She had once been a captain though the assignment was one that she had eagerly waited for and took this demotion. Ven … here childhood friend was being held by him and this was the first time that they had any reliable information to go on. The alien they had recently captured on that pirate vessel was so looped up with drugs and truth serum that she had told her that she knew nothing …

“... all I know is that I was suppose to met him on Devrak. He was hiring people for an aquatic salvage assignment that paid well. I never even saw the guy!”

This grabbed her attention. “Never?”

“Never,” the alien confirmed.



---



And through the powers that be she had contacted her superiors. Her orders were given and while a team would be assigned to Devarak her old rank was temporarily reinstated for this though the powers that would be didn't want her running off by herself at the expense of the mission and ensured that there was a Major there that outranked her.

Even so the first part of the plan would be locating Ven and evaluating his strength and determining what he had been up to. As luck had it there was an alien of the same species as the woman that had been captured known to Ven simply as Vye and with that Gaia was contacted as an idea would be pitched to her … now Luna simply waited in one of the briefing chambers.

Space was cold and lucrative, full of criminals and other scum. Why her people decided to open their borders was simple to understand but complex to handle. None the less Gaia had no say in what the powers that be did; she however did have the luxury of being the first up for assignments with the ADD. Apparently one of her country-women had been caught on a pirate ship. Not in the least a major concern, ADD officers, however, seemed to be after someone, nothing was elaborated, as it was on a need to know basis. Still she was well vexed in the game enough to know it was something major, and they didn’t want broadcasted over space. Thus the sexy alien headed to one of the briefing chambers she been asked to meet a Captain Luna.

Upon entry the Captain would be created by the beautiful creature’s voluptuous form. Thick athletic legs, that could but Chun li to shame large breast, at least double E’s. Slick and glistening blue gray skin reflected the light of her, head creating a reflection. Showing the skin was coated with some sort of slime or water. She was wearing an extremely revealing full body space suit. This seemed to enhance her body in an elegant manner, despite the revealing nature of the clothes

“Captain..” Gaia said saluting upon entry, or at least how she was supposed to salute in the ADD fashion. She wasn’t quiet sure, as it was just customary to boo to one another amongst her people.

“At ease. Gaia, is it?” Luna gestured her into the room making a sweeping gesture towards a seat at the black elongated table. There was a datapad there along with one at her seat and she did let out a gasp at seeing the alien.

Luna had been versed in the customs of numerous aliens and knew a thing or two about hers from reading the reports but had never seen one for herself. Extraordinary didn't quite do it justice. The alien was full figured, fair more than she and Luna was a little jealous at that being a small one.

She allowed Gaia to skim some of the reports that had been gathered as they took their seats. “As you can see the one called 'Vye' has been captured. That probably isn't her name and few have even known we captured her in one of the recent conflicts we had.

“Of more importance is the fact that she was assigned to do a job with the alien Ven. The dossier on him is there as well. We once had him prisoner but he volunteered for a number of experiments and had been released from prison so we have a good deal of information on him.

“Recently he had one of our agents captive and it seems that he is getting back to his old ways but while his actions have been criminal we haven't been able to catch him red handed and have yet to move in on him.

“What we would like to do is have you take Vye's place. She was to assist him in underwater salvage and working for him will get you close to him. We will have a team of agents nearby to sweep in once you are able to find any proof since the planet in question is somewhat remote. Are you up for a swim?”

Gaia fell to at eased and took a seat that was gestured to her, noting the woman’s gasp upon seeing, Gaia, made the alien woman smile a little. It wasn’t that all uncommon for other species to become flabbergasted at the sight of her or any of her country women. It was a complement to her species as well as a curse, as all Qurrains were beautiful, elegant and sexy; some more than most it would seem. Taking up the data pad she read the reports first of her country women, It was odd but Vye was not an uncommon name amongst her people. It meant spring water in native tongue.
“Perhaps the name is false, but it likely to be within our birth records… Though it would be pointless to track it down.” Gaia commented as she continued on with reading the data, coming across a picture of Vye, it was close comparison to Gaia, the breast where smaller slight difference in height but skin tone and eye color was the same. The woman’s skills were that of a standard Qurrain, but also of that of deep sea recovery. A common skill used for plantary sea exploration. So this Ven was looking for something under water, something massive.
Crossing her legs Gaia studied her potential adversary. A Hel’ Corian halves breed. Gaia blinked once, a lizard like species that had been experimented on then released. A former merc turned slaver, do to injury. Weakened but not out of the game if things go bad it would one hell’va fight.
Gaia smiled at the Captain’s mentioning of swimming.”Of course captain I’m more than up for it.”

