Chapter 9

(Odin Borson)

The newly minted Lady Komand’r stood like a statue, her face wooden at the foot of his throne. The exotic beauty stood there in silence, looking somewhat afraid. He had recognized the sign of abuse from her when they first conversed, the girl's soul was scarred and deep down she was in pain. She was a textbook example of someone finally exiting an abusive environment, with long term psychological and emotional abuse.

He won’t deny and say that he didn’t take advantage of this, the girl wanted to belong somewhere, so he tested her first. She showed wisdom and a sharp wit and she wasn’t wicked or evil. The fact that she could lift the Skysword at all showed that she was worthy, that she showed the seven qualities to be a queen: Komand’r showed vision, led by example, worked hard at everything, knew what commitment was, she was inquisitive, showed respect to others if they did the same toward her, and she embraced change as well. But what mattered the most, was that the girl's heart was compassionate. A quality that his daughter Hela didn’t possess.

“This is so sudden, All Father… but if I must, I shall give you my story.” The Tamaranean girl finally spoke.

Odin smiled and quipped. “I thought for an instant that the Jotnar got your tongue.”

Frigga intervened at this point, saying in an icy tone, “Husband, be more tactful.”

The girl seemed vulnerable, where was her fire, her courage when she faced me and told me to not despair and that my second son was still alive? She showed sudden high charisma most of the time, the warriors and populace liked her as she was generous and a comedian most of the time. Odin was right, she was hurt and hid behind walls even though she was an outgoing, socially confident person.

With an unrepentant expression, the All-Father nodded at his wife. “Yes, my Queen.”

Frigga looked worried for her new Lady. Odin knew that his Queen was projecting some of the motherly love she had in her heart onto this new girl; Aldriff, their first child had been killed by the Queen of Heaven. Hela… his oldest child was too taken into becoming a good warrior to emulate him to pass time with Frigga at all.

The Lady’s eyes filled with resignation. “You might think less of me if I tell you, your Majesties.”

Odin reassured the girl, she was stalling and afraid to lose the trust and friendship she had garnered with the royal family. The All-Father asked himself, *Who hurt her so deeply that she was this scared?*

“We won’t judge you, Lady Komand’r.” Odin’s voice was loud but soothing. “I already know what happened to you. But I don’t trust hearsay or rumors, I want to know directly from the source. You shouldn’t be afraid, after all you wouldn’t even be able to lift the Skysword if you were the amoral mass murderer your reputation professes you to be.”

Komand’r scowled at him, crossing her arms. “So it was a test, just like I thought. You really are a conniving man.”

“Or a man who, in his old age, is paranoid enough?” Odin smiled as he answered her.

“Point to you, All-Father.” The Tamaranean nodded at him, there was the ghost of a smile on her lips.

Odin's face was neutral as he leaned on the back of his throne, strangely the silence stretched but Komand’r did notice a twinkle of something leaking from his one good eye. Odin sighed before speaking somberly. “You remind me so much of my daughter. So much spirit, so much ambition and such love for your people that you're willing to stain your hands. Yet you have also shown restraint where she could not.”

The Tamaranean's hands fell along her flanks as she found the courage to speak. Odin looked at her and asked, “Tell me Lady Komand’r, do you regret what you have wrought?”

When she looked back at Odin, he didn’t see the meek girl who was afraid to tell her story, she was back to being her usual self, full of fire she answered, “I can't allow myself to care about The Citadel Empire’s fate, All-Father."

Her voice was strong and clear as she spoke. “For you to understand why I did what I did, we must go back to the beginning, All-Father.”

Komand’r grabbed the attention of the Royal couple with her words. “Tamaraneans are passionate people driven more by emotion than reason.”

Frigga and Odin nodded at that, they knew this, the princess continued her story. “My people’s capacity for love is even greater than their capacity for hate; as a result, war and strife were for many centuries long forgotten in Tamaran. Instead, my people channeled their energies into creating a tropical utopia, a paradise where they could live in harmony with the wildlife and where battle skills were maintained largely for ceremony's sake.”

