Crossroads Facility, Parts 1-20 (*/F)

[tarr2k]

Part 25


Ms. Danoob walked around the device; it was the size of a one-man submarine, and roughly the same shape. "It's so small," she commented. "This will produce the power we need?"

"It will exceed your current reactor output by one hundred sixty-four percent," Seven informed her. "Fusion is an efficient means of energy production."

Ms. Danoob shook her head. "Amazing, truly amazing. With this and the endless supply of the sea we can make unlimited jumps. Thank you, Seven."

"You can thank me by sending Mara and myself away from this place," Seven said.

"I'm sorry, but I do need you."

"Then save your thanks, as they are clearly hollow."

Ms. Danoob shook her head. "You should really try and be more personable, Seven."

"After what you did to Mara, it is all I can do not to choke you where you stand. Do not presume my behavior is my failing, it is due to your own."

"I'm not interested in a lecture from you,” Ms. Danoob said dismissively, eyes never leaving the new reactor. "Guards, return her, and have Mara cleaned up and brought to me." She must have somehow sensed Seven's reaction. "Not for that," she assured the Borg before she could react. "I just want to talk with her, that's all."

"About what?" Seven demanded.

"If she chooses to share it with you, that's her prerogative." Ms. Danoob laid a hand alongside the reactor, as if it were a newborn child. "But it's between her and I as far as I'm concerned."
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Kara and Lara were both assigned the same quarters; they didn't know it but they were identical to Seven and Mara's. It wouldn't have mattered even if they did know. As soon as the door closed they began kissing passionately heading towards the bed, and while neither had ever been with another woman before, they soon performed quite well for a pair of beginners in making love.

Of course, that wasn't enough for Lara. "You know,” she said, holding Starbuck in her arms, like a teddy bear, "I didn't get to actually tickle you before - really tickle you."

"That's true," Starbuck admitted. "Does that bother you?"

"Yes," Lara said. "Yes it does. It's a situation I think we need to rectify immediately.

Starbuck offered a smile that threatened to split her face in half. "Oh well, if you insist."

Lara took the manacles attached to the bed and stretched her out as she locked each limb in place. "Now," she said darkly, "where should I begin?"

"Well-"

"I wasn't talking to you," Lara said sharply. "You do not speak until spoken to. And if I hear one more word out of you, I'm going to tickle your armpits right now, is that clear?" She glared at Starbuck. "Is that clear?" she said emphatically.

"Yes, ma'am."

"That's it," Lara said, dropping her nails into Starbuck's armpits, "you were warned. Now take your medicine." Starbuck let out deep chuckling as Lara scratched all over her armpits. "Have you learned your lesson?" Lara asked. "Have you?!"

"YES!" Kara screamed.

"I said no talking!" Lara scolded, and began tickling even more furiously, causing Starbuck to shriek and bounce with laughter.

After a little while Lara stopped and walked down the side of the bed, drawing a finger over Starbuck's body. She giggled and squirmed the whole way. "Are your feet ticklish?" Lara asked. Starbuck nodded firmly. "Ah, you're learning," Lara said.

"Thank you," Starbuck said with a shit-eating grin. Immediately she exploded with laughter while Lara tickled her feet.

"And you were doing so well," Lara said pitiably. "I almost thought you'd actually learned. She held Starbuck’s toes back and tickled feverishly up and down her sole. Starbuck whooped and struggled but Lara had a firm grip, making escape impossible. She shrieked with laughter as Lara started going after the base of the toes. "How wonderfully sensitive," Lara commented.

"HAHAHA! OH GODS! STOP! PLEASE NOT THERE!!!"

"Did I give you permission to speak?" Lara asked, still tickling away.

"WA-HAHAHA! PLEASE LARA! NO MORE! I CAN'T TAKE ANY MORE! HE-HEHEHEHAHAHA!!!"

Lara sighed wearily but stopped for the moment, letting Starbuck catch her breath. "I thought you were made of sterner stuff, my dear."

Starbuck just panted for breath. "You're just too much for me," Starbuck said.

"Is that so?" Lara asked, lying atop her on the bunk. She put her hands on Starbuck's inner thigh and slowly drew her nails up, wriggling them a bit, Starbuck began tittering almost immediately. It turned into deep belly laughs when Lara dug in, kneading her thigh. "How's this?"

"HAHAHA! IT TICKLES!!!" Starbuck cried.

"Is that so?" Lara asked again, because she liked to tease. "Even here?" she asked, and worked further up the thigh. "And here?" She was at the point where the thigh met the body. "Or even here?" And she slipped her fingers in and began tickling along Starbuck's sex. Starbuck still laughed, but there was an undercurrent of enjoyment to it now. She moaned a little even as she snickered and giggled, and Mara continued her delicate stroking, teasing all throughout Starbuck's womanhood while drinking in the feel and sight and smell of her lover. With each laugh and moan Lara could feel her own passions starting to rise, and she slipped a hand into her own pussy to encourage it. Their voices mixed as they played on, until at long last both were satisfied.

"Oh gods," Starbuck said. "That was even better than I thought it'd be."

"Was it?" Lara asked, undoing the manacles.

"Oh yes," Starbuck said. "Lara, you've got to try it. You'll love it."

"Will I?" Lara asked. Starbuck nodded. "Hm, well, if you say so, I shall at least give it a go. After all, what's the worst that can happen?"
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Ms. Danoob was seated on a deck watching the ocean when Mara was brought to her. She'd been given a set of tailor-made clothes, almost as good as her old gear from her assassin days. She toyed with a moment of reliving the good old days just for her captor's case, but quickly decided against it. Ms. Danoob was too clever to try such blunt methods on. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Ms. Danoob asked without turning towards Mara. "I'd let Seven look as well, but I'm afraid it would be lost on her."

"I think you underestimate Seven's humanity," Mara said, walking closer. "And frankly, you overestimate your own. Seven may have been Borg once but she is capable of far more compassion than I've seen from you."

"That's a point of view," Ms. Danoob said. "We can debate it if I were so inclined... but I'm not. We have some things to discuss, now that we've ironed out most of the issues."

"Is this the part where you get my cooperation by threatening Seven?" Mara asked. "You used me against her, but now that you've got your damn reactor she's disposable, right? "

Ms. Danoob turned towards her. "What an awful thing to say. Seven is unique; I'd stomp on a dodo egg before I deprived the universe of something as precious as she is."

