As Gersham drew near, her body experienced a simultaneous spike in erotic tension and shock. Another round with him would leave her mind swimming in bliss, but with that drug coursing through her veins there was no denying him. Surges of hot blood flowed where needed, grinding heated nubs and a swollen love pearl against her clothes in the sweetest fashion. In that moment, a hand of hers went up to her chest as if to cover up and shield herself from his advances while another pressed to him, easily yielding to his approach. She enjoyed him taking charge, if only for a time, and melted into that touch which had her squirming downright gleefully when he tapped the thrilled blonde’s flower and sap.

Soon, however, he dispelled what he had done, having gathered what he needed. With but a sigh of relief and disappointment alike, Phoebe slipped from his grasp, coping with her newly interrupted excitement. They had no time, of course, but he still toyed with her. Even if her sweet nectar served a purpose, having her needs turned on and off like a light switch left her feeling used and discarded one more time than necessary.

She had another shower despite having taken one not long ago. Trailing desire in her wake would only arouse unwanted attention once the other Voren showed up. The jumpsuit and hooded robe helped conceal her womanly charms, from succulent thighs up her wondrous hips and petite yet shapely and tender breasts, allowing her to blend in more easily aboard the station’s populace. Not to mention, the same loose garbs hid the girl’s blaster from more prying eyes.

Any observation occurred from afar, with the svelte silhouette adhering to walls and shadows in hopes of drawing little attention from everyone else. Potential targets and patterns were presented to her as seconds turned to minutes, making her ponder on whether she could make an adequate choice before everything unfolded as planned.

Her eyes sparkled with anticipation from beneath the hood. She’d already made up her mind on which ship to take within the hour. Patterns could change, and uncertainties were something Phoebe prefered to avoid in this particular case. The first vessel had seen far less activity, and while there was an engineer or someone of the sort currently on board, the intermittent show of organics near the other ship left too much room for error.

Just one engineer shouldn’t be too much to deal with. She intended to make her way inside before Kurgan got to the infirmary, wasting as little time as possible while keeping the risk of changes to the observed patterns to a minimum.

Without the mind of a cold blooded killer, Phoebe had considered eliminating the alien outright would be something she couldn’t do though would be willing to fire should he prove uncooperative. With enough care he might not even die to a single shot as the blaster lacked range though in the ship’s confines it would probably be lethal throughout.

The simplest option would probably be to have him tie himself to something though that left them with a prisoner of sorts. She had considered those alternatives yet hadn’t thought the entire thing through and would just have to cross that bridge when they got to it.

Slicing through the control panel that gave her access to the ship had been easier than expected. Security had been poor, at least in this section of the station. You got what you paid for here it seemed. The richer clients could afford the births that had security and an armed response that had been almost impossible to deal with.

The ship itself had little lighting. Though there was a path of dimly lit corridors that lead back toward engineering. Without the crew aboard there was little reason to have the vessel fully powered up. It did highlight where the engineer was. A path of lights headed to a refresher near engineering. Another broke away to the mess hall in the event he wished to grab a snack she supposed. As for the lights that lead the way back she could only assume had been for the crew should they come back or for the alien to go back to the station.

Nearing engineering she would freeze upon hearing a voice within. He wasn't alone?

“I don't get paid enough for this dreen … I told him about the coils ...” there was the clatter of metal, he cursed and exclaimed having hit himself of thunked his head or something. She realized that he was by himself after all and speaking to no one as he muttered and worked. Maybe disgruntled because he was here and not on the station with the rest of the crew?

She could easily confirm that he was alone by checking out the rest of the ship focusing on the lit paths could shave some time off. Bottom line the alien was alone. She could even time entering the room with the clanking and banging in order to mask the sound of the door opening.

Either way he didn't notice. However, there was no clean shot of him and if not for the peroidic noise she wouldn't have known where to look for him. He was actually behind the engine pulling and banging against things. Prying out burnt out coils then hammering in new ones that should have slipped into place but had to have been the wrong sort.

On the plus side he had been unaware of her allowing her to get even closer and witness his work.

