Kara woke up the next morning and felt annoyance as she opened her eyes. She was still surrounded with pink and it wasn't just a dream.

“Good morning, Princess.” Hunter said and came into the compartment with a tray of food. “Your royal banquet has arrived.”

“I wish you would stop saying that every time you bring me food.” Kara said and sat up, then watched Hunter set up the table for her.

“The Presence wavered slightly, so I'm going to keep doing it.” Hunter gave her an award winning smile and she sighed. “Princess, please avail yourself of the feast before you.”

“You are getting very annoying.” Kara said and climbed off the bed. She wore a set of children's pyjamas in adult size and walked over to the table. She sat down and he stood there and watched her eat. “I don't know why I keep assuming that you won't poison me.”

Hunter chuckled. “I'm not that underhanded.”

“You've put things in people's food before.” Kara said as she recalled the tricks he used to pull.

“That was different. Having people believe they're eating one thing when it's really another, is pretty funny sometimes when they find out what they actually ate.”

Kara looked at her tray of food and then looked at Hunter.

“I gave you my word a long time ago that I wouldn't do that to you...” Hunter said and the Presence didn't waver. “...despite the temptation and how easy it would be.”

Kara sighed and ate breakfast without saying anything else.

“Good job.” Hunter said and made the tray disappear. “Please adorn your royal uniform and accompany me.”

“Wh-what?” Kara looked at him with surprise on her face.

“From now on, you're going to be my apprentice.” Hunter said with an evil grin. “I hope you're ready to get your hands dirty.”

Kara closed her eyes for a moment and stopped her second sigh from escaping. “You're really enjoying this, aren't you?”

“Kara, despite what you may think...” Hunter said with an angry voice and she opened her eyes to stare at him. “...I'm not doing this for myself. I admit that I am going to enjoy aspects of this, because it feels good to see you have to endure some of the humiliation I had to endure.” He said. “However, having to treat anyone this way constantly is not my idea of fun.”

“H-Hunter...”

“Go ahead and have a shower if you want and then change into your uniform.” Hunter walked over to her door. “We have a full day of work ahead of us.” He stepped out and the door closed behind him.

Kara had taken a shower the night before, so she took off her pyjamas and put on her princess dress and the tiara. His statement had let her know that he wasn't peeping on her all the time and she put on the pink slipper-like shoes. She walked over to the door and it opened automatically for her. She caught her breath at that and Hunter smiled.

“What? Did you think I had locked you in for the last few days?” Hunter asked and Isabella smiled.

Kara didn't bother holding in her third sigh.

“I suppose you need a quick tour.” Hunter said and waved at the middle of the large room they were in. “This is the media room where we all gather to watch television when we're all at home.” He pointed at each of the living spaces and said who stayed there and ended with the one across from hers. “That one's mine.”

Kara didn't react to that information like he thought she would have.

“I can see you all the time, because our living quarters are across from each other.” Hunter said pointedly to see if that would get her to react.

Kara looked at her place and then back to his. “Do you stand at your door all night to stare into mine?”

“Well, no. I just...”

“Then what was the point of putting me there?” Kara asked. “You're not even observing me like I tried to observe you all the time.”

Hunter opened his mouth to respond and she chuckled.

“If you think that's going to be motivation for me, then you've got the wrong impression of me.”

Hunter sighed. “Come on.” He said and led Kara and Isabella down the ramp to the next floor.

“KARA!” Lashina yelled and ran over to the door of her living quarters, hit the protective barrier, then bounced off. “OW!” She rubbed her face. “Hunter! You said it would turn off if I came over to the door!”

“I said if you walked over to it.” Hunter said. “You could have killed Kara if you ran into her like that.”

Lashina frowned and walked over to the door and both the barrier and the door opened for her. She looked down at Kara's ankles and wrists and saw that she was blocked from using Presence.

“Okay, yes. I see that now.” Lashina said and looked at Hunter. “I'm sorry I reacted so rashly.”

“I'm sorry that you tore the first pair of pants you've ever worn.” Hunter said and knelt in front of her.

“Huh?” Lashina looked down and saw the large rip between her legs. “Oh, damn.”

Hunter chuckled. “It's all right.” He said and gave her a deep and passionate kiss.

“Mmm.” Lashina moaned and kissed him back.

“At least they lasted three minutes.” Hunter said and helped her take them off, then tucked them away.

“Hey, what...”

“I'm going to keep them.” Hunter said. “You don't have to wear pants anymore today; but, please stay in the room and don't go wandering around without pants on.”