"And yet you torment her often," Mara said. "Either directly, or through me."

"I do what I must," Ms. Danoob said.

"You didn't have to do those things to us," Mara said. "You had to know that I couldn't make you blasters, and you must have known that Seven would be more resistant if you chose this means. Why?"

Ms. Danoob turned towards Mara, then slowly rose to her feet. She took her sunglasses off and looked into the eyes of the Emperor's Hand. "Hit me," she said.

Mara was momentarily caught off guard. "Don't tempt me," she said finally.

"I'm not tempting you," Ms. Danoob said. "I'm telling you. Hit me. Go on. Give it your best shot." Mara scoffed. "How disappointing. You're supposed to be the Emperor's Hand, not some child who's gone soft."

"That's enough," Mara warned.

"I should have taken Isard instead of you. She at least had some guts, stepped in to fill the void and grab opportunities while you tried to disappear like a coward."

"Shut up," Mara growled.

"Seven would've probably liked her better."

Mara swung, and in that punch she put all the rage and frustration of her time at Crossroads facility, and all the torment of her time in the wake of the Emperor's death. It was a blow that could fell a Wookiee, and would have lifted the small administrator right off her feet, if Mara hadn't missed. That was embarrassing. What was even more embarrassing was that Ms. Danoob never moved. "You call that a punch?" Ms. Danoob asked.

Mara growled and swung again, her fist passing over Ms. Danoob's left shoulder. Another, and it went over the right. She tried an uppercut, but it came up in front of her face instead.

"What the hell's going on?" Mara demanded.

"Just making a point," Ms. Danoob said, sitting back down while she pulled her sunglasses out. "I trust the lesson is obvious."

"You didn't answer my question," Mara said through her teeth.

"Well, it is a rather vague one, isn't it?"

Mara made a noise of annoyance. "I tried hitting you, but every time I missed. You didn't even move!"

"Quite right."

"Why?!"

Ms. Danoob looked up at her. "After Seven was crazed with rage over what happened to you, and seriously injured two of my guards, I still left alone with her, with no means of restraint. Didn't that strike you as being a little careless of me?"

Mara stopped seething for a moment. "You knew she wouldn't try anything with me in custody," she said.

"Yes," Ms. Danoob said. "But still, Seven can be unpredictable when she gets emotional. She isn't accustomed to having to control them, and she's never been in love before. It was dangerous... for anyone else but me."

"And what makes you so special?" Mara asked. "The same thing you did to me you did to her?"

"And Kara and Lara," Ms. Danoob said. "Your tickle sessions, while as fun as they were, were not just to torment you, or try to get you to accept my bidding. They lowered your defenses, made you open to suggestion."

Mara stared at her with malice. "You brainwashed me."

Ms. Danoob took up a cocktail of some kind. "That's a very blunt word," she said.

"That's because I don't play games with the truth," Mara said. "You brainwashed us, no matter how you color it."

"I suppose in a sense that's true," Ms. Danoob said. "Though it hardly qualifies. You see, Mara, I've just implanted a command to prevent you from performing any action that will result in my harm. Hardly diabolical, and given the number of threats the four of you have made, it was entirely appropriate."

“Perhaps if you hadn't treated us like slaves we wouldn't have felt inclined to smash your face in."

"True," Ms. Danoob said. "But that's neither here nor there. We can argue this, Mara, or we can get down to brass tacks. You can't hurt me, nor can Seven, so plotting against me is pointless. So at least listen to me, all right?"

"Why bother?" Mara asked. "If I don't you'll just make me."

"I don't know," Ms. Danoob said. "Perhaps you'll be inclined to see reason for once. With the new reactor we can make unlimited jumps. Countless realities are open before us. My investors see it as a means of turning a profit. Seven sees it as a tool of exploration. What do you see?"

Mara looked away, still upset at being used, but drawing this out would accomplish nothing. "Power," she said. "Anyone who could do that could have unlimited power."

"Exactly," Ms. Danoob said. "I knew your mind would be suited to it. You can, of course, guess who would possess that power."

"You," Mara said with contempt.

"Yes. And, of course, whoever stood at my side."

Mara laughed. "What?"

"You heard me. You're cunning, skilled, and very dangerous. You could have power to go with those abilities if you used them to help me." She put the drink down. "What am I saying, Mara? I'm saying that I want you as my hand."

 

[tarr2k]

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.
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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.
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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."

 

[tarr2k]

Part 27


Mara looked about the street, but there was no one watching, so she made her move. She walked past the speeder, slipped the beacon onto the side, and continued up the street and around the corner. Hopefully no one would notice what was about to happen, but then, it really only took one, didn't it. There was the sound of astonishment, and Mara swore under her breath and moved away from the area quickly without looking like someone trying to get away quickly. That was a skill she'd acquired long ago, one of many that helped her stay alive.

Two stormtroopers appeared in front of her, and Mara cursed under her breath. "Halt," they said, and Mara froze in her tracks. "Show me your identification."

"Now would be a good time," she said under her breath. "I misplaced it," Mara said aloud, which was almost the truth. It had been lost when Isard took her into custody, and she hadn't had time to forge a new one. Standard procedure was to take her down to a detention area to be checked for possible warrants based on DNA, fingerprints, and such.

"We're having trouble getting the speeder out of the Gate," Seven said into the audio implant. "What's your situation?"

"Come with us," the trooper said, taking out the binders.

"Oh please," Mara said pitiably, knowing that everyone back at Crossroads Facility could hear, "is it really necessary to lock me up and bring me in, just because I didn't get my ID card replaced yet?"

"Quiet," the trooper said, locking the binders around her wrists.

There was a sudden hum, and the speeder appeared behind them, and it wasn't empty. Seven, Lara, and Starbuck jumped from it onto the two shocked stormtroopers and knocked them over. Seven quickly overpowered one while Lara and Kara took down the other. Mara, knowing what the plan must be, ran to the speeder still bound and climbed inside.

"Take the guns," Lara said, and between the three of them they managed to disarm the stormtroopers. Lara quickly aimed it at the prone trooper and pulled the trigger, but as she did Seven pushed the barrel aside, so that it blew a small hole in the street.

"No," Seven said sternly. Lara glared at her, then kicked the trooper again for good measure, then the trio hopped back onto the speeder. A second later, they all vanished, much to the surprise of the gathering crowd.
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The speeder and the four occupants sat in the Gate back in Crossroads Facility. "You're lucky I didn't blow your hand off," Lara said to Seven. "Don't do that again."

