The most dangerous part of any illegal activity was getting paid.
Sean leaned against the shuttle wall as the two buyers examined the crates. They were not actually opening them, naturally. The shielding on the uranium was best not disturbed out here, especially by those who were just middlemen. Sean had no idea who these people were, or what eventual destination they had in mind for the glowing rocks. Nor did he care. All he wanted was payment, and to get the dangerous stuff as far away as possible.
In that order.
Sean had come to hate the game of deceit played by both sides in this business. Everyone lied. Those who were weak, projected strength. Those who were strong, hid their true power. It was a dance, each side trying to secure what they saw as their due, while not giving up more than they had to. There was no honor among thieves... as there was no difference between having honor, and just making sure none of your victims survived.
This group, he thought, was going to make a play.
The shuttle was docked with a similar craft, airlocks securely joined as the Liberty and its counterpart held station ten kilometers away. As these two buyers were examining the cargo here, Mel and Holand were over on the other shuttle, watched by two of their people as they counted the gold. The goal was to transfer each cargo to the other ship, without the temptation for one side to just keep everything became too great. As the heads of the two men once again came together, a whispering conversation as eyes flicked back towards Sean, he sighed. There was going to be trouble. He hated trouble.
Sean glanced at Lessa. She stood by the hatch to the cockpit, looking bored. If shit went down, she'd do her job. It was Sean's job, though, to see it didn't come to that. Waking himself, he pushed off from the wall and took a few steps towards the back of the cabin.
"So, what's your play going to be?"
The adults almost jumped. Sean shook his head. They obviously weren't pros at this, one reason he suspected betrayal. These were pirates of opportunity, unable to resist a quick dip into the illegal. Well, they'd just have to learn.
"What do you mean?" the largest of the two asked. He stood up straight himself, hand near his sidearm as his companion edged a bit away to make himself a harder target. Over in the other ship, the sound of movement stopped. Sean shrugged.
"I'm asking how you're going to do it. Try and knock the price down and cheat us? Threaten, and take everything? Jump us poor kids, so there's no witnesses? What's the plan?"
Their eyes widened. Sean saw hands edge towards weapons. He smiled.
"Because, let me tell you, it's a bad idea. You don't want to mess with Lessa Cerova."
The larger one just stared at Sean, confused, a condition that was probably his natural state. The brown haired lanky man, though, whipped to face Lessa. His eyes almost seemed to bug out as he took a step backwards, legs hitting the crates. Lessa frowned, arms still crossed across her chest. The man tried unsuccessfully to phase through the crates and hide behind them. His companion just looked between the two, still confused.
"Pete? What the hell's going on?"
"It's HER!." When no comprehension was forthcoming, Pete actually walked forward, fear forgotten, and whacked the man on the arm. "HER! Lessa the Butcher!"
Sean could feel Lessa glowering at him, and he couldn't blame her. This was not something to be proud of. Still, it got the job done, and she had earned that name, and others, honestly. He nodded to the adults amiably.
"So, we have an understanding, I take it?"
****
Sean felt tired as he stepped off the shuttle onto the deck of the Liberty. They still weren't safe, naturally. You were never safe so long as another ship was this close. Still, his job was done. He could get some rest.
"So, everything go OK?"
He let out a sigh as Don approached. Stupid concern for their well being... Sensing, more than seeing, Lessa come up behind him, Sean stepped aside. The brown haired girl walked down the short ramp up to Don, a smile on her face. Sean didn't trust a smiling Lessa. Or a frowning one. Nor, he had to admit, did he like seeing her and Don exchange a tender kiss. That was just pure jealousy, though. What they had seemed real, honest.
Nothing like what awaited him.
Lessa turned back to Sean as she broke the kiss, an arm staying around Don. The shorter boy, in a display nobody would have thought possible for either when this all started, cupped her breast.
"Sean," Lessa said, voice disapproving, "used me again."
