Privateer's Commission 2 -ch 12-

Chapter 12

Ralph sat at the large table in the quarters they’d dubbed the ‘war room’.

He lightly drummed his fingers across the table and felt somewhat sick over his situation.

It was the morning after his night with Delilah.

When they’d finished kissing the lips off one another, Delilah had offered to take a shower with him, to which he’d declined. Then went back to his room, showered by himself, and curled up into his bed.

Sleep was hard to come by and he hadn’t gotten much.

Not until he’d worn himself out at least.

“Holy shit you look like ass,” Xas blurted out over the intercom at the center of the table. “Not like how your ass is fine either, haha, but like actual ass. You okay, Ralphy?”

“That bad?” he asked, looking at the tablet he’d brought with him. It was laid out next to the intercom and had multiple routes laid out that he was thinking of going after.

Delilah had sent it to him overnight along with the movie they’d be watching tonight.

Or to perhaps finish the movie they hadn’t finished.

There had also been an emoji attached to it which was so unlike Delilah, he immediately understood that what happened yesterday, would happen again. This hadn’t been a one off situation to Delilah it seemed and that’d left him even more bothered.

Because he’d found himself suddenly eager for tonight, even as he fretted over what Marionette might think or do.

“Yeah, that bad. You’re also here an hour early. Literally, haha,” Xas stated. “Rio was looking for you and couldn’t find you. Del went and talked to her just before that.”

Closing his eyes, Ralph led his head hang down partially. He stared at the tablet without seeing it.

“Did ya board and sword Del?” Xas asked, her volume coming down significantly.

“Yeah?” Ralph replied hesitantly. “She kinda pushed it and I didn’t fight it and… it happened.”

“Oh,” Xas murmured. “That’d explain a lot. Well. I told Rio where you were once I found you. Sorry, haha.

“For what it’s worth, I don’t think you did anything wrong, but I could be biased? That or I want you to knock my guts around when my sex-bot arrives.”

Ralph nodded his head at that, held his breath, and looked to the door. If Xas told Marionette where he was, she’d be here relatively quickly. No more than half a minute unless she was hesitating somewhere.

There was a soft tap he heard as if someone had put their hand on the door-handle and froze. It was so soft he wouldn’t have noticed it if he wasn’t always listening for any change in sound at all on a space-ship.

Letting go of the breath, he felt his mouth shift partially. Somewhere between a frown and a smirk.

She’s as nervous as I am.

Isn’t she?

That’s a good thing, isn’t it?

Maybe?

The door opened and Marionette stood there in the doorway.

She was beautiful, as ever. Dressed in perfectly fitted light long-sleeve shirt, low cut blouse, tight pants, and shoes. It was an outfit he’d seen her wear a while back and he’d thought she’d looked good in it then as well.

“Hi, Ralph,” Marionette murmured, her eyes picking over his face. She then closed the door behind herself and slowly walked over to the seat next to his. She took the seat and watched him for several sconds before giving him a soft smile. “Del told me… she took care of you yesterday?”

It was a strange question in Ralph’s ears. As if he were a chore or a duty to handle, rather than a man who had needs.

“That’s… the wrong way to say it, sorry,” Marionette put in quickly. Reaching out and taking his hand between her own. “I meant… ah… mmm. I can’t… I want to have sex with you. A lot of sex. I want to be in our bed together and just enjoy one another. A lot.

“I hate having to take care of myself when I feel okay rather than go find you. But the other day when I tried I felt so sick as soon as I started to let myself get into it.

“Liseth said it’s probably some sort of endocrine issue that’ll resolve itself in time, but that my-ah-my feeling randy might’ve triggered it.

“But anyways! Anyways. I want to be in bed with you. To love you. To have sex. A lot.

“But I can’t. And-and-and… and I felt bad about it. Really bad. So I kind of tried to push Del toward you. She and I talk as much as I do with Winnie and Del was interested in you. Genuinely.