Lashina sighed dramatically. “If you just gave me a skirt...”

“No.” Hunter gave her another kiss and stood up. “It's pants or nothing.”

Lashina smiled up at him. “Oh? Do you want my panties, too?” She asked to tease him.

“Very much.” Hunter said and cupped the side of her face. “I can't wait for the day that you can successfully walk all the way up to the top level and into my room wearing pants, then take them off and let them drop to the floor in my bedroom.”

Lashina's face flushed to a deeper pink as she blushed. “Hunter.”

“Keep working hard and we'll see each other like that soon.” Hunter said and let her face go.

“You're just going to accept that?” Kara asked, a little incredulous. “Lashina, you're one of the most powerful Presence users in The O-hmhm.”

“Neither of you are a part of that organization anymore.” Hunter said. “I thought you understood that.”

Kara humphed and mumbled at Hunter and he sighed.

“All right. The tour continues.” Hunter said and pointed all around and said where everyone else lived, then motioned at the middle of the room where the large food preparation area was. “As you can see, this is the communal kitchen. When I'm here, I make all the meals.”

Both Kara and Lashina took in sharp breaths, because they thought it was automated or something.

“He's really good at it, too.” Sheph said as she came out of her living space. “His cooking lessons are fantastic as well.”

“Good morning.” Hunter said and took her into a hug.

“Good morning.” Sheph said and ran her hands through his long hair, then she looked at Kara. “Good morning, Princess.”

Kara sighed and Sheph smiled.

“Thanks for staying up late to do the paperwork on the latest shipment.” Hunter said and let her go.

“You need to thank Peggy, too.” Sheph said and pointed to her living space. The older woman came out and she looked to be half asleep. Her hair was a mess and she wore pyjamas that were similar to Kara's.

Hunter walked over to her and tried to give her a hug, then there was a sudden slapping sound and Peggy was by him and at the counter to get a tray of food.

“What was that?” “What just happened?” Kara and Lashina asked at the same time.

Sheph and Isabella chuckled.

“Even half asleep, she can still slap his face for trying to make a move on her.” Sheph said with a grin.

“He was just going to thank you.” Isabella said to Peggy.

“My answer is still no.” Peggy said, picked up a prepared food tray, and went back into her living compartment. The door closed and everyone just stared at it for a few moments.

“I'll wear her down one of these days and...” Hunter started to say.

“No.” Peggy's muffled voice said and Sheph and Isabella laughed.

Hunter walked back over to Kara. “Okay, more tour.” He said and motioned to the ramp. “Lashina, I'll see you at lunch.”

“You sure will.” Lashina said and walked back into her living space and sashayed her hips to show off her cute little ass in the panties he had bought for her.

“That sounded ominous.” Sheph said with a laugh and picked up a food tray, then sat down at the huge table and started to eat.

“Only if I'm naked.” Hunter said and she laughed again. He led Kara and Isabella all the way down through the space habitat and ended with the large shuttle bay at the bottom. “And that's it.”

“I don't understand.” Kara said. “Where are we supposed to be working all day?”

Hunter chuckled. “We passed the two places where I'm needed today. The main storage area and the food growing area.”

Kara gave him a sad look and nodded. She resigned herself to doing endless hours of inventory in the storage area and digging in the soil by hand in the food growing area.

Hunter laughed at her thoughts. “I'm just bringing you along for today. It's only your first day up and around the habitat.”

Kara gave him a disbelieving look and he laughed again.

“Yes, I know. You didn't give me any time to adjust, except for a week of house arrest.” Hunter said. “The only reason I had you stay in your room before now was because I was waiting for the parts shipment.” He led her and Isabella back to the food growing section. “I've integrated some advanced hydroponics techniques and added some of the best tasting and nutritional food additives to the soil and crops.”

“This isn't enough for sustainability.” Kara said, because it was only a single living compartment.

“Not even close.” Hunter said. “I do this to add to the food we buy. Of course, there's almost no one here right now. Most of us are all out on missions and the food requirement is pretty low.” He said and walked over to the closest hydroponics container.

Kara watched in surprise as he used Presence to spice up the water flow and to enhance the growing capacity, which was a technique he had learned as an apprentice under her tutelage.

“Yeah, I remembered it and made it even better during my time on the prison planet.” Hunter said.

Kara almost gasped as his Presence expenditure doubled and the plants sucked it up like a sponge. “How did you to that?”

“Subtle encouragement over time.” Hunter said. “They can't take too much or they'll overload and wither from their own body's overworking to grow.”

“But... what you just did...”

