“Watches what?” Bekka asked naively.
Rosh and Kragor both looked at her, surprised. Jodyne shook her head and got up from the table, starting to clear the plates. “Watches the girls with one another,” Rosh elaborated.
Bekka smiled as understanding hit her. “Oh!” She said, feeling a little silly. Then she shrugged. “Sounds like fun.”
For the first time in his life, Kragor let food escape from his open mouth. Jodyne smacked him in the back of the head again, which reminded him to shut his mouth and mumble something about needing to be off to do some work on the ship.
Rosh stared at her as well, unable to come to terms with what she had said. “I meant them was pleasurin’ one another,” he said, not believing she understood him in spite of what she had said.
“Of course, what else would they be doing?” Bekka responded.
“An it sounds like fun to you?” Rosh asked.
“Why wouldn’t it?”
Rosh’s eyes bulged and he looked at Kragor, who was shaking his head as he left the galley and headed to parts unknown. Rosh looked back at her and saw her focusing on finishing her food, a faraway smile on her face as she appeared to be thinking about it. He finished his water and stood up. “I’m,” he paused, wondering what he was going to do before finishing his thought, “gonna relieve Jenna.”
After they had left Jodyne shook her head and permitted herself a slight laugh. “He’s going to be struggling with that one for a while,” she admitted. “You be careful what you get yourself into, girl.”
Bekka looked up at her and smiled. “Thanks, I’ll try.”
Jodyne stared at her, realization dawning on the dwarven cook. “You was serious, wasn’t you? You wasn’t just putting wind in Rosh’s sail?”
Bekka nodded. “Why would I do that? I think it might be fun to try.”
Jodyne looked upwards towards the ceiling, and the stars beyond. “What have I let them talk me into?” She muttered, then grabbed up Rosh’s plate and turned to take care of it.
They docked at Port Freedom without any problems. They had only seen one Federation patrol the entire trip, and it had been far enough away that it did not bother following them and forcing them to allow an inspection. Once outside of controlled space they were all a little more anxious, since there was nothing stopping an enterprising captain from mounting some weapons and picking off the unarmed merchant ships. Fortunately, their journey was unmarked by any such incidents.
At Port Freedom, nearly a full week shy of their deadline, Ormitor handed over the promised wages. Dexter thanked him for it and wondered about the possibility of the further business the wizard had hinted at. Ormitor nodded and said he would send someone by later that day with the details.
Grumbling at the necessity of it, the crew remained aboard the ship. Port Freedom had both a drydock and a wetdock, catering to virtually any ship that would span the stars to reach them. The city was also renowned for the diversity of not only its inhabitants, but also in its wares and offerings. They all wished to see the place to explore and discover what they could find, but Dexter held them to the ship with a harsh command. That and by not distributing the pay they had received. With little money they had little reason to go ashore.
Jenna, alone, seemed less than enthusiastic about debarking the ship. She even spent little time on deck staring at the city, which was a conglomeration of multiple architecture styles from different races and different worlds. It looked chaotic and impossible, yet it thrived in spite of the chaos.
Unable to find her, Dexter knocked lightly on the door to her room, convinced she could be nowhere else. She responded almost immediately, inquiring who it was.
“It’s Dexter,” he said, his voice carrying through the door.
Just as quickly as the first time she responded, “The door’s always open for you, Captain.”
Dexter found her in her room, working oil into the boiled studded leather cuirass she had acquired between jobs. She sat on her bed wearing only a pair of men’s breeches that had been cut and sewn off less than midway down her thigh. Dexter’s eyes widened as he took her in and he blushed anew.
“I’m sorry, I’ll let you put something on,” he stammered, turning away from her and pulling the door to shut it.
“Oh stop it, I’m not putting this on until I finish, now get in here and shut the door behind you before Rosh sees me.”
Dexter hesitated, then, cursing every God he could think of on such short notice, he stepped into her room and shut the door behind him.
“What can I do for you, Captain?” Jenna asked, paying no mind to her partial nudity.
Dexter was unable to do so, although he tried valiantly. “I, um, I wondered if you were okay.”
“Don’t I look okay?” she asked him.
“Well yes, very,” he let slip. Then he caught himself. “I mean, no, not really. Something’s been bothering you about this place, I want to know what.”
“What if I said it’s none of your business?” she asked.
Dexter looked everywhere but at her, trying to be a good Captain. He opened his mouth to continue when she interrupted.
“Look at me, Dexter,” she demanded. Dexter did so, grudgingly. He stared at her face and met her gaze.
“No, I meant look at me,” she said, gesturing down her with her eyes. “This is who I am, and if you humans weren’t so hung up, I’d dress like this or wear less more often. So look at me and get it out of your system, you’ll see me like this many more times.”
Dexter gave in and ogled her, staring at her athletic breasts that begged him to… He licked his lips subconsciously and shook his head in a vain attempt to clear it. He could not help but admire her form, which was very athletic and curved more than enough to remain feminine, yet in the manner of most elves she had a slight build and very little body fat.
Dexter realized he was about to take a step towards her and reigned himself in, reminding himself that he was supposed to look, but not touch.
“What’s wrong, Captain?” Jenna asked, feigning innocence again.
He chuckled. “You’re a beautiful woman, and perhaps even more dangerous without your blades than you are with them.”
Jenna smiled, her eyes twinkling at the compliment. “You’re not so tame or safe yourself, I think.”
“You going to get dressed so we can talk now?” Dexter asked her, content that he had passed her test.
“No, I like letting you see me like this,” she said, winking at him.
Dexter chuckled and shook his head. “Alright, suit yourself. Not so sure Rosh would handle that as well though, you might want to confine it to your quarters.”
“Or yours,” she said, licking her lips.
“Your quarters,” he stressed, his head still shaking.
She pouted then shrugged. “So what do you want to talk about?”
“About what’s bugging you about Port Freedom.”
“I said that’s my business,” she reiterated.
“If it runs any risk to my crew or my ship, it’s my business too,” he said firmly. “And since you’re part of my crew…”
Jenna looked at him strangely, then smiled. “Why Captain, I do believe you care…”
He scowled at her. “Spit it out.”
She took a deep breath, which made her breasts rise and fall in a very distracting manner, before speaking. “Port Freedom has a lot of elves. You might have noticed I’m an elf. I’m in Federation space because I didn’t always get along with my kind.”
“You wanted?” Dexter asked her.
She winked at him again. “Of course I am… don’t you want me?”
“That’s not what I meant!”.
“But you’re not denying it.”
Dexter threw his hands up in the air and turned towards the door. His gamble paid off.