Komand’r closed her eyes and to Frigga and Odin's surprises she used illusion magic to show them her memories. A tapestry of light came to life behind her and a tropical landscape with the odd glowing fauna and exotic animals presented itself with mountains, jungles and lakes. Ships were flying in the golden colored sky in a certain order, while some Tamaraneans flew at low altitude from arcology cities to big structures Odin’s couldn’t guess the function of. Two moons were present in the sky, one that looked rocky, white and purple really near the planet; and another that was further and blue with clouds on its surface

The tapestry of memories moved again and showed tall, muscular and bald rotund blue people with sharp teeth and defenses in their mouths, their eyes shone with malice. Their armada of spaceships were shown going from world to world in the Vega system, ruthlessly conquering them. “Unfortunately, with the rise in power in the Vegan system of the bloodthirsty race called the Citadel, Tamaran was eventually reintroduced to war.” Komand’r explained with hatred in her voice, Odin and Frigga weren’t used to seeing such emotions on her face. If Odin hadn’t been ready for it, he would have flinched at the emotion she projected with her empathy.

The Tamaranean continued, but her voice became flat as she spoke about her father. The Tapestry showed armors and weapons being made in grand factories, ships were made in shipyards orbiting the rocky moon around Tamaran. Komand’r opened her arms wide showing a formation of soldiers on the ground looking as the enemy invaded. “We re-outfitted our armies and were led by the royal house of King Myand'r, my father, who managed to fend off a Citadelian invasion for more than a Midgardian century.”

Frigga listened with rapt attention, meanwhile, the All-Father looked at the type of ships and weapons the Tamaranean seemed to use; mainly plasma and ion directed energy weapons. This was getting to become a fact finding story about Komand’r’s people.

The woman then changed the tapestry again and she showed a Tamaranean woman in bed, holding a babe with dark brown hair and green eyes. Citadel ships were in the sky and laying waste to an entire city. “On the day that I was born the Citadel Empire attacked and destroyed the western Tamaranean city of Kysarr, killing three thousand citizens in my name. Though I was in no way at fault for what had happened, some of my people illogically hated me for that, that’s the downside of a society led by their emotions I guess. To make matters worse, I had been stricken with a childhood illness that left me unable to harness ultraviolet light to fly as most Tamaraneans did.”

Frigga cried out as Komand’r showed her childhood self being beaten or shunned by her own people. Her things were stolen by the servants serving in the palace of her family. And her parents doing nothing to help, a young man, her brother tried at least and rendered justice for her. *She at least had someone to care for her.* Odin nodded.

Komand’r changed the scene again and showed herself who was entering her teenage years and trying to have some modicum of normality. She couldn’t fly? Then she learned to pilot flying crafts and became good at it, she became a warrior to defend herself from those who sought to hurt her. “I was tempted to hate my own people for hating me so, it got worse when my little sister, Koriand’r, was born and she got everything that I always wanted, respect, honor and celebration.”

Komand’r showed a little Tamaranean girl with red hair, showered by the love of her parents and her brother spoiling her. The populace was doing the same. Komand’r was forgotten and ignored. But hatred never shone in the eyes of the girl. Komand’r played with her often and taught her a lot of things such as reading and playing video games. “But I couldn’t hate her, I loved her…”

The Tamaranean showed herself leaving to train in the mountain in a forgotten outpost where she showed herself training herself and meditating. “And after a long year of reflection while honing my martial skills I logically focused my hatred on those who created my situation in the first place.”

Komand’r showed herself opening her eyes and watching as a Citadel ship was pursuing a Tamaranean one. She took her sword and sheathed it, took her flying speeder and went back to civilization to join the army. The Tamaranean showed herself then speaking first with King Myand’r and then one of those brutish officers of the Citadel. “When the Citadel came back for war, I created a scheme with my father, Myand’r, and made my enemies believe that I was becoming a traitor against my own people and world. They amassed their fleet after I fed them false intel and the day they attacked my people struck their armada and broke it.”

