I used a backdoor I had created years ago to access systems and files Mother didn't always want me in. While Slade watched over my shoulder, I locked and moved files just generally creating chaos. As I was messing with the environmental controls in some of the cabins, the comm buzzed. Slade went to answer it, then came back and told me, "I have to go deal with something."

I waved him off, concentrating on a tricky piece of coding. "Go. I'm fine. I promise not to break out." I felt him press his lips to the top of my head, but didn't actually notice him leave as I turned my full attention back to the havoc I was creating.

* * * * *

Three days later, I was laying on the bed, staring at the ceiling and wondering if any of my annoyances were bearing fruit when my door slid open. I swung my legs around and sat up, expecting to see Slade walking through the door. Instead Ella Jordan walked through the door. Taller than Slade by four inches, her blond hair was cut shorter than I remembered and spiked on top. Her lavender eyes landed on me and she smiled before crossing the room and enfolding me in a tight embrace. I returned the embrace, looking over her shoulder at the female that had followed her into the room. The second female was native of Miir; a planet populated by creatures that were humanoid cats. Celia was a lovely melody of colors; what would be called on an actual calico a tri-color, tan, white, and gray.

Ella released me from the hug and sat down next to me on the bed. She studied me for a few minutes, brushing my hair back from my face. "I think your hair was purple the last time I saw you," she said finally.

I grinned, remembering how often I changed my hair color at sixteen. "I wouldn't be surprised. The Service frowns on their pilots having funky hair colors though." I ran a hand through my hair. It was longer than it had been when I lived with the pirates, although still short enough that it would easily fit under my flight helmet. "Besides Miranda told me I have the same hair color as Dad."

Ella nodded, tugging on a lock of my hair. "You do."

I leaned back from her, settling myself against the headboard of the bed and drawing my knees up against my chest. "So explain to me why you had Slade kidnap me."

Ella winced. "Slade has a habit of giving orders his own interpretation. I didn't order him to kidnap you. I told him to get you here. I wanted him to tell you what was going on. I didn't want him to drug you and bring you against your will."

"Maybe you need to spell out your orders to him?" I asked.

She sighed. "I have. On more than one occasion. It doesn't seem to help."

I reached out and gently touched her arm. "What's going on, Ella? I know what Slade's told me, but I need to hear it from you."

Quickly Ella ran through what Slade had already told me, summarizing what had happened on the raid and filling in details that Slade couldn't know because he hadn't been there. It was hard to sit there and listen to the last moments of my mother's life, but I forced myself to hear them. If it had been me, Mother would have done what she needed to see I got justice. As she was finishing up the story, describing my mother's final moments, at least the last Ella could see, she said to me, "Ariana told me to run, Kayla. She told me to save myself. I didn't want to leave her, but I didn't have a choice. She ordered us out and had the detonator that would blow the ship when we were clear. She was already wounded by then and even if she had been able to escape with us, the doc wouldn't have been able to save her. She was just hurt too bad."

"Did Grevan fire the shot that killed her?" I asked.

Ella shook her head. "No, he didn't fire the shot, but he planned the raid and who would go. I think it was just pure luck that Celia, James, Zander, and I came back alive."

I nodded, getting up to pace, walking around Celia who had curled up on the floor. I needed to think and I couldn't do that with Ella crowding me on the bed. Ella had just added information to what I already knew, she hadn't changed what Slade had told me, but I still felt that I didn't have the whole story. I believed that Grevan had set my Mother up. He had tried more than once to kill her in the past, especially after Dad had died. I also knew that even if he hadn't killed Mother, he would soon begin systematically working his way through her supporters. He would take out Ella and Slade first, then move on to James and Zander. He would probably leave Celia for last since she would be the least threatening, although I suspected she would be taken out when Zander was. No matter what, Grevan and his friends were a threat to the people I loved.

"Grevan and Ultair need to be neutralized," I said finally. "As does anyone else you believe is fully on his side. I'd rather not kill half the Liberation Committee, but I'm willing to take out as many as we need to keep the larger group safe."

Ella raised an eyebrow. "Feeling a little blood-thirsty, Kayla?"

"I just want this settled and to get back to my life, Ella. Now when are you planning to move against them?"

"Tomorrow we have a meeting with the Skyhooks. It's just a brief stop and then we move on. There will be liquor at the meeting though and the men will indulge."

I nodded, remembering other meetings where I was present for the beginning of them, to be introduced and shown, and then escorted out before they got down to the serious business of the men drinking each other under the table. "So their guard will be down. Sounds like tomorrow night will be the perfect time."

Ella nodded. "That was my thinking too."

"I'll want a blaster beforehand so I can help. I would also like a look at Grevan other than through the security cameras."

"That might not be a good idea," Ella objected. "Grevan is sure to remember you."

I shook my head. "No. I'm not going to just kill him on yours and Slade's word. I want to see him and listen to him. I can dye my hair since that's what he's most likely to recognize. I want in on the meeting with the Skyhooks. The story is that I'm Slade's new woman, right? So there's no reason why he wouldn't bring me to the meeting. Purely for decoration if nothing else."

"I'm not going to change your mind this, am I?" she asked.

"No."

