"Which one of you is this ship's captain — get the hell out here!" Old Chen bellowed in a frenzy, a finger jabbing into the ship workshop.
Beside him, a young man with both hands in his pockets, wearing an air of being someone very important, sneered, "Cross my brother Chen, and I'd say you lot are tired of living. Get out here now, quick, and apologize to brother Chen!"
The shout drew every eye that way.
Lilith and the woman liaison, still mid-talk, both broke off and looked over.
The woman liaison's face changed; she knew these two.
The one called "brother Chen" was the commander of an interstellar-transport fleet attached to the Arctic Fox star system lord's own fleet — some relation of the lord's, it seemed. In the interstellar trade-transport line within the Arctic Fox star system his name carried far, and he often handled others' dirty business. But on account of his backing, those he bullied could only rage in silence.
The other, the young man, was one of the Black Fox Society's higher-ups.
The Black Fox Society was likewise a notorious dark power within the Arctic Fox star system; for wherever you went there was a dark side, and the Black Fox Society was the Arctic Fox star system's dark side.
The two were on good terms, often using the interstellar transports to ferry gray-market goods and run illegal trade, reaping fat profits from it.
"I'm the captain. What is it you want with me?" Zhao Chen walked out, unhurried, and stopped right in the doorway.
"What is it? You have the gall to ask me what it is? You shelled my ship with your damned cannons — have you forgotten! Don't think that because there was no video comm I can't pick you out; that neither-fish-nor-fowl piece-of-junk ship of yours I'd know if it were ground to ash!" As Old Chen said it, he made to step up and seize Zhao Chen by the collar.
But Zhao Chen, without the least ceremony, lifted a foot and kicked.
One kick to the chest sent the man flying back several meters.
"The hell — you dare raise a hand! I'm of the Black Fox Society; cross the Black Fox Society, and do you know the price you'll—mama, mama… aah—"
The young man hadn't finished before a kick caught him full in the face; his body sailed sideways and slammed hard into a shipping-crate!
Crash!
A red shoe-print stood clear on his face.
At this Zhao Chen frowned.
The onlookers instinctively took it for anger.
Kicked him the wrong way, Zhao Chen thought inwardly. He'd knocked the fellow into his precious darlings.
In theory a bump like that would do the raw materials in the crate no harm, but Zhao Chen was displeased all the same.
"Cough, cough, cough… you… you actually dared raise a hand… you set your ship to shell mine — believe me, I'll haul you before the imperial military tribunal!" Old Chen clutched his heaving stomach; that kick had felt as though it would send his whole insides spilling out.
"You're the commander of that interstellar-transport fleet sent to rescue and evacuate the people of asteroid P331." Zhao Chen looked at the man, only now recalling that earlier episode.
Old Chen jabbed a finger at Zhao Chen. "You've landed yourself in trouble this time — big trouble!"
"Cough, cough… that's right, I'm telling you! You dare lay a hand on us of the Black Fox Society — I've already sent for my brothers, so you can just wait and collect your own corpse!" the kicked Black Fox young man shouted.
"You deliberately dragged your feet, slowed your fleet, and cared nothing for the 5 million lives on asteroid P331. The one in trouble is you, surely." Lilith stepped up now and stood at Zhao Chen's side, speaking for her captain.
"That voice — it was you, you filthy woman, who threatened me back then!" Old Chen recognized Lilith's voice as the one that had threatened them over the comm.
"A succubus!" Suddenly the Black Fox young man surged forward several steps, as if to rush at Lilith.
But Zhao Chen shifted in a single motion and planted himself before Lilith, watching the man with an icy gaze.
It scared the Black Fox young man to a halt.
The Black Fox young man eyed Zhao Chen warily, then raised a hand and opened an image — a photograph of a figure in a black cloak, half a face barely visible. Compare it against Lilith, and it was plainly none other than the woman before them!
"Boy, it was you who attacked our Black Fox Society's men and made off with these succu— these things, wasn't it!" The Black Fox young man had been about to say the word "succubi."
But he quickly caught himself; word of the succubi couldn't be let out — a tall tree catches the wind!
"Yes. And what of it?" Zhao Chen said mildly.
"Good, good, good. Worn out iron shoes hunting for it, and here it falls into my lap with no effort at all! Our whole Black Fox Society has been searching high and low for you! And you've gone and delivered yourself to our door." The Black Fox young man swiftly backed off several steps, keyed out a message on his handheld terminal, and sent it off again.
Then he leveled a finger at Zhao Chen. "You just wait — you're finished. Here, no one dares set themselves against the Black Fox Society!"
"Hahaha — so she's the very one you've all been hunting." Old Chen too was laughing in excitement now; he'd heard of the succubi business from the young man.
Watching the way this was unfolding, his heart leapt with wild joy.
This punk had crossed the Black Fox Society; that meant he was well and truly, thoroughly done for.
Zhao Chen frowned. He feared no Black Fox Society — but he hated the bother of it.
If the matter blew up too large, he'd have to leave Arctic Fox Starport, and that would surely delay the build of the T2 Black-Rhino-class Interstellar Heavy-Assault Frigate.
That was a matter most important! Important! Important!
In truth, had this fellow not come looking for him unbidden, Zhao Chen couldn't have been bothered with such trifling nonsense.
"For all you've done, aren't you afraid you'll stand before the military tribunal!" Lilith, in shame and fury, jabbed a finger at Old Chen — while worrying, too, whether the matter of their succubus identity might bring trouble down on Captain Zhao Chen.
Over this stretch of time, the succubi had lived very happily in the Owl Dragon Fleet; they'd come to love the life here — so much that some succubi had nightmares, dreaming it was all false.
That they were still eking out a desperate, day-to-day survival in the world outside.
"Talk out your backside — what proof have you! My ship had a malfunction, so it slowed down. And you lot, without asking a single question, shelled my fleet." Old Chen looked at Lilith and Zhao Chen with a savage grin. "This is the Arctic Fox star system; you have no proof — who's going to believe your rot?"
"I'll believe it."
Just then, a voice came from behind Old Chen.
"Who the hell's over here poking into other people's… other people's… other people's…" Old Chen turned to curse on reflex — and the next instant he was dumbfounded, his tongue tangling into a stammer.
A woman in the officer's uniform of the imperial navy was walking slowly toward them.
Her military boots struck the ground with a sound almost pleasing to the ear.
And behind her came a guard of 30 soldiers, laser rifles in hand.
Most of all — beside the imperial-navy crest on this woman's chest was pinned a further crest, dazzling to the eye.
It was a single character!
In golden script — "Chu"!