The scene was awe inspiring, as waves after waves of the Citadel ship were torn apart by mines, defenses platforms and flanking teams of fast ships covering dreadnoughts firing weapons capable of tearing down a planet. A weapon that Odin wasn’t informed that the Tamaranean had. From the effect he could witness in the tapestry, this looked like some kind of antiproton wide beam. The armada was left broken, the Princess was shown ordering to have no mercy and to reduce the ships to space dust.

Komand’r showed herself smiling at her orders. Some of the Citadel ships had fled and returned to their worlds. The princess then showed herself in deep thought in her cabin. “But I knew it wasn’t enough, that the Citadelians would rebuild and come back for more. To put a stop to this senseless war, I steeled my heart and I decided to sully my hands even more and dropped resonance quasar bombs near their core worlds, forever freeing my people and those they had enslaved from their tyranny.”

The illusory tapestry began to disappear into motes of light, Komand’r showed that she wasn’t used to use magic as she said with a ragged breath, “I did what I did, because despite some of my people hurting and hating me, I loved my race and my family enough to make those who wanted my people in chains disappear and suffer for the war they imposed upon them for a century.”

“My sister had me exiled by convincing my father who maybe wanted to save me as I broke the treaty of Xamsar and didn’t want to execute me for my actions.” Komand’r hugged herself and looked down at her feet. Her story complete.

Frigga didn’t say anything, Odin saw that she wanted to go there and hug the girl, but she didn’t want to break protocol. The girl wasn’t a monster, but her hatred when it was lit up burned true and guided her choices. Instead of turning against her people she directed it at her enemies; she was stronger than Odin thought and a good strategist as well. In normal times her plan and actions would be a strategic win on the Vega system front; but what she sentenced the Citadelians to was a horror that he could not have done in his youth even to his worst enemies. She not only destroyed a space community single handedly but also made sure to lock each of her race’s enemies into their own sections of space for twenty years.

The Citadelians were now stuck planetside and unable to expand, this is like going back to the stone ages for Warmongers like them. Then there were all the planets in reach they can't go to because of hyper drive failure. When a Resonance Quasar bomb goes off, it induces a parametric resonance that creates superradiant instabilities in real space similar to an environment close to black holes. Making it impossible to use warp speed, jump drives and hyperdrives.

The Citadel’s economy was simply gone, as obviously a lot of those corporate companies fueling the war machine of those people don't even operate planet side. Komand’r destroyed them for good, food production won’t be able to handle their population that was counted in the billions. Resources issues are going to crop up, this is so much worse than killing them all. An advanced species would have already strip mined their corner of the universe; it's why they expand.

How is the Citadel going to survive knowing that they might have to resort to cannibalism and eat their children when no food arrives for weeks on end? Planets hold billions, an advanced society like the Citadel has stopped farming a long time ago as they depended on their conquered planet to feed them, everything is imported in their core worlds.

This is worse than death.

Komand’r was worse than Odin himself when he was young and mad with conquest and his thirst for war, at least he conquered the people he waged war against. Odin understood why King Myand’r exiled her, the normal Tamaranean might be happy that she didn’t resort to genocide but a ruler or smart person will always understand what she did. It would have been better to kill them all.

“When I look at you, I see what my Hela could have been if only she knew how to stay her hand. Yet, you have brought more destruction than she ever has, and this conflicts me. Do I condemn you for your choices or accept that you only acted once and not followed your actions with slaughter.”

“I won’t.” Frigga said loudly, her eyes full of compassion.

“Then I as well, who am I to judge when I spread as much death as you in my youth?”

There were tears in the princess’ eyes as she thanked them. “That’s… thank you. This means a lot to me.”

Odin then listened as the girl spoke about how she ended up meeting her benefactor who had cured her from her illness and gave her a quest to change the fate of this reality as it threatened to go extinct forever.For this, Lady Komand’r resolved to choose the best warriors and smart people in the known universe to help her in that endeavor. The All-Father watched as the Lady was in deep thought then she looked up at him; a cunning glint into her eyes.

“Speaking about your daughter, Hela, All-Father, is she still alive?” The Tamaranean princess looked at him with expectation.