She sighed and nodded, getting to her feet. "Any particular color for your hair? And are you going to tell Slade or am I?"

"Since I'm supposed to be Slade's woman," I put a sarcastic twist on the last word, "why don't you let him choose the color? Just make sure it's not something too wild. Send him down with the dye bottle and I'll talk to him."

Ella smiled, almost sadly, and brushed my hair back from my face. "I'll send him down in a few minutes. I hope you know what you're doing."

"I'm playing with fire, Ella. I've been doing it for years. One of these days, I'm sure I'll get burned."

Ella apparently didn't have an answer to that because she turned and left the room without another word, Celia trailing in her wake. I wasn't surprised she hadn't answered that. My plan probably was fool-hardy, but I wanted to see the man who had planned my mother's death face to face before I killed him.

* * * * *

I was in the process of pulling off my shirt when the door slid open again and I turned to see Slade entering. "Don't you ever knock?" I asked.

He leaned against wall and watched as I continued stripping, taking off my pants and leaving on my bra and underwear. "If I knocked, you wouldn't have been taking your shirt off," he pointed out.

I stalked over and took the package of dye out of his hand. "You'll never know if I would or not," I told him as I walked towards the bathroom. "Are you going to help me with this?"

He followed me towards the other room, stopping at the doorway, and leaning against the door frame. "It's not exactly my area of expertise, Kayla."

I tore open the box and began to mix the chemicals. It had been a few years since I done this, six to be exact, but it wasn't something easily forgotten when you changed your hair color every other week for three years. I pulled two pairs of gloves out of the box, glad to see the packages now came with two and tossed one to Slade. "Put them on and get your ass in here."

"Ah, Kayla," he started and I turned to look at him. "You may not have noticed, but you're pretty much naked there and I am a guy."

I glared at him. "Your point?"

"I just don't want to get decked again. Cuz I am so not immune to the show you're putting on."

"I won't deck you again. Just get your ass in here and help turn me into," I paused to check the box he had given me, "a red-head?"

He shrugged, entering the bathroom. "I figured it fit your temper."

I mock-punched his shoulder as he joined me at the sink and handed him the bottle. "Just put the stuff in my hair and try not to get it on my skin."

Slade's hands were gentle as he began to work the dye through my hair. I let him concentrate on the back and worked on the front until we had all of it covered. "So how long does this stuff have to stay in?" he asked as he moved strands of my hair around in the back.

"Twenty minutes. What are you doing?"

"Just checking to make sure I got all of your hair." I heard him take off the gloves and then I felt his finger trace my spine. I shivered from the light touch, but didn't move. I could see him behind me in the mirror, but not what exactly he was doing. He leaned towards me, pressing against my body from the back, but was careful to keep away from my hair. "What are we going to do for twenty whole minutes?" he whispered in my ear.

I pressed back against him and I'm sure he thought I was going to give into him, but I kept pressing until he moved backwards and I could get out. "I'm going to look at the clothes I have to see what I'm wearing tomorrow," I informed him as I left the bathroom.

I managed to contain my laughter when I heard the strangled sound from the bathroom. A few moments after I had exited the bathroom, Slade came to the doorway. "You are a cruel, cruel woman," he informed me.

"And you say that like it should surprise me." I opened the closet and looked at the few dresses inside. I hadn't had many with me on the cruise liner and certainly none that would fit into my role as Slade's new plaything. "I have nothing to wear tomorrow," I complained.

He grinned. "If I give you something to wear, what do I get?"

"You're already getting something. You and Ella are getting rid of Grevan and his underlings."

"I want something little more...personal," he insisted, as he stalked closer to me.

With the dye in my hair, I didn't have many choices for backing away since I didn't want it to get all over, so I stood my ground as he advanced on me. I hadn't felt nervous or under-dressed until I saw the predatory gleam in his blue eyes and now I watched him warily. "How much more personal were you thinking?" I asked, as I considered my options. He was watching me too carefully for me strike out right now, but maybe I could lure him in closer.

He reached out and touched my shoulder. "I was thinking...a kiss in exchange for the dress."

"A kiss?" I repeated. "That's it?"

"A kiss," he confirmed. "But not a chaste kiss. I want an actual toe-curling, blood-boiling, melt your bones kiss."

I widened my eyes. "I don't know if I can live up to that description."

He shrugged lazily, but I could still see the heat in his eyes. "We'll never know if you don't agree."

"So this is my choice?" I asked.

"Of course, but if you don't agree, you don't get the dress. And if you don't get the dress, there goes your opportunity to see Grevan tomorrow."

"Now who's being cruel?" I asked. "Fine. Agreed. Once I wash this dye out, you get the dress for me and you get your kiss."

He grinned and there was a definite challenge in it. "Shall we kiss to seal the deal?"

I glared at him. "I agreed to one kiss, Slade. Not two. Now move so I can wash the dye out."

He backed away and I stalked into the bathroom, only pausing for a moment so I could grab my robe. I shut and locked the door behind me before he could cross the room and join me. I needed a few minutes away from him to try to gather my thoughts.

