Part 26
Mara stood and stared at Ms. Danoob for a time. She'd been an assassin for most of her life, and thus it was natural for people to make her all manner of offers to forget her duty and spare their lives. Mara had heard all kinds of whoppers in her travels, and yet, the idea that Ms. Danoob would give her power like this - and actually expect Mara to believe it - trumped them all. "I am not stupid," Mara said with contempt. "You cannot expect me to buy into this ridiculous idea that you would share power with me. I’d be a servant to you, don't pretend otherwise."
"Better to be king in hell than serve in heaven, is that it?" Ms. Danoob asked.
Mara glared at her. "I was a servant to the Emperor all my life, and I never chafed at that. But you obviously have no respect for me-"
"On the contrary," Ms. Danoob said, "I respect you very much. You are the one I'm talking to, after all. I could have picked Seven, or Mara, or Kara; they all have qualities that would make them suitable. But you, Mara, are the most qualified of the four."
"You say that as if it matters," Mara said. "I don't feel the need to measure myself against them. Seven is my lover, I've no need to top her, and I can only give two shits about the others. Appealing to my ego in this manner's rather pathetic, Ms. Danoob."
"Mara," she said with patience, "I had any four people to choose in all the multiverse; these are the four I did. Of those four, you are my choice as first among equals. I hold you in high regard."
"And if you hadn't tickled me out of my mind since arrival," Mara said, "maybe I'd be willing to buy into that. As it is, I don't trust you a wink."
"As I said, I had to do that. You're too dangerous not to take some effort in restraining, otherwise you could all too easily sweep me aside and take all the power for yourself. It's because I respect you that I had to do that, even though it may have seemed the other way around." She held up her hand as Mara tried to speak. "Let me ask you this: if I offer this to Lara or Kara, and they accept, how would you feel working under them?"
"And who says I will?" Mara asked.
"You'd rather be locked up and tickled dawn to dusk?" Ms. Danoob asked.
"Ah, so it comes down to threats," Mara said with a bitter smile.
"Yes, well, I'm afraid your stubbornness allows me little alternative. I'd much rather have you as an ally, Mara, than as an enemy."
"Well you sure started off on the wrong foot," Mara said.
"Mara," Ms. Danoob said, almost desperately, "I need you! I need someone like you to whip the other girls into shape for the kind of work we'll be doing. And the power, Mara, I promise will be yours! All you have to do is work with me!"
“I just don’t trust you,” Mara said.
Ms. Danoob was silent. "There is one threat I haven't made," she said. "And I won't, because I do want us to be, well, not friends, but at least partners in this. I could send Seven through the Gate and you'd never see her again. The multiverse is vast... but I won't do that, nor will I ever threaten to do that. I know that's not much to build a working relationship on, but I hope it shows that I am not completely heartless and unreasonable. You and Seven will always be together no matter what you choose. The question is whether it will be working for me, or laughing away in my interrogation chambers."
Mara mulled it over. She had to give Ms. Danoob credit for not making that a threat, or even implying it was one. If she ever took that off the table she knew her reputation with Mara would be shot, and whatever she wanted she'd never get. And even though she despised this woman, it would be good to get out and do something. Lying in bed tickling Seven was lots of fun, of course, but she itched for a bit of excitement to get her adrenaline pumping, and the chance to share some of that with Seven. She was strong and brilliant; she would make a hell of a partner. "All right," Mara said. "But I need to discuss things with Seven more. You deal with me, you're dealing with her."
"That is perfectly all right with me," Ms. Danoob said. "Go and discuss the matter with your better half, then get back to me."
Mara left, and Ms. Danoob took up her drink and sipped while watching the ocean. She set it back down again and sighed. "Almost too easy," she said quietly.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Starbuck took a sadistic delight in securing the last manacle in place. "And how’s that?" she asked Lara, sitting beside her.
"This pillow smells awful," Lara commented. Starbuck had elected to lock Lara down spread-eagle, as expected, but with the twist of having her face down on the bed rather than face up. Lara had commented on this unusual choice, but Starbuck said it was what she wanted, so Lara dutifully complied. "And it's not as comfortable as I thought it'd be. I can't even sleep on my stomach."
