When the crew of the Deirdre discovered the contents of the mysterious crate shrouded in diplomatic seals it only broadened the scope of the mystery.
Only two people could have possibly been behind it... and most likely it was a combination of the two.
Uncle Goat a.k.a. CmSgtMjr Boggs TFNI and Naja Yolanie Xander.
It did not make sense that Ira would have knowingly sent a person in stasis to Max via diplomatic pouch.
Obviously Max's 'inheritance' was not verified in detail, then again, if you didn't know it was shielded from scans, you'd have no reason to doubt the innocuous appearance and negative scan results.
After all, It was Agatha's unique innate empathic sense that detected it.
She felt a void, not positive or negative, just... Nothing at all.
The crate was brought back aboard Deirdre and Astrid properly set to prepping the custom cryo-pod for defrost.
Joon was equally involved, making sure she would be able to address any medical issues that might arise.
Then they finally got clean readings on the occupant... which changed everything.
Nike opened her eyes, her vision was a blurry mess.
She knew it was one of the side effects of cryo-stasis and it should clear up in a few hours, or at least that's what Nanna had said.
"Nem..." She croaked turning her head to her left, like she had done a hundred times a day, every day of every year she had been alive.
"Nemesis, wake up... We're thawed." she whispered.
A soft moan reverberated through their shared chest cavity.
"Where are we?" a soft voice asked.
The voice sounded exactly like her own, Nike knew it did, she had heard recordings... But her voice sounded different to her own ears when she spoke.
"I don't know yet..." Nike responded quietly.
"Blurry eyes." Nemesis stated.
"Uh huh." Nike confirmed, she looked around... from what she could make out, they were in a soft bed, in a smallish low-lit room... She also felt a low hum.
"Maybe on a ship." Nemesis said what Nike was thinking.
"Yea... Maybe, or a loud-ass building or station."
Nike lifted her caramel colored, blurry hand in front of her face, flexed her fingers... they felt stiff.
Nanna had told them about the temporary effects of cryo-stasis and that it would take time for the effects to fade, some of them took days.
The two young women wore a similar hairstyle, just in opposite directions.
Narrow cornrows started from the inner side between them then up and across turning into thin braids on the outer side.
Deep brass colored hair became lighter in shade as it grew out, making their caramel skin seem to glow in contrast.
"Think we are in danger?" Nemesis asked.
Nike thought about that, "Not sure... This could be a hospital and a hundred years has passed, otherwise... Yea, probably."
"Fuck." Nemesis muttered.
"Yea." Nike agreed.
The sisters turned their heads to each other.
With noses touching, they both sighed.
"We have to pee." Nemesis stated the obvious.
"That means we're going to have to find a bathroom... or piss the bed." Nike grumbled.
They both froze as they heard the sound of a door opening and footsteps drawing near.
"Hello, you two, nice to see you awake." a pleasant, soft voice said, "My name is Joon, I'm your doctor and I have a few questions if you're up for it?"
Nike responded with only a slight waver in her voice, "We need to pee."
Joon's bedside manner was emphasized.
"Do you feel strong enough to get up or should I find you a bedpan?" Joon asked an edge of humor in her voice.
"I don't know." Nike responded as she turned her head and asked softly, "What do you think?"
"Our vision is blurry, if we lose our balance we could fall and get hurt." came the reply.
"Understood." Joon confirmed as the sound of several additional someones came into the room.
The twin's anxiety levels spiked hard.
"This is Agatha, she is my nurse, she is going to help you." Joon informed.
Nike felt her stress suddenly melt away.
"Whoa..." Nike and Nemesis said together.
"It's okay, I'm here to help you in any way I can." Said another voice; also pleasant yet quite different from Joon's.
Two pairs of hands helped them sit up.
Nike and Nemesis knew they were naked, but that wasn't surprising, they went into stasis that way.
"Who else is here?" Nemesis asked, "I hear more than two people."
"That's still me," Agatha's voice replied, but from the left side.
Again they felt a calm wash over them.
"What was that?" Nemesis asked.
"This is so weird." Nike said.
"I can sympathize." Said Joon, "Agatha is pretty weird."
"I know, I am." said three voices in unison.
"That was me, calming you both." A single Agatha explained.
The sisters were brought up to their feet and a third set of hands helped them with balance.
"Benzodiazepine? Agatha, are you an A.I.?" Nemesis inquired, sounding fascinated.
"Really Nem, now?" Asked Nike.
"It is a perfectly rational question, Nike... considering the evidence."
"Ugh." Nike reacted.
Agatha let the redirection stand, reasoning the twins were not ready for the full truth. They were carefully helped to a smaller room very near by and slowly sat on an open toilet.
"Mmmm." Nike hummed softly enjoying the odd pleasure of an emptying bladder.
They urinated and Agatha, two of her, flanked them and were kneeling, ready to assist for any reason.
Joon remained in the first room.
"Up for a question or two?" she inquired again, humor coloring her voice.
Nike bit her lip.
"What do we do?" Nemesis asked in a soft whisper.
"I wish Nanna was here." Nike muttered.
A wave of calm washed over them again and Agatha whispered, "You are safe, you will remain safe, we only desire a little information."
Agatha's soft, reassuring voice continued, "We are assuming you were hidden in that crate on purpose and sent to us by your paternal grandmother, Naja Yolanie Xander.
Nike swallowed, "What's the date?"
Agatha tells her.
"Six fucking months." Nike said, perturbed.
Nemesis clarified, "Five months eighteen days"
"Where are we?" Nike asked.
"The Minor Empires, specifically the Grand Slarmian Dynasty, Ixooli system." Agatha reported.
"Why the fuck would Nanna send us there?" Nike practically shouts.
"Probably to be with me," said a loud voice in the other room that sounded eerily like Nanna.
Nike and Nemesis turned to each other, "Who is that?" they both asked in a whisper.
"I'm pretty sure I'm your sister... Melinoe."
Sergeant Major Addams glared at her Lieutenant.
"I'm sorry, Zoe, but I disagree." The large Marine Officer stated softly, his words far quieter than they needed to be in the well appointed office they both now occupied.
"Then let me remind you, Walter." She said in the equally hushed tone, "Your 'cover' is as my superior, but Boggs assigned me lead for a reason."
The Lieutenant nodded, "You're the senior agent and have the most experience in this sector, but seriously, Zoe, I think we are out of our depth, you saw that performance... You see all the little changes they've made to their bodies."