She noted the smile as a reaction to the gasp, was she flattered by the impression she made? Luna let her absorb the data. She had a good understanding about the Hel'Corian species. There was an agent her of their species and she had worked with them often enough. She also spent some time in the Lemure Cluster, their home.

“We are hoping that you can find something incriminating we can use. At the very least I know he is or was in possession of a slave he is likely to still possess seeing that he's dumped a lot in cybernetic replacements. It is unclear to us if he simply dismembered her and had these changes implemented or if they were necessary due to a freak accident. I am one to believe it was due to an accident since he has not been known to do so to others he has captured … he did made a threat to Agent Nail but I think it might have been a ploy to intimidate her into obeying …

“This here,” she extracts pearl studded earrings, fakes of course. She set them on the table. “Is a communication device I helped fashion a few years back. It can only target one frequency though and the volume on your end will be no louder than a whisper so you'll probably need to use it in deserted areas any way. To turn it on just squeeze a stud, do the same to shut it off.

“Ven can control electronic devices but has to be aware of them we have found. That was another theory as far as he was using cybernetics for his slave so that he could control her. You can let us know when you've found something and we can sweep in. If there are no questions then the coordinates to rendez-vous with Ven have been included in that file. The communications tie in directly to my own channel.”

Gaia was at ease with the idea, perhaps a little too much at ease. It sounded simple, just get in find anything amidst and get out. She knew from traing that if it sounded simple it was actually more than likely far more complex than she could phantom. The dare devil in her couldn’t help but feel excited. Though she showed some discord with hearing that he owned a slave. Slavery was against the code of Terra, further more owning slave was barbaric, and anything could happen to a slave. Especially in Val Gen IV, the woman felt obligated to bring this Ven to justice. As Priestess is her duty, as a Hunter she could enforce such measures. With ADD help of course.

“It sounds as he likes to dominate his captures.” Gaia replied after hearing about Nail. Captain Luna then pulled out a pair of of blue pearl studded earrings. She was informed that it was a communicator. “This shouldn’t be a problem, though they aren’t quiet my fancy.” She said taking the earring and putting them on. She would have to change her outfit to blend better but she just needed to change the functions of her suit.

“He can control eltronics and machines understood, so I’ll be in the dark for most of the mission then.” Gaia inquired, she didn’t mind but she understood how things where outside of her space. The aspect of being completely alone was concerning but she had been trained for missions like this, so no worries.
“My only question is the person he has in his… Possession is it possible to relquenish his control on her or is it absolute?”

Luna was a little distressed at the mention of the slave … some one she had know? She stalled in answering the question for a moment. “The earrings have already been tested and have a range of about 100 kilometers so if necessary can reach orbit but boots will be on planet side a lot closer than this.”

She taps a few buttons and brings up an image on her datapad that captures the image of the slave via the security cameras at the station she had encountered Vanessa at.

“This is the slave in question, Vanessa. As you can see most of her is cybernetic. Ven can control these cybernetics though when she was encountered two months back she was helpful until he did just that. All the while she remained aware but was unable to do a think about it. As long as Ven does not exert control over her she should be helpful but seeing that she can flip the switch at Ven's whim she is to be approached with caution.

“We have no evidence that he shares her senses though given that last time she managed to go against him until he was made aware of matters though there really is no way to tell if he did more to her since then or not.”

Gaia took in everything that was said. She sensed the hesitation on the part of Luna, obviously there was some sort of connection, and Gaia knew better than to press and allowed the Captain to change the subject. Gaia found the lack of radius on the earrings, a hundred kilometers translated to about sixty-two miles a considerably short distance. At least she could still reach out in orbit. It was a thin life line, but one Gaia found she was willing to take.
Then the Captain brought up the image of the slave that was in Ven’s possession, mostly cyborg but it seemed that her core body was still intact. Gaia leaned forward to get a better view of the girl’s face. If she could she would try and save the girl, in fact she was counting it as a second primary objective. It would take some doing, but it can be done.
“
I see, so even she helps me, I would only risk blowing my cover>” Gaia said bitterly, not likeing the situation at all, but she had her mission and she was more than ready to take the next step. “I am ready Captain.” The alien woman said fully determined.