"Then do not force me to do it again," Seven said in the same tone. "There was no reason to murder that man."

Lara scoffed. "He's a soldier in the employ of a galactic evil; Mara briefed us on them, remember?"

"There was no need to kill him."

"He was too dangerous," Lara shot back. "Imagine if he'd gotten to the speeder before we jumped, what then?"

"He didn't."

"But he could have!"

"That's not reason enough to just kill someone."

"Mara," Lara said, turning to the still bound woman, "If we hadn't shown up, what would they have done to you?"

Mara swallowed, looked at Seven, then down. "They would have taken me to the detention area, taken various means of identification, and then begun interrogating me."

"You mean torture," Lara said. Mara nodded, eyes closed. "The man wanted to take her and torture her," Lara said to Seven, "and you want to use the kid gloves. I guess we see how much you really care for Mara."

Seven strode forward like an omen of impending disaster, but Starbuck quickly stepped in between and held her back. "Enough of this," she said. "It's over, deal with the here and now, all right? We've got the speeder and all our people out, mission accomplished. We can talk about how we handle operations later."

Seven took a deep breath through her nose. "Agreed," she said darkly, then turned to the speeder to begin disabling the security system.

Lara took the binders off Mara; even as she did, Starbuck came to her side. "Apologize to Seven," she said in a voice only they could hear. Lara turned to her, and her expression said everything. "That was a very hurtful thing you said, and we're supposed to be working together. You don't have to like her, but you do need to be a little civil to her if we're going to live through this."

Lara sniffed, attached the binders to her belt, and walked over to Seven. "That was a little harsh," she admitted. "I apologize for what I said."

"Apologies are irrelevant," Seven said, not looking up. "As it would imply what you say to me actually mattered. I care nothing for the opinions of a would-be murderer."

Starbuck and Mara looked at one another. "Get the feeling we just stepped off a cliff and are just waiting to hit the ground?" Starbuck asked her.

"Afraid so," Mara said, walking out of the Gate where Ms. Danoob waited. "This isn't going to work," she said finally."

"Everything seems to be working fine," Ms. Danoob said. “Once Seven disables the security system and changes the registration, you can sell the speeder for enough credits to buy a hundred years worth of blasters and packs."

"Yeah, except we'll be using them on each other," Mara said.

"Not at all," Ms. Danoob said. "The same thing that prevents you from harming me prevents you from harming each other."

"That's not what I mean," Mara said. "Seven and Lara just don't get along, now you can't have this in a strike team like this. We're going to get ourselves killed."

"Don't worry about it, Mara," Ms. Danoob said. "I have the situation well in hand."

"Do you now," Mara said with disbelief.

"Just give this a little bit of time," Ms. Danoob said. "Trust me."

"Oh sure," Mara said. "I have all the reason in the world to trust you."
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Seven straightened up as Mara walked into the Gate. Rather than trying to get it out she'd opted to just work on it in there. It wasn't her native technology, but with her mechanical skills and Mara's coaching she'd quickly deduced how to handle it. This was, after all, just a small civilian land transport, nothing special. "The vehicle is ready," she informed Mara.

"Good," Mara said. "And thanks for saving me. Really, those Imperials would have done some pretty nasty things to me, and there was a chance the Gate couldn't pierce their shields. You saved me from a very tough ordeal."

"Thanks are unnecessary," Seven said. "You know I would never stand by and allow harm to come to you. I would die to protect you, Mara." And with Seven's literalism, Mara knew that she meant that exactly; if saving Mara meant losing her own life, Seven would do it. Mara reached out and pulled her close.

"You need to get along with Lara," Mara said finally. "For the good of the group."

"She was going to kill that helpless man-"

"I know," Mara said. "But he was dangerous, and Lara is used to dealing with very dangerous people and acting accordingly."

"So you are saying I should have just let her kill him?"

"I'm saying that we were all chosen because of our skills and judgment, and we need to be able to count on that judgment. You may not have liked what she did, but Lara didn't do that simply because she likes or is even casual about killing adversaries. She just has a different opinion as to what acceptable force is."

"It seems to me to be a rationalization for murder," Seven said.

"Maybe," Mara said. "You know my history, Seven; I've got old instincts in me too, ones that kept me alive. This isn't always going to be pretty, I- I'm more than just someone who bounces around the bed with you."

"I- I know," Seven said. "Yet you clearly are trying to change, but Lara-"

"You don't even know her," Mara said. "Not really. And you've got to remember that we're a team, and it depends on all of us working together. There is no you, and there is no her, and there is no me, there's only us, and if you're not careful you're going to get us killed."

Seven nodded. "I will try," she said. "But I must confess it is not going to be easy. I do not like her, though I cannot explain why."

"You don't have to like her," Mara said. "Just get along with her."

Seven nodded a little. "For your sake I will try."

Seven left and Mara took a seat. Now to get the money. It was pathetic that she'd been reduced to stealing speeders after once answering to the Emperor himself, but she had to make do. "All right,” she said, "let's jump." And she and the speeder vanished.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Lara was still stewing over Seven. She hadn't liked her to begin with, and that stunt with the blaster hadn't helped. It wasn't that she wanted to kill that trooper, she really only was going to do it because she thought it was too great a risk to let him pursue. But Seven jumping in was worrisome; next time they could die if she tried something like that. And the way she rebuffed her apology really annoyed her. Lara wasn't the kind of person to admit when she was wrong, but she recognized that Kara had been right, and swallowed her pride for the good of the team. Well, apparently Seven had no interest in the team, just in her own petty opinions, and how everyone else should live by them.

She was waiting with Starbuck in the debriefing chamber when Seven entered. Lara walked up to her. "I need your help with something," she said. "Turn around and put your hands behind your back."

"Why?" Seven asked suspiciously.

"I want to show Kara something," Lara said.

Seven looked at her a moment, but she remembered what Mara had said, and so complied. "What are you showing her?" she asked.

There was the click of the binders latching around her wrists. "That you're as gullible as I thought." Lara said with a smirk.

"Lara-" Starbuck began.

"No, there's something that needs to be sorted out," she said while Seven whirled around and glared at her. "Out there, you don't second guess me, got it?"

"No," Seven growled. "I do not answer to you."

Lara's eyes dropped, and Seven looked down at her own chest. A moment later she exploded with laughter as Lara grabbed her breasts and began tickling them.