"Gold eyes, cat eyes, glowing eyes, elf ears!?!" His whispered voice threatening to break."
"Hill..." Zoe hissed, "At ease!"
She waited a moment for the large man to compose himself, then continued.
"We were instructed to support their mission unconditionally, I intend to continue with that protocol and reveal our agents to Lieutenant Commander Anders the moment she returns."
"Our mission is to assist Anders and Smith, not judge how they 'perform' the miracles that they have, and I have it on the highest authority that they have produced miraculous intelligence."
Addams saw a look of indecision on Hill's face.
"Listen," She whispered, "We almost lost our careers when G-S shut down the desks we worked at, I'm not fucking up this chance to stay in the game."
He nodded, she continued.
"This isn't a sprint, Walter, it's a marathon, so buckle up buttercup, it's going to be a long ride."
With that the normally grim faced woman smirked crookedly and kissed his cheek.
She left the office, leaving the Marine Lieutenant with renewed resolve, but also conflicted feelings over the uncharacteristic smooch.
Joon had never given much thought to gemellology, only a passing interest when she initially began studying Agatha, but that direction didn't provide any insight with Oneiran physiology.
What Joon had known about conjoined twins couldn't fill a pipette.
She was instantly hard pressed, imploring her family to connect to the T-Fed holo net via Deirdre's hyperlink.
For almost six hours Jooniper and Agatha scoured the Terran holonet for everything they could find on the subject.
Jooniper somehow managed to remain determined and optimistic despite the appalling dearth of comprehensive information.
She went over the scans of her patients and slowly pieced together queries for possible identifying cases.
Her patients, as she understood, were adults... Barely.
They were small compared to the average and petite, essentially Joon's size.
Their biological age was approximately nineteen, but because they were in stasis there was really no way of determining their actual age.
So far Joon was able to determine some clear facts.
Firstly, her patients had a familial match to Max's original DNA.
They were in fact highly symmetric dicephalic parapagus twins, giving the appearance of having a single body without marked variation from typical proportions.
Each has a heart, stomach, spine, pair of lungs, and spinal cord.
Each twin controls one arm and one leg.
They in turn share a circulatory system, lower digestive tract, liver, spleen, bladder and reproductive organs.
As astronomically rare as these particular conditions were, Joon could not find any trace of a record that matched within that past thirty years.
This strongly suggested that private medical expertise was utilized exclusively which gave Joon little or no hope of finding a medical history.
Then Astrid and Samira brought something to Joon's attention.
She was so busy studying the conjoined torso... Joon somehow completely overlooked the wetware.
Each twin was in possession of a MyZax-R33, top of the line, hi performance gaming rig, with enough data storage to easily contain all of their medical records, if they indeed had them.
Then Agatha discovered something else, so she followed a hunch on holonet gaming.
Those particular gaming rigs were introduced only five years ago, and were designed specifically for player verses player content, narrowing the search even further.
She methodically seeded her internal algorithmic paradigm and searched for 2V2 PVP...
Of Agatha's two-hundred forty-six thousand eight-hundred seventy-three results, she narrowed her search to teams that were exclusive, had a five year history and used the a fore mentioned MyZax-R33 gaming rig.
She got eight results, she carefully examined the eight... one of the teams was called Twix and up until five months eighteen days ago were extremely active in the 'POP-kill for credits' circuit, then simply vanished.
They played Planes of Power: a fantasy based full immersion cybernet game that had a twelve decade history that followed much of the accepted high fantasy lore found in the more pedestrian and pastoral games of the genre.
Agatha informed her family...
...Samira wanted to see their characters.
"Fuckmuffins, they are brutal!" Astrid commented as she and Samira reviewed portions of the many hours of game play footage Agatha found on Twix in the Planes of Power PVP competitions.
"Monsters." Samira watched in amazement.
Samira was, in her own opinion, a fairly well rounded gamer.
Sami-Faun could do everything better than average, role play, questing and even... Player verses Player content.
Maliri wetware gave her a substantial advantage, however, it would have disqualified her from any POP competitions or tournaments.
Astrid and Samira witnessed the sisters combat all manner of traditionally superior class combos... Paladin/Monk, Cleric/Rogue, Warrior/Bard even the deadly Wizard/Wizard.
Twix tore through all of them with contemptuous ease.
With almost a hundred-thousand player kills, Twix was a highly respected and feared duo in the Planes of Power gaming community.
Twix was quite unique, they had chosen classes that were considered extreme, bordering on restricted.
Essentially, they were Mage pets...
Specifically: a Necromancer's high level specialty pet and a Warlocks high level specialty pet.
It was the newest trend in player classes... Developers made those classes potentially powerful but equally demanding, difficult to learn and grueling to master.
The kind of commitment needed to reach and maintain their level with these classes was a tribute to their tenacity.
Emma Rittergeist was a Frost Wraithknight, an unkillable elemental undead of frozen misery.
Nikki Kage-no-honoo was a Shadow-Demon, a relentless whirlwind of shadowy claws bathed in fire.
Twix was on a different level... Because Nike and Nemesis were.
They were elite combatants, celebrated veteran champions with nine tournament wins.
Samira got the overwhelming impression the sisters didn't just 'play' PvP... They ate, slept and breathed it.
They fought with a tighter rhythm and employed deadlier tactics than anyone Samira had ever seen.
Twix casually utilized advanced moves that Samira had only heard of.
Samira marveled at the young women and thought them on par with any professional athlete she could name.
She checked the 'POP-Kill for Credits' total Twix had scored... They impressively cleared a thousand on average every single day they played.
"Extremely impressive." The Security Chief stated without adulation.
"I like them." Astrid grinned, "They are viciously amazing."
Samira tapped her chin thoughtfully, "I wonder..."
Astrid raised an eyebrow, "Wonder what?"
Samira paused a few moments,"If Agatha has already considered them for our Fantasy Class System..."
The Chief Engineer initially looked shocked, then intrigued.
"More importantly." Samira glanced suggestively at Astrid miming a blowjob, "Has Max?"
The Sorceress blinked, "Fuckmuffins... Do you think she would do that?"
Samira shrugged, "I have no Idea, but, it's not my call... That would be entirely between Max and her sisters."
Astrid bit her lip, a rosy shade appeared on her cheeks.
"Are you into that?" Samira asked, a soft smile on her lips.