The former agent came slinking through the ship’s interior, robe dancing this way and that with her every movement, blaster drawn from hiding and at the ready for any potential confrontation. Half a dozen shots, plus another energy pack, the blonde reminded herself, would be all she had for whatever transpired here. She discovered nothing of interest at first other than the lights leading her on in various directions. With no apparent sign of the red skinned engineer, there was nothing to do but investigate further. Since he had entered her target with a toolbox, Phoebe opted for engineering first.

A sudden voice locked up her muscles right then and there. Was there someone else aboard the ship, aside from the alien she saw? Steps ground to a halt whereas her heart thumped all the more enthusiastically against her chest, and from one moment to the next Phoebe exhaled a breath she didn’t even know she held. All the noise that followed made her realize it was probably nothing but him talking to himself, getting worked up over his duties here.

Phoebe needed a moment to muster the strength to press on. She never hijacked a ship on her lonesome and never needed to. Never intended to either. The idea was to never get captured in the first place, thus her position never required her to escape from anywhere in a foreign vessel. In hindsight, she had to scoff inwardly at how that plan panned out for the majority of the past year and the events leading up to this point.

When she closed in on the lone specimen, it appeared her one living obstacle was working on the engine. What ended up looking worse than planned had her reconsider her choice, but only for a time. All that prep work could’ve been for nothing, but maybe the whole thing could still be salvageable.

If the engine turned out to be screwed, there’d be no point pursuing this particular ship, and each replacement part being hammered in place was, from the sounds of it, far from optimal. Simply boarding the ship unseen had been a risk, however, and before abandoning all hope Phoebe was going to try and assess the damage on top of how the repairs were coming along, and whether he appeared to be able to fix it or not.

Her approach had been slow, advanced by cautious steps taking her further around the engine. Sooner or later, he had to be dealt with. Right now she didn’t have a clear shot, let alone a view of what he was working on nor the luxury of time on her side. She didn’t mean to escalate the situation if it could be helped, at least not until repairs appeared to have concluded. With any luck he wouldn’t even notice her presence, with the bothersome job being enough of a distraction as it was.

When she got a better view of what the alien was working on it didn't make much sense to her. At least she could follow what he was doing at present swapping out burnt out coils that allowed the craft to enact the FTL drives. Could the ship fly? Well, it looked it. But without those coils they would be forced to remain in real space.

The coils that were being replaced looked burnt out like expent fuses. Whether they had overloaded or took some damage she couldn't say. In any case if it happened outside of this system it would have taken ages to get to the station, so much so that a crew would have been long since dead. Of course there were distress signals and the ship could have been towed here by means of a tractor beam.

This was not a shipyard and the damage looked to be minor. If the coils were the right size it would be as simple as swapping them out. But the replacement parts were larger and he had to work to seal them in place. The alien cursed a few times when he banged his knuckles or ran off a string of curses when the components wouldn't turn or fit. But to his credit he kept working until he secured the part in place.

Letting out a breath he then removed wiring and flipping through connectors dialing down the amount of energy that they drained from the new components. In the beginning it was difficult to follow what he was doing. Clearly it wasn't by the book yet from what she observed it just might work. Either he was great at jury rigging repairs or use to hobbling components together.

Large eyes got larger when he noticed her once he had concluded his work he must have had a sense of being watched. Turning towards her, probably figuring she was someone else until he saw the blaster in her hand. Sitting there on the floor, a spanner in his hands he dropped the tool that clanked upon the deck hands going half way up.

“Don't shoot! Don't shoot! The captain's not here!” He was probably mistaking her for someone else. The fact that he was sitting made her seem taller too. The alien swallowed hard then glanced to his right then left as if looking for support but found that he was on his own. Maybe he was looking for a place to dodge but he'd have to get up first, not that she had a great shot against him seeing how wedged up behind the engines he was.