"You won't second-guess me," Lara repeated, squeezing and tickling Seven's breasts. Even through her uniform top, it was effective, and Seven laughed and shook but refused to surrender. "Right? Right?!"

"HAHAHA! NO!!! YOU CAN'T HAHAHA MAKE ME!" She writhed and danced about as Lara continued kneading away around her breasts, each little squeeze tickling like mad.

"Lara," Starbuck said again, "this isn't helping."

Lara ignored her. "All I want," she said to Seven, "is for you to not try to second-guess me," she said to the laughing, tear-stained face inches from her own. "I don't think that's asking too much."

"HAHAHAHA! STOP!!!" Seven demanded.

"Or what?" Lara asked.

Seven screamed and there was a snapping sound as the binders broke; they were designed for humans, but Seven wasn't exactly human any more. Lara and Starbuck both stared at the panting, fuming and -most important of all- free Seven of Nine. "Oh frak," Kara said under her breath. "We're in trouble now."

Seven grabbed Lara and dropped her onto the table, quickly pinning her down. Lara began screaming as Seven grabbed her breasts and began tickling them even worse than she'd just done to her. "'Gullible?'" Seven demanded. "You expect us to be a team, then call me gullible for trusting you?" She began massaging the undersides, causing Lara to roar and struggle.

"GET HER OFF! HAHAHA!!!" Lara begged, and even though she probably deserved it, Kara couldn't bring herself to stand by and do nothing. She grabbed Seven and tried to pull her off, but she didn't budge. Seven reached out with one hand and gently pushed Kara right over as if she were a small, annoying child, her other hand never relenting in her attack.

"What's going on?" Ms. Danoob asked, and everything froze. The three looked up at her like the teacher just returned from the lavatory. "Well?"

"Just working something out," Kara said. "Nothing to worry about."

Ms. Danoob shook her head. "You two... I think you both need to end this feud once and for all."

"I tried," Lara said, panting for breath, still flush from the tickling. "She's too stubborn."

"That is a lie," Seven said. "You-"

"Enough," Ms. Danoob said. "I'll handle this, in my own way, as soon as Mara returns."

"How?" the three asked as one, then looked at each other.

"You'll see," Ms. Danoob said, and walked out.

 

[tarr2k]

Part 28

When Mara returned the four of them were escorted to one of the interrogation rooms, but fortunately it didn't seem like they were all getting punished. Lara and Seven were told to strip, and then both given bizarre bras to put on; there was a set of velcro on them, though their purpose wasn't immediately obvious. The two of them were then told to kneel opposite each other on some padded restraints, and their legs were locked down behind the knee and at the ankle.

Then the bizarre part happened. The guards pulled on the velcro even as they took Lara's right hand, and inserted it inside the left cup of Seven's bra. A restraint was attached around her wrist, so that it was firmly locked to it. The same was done with Lara's left hand, and then with both of Seven's on Lara's chest. No one commented, because nothing seemed appropriate for this bizarre situation. Mara and Starbuck just looked at the two, and then at each other, wondering if something similar was going to happen to them. And as Seven and Lara sat with their hands forcibly gripping the other's boobs, there was a moment of shared humiliation in all this.

The voice of Ms. Danoob spoke. "I'm not really sure why it is that you two take such an interest in the other's breasts," she said. "But you've targeted them at every opportunity. I'm not sure if you feel threatened or what - though I confess that I am a little humbled by you both." Ms. Danoob had a rather full chest herself, though not to the same degree as Lara and Seven. "Whatever it is, it seems it's a part of your little rivalry, so that's what this game will be about."

"You said we were done with these things," Mara said to the ceiling.

"I had hoped we would be, but it's clear that these two have some issues that have to be worked out. So, ladies, this domination game of yours is going to end once and for all. You can both attack, and neither can defend. It's simple strength versus strength; whoever gives first loses."

"And what happens to the loser?" Starbuck asked. "More punishment?"

"Of course not," Ms. Danoob said. "This is merely for you girls to work this out; I have no agenda here. Mara, Kara, since you two are both involved with one of the participants, you may assist her by tickling her opponent as well."

"Lovely," Mara said under her breath.

"Hopefully we won't have any more problems after today," Ms. Danoob said. "You two may begin whenever you're ready."

"And if we refuse?" Lara asked?"

"Nothing. But you won't be let out of those restraints until one of you admits she's been beaten. If one of you can swallow your pride and do so without prompting, it doesn't matter to me. But I really don't expect that to happen, do you?" The two women glared at one another. "Yes, I didn't think so."

Lara and Seven stared at one another; both were simply to full of pride to back down. The seconds wore on, and they considered their opponent. And that same pride that said that they wouldn't back down told them that if this started, they would win. They were the stronger,

In the end, Seven made the first move, and Lara sputtered with laughter. In their current situation, there really seemed only one way to go at it, so Seven had chosen to simply grab hold of her and tickle massage her breasts. Simple but very effective, but Lara almost instantly retaliated in kind, squeezing Seven's breasts quickly. Both were soon laughing , fighting not to but knowing it couldn't be helped.

Mara and Kara both watched, then looked at each other. They both were stuck here until they worked this out, so they might as well get started. Both decided to go for the feet, since they were easily reached under the circumstances. Mara began scratching furiously over Lara's soles, watching her scrunch and flinch under the assault. Kara, who had very ticklish feet, was more deft, working around the toes with inescapable strikes. Both were having an obvious effect, as the two were now squealing and laughing as their fight continued.

Seven was laughing hard now, but she knew she could win this. Lara was very buxom, so Seven decided to take advantage of that. She began changing the places where she was tickling, moving from one spot to the next, to help keep Lara off guard and unable to endure. It was having an effect; Lara's face was already lined with tears and she was shrieking with laughter. Seven kept her attacks small, with little pinches along the sides, then just grabbing and giving a deep tissue tickle. She varied it so that every time Lara thought she had the pattern down, Seven would throw her for a loop. She even found a way to offer some devilish scratching to the undersides, which cause Lara to bellow for a brief time when it first came. Mara backed her up. She began drawing her nails down Lara's feet, starting at the heel and working her way all the way down to the toes. Lara was still shaking and scrunching to escape, but Mara knew she was still having an effect, and any edge mattered. She thought this feud of theirs was stupid, of course, but at the end of the day, she would never allow Seven to lose if she could help it.