Don's eyebrows rose slightly at that, but a smile touched his lips.
"If there is anybody I trust to use you well, Lessa, it's him." He nodded to Sean. "No problems?"
"Naw," Sean said, removing his gun belt, tossing it to a nearby girl. Tracy caught it easily, placing it on the weapons cart. "I think they're more happy to have come out of the deal safely than we are."
"Good to hear."
A voice yelled Sean's name from behind Don. With a sigh, he looked up to see Vince coming towards them. The slim blond was moving quickly, ponytail flopping around. He wore yellow slacks and an orange shirt Sean was sure weren't in his closest that morning. The teen threw himself into Sean's arms, lips seeking his. Closing his eyes, Sean responded, then pushed his friend away. Vince grabbed his arm, pulling them off somewhere, most likely towards their cabin, as he began rambling about this and that. Sean only half heard.
He wanted more than this. More than... Vince.
The kid was a good fuck, though.
****
Ger was almost to his cabin, and a well needed rest after the day's mission, when Jenny's voice calling his name. He had a moment's desire to ignore her, go into the cabin, and just lie down on his bed. He then had a moment's fantasy of her following him in, joining him in said bed. Laughing, because life was too short to spend it otherwise, he turned to grin at his former roommate.
"What's up?"
She smiled back. That was good. Ger had no hard feelings, for the most part. After all, they were just friends who had enjoyed each other's company. If she was happy with this Hanna woman... well, good. They still had to work together, after all, and him being jealous would just put others in danger. As if seeing some of this play across his face, Jenny moved up and hugged him. Ger squeezed back, allowing himself to enjoy her body again. Stepping back, he smiled.
"And?"
"And..." Jenny's expression saddened. "We're leaving."
****
They sat next to each other on his bed, holding hands. Ger just stared at the wall. It wasn't an interesting wall, to be sure. He wasn't sure what else to do, though.
"Are you certain about this? You've only know her for, what, two weeks?"
"A bit more, but... yeah, I'm sure." She looked at him, eyes watering a bit. That looked so out of place on the teen, almost as not-her as that shirt was. Jenny, so far as Ger was concerned, was always happy, half naked, and covered in grease. Leaning over, he gave her a quick kiss.
"She's not happy here? I know you are, or were..."
"I'm very happy, was with you, am with her. But, well..." Jenny sighed. "She's not at home here. She wants a shop. A town. People."
Ger nodded.
"I can understand that. She didn't choose."
"And I want to be with her."
Ger closed his eyes. Memories of them together floated before his eyes. The problems of love and life, it seemed, still existed out here in space. He squeezed her hand, looking at her once more.
"I'll miss you."
****
Amanda bent down, looking past the cue ball at the black eight ball in her sights.
It was a tough shot, one she had no hope of making. She'd have to shave the eight just right, trying to send it down into the corner while avoiding sending the cue ball into the side pocket. Hmm... maybe she should just give up now.
"Come on," Sirenia bitched. "Make your shot!"
Oh, Amanda was in no hurry. Loser had to take the winner's slot cleaning dishes. Amanda did NOT want to do that! Maybe if she just barely struck the ball, so it just touched the eight and stopped...
"Amanda, company."
Wendi's warning had Amanda turning as she stood, looking at the approaching teen. Mel wore brown fatigues, with a plain white shirt. She was obviously braless, not that she had much in that department. What she did, have, though, were damned well formed arm muscles, the lack of sleeves revealing them in all their gory. Amanda leaned on the pool cue a bit, her friends moving next to her, as Mel came to a stop before them.
"Want next game?"
Mel shook her head, smiling. Her eyes flicked to the other two girls, then back to Amanda.
"I need to talk to you. Alone."
Amanda blinked. This was unexpected. Looking over at the others, she saw Sirenia draw Wendi's head over to whisper something. The redhead then grabbed Wendi's arm, pulling her towards the door.
"We'll go elsewhere! Catch you later, Amanda!"