Odin frowned, he immediately saw where she was going with this. The All-Father understood that she had a mission and that she needed the best of the best. But Hela was too dangerous to let out. Her power was too great. But what Komand’r said next just blew his thinking out of the window.

Komand’r opened her palm and said, “If she is, All-Father… why didn’t you seal her power and send her to repent on Midgard like you did with Thor?”

Frigga’s eyes widened, then she turned to her husband and watched him with the same question on her face. Odin’s grip tightened on his spear; he began to think and in his introspection he asked himself why didn’t he give the girl the same chance as Thor?

The Tamaranean advanced five steps before the throne and kneeled. “I have a request my King, would you allow me to re-educate, Hela, your wayward daughter? Teach her compassion and things beyond war and death, if you seal her powers, I’m sure that I will be able to succeed.”

There was certainty lacing the girl’s voice, she was so confident of her success that it shocked Odin, but he didn’t show it outwardly. He leaned forward and said, “I don’t doubt that you are sure of yourself, girl…”

Before he could refuse entirely, she raised her head and with a pleading tone started with, “At least think about it, my King.” She continued beseechingly to speak, “You have already lost so much, won’t you at least try every avenue to unify your family again? If it were me, I would give it a chance.”

Silence stretched for a moment, until Odin saw her flinch and stand up, as she looked northward and smiled. “Ah, my ship is finally there.”

“Your ship?” Frigga asked, she had stayed strangely silent, Odin thought that she was going to speak his heart out later about making the Family whole once again. After what happened to Loki, there was no way that she would let go of this. And so, the decision was already taken concerning Hela.

Komand’r turned to Frigga and chuckled at her. “Yes it just entered the system.”

Odin focused his eye and sought out the spaceship that had entered the Asgard system. The All-Father was used to the practice of seeking impressions about a distant or unseen target, purportedly "sensing" with the mind. It helped him defend the realms easily and send timely help to his people. Since the Bifrost was sundered, they couldn’t send any yet; and rebellions broke out on most of the realms such as Vanir.

Northward from the Golden City and in space at four astronomical units a depression in space could be felt. Something was there, between dimensions, Odin used his eye to peek behind the curtain. What he saw completely baffled him, it was a multidimensional formless construct, spinning on itself; he watched as it shifted forms as it advanced toward the planet. Odin didn’t see any way of how it could move, the construct moved by effectively pulling itself along space-time itself.

The All-Father stood up and shouted loudly, “This is no ship.”

~/.\~

(Hydra)

Secret locationMay 5th, 2010

‘No plan survives contact with the enemy.’ This saying has become the imagery to describe the current state of Hydra since First Contact has been established with the Tamaranean Princess. In her wake, plans that took fifty years to implement turned to dust. Countries had formed confederations or unions because of the threat arrayed against them. Some highly placed Hydra agents were ousted from their positions in those new governments.

The council had gathered and was currently discussing what they should do, Baron Zemo, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Baron Strucker, Daniel Whitehall, Gideon Malick, Alexander Pierce who was video conferencing as he couldn’t be away from his current function took his time, General Hale who couldn’t come physically for similar reason where all gathered in this special room.

“What is going to be done? Everything is ruined, we couldn’t even capitalize on the change brought by the UK absorbing southern Ireland back into the fold.” Baron Zemo in his black business suit asked what was next, so far no plans had been designed to get ahead of the curve of the global sweeping change.

The partition of Ireland no longer existed as the leaders there decided to come crawling back to the crown. It had been an unpredictable result and Hydra leadership hated surprises. Strucker was the first to answer as he put the last report of what was happening in the UK down on the table. “We are going to do what we always did, place some assets back in the desired position and take over.”

A tall black haired woman with a white streak in it and deep blue eyes sneered at him as she leaned into her seat. “Until the next big wave of change that makes them obsolete again, you mean.”

“Enough, you two.” Pierce glared at the both of them, not happy with Defontaine andStrucker's little lovers spat taken into their council room.