Kara was trying hard to help her partner as well, delivering a very effective foot tickling to Seven. Still, as she watched the two, she wondered if she shouldn't try the unexpected. If she threw Seven off, it would probably give Lara an advantage, and she knew just how to distract Seven. Still tickling with her left hand, Kara reached up in between Seven's legs and-

"If you have an ounce of self-preservation," Mara warned, “you won't finish that move." Kara stared hard at her, and Mara stared back. "No one touches Seven there but me."

Kara decided to back down; the last thing they needed was her and Mara getting into it, and she could understand Mara's reluctance. Boy, she thought, what does this place do to you that I'd even think that way, she wondered for a moment. There was a time that touching another woman's privates was the last thing I thought of, now it seems like a good strategy. She just shook her head and went back to Seven's toes. The way they kicked with what little freedom they had showed this was still having a very good effect.

Lara knew it was time to change tactics, so she gave up on the massages and took a chance she hoped would pay off. Instead of the full attack on the breasts themselves, Lara began stroking and scratching lightly over Seven's nipples. The results were immediate as Seven began wailing and trying to bounce her breasts away, even though it was impossible. Lara pushed the advantage, hoping it would keep Seven off balance, teasing and tickling them so much she felt Seven actually stop tickling altogether, she was so overwhelmed.

Seven, of course, was Borg, and thus adapted. The constant tickling had teased Lara's own nipples fully erect, and Seven placed the thumb on the tip of both of them and delicately stroked it while her fingers scratched all along the swollen flesh. Lara shrieked and swore, but was no more capable of bouncing her boobs away from the attacking hands than Seven had been.

Starbuck decided it was now time to change her own tactics, and left the feet for Seven's ample rear end. She ran her nails over the cheeks, and was rewarded with a sudden shriek from the Borg girl. She kept it up, then began digging her nails into the fleshy undersides, causing Seven to shake her ass like some bizarre dance. Starbuck kept at it, stroking and pinching and scratching while Seven kicked her feet within the restraints.

Lara could see Seven was getting it good, and so tried a new approach. She began tracing circles around Seven's breasts randomly, on the sides, around the nipple, on the undersides, occasionally mixing it up with some squeezing and scratching. Seven was completely red now, eyes screwed shut, jaw hung open in silent laughter. Lara grinned inwardly (since she was laughing madly outside) because she knew she had Seven on the ropes. A little longer, and she'd put this girl in her place. So she scratched under Seven's breasts, tweaked her nipples, then began massaging at the worst tickle spots.

Seven laughed and shook, trying to ignore it all but couldn't. The horrible tickling touches on her breasts, the grueling pinches on her behind, it just seemed to be everywhere, and unlike with Mara, this wasn't fun, it was just torture. And as she laughed and sputtered, her logical mind reminded her that the only reason this was even happening was because she insisted on this silly feud with Lara, that if she hadn't she'd be playing with Mara back in their room. She wondered if she shouldn't just give in. Let this end, and- No! She had to be strong! She was Borg!

She opened her eyes, ready to renew the assault, and she saw Mara behind Lara, but it was clear her attention was all on Seven. And their eyes met, and she could see it in Mara's expression. Just let it end, she seemed to say, and we can be together, because I'll always be yours no matter what you do.

Mara had taught Seven how to be soft, and willing to surrender control voluntarily. Seven had become a slave to her own pride, and now she was being tormented because of it. Win or lose, nothing would change... just let this rivalry die. "Enough!" she cried, I yield!"

"All right, that's enough," Ms. Danoob said, and the restraints on Seven and Lara automatically released. Starbuck and Mara helped the two to their feet and to get ready when the door slid open and Ms. Danoob walked in; it closed behind her. "Now," she said, "I trust this matter has been settled, and we can end this silly feuding? Seven? Lara?"

"Fine," Lara said dismissively.

"Very well,” Seven said in the same tone.

"Good, because we all have a great deal-" She paused as the lights went out. Almost immediately the emergency lights came on. She pulled out a communicator. "This is Ms. Danoob, what's going on?"

"Ma'am," came the voice of her assistant, "we had a problem switching systems over to the new reactor. A power surge has compromised many of the systems."

"How long until we're up and running?" she asked.

"Two hours, at least," came the reply. "Until then, everything is shut down even the doors won't work."

Ms. Danoob sighed. "Very well, keep me informed." She put the communicator away.

"What, that means we're stuck in here?" Starbuck asked.

"I'm afraid so," Ms. Danoob said. "The doors are electronic, you see. I'm no happier about it than you are."

"On the contrary," Seven said, "I am most happy about it." They all turned to her, but she was glaring at Ms. Danoob. "We cannot harm you, the same way we cannot harm each other. But..."

Lara seized on the idea. "But there's one thing we can do to each other, and thus... to you," she said, turning to Ms. Danoob. "Seven, I'm taking back some of the things I said about you."

Ms. Danoob took a step back from them. "Now listen," she said, trying to sound firm, but failing. "I run this facility. What happens to you is decided by me-"

"Yeah," Starbuck said. "You'd probably put us in one of those rooms for a while. But after all we've been through, it'll be worth it to see you get a taste of it."

Ms. Danoob swallowed. "Perhaps we can negotiate-"

"No," Seven said, like an iron door slamming home. "The time has come for you to take a little of your own treatment." The four closed in around her. "It's your turn to be tickled."

 

[tarr2k]

Part 29


Starbuck cracked her knuckles loudly, then wriggled them a little to shake them out. "Ladies, the moment has finally come." Her, Lara, Seven, and Mara looked down on the helpless bare form of Ms. Danoob. They'd strapped her down and stretched her out on a table, leaving most of the ticklish spots easily open. "A moment of thanks, for there is a small amount of justice in the universe."

"Release me," Ms. Danoob said, trying to sound firm, but with a clear undercurrent of fear.

"I claim the feet," Seven said, heading down the table.

"I'll join you," Mara said. "You should always share your toys, remember?"

"True," Seven said, getting a chair for each of them.

Starbuck, however, seemed to have no interest down there. Instead she hopped up and sat on Ms. Danoob's outstretched arms. She wriggled her fingers over the helpless woman's face. "Your armpits look freshly shaven," she said with a grin. “Let's see how sensitive they are.”

"No, no, NO!" Ms. Danoob said as they slowly moved away from her face. She began laughing as soon as they came in contact with her underarms. "NO! HAHAHA! STOP! PLEASE, DON'T TICKLE ME! HAHAHA!"