Astrid shrugged, "I was an only child."
Samira nodded, "Me too."
"Ever fantasize about that?" Astrid inquired.
Samira looked down... "A little."
Astrid smirked, "Me too."
"Brother or sister?" Samira raised an eyebrow.
Astrid bit her lip again, "Yes."
They both blushed and giggled.
"You're supposed to be dead." Nike said.
The towering woman nodded, "I've heard that before."
"Your voice is like Nanna's." Nemesis quietly commented.
Max helped her sisters back to the bed and stood in front of them.
Joon interjected, "So would either of you have your medical records?"
Nike just pushed out a lower lip, "Nanna said you were dead."
Max peered at them, with a raised eyebrow.
*I don't think an intimidating glance is going to work, sweetheart, their vision is still pretty spotty at the moment.*
Joon thought.
*The one on the left is a smart mouth.*
Max replied.
*From the dialogue I have gathered, she is Nike and the other is Nemesis.*
Agatha helpfully informed.
"Are you really Melinoe?" Nemesis inquired.
Max nodded, "I am, but I didn't find that out until very recently."
Nike scoffed, "Yea, okay."
"Nike... Don't be an asshole." Nemesis said softly.
Max blinked in surprise as Nike suddenly looked quite chastened.
"Melinoe..." Nemesis gathered herself, "I guess we should formally introduce ourselves... "
"My name is Nemesis Xander, but, sometimes I am Emma Rittergeist."
Nike continued, "Yea... My gamer tag is Nikki Kage-no-honoo, but Nike Xander is my real name."
"We are also collectively known as Twix." added Nemesis.
Max sat on the edge of the bed, "Well, let me introduce to you my wife, Jooniper Smith."
"Hi." Nemesis said softly, raising her hand still unable to clearly see Joon.
"Wait... Jooniper Smith? 'THE' Jooniper Smith?" Nike's sass returned tenfold, "No fucking way!"
Max cleared her throat, "Actually... Way."
Nike stopped dead in her sass, "Oh... Wow, blazers, nicely done then, big sister."
Joon giggled, "I will happily take that as the best compliment I've had all day!"
Nike giggled also.
"So..." Joon recaptured the focus, "Any medical records?"
"Yes." Nemesis responded politely, "If you have a data-fob, I can make you a copy."
"Are you..." Nike scowled. "Going to give us an examination?"
Joon walked around the very familiar bed and sat opposite of Max, reaching out to Nemesis' hand, putting a fob in it.
She then turned to Nike, "I already have."
Nike paled, "Oh..."
"Should we then consider ourselves your... Guests?" Nemesis inquired with a hopeful look into thin air.
Max shook her head, "Nope..."
Both Nike and Nemesis expressions dimmed.
"...You are family." Max announced, then reached over and pulled the petite conjoined twins into a gentle hug.
Agatha noted a rapid decrease in anxiety, and could feel a wave of affection emanate from the newest members of her family.
Narsil nodded in understanding, but Kymath blinked in confusion.
"I apologize, Prelate," Kymath began, "I do not understand why you are 'relocating' to Director Suomii's domicile."
Narsil made a soft grating sound which was the Kintark equivalent of a chuckle.
Mosira glanced at Narsil, then shifted her attention back to Kymath.
"Suomii believes it will greatly benefit Golamar and Freeport if we remain in close proximity."
Narsil put a clawed hand over his snout fighting to contain his mirth.
Kymath peered curiously at Narsil, then it finally dawned on him.
"Oh!" He said, then again but much softer, "Oh..."
Sub-prelate Kymath asked Mosira in a whisper, "Sso... It is sseriouss?"
Mosira was about to answer but Narsil cleared his throat loudly, "None of our concern, Kymath."
Kymath nodded to him, "You're right, however... I do not wish to ssee our honored Prelate ssuffer any distresss."
Mosira regarded her two Sub-prelates fondly, "I appreciate the interest, Kymath."
She held Kymath's attention with narrowed eyes, "When I have departed, these quarters will be yours, if you want them."
Kymath blinked, "By Tamalaz the Fortunate... Do you require any assistance with transferring your belongings?"
Both Mosira and Narsil broke out in laughter, barking hisses reverberating off the bulkheads inside the cruiser Urte'vol.
"So you think we have enough to upload to TFNI?" Max inquired.
Dame Captain Max Anders, a.k.a. Melinoe Xander was at her station on the bridge of the Terran corvette Deirdre, sitting on the large comfortable command couch.
Her most exotic wife and one of her best friends occupied the helm, navigation, and stood in front of her.
Agatha nodded, "It's not as much raw data as collected from the Slarmians or the Dauzakai, but what we have on the Bract, beyond what we agreed to not share, is quite detailed."
Max brought a knuckle to her lip, "How much?"
"Seven hours." Agatha dutifully reported.
Max nodded, "Okay, lets get it in the queue then..."
The towering Captain smirked, "I have a few choice things to discuss with my dear Uncle."
Agatha shared the smirk, "From what I've gathered about Naja Xander, he has his hands full."
"You don't think I should be a little pissed?" Max raised an eyebrow.
The Oneiran smiled, "I didn't say that, though I get the impression he might have met his match."
Max thought about that and chuckled, "Perhaps you're right... However, I still feel he and I need to have a little chat about our new additions."
Agatha grinned knowingly, "You're going to demand they become crew."
Max nodded, "Damn straight!"
Agatha giggled, "You know he's going to say they don't qualify, they aren't trained."
Max nodded, "Then, we'll just have to train them."
Agatha saluted. "Aye-aye, Captain."
With a smile on her face, Max logged into dark corners.
Agatha found herself sitting at an ornate holodesk in the very nicely furnished office of the suite she was currently staying in.
The temporary location for the Terran Federation Consulate of Dau was located in the Mazaka luxury resort of Udrill-za-Hedima, the cliff-city where Jooniper Smith had recently performed.
The Dau Council had agreed to allow development of Jherish-Milas for a more permanent Terran Consulate location.
Agatha smiled as she scrolled through sites on the local holo-net.
Her other two Hands on Dau were quite busy 'improving' and incorporating the Dauchazi and Daurazu individuals who were designated by their cultural authorities for diplomatic duty.
The improvement involved Dauzakai wetware, allowing them inclusion into the dream of Ambassador Zess, a unified Dau, which was quickly becoming a reality.
