"Are we good here?" I asked like I was settling a bar tab. Damn I could be such an ass sometimes. I had come so far, but when the opportunity arose, I fucked it hard. That old criminal me-first mentality came back, and I couldn't fight it off. Underneath, however, I was incredibly sensitive to how Strawberry would react to this encounter.
"Yes," my first officer replied. "I'll get this cleaned up, captain. But Kash, it can't be like this every time. I mean, I'd like to be your fuck toy more often. It has been fun both times. But this crazy shit that just happened, this has to be rare."
I nodded as I turned and left my quarters, still pulling my strawberry ass scented floppy whale back into my uniform shorts as the door opened.
My mind went back to something that Strawberry had said to me before. A reference to songs from back in my time. I didn't fully understand how it was happening. But all I did these days was win-win-win.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO:
I didn't return to Aeren's room for two reasons. First, I just had enough sex to last me for a while. Second, I believed that the special challenge of developing a relationship with the slender elfish alien was going to require patience. I preferred to establish a better connection before planting my seed in her. It only seemed right to me. I fucking couldn’t believe that I was saying that to myself. I was a changed man.
It took me an hour to relax, but then I slept soundly until I was alerted that the cargo had arrived on the dock above us. Cinnamon didn't need any help getting it loaded. Her expertise with the mechanical robot loader was as impressive as I remembered. The whole process looked very routine for her. I hung around a little to watch the action but mostly focused on managing the delicate temperament of the dragons.
We prepared the forward cargo hold for their new habitat. That would keep them out of view should anyone be able to peer into the entrance of our ship. I was warned that unloading and loading cargo on a planet would be much like it was on dragon world. Some companies would bring the goods right up to the door between our engines. They would certainly be able to spot two huge flying lizards drooling at the opportunity to get outside.
The amount of space for them in the forward hold was similar to what they had in the main cargo compartment when it was nearly full of cannisters. It just felt more confined due to the single door which would be locked during risky time periods.
We let Sage sit in the cage during the whole process. I didn't want her taking any golden opportunities to cause a disturbance. Gako and Dawynda kept her company as an added but unnecessary security measure.
There were several more things delivered after the cargo was completely on board. Food for our processors in the galley. New clothing options. And a few personal items for each of the crew members. It delayed our departure by another hour, but those were mostly things that we needed to keep the crew happy and well fed.
We received the fifteen minutes warning that the docking tube and lift would be retracted back into the station, which was required before we could unhook and fly away. Once I received that, Strawberry and I escorted Sage out our ship's exit and into the tube.
"There are a number of things that we could have done with you," I told the hefty hourglass shaped prisoner. I was feeling especially excited in this moment. This bitch had plotted my death. Now she was at my mercy.
"I know," she replied calmly. "You shared some of those ideas with me."
She was of course referring to my threat to ass-rape her and then jettison her body into space. I later found out that without a proper airlock we did not have the capability of dumping our garbage into the endless vacuum of the void.
Strawberry was holding our captive at gunpoint, though she did her best to keep the pistol concealed from view. Sage was clean and dressed in a new outfit that we acquired to fit her special shape, as unique as it was. She knew that we were taking her onto a station, but I hadn't revealed the details to her yet. Strawberry was worried enough about how she would respond. I decided to let her mind wander on how to deal with being turned over to authorities or placed in a crate, among the myriad of other possibilities.
"I'm going to set you free," I finally told her when we exited the lift onto the open dock. I was hoping that revelation would delay any attempt for her to draw attention to us. Then I handed her the chit that Strawberry had loaded with funds as we had discussed. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to falsify the amount. "Here is fifty-thousand in credits. That should keep you for a while as you figure out what to do with your life."
"Seriously?" she asked in shock. That was the effect that I was hoping for. "You're just going to let me go?"
"We've arranged for passage for you on this next ship over here," I explained as I guided her nonchalantly by the elbow. So far, no one was paying us any attention. It was mostly dock workers nearby. We got lucky that no crew members of the ship adjacent to us were yet visible.
"To where?" Sage asked as she appeared to adjust her outlook. "Where are we now? I don't recognize this station."
"They