"Oh come," Lara said, "we've hardly started." She began kneading Ms. Danoob's tummy using her fingertips to go deep in to tease the entire area. Lara hummed to herself while she went about it, rewarded by an increase in the intensity of her victim's laughs. "Why don't you admit you're a ticklish girl?" Lara asked. "And how much you love it?"

Seven and Mara both joined in at this point, bending her toes back and going after the feet. It was now as loud as it probably could get as Ms. Danoob screamed with laughter under this four-fold assault. Clearly she was as ticklish as any of them, perhaps even moreso. If they had had any doubts before on this being a good idea, they seemed gone now. Each tickled with full enjoyment of the reversal, while Ms. Danoob begged for the mercy she'd always denied the four of them.

"Hm," Starbuck said, "who thinks she deserves a little break?" The only sound was Ms. Danoob's laughter. "Don't everyone talk at once," Starbuck said, wriggling her fingers all over those soft, luscious armpits. She was almost as fun to tickle as Lara was. Starbuck alternated her strokes, left and right, applying her nails and drawing them up quickly but gently, almost as if she were tunneling through dirt. She had a perfect view of Ms. Danoob's face, which was now crimson from laughter, and already covered with tears. "Don't fret now," she teased, "I'm sure they'll get you out of here in just a couple more hours. Until then, just enjoy yourself, right?" She started tickling a little harder now. "Oh, and you might as well tell us about the Cylons plans, since you know as much as I do, I'm sure."

Ms. Danoob laid there, body trembling as they tickled her. Clearly her techniques were all devised from personal experience, because she was obviously horribly ticklish. "HAHAHAHA! OH STOP! NOOOO-HOHOHOHOHAHAHAHA! NO MORE! STOP IT! PLEEEEAAAASSSEEEE-HEHEHEHE!!!"

Lara held her hands out like claws, then dropped them onto Ms. Danoob's stretched out ribcage. Each time they connected the little woman exploded with laughter, and Lara relished the revenge. All those times, she thought darkly, and you taunted me. Well, my dear, let's see how much you love it. She began doing it rapidly now, slowly going up the ribcage, then back down again, each time rewarded with a visible reaction from the struggling woman. At the end of the ribcage Lara dug her fingers in and wriggled them about, and Ms. Danoob shrieked and squirmed. Lara played over the whole area, digging her nails in and tickling wildly until Ms. Danoob's entire chest seemed to be shaking under the effects. Lara then began running the nails up and down the ribs, first together, then out of rhythm, so she would start arching one way, only to better expose herself on the other side to the coming fingernails. She couldn't laugh any more, her mouth just hung open while her eyes remained screwed shut, body shaking as she tried to breathe. Lara felt no pity for her; she'd do this all day if she were given the opportunity.

Seven and Mara continued playing with the squirming feet. Seven liked to work the sole over, stretching it out and then drawing her nails down it, feeling it shake feebly in her grip. Seven's hold on Ms. Danoob left her no room to escape, just to feel the continuous sensation of the nails starting at the toes, sliding over the ball, through the instep, and down the heel. Mara liked the area between the toes. She would hold the foot steady with her left hand, then pry her fingers in-between the tightly-squeezed toes and worm them about. While her fingers wriggled in there, Mara would dig her remaining thumb into the sole, just as a little bit of an extra tease. The two of them kept their attack up, and it was soon clear that Ms. Danoob had especially sensitive feet. Actually, the more Mara watched her, the more it seemed the woman was ticklish everywhere, probably on the same level as Seven was.

Lara seemed to have tired of the ribs now and began tickling Ms. Danoob's breasts. She started slowly, teasingly, drawing her nails around them to sensitize the skin, then lightly scratching here and there. A little on the undersides, a little on the sides. She drew a few light circles around the front. All the while Ms. Danoob laughed and shouted. This was what she'd been reduced to, from head of the facility to being unable to stop Lara from tickling her bare breasts. Lara smirked and began digging her fingers in more now, kneading the flesh in just the right places. The laughter took on a pitiful pleading tone as she did, but Ms. Danoob herself had long since lost the ability to use words. All she did was laugh and scream and shriek and gibber as they tickled her beyond all limits. It was fine with Lara, who had seen the far side of her limits many times, and only further relished the feel of her squirming as she tickle-massaged her breasts.

Starbuck, for her part, was content with the armpits, though mostly because it seemed to give her such an easy opportunity to torment Ms. Danoob. "Cootchie cootchie cootchie," she teased as she scratched over the bare pits. "Cootchie coo, tickle tickle. Tell us what you know, Ms. Danoob, and maybe we'll let you go, huh? Cootchie cootchie!" She began sticking a single digit in and wriggling it about, causing a new reaction that delighted Kara. "Oh, you love that," she teased. "You love it." She stopped wriggling and instead just began poking and prodding randomly, watching Ms. Danoob's reactions. "You loooove being tickled."

Mara decided to test just how sensitive Ms. Danoob was, so she left her spot by Seven and moved up to the knees, gently squeezing them. The response was as expected, and pretty much confirmed Mara's suspicions about how ticklish she was. Of course, it also raised some more questioned, which she mulled over distantly as she pinched her way up Ms. Danoob's inner thighs, each greeted with a little shriek of surprise. Soon she put her first two fingers together on each hand, placed them on her hipbones, and began making circles. This had been one of her favorite spots to push Seven's buttons, and it had a similar effect on the administrator. The hips bucked and tried to shake her off, but it was as effective as it was everywhere else. Mara teased around the hips some more, than around her womanhood. She finished by squeezing her flanks, worming her thumbs in and feeling her feebly struggling to resist the deep ticklish prods.

Before the fun could continue, the lights came on, and the doors opened, and a dozen guards rushed in. Immediately the quartet stopped their ministrations, knowing it was over, but satisfied with the small revenge they'd managed to achieve. Ms. Danoob's assistant followed them in, a clipboard in hand. "Order's ma'am?" she asked the still panting woman.

"Four hours each," Ms. Danoob said, coughing a little. "Z targeting protocol. It's in their files."

"Come with us" one of the guards said, gesturing towards the exit. All of them immediately complied except Mara, who turned to Ms. Danoob.

"I'd like a word with you, first," Mara said to her.

"There's nothing more to say," Ms. Danoob said flatly while she was removed from the restraints.