I knew I was fighting a losing battle with him. I was attracted to him, there was no denying that, but I also couldn't forget that he had drugged and kidnapped me. I understood his reasoning; I probably wouldn't have agreed to accompany him back to the pirates, but he had still committed a felony. I wasn't sure how I felt about him kidnapping me, but I understood his reasoning. I would adhere to our deal, but I would not allow him any more liberties. He had to show a different side to me before I would agree to more than a kiss.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, Slade was leaning against the dresser. He nodded towards the closet. "The dress is in there," he told me. "Your move."

I glanced towards the closet and could see that my clothes had been pushed aside. Something blue hung in the empty space, although I couldn't see exactly what it was I knew Slade wouldn't make the mistake of playing me twice. It would be the dress he had promised me. I had wanted to get dressed before I kissed him, but there was no way I was changing in front of him after his comments earlier, nor was I going to give him the pleasure of watching me retreat into the bathroom to escape him.

I stepped over to him and stopped in front of him. With the way he was slouching, we were almost the same height. Tilting my head slightly, I looked him in the eye. "One kiss, Slade. That's it."

He nodded. "I remember our deal. If you decide to change the rules, I'm not going to complain."

"Do you want your kiss or not?" I asked.

Slade put his hands behind his back. "I told you already, Kayla. Your move." I kept my eyes on him as I leaned forward, then had to put my hands on him as I lost my balance. Automatically he braced himself, but his hands didn't come up to hold me. I found myself awkwardly placing my hands on his hips and then not knowing what to do. "You're the girl," he whispered to me. "Don't you normally put your arms around the guy's neck?"

"Normally yes, but I'm not normally over thinking this either."

"I'd offer to you to kiss you to relax you, but you'd count that. Then when I tried to collect my kiss you'd probably deck me again."

"I'll deck you right now if you don't take this seriously," I threatened.

"Believe me, Kayla, I'm taking this very seriously. I think that's our problem."

I let go of him and turned away. "Then what do you suggest?"

"This." He grabbed me and spun me around to face him again. Pulling me towards him, he crushed his lips to mine. Caught by surprise, it took me a second to respond, then I opened my mouth under his onslaught and allowed him complete control. Sooner than I was prepared for, he released me. "I'll be by tomorrow at two pm ship's time to collect you for the meeting," he said and all but bolted out of the room.

I was left standing in the middle of my prison, more confused than I had been before.

* * * * *

When I pulled the dress out of the closet to get dressed the next day, I discovered it was actually three pieces. The skirt itself would fall just below my knees, but wasn't whole all the way down. From about mid-thigh to the bottom, it was split, creating four separate panels that would allow me freedom of movement. The skirt was made out of what felt like supple leather and was dyed a deep dark blue, so dark it was almost black. The skirt fit tight around my hips and upper thighs, but didn't impede my movement once I slipped it on. I looked at the other pieces and realized that one was the top and one was a shawl of some sort that I would have to drape over my shoulders. The top was a few shades lighter than the skirt and once I put it on, I realized it fit perfectly and I wouldn't need a bra under it. The front covered my breasts, but left my shoulders and mid-drift bare. The halter straps went over my shoulders and met the back which dipped quite low. Luckily there was nothing to hook because I didn't think I would be able to reach anything behind my back and I certainly wasn't going to ask Slade to do it. The shawl was made of a diaphanous fabric that was a sky blue and when I put it on, it served to hide most of my assets that the rest of the outfit left on display. Well, not so much hide them as create a peek-a-boo tease that I was sure was Slade's intention. One thing was sure, Grevan would not be looking closely at my face.

I was looking in the mirror, trying to figure out what to do with my hair, when Slade entered the room. He looked me over and grinned. "You look good," he said.

"Glad you approve," I replied. "I'll be ready as soon as I figure out what to do with my hair."

"I can help with that. I brought you a few things." He came over to me and began laying things on the dresser in front of me. First to appear were two sapphire studded hair clips. These were followed by small stud earrings and a teardrop necklace, also sapphires. Lastly he put down a small knife. Nothing was over the top glitzy, but everything was obviously pricey.

I picked up the knife. "And where exactly am I supposed to hide this?"

"There's a sheath built into the top between your breasts. The knife slides right in there and no one can see it. I figured you wouldn't want to be unarmed and even I couldn't figure out where to hide a blaster in that outfit."

"You could have picked a different outfit," I pointed out as I fussed with the barrettes, finally using them to pull my hair to the side and clipping it there.

"Nah, I like this one."

"You just like the amount of skin on display." I slipped the earrings in and then reached for the necklace.

Slade beat me to it. "I won't deny that, Kayla," he replied as he put the necklace on me. "But it will also distract Grevan and the others. You're going to be the only plaything there, but Ella and Celia will also be present as will Gail and Rita."

"So I'm bait?" I asked.

"Among other things. Grevan will send Ella and Celia out when they finish the meeting part and possibly me. If he doesn't send me out, you're going with them and the three of you are going to start taking back the ship. And your name is now Fiora."

I nodded. "Got it. Let's go."

* * * * *

The room Slade escorted me to was the same one my mother used for meetings with other pirates. It was also the same one where she had met Griffin after my dad was killed and turned me over to him. I knew Slade was aware of the history of the room because his grip on my arm tightened we entered the room.