“I encouraged it, told her to do it, and sent her toward you. Even if-even if I didn’t want her to at all. I hated it, actually. But I feel like I need to make sure you’re needs are met because you’re amazing when you’re at your best. And you were always at your best when… when I… took care of you each night.”

As he listened, Ralph felt his heart go one way, and his stomach go another. The words and the emotions behind them seemed to somehow leave him feeling better and worse in different ways.

He could tell just from the tone of her voice that she was bothered by the fact that he slept with Delilah. Bothered that she’d been the one to push Delilah toward it all.

At the same time, she viewed his sexual needs as something to be monitored, taken care of, and managed. Which was flattering, yet also leaned into his fears about just being a job.

“I’m sorry,” Marionette said suddenly as she looked at him. “I… that… I really should’ve talked to you about all this. About me not being able to pull you into a bed and how I felt. I didn’t even consider your feelings about it at all or anything and I just-I just forced Del at you and expected you to just go for it and… and I should’ve talked to you about it.

“Though uhm… was she as good as me? Or better or…? I’m so inexperienced and… uhm… yeah.”

Ralph couldn’t help but feel his heart squeeze at the hang-dog look Marionette gave him. Her eyes holding to his face, then falling away to the side.

Her hands felt cold and clammy against his. Her lips thinned to a flat line as she pressed them tightly together.

As if she couldn’t bear to hear his response.

Blowing out a breath, Ralph reigned in a chuckle but allowed a smile.

“Rio, she wasn’t you,” Ralph said once her eyes came back up to meet his own. “That’s the best answer I can give you. She wasn’t you.

“Was it nice to-to have sex? Of course. Was it you? No. That’s my response to all of it. Even you pushing her towards me.

“Though yes, please, in the future, discuss it with me. Rather than just flinging your friends at me. Even if they’re a ship’s mistress on paper.”

“Okay,” Marionette allowed, watching him intently. Her eyes moved back and forth as she clearly shifted her gaze back and forth from one eye to another. A slow smile blossomed on her face. “She wasn’t me, hm?”

“She most certainly wasn’t you,” confirmed Ralph. “And you’re a unique and amazing woman, Rio. I didn’t turn down Winnie all this time because I didn’t want her, you know. It’s because I didn’t want to jeopardize what we had.”

Marionette’s eyes widened partially at his words and she leaned towards him. He certainly didn’t mind it as it made it easier to see down her blouse.

“Ralph,” she whispered quietly, a fully formed smile gracing her lips. Then she leaned in and kissed him. “I understand. I’ll… I understand. Though, I already told… Winnie…to push on you, yesterday. I told her I wouldn’t hold her back either?

“I don’t-that is-uhm… I really don’t… I told Winnie to go for you. Don’t be surprised if she pushes more. That’s… that’s all. I don’t think I’ll be ready for anything for a while. Just being here in front of you like this is making me a bit dizzy.

“I’m-I’m so horny right now and I really want to take you back to our room but-but it makes me dizzy. Really dizzy.”

Our room.

If things continue to happen with Delilah I’ll have to make sure it doesn’t happen in my bed.

I’ll just make sure to keep my distance from Winnie and—

“Don’t hurt Winnie,” Marionette said suddenly, her words sudden and sharp. “If she pushes hard, earnestly, and it’s not just flirting… don’t hurt her. I don’t know how long I’ll be like this but Doc said it might be a while.

“Oh… I feel… sick.”

Marionette turned a shade of pale so bereft of color it was just ‘white’.

She lowered her head do his shoulder, grasped his jacket with both hands and just hung onto him.

Marionette breathed in and out slowly while Ralph put his arms around her and held her.

“You said you felt dizzy when you got uh… in the mood?” Ralph asked.

“I’m very… in the mood right now,” panted out Marionette. “I miss you. I miss our lovemaking.”

Lovemaking.

Yeah.

We’re in a weird… strange… relationship.

Where Delilah is now a participant and Winnie might be, too.

Okay.

Sitting there and just holding her, Ralph said nothing.

Marionette didn’t speak either.

They merely held onto one another and time ticked by.