Amanda blinked again, mouth open. Abandoned! Just like that! So much for support! Letting herself fall back, her butt came to rest against the pool table. Still holding the pool cue with both hands, she nodded to Mel.
"Talk."
Mel didn't, though. Walking around the table, she grabbed another cue. Amanda, instinctively, leaned her cue against the table and began racking up the balls. Mel grabbed the cube of chalk.
"It's about your brother." Amanda said nothing, digging the six ball out of one of the pockets. "You know we've been spending time together."
"Yes." Amanda knew. Everyone knew. You don't keep secrets on a ship. Mel nodded.
"We enjoy each other's company, and well, you know." Amanda didn't want to know. "But... well, I want it to be more than that. I want us to be a couple."
Amanda just shook her head.
"And you want my help? Fuck off."
"No. I want your permission."
Amanda jerked her hands as she lifted the rack off the balls, destroying the perfect triangle formation on the green felt. She stared across the table.
"What?"
"I know how close you are," Mel said. "He loves you, always talks about you. I can't come between that, so... I want to know if I'm acceptable to you." Amanda was speechless. "I don't mind getting rejected by him. Well, I'll mind, but I can accept it. But... I want it to be because of how he feels about me, not because he thinks I'm making you upset. So... do I have your permission to court your brother?"
Court. Such an... archaic term. Nobody here courted. Or dated. They fucked. Did this girl... love her brother? REALLY love him?
"Um... yeah. Sure. You can date him."
Mel smiled. It was a nice smile, Amanda thought. A very nice smile.
****
"WHY are we doing this again?"
Wendi didn't really expect an answer from Sirenia. Well, she knew there would be an answer. She just didn't expect it to make much sense. Her friend could be a little... flightily, at times. That was re-enforced at times like this, with the slight girl dragging her down the corridor towards the exercise room. Sirenia did stop, though, turning to Wendi with a serious, or at least serious for her, expression.
"You heard Ger the other day, didn't you? He likes girls who are strong! Look at these!" She held out her arms. "I'm a stick! How can I get him with arms like this?!?" She grabbed Wendi's hand again, pulling her forward. For a weak girl, she had a good grip.
Sirenia didn't even pause at the doorway blocking their path. She reached her hand out as they approached, hit the button, and trusted it would be open enough by the time the rest of her body reached the gap in the wall.
They barely made it.
Once inside, Sirenia did stop, releasing Wendi. As the black haired girl rubbed her wrist, Sirenia looked around. Wendi could follow her train of thought. There were complicated, confusing machines here, with shiny metal bars and large weights. Eyes wide with nervous indecision, she grabbed Wendi's arm.
"OK... what do I do? You use these things. What should I do to become strong?"
Wendi sighed. It was going to be one of those days. She looked around. There should be something simple they could use, something Sirenia wouldn't hurt herself on for the short time it would take for her to be bored with this...
A grunt came from the back of the room. As one, the two pre-teens quietly moved for a better view.
Lessa was hanging from a metal bar, both hands gripping it as her nude form almost seemed to glow from the sweat. As they watched, she pulled herself up, body not even seeming to strain itself as her chin rose over the bar. She stayed there for a moment, legs together, breathing controlled. Lessa then began a repetition of chin-ups.
Wendi watched, transfixed. Lessa... was beautiful. So... strong! Gods, look at her! A few months pregnant, and she could still do all this! What Wendi wouldn't give...
"She's a freak!"
Sirenia's whispered slander didn't make Wendi mad, as much as she was disappointed. Didn't she see that this was the type of girl boys wanted? What Ger wanted, what Kine wanted... what Kine HAD! Mel didn't have the breasts of Lessa, but she had to be as strong! If they were going to have any hope of getting the men they wanted, Wendi and Sirenia had to be strong. Glancing around, she pulled her friend towards the corner.
"Here. We'll start with this. Watch me. I'll do twenty reps, then we'll set it up for you…"