“She will not betray, I don't think, but since Ven can control electronics she is to be seen as a liability,” of course Luna wanted to rescue her childhood friend. She was so close to saving her from her fate when she unexpectedly encountered her during the rescue attempt with Nail. And now while it was a personal objective of her own though she was not going to jeopardize her life or the mission. If she could save her great … she even had a few ion grenades she was taking to disable Vanessa if she came across her. If the cybernetics weren't working then Ven could not control her or so it was reasoned,

“Good, you will be assigned the freighter Dawn's Kiss for this assignment. Equip yourself as necessary and be ready to disembark by 06:00.”

Dvorak. The planet was a water world ringed with a plethora of tropical islands … even the islands near the poles were warm given the heat of the planet. The coordinates brought her to a landing pad where a series of droids went about refueling the ship as she disembarked and saw to other small maintenance matters.

Having to contact flight control before landing she could see the tower where it was near the landing pad as well as another freighter here and a large building.

Standing at the landing pad was a human woman with a dark green cloak, Vanessa from the picture. She had a pair of droid bodyguards with her, though they had been assigned to watch her after last time and not to protect her in the typical fashion only following her commands so long as they did not violate the ones Ven gave them.

“Vye, I'm assuming. You are the first here the others are expected in throughout the day. May I offer you some refreshments?”

Gaia had studied the planet before the Dawn Kiss went in for planet entry. A lovely planet with small islands about, a perfect colonizeable place for her people, but that was not her job, no she was here to do a job find an artifact, and plausibly recue a slave. For now she needed to be Vye, and as such she had downed a similar outfit that what the real Vye was wearing, and some other clothes, she had her pistol hidden on her via flat space tech , which the disk itself was attached to her belt. Instead of the skin tight ADD suit she wore, it was a pair of tight leather pants , and a that appeared to be more armor like and a leather jacket, and heeled boots, that where obviously more for doing work in that being stylish. The color of her entire get up was black which oddly enough complemented her body. She also whore the studded pearl earrings.It didn’t take long to reach tower control, the landing area wasn’t small but not big either, and she wasn’t the only to have arrived. Landing she spotted the girl from the picture, on the data pad. This didn’t surprise her, but the mechs where a concern as they seemed to be armed quiet decently. She had her other weapons, but showing up in full arms was stupid, no she needed to delicate and not make herself suspicious.

Gaia wasted no time in leaving her ship, being careful not seem too out of the ordinary. “Vye, I'm assuming. You are the first here the others are expected in throughout the day. May I offer you some refreshments?”

“I am.” Gaia said with a court bow introducing herself as if it was natural. As she took in everything the girl said she looked around with her eyes, being observant but not cautious. “No I am fine in refreshments.” Gaia responded looking at the woman, so she was not the only one to be contracted. There was something off putting by it but, this could be criminal as such she should be..

“Very well, right this way.” Vanessa lead her into the building to a waiting room that had a feed taped into the television monitor of the ship outside. There were no satellites here and the world was either uninhabited or inhabited by species that had not hit space level advancement yet. The landing pad was a simple one essentially just a field on one of the islands with the tower and building being the only modern structures that could have been hastily set up.

There were a few droids here, hovering on repulsors with arms ending in blasters. Security perhaps but for what? The information on the world that she had pulled up had indicated that it had been of standard gravity with a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere. It was tropical and discovered though a full survey had not been conducted as of yet and so just the basics had been on file.

There were two moons and the planet was on the small side. While she waited others had arrived in due time. One was a frog-like creature encased in an environmental suit that had a clear helmet about his head. Bogdin she heard the other call him. The other man, his partner from her guess, was some sort of orange scaly alien with webbed hands and gills, some sort of fish-like creature.

Some time passed and a movie later Vanessa was joining them again. “Ven will see you three now, right this way.”

Gaia followed the woman taking in her surrounding looking for weak points and escape routes in case of an emergency. From planet side she could the hints of two moons, she saw them on her arrival but found them strikingly beautiful as she flowed Vanessa. The area was simple, nothing much out of the ordinary, it was quiet apparent the only intelligent species was currently those who where using the pad. The building she guided to was modern, nothing special really, it wasn’t meant to be, it was more like a compound than a building to the huntress. The few droids that where armed with built in blasters, as useful technique but with a few twist here and there they could easily be just piles of junk.