Most inner mechanisms of the ship and its components were unknown, but everything seemed to be in order. She had focused more on flying and preflight inspections back in the old days, but knew a thing or two about maintenance. As the young woman circled around her lonesome prey, there were blatant issues he still had to fix and Phoebe let him do just that, always with an inner eye on an unseen clock which constantly tried to spur the petite blonde into action.

Watching his work unfold had her ponder briefly on what sort of tall crimson alien she was actually dealing with. She had never seen his kind before, but that realization alone wasn’t entirely rare. The cosmos had been vast, too capacious for anyone to have seen everything.

It didn’t matter much in the end. Whatever she ended up doing with him, and should he not give her a reason to end him, he’d have to be set free sooner or later. Was that her being too upright on an otherwise scum infested station? The jury was still out on that. For now, her plans remained unchanged, and when he finally noticed her there was no more time to think about it.

Phoebe motioned for him to stand and raise those hands a little more with a slight flick of the wrist. The subtle shimmer of eyes narrowed on him peered past the woman’s hood, always on alert. She chose not to speak in the hopes of preventing recognition if they were to cross paths again, but more importantly keep herself from harm had he managed to get away and reported these events to his captain.

Even now, she would rather not shoot him on the spot. With the spanner dropped to the deck, she’d rather ensure he had nothing in his hands or within reach. As long as he didn’t try anything funny with a blaster pointing straight at him, he would be fine. The ramp and doors were closed, making an escape from the ship a fair challenge had he, by some miracle, slipped away unscathed or carried a communicator on his person. Granted, taking a shot would be just as difficult, but it probably wouldn’t be a risk he was willing to take.

She absolutely despised it, but took a chance by trying to do the right thing and avoid casualties on both sides. Somewhere deep down, she just wasn’t cruel to the point of erasing someone from existence that easily.

Had he acquiesced with her gestures beckoning him to wriggle his way out from behind the engines, Phoebe stepped back for every step he took, moving about the room to match his movements with a more preferable angle on him as to keep herself from becoming a target. She checked the chamber for something that’d allow the man to tie himself to a sturdy part of the environment, something he hopefully couldn’t snap into pieces. She’d then toss it to him with another series of gestures telling him to bind himself, expecting him to obey.

He blinked a few times then complied. His mind ticking over the identity of this wrath who hadn't asked him a question. Confused, if the person wasn't here for the captain then he was here for him. That didn't make too much sense, or maybe it had.

The alien maneuvered to his feet shimmying out from behind the engines as instructed. It had occurred to him that if the wrath wasn't after the captain and wasn't after him then it had to be the ship. He glanced toward the toolbox then back noticing how small the wrath was. The alien was thin with long limbs and big eyes, probably sensitive to the light.

There were many things one could secure themselves to from engine cases to bulkheads. There was a lack of items to actually restrain him and that took a little work. There was a glue gun with some sort of fast acting adhesive that could probably secure him temporarily. The stuff was used as a fast fix to fuse metal components together. The only other option had been the mass of wires that had been here, replacements for some of the electronical connectors. She could have him stick his arms around a one of smaller devices here and tie his wrists up securing him to the object in question.

“You're here for the ship? Just let me take my tools,” he didn't look pleased at being taken captive though he offered no resistance either with his hands glued to something or his wrists secured by wires he had been out of the way though he kept studying her and trying to make sense out of her voice. He didn't recall anything or one that matched up with his memory.

“If you are stealing the ship you have to let it idle for five minutes before you initial the drives unless you want to burn out the power relays and waste four times, no five, to make repairs.” He supplied out of the blue, probably dreading the mostly silent wrath who he had realized could have killed him already.

The adhesive made short work of his hands. Phoebe glued him to one of the bulkheads where he’d be easy to see from the paths leading toward the ship’s helm. Getting that off was more of an afterthought though she bound his ankles and wrists with wires in case he managed to wriggle free from his temporary restraints. After finishing up, the young woman had been less on edge than before and lowered her weapon, thinking this should do for the foreseeable future.

She stood before him, petite even up close, with the charming contours of his svelte captor barely visible from beneath her hood. “Anything else I should know about?” Surely he’d know more about the ship than anyone else nearby, and he appeared willing to surrender that knowledge. In an effort to prevent screwing up on the final stretch, she wanted to steer clear of anything that’d strain an already suboptimally operating vessel.