“Some plants and crops are more accepting of external Presence, especially if you take the time to care for them.”

Kara gave him another disbelieving look and he shook his head.

“Just stand there and watch.” Hunter said and walked to each hydroponics bay and did the same thing.

Kara was stunned at the spectacle and couldn't speak as each plant sprouted buds of vegetables and fruits. She had a hard time believing her eyes as nearly grown vegetables ripened right there in front of her eyes and Hunter picked them. She had never seen it happen so quickly before and when he came over to her with a large container full of vegetables and fruits, she still didn't quite believe it.

“I would offer you one to taste; but, they need to be properly washed and cleaned before use.” Hunter said and led her and Isabella all the way back up to the kitchen on the second floor. He cleaned them all and dried them, put out a bowl on the table and filled it with fruit, then put the vegetables into the refrigerator-like appliance to store them.

After that was done, Hunter led them back down to the storage area and Kara caught her breath at the sight of rows upon rows of standard parts.

“Don't get too worked up over this. Most of the shipment went right into the missile factory.”

“Missile factory?” Kara asked.

“I'm hoping we'll have enough to reload everyone when they cycle back through during the next week.” Hunter said and then a hundred Presence Hands appeared around him. “Until then, I need to make as many black barrier machines as possible.”

Kara stared, dumbfounded, as a hundred machines were built right in front of her. It was amazing to see the exact same movements be performed a hundred times and that alone had surprised her. She had no idea that he could do such precise movements and delicate work with Presence... then he took out a crate and opened it.

“By the Goddess!” Kara exclaimed at the sight of a hundred high quality focusing crystals.

“That's just the top layer.” Hunter said with a laugh. “I burn through these things faster than you'd think.”

Kara watched as ten focusing crystals were deposited into a kind of matrix in the closest machine to her, then another ten in the next, and on and on it went until Hunter had emptied the thousand crystals from the crate into the hundred black barrier machines. After that, the machines were built up and finished, then put into something that looked like a chute and they disappeared.

“This sends them to be loaded with the missiles onto the warships.” Hunter said and then started constructing another hundred black barrier machines.

Kara couldn't believe her eyes. It's not possible. It's not. She thought as Hunter took out another crate of high quality focusing crystals and repeated what she just saw. No one would use up such precious materials for a weapon like that. She looked at the weapons as they were deposited onto the chute and shook her head. What a waste!

“It looks like it's about time for lunch.” Hunter said and put the parts he was gathering back into their proper receptacles. “Isabella, any preferences?”

Isabella shook her head.

“Do you want to help me cook?” Hunter asked with a smile.

“I'm with Peggy on this one. I won't fall for your tricks.” Isabella said.

“I know.” Hunter said and walked over to her. “I just like teasing you.”

“I did not know that, sir.” Isabella said with a straight face, then she smiled back.

Hunter laughed and led them all the way back up to the second level and made lunch for everyone.

“Oh, that smells so good.” Noma said as she stepped out of the lift.

“Ha.” Hunter said and turned from the counter to give her a kiss. “You can't smell Presence.”

Noma gave him a knowing look and kissed him back, then sat down across the counter. “Hello, Isabella.” She said and then nodded at Kara. “Princess.”

“Hunter, you should have called me.” Monica said and came down the ramp. “I wanted to help today.”

“I'm not done yet.” Hunter said and she came over to give him a quick kiss, then she put on an apron.

“What's left?” Monica asked.

“Give those a good mixing and add the spices on the third shelf.” Hunter said and pointed at a pile of cut up vegetables.

Monica nodded and took out a big bowl and added the vegetables to it, sprinkled some of the spices into the bowl, then used a large spoon to stir them up and spread the spices around.

“How long in the refresher this time?” Monica asked.

“Only ten seconds, then pop them into the cooker for five.” Hunter said and finished filleting something that looked like a roast.

“These are going to be delicious.” Monica said and followed his instructions. “Mmm, smell that!” She said and took them out of the cooker. “How do you come up with these recipes?”

“Lots of experiences.” Hunter said and put the roasted meat into the cooker for ten seconds.

Kara's mouth watered at the smell and she didn't see Sheph and Peggy step off the lift and come into the room.

“You really are spoiling us, you know.” Sheph said as she and Peggy sat down next to Kara.

“I can always stop cooking.” Hunter said.

“NO!” They all said loudly, then they all exchanged looks and laughed.

Hunter and Monica spread the food out onto appropriate plates and handed them out, even to Lashina in her room, then they all sat down and enjoyed a great meal.