She waited in the waiting room for a few hours, when the others began to arrive, it took a better part of the day, but one thing was for sure Ven was need of amphibious spcies to do his bidding. Though the glares each of the male amphibians gave told her that they wanted her to do their bidding as well. The curse and pride of her people, being beautiful was often a down falling and advantage. Finally after a sometime, they had been called into the meeting with Ven. During that time she waited with the others she found out everything she could without prying for information, or raising suspicion.

When one entered the building they were immediately in a reception/waiting room and though she did get a good deal of looks from the others Bogdin was particularly tortured since he was confined to that environmental suit in this atmosphere and could do nothing about it though the fish could. Lidless eyes more than one took her in and it was easy to imagine some of the thoughts going through his head.

Vanessa lead them down a corridor. At one end was a set of double doors guarded by a pair of machines. The hall bent at the end though and before they reached the end they came to another room, an auditorium of sorts with a stage and podium. A look around pointed out at least four droids with the blaster arms. There may have been more back stage and there were the two meaner droid bodyguards with Vanessa.

They had a few minutes before Ven walked onto the stage from the back of it. His reptilian eyes scanned the ground but lingered on her full figure. He must have been entertaining some of the same thoughts though Gaia could see that something just didn't seem right about him.

“Greetings. You three have been assembled for a variety of reasons and I hope to use all you skills. This salvage operation is going to be easy and you will all be rewarded well.” Ven began and Gaia had noticed that the droids were not close to Ven. No bodyguards, though, but none of the droids were particularly any more alert to them seeing that they were the only ones that needed watching here. This was a little odd and the only droids alert to anyone were the two assigned to Vanessa and mostly they were watching her rather than external threats.

“An alien vessel crashed and submerged in the ocean her. A ship of Ashen origins and while the tech on board is advanced there is a generator suspected there that a client of mine wishes to procure. However, I do not have the means of recovery, at least a quick recovery without a great deal of effort on my part and so each of you has come with recommendations as far as pulling off a deep sea salvage. If anyone wants out speak now, else I'll get into the details.”

The waiting in Gaia’s mind was a tad too long, it could just be her impatience, or just the mere uncomfort she was drawing from the place. As men where they fantized about her, if they didn’t Gaia would have felt out of place. Even so she ignored the lustful looks of the Bogdin. It was long till they reach a pair of double doors, then down a hallway that bent. Before they made it to the end of the hall they turned finding themselves before a podium, in a rather large auditorium, or so it seemed. The area was guarded by four droids, plus the ones that seemed to cling to Vanessa. There’s probably more droids in the back. The woman surmised as she waited for Ven to appear. Once he appeared he eyed every one of them, though he seemed to have lingered on her more, and looking over her full figure. It wasn’t unusual, but she felt a cold shiver go up her spine. He didn’t seem natural or something...

Not willingly to think upon it any further she waited for Ven to explain the job. So far nothing shady except slavery, had presented itself. She did find it a bit odd that none of his armed droids stood near him, if there was an assassin he could be struck down quickly, or that probably what he wanted just in case someone got too many ideas. Not only that the guards around Vanessa, as it became apparent where in fact guarding her but not in the protective sense. The paid too much attention to the woman to provide protection. Not only that there was four droids here so there was no need to keep the two droids about unless it was for added security. Before she could pounder it more, Ven continued the briefing.

`The Ashen, she new of the creatures a hive mind like species that that transverse the stars. They weren’t exactly common knowledge but the Quarrain Navy came across them from time to time. Nothing serious just a small colony, easily dispatched with a thermal bomb; Nothing much was really known about them to her people, till the Merger with the A.D.D. That was when more information ha been provided. Apparently the Ashen though simply just overgrown bugs, had advance technology, which would be worth a fourteen in the black market. Other than that there was of no illegal stanza’s maybe unauthorized salvage but that would incur a fine not an arrest.

“You want us to enter an Ashen ship?” Gaia said shifting her hips.” I know very little of these creatures, but what I do know is that they are extremely hostile… Can you guarantee there all no ashen left alive aboard the ship?”