Grevan was seated where my mother normally sat with Ultair by his side; Rita curled up by his feet. Seated across from Grevan was the man I assumed was in charge of the Skyhook pirates, but I didn't recognize him. Scattered around the room were members of both the Liberation Committee and the Skyhooks. Slade took his seat next to Ella and pulled me down to sit on the stool that was next to his chair. Normally I would have glared at him for the liberties and for forcing me to sit, but as Fiora I would want to please my new lover. I smiled prettily as I fussed with my skirt, acting like arranging it had my full attention as I checked out the rest of the room.

The pirates on our side were vastly outnumbered in the room. Slade and Ella were the only ones present. I was surprised that Celia hadn't been included since it was normally a mark of honor to have Miirian with the pirates, but I supposed that Grevan thought Rita would be enough. For Grevan's side, I counted Grevan himself, Ultair, Rita, Koran, Nemas, and Elliot. I knew that the others on his side would be on the bridge and that our first task when we left would be to re-take it.

There were only four members of the Skyhook pirates present which made me wonder. I could remember meetings with them before my mother realized they were trading in humans and they always brought a full complement of men on board, equal to the number of people we had at the meeting. Either Grevan didn't trust them or he had something other than a treaty with the Skyhooks planned. I hoped that whatever he was planning did not interfere with our plans.

Grevan smiled at me as we took our seats and I forced myself not to shudder. "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to join us," he said. "Is this the new girl you've been keeping hidden?"

Slade nodded. "This is Fiora." He looked down at me and smiled indulgently, I returned his smile; all empty-headed and happy. "It took her a little longer to get dressed than I expected."

Grevan looked me over, then dismissed me. "Pretty enough if you don't like much flesh on her bones." He turned to the man across from him. "We were beginning to discuss terms for our two groups to work together."

The man nodded. "So we were, but I'm not inclined to discuss business in front of doxies or women."

Grevan motioned to Ella. "Take the girl and Rita out. Escort the girl back to her quarters."

"Of course, Grevan," Ella murmured. She motioned for me to stand back up. As I got to my feet, Slade passed his hand over my hip, tucking something into my skirt. I let the shawl bunch up around what he had secreted to hide it. I followed Ella from the room and waited outside the door as she sent Rita off in the opposite direction we intended to take.

"What now?" I asked as soon as Rita was out of earshot.

"Now we get you a blaster and go collect the others. Then we start to re-take this ship." As she spoke, Ella pulled her own blaster out of her holster and checked the charge.

I unwrapped my shawl from what Slade had stuck in my skirt and looked at it. "I already have a blaster and I have a knife." I held up the blaster that Slade had shoved into my skirt. It was a small one and would only have a few shots before it was depleted, but at least I was armed now. I would just have to make my shots count.

Ella shook her head. "That boy has more balls than sense. Let's move before Grevan sends someone out to check on us."

We were met at the corner of the next hallway by James, Celia, and Zander. The two men looked at me with suspicion, but when Celia hugged me tightly and hissed, "Kayla," their faces broke into smiles.

I accepted their hurried greetings and we continued moving as I snapped out orders, "I want to take the bridge as quickly as possible. Then we need to get Slade out of that room and away from Grevan and the others. Shoot to disable, not to kill unless we know for certain the person is on Grevan's side and there's no hope. I don't want to decimate the Liberation Committee. Once we've got the bridge, I can access the computers and the programs I've already got running."

James grinned as he popped the panel on the lift and reprogrammed it to go directly to the bridge. "So you're the one that's been rerouting things?" he asked.

"I always told your mother it was a bad idea to let you play with the computers," Zander said as he checked his blaster and took position near the door.

"I didn't cause you any problems, did I?" I asked.

Zander shook his head. "No, but Grevan was pissed that James couldn't counter what you did."

"You've learned some new tricks, girlie," James told me. "Bridge in three," he informed the others.

Ella took position on the other side of the door from Zander, as Celia snugged herself up behind him. "What are you going to do?" Ella asked as I stepped up to stand right in front of the door.

"Provide a distraction," I replied, then motioned her quiet as the doors started to slide open. I stalked onto the bridge as the doors slid smoothly open and watched as all eyes swung immediately towards me. "I'm Kayla Wildwing O'Neill and I'm taking back this ship. If you support Grevan, you'll be given the chance to surrender and swear your allegiance to me. Fire on us and you'll be fired upon."

Ella and Zander came out of the lift behind me; blasters at the ready. For a moment, everyone on the bridge was frozen, then people began reaching for blasters. I pulled mine up as Ella and Zander snapped off shots taking out the two that were aiming for me. I registered that they were Donovan and Gail, two of the people we had identified as Grevan's supporters. I was scanning the bridge, checking the others on it, when one of the people who had raised their hands, shouted, "Behind you!"

I dropped into a crouch, spinning around and bringing my blaster up to bear as Samuel rose from behind console he had been working at. He got one shot off before I was able to fire, but it flew harmlessly over my head. I fired once, hitting him dead center in the chest and he flew backwards, crashing into the wall. I stepped around the console and felt for a pulse, then turned to check on the rest of the bridge.