For a moment, looking at the creature got her thinking as to why he expected someone, particularly an armed individual, to be coming for the captain. She pondered on whether that’d be cause for concern further down the line, but dismissed it as irrelevant for the time being. Hopefully, they were long gone before anyone else showed up.

Instead, Phoebe focused on setting everything up for the events to come. A lone index finger had been brought up and hovered before her lips, a relatively kind reminder for him to be quiet rather than try to call out for anything or anyone to help him. Not that closed doors allowed him to reach any in the first place. She didn’t care much for the tools either way. He could keep them for all she cared though he’d have to wait with all that until her objective here had been fulfilled.

With the first order of business completed, she spun around, a faint albeit somewhat noticeable sway to an otherwise concealed female silhouette drawing attention on her way out towards the cockpit. She didn’t expect any problems, but had a quick look around before attempting to reach her destination and start this baby up.

She eased into the pilot’s seat, a familiar feel of reassurance assailing her senses. They were making progress at long last. Now, all she had to do was keep moving forward. Green eyes examined the information on display once the electronics roused to life, and the girl opted to keep the engines idling for at least five minutes. If anything had been out of the ordinary, she’d know soon enough and if anyone caught wind of things, they might just chalk it up to the engineer feeling things out as far as testing whatever bandaid repairs he’d incorporate into the engines went.

Glued, the alien engineer or tech considered the question. Relieved that the weapon was out of play he still cooperated. What she got had been a tirade of mechanical problems each that had been “fixed” don't run the FTL drive at more than this power level, the pulse cannon on the starboard side could only emit a full charge once before being burned out so the default energy out put was set to half. So on and so forth. Overall things that shouldn't matter in the long run. If she needed to out run someone or rely on the ship's fire power she would loss.

But there were a few key things that might help too. Like the decoy drones that had transponders matching the ship in order to confuse missile locks and blockades. In conjunction with a stealth feature that masked most of the energy signatures of the ship allowed for one to slip between the cracks.

It was far from cloaking tec but a ship powered down after releasing a drone could draw attention and allow the ship to slip between cracks that opened up as they moved off to investigate.

The bridge was a rather simple affair. With all the faults the ship was tidy at least. Running the engines didn't cause any alarm especially with other systems powered down. The lights did dim noticeably while the engines ran. As if to compensate lights and read outs on the console before her emitted a stronger glow.

All in all when it came down to it she could pilot the hunk of junk. It probably would hold together too at least long enough to get out of system and acquire another ship. One of the engines, most likely the one the alien was working on ran hot for the first minute or so. It seemed to be drawing a lot of power at first then cooled down. Actually it appeared more sufficient than the other three engines and was that right?

It looked like it was actually feeding energy to the other three engines increasing their efficiency.

After running the ship for a few minutes she noticed an increase of traffic inside the station through the cockpit. Alien security rushed about. Clearly something had happened and she had a pretty good idea that it had involved Gersham already. Had he had to act quickly or was something else going on?

Then she spotted a single Voren heading away from the area that the security was heading in. He paused, seemed to sniff the air in the station then moved on. She may have been imagining it but the Voren headed toward the other area of the station where she had checked out the other ship.

The mission shouldn’t be a total loss, all things considered. At least some systems operated nominally whereas that quality patchwork of her captured tech had some interesting effects, some being beneficial while others were clearly not worth much. Aside from certain tech making their escape easier, she theorized taking advantage of the engine’s enhanced overall efficiency could ensure a more substantial flow of power and thus boost the speed of their initial plunge into space. Of course, there was that whole FTL drive problem in the way of things further down the line.

In the dim light, Phoebe glanced over her shoulder more often than not, wary of the engineer escaping or another alien boarding the ship. The cockpit was more of a dead end, and with only a dozen blaster shots total, she wasn’t entirely comfortable waiting things out. Worse, as time went on, the station’s inhabitants appeared to have been stirred up like a hornet’s nest.

