A New Recruit
Smoke fills the backroom of the casino. Outside, people of every race and species plug their currency in the machines or slap it down on the tables. All want that big score. Inside the room, however, is a game with a little more at stake. Four players and the dealer circle a green felt covered table. Varying sized stacks of colored chips rest before each. A mound grows at the center of the table while cards lie face down before the contenders. A male fox reclines in his chair, taking it easy as he sips his neon green drink. A male rat grins over the tops of his cards as he gauges his opponents, the brim of his fedora hiding all his features. An old stallion mulls over his cards, shaking his mane every so often. A mature tigress smokes a long thin cigarette as her eyes dart from player to player. She's the one that called this game and she intends to win it. All four hold a vast fortune in chips and the winner will be very rich indeed.
The rat is the most conniving street gangster the world has ever seen. The stallion is an old card shark, gathering his fortune over the long years by winning every game he ever sat at. The tigress is an heiress of the largest capitalist family in the known galaxy. Now the fox no one knows much about. He's a freighter pilot but has the money to own a fleet of ships. He chooses not to. Some see him as eccentric.
Already the game has lasted four hours. Money has changed hands all around but everyone sits at the same amount they started with. The battle of the titans continues as spectators watch from the windows and over the vid-screens. The tigress wanted this televised. After all, her family owns most of the vid-companies.
Hour after hour passes and slowly the piles change until the rat calls it quits. Even the old equine throws in the towel. He didn't lose much but he knows how bloody the game will end up. Now the tigress and fox face off. Neither gives a tell. Neither reveals anything. The fox takes a look at his newest hand and bids high. The tigress glances at hers and bids even higher. "Why don't we make things easy, Darren? This last hand with everything we've got." The tigress goads the fox into making a move that tips her to his hand.
The fox's ears twist and turn as he listens to all the muted noises from outside. He shakes his head, "I'm afraid that would be a much uneven bid against you, Arianna." His eyes stare at the tigress as she ponders his words.
She grins a sharp-toothed smile, "Would the bank consider an addition to the pot to make it even?"
Without a hesitation in her voice, the vixen dealer asks, "What is your wager?" The tigress snaps her finger and a young voluptuous female cheetah saunters up, the collar around her neck a clear sign of her position. "The wager is acceptable to even the bid. Do both parties agree to the conditions?" Both nod and place their wager in the center of the table. Each takes a turn to call and receive their new cards. Both take one card. Grinning, the tigress lays down her cards. Undaunted, the fox flips his. Arianna's composure quickly changes as she growls at his hand, her fur bristling and ears falling back. Both had the same hand except for the high card. His was one higher.
No one says a word as the fox stands stretching his arms and legs. His tail straightens out before dropping back down. The dealer organizes the chips for the vulpine as he takes a handful and tosses in her tip bin. He doesn't pay attention to the quantity of chips nor the amount stamped on them. The cheetah moves around the table to her new master. Without a word, she follows leaving her former life behind. No glance back. She smiles inwardly to finally be away from the tigress but she hesitates. She knows nothing of this new master and she secretly hopes he is kind and gentle, even going so far as to bed her. The fox leads her through the casino while the attendants take care of the banking. He doesn't know how much he won nor does he want to.
Out of the complex they walk and she watches him. His ears keep searching for some sound. The fingers of his right hand twitch every time they swing by the holster he slipped on at the game's end. The way he holds himself as he walks tells her he's seen service. But with what force there is no way for her to know. Through the crowds they walk. Even at this early hour the planet stays busy. Commerce never sleeps.
Down to the docks they wander. The cheetah stares at the different configurations of all the ships temporarily housed here. They move around mountains of crates, past groups of construction workers, under scaffolding, constantly heading towards the far end of the work zone. Stopping before an old relic of a cargo ship, she scoffs, "This is your ship?" He looks at her, her eyes widening as she panics at the insult. "Forgive me, master!" she begs dropping to her knees with head bowed, ears flat against her head.
Darren chuckles, "Come on." She scrambles to her feet and hurries after him. The hatch closes after her barely letting her tail slip in. "So tell me, what do you know how to do? If you're on my ship, you have to earn your keep.
"I am well trained in the bedroom, master," she says with a purr as she steps to him, her hand finding his chest.
He smiles, "I'm sure you are. But that alone isn't enough."
Her demeanor changes as she takes a step back, her body straightening as she stands tall. "I know how to fight with any weapon or anything that can be used as a weapon. Stealth is a specialty of mine. I can go anywhere undetected and eliminate anyone necessary to complete my task."
His smile broadens. "So you're military! Let me guess, you gambled against someone you shouldn't have?"
Her eyes drop, "Yes, master."
"Good enough. I expect hard work, nothing less." He turns and heads down the corridor.
He misses the smile and the hushed whisper, "You won't regret this, master."
The familiar feel of the pilot's chair hugs his body as the straps tighten across his shoulders and lap. A couple taps of the controls and the engines warm up. Shortly after, the clearance codes come in and the ship lurches from the dock. The dark night sky fills the windows with the stars coming into focus as they leave the atmosphere. Blips of all shape and size move across the scanner screen as commerce goes on about its business and Darren slides the ship into one of the many outbound space lanes. A quick moment later and the stars turn into streaks as the ship activates its faster-than-light drive. The autopilot takes over giving Darren a moment to escape the confines of his chair.
He finds the cheetah in the engine room, her eyes scanning over schematics of the ship. Her tail sways back and forth in a slow arc as her ears constantly twist and turn. She knows he's watching her long before she says a word. Without turning from her studies, "My apologies, master, but I wish to know this ship inside and out."
A smile slips along his lips as he walks over to her. "You haven't told me your name yet."
He hears a sharp intake of air, "You haven't given me one, master."
Darren shakes his head, "I want the name you were born with, the one taken away when you screwed up."
She turns from him as she hides her embarrassment and grief of her situation. "That name is long gone, master."
"Nevertheless, I want to know it." His tone is more drill-sergeant than master.
"Mikayla," she whispers.
The fox's ears perk up at the name. "Then it's settled, Mikayla" She spins around as he turns and walks away. Her maw hangs open as her astonishment. Over his shoulder, "It's late, Mikayla. Get some sleep."
"Y-y-yes, master." Her feet quickly pad after her master. She follows him along the many corridors of the ship, her memory tracing their path through the schematics she memorized. He stops and opens the room for her. A slight musty smell of an unused room wafts across her nose. A small room with a bunk and sonic shower cabinet greets her eyes. Her ears twitch as the door across the hall slides open. She looks over her shoulder and watches the fox yank off his smoke-filled shirt. The door closes before she catches any more. Sighing, she enters her new home, the lights activating and blinking for a moment as they get used to working once more. Not the best room she's ever had but it sure beats her worst. And now it's home, for a long time she hopes.