Despite their behavior in this august room, they were still competent leaders for their respective branch of Hydra. Defontaine was mainly unhappy because of the loss of a lot of her agents in europe who have been discovered by MI5; of course thanks to one of her skilled agents creating some timely blowback they didn’t know for who they worked for, but with enough delving into their background and bank statements, the suddenly competent and unified government were suddenly taking out all their bad apples in their orchards. In Sokovia, they were speaking on revoking the rights of nobility and performing deep audits into the taxes, taxes that Strucker used to fund his own operations.

General Hale coughed, interrupting the bickering going on and attracted the attention of everyone in the room. “Now that I have your attention, I have a proposal to submit to this council.”

“Go on, General Hale.”Strucker waved his hand with grace as he allowed the woman to speak.

Brigadier General Hale had ascended to this council through shrewdness and guile, most of her command were Hydra agents. They were all well ensconced into the Airforce and able to gather intelligence for the High council. Hale was well thought of as well because of her daughter Ruby Hale who was one of the best attempts at creating a super soldier for the organization.

On the screen, the council members watched as Hale linked her fingers and leaned toward the camera and said with a grin, “We have an opportunity to balance the scales.”

“What is it?” Malick raised his hand in frustration with the woman… how he hated her smug face.

Quirking her lips into a smile, Hale said two words, “Puente Antiguo.”

“You want the tech left there by the alien?” Defontaine asked in disbelief etched onto her face.

Hale nodded and said with an amused tone, “It’s all there just lying around.”

Pierce didn’t laugh, he took his glasses from his nose and threw them in irritation on the stack of paper before him. “That’s foolish, General, it’s being guarded by a contingent of alien soldiers! You’ll start a war with a technologically superior opponent.”

“I find myself agreeing with Pierce here. This is a mistake.” Defontaine simply said as she looked at the other woman in the room as if she was an idiot.

Zemo and Pierce were of the same opinion. This was a foolish risk that might have far reaching consequences for their operations. Whitehall, and Strucker were not agreeing with their opposition. They needed an equalizer and fast; they could at least agree with Fury who had been proactive enough to get concessions and gifts from SHIELD before he shut down any of their assets in the organization to get their hands on the technology he had been gifted.

“Really?”Zemo put a doubtful expression on his face.

Hale lowered her gaze and looked at her sleeves, they were impeccable of course. She looked up as she said finally, “Okay, I have the seed of a plan, but I identified a lot of weaknesses on the aliens' perimeters that I shall exploit.”

Defonatine rolled her eyes, she couldn’t believe that know-it all. “And what exactly do you intend to do exactly?”

Hale simply laughed and said, “Mayhem of course. I want to bring mayhem and while our enemies are distracted, we shall take everything.”

Pierce’s eyes widened at the ridiculousness of this statement, clearly the woman was losing her touch as she was now flying a desk instead of jets. Zemo and Defontaine were clearly of the same opinion as they objected, but were powerless in contesting this with Hale being supported by the two more radical members who wanted good results and things going for them because of the change enacted recently.

Pierce had had enough and decided to stall and break the argument with, “Nurture that seed and have a foolproof plan and we might let you go at it.”

With a victorious smirk Hale instantly answered, “You’ll have it.”

Hale’s phone rang and she lost her smirk as looked at the ID caller. “I must leave right now, duty call.”

The screen went blank, only showing the Hydra logo on the screen’s background. Everyone returned to bickering after that. Only Pierce was thinking that this was going to be their downfall. When the council session was concluded, as he left, he thought to himself, *Just in case, we might need to cut Hale out from this council when she fails, I need to plan my branch’s own lizard tail. I know this will go badly, but with those fool Strucker and Whitehall supporting Hale for big risk and high return, I cannot dismiss her.*

~/.\~

(Natalia Alianovna Romanova )

Medical bay

She opened her eyes only to see that she was floating into a red liquid. Moving her arms she saw cables connected to them, it was the same for her legs that could see clearly. The cables suddenly disconnected, it was slightly painful to Natalia but she didn't show it. The liquid she was in began to drain slowly and she lost consciousness again, but before she closed her eyes she saw a tall figure from the other side of the transparent glass.