"Me either; I can sleep on anyone's stomach but mine."
"Naughty girl," Lara commented. "So are you just going to talk dirty, or do we have plans for this silly predicament?"
"Oh yes," Starbuck said, "I have plans." She put her nails at the small of Lara's back and gently slid them up the curve of her behind and back down to the thigh. She did it again, and then again, by which time Lara was really laughing. "You gave my butt an awful treatment," Starbuck said, "so it's only fair that I return the favor." She pinched it several times, causing Lara to jump and squeal with laughter each time. "So much muscle, yet so much curve," Kara commented. "How do you do it?"
"Stop and I'll tell you! Hahahaha!!!"
"Hm, no. I think it'll be more fun to make you tell me, don't you?" She took part of each cheek between thumb and forefinger and began rapidly pinching until Lara was absolutely shaking with laughter.
After a while of this, Starbuck sat on Lara's behind, facing her feet. She reached down and, as before, placed her nails and slowly drew them towards her, although this time she started behind the knees and ran right up the back of the thighs. Lara shivered instantly, and soon she was laughing again. "You don't get enough lower body tickling," Starbuck commented. "You need to appreciate it more."
"I do! Hahahaha! I do!"
"No, I don't think so." She continued this for a time, then reached down and began delicately scratching behind the knees until Lara was sputtering. "Take some time to enjoy this," she teased as she began sliding further down until she was lying on the bunks between Lara's legs. She reached out and began scratching the bottoms of her feet, and Lara struggled to pull away. “Isn't this fun?" Kara asked. "And the best part is that I'm so coordinated, since I'm a pilot."
"Hehehehahaha What does that matter?" Lara demanded while Starbuck continued going after her feet. She exploded with the sudden new attack.
"That I'm used to having feet and hands work together," Starbuck said, and even as she tickled the soles of Lara's feet, her toes were wiggling inside Lara's armpits. Lara hadn't seen it coming and the sudden assault on a place where she was so sensitive overwhelmed her.
"YA-HAHAHA! STOP! NO MORE, KARA! HOHOHOHOHAHAHAHA!"
"Oh, don't give me that," Starbuck said. "I can see how much you're loving this." Then she suddenly hopped up, turned around, and laid on top of Lara's back. "Still, mustn't overdue it, right?" she asked the panting Lara. "Right?" She slid her finger in between Lara's legs and teased her, causing her to moan. "But not just yet," she said, digging both hands into Lara's flanks, causing her to explode with laughter. She kept at it, quick and deep, fingers digging in and wriggling until Lara was begging for her to stop, her whole body turning red under the effects.
"You know," Starbuck commented, "I think you're more ticklish than I am. What do you think?" Lara just laughed and trembled while Starbuck gradually worked up to her ribs. "You get overwhelmed so easily, right?" Starbuck began applying the nails to each rib in turn, until Lara was practically weeping. "Well?"
"BWA-HAHAHA!!!! I'M MORE TICKLISH! I'M MORE TICKLISH! NOW STOP, KARA! PLEASE!!!"
Starbuck relented, and Lara laid there, panting. "Now that wasn't so bad," she said, and kissed the side of Lara's face. She reached down and again began stroking Lara between her legs; she was definitely very aroused by now, and began groaning as Starbuck stroked and rubbed her until her sweat-covered body began quaking, and she came. "You liked that," Starbuck said lovingly. "Admit it."
Lara was still panting. "Yes," she said quietly. "You were wonderful, Kara.” Starbuck began undoing the restrains when the door opened and several guards came in. "Kara Thrace," one of them said. "Please put this on," and offered her a robe. "The administrator wants a word."
Starbuck got to her feet and looked them over. "And if I don't, you're going to take me down for more interrogations, right?"
"Just come with us, please," the guard said.
Lara finished freeing herself and laid back on the bed, arms folded behind her head. "Well, he did say please," she commented with a clearly sardonic tone. Still, Starbuck knew that there was a time for defiance, and this wasn't one of them. She put the robe on and followed them out, leaving Lara alone to meditate on all that had happened.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Starbuck walked out onto the deck where Ms. Danoob was watching the ocean. "Someone said you wanted to see me," Starbuck said as if the summoner was of no importance. "And since I had nothing better to do, I thought I'd humor you."