"I think there is," Mara said.

Ms. Danoob took a few second to look at her, but her face was unreadable. "Take the others; Mara will be coming along shortly." The other three were taken from the room by the majority of the guards, and at a nod from Ms. Danoob, her assistant departed as well, leaving just two guards. "What is it?" she asked Mara.

"I think this would be better just between us," Mara said.

"After what you just did to me?" Ms. Danoob asked incredulously.

"Yes," Mara said. She folded her arms and waited. Ms. Danoob finally sighed and nodded to the guards, who stepped outside and closed the door.

"Now," Ms. Danoob said, pulling her clothes back on, "what's this about? I'm very busy, and you've already cost me two hours."

"On the contrary," Mara said, "I think everything's right on schedule."

"What are you talking about?" Ms. Danoob asked, not even looking at her as she adjusted her skirt.

"You're smart," Mara said. "Too smart to be caught like this. You planned this. You wanted us to do this to you."

"You must be out of your mind," Ms. Danoob said.

"A power failure with no way to open the doors?" Mara asked. "No, sorry, you're not that careless. If there were a fire, you'd need a way out. Admit it; this was staged."

Ms. Danoob finished buttoning her blouse up and smoothed it out. "This is why I want you in charge," she said. "Very good, Mara. Yes, I let them do it. It was, well, a team-building activity. It's not going to magically make them all get along, but it's helped bring them a little closer, and gotten some of their hostility and frustration out."

"Mm-hm,” Mara said. "And I see the need to send them down to maintain the ruse, but all the same, let’s not."

"And risk them seeing through this?" Ms. Danoob asked. "Do you think I liked doing that?"

"Yes," Mara said. "No one can do what you do without being an expert on giving and receiving tickling. You liked it, right? In fact, I’m better you loved it."

Ms. Danoob offered just the tiniest amount of a smile. "What's your point?"

"No harm done," Mara said. "Tell the ladies I made you an offer to let you tickle me personally, in return for sending them back without further punishment."

Ms. Danoob put a finger to her lips. "And thus further establish your credibility as the head of their group. Very good, I like. But what of Seven? She's rather possessive."

"I'll handle Seven," Mara said. "Do we have a deal?"

Ms. Danoob considered and nodded. "Very well. I assume you are not actually volunteering."

"No," Mara said.

"Pity. Still, we'll have to do some if only to maintain the ruse; Seven's too observant. Just before you're returned, agreed?" Mara sighed but nodded. "Good. You'll remain here," Ms. Danoob said, and walked out.

"Ma'am?" her assistant asked, waiting nearby.

"Too easy," Ms. Danoob said.

"Fortunately for us," her assistant said. "As you said, they're potentially dangerous."

"Yes, but, I do like being surprised now and again. Carry it all out, have Mara prepped for a session in three hours; I do enjoy at least watching her laugh."

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And have Chamber 1 readied for me, please. I hate to be crass, but if I don’t climax soon I’ll never get any work done.”

 

[tarr2k]

Part 30


A small island rises from the Pacific, the sun behind it, well on its way up the sky for its daily run. A flock of birds sits on a rocky outcropping, and the scene is one of tranquility that is deserving of a postcard.

A shrill voice rings out, and the birds take flight, and the air seems decidedly less calm than it had been.

“It’s gonna take a lot to drag me awaaaaay from you," Starbuck sang. "There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever doooooo." She and Lara lay on blankets on the roof of Crossroads Facility, dressed in bikinis with sunglasses, soaking up the sun. "I bless the rains down in Caprica... gonna take some time to do the things we never haaaaad."

"Kara," Lara said without opening her eyes. "I love you. Do shut the fuck up."

Starbuck scoffed. "That song is a classic where I come from."

"I think it should have stayed there," Lara said.

"Hmph," Starbuck said indignantly. "You just have no taste, that's the problem."

Lara raised her sunglasses. "What?" She sat up. "What did you say?"

"I just- yah!" she cried as Lara pounced on her, pinning her arms down with her legs.

"I have impeccable taste," Lara said.

"Yes, you do," Starbuck said. "You go out with me, after all." She shrieked as Lara dug her fingers into Kara's ribs. "You have good taste you have good taste you have good taste get off get off get off!"

"Oh no," Lara said, "You're not getting out of this that easily."

"No Lara!" Starbuck begged. “Not like this!" Her body was covered in tanning oils, which only made all the tickling even more intense.

"You should have thought of that before you impugned my sense of taste," Lara rebuked, digging her nails into Starbuck's ribcage. With the oil she was able to easily slide them up and down over the humps of each rib, all the way up to her armpits and back down again.

"OH GODS! HAHAHAHA!! NO LARA PLEASE! HAHAHAHA! MERCY MERCY MERCY! WA-HAHAHA!!!"

“No mercy," Lara said with a sinister grin. "Not this time." She ran her nails slowly up and down Starbucks ribs until Kara was kicking her legs with laughter.

Lara drew her nails back up the trembling ribs again, but this time she didn't stop. She ran her nails right into Starbuck's underarms and began scratching away. Kara's laughter intensified as the nails danced over the smooth skin moving rapidly and randomly over her armpits. It wasn't long and Starbuck looked like she'd forgotten to wear anything for the sun, because she was very red. "Oh stop..." she said breathlessly. "No more Lara. Ha ha ha ha no more!"

"Oh please, you can take far more than this," Lara teased, moving her fingers in little circles around Kara's armpits. Starbuck immediately got her breath back, because she wailed and fought to escape. But Lara had her too well pinned to let that happen.

"Oh gods! Please, Lara, hahaha I'm begging you!"

Lara sighed and stopped for a moment while Starbuck got her breath back. "You're getting soft," she teased.

"With everything that's happened to me here," Starbuck said, "it's a wonder I haven't already gone frakin' nuts. What are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing," Lara said, even as she took hold of Starbuck's bikini top and peeled it up, letting her breasts bounce free.

"Lara!" Starbuck chastised, "People can see me out here!"

"Oh, who's going to see?" Lara asked. "And besides, I've got plans here." She leaned down and pinched Kara's nipples a few times, causing her to giggle. She began lightly scratching and teasing, and Kara began to chuckle, and then laugh."

"Get off!" Kara said, laughing, but Lara continued to tickle her nipples while she squirmed around.

"You love this," Lara said.

"No I don't!"

"Liar." Lara kept it up. "You do love this."

"Get off!!!"