Natalia woke up again, and this time it was to a solid white ceiling. She sat up, looked down at herself and saw that she wore a blue medical gown and a dark grey bed sheet. Natalia looked around and she was in a big room with sparse furniture; all she could see was a big sofa facing the bed she was laid in.

Not seeing any more things in the blank white room, Natalia felt as if she was floating in a white space and was momentarily disoriented. The assassin took off the bed sheet and put her legs outside the bed, she shifted her weight and put her feet on the ground and stood up. Only to fall on all fours.

“What?” She said as she tried to stand up again.

When she stood, it was with difficulty, but she kept steady. Then she remarked with a scowl on her face, *My balance shifted.*

She looked at the wall before her and a reflective surface similar to a mirror slid out as it extended from a slot in the wall.“Ohh.” Natalia looked at her hands, they were the same but bigger. That wasn't the only thing on her that was bigger…

Why were her boobs bigger, and her hair so long? Then she stepped back from the mirror. Natalia finally noticed that her perspective was higher. “Hhmm, why am I tall now?”

Natalia turned her head just in time to see a door appear in the wall, and through it entered someone familiar. It was the one who did this to her, *But why does she have orange hair?* The assassin thought.

"Princess?" Natalia looked at her, she wore a red skin-tight outfit that left nothing to the imagination,  with a belt and a pistol strapped to her left thigh.

The Tamaranean woman looked at her with a neutral face and slightly bowed with a hand on her breast and said, "Good morning Agent Romanova. My name is TALI. I am the Artificial Intelligence managing this ship, the Hyperdimension."

Natalia understood that this wasn't the princess, she would have tackled her already and kissed her if her insight into the alien were right. An AI with a body? This was something clearly out of science fiction here. Natalia looked at her from head to toes and… she seemed to be just like a real person to her.

“I remember… your Princess kidnapped me.” The assassin accused.

Natalia finally noticed that the AI had a bag in her hands, she didn't comment on it yet. The AI's expression stayed neutral and she entered further into the room and said with a dismissive tone, “Kidnapping is such an ugly word. She wished to heal you back to health, we took everything in stride after that.”

Natalia pointed a finger at herself and glared at TALI. She didn't like having been changed without her consent, her life was going to change irremediably because of the modification she had undergone. “You did more than heal me.”

For once the AI showed emotion, it was something akin to shame that appeared on her face as she lowered it. “Oh yes, there were some complications because of the serum that enhanced you.”

Frowning, Natalia asked in a worried tone, “What complications?”

The AI looked at Natalia in the eyes. “The regenerative fluid that we injected into you and that you were floating in had an unforeseen reaction with the serum that raised your body’s attributes, you are now taller, stronger and faster. My simulations projected that your intelligence had been enhanced and your motor skills as well. You are now in possession of a healing factor, you won’t fall sick anymore, you’ll also be able to regenerate to your peak health.”

This was going to bring problems to her door, Natalia knew it. She felt strong, really strong and the world had more color than before, she had been enhanced beyond what she was previously. How much? She didn't know and she hoped to test herself before going back to SHIELD. If they allow her back. In fact, she might need to avoid the big wigs, beside Fury, he would help her.

Natalia pushed a frustrated sigh and asked neutrally, “Can it be reversed?”

TALI shook her head. “I’m afraid that it can’t.”

Natalia closed her eyes, she was angry now. Hotly, she glared at TALI and ranted, “I was really happy to be the height I was and my boobs were not this big.” She then highlighted her breasts by crossing her arms under them and emphasized them. They were perkier than before.

She was definitely a Double D now, and that was bad, her money was going to be fuelled into a new wardrobe. She could also forget the infiltration missions and say hello to the seduction ones. Sigh, the upside was how perky they were now, damn she could use these babies as lethal weapons and poke an eye out with a nipple.

TALI showed compassion for the first time in the conversation and said, “Don’t worry, with your enhanced strength, you’ll never have back problems.”

The AI stumbled back at how the assassin scowled at her, this was insensitive from her part. However, she calmed down. “That’s not what worries me.”

