“I see four bogies, five charlies and a delta.”

The merc reported thusly into her helmet’s built-in microphone.

“Wait, what? How can there be that many people called ‘Charlie’ in one place?”

Her cybernetic hand then slammed into her visor as she attempted a facepalm at that woman’s ignorance.

“Come on, Cream! We’ve been over this! ‘Bogies’ are regular foot soldiers, ‘charlies’ are heavy troopers and ‘deltas’ are armored units!”

“Oh, yeah! That was a thing! Wait, so you have ten bad guys on your end?”

“Yes!”

It was a good thing she installed that noise-cancellation feature into her helmet, otherwise the patrol she was stalking would surely have heard her by now. It was actually the main reason she was even wearing it. It certainly wasn’t hard enough to stop a bullet or anything, nor was the rest of her EVA nanosuit. This skintight bodysuit was designed to allow maximum freedom of movement while exploring the vacuum of space. It was not the sort of thing one would normally take into a firefight, as any conventional sidearm would rip right through it.

However, this particular merc found it really useful for sneaking around. She had also modified it heavily, and even integrated its onboard computer with the one in her prosthetic right arm. One probably couldn’t tell from just looking at her, but she had a rather powerful personal shield generator hooked up to it to help keep those pesky bullets and energy bolts out of her hair. And internal organs. The black-and-blue garment also did an amazing job of showing off her hourglass figure, especially her butt and breasts, though that was unrelated to the situation at hand.

“How are things on your end, though?” she asked her partner. “Did you make it to the vents?”

“Yeah, just now actually. Something stinks like dead rat in here though.”

“Space stations do not have rats, Cream. Dead or otherwise. In any event, if you’re already inside then I’m going to get started on that distraction while you deliver the payload.”

Star would run interference while her partner would fulfil their true objective. It was the same tactic they used to complete most of their assignments, yet Cream couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“But there’s ten of those guys, right? And won’t even more come out if you attack?”

“Yeah, so?”

“… Nothing. Just wishing you good luck, Star.”

“I don’t need luck, I have ammo!”

Approximately 1,863 high-caliber rounds, 521 plasma cartridges, 16 grenades, 3 satchel charges and 1 booby-trapped proton torpedo later-

“See? Easy peasy lemon squeezy!”

“I dunno, Star. I’m pretty sure our client wanted the outpost disabled, not demolished.”

“Eh, toe-may-toe, toh-mah-toh.”

“Oh, what are those? Wait, don’t try to change the subject!”

Star and Cream were currently sitting side by side in the cockpit of their personal gunship-class vessel, which the former had affectionately named ‘Salty Suzy.’ The woman in question was in the pilot’s seat with her EVA helmet off, revealing a fair-skinned face with thin lips, a button nose, long lashes and short straight black hair. She was clearly a human in her early 20s, though at the same time something more, as evidenced by the dull white glow of her irises and the clearly robotic left arm. They betrayed her identity as an ‘aug’ - a person who had replaced a significant part of their god-given bodies with machinery and cybernetics. She didn’t get rid of her original hand and eyes by choice though, those were lost to a grenade that nearly took her head clean off.

Her partner-in-crime, however, was as inhuman as a living being could get. As a globulon, her body was made up entirely of a thick yellow gel-like substance, which she could manipulate and move around at will. It also made her mostly indestructible. Even being blown apart would only slow her down while she pulled herself back together. The upper body she was sporting right now was a near-perfect replica of Star’s bodysuited form from the waist up. The merc never quite understood why she insisted on this shape, but she got used to it pretty quickly. As for the globulon’s lower half, that part was just a shapeless pile of goo since Cream found rolling around on it to be a superior form of locomotion to legs.

“Okay, look. I will admit I slightly lost control of that situation.”

“Yeah. ‘Slightly,’” Cream scoffed. “What is going on with you Star? When we met, you were nowhere near this… suicidal.”