Lara kept up her delicate stroking. "Well?"

"Hahahah! Yes!" Kara finally admitted.

"Now that's my good girl," Lara said, and she stopped and climbed of the gasping Starbuck. She came around and laid alongside her and began kissing. "Now, who knows best?"

"You do," Kara said, and began kissing her right back.
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Mara was lying back on the bed when Seven dropped in between her legs facing away from her. "Do you need something?" Mara asked. Without a word, Seven took up Mara's left foot and began tickling it, causing Mara to immediately begin laughing and struggling to escape. "Stop it!" she cried, trying to squirm away.

"I cannot," Seven said, scratching delicately over the helpless sole. "I should get the chance to make up for our lost time."

Mara squealed. "Danoob didn't play with me!" she protested. "It was punishment!"

"Irrelevant. You are mine to tickle. Mine." She began working over the instep -one of Mara's worse spots- causing her to lurch up and try to pull herself away. "No one else may have my Mara."

Mara laughed, ground her teeth, and grabbed Seven's ribs. Seven immediately burst out laughing. "Let go!" Mara said, tickling Seven's ribs as much as she could. Seven shook and sputtered, but her grip didn't wane even a little.

"You cannot hope to win, Mara Jade," Seven tried to say in her stern voice, but it was impossible for her to stop laughing. "Surrender now, and I promise to be merciful."

Mara could hardly see through the tears, but she worked her way down to Seven's flanks, kneading her sensitive pale flesh. "Stuff your mercy! Hahahaha!!!"

Seven could hardly contain herself, but she attacked the foot with renewed determination, holding the toes back to stretch it out, and running her hands up and down like she was strumming a guitar. "You will fall, Mara Jade," she managed to get out before a laughing fit overwhelmed her.

Mara was roaring, and her hands slipped off and she flopped back for a moment. Finally, pulling herself up, she grabbed Seven between the shoulder and scratched at her collarbones. Seven immediately tried to withdraw her head like a turtle, but she couldn't escape, and was soon bellowing with laughter. "Give it up, Seven! Hahahaha! You're never going to outlast me!"

"He-he, he-he, he-he, never!" Seven said, overcome by a snickering fit that turned into full-blown laughing again.

Seven went to the toes, worming her fingers in between despite how much Mara clenched them. Mara was fighting like mad now, but Seven wriggled her fingers in there, feeling her quake with each movement of her hand. Mara, not to be outdone, switched from the collarbones and began going up and down Seven's back. That was something completely new and unexpected, and so Seven jumped. During the brief surprise Mara's foot came free and she pulled it back, then in triumph shoved and knocked Seven face down. Mara laid on her back and began tickling mercilessly up and down her sides, flanks and ribs both, while Seven laughed feverishly. "You're beaten!" Mara crowed. "Surrender, and your punishment will be light."

Seven was laughing wildly, but nevertheless defiant. "I am Borg, we do not surrender!" She turned crimson by now, however, and soon Mara relented and pulled her up. Seven wiped the tears from her face and beamed as she looked into her eyes.

"You're so much fun," Mara said, and hugged her close.

"As are you," Seven said, and laid Mara back on the bed. She gently rubbed Mara's body, and her touch felt so nice, so relaxing. Mara moaned a little and stroked Seven's arm and shoulder before the Borg girl slid further down and opened Mara's legs. She felt the familiar and wonderful sensations of her lips at work, and Mara sighed with happiness. The experience never lost any of its luster; she always managed to make it even more wonderful than the last time. And when Mara climaxed, she whispered Seven's name over and over, if only to remind herself that all the happiness in the universe begins with her.
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Mara, Seven, Lara, and Starbuck all sat around the table in the briefing room where Seven and Lara had had their unpleasant confrontation. Fortunately there was no sign of trouble. They didn't speak to each other, but there was no sign of hostility, so that was good enough.

Ms. Danoob came in and took a seat, looking over a clipboard. "Pardon me," she said, "things are very hectic with the new reactor handling things." She put the clipboard down. "I see Mara has trained you all on the use of the new blasters," she said, "so it seems we're ready for our first genuine field assignment."

"And haven't we been looking forward to that," Starbuck said under her breath.

"Seven," Ms. Danoob said, turning to her, "I see that there were many things you were able to do on Voyager thanks to the presence of a Borg alcove. Everything from complex analyses to the rapid assimilation of knowledge."

"Yes," Seven said. "Though the latter resulted in information overload."

"Yes, but I think for the relatively small amounts of data we have it would be an ideal way to quickly fill you in on detailed operations."

Seven considered. "Yes," she said, "but the lack of an alcove makes the point moot. Borg technology is far beyond anything I have to work with here. You would be asking me to build a working rocket with nothing but wood and stone."

"I concede that the Borg far exceed our technology," Ms. Danoob said. "You are proof enough of that. Therefore, there's only one course of action left: we must take an alcove ourselves."

Seven's eyes widened in horror. "That would be impossible."

"I don't think so," Ms. Danoob said. "The Borg will ignore you, yes? They ignore anything that isn't a threat."

"And removing Borg technology would be perceived as a threat," Seven said firmly. "We would all be immediately targeted for elimination or assimilation."

"What if we found a broken vessel?" Ms. Danoob asked. "Accidents happen sometimes; we could take one from there."

"It's too great a risk for so small a gain," Seven said. "The Borg are extremely dangerous, and should not be trifled with."

"We just have to be careful, Seven," Ms. Danoob said.

"My parents said the same thing," Seven said sharply. "And because of that I was assimilated."

"The Borg will have no way to find us once we've left," Ms. Danoob said.

"You don't know that," Seven said sharply. "The Borg are highly-adaptive; if they found out how you reached them, they may be able to come back and assimilate this entire facility. The Borg with this power is too terrible to even think about."

"I'm willing to take that risk," Ms. Danoob said. "Mara, I'd like you to have your group prepped and ready by tomorrow; I'll have my people look for a suitable target."

"This is a mistake," Seven said firmly. "You risk all of us, everything."

Ms. Danoob stared at her for a time. "Seven, Thomas Wolfe was wrong."

"What?"

"You can go home again," she replied. "I understand your fear of the Borg-"

"I fear them because I understand them," Seven said."

"Nevertheless, you're going home to the old collective. And when we're done, we'll have a better understanding of how Borg technology works."

"Yes," Seven said bitterly. "I only hope it is not that we have all become drones."