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Description
"Captain," the voice says timidly over the comms. "Ready to power this contraption up."
"Stay by the equipment," I say sternly. "Monitor all systems and ensure nominal operation. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Ma'am," she gulps. Don't need to be an esper to figure that out.
"Ready to activate the new shield modulation array," Monica tells me.
"Make it so.**" The redhead has the conference room displays show electronic and bioelectrical statuses. "How does it look?"
"Everything looks good," Monica says, a bit shyly. She's leaking a bit, I know her so well, the state of the array is not the only thing she thinks looks good as she steals a glance at my legs. Her love for me is something I can continue to exploit.
"Ensign," I say to Angie over the comms. "How's it look down there?"

"It would help if I knew how this actually worked," she says, not trying hard to hide her annoyance. I hit her with a psibolt and she yelps. "OWWW! Er... It's fine, Captain!" she says in response. "According to all the design specs - "
"Very good, Ensign," I say, removing her pain. "Maintain observational status or I'll give you a headache you won't soon forget."

"Yes... Ma'am!"
"Tell her to bring tuna." That from Callie.

"You've put on half a kilo," I tell the cat. "Hit the treadmill then we'll talk. Fontaine, out."
"Press the big red button," my Chief Engineer tells me. "Then we'll see." I press the button.

I don't detect anything different.
"Is it working? Monica rolls her eyes at me and I hit her with a mild bolt. "Show respect for your Captain."

"The array is 100 percent operational," she tells me. "No one, and that means the Empyrean One or her August Majesty can penetrate this space psionically. The coprocessor I had installed broadcasts believable statuses. They have no idea that we can communicate in this cone of silence."
"Cone of Silence?"
"Old reference from an ancient broadcast," she tells me. "Meg's like her history."
"So we're safe?"
"As safe as current circumstances allow."
"Thank the Goddess!", I say, letting out me breath in relief. "This act is tiresome."

"Necessary," Monica points out. "Though you are a bit hard on Angie."

"What is expected of Nat the Monster."

"Everyone's afraid of you," she tells me.

"Other than Nadia."
"Yes, nothing fazes her. " A pause, then, "Should we read her in?"

"Not yet," I tell her. "Too soon. And she's not a good liar. Not enough to fool Keisha. Anyway, you were correct about her intentions and you playing the fool made her very happy."
"I can be a good liar, when necessary," she tells me.

"And can we stop saying Empyrean One and August Majesty? Talk about full of themselves."

Monica chuckles. "I've missed you." Her eyes lingering on my legs. Again. "The array is working perfectly. Ship's shielding is improved 219 percent - "
"A necessary enhancement to justify your cone of quiet."
"Silence," she says. "Cone of Silence. And we are safe. And psienergy is trickling into you. Any faster and it would be detected but once it's there, it's concealed. No one will detect it."
"You sure?" She rolls her eyes again and I psibolt her again. But I banish her pain. When we reset the galaxy, she still left me strong. Stronger than her. With a capacity for even greater strength. And this for a woman who had brutally tortured her. Her love and devotion to me knows no bounds.

I take her hand and place it on my thigh.

"Show me how happy you are to be with me."
She is very happy!

* Old pop culture reference
** Not quite as old pop culture reference

Description
"Captain," the voice says timidly over the comms. "Ready to power this contraption up."
"Stay by the equipment," I say sternly. "Monitor all systems and ensure nominal operation. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Ma'am," she gulps. Don't need to be an esper to figure that out.
"Ready to activate the new shield modulation array," Monica tells me.
"Make it so.**" The redhead has the conference room displays show electronic and bioelectrical statuses. "How does it look?"
"Everything looks good," Monica says, a bit shyly. She's leaking a bit, I know her so well, the state of the array is not the only thing she thinks looks good as she steals a glance at my legs. Her love for me is something I can continue to exploit.
"Ensign," I say to Angie over the comms. "How's it look down there?"

"It would help if I knew how this actually worked," she says, not trying hard to hide her annoyance. I hit her with a psibolt and she yelps. "OWWW! Er... It's fine, Captain!" she says in response. "According to all the design specs - "
"Very good, Ensign," I say, removing her pain. "Maintain observational status or I'll give you a headache you won't soon forget."

"Yes... Ma'am!"
"Tell her to bring tuna." That from Callie.

"You've put on half a kilo," I tell the cat. "Hit the treadmill then we'll talk. Fontaine, out."
"Press the big red button," my Chief Engineer tells me. "Then we'll see." I press the button.

I don't detect anything different.
"Is it working? Monica rolls her eyes at me and I hit her with a mild bolt. "Show respect for your Captain."

"The array is 100 percent operational," she tells me. "No one, and that means the Empyrean One or her August Majesty can penetrate this space psionically. The coprocessor I had installed broadcasts believable statuses. They have no idea that we can communicate in this cone of silence."
"Cone of Silence?"
"Old reference from an ancient broadcast," she tells me. "Meg's like her history."
"So we're safe?"
"As safe as current circumstances allow."
"Thank the Goddess!", I say, letting out me breath in relief. "This act is tiresome."

"Necessary," Monica points out. "Though you are a bit hard on Angie."

"What is expected of Nat the Monster."

"Everyone's afraid of you," she tells me.

"Other than Nadia."
"Yes, nothing fazes her. " A pause, then, "Should we read her in?"

"Not yet," I tell her. "Too soon. And she's not a good liar. Not enough to fool Keisha. Anyway, you were correct about her intentions and you playing the fool made her very happy."
"I can be a good liar, when necessary," she tells me.

"And can we stop saying Empyrean One and August Majesty? Talk about full of themselves."

Monica chuckles. "I've missed you." Her eyes lingering on my legs. Again. "The array is working perfectly. Ship's shielding is improved 219 percent - "
"A necessary enhancement to justify your cone of quiet."
"Silence," she says. "Cone of Silence. And we are safe. And psienergy is trickling into you. Any faster and it would be detected but once it's there, it's concealed. No one will detect it."
"You sure?" She rolls her eyes again and I psibolt her again. But I banish her pain. When we reset the galaxy, she still left me strong. Stronger than her. With a capacity for even greater strength. And this for a woman who had brutally tortured her. Her love and devotion to me knows no bounds.

I take her hand and place it on my thigh.

"Show me how happy you are to be with me."
She is very happy!

* Old pop culture reference
** Not quite as old pop culture reference