“Oh?” TALI was curious about what the human female was worried about.

“Where am I going to find shirts and bras in my size now?” Natalia asked, she didn't want to wear just a hospital gown, she had no undies on after all.

TALI nodded. “Ah, this is indeed a problem, but don't worry. Since you finally woke up and that our technology has inconvenienced you, we have an offer for you, it will include basic necessities.”

“Basic necessities?” this implied that something was in store for her, Natalia didn't like that, but what choice did she have?

The AI didn't answer the question and deflected, “I’m not qualified to negotiate with guests or reveal such sensitive information, my direct superior will.”

*Ah, she's indeed an AI, I completely forgot because of our interactions.* Natalia lamented.

Her eyes focused on the AI whose face was back to being neutral and bland, even if she wore the same face as Komand’r. “The princess? She's your superior, right?”

TALI nodded and she smiled for the first time. “Yes, Princess Komand’r of Tamaran is the captain.”

Natalia felt that there was a peculiar relationship between the captain and her AI, maybe something she could exploit? As she pondered that, TALI pushed the bag into her hand to Natalia. "Now, could you put this on? This is a soft-suit."

The assassin opened the bag, unzipping it. It was a suit like TALI said, but made of dark blue material that felt soft to the hand and was stretchy. "Wow, it really is soft…"

After this, Natalia put on the suit and remarked about how comfortable it felt, it had inner support for her breasts, and some sort of climate control that regulated her body temperature. TALI then took Natalia out of her hospital room and she saw that she was in some kind of medical bay. What she saw inside were clean beds surrounded by machines around them beeping or inert. The White walls and the medical machines then suddenly retracted into the walls and the beds sank into the ground.

Natalia understood that the ship they were in had taken the term modular to the next level. It was as if the ship was made to save space to the maximum of its abilities.  The assassin had no way to know that the ship had spatial folding technology that made the ship's interior comparable to Manhattan.

They took three teleporters to reach the aft of the ship and they finally arrived at the observation deck, to reach it they had to pass through the Mess hall and the gigantic garden that Natalia had been surprised to see inside. It didn’t seem possible to her that a garden the size of Central park could even fit inside a ship.

When they arrived, Natalia looked at the bar operated by a Tamaranean female with orange hair like TALI, but the shade was more reddish. The shelves behind the counter were filled with Earth alcohol from what Natalia could see from the make of the bottle, then there were different bottles with color she had never seen before, without brands that were more numerous.

At one of the stools sat Princess Komand’r who wore an exotic black and purple dress. There was a bottle of alcohol on the counter that she took and downed as if it was water. She placed the bottle on the counter and sighed. “I missed this Vodka thing, thank you X'hizea..”

The reddish orange haired Tamaranean bowed slightly and said, “I live to serve your Highness. Do you wish for another bottle?”

Princess Komand’r raised a hand and made a ‘come on’ gesture and shouted, “Bring it! I drank all those Asgardian under the table this morning.”

Natalia rolled her eyes at the alien antics. Walking toward her with a stormy expression the AI poked Komand’r’s shoulder and announced her presence. “Cough cough.”

The barmaid returned the bottle she was taking from the shelf back into its place and sighed. Komand’r turned to TALI and took on a sheepish expression, until she saw Natalia, her gaze lit up with joy and she was quickly at the assassin’s side. This time, Natalia could see her move toward her, it was as if her perception were boosted. She sidestepped the tackle from the princess.

Komand’r stopped, frowned a bit, but retrieved the same joyful expression when her eyes found Natalia again. *This is different…*

The princess understood that her usual antics were not going to work this time, so she decided to hold her hand before her. Natalia took and shook it. “Welcome Friend Natalia! I am so so happy to see you do the awakening.”

Not letting go of her hand at all, Komand’r brought Natalia to the large panoramic window where one could observe space ahead, but it wasn’t space that the assassin could see, it was a planet.

She presumed that it was Earth for ten seconds until she frowned and noticed how much bigger the planet was and the disposition of the continents were completely different. Natalia took back her hand as she stared at the planet. “This... isn't Earth.”