“The others are coming,” Xas offered quietly from the intercom.

Marionette startled against Ralph. As if she’d mentally, or perhaps partially physically, dozed off against him. She sat upright, looked at him, and then gave him a smile. Her eyes hung to his face and it looked as if she were contemplating something deeply.

“I’m glad we talked,” she said finally, gifting him with a beatific smile that lit up her whole face. “I’ll… if I can manage it, I’ll come to our bed the moment I feel better. Until then I—I told Del and Winnie to not ease up this morning.”

Before Ralph could respond, the door opened.

Liseth, Janey, Delilah, and finally Winnie entered in that order.

“Ah fantastic. I was kinda nervous we’d walk in to Rio getting sworded on the table,” Winnie said quickly, then laughed.

She walked around the table, passed by Marionette, then leaned down and kissed Ralph on the mouth.

For several seconds.

Winnie broke the kiss herself, patted his cheek, then sat down next to him and put her hands on the table.

“Alright, I’ve already gotten all my firing plots inlaid for black-space firing. Minimal firing bays being showed or opened, as well as keeping it all nice and tight. Like me!” Winnie got out with a wide and pretty smile. Which she turned on Ralph, tilted her head to the side, and one of her mechanical ears twitched. “But we’re ready for this. I’m looking forward to it.

“Every prize we take, every credit I earn, I get to keep now. I paid off all my debts to everyone in the Confed. Even a few scary people in the corridor.

“I’m a free woman, I’m sober, I’m recovering, and I’m making credits now. And single. Really horny, too.”

“Shit, I thought I was being forward with him the other day when I told him to lay me out,” Janey blurted out with a high-pitched giggle. “If I knew she was this forward with you, I would’ve just walked around naked and bend over constantly in front of you. Just wriggle it around for you to look at.

“If you’re gonna put it in, just warn me though, alright?”

Aaaaaand there’s the unhinged problem with Janey.

Take Winnie and blow it up. That’s Janey.

Winnie is part of her and alcoholism.

“I sent Ralph all the routes and things I could get ahold of this morning,” Delilah interjected, ignoring Janey’s comment completely. When Ralph looked to her, she smiled at him from ear to ear. Her eyes holding his and not looking away. The frustrated and somewhat awkward bounty-hunter seemed to be… relieved. “We’ve got a lot of military routes we can pick from to stat doing work.”

“I looked through it, Delilah,” Ralph agreed and tapped the tablet then looked to the hung monitor on the wall. His tablet cast it’s display to it. “I want to hit this lane here. It’s all munitions, boots, uniforms, coats, and gear for soldiers.

“They’re not going to guard it as strongly as anything else we’d really want to hit. We just have to snag the footage as well as the black-box if possible and we’re golden.”

“I can’t wait. I’m getting a full officer share. You promised,” Janey said, pointing at Ralph, her eyes widening. “And… and I signed that… Ship’s Mistress contract. I’m the Lady Shadow, I guess. Xas transmitted it for me.”

“Yes, you’re getting a full officer’s share,” Marionette said, looking rather pleased suddenly. She held her hands up and gently clapped them together happily. “Another Ship’s Mistress! Another Letter of Marque!

“Doc! You’re… you said you’re going to sign the contract, too, right? You’ll be Lady Carrier, or whatever we name it? Right? Please?”

Liseth sighed, her small smile appearing, her eyes locked to Marionette.

“You really want this to be a ship full of Ship’s Mistresses other than my captain,” Liseth stated. It wasn’t a question.

“I do. It’ll be so unique. So different. Just think of the stories they’ll tell about us!” Marionette cheered, then winced. Pain flickering across her face then vanishing. As if she’d stressed something and suddenly felt ill. “But… you are, right?”

“Yes, yes. I already signed the paperwork and gave it to Xas. I was already just cargo for my captain to use as he sees fit, so it doesn’t change my status much at all,” drawled Liseth with a warm laugh. “Well, anyways. I like the target choice. It feels like we’ll be able to do a great deal of damage before they have time to send anything out to intercept us.”