Ella and Celia were relieving the other bridge personal of their blasters and a few other weapons. I counted six blasters, three knives and a couple of things I didn't recognize on first glance before I turned my attention to other things. Zander had rounded up the people who had surrendered and herded them away from the computers. "Where's James?" I asked.

All three of them turned, but I was the one who saw James. He was propped up against the command chair, a clear blaster burn on his shoulder. I grabbed the first aid kit from the wall and rushed over to him. "Hey," I said I knelt down next to him. "How'd you manage not to duck?"

"I ducked," he replied as I ripped open his shirt to get a better look at his wound. "I just didn't duck far enough. Nice shot."

"Yeah, the Service is good for something," I replied. "Hold still. This is gonna hurt."

James gritted his teeth as I cleaned the wound. It wasn't much more than a graze, but it was going to hurt like a bitch while it healed. Ella came over and knelt down next to us. "He gonna live?" she asked.

I grinned at James. "Unfortunately. He'll live to try to duck another day."

"Glad someone's getting amusement out of this," he replied.

Ella took the bandages from me. "I'll finish up with him. Go work with the computers."

I squeezed James's good shoulder as I got to my feet and made my way over to the main computers. Zander moved aside as I joined him. "You going to get Slade out?" he asked.

I glanced at the read-outs and saw that the Skyhooks' ship had disengaged from our ship. "I think he's away from Grevan, the Skyhooks have left." I quickly typed in commands, activating the programs I had set idling. "Celia," I called, "can you go look for Slade? I think you'll be able to move around the most easily."

She nodded and scooped up one of the blasters we had confiscated, leaving the bridge by a different lift than the one we used. Zander looked over my shoulder as I worked. "How are we going to find Grevan and the others?" he asked.

"Trial and error," I replied. "When Celia gets back here with Slade, he and I will go looking for the others. I want you guys to hold the bridge."

I used the time while we were waiting for Celia to return with Slade to check the computers and lock more of my mother's files. There had been some I had been unable to access remotely. I didn't waste time reading them, but moved them into the folder I had created and locked them behind passwords. I knew a determined hacker would be able to get into them, but I was counting on us keeping Grevan and the others too busy to have time to play with the computers.

Slade entered the bridge in a hurry and headed right for me. He grabbed me up into hug, almost squeezing the breath out of me. "Are you all right?" he asked into my hair.

"I'd be fine if you'd stop trying to suffocate me," I replied.

Slade released me and stepped back, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah. Sorry. We ran into a little trouble."

"Trouble?" I asked. "What happened?"

"I've got a whole new definition for cat fight," Slade replied, nodding at Celia.

I looked over at Celia and saw the blood that was splattered on her fur. Ella was cleaning her off and checking her for wounds. "Rita?" I questioned.

"Dead," he replied. "And no, you don't want to know. Hell, I don't want to know and I saw the whole thing. We spaced the body."

I nodded. "Okay. You and I are going hunting."

He picked up a blaster from the pile we had confiscated and handed it to me. "Let's go. We've got five men we need to get rid of."

"Blood-thirsty much?" I asked as we entered the lift.

Slade slammed the charge pack into the blaster he had. "No, just pissed."

I looked over at him. "Remind me not to piss you off."

When the doors slide open we were greeted by a hail of blaster shots. "I'm thinking we lost the element of surprise," Slade said as we ducked back into the limited cover of the lift.

"Ya think?" I asked as I poked my head out enough to try to get a look at the corridor. "You know this isn't the first time I've been involved in a gun fight," I told Slade conversationally as I decided on my next move. "When I was sixteen, Griffin and I took out some pirates that boarded the liner we were on. I've got to admit we had an advantage though because Griffin had a map of the ship." I poked my head and the blaster out of the lift and snapped off two quick shots. The blaster fire from outside stopped. "Now I have to admit my Service training may come in handy." I waited a few moments to make sure there was no one else laying in wait, then exited the lift. I looked back at Slade. "You coming?" I asked.

Slade lowered his blaster and followed me from the lift. Nemas and Elliot were laying where they had fallen after my blaster shots had killed them. "What did you train for in the Service?" he asked as he looked down at the two bodies.

"Pilot," I replied. "Help me move the bodies."

"Pilot? And you shoot this good?" Slade asked as he helped me heft Nemas's body.

"Pilots have to be able to hit what they aim at," I pointed out. "My cousin, Griffin, held a bunch of marksmen records at the Academy. I broke about half of them."

We finished hiding the bodies and began to make our way down the hallway. "Do you have a plan for finding the others?" Slade asked quietly.

"No, not really. I figure if someone shoots at us, we shoot back," I replied as I let my blaster lead the way around the corner. When that didn't cause any reaction, I cautiously poked my head around the corner. Koran was at the terminal at the end of the corridor, frantically typing something. I motioned for Slade to be quiet and cat-footed my way down the hall. I pressed my blaster up against Koran's head. "Hands up," I ordered. "And turn around. Slowly." Koran raised his hands and began to turn, his hand coming up to sweep my blaster away from his head. Slade fired, killing him. I sighed as I backed away from the body. "Well, I was hoping not to kill him," I said.

"He was going to," Slade started.