Komand’r then led Natalia closer to the window, they stopped next to one of the balustrades. There was a device on the top of the balustrade that Komand’r activated with a touch that turned the window separating them from space into high-powered telescope, they could see the surface of the planet, the forests, mountains and in the sea they could even observe a giant sea snake like creature swimming at the surface.

Natalia looked mesmerized as Komand’r said, “As you can see, we are doing the orbiting around another planet. It’s called Asgard.”

The assassin turned to the Tamaranean. “It seems that I missed a lot of things, how long was I asleep?” Her eyes didn’t leave the planet for a moment, she was asking herself why these things happened to her and if how to make it stop?

The princess raised a hand and showed two fingers. “Almost two weeks now.”

The assassin turned to Komand'r. She looked as if the princess had slapped her with her announcement. “How…!?”

Shrugging, the princess simply said, “There were... complications.”

Scowling, the assassin looked at the princess with lukewarm eyes. “That’s what TALI said.”

Seeing a chance to deflect Natalia’s ire, Komand’r asked, “Did she treat you well?”

Of course she didn’t fool anyone, but the assassin chose to ignore it for now. “As well as she could, yes.” It wouldn’t do to piss off the one who could get you back to her world with her ride.

The Tamaranean smiled and took Natalia’s arm, the assassin didn’t fight it, she knew the princess was attracted to her and was… pushy and too extroverted sometimes. “You are healed. Come, I have some Asgardian snacks and tea for us to do the talking.”

Komand’r brought Natalia to one of the benches before the window. There was indeed a platter full of pastries and tea on a low table between the window and the bench. They sat, and at the same time. A white Siberian cat strode toward them and jumped on the Tamaranean’s lap. She looked at the princess, seemingly speaking with her with her blue feline eyes. Komand’r laughed and began to pet the cat’s head.

“This is Talia fluffykin, she is the ship's cat.” Komand’r informed Natalia.

The cat purred as she was being scratched behind her ears. Natalia observed the princess as if she was being crazy and asked herself how she got the cat at all. The Tamaranean turned her head to the assassin and asked, “Do you want to pet her? She’s one of your Overlords, Talia loves being petted.”

The cat looked at Natalia expectantly, the assassin would swear that the animal was smarter than it looked when she looked into her eyes. Natalia waved in a no gesture. “I will pass.”

The cat meowed sadly and turned her back on Natalia. Komand’r patted the cat in support. “It's not your fault Talia, she will give in to your beautiful white, soft and fluffy fur and do the patting soon enough.”

“I doubt it.” Natalia looked at the window, finding the situation completely strange.

“She's really soft.” Komand’r said as the cat began to purr at her ministrations.

Natalia sighed and decided to cut short the princess’ antics. “I heard that you had an offer for me?”

Komand’r nodded and with an intense gaze said to the assassin. “I want you, Natalia.”

Natalia raised an eyebrow at that. “Excuse me?”

“I said I want you.” Komand’r nodded again. The cat left her lap and ran to the bar.

*Was this the price to get my ride back to Earth?* Natalia asked herself.

“Sexually?” The assassin asked for accuracy.

The princess tilted her head at Natalia. “I meant that I want you for the team I am creating…” Komand’r slid toward Natalia on the bench and passed a hand around her shoulders. “But if you are doing the offering... I won’t do the refusing."

The assassin put her hand against Komand’r’s mouth that was approaching her face. “Wait, stop.”

Komand’r stopped, and waited for Natalia to speak. “Why do you need a team, Princess?”

The Tamaranean let go of Natalia’s shoulder and took on a serious expression, and sighed. “To save this universe of course. Why do you think I went to your planet?”

A/N:We learn about Blackfire's story and Nat finally woke up! Let's celebrate! Hydra is planning some shenanigans as well.

What do you think will happen next?Are we going to have grilled squid? Oh! And the ship is back, so that mean that Thor and Blackfire can return to Earth whenever they want.

If you are looking to get early chapters and read all the good stuff I haven't posted to the public yet, support with the link below.

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