“Exactly, Doc. We’ll be moving into the black-space nearby, wait, then launch our attack when it’s time,” Ralph concurred. “Though I’m thinking we might be able to employ some of those drones Delilah’s been working.

“Fiber optic wired drones, hanging in space, waiting for us to give it a direction and an order. They’re just missiles with some basic onboard components for drones. It’ll be ugly but something we can deploy in advance for an entire taskforce.

“Without Eun, or the calesat morality holding us back, we can go full pirate. Absolutely sword and board.”

“Uhm… no… no captives, please,” Marionette said after raising her hand, giving Ralph a shy smile.

She didn’t say it, but he imagined her follow up statement would have been something along the lines of ‘no non Ship’s Mistress women allowed’.

As if she could stomach sending Delilah or Winnie toward Ralph, but the idea of taking captive women was too far for her.

“As you like,” Ralph said with a dip of his head. “I picked up some portable airlocks we can stick onto parts of the ship, blast off a chunk of a ship, and leave them hanging there. Or kill them. Witnesses are problems.”

“Kill them,” Janey put in quickly.

Winnie’s smile froze after that and she looked as if she were thinking on it. Then she shook her head.

“Spare them if possible,” she offered quietly.

Delilah and Liseth didn’t seem to care one way or the other.

“Whatever Ralph wants,” demurred, grabbed Ralph’s right hand with both of hers, and squeezed it between hers.

Unable to look away from Winnie, he watched as she turned a faint red, her smile grew, and her shoulders came up partially.

“Please?” she tried, sounding anything like the alcoholic waste of an officer he’d met.

“For my Lady… we’ll spare them if possible,” Ralph allowed. He didn’t want to knee-cap Winnie’s recovery by putting preventable deaths on her conscience.

Winnie’s smile became as wide as possible, her eyes crinkled, and her nose wrinkled. Then she put both hands to Ralph’s face, and smooshed it together.

“Mmm, you sweet adorable man,” she said, watching him as she spoke. Her words felt heavy for some reason. “I will take great care of you later. Even after you’ve fixed my contract… I think I’ll keep the original as it was. I seem to be the best iterration of myself around you.

“You make me try hard. You make me strive to be better. Now. Give me a kiss?”

Ralph could see the desperation in her eyes that partially matched her voice.

This was validation in a way.

An affirmation of many things.

Given what Marionette had told him, paired to Liseth’s concerns, Ralph didn’t disagree with her.

He leaned in, kissed Winnie briefly, then gently pulled away.

Leaving her staring after him with a stunned expression and her lips partially parted. As if she exhaled as he pulled away. Her face became a scarlet red flame as his eyes left hers.

“Now, anything else? Otherwise, we’re going dark, moving into the lane, and waiting for our first kill,” Ralph said with a grin. “Though honestly, it might be pretty damn boring until they send some actual military ships after us. It’s not like transport ships can stop us.

“I’ll barely have to do anything to cow them if they don’t have escorts. Maybe shoot out their active communications array and then just… run out the colors for them. Send them the request for the toll.”

“I love that graphic we made, haha,” Xas admitted gleefully. “It came up in a few reports as well. People are aware of it.”

“Uh, help a felon out? Colors? Graphic?” Janey asked, looking between everyone. “Or if you really wanna help a felon out, really could use getting laid. Bad. I’ve been in jail for a long while. Years. I’m clearn than a virgin’s honey-pot right now.”

“The colors,” Liseth stated with a bland tone. “That we’re privateers and here to take their ship as a prize as well as their cargo. The graphic, something the crew made to help explain the situation to them in a straightforward way.

“It’s a skull with an open hand asking for a toll. It certainly gets the point across for ‘Turlan’s Toll’, as it were.”

“Oh. Great. Thanks for helping me out with that,” Janey said, nodding her head at Liseth. “Now… the laid part? Help a felon out? Get me in the cap’s bed or at least get him to stuff me?”

“Good luck. My captain is picky,” Liseth returned somewhat primly.