"I know, Slade. I'm not mad." I knelt down to get a grip on the body. "Come on, we've got another body to hide. Then I want Grevan."

"What about Ultair?" he asked, taking the other end.

"I suspect we'll find them both together," I replied.

"Aren't you a little concerned that we haven't run into anyone not definitely on Grevan's side?" Slade asked as I checked the computer to make sure Koran hadn't had time to break any of my programs.

"No," I replied. "I locked everyone in before we left the bridge." I accessed the intercom and called the bridge, "How's everything up there, Ella?"

"Fine. It looks like Grevan and Ultair have holed up in the meeting room," she answered.

"Okay. Is everyone still locked down?"

"Yes, everything is going according to the plan. How are you and Slade?"

I glanced over at Slade, who was looking annoyed, but was still in one piece. "We're fine. Keep everything locked down until we can take out Grevan and Ultair. It shouldn't take us much longer."

WRITING MEETING START HERE

"All right. We're standing by," she advised me.

I looked around, trying to place where we were on the ship, but I hadn't had time to memorize the semantics that Slade had provided me with. "Where's the meeting room from here?" I asked.

"Two levels down. It would probably be easiest to take the lift down and make our way over from there," he replied.

"Let's go then."

Slade didn't say a word as he followed me back into the lift. I didn't want to get in another discussion with him about my methods so I simply hit the button that would take us to the level we needed and waited. I had no idea how I was going to get into the room where Grevan and Ultair were holed up, but I hoped to think of something before we got there.

Slade took the lead as we exited the lift and I let him since I was still thinking. We encountered brief resistance just as we reached the hallway T-junction, but we were able to wound the three men that tried to pin us down. I left Slade, who was trying to convince them to surrender while I went the other direction to attempt to get into the room where Grevan and Ultair were.

As I was trying to hot-wire the door open, Slade rejoined me. "Everything okay?" he asked, leaning over my shoulder.

I elbowed him back. "Get out of my light."

Slade backed up, but not much. "What are you doing?"

"Opening the door. Be ready to fire if someone shoots at us."

Slade took position next to the door, his blaster at the ready. I continued to work on the door, biting back a yelp as sparks burst from the panel. I shook my fingers and sucked on the ones that had been singed the worst, then went back to work. A moment later, the door slide open.

We were immediately greeted by blaster shots and Slade returned the volley, while I crouched down next to the door, trying not to get hit. Much sooner than I expected the blaster fire stopped and Grevan's voice rang out, "I figured out who the girl is, Slade. Where the hell is she?"

"Right here," I called back. "Where's Ultair?"

"Dead," Grevan replied. "What are you doing?"

"Did you really think I wouldn't come after you when I found out you had Mother killed?" I asked.

There was a laugh from the room, but there wasn't anything amused about it. "Your mother was weak. She didn't deserve the loyalty of this group."

"Oh, and you're so much better for them," I spat back.

Two blasters flew out of the room and clattered to the ground. I nodded at Slade, who quickly scooped them up and checked the charge packs. He shook his head. Both of them were depleted. "I'm only armed with a knife, Kayla," Grevan called out to me. "Shall we settle this the old way?"

"How do I know I can trust you?" I called back.

"You could just shoot me, but I think your mother taught you more about honor than that," Grevan replied. "Leave Slade outside and come face me."

I handed my blaster over to Slade and pulled my knife from the sheath. "Stay here," I hissed at him.

"Are you insane?" he asked me. "When was the last time you knife fought?"

I shrugged. "It's been a few years, but I doubt Grevan has been practicing."

"You'd be surprised," Slade answered.

"Just stay out of the way," I replied as I strode into the room.

Grevan had moved the chairs we had been using earlier to form a barricade towards the back of the room. He stood in front of them though, armed with a knife.

I took a tighter grip on my knife and began to move. Grevan nodded to me and began to circle. With the furniture moved, we had enough room to maneuver, and test each other. Grevan feinted at me and I backed away, avoiding the knife. He made a couple more feints at me and I used that time to study his movements. He tended to favor his left side, which made me wonder if one of Slade's shots had wounded him even if I couldn't see a mark. His grip on the knife was firm though and his other movements were sure. As we circled, Grevan was careful at first to keep from turning his back to the door. Soon though, as he was unable to trick me into engaging him prematurely, he began to forget his location.

My entire attention was focused on Grevan so I jumped when the blaster sounded. Grevan froze for a moment, then slowly toppled forward, falling on his knife. I looked up to see Slade in the doorway, the blaster held tightly in his hand. "What do you think you're doing?" I yelled.

Slade lowered the blaster slowly. "I couldn't take the chance that he would best you," he replied.

I rolled Grevan over. He had landed on his knife. The blaster shot had killed him, but even if it hadn't, the knife would have finished the job. I stood up and looked at Slade. "You had no right," I spat at him, then stalked from the room.

* * * * *

I spent the next few days helping Ella reorganize the pirate group. We made sure to talk to all of the pirates, finding out who exactly had supported Grevan. Luckily he hadn't had time to win many of them over. Even after I explained that I wasn't staying, many of them explained that they hadn't wanted him in charge. I avoided Slade as much as possible, but finally couldn't when Ella told me she wouldn't take control as the head of the group. Our final conversation was stilted and uncomfortable, but I was able to get through it and help Slade take formal control of the pirates. I even unbent enough to show him the backdoor I had created into the computer system.