Agatha was also instilling basic Dauzakai vocabulary and social norms in them.
Where the individual went from there was their choice, that concept alone made the effort very worth while to Agatha.
The Dau Council had already agreed to accepting representation from the two native societies... in a limited capacity, to start.
A knock at Agatha's office door made her smile, Nomissa had been extremely involved in the Consulate development project.
The elder Dauzakai was quite capable, not only was she knowledgeable as about whom to contact, she was also adept at organizing.
"Come in, Nomissa!" Agatha projected.
The erstwhile Caretaker came in, and stood before the desk.
Agatha looked up, "You know... I would prefer that our working relationship be 'not much' different than usual."
Nomissa blinked, "Indeed... You prefer a casually sarcastic and brutally honest office environment?"
"Yup!" Agatha giggled.
Nomissa smiled as she nodded, "I can live with that."
"So... Anything to report?" Agatha asked as she raised her eyebrow.
Nomissa nodded again and stood a little taller.
"Jherish-Milas is being re-surveyed at this moment, I am certain it isn't necessary, but it is standard procedure." Nomissa sighed.
Agatha nodded and smiled.
"The Consulate will have to be constructed at a certain elevation, to assure any foul weather or tides do not damage the structure."
Nomissa paused then inquired, "Do you still wish to construct direct access from the depths for Daurazu and an aerie for Dauchazi?"
"If it is feasible, yes, I do." The First Secretary replied.
Nomissa nodded, "I will make sure it happens."
Agatha tilted her head, "I am under the impression you are not... enthusiastic with including the Dauchazi and Daurazu?
Nomissa blinked again, "I am terribly sorry I gave that impression, I am not in anyway against including them into what culture the Dauzakai have."
The Major-domo brought a closed three fingered scaled hand to her chin, "I just believe we must be mindful of the dissedent few, and what might be set against us. Intermixing three unique cultures will have its challenges and challengers."
Agatha nodded, "Ever the Caretaker, and yes, I completely agree with your assessment, we do need to be aware and mindful."
She sighed softly then continued.
"It is not in my job description to be to so involved in the cultural growth of Dau and it's diverse peoples, but, I feel I have an obligation to do so reguardless."
Agatha's confession was taken to heart, Nomissa smiled softly.
"Forgive me, Agatha." Nomissa began, "From the moment Ambassador Zess described to me your nature, I have tried my best to keep my personal opinions of you to myself..."
Agatha smirked, "But now?"
Nomissa chuckled softly, "Now... I must confess, I find myself quite enamored with the prospect of working closely with an 'Ancient Intergalactic Bolon Deity'.
Agatha coughed slightly, "I feel I must clarify something, my dear friend... I am not that person, however, I am related to them. So I feel a great obligation in improving the lives they had... Touched."
Nomissa nodded, "I had deduced as much, your Terran family, and how they cherish you, was exceptionally telling."
The Dauzakai Major-domo leaned on the desk, her iridescent-green eyes held her supervisor's steel-grey silver-gilded ones.
"I know in my heart, you are here to the great benefit of my people, my nation, and myself. Thank you."
They quietly shared that moment, cementing a caring and respectful relationship between them.
After a dozen heartbeats Agatha cleared her throat, "So... Re-survey?"
Nomissa smiled and continued her oral report.
With their vision clearing nicely, a single Hand of Agatha escorted Deirdre's latest arrivals down to the ship's mess.
Agatha had supplied them with hastily acquired apparel consisting of a pair of Joon's BDU trousers and one of Max's large flannels and they both seemed satisfied with the clothing.
The twins met Paula who had made them something to eat: a huge bowl of reheated leftover Zharkoye stew, and some freshly baked Peach cobbler and after a few kind words and some small talk Paula returned to her galley.
Nike simply devoured all of it, between them, she was the one who enjoyed eating. While her twin ate, Nemesis sipped tea and chatted with Agatha.
It had become obvious that Agatha was in many places at the same time, giving Nike and Nemesis a bunch of good looks at her as her 'hands' passed by or came into the mess.
She seemed mostly human, but a few things were cat-like, especially her eyes and there were moments where Agatha was moving in concert, it was verging on the phenomenally spooky.
Her involvement then faded into the background, those enchanting cat eyes observed every moment, and even occasionally winked at the sisters."
How many people are on this ship?" The left handed twin asked.
Agatha smirked, "That is a somewhat difficult question to answer."
Nemesis pouted, "I thought it was rather straight forward."
Nike chuckled, but kept eating.
"I suppose it depends on what you qualify as an individual person." Agatha explained.
"Oh, I see... You are three people." Nemesis nodded.
"Actually," Agatha clarified, "They are referred to as my 'Hands' and I have more than three."
Nemesis nodded, her eyes wide, she was impressed.
"So, we're on a ship going nowhere?" Nike asked her mouth mostly full of peach cobbler.
"That is correct... We are relatively stationary at the moment." Agatha replied.
Nemesis scrunched her face a little, "That doesn't make much sense, why just sit in the middle of nowhere? Are you hiding from someone?"
"Well, no..." Agatha began, "It has a lot to do with our jobs, and..."
"Wait..." Nike interrupted, "Who do you work for?"
Agatha responded concisely, "Terran Federation; Department of Foreign Affairs and Navy Intelligence."
"Hah!" Nike produced a sly disbelieving grin, "No, seriously... Who?"
Agatha smiled, and nodded to her, "Seriously."
Nike and Nemesis looked at each other with confused expressions.
"I'm not so sure Nanna knew who she was getting us involved with." Nemesis said softly.
Nike didn't respond.
Agatha added, "That might be true... But I can tell you, everyone on this ship is willing to give both of you the benefit of the doubt."
Nike actually looked thoughtful.
Nemesis stared into thin air, her mind collating.
Agatha tilted her head and made a request "Would you tell me about your grandmother?"
Nike's smirk returned, "Nanna is very protective of us."
"Profoundly so," Nemesis added.
Nike continued, "She came up with that 'cryo-plan' years ago, in case she was killed or captured and we needed to disappear."
Nemesis picked up the narrative, "Nanna wasn't sure if anyone who knew about us, would protect us, but she wasn't going to chance that."
A painful expression crossed both of the sisters faces.
"She loves us..." Nike said softly.
"...But, Nanna isn't a good person." Nemesis finished.
The Hand of Agatha nodded in understanding.
"Just because she isn't a 'good' person doesn't mean she can't do good things." Agatha reasoned.