“Something’s happening ..” It certainly drew a lot more attention than Phoebe had hoped. Perhaps, Lysiss didn’t want to give Kurgan away for whatever procedure he would be needed. One could only hope there wouldn’t be too much trouble for either party involved. She wanted to get it done quickly, but ultimately guessed as to what was actually going on. Whether Gersham had been responsible or not, there was nothing to be done but wait things out. They had a plan. She was part of it, as was her being aboard the vessel they were meant to escape on.

Her breathing quickened all the same. Supple flesh quaked slightly beneath the cloak, with petite globes rising and falling anxiously and in an effort to calm herself, drawing deep breaths into her lungs. She wanted out of here, finally, away from all this, away from constantly running and hiding, barely eluding those who would imprison or enslave the young woman. She wanted Kurgan back, wanted Viryon back, and just disappear for a while, living life rather than whatever this existence was at the core.

“Where are you, Gersham?” She had to focus. She knew that much. There’d be no point panicking, not even when the sight of a lone Voren had her dip down to conceal herself behind the various consoles here, heart pounding inside her chest like thunder hitting time and time again. They were already on the station. The realization alone made her hair stand on edge.

If the Voren were here, finding her and the ship they’d arrived on would simply be a matter of time. However, there was no turning back now. She had to stick to the plan, not show herself like she did to those Saurians last time. The Voren would sniff her out if she were to leave now, regardless of Gersham smearing her juices across one surface or another, of that she was certain. She’d wait and see what happened next, hoping answers to her concerns weren’t far off.

Outside the vessel things eventually settled down. Heart beating she too would eventually calm. Ducked down it was impossible to know what had been going on in the station though the dock that attached the ship to the station was just outside the cockpit and she heard sounds gradually coming to a halt. A peak up let her see into the area just outside the dock and there had been no one save for the occasional droid.

Whatever happened died down to the point that it appeared that it was business as usual out there. Then there was a complication as a red light came on one of the control panels when the com went off. Someone had been attempting to contact the ship.

It could have been the station noting that the engines had been powered up all this time, someone checking on the status or something entirely different. It went out are a few attention grabbing beeps. If it were the station then they might send someone to check on the vessel. Likely a droid. Given what she knew of the station they might not even bother dispatching anyone unless there was possibility of damage to it and idling engines wasn't likely to qualify. At worse it showed that someone wanted to get off the station quickly which wasn't unusual given the type of station this was.

Whether she answered or not she would get a shock as something touch her shoulder from behind. The grip wasn't strong and she could tare away from it, maybe even twist around to get a shot off. Either after she took the communication or allowed it to go without answer.

She breathed a sigh of relief when the area calmed down some. Everything turned back to normal, giving her heart a much needed break. Maybe Gersham really did initiate another part of the plan though there was no telling what was really going on. It could’ve been completely unrelated with her getting anxious over nothing.

The sudden appearance of a new light in the dim cockpit, however, wasn’t nothing. Given her experience she knew exactly what it meant. Almost immediately, her concerns flared up from the center of her being. Her mind raced at the reasons for someone to contact the ship. Whether it be the engines running, in which case not answering could cause more questions than she had answers, or something else entirely, someone was on the other end of that line. She mulled the matter over for a moment or two, bit down on her lower lip then grit her teeth in a moment of uncertainty as she reached for the switch activating the comms.

“Yes? What is it?” Her voice strained not to shake due to the nature of current circumstances though it came across quite clear and devoid of disturbance. With the engineer preoccupied in his own gluey prison she could always make the excuse he had her over for a little bit of fun though that probably wouldn’t take her far. In any case, the young blonde wished to know what the other person wanted, whether it be the station’s personnel or someone else.

At the same time, a touch on her shoulder elicited a surprised gasp from her lips. Truth be told, she mustered more than a mere if not jittery gasp. Someone could’ve slipped an eel into her collar and the sound would probably be the same verbal expression of shock and unease.