Ms. Danoob watched the waves. "Very charming," she said. "Are you familiar with what is known as a hyperdrive."
"No, I can't say that I am," Starbuck said with a sigh.
"Mara could tell you all about it, I'm sure. It's ancient technology where she comes from, so old in fact that it disappears into the fog of history."
"That's very interesting," Starbuck said. "If I were actually a historian or something, that is. Otherwise, it's just a waste of my time."
"Oh, don't be like that, Kara," Ms. Danoob said. "I'm trying to help you here."
"Yeah, well, you'll pardon me if I don't think you've done much to prove that."
Ms. Danoob shook her head, then took up her drink. "The hyperdrive is a kind of starship engine, used to attain velocities even faster than the speed of light."
"And this is of interest to me, why?" Starbuck asked.
Ms. Danoob put the drink down and folded her hands. "It allows velocity up to a thousand light-years an hour." Starbuck laughed. "Sometimes more."
"That is... not possible," she said with clear skepticism. "Jumps, okay, there's logic to that, but you can't actually go faster than light, it's impossible."
"As is passing between dimensions," Ms. Danoob said. "And here you are."
"Here I am," Starbuck said. "Getting a snow job."
"It's real," Ms. Danoob said. She held up a device for Kara, and she took it. On there she saw ships, strange ships, traveling at speeds that were impossible. As it continued her smirk faded. "It's impossible," Starbuck repeated.
"It's real," Ms. Danoob said. "And as I said, common technology from Mara's home galaxy. I'm sure you can see how that would be of use to Commander Adama."
Starbuck stared at the screen, trying not to believe it because it was too wonderful a thought to believe in. "But with that speed, we could leave the Cylons in the dust. They'd never catch us! We'd-"
"You'd be home by the end of the week," Ms. Danoob said. "Earth, with an entire galaxy between you and the Cylons. You'd finally be safe from them, you and everyone in the fleet." She put down the empty glass. "Do I have your full attention?" Starbuck nodded, eyes never leaving the screen. "Good, because I have an offer for you that you simply cannot refuse."
Mara stood and stared at Ms. Danoob for a time. She'd been an assassin for most of her life, and thus it was natural for people to make her all manner of offers to forget her duty and spare their lives. Mara had heard all kinds of whoppers in her travels, and yet, the idea that Ms. Danoob would give her power like this - and actually expect Mara to believe it - trumped them all. "I am not stupid," Mara said with contempt. "You cannot expect me to buy into this ridiculous idea that you would share power with me. I’d be a servant to you, don't pretend otherwise."
"Better to be king in hell than serve in heaven, is that it?" Ms. Danoob asked.
Mara glared at her. "I was a servant to the Emperor all my life, and I never chafed at that. But you obviously have no respect for me-"
"On the contrary," Ms. Danoob said, "I respect you very much. You are the one I'm talking to, after all. I could have picked Seven, or Mara, or Kara; they all have qualities that would make them suitable. But you, Mara, are the most qualified of the four."
"You say that as if it matters," Mara said. "I don't feel the need to measure myself against them. Seven is my lover, I've no need to top her, and I can only give two shits about the others. Appealing to my ego in this manner's rather pathetic, Ms. Danoob."
"Mara," she said with patience, "I had any four people to choose in all the multiverse; these are the four I did. Of those four, you are my choice as first among equals. I hold you in high regard."
"And if you hadn't tickled me out of my mind since arrival," Mara said, "maybe I'd be willing to buy into that. As it is, I don't trust you a wink."
"As I said, I had to do that. You're too dangerous not to take some effort in restraining, otherwise you could all too easily sweep me aside and take all the power for yourself. It's because I respect you that I had to do that, even though it may have seemed the other way around." She held up her hand as Mara tried to speak. "Let me ask you this: if I offer this to Lara or Kara, and they accept, how would you feel working under them?"
"And who says I will?" Mara asked.
"You'd rather be locked up and tickled dawn to dusk?" Ms. Danoob asked.
"Ah, so it comes down to threats," Mara said with a bitter smile.
"Yes, well, I'm afraid your stubbornness allows me little alternative. I'd much rather have you as an ally, Mara, than as an enemy."