"No, you don't get it," Nike shook her head, "Nanna is a 'Bad-Guy'."
Agatha blinked at declaration.
Nemesis continued the thought, "Our grandmother is a villain, she has murdered hundreds, perhaps thousands."
"Nanna never lied to us, never sugar-coated anything about herself." Nike said softly, staring at the now empty bowl, "She made sure we understood her nature."
Nemesis nodded, "We were made painfully aware she was a killer."
"She felt those fuckers would have taken advantage of us, sell us out, I think she was right." Nike added a sour expression on her face.
Agatha showed concern, "She was protecting you."
"Yes..." Nemesis replied, nodding, "If Nanna is convinced someone might betray or harm us, she eliminates them."
"No hesitation." Nike said seriously, "We've seen it."
"...numerous times." Nemesis concluded the thought.
Nike smirked again ironically, "We were raised by a caring, overprotective, stone-cold, professional assassin."
"Phlegmatic, immaculate, methodical and thorough." Nemesis finished.
Joon stared at the file, absorbing every minute detail.
Nike and Nemesis medical information was fascinating, the file was incredibly well written, as if it had been meticulously edited for publication.
The Doctor who had written the file had disappeared under mysterious circumstances years earlier... Joon had been quietly informed why.
A publication of the file to the T-Fed medical community would have left a very well marked trail back to the twins... And Naja couldn't let that stand.
Joon looked up from her study as Max's head appeared at the door.
"Hey..." Max smiled.
Joon nodded, "Do you need me to leave?"
Max walked around between the two holo-desks of the cramped office overflowing with medical devices and supplies.
"Not this time, Ira seemed more than okay with you being included." Max smiled.
"Well, that's a nice change!" Joon giggled.
Max nodded as she dragged over the comfortable chair from Paula's desk.
"All you, Babe." Joon indicated her holo-interface to Max with an open palm.
*We're ready, link us in, Ags.*
Max thought.
*Connecting...*
Agatha replied.
Once again in only a matter of days Max saw a hologram of Irasmus Boggs coalesce in front of her.
"Hello, Jooniper, Max..." The elderly NCOIC of Terran Federation Naval Intelligence greeted them.
"Uncle." Joon smiled, "Its so lovely to see you."
Max smirked, Joon was not being terribly subtle, but at least she was still willing to be polite.
Command Sergeant Major Boggs cleared his throat, "Yes, well, I understand you have some unexpected visitors, let's start with that..."
Max, Joon, and Ira discussed the circumstances and acquisition of two new additions to their crew.
Ira had initially intended the twins be returned to the T-Fed, but Max and Joon quickly dissuaded him of the notion.
After a brief yet detailed description of what they had discovered and deduced of their guests lives, Ira nodded in acquiescence.
"You think those two will become valued assets?" Ira asked with a raised eyebrow, his face not betraying the implied doubt.
"It is my considered opinion they can be, yes." Max replied, her eyes displaying confidence.
Ira nodded, "I need names..."
"Nikki and Emma... Anders." Max replied after a moment.
Ira nodded again, "I suppose the TFNI will just have to accept them as indivisible."
Max and Joon shared a slight smile, considering a particular conversation they had been enjoying with Agatha on that very subject.
When Ira was first appraised of the situation, his initial reaction was unexpected.
He simply brought a knuckle to his chin while staring into thin air and said, "Clever girl."
Max and Joon knew he was referring to Naja.
Senior Chief Jason Ferguson looked over the information, the way it was presented and the language, it was almost perfect.
He pointed out the two small inaccuracies to his native equivalent Nanzi.
Jason found her exceptional, she was both adept and savvy.
The composition they were both working on was for the entire staff... Terran, Slarmian and others.
The internal missive addressed the safety concerns regarding current affairs in the GSD, the Blackdawn trials and what they would mean to them, officially and unofficially.
Nanzi fixed the two errata quickly, then looked to her Terran coworker.
"Excellent, this should explain exactly what we expect and communicate what to do."
Chief Ferguson smiled, "Well done, you're one bright Lola!"
He immediately returned his attention to the beginning of the policy and restarted reading.
Nanzi blinked in disbelief, she raised her head and slowly slithered backward.
The Terran NCO noticed her slow departure. He turned his head and looked at her, "What's wrong?"
The Slarmian Office Manager spoke slowly, to be sure she was not misunderstood.
"Chief Feargussi, that word you used, which Nanzi will not repeat, should be removed from your vocabulary."
Jason blinked, "What word?"
Nanzi made a face, "You said Nanzi was one bright...
**
**
!!!"
"Lo-" Chief Ferguson began, but was immediately shushed.
"Yes... That." Nanzi confirmed.
"Why?" Jason asked, his eyes wide.
Nanzi inhaled slowly, "Is an old and very derogatory term from a different time. It refers to Low-Landers in a contemptuous fashion."
Chief Fergusson's jaw dropped open, "I learned that word from the Slarmian who, in my youth, taught me most of the Slarmitti I know."
"Nanzi thinks that Slarmian was born in exile and raised to hate." She said softly.
Jason thought about it, he recalled the old Slarmian was always full of vitriol, never having a positive word about his people.
"He used that word a lot. My apologies, I will never utter it again."
Nanzi nodded, "Chief Feargussi is a good Terran, Nanzi will always help if able."
Jason nodded, catching that word here was an incredible stroke of luck, if a slip of that kind had happed in front of a ranking Slarmian official it could have easily become an inter species incident.
"Nanzi has Jason's most fervent thanks for correcting his ignorance." The Chief said in his best Slarmit.
The native Office Manager nodded, "Jason is friend."
They shared a smile.
"Are you sure?" Agatha asked.
Nike nodded, Nemesis said softly, "Nanna raised us to do our part."
Agatha nodded, "Alrighty, I'll show you to the sink in the Galley."
Nike and Nemesis gathered their utensils, teacup, plate and large bowl then Agatha led the way.
The twin's ambulation was different than the other humans, as they individually controlled one leg.
It was obvious to Agatha's eyes that the twins worked in concert to get around, but unless you knew that, they barely seemed out of place. Twix might enjoy faster movement, but, running was quite possibly beyond them.
In the kitchen Agatha presented the large utility sink where Nike and Nemesis immediately began washing their dishes.
Paula walked into the galley from the pantry with a frozen brick of shrimp in her hands.