The girl jumped, jolting away from the sensation. She spun around in an instant, blaster still at the ready though the plethora of sensations had her clumsily bump rear first against the control panels, temporarily smothering them in her wondrous charms.

She didn’t mean to shoot on the spot and tried her hardest not to unless it was an actual threat. It couldn’t have been the bound technician, could it? Then, who or what else could it be? All the ramps and doors had been closed before, and from her current vantage point she’d assumed the sound of them opening would be audible, or the consoles would alarm her to an all too recent intrusion.

“Who is this?” An unfamiliar masculine voice came back. His galactic basic had been garbled but understandable. “Where's Benny?”

Before she could send a reply she jump, spun around and found the blaster easily slapped away from her hand before it could line up a shot. The guy on the other end of the comm could hear the clatter as well as her ass smack back against one of the consoles.

None of the doors had opened. Nor had the mechanic gotten free. Rather see saw Gersham who had just appeared there somehow as he did before.

A finger went to his lips as if to silence her or perhaps telling her that he was going to remain silent. The alien was asking her what was going on making Gersham aware of what was going on if he hadn't heard anything until now. He gazed toward the red light of the comm then back to her.

Perhaps he had a good idea of what was going on or moved to recover from the situation. Who could say. Part Incubus perhaps he ignored the present danger though that seemed unlikely. Then again his hands did fall to her hips picking her up and sitting her on a console. Blistering lips touched her own without hesitation on his part. Hands crept up the sides of her flight suit until he cupped her breasts.

His mouth drew away from her own instead targeting her neck with trailing licks all the while that voice cutting in over the com calling out for this Benny person and demanding that he answer ...

Gersham disarmed her with ease. She could barely make out whom had ambushed her by the comms in the first place before being heaved onto a console, but once realization struck there’d be little time to wonder why he came when the answer had been bestowed unto her senses right then and there.

“Benny’s- Mmph!“ Supple lips molded to his own, flaring with newfound carnal temptations. She let a hand ease along his shoulder where it halted, the other poised to his chest as if torn between engaging him and pushing him away. Thighs spread apart, opening a gap for his body to occupy as their closeness grew more heated by the second. With her voice cut off, all the other end of the line would hear had been the cacophony of muffled protests, every muttered part of which became infused with feverish sparks of sensuality.

It wasn’t the first time he’d magically appeared and once the initial shock began to dissipate, Phoebe thought it best to keep quiet as to whom she was actually with and simply play along with an earlier train of thought she had.

As their lips finally part, the nonchalant nature of his advances had already restored a familiar heat to her cheeks, now left to assume a flustered look whilst half lidded eyes linger on the unforeseen guest. “B-Benny’s busy right no- Ooooh~” Gersham dipped to her neck, manipulating it with masterful licks that had her head tilt off to one side, permitting further exploitation with greater ease. “Mnuuhh .. N-No .. Not there ..”

Not much of it had been an act and he knew better than anyone. With his every touch he made her needs swell. The blonde’s back arched, forcing those tender breasts further into his palms. He knew her well, dialing up the fires he’d ignited at a leisurely pace, only for those low gasps and whimpers to climb in potency and volume.

The former agent’s wavering composure became audible, her every breath adding more and more fuel to the flames that spread throughout her lips, mouth and throat. Squirming amidst the faint discomfort of the console's presence beneath her, there was no denying the onset of more than surface level attraction in her voice. “Ahh .. hah .. I-I’m .. I’m afraid he can’t answer right now ..”

Whether someone stayed on the line at all, listening in or switching off, it wouldn’t be the first time she ever had an audience. Although unable to ask what Gersham was doing here, whether this was merely an illusion he’d weaved into assistance to assist her or he was bored and decided to entertain himself while going through with their plans, he may have been able to help hide the fact the ship was already in their possession which was more than enough to excuse what he was doing to her in the here and now.

“What the fuck Benny! You're suppose to be fixing that engine. It better be ready when we get back. It's -” with a click Gersham cut off the communication. That would prove sufficient, Phoebe caught on to what he was doing and either their bluff would work or it wouldn't.