"Well you sure started off on the wrong foot," Mara said.
"Mara," Ms. Danoob said, almost desperately, "I need you! I need someone like you to whip the other girls into shape for the kind of work we'll be doing. And the power, Mara, I promise will be yours! All you have to do is work with me!"
“I just don’t trust you,” Mara said.
Ms. Danoob was silent. "There is one threat I haven't made," she said. "And I won't, because I do want us to be, well, not friends, but at least partners in this. I could send Seven through the Gate and you'd never see her again. The multiverse is vast... but I won't do that, nor will I ever threaten to do that. I know that's not much to build a working relationship on, but I hope it shows that I am not completely heartless and unreasonable. You and Seven will always be together no matter what you choose. The question is whether it will be working for me, or laughing away in my interrogation chambers."
Mara mulled it over. She had to give Ms. Danoob credit for not making that a threat, or even implying it was one. If she ever took that off the table she knew her reputation with Mara would be shot, and whatever she wanted she'd never get. And even though she despised this woman, it would be good to get out and do something. Lying in bed tickling Seven was lots of fun, of course, but she itched for a bit of excitement to get her adrenaline pumping, and the chance to share some of that with Seven. She was strong and brilliant; she would make a hell of a partner. "All right," Mara said. "But I need to discuss things with Seven more. You deal with me, you're dealing with her."
"That is perfectly all right with me," Ms. Danoob said. "Go and discuss the matter with your better half, then get back to me."
Mara left, and Ms. Danoob took up her drink and sipped while watching the ocean. She set it back down again and sighed. "Almost too easy," she said quietly.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Starbuck took a sadistic delight in securing the last manacle in place. "And how’s that?" she asked Lara, sitting beside her.
"This pillow smells awful," Lara commented. Starbuck had elected to lock Lara down spread-eagle, as expected, but with the twist of having her face down on the bed rather than face up. Lara had commented on this unusual choice, but Starbuck said it was what she wanted, so Lara dutifully complied. "And it's not as comfortable as I thought it'd be. I can't even sleep on my stomach."
"Me either; I can sleep on anyone's stomach but mine."
"Naughty girl," Lara commented. "So are you just going to talk dirty, or do we have plans for this silly predicament?"
"Oh yes," Starbuck said, "I have plans." She put her nails at the small of Lara's back and gently slid them up the curve of her behind and back down to the thigh. She did it again, and then again, by which time Lara was really laughing. "You gave my butt an awful treatment," Starbuck said, "so it's only fair that I return the favor." She pinched it several times, causing Lara to jump and squeal with laughter each time. "So much muscle, yet so much curve," Kara commented. "How do you do it?"
"Stop and I'll tell you! Hahahaha!!!"
"Hm, no. I think it'll be more fun to make you tell me, don't you?" She took part of each cheek between thumb and forefinger and began rapidly pinching until Lara was absolutely shaking with laughter.
After a while of this, Starbuck sat on Lara's behind, facing her feet. She reached down and, as before, placed her nails and slowly drew them towards her, although this time she started behind the knees and ran right up the back of the thighs. Lara shivered instantly, and soon she was laughing again. "You don't get enough lower body tickling," Starbuck commented. "You need to appreciate it more."
"I do! Hahahaha! I do!"
"No, I don't think so." She continued this for a time, then reached down and began delicately scratching behind the knees until Lara was sputtering. "Take some time to enjoy this," she teased as she began sliding further down until she was lying on the bunks between Lara's legs. She reached out and began scratching the bottoms of her feet, and Lara struggled to pull away. “Isn't this fun?" Kara asked. "And the best part is that I'm so coordinated, since I'm a pilot."
"Hehehehahaha What does that matter?" Lara demanded while Starbuck continued going after her feet. She exploded with the sudden new attack.
"That I'm used to having feet and hands work together," Starbuck said, and even as she tickled the soles of Lara's feet, her toes were wiggling inside Lara's armpits. Lara hadn't seen it coming and the sudden assault on a place where she was so sensitive overwhelmed her.
"YA-HAHAHA! STOP! NO MORE, KARA! HOHOHOHOHAHAHAHA!"