“… What do you care? You’re only following me around because of that life-debt thing.”

“You know that is not true. You may have saved me from being some old rich bastard’s exotic pet, but that’s not why I worry about you. You’re my friend, Star. The only one I have in this entire galaxy, and I hate to see you do this to yourself.”

Cream put her semi-transparent hand on top of her companion’s, only to have Star shake it off with an awkward jerking motion.

“Look, I don’t know what’s eating you up, but I won’t force you to tell me if you don’t want to. Just know that I’m here for you, my violent savior.”

“I told you to stop using that embarrassing nickname!” Star complained, her cheeks blushing slightly. “But… thank you. For saying that,” she mumbled in a barely audible voice.

“Hmm? Sorry, I didn’t catch that last part.”

“N-Nevermind. I’m exhausted so I’m going to take a break. Keep an eye on the autopilot, will you?”

“Sure thing, Star.”

The black-haired woman left the cockpit and made her way over to her bunk. She laid face down on the tiny bed and buried her face in her pillow.

“GRRRRRHN!” she groaned into it. “That’s so not fair! How am I supposed to keep calm when you keep saying those nice things with that pure smile!?”

She continued to flail about for a few more minutes before she was able to calm down somewhat.

“Stupid Cream,” she mumbled, tears welling up in her eyes. “Stop wasting your time on worthless trash like me and go find a happy life already.”

The one-woman pity-party didn’t last long, as her excuse to come here and sulk was only half-made up. Her tired and battered body legitimately sought rest, so sleep claimed her before she realized it. When she woke up several hours later, she was left feeling rested and refreshed. Almost too refreshed, actually.

“Cream!” she shouted. “Did you sneak in here while I was sleeping again?!”

“I- I have no idea what you’re talking about!” came a yell through the cabin’s entrance.

It was a bare faced lie, and Star knew this for a fact because she was sure she closed the door to her quarters before having her little tantrum. However, calling Cream out on it would yield no results. It never did.

“Damn that bubble-brain and her weirdo habits…”

As a being comprised entirely of semi-fluids, Cream’s diet naturally consisted primarily of liquids. She still required nutrients, vitamins and minerals though, so plain water wasn’t enough to satisfy her hunger. This was something Star had come to know and understand about globulons. However, what she failed to comprehend was why this goo-girl in particular insisted on ‘eating’ the human woman’s dried up sweat.

While Star slept.

Without her permission.

By licking it off her body.

With frightening regularity.

“Is it any surprise I’m like this when she keeps doing that kinky stuff?” she mumbled once more. “At least she didn’t wake me up this time…”

Having said that, the mercenary did not really mind the aftereffects of that questionable act. Water was a valuable resource on small ships like this. Showers and baths were almost like luxuries, so cleanliness often times had to be sacrificed for the sake of profit. Speaking of which-

“Cream! Did we hear back from our client yet?!”

“Yeah! The guy was pissed, but he still wired us the full amount!”

“Told you so!” Star declared while striding into the cockpit. “What’s next on the list?”

“Uhm, lemme see here…” Cream pulled up a list of personal messages on one of the nearby screens. “We have a request about tracking down and rescuing some nearly extinct wildlife. The picture they sent of it is kinda cute, isn’t it?”

“… Pass.”

“Then, how about this discreet delivery to-”

“No way. No more of those.”

“Okay… Acting as bodyguards to this megacorp CEO during his visit to Space Vegas?”

“Hah! No.”

“Well- why not? Why do you always ignore these smaller jobs in favor for those super dangerous ones?”

“All mercenary work we get is dangerous. The ones that don’t seem like it just aren’t as up front about the risks involved.”

For example, if an animal was about to go extinct, there was usually a very good, very large, and very sharp-toothed reason behind it. Mysterious packages just reeked of trouble, and if this big-shot businessman was looking to hire mercs as bodyguards, then he was likely expecting trouble. The gun-toting kind that was best dealt with by expendable nobodies. And as far as Star was concerned, Cream was neither expendable, nor was she a nobody.