So why hadn't he stopped? She could feel that he was quite aroused. What began as a deception had been swiftly moving toward the actual thing. He wanted to tare off that flight suit and take her right there. His hands moved over the swell of her breasts rising up to her shoulders then collar of that suit.

His tongue swirled over her neck as he took hold of the material then slowly, grudgingly pulled away. Composing himself he released her though he remained close bringing a hand up to her flushed cheek and rubbing against it. He erased her arousal before stepping away from her and letting her down from the console.

“Unfortunately we are short on time. I have already set things into motion. It went quicker than I thought and an opportunity popped up that forced me to act quicker than necessary.

“Kurgan will be moved shortly if he's not already on his way.” He paused giving her a hard look as he quickly thought over matters. “With the Voren you're easier to detect. I could go get your doctor but you will have to keep the ship secure. Or you can take your chances that my decoy confuses them and get the doctor yourself while I remain to secure your means of escape.”

While she could have locked the crew out she could only hope to delay them. If she did that then the station security could be contacted. Maybe even a bribe paid to get better coverage, an upgrade. If the crew came he would simply let them in and deal with them. All this was based on the strength of their deception, if the rest of the crew believed Benny was having some fun if they sold their cover correctly.

Regardless if they aborted or not Gersham would take her again once they were clear of the station. That much was certain.

The ruse played out as they’d hoped, but then again the crew would likely scramble to check up on their comrade in person after what the former agent heard in the middle of being toyed with. She would’ve let it go despite her rising needs though Gersham kept at it, momentarily stoking the fires at her core before receding. With but a touch her desires disappeared, but memories of that touch remained fresh, making her body loathe its untimely departure.

As the two of them settled into a more comfortable position, Phoebe hopped off the console with her breaths and heart growing calm once more, adapting to the lack of excitement he’d forced and then drained from her mere moments before. Retrieving the discarded blaster, the young blonde ensured nothing seemed wrong with it before nodding in approval at recent events unfolding aboard the station.

“Good. I was getting tired of waiting.” She knew he wouldn’t be able to let that erotic tension between them slide forever. If things worked out and they managed to replace their current ship at one point, or perhaps if he wanted to make up for lost time somewhere along the way, they certainly wouldn’t be short on time anymore.

Yet Phoebe wondered whether he would be dealing with Lysiss himself here or wait until he had more of an advantage than he did now. Aegir stated as much, that she may know something about the stones, but truth be told she didn’t care enough about them at the time to take care of that damned woman herself though it would’ve been a pleasure to repay what she was rightfully owed. Getting Kurgan out now was more important than some ancient artifacts they could always track further down the line.

“I’ll go retrieve Kurgan. You stay here and make sure we actually have a ship to escape on.” Slipping the blaster into one of her cloak’s sleeves to conceal yet wield it at the same time, she gave one final nod to the area she came from earlier. “We have a passenger here. I’d prefer it if you didn’t hurt him. Also, keep the engine running. If you turn it off, we’ve got to let it idle for at least five minutes before we can get out of here.” She’d rather not find out if it would survive the attempt before exceeding those precious few minutes.

If there was nothing else, Gersham was to stay behind. She believed herself ill suited for delaying, let alone disposing of any number of crewmen in tight spaces with minimal ammunition. Locking them out could’ve worked, but would only arouse far more attention. At best, she could’ve hoped to try and make them eager to take advantage of her, winding up in a tangle of bodies in one of the rooms. No, he seemed far more capable of tackling them than she was.

Naturally, that forced Phoebe to deal with whatever entourage of pirates and staff were escorting her friend throughout the station. Their current ship made it preferable to strike before Kurgan got to the infirmary. With half a dozen shots per energy pack, she hoped that’d be a simple endeavor. At least the corridors might not be as cramped as a small ship.

She made haste to set up along the likely routes and hoped to intercept them, planning to hit them hard, grab Kurgan and get out before they even knew what was happening. With any luck they hadn’t started moving him yet, but it remained to be seen whether luck was on her side in the first place.