"Ah..." She said, while fetching down a two gallon pot, "When you're done washing up, put this to thaw in that sink, please."
Nike just blinked, but Nemesis nodded, "Yes, Ma'am."
She then looked at her twin, "What?"
Nike rolled her eyes.
Agatha smirked, "I need to take care of some paperwork, will you two be okay here?"
Nemesis thought about that, but Nike nodded, "Yea, we got this."
Agatha nodded to Paula one her way out of the galley, who smiled at her.
The twins layed out their freshly cleansed dishes to dry, then together they set the frozen brick of shrimp to thaw in the large pot of water.
Paula nodded with satisfaction, "Do much kitchen work?"
The twins nodded together, "Nanna insisted we know how to take care of ourselves..." Nemesis commented.
"And her." Nike added.
Nemesis nodded, "True."
Paula smiled, "Excellent... When those prawns are thawed, they need to be pealed and made ready."
Nike nodded, "So we can properly prepare them, what recipe are you using them in?"
Nemesis raised her eyebrows in anticipation of the answer.
Paula smiled and simply answered, "Gumbo."
Both Nike and Nemesis smiled, they knew the dish.
In only a few minutes, Paula had most of the ingredients collected and thawing.
"Did you notice her eyes?" Nemesis whispered the question.
Nike nodded with a smile, "I noticed them in the mess, earlier."
By the time the various meats had thawed completely, Nike and Nemesis had pealed the shrimp.
Paula nodded at their technique, "You two seem at home in a kitchen, I approve."
After the shrimp and a quick wash, the twins brought over the huge five gallon stew-pot.
Paula beamed them a smile, "Do you know the first step?"
Nemesis returned her smile, and Nike said, "Roux."
"Excellent." Paula nodded, "Go ahead."
Over the next twenty minutes the twins stood at the cauldron, they themselves could barely see above the rim, but it was enough to start the roux.
During that time, the twin's eyesight cleared completely.
They both in turn gave Paula a good look.
She was very curvy and didn't seem any older than them.
"Do you want a step?" Paula inquired.
Nike shook her head indicating a negative, Nemesis said, "No, thank you, ma'am."
"Oh please... Just call me Paula, you are 'SO' not my underlings."
Nike and Nemesis smiled at the request. She acted like someone their age.
An equal mix of flour and butter melted and mixed together, the twins added the various meats, leaving out the shrimp so as not to overcook them, to cook and flavor the spicy Terran dish.
Then they added Okra, Tomatoes, Onions, Celery and Green Peppers. The twins made sure the vegetables were cooking properly.
The dish would need to simmer for at least an hour, adding the shrimp in the last 10 minutes.
"Paula?" Nemesis inquired, attempting to gain her attention.
"Mmm?" Paula gave them both her undivided attention.
"How long have you been working on this ship?" Nemesis asked.
Nike tilted her head, she also appeared to be curious.
"I've only been here a couple weeks." Paula explained.
Both of the twins looked surprised
"But, it's like you own this kitchen." Nike said with respect.
Paula giggled, "Actually, I am Joon's Diplomatic Attache.
The twins mouths hung open in surprise.
Paula smiled, "Agatha used to do most of the kitchen work, but I really enjoy it, so... in addition to working at Joon's side."
The Lieutenant raised a palm upward, indicating the entire kitchen, "I sort of took over in here."
"Unexpected." Nemesis said softly, Nike continued with, "Impressed."
"I will happily encourage your help in this kitchen." Paula nodded with a smile.
Nike and Nemesis glanced briefly at each other, then nodded.
"We can do that..." Nike said, Nemesis added, "Our pleasure."
Then someone, or from the twins perspective, some-'thing' walked into the galley.
Paula turned to see what caused those fearful facial expressions from the girls.
"Oh, hi Samira!" Paula beamed a broad smile, having asked Agatha to send her through.
Staff-Sergeant Bai led Sergeants Steiner and Jones down the ramp well
Bai and Jones were mostly average sized for Terrans, both female and wearing the dress-greys of the TFMC, they carried XR-75s slung over their left shoulder.
Steiner was huge. He was the largest Terran in the Embassy and at 6'10" he was at the maximum height limit for service.
He was extremely fit and could even out bench SSgt McGraw.
Steiner was also in his dress greys but instead of an XR-75, he carried a DL5-LMG...
He made it look small, slung over his left shoulder.
The trio were on their way to the Embassy entrance.
Relieving SSgt Cunningham, and Sgts Wood and Freiberg from their shift.
While they were descending someone was ascending... Someone who made Steiner look and feel small.
"Good evening." Lakita greeted the Terran marines in their language.
SSgt Ming Bai smiled, "Good evening, Scholar Lakita."
The Largath stopped at the midway point, and tapped her chin with a huge digit, "Min... Bye?"
SSgt Bai nodded, "Very close, Ming Bai."
Lakita's four eyes blinked, "I shall do better."
"It's only been a day, you're doing fine." The Staff-Sergeant smiled.
Lakita nodded, "I must do better, I know my people are generally thought of as monsters, It will be a long time until that changes."
The Largath moved to the wall to let the Marines pass her without issue.
Sergeant Jones smiled at her and quickly followed SSgt Bai.
Wolf Steiner had never seen a Largath in the flesh before his arrival to this Embassy...
He had never even heard of a female Largath at all, but something about Scholar Lakita reminded him of his mother and his nod to her as he passed was one of pure respect.
Lakita returned the nod, then gave a soft grin, her impressions of the Terran additions had not changed since the impromptu concert...
They were delightful... And most welcome.
Samira smiled at the twins, then started making coffee.
Paula looked back at them, and their expression.
What the twins saw was something from Planes of Power come to life.
A female Satyr... A Faun!
"H-hi..." Nemesis said.
Nike just swallowed hard.
Samira dumped out the old coffee grounds and filter, then looked at them.
"Do either of you drink coffee?"
Nike pointed at herself, Nemesis pointed at Nike.
"How do you usually take it?" Samira asked.
The twins stared at the mythical being, the gold eyes, the rampant tattoos, the embroidered tabard... Four arms, hooved legs.
"I... I put cinnamon in the grounds." Nike said tentatively.
Samira blinked, "Really?" She then looked at Paula, "I think that sounds awesome, how come I never thought to try that?"
Paula smirked, "So, try it."
Samira nodded and went over to the spice rack, plucking out the small container.