And so it was that I found myself piloting a shuttle back to the Academy two short days before my Leave was up. I landed with permission and made arrangements for the shuttle to be returned to the rental place. When I got back to my dorm room, I threw myself into the preparations for graduation and tried to forget what had happened.

* * * * *

The orchestra stuttered to a stop as the back doors of the auditorium slammed open. I almost gave a cheer as they stopped massacring Pomp and Circumstance. Nothing happened for a moment after the doors swung open and I could see the conductor trying to rally his band. The students who were supposed to be playing could apparently see something he couldn't because none of them were falling into line. A piercing whistle sounded from the lobby and then a voice bellowed, "Liberation Committee advance!"

In perfect unison, they entered the auditorium, their boots making a ruckus on the floor. They advanced down the aisles and as they got closer, I began to recognize faces. Ella and James each led a line; they had taken the two center aisles. I didn't recognize the two that led the lines on the outer aisles, but all of them wore the patches of the Liberation Committee and every one of the pirates was decked out in their best. I could see gold and jewels adorning everyone, as well as weapons. All of their clothes were their best too, although still obviously clothes they could and would fight in. Although I scanned all of them, I didn't see Slade among them.

The Commodore stood up and glared at the approaching pirates. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

"Liberation Committee at ease!" The same voice who had given the advance command bellowed from the back of the auditorium and I looked to the back to see Slade standing there. He stood with his legs spread, arms crossed, and a glare on his face.

In perfect unison, the pirates stopped their march, and settled into the at ease position. Half of them faced the front of the stage, the other half faced the back of the auditorium where Slade still stood. Ella was one of the ones facing me and when she caught my eye, she winked at me. I frowned back, trying to figure out what they thought they were doing. It looked like all of the pirates were here so they were taking an awful risk.

"Just give me a moment," Slade started and he began to make his way down the center aisle. "Sorry we interrupted your ceremony, Commodore," Slade continued as he worked his way past the pirates. "Our invitations seem to have gotten lost in the mail. You've got one of our people up on that stage and we feel we have the right to be here to see her graduate." He had made it to the front of the stage and now he climbed the stairs to stand in front of the commodore. "I also have something I'd like to say to her before she graduates."

The commodore looked around at all the cadets behind him and the audience filled with Service members, none of whom had moved to arrest the pirates who had dared to invade the ceremony. "Why are you just sitting there?" he demanded. "Arrest them!"

Slade pulled a blaster faster than I could blink and pointed it at the commodore, holding it level with his heart. "I'd retract that command, if I were you, Commodore. We didn't come here looking for trouble. We came here to talk to someone and, if she chooses, to watch her graduate. Then we'll leave with no shots fired. Of course if you try to arrest us, we'll have to resist. And if I remember correctly, you guys don't come armed to these things. And I'd gladly pit my guys and gals against any one of yours. Well, except the girl I came here to see. I've felt her punch and I've no wish to repeat it."

I poked the cadet in front of me on the shoulder. "Let me out," I whispered.

She turned to look at me. "Are you insane?" she whispered back. "That guy will probably shoot all of us."

"He won't," I assured her. "He's crazy, but he's not insane. Just let me out."

"You know him?!" Her voice rose a little and attracted attention from the other cadets around us.

I groaned. Well it wasn't like everyone else wasn't going to know in a few minutes. "Yes, I know him," I replied. "Now let me out so I can try to bring some control to this situation. If he doesn't get what he wants, he's going to get pissed off."

"He's not pissed off now?" one of the other cadets asked.

"No," I replied as the cadets finally began to move so I could get out. "Right now, he's just annoyed." I climbed over and around the other cadets and made my way to the front of the stage. "Slade, don't shoot him. That's one thing you can't walk away from. Besides, you don't really want to kill him and I'd hate to have to punch you again."

Slade spun around, holstering his blaster as he moved. "Kayla!" he exclaimed.

I crossed my arms and glared at him. "Do I want to ask why you interrupted a Service graduation ceremony?"

"Weren't you listening?" he asked.

"Don't piss me off, Slade," I replied. "Or I will deck you. And I sincerely doubt any of the Liberation Committee will stop me."

"She's got a point, boss," Ella called from down below.

Slade turned and pointed a finger at her. "Don't help her, Ella. She doesn't need it."

"Then stop trying to play it like a man and tell her the truth," Ella answered.

He turned back to me. "I wanted to talk to you before you committed to this." He waved a hand at the cadets.

I raised an eyebrow. "So you decided to disrupt an entire graduation ceremony?"

"Its not like you were replying to my messages," he retorted.

"Its not like you gave me any reason to," I snapped back.

"AUGH!" he sputtered, then ran a hand through his hair. I didn't think the gesture was meant to buy him time to think this time, but to let him get a hold of the temper he was quickly losing. "I did not come here to argue with you."

"All right," I said. "I'm sorry for baiting you. Speak your piece and then get out."

