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overwrite?”
    “No. Whatever she did fried the circuitry.” The Ops and
Intel Officer answered.
    “All right. We’ll finish this the old fashioned way; with
our own eyes and ears.” Serros proclaimed.
    “Agreed. My guess is that she will show within the next
fifteen minutes or so.” Major Hadarr stated, eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she
moved her hips and upper body to match the music’s rhythm and move in opposite
of Serros doing the same.
    The Major was correct in her assessment, for eleven minutes
later, Serros spotted their target live for the first time. Focusing her Arca–enhanced
vision, the Captain was able to telescopically augment her sight as if she was
only one rather than twenty–five feet away. Her first impression of Lieutenant K’llan
Z’arr was competence coupled with grace as she moved towards Odass.
    Her second impression was one of remarkable beauty. Z’arr’s loose
hair was a brilliant, royal blue that shimmered in the ever–interchanging and
pulsing lights of the club, almost like sapphire spun into strands of living
silk. Her features included a straight, somewhat delicate nose and large,
almond shaped eyes a lustrous, deep violet. Just as the two Quorum Shield
Operatives, Lieutenant Z’arr was dressed in everyday clothes to betray no hint
of her military background. In her case, flatteringly complimentary colors of black,
indigo, and white synth. Despite appearances, Captain Serros had no doubt that
just like the two Shields, their target was armed.
    For just a second, Serros and Z’arr’s eyes locked, and Avara
felt those lilac orbs slam into her with the force of a K–Blast, felt as if her
mind, her emotions, her very essence, were exposed to that vivid gaze.
    Then abruptly, the moment ended and the Captain felt her
head pulled down and lips crushed against another’s. Major Goyan Hadarr. Caught
utterly by surprise, at first Serros did nothing, then, concerned that their
target would escape, she tried to break away but the Vosaia’s response was to
pull more firmly onto Serros’s neck and kiss her even more deeply.
    When Hadarr also subtly added a hard, painful pinch with her
fingers on the back of Avara’s neck, Captain Serros belatedly realized what her
fellow Operative was trying to do, and so settled into the position and
returned the kiss with a like amount of apparent enthusiasm.
    A minute later, Hadarr stopped and looked at Serros’s face,
her features conveying the excitement of an ardent lover, though her words
certainly did not match. “Our target is still present, speaking to the Irdoi. Tell
me, what kind of look was that and are all Humans so utterly inept at
subterfuge, or is it just you?”
    “Speaking for myself, I don’t make a habit of dishonesty, so
no; thankfully, not really a part of my every day job description.” The Captain
responded, fighting for just a heartbeat to keep her voice level at the
Vosaia’s scathing tone.
    “Ops, we have sight of our objective.” Serros then reported
to Adeline over the still open link.
    “Well learn fast , Captain.” Major Hadarr stated
adamantly. “I do not want the mission to fail because you’re still using
training wheels.” There was no mistaking the irritation in Hadarr’s acerbic tenor.
    “Understood, Captain.” Lieutenant Commander Adeline voiced
over the Comm.
    “Don’t worry, I can keep up.” Serros responded to Hadarr with
unruffled confidence.
    Hadarr twined her fingers through Serros’s dark hair and
made as if to nuzzle the Captain’s neck, conveniently allowing her a clear view
of Z’arr. “It looks like the target is concluding her business. When she
leaves, we should wait a few moments, then follow.”
    “Agreed.” The minutes trickled by as the two kept up
pretense and observation both.
    “You know,” Hadarr started, then grazed Serros’s lips with
her own in a second, lingering kiss before continuing, “As a very minor
positive, I will say you kiss quite well, Captain.”