She looked to Nike, "How much?"
Nike swallowed, "Not too much, a pinch per cup."
Samira nodded and tapped the open container, the perforated top under the cap allowed a small amount to garnish the fresh coffee grounds Samira had just filled the filter.
"I'm Samira..." The Faun said to the twins and she started the batch of coffee with cinnamon.
"Nikki..." Nike said in a daze.
"Nike." Nemesis corrected.
Still in a daze, Nike added, "Yea... That too."
Samira smiled, "I'm the Security Chief."
Nemesis blinked, then said wow without making a sound.
Nike was still in a daze.
"Would you like some with me?" Samira asked, looking at Nike.
That sister just stared.
"Nike..." Nemesis said softy, trying to coax an answer.
Nike blinked a few times, "Yea... Yes, I would."
Nemesis smiled at Paula.
Paula returned her smile.
*These two are just precious.*
Paula thought to her family.
Lieutenant Nesbit sipped her tea, she thought it had a delicate and delicious flavor.
She was enjoying that tea in the Ambassador's office.
"First Secretary, can you tell me when you expect Ambassador Smith will return?" The Lieutenant's voice was soft, yet crisp and clear.
Agatha put down her teacup.
The First Secretary was sitting behind the Ambassadors very impressive, massive, and ornate desk in her exceptionally appointed office.
One at which she had never actually sat or even seen in person.
Agatha did show her the gifts from Zalix the eighth on a display and of course the Exquisite Lady sent her heartfelt thanks to the Majestic Potentate.
Jooniper was sure to truly appreciate the impressive decor of her office, when she was able to actually make use of it.
In the mean time, Agatha was easily able to adapt to the magnificence, using gentle and graceful movements while fulfilling her role of First Secretary on Staverka.
"I am to understand she is attending to some very important matters." Agatha replied to the Terran Navy Lieutenant.
As it turned out, young as she was, Cynthia Nesbit was actually a First Lieutenant.
The improvement in rank was nominal, but the prestige attached to that diagonal shift in rank was often quite instructive.
It mostly occurred with highly specialized expertise and was often given to extremely efficient professionals not actually interested in climbing the ranks.
Nesbit was one of the TFN's experts on the Grand Slarmian Dynasty.
Cynthia smiled softly, "I sincerely hope everything is well."
Agatha nodded, "As do I..."
The First Secretary smiled, "I would be very interested in your thoughts, considering the current local dilemma with Blackdawn."
Lieutenant Nesbit's eyes lit up like little stars at the mention of those particular difficulties.
Agatha paid close attention as the talented cultural analyst and historian elucidated a very impressive list of her own thoughts and conclusions on the subject.
The First Secretary was now quite sure she was enjoying an exceptional addition to the Ambassadors Staff. It also became very apparent to Agatha that First Lieutenant Cynthia Nesbit would never attain a martial rank of Captain or Commodore in the TFN chain of command.
However, becoming an Ambassador loomed large in her future.
Agatha would definitely do her best to help her get there.
*These two are just precious.*
Samira smiled over the thought as she walked over to the mess table, taking her normal seat.
The twins followed her out from the galley, seating themselves next to her in Vika's usual spot.
Samira sipped her coffee, her eyebrows went up, just a little cinnamon made a huge difference, it was delicious.
Nemesis watched Nike sip her coffee, but Nike seemed to only have eyes for Samira.
"So..." Samira studied the sisters, "What is on your minds?"
Nemesis blinked.
"Your human." Nike said... it wasn't a question, but Samira felt Nike was looking for affirmation.
Samira nodded, "Yup."
Nemesis smirked, "Amazing cybernetics."
Nike blinked.
Samira smiled, "Thank you, I was very fortunate."
"So, you're a cyborg security chief?" Nike asked.
Samira nodded, "I sure am."
"How?" Nike started, "How can you look like this and still work for the government?"
"Nike..." Nemesis softly scolded.
Nike turned her head toward her sister, "She looks like she stepped out of PoP, and yet she's in charge of security on a Terran spy-ship, in another star-empire?"
Nike sighed, but still looked enamored with Samira's appearance.
"Maybe she can tell us about it?" Nemesis glanced at her sister.
Samira took advantage of the pause, "Actually... I can."
Nike and Nemesis got an abbreviated story concerning Samira's unfortunate life experiences.
Seven minutes after she started, she concluded with the destruction of Coldtracks... In this very system.
Both of the girls mouths had dropped open early on, and never shut until Samira finished her tale.
After a quiet moment, Nemesis lower lip quivered.
Nike wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
Samira nodded, "But now... I am happier than I ever was before..."
The twins both smiled at her declaration.
At no point did either say a word.
"Your sister saved me, gave me a new life, and a real purpose." Samira concluded.
"Melinoe did that?" Nemesis asked.
Samira nodded, "To us, she is Max, but yes, she did that."
"Max..." Nike said softly.
Nemesis blinked, "So how... Why did you become a Faun?"
"Ah!" Samira beamed a smile,"It's a dream come true, I have become my cyber-persona!"
Both twins blinked.
"You did?" Nike asked with true amazement.
"I'm so jealous." Nemesis confessed.
Both twins sighed.
Samira smiled, then tapped her chin looking up, "Would you two be interested in that?"
The sisters blinked in surprise.
"Heh..." Nike said softly, "If it were possible, I'd do it."
Nemesis nodded, "I would too... But, only if I can still have you there."
The twins rubbed noses looking at each other.
Nike smiled and softly confirmed, "Yea, I would insist on that too."
Samira smiled, "Very good to know... Let's talk about PoP."
The twins both looked at Samira and beamed a smile.
Joon, Astrid, and Agatha went over the potential capability of the twin's wetware. A detailed schematic was projected from the engineering wall-com.
"But, is that enough for you to ride into cyber?" Joon asked Agatha. Agatha nodded, "I believe so, and if not, I am sure Astrid can upgrade them."
Astrid blinked, then smiled, "Yea, I bet I could."
"Okay..." Joon brought a knuckle to her lips, studying the schematic "Lets start out with training them for cyber duty with Ag's in the hub..."
"Can both of them use the dive chair?" Joon added, glancing at the Engineer.
Astrid nodded, "I don't see why not... They could probably do pretty well on one of the hub stations too, those are probably perfect for them."
Agatha nodded, "I can see that."
Joon shook her head, "I don't want to overwhelm them, but training them in this is paramount."