"Look." He reached out and took my hand. I didn't pull away, but I also didn't encourage him either. "I know we fought, but its not the same without you around. I don't have the head for this business that you do. Your mama raised you to take over. The Liberation Committee needs you."

"The Liberation Committee needs me?" I yelped. I balled up my free hand, ready to punch him. I couldn't believe he had come all this way to tell me that the pirate gang needed me.

I turned my head as I heard a loud smack coming from the audience. Ella had apparently hit herself in the forehead because she was just lowering her hand. "Slade, are you really that stupid?" she asked. "Tell. Her. The. Truth!"

Slade quickly grabbed my fist and raised it to his lips, kissing my knuckles. "I think I've taken enough of your punches."

"What do you want, Slade?" I asked.

Without letting go of my hands, he knelt down, taking a knee in front me. "What I do I want? I want you to come back with us. I want you to come back with me. I can't quit my pirate ways, but come live in my ship and in my heart. Come share the life I lead and this group of miscreants."

There were a couple of snorts and laughter from the pirates assembled and a few comments that I was glad I couldn't quite make out. Ella and James both turned glares on the group and they settled back down. I stared down at Slade, who looked up at me earnestly. "Is that why you interrupted the ceremony?" I asked.

He nodded. "I shouldn't have let you go, Kayla."

"I would have punched you if you had tried to stop me," I pointed out.

He grinned up at me. "It would have been worth it."

"If I come back, are you going to listen to me? Are you going to admit that I might be able to take care of myself?"

"Are you telling me I can't fight with you at all?" he asked.

I grinned back. "No. Fighting with you is fun. Just admit that I do know what I'm talking about the majority of the time."

"I can do that."

I looked out at the audience, trying to locate Miranda, Galen, and Griffin. "I don't want to break off contact with my family like Dad did."

He nodded. "We can set things up to make it safe for all of us. Although I have a feeling the Service is going to know they're consorting with pirates."

I turned to the commodore. "I won't be graduating with my class today."

The commodore frowned. "This is highly irregular."

"I know. I come from a highly irregular family. At least on my mother's side." I grinned, then frowned as I realized what this could do to their careers. "I don't want the rest of my family punished for my decision. They had nothing to do with this."

Slade touched my arm gently and when I didn't draw away, he put his arm around my shoulders; drawing me close to him. "We'll figure it out. I'm sure Ella knows who we need to talk to and if she doesn't; your aunt will."

I gripped the hand that was resting on my shoulder. "See? You're learning already."

Slade nodded. "I try. Anyone here on stage you need to say good-bye to?"

"No. I think I tormented them enough over the last four years."

Slade offered me his arm and I took it, allowing him to escort me off the stage. The rest of the pirates stood guard as he walked me up the aisle to the doors. He paused at the end of the line and whispered something to the last pirate in line, who nodded in response. "We're going to get you out of here," Slade informed me, "before the commodore recovers enough to order us all arrested and it sticks."

"You're insane, you know that, right?" I asked him.

He kissed the side of my head. "Insane about you."

The next few minutes were a blur of movement and people as Slade and I hurried through the Academy halls and out to a ship was on one of the landing pads. I soon found myself ensconced in a meeting room with Slade promising to return soon with a change of clothes and to send my family in as soon as they arrived.

Miranda, Galen, and Griffin arrived before Slade did with the clothes. I stood up as Miranda swept me into her arms. She hugged me tightly for a few minutes, before relaxing her hold and looking up at me. After studying me for a few minutes, she spoke, "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I'm sure, Miranda," I replied. "I've never been really comfortable in the Service and I honestly think I've scared more of my classmates than I've made friends with."

Galen nodded. "It's okay, Kayla. I think Miranda's just worried about losing you."

"I don't want that to happen, Galen," I replied.

"You and the guy seemed to be talking about something," Griffin put it.

"Sit down," I invited and I waited while they all took seats. "His name is Slade. He's the second in command of the group. And yes, we were talking about me keeping in touch with you and keeping your careers intact."

Galen shook his head. "Miranda and I are retiring soon anyway, Kayla. Neither one of us wants to be promoted out of flying. I don't really think they're going to do much to us for your decision. If they do, we can just retire a little earlier. As for Griffin..." Galen looked over at his son.

Griffin shrugged. "I'm not really worried about it, Dad. If it comes to it, I can retire too. I haven't done my twenty years, but I've served a term and I am a pretty good mechanic. They aren't going to dishonorably discharge me for consorting with pirates."

Slade entered the room at that moment, a bundle of clothes in his arms. "No, they aren't," he said. "If Kayla agrees, we're going to work out a deal to do some shipping for the Service and some other borderline things that they can't do. Ariana was planning to go more legit anyway. There's no reason Kayla can't do the same."

I looked up at Slade as I took the clothes from him. "So we're going into procurement?" I asked with a smile.

My three relatives looked at me in confusion as the two of us burst out laughing.






A special thank you to stomper for his assistance in finding the words that escaped me and helping me to think like a guy (since I am so obviously not).

Thank you also to Maugh and Storm Machine for helping me name the pirates and their group.

And finally thank you to Maugh again for helping me re-write the scene where Kayla punches Slade. It reads much better now.