"Oh, don't give me that," Starbuck said. "I can see how much you're loving this." Then she suddenly hopped up, turned around, and laid on top of Lara's back. "Still, mustn't overdue it, right?" she asked the panting Lara. "Right?" She slid her finger in between Lara's legs and teased her, causing her to moan. "But not just yet," she said, digging both hands into Lara's flanks, causing her to explode with laughter. She kept at it, quick and deep, fingers digging in and wriggling until Lara was begging for her to stop, her whole body turning red under the effects.
"You know," Starbuck commented, "I think you're more ticklish than I am. What do you think?" Lara just laughed and trembled while Starbuck gradually worked up to her ribs. "You get overwhelmed so easily, right?" Starbuck began applying the nails to each rib in turn, until Lara was practically weeping. "Well?"
"BWA-HAHAHA!!!! I'M MORE TICKLISH! I'M MORE TICKLISH! NOW STOP, KARA! PLEASE!!!"
Starbuck relented, and Lara laid there, panting. "Now that wasn't so bad," she said, and kissed the side of Lara's face. She reached down and again began stroking Lara between her legs; she was definitely very aroused by now, and began groaning as Starbuck stroked and rubbed her until her sweat-covered body began quaking, and she came. "You liked that," Starbuck said lovingly. "Admit it."
Lara was still panting. "Yes," she said quietly. "You were wonderful, Kara.” Starbuck began undoing the restrains when the door opened and several guards came in. "Kara Thrace," one of them said. "Please put this on," and offered her a robe. "The administrator wants a word."
Starbuck got to her feet and looked them over. "And if I don't, you're going to take me down for more interrogations, right?"
"Just come with us, please," the guard said.
Lara finished freeing herself and laid back on the bed, arms folded behind her head. "Well, he did say please," she commented with a clearly sardonic tone. Still, Starbuck knew that there was a time for defiance, and this wasn't one of them. She put the robe on and followed them out, leaving Lara alone to meditate on all that had happened.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Starbuck walked out onto the deck where Ms. Danoob was watching the ocean. "Someone said you wanted to see me," Starbuck said as if the summoner was of no importance. "And since I had nothing better to do, I thought I'd humor you."
Ms. Danoob watched the waves. "Very charming," she said. "Are you familiar with what is known as a hyperdrive."
"No, I can't say that I am," Starbuck said with a sigh.
"Mara could tell you all about it, I'm sure. It's ancient technology where she comes from, so old in fact that it disappears into the fog of history."
"That's very interesting," Starbuck said. "If I were actually a historian or something, that is. Otherwise, it's just a waste of my time."
"Oh, don't be like that, Kara," Ms. Danoob said. "I'm trying to help you here."
"Yeah, well, you'll pardon me if I don't think you've done much to prove that."
Ms. Danoob shook her head, then took up her drink. "The hyperdrive is a kind of starship engine, used to attain velocities even faster than the speed of light."
"And this is of interest to me, why?" Starbuck asked.
Ms. Danoob put the drink down and folded her hands. "It allows velocity up to a thousand light-years an hour." Starbuck laughed. "Sometimes more."
"That is... not possible," she said with clear skepticism. "Jumps, okay, there's logic to that, but you can't actually go faster than light, it's impossible."
"As is passing between dimensions," Ms. Danoob said. "And here you are."
"Here I am," Starbuck said. "Getting a snow job."
"It's real," Ms. Danoob said. She held up a device for Kara, and she took it. On there she saw ships, strange ships, traveling at speeds that were impossible. As it continued her smirk faded. "It's impossible," Starbuck repeated.
"It's real," Ms. Danoob said. "And as I said, common technology from Mara's home galaxy. I'm sure you can see how that would be of use to Commander Adama."
Starbuck stared at the screen, trying not to believe it because it was too wonderful a thought to believe in. "But with that speed, we could leave the Cylons in the dust. They'd never catch us! We'd-"
"You'd be home by the end of the week," Ms. Danoob said. "Earth, with an entire galaxy between you and the Cylons. You'd finally be safe from them, you and everyone in the fleet." She put down the empty glass. "Do I have your full attention?" Starbuck nodded, eyes never leaving the screen. "Good, because I have an offer for you that you simply cannot refuse."