Agatha smirked, "What about what we talked about earlier?"
Astrid raised an eyebrow.
"Not yet... Lets get a good gauge of their personalities first." Joon explained.
Agatha nodded, "Yes, Mistress."
Astrid smirked, "From what I saw of them with Samira, they will make seriously good cyber-operatives."
Joon nodded, "Good, If they kick-ass in this... We'll let them be bad ass all they want."
Astrid giggled.
Agatha smiled... "Imagine them as RL versions of their PoP characters."
Astrid stopped and blinked, "Okay, I'm suddenly very intimidated."
"Heh..." Joon grinned, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, they need to be operatives, not villains." Joon pulled Astrid down and kissed her, then said, "Let's make sure we train them right."
Agatha got the next kiss.
"Yes, Mistress."
Vika walked into the mess, gave a high sign to Samira and headed directly to the galley.
Nike and Nemesis turned late, only just managing to catch Vika's back, she seemed to ignore them. The bound fiery-red dreadlocks were impressive.
Samira smirked, "Hey!"
Vika stopped at the doorway, didn't turn around, but tilted her head slightly.
"After you say hi to Paula, I want you to meet the twins." Samira said with a hint of authority.
Vika lifted a fist into the air with a thumb up...
"Don't... Take forever." Samira said with a slight edge.
The thumb was immediately replaced with a middle finger.
Samira broke out in a giggle.
Nike and Nemesis witnessed the exchange and smiled nervously while Samira laughed.
Vika disappeared into the galley.
"Who is that?" Nemesis asked softly, she was closer to Samira than Nike was.
Samira smiled, "That is Vika, she is our best operative."
Nike blinked, "She's an agent?"
Nemesis squinted, "She is awfully short."
Samira nodded, "She is shorter than you two, but she is outstanding."
"In fact..." The Security Chief continued, "I can't imagine anyone better than she is."
A few moments later Vika came back into the mess and sat next to the twins.
This time they got a very good look at her... The surprise on their faces was impossible to conceal.
Vika was wearing a sleeveless grey undershirt and long baggy denim shorts with no shoes. She was impressively muscled, with broad shoulders for her height. She had heavily freckled skin, fiery-red dreadlocks...and fiery-red mutton chop sideburns.
Then Nike and Nemesis looked at Samira, then back at Vika... Three times.
"A Faun... And a Dwarf." Nike said.
Samira nodded to Vika, who smiled.
"I owe you a beer." the Security Chief said with only a slight sigh.
In less than a minute, four more people came into the mess and sat down at the table.
The vision of Nike and Nemesis had sharpened to excellent over an hour earlier, they could now clearly see everyone they had met as well as see a person they had yet to meet.
They were both speechless, because that person was an Elf...
And so was Joon.
"Nike and Nemesis," Joon projected, "Allow me to introduce Astrid Komatzu our Engineer."
The twins looked to Samira's left, at the platinum-blonde High-elf with a perfect bowl-cut hairstyle, large brilliant lavender eyes and long swept-back elven ears.
Paula and two Hands of Agatha set the mess table while everyone was sitting.
Then Paula sat down next to Vika as Agatha's Hands proceeded in serving the Gumbo. Everyone enjoyed the meal, complimenting Paula and her kitchen staff.
Nike and Nemesis were able to get a good look at everyone.
Big sister Melinoe, known as Max, was tall. Even sitting down she seemed to tower above everyone. Her facial structure was very similar to Nanna, but her skin was caramel, same as her little sisters.
It was obvious she was in charge, yet, she paid everyone equal attention.
There was also something martial about her, something that could be dangerous.
Joon was truly a beautiful elf, likely sylvan... She was quite petite with an impressive bust.
Her face was delightfully expressive with amazing grass-green eyes. Her blonde hair had a hint of auburn, giving her french braid depth.
She also seemed in charge, yet her personality was exceptionally friendly.
It was obvious something immense inside Joon gave her the strength to complete her goals.
Paula payed everyone attention, listening and understanding.
She seems unconsciously close to Vika, though a deeper relationship might actually be a reality.
The young woman was easily the shapeliest of the crew on the ship, her mismatched eyes keep track of the participants of the conversation. When she spoke, Paula's words felt very wise, it was at odds with her age.
Samira was both exotic and very much a team player, she was always ready to assist, even if only tangentially. The cyborg seemed very taken with Astrid, often giving her a gentle hand squeeze and or an easy smile.
Watching her use all four of her hands while eating was entertaining: she would even give a wink when being observed.
Vika was oddly quiet most of the time, but when she had something to say... It was blunt and concise.
Her eyes were a shade of unearthly cobalt-blue, almost mesmerizing
She wasn't obviously attentive like Paula, but there was no doubt she saw and heard everything.
Vika was exceptionally athletic, The twins noticed her flex a few times, it was very convincing.
Astrid was both a High-elf and an Engineer, she had a brilliant vocabulary.
She explained things automatically, the twins assumed it was for their sake.
Her mind seemed to be working on several levels at the same time, add in her incredible looks, and Astrid really felt like some kind of high-level caster.
One of her smiles felt odd, like some kind of madness was just beneath.
The ruins and remains of the delicious, filling meal were removed and hot tea, coffee, and an array of sweet bites replaced them.
Nike and Nemesis saw at least four Hands of Agatha during that turnover.
Melinoe seemed to be studying them. Then... Everyone was.
The conjoined twins felt nervous... Then Melinoe smiled.
"How are you?"
The question was simple, yet overwhelming.
Nike nodded, and Nemesis smiled.
The towering Captain nodded, "I want you both to understand, All of us would like you to remain... But, you must be productive."
"We can do kitchen work." Nike quickly offered.
Nemesis nodded, "Or anything you train us to do."
Max smiled, "I want you trained... In cyber operations and combat."
Both twins stared at Max, mouth ajar.
The Captain nodded, "Tomorrow morning, you will start on the basics with Agatha."
"Tonight I want you to get comfortable in your quarters, I really want you to be happy and successful here with us." Melinoe smiled at them.
Somehow they both felt really good about their new big sister wanting them any kind of joy.
They'd never felt so pleased with so many people at the same time.
Nanna would have never let so many new faces this close.
Nike and Nemesis glanced at each other... Their own smiles creeped in.
"You got it, Max!" Nike proclaimed, Nemesis nodded, adding, "Absolutely!"