“Pay’s usually terrible too,” she added.

“Come on Star. Let’s just take a less dangerous one this time. Pleeeeeeeeease?”

As per usual, the merc found it really hard to say no to that pleading face. Granted, it was her face, but Cream’s adorable mannerisms were what made it truly beautiful.

“Okay, fine. Just pick something other than the stuff you mentioned.”

“Yaay!”

The globulon perked up with a radiant smile that Star was 150% sure she would never be able to pull off in a hundred years, mostly because her cheeks did not jiggle in that sort of manner.

“Let’s see…” said Cream, turning back to the screen. “Oh! They’re looking for a substitute teacher at this military school! Apparently one of their regular guys came down with a bad case of mega-herpes and they urgently need someone to take over his classes while they look for a permanent replacement.”

“Military gig, huh? Hmm…”

Star wasn’t a fan of all the strict rules and regulations involved with such work, nor did she relish the thought of being under constant observation. But, on the upside, the income was stable and the facilities fairly secure.

“Yeah, sure, that could work. Which school is it though?”

“Er, oh my! It’s the Federal Academy for Ranger Trainees!”

“… They’re still calling it that? I was sure they’d have changed it by now.”

“Why? Something wrong with the name? More importantly, you know about this place?”

“You could say that, yeah. I used to attend it at one point.”

“Wow! You were a Ranger?! No wonder you’re so tough!”

Rangers were among the elite of the elite, the pinnacle of foot soldiers. These legendary commandos had bodies and minds of steel and balls the size of moons. Their skills at marksmanship, guerilla warfare, survival and demolition were said to be unmatched throughout the galaxy. From zero gravity to the bottom of the ocean, no battlefield was beyond their reach. Even Cream knew how amazing they were, despite it being only a few months since Star freed her and introduced her to a galaxy she knew nothing about.

“Uh, sorry to burst your bubble, but I didn’t actually graduate.”

“O-oh… Can I ask why?”

“Had a disagreement with a fellow cadet. He thought he could sabotage my gear without me noticing. I thought he’d look good with a fork sticking out of his eye. Long story short, I was kicked out for ‘blatant disregard for military discipline.’”

“I see, I see,” Cream smiled and nodded. “As expected of my violent savior.”

“… Just shut up and set the course, will you?”

Three hours and four warp gate transfers later, the Salty Suzy found itself on approach to the academy in question. The facility was built on a ring-shaped space station so massive that it was practically an orbital city. Between the cadets, instructors, staff, technicians and garrisoned soldiers, the place had anywhere from six to seven thousand residents at any given time. The approaching gunship was promptly met by an escort of smaller fighter craft and guided to one of the docking bays.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t little miss Spitfire?”

The man that greeted Star and Cream was an older gentleman in a dark blue military uniform, complete with fancy medals on his chest and a snazzy cap on his head. His eyes were a steely blue and full vigor, despite the fact that he was so old that his short hair and moustache were completely gray.

“Ugh, I had a feeling you’d be behind this, ya old fart.”

“Oh, hi there mister! Er, sir! I’m Cream!”

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Cream. I’m director Martinez, and I’m here to officially welcome you two on behalf of the Federal Academy for Ranger Trainees. I must say, it truly is an privilege to meet a globulon in person.”

“Oh! Uhm, thanks, I guess? I had no idea you were expecting me.”

“Of course we were. Wouldn’t be much of a military if we didn’t do our due diligence.”

Cream looked at Star quizzically, making the young woman shrug in response.

“He’s saying they already know everything there is to know about us,” she explained. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have been offered a job.”

“It’s as she says, miss Cream,” Martinez confirm. “I would like to exchange pleasantries some more, but I’m afraid I’m a bit short on time. Follow me so I can get you two situated.”

The director turned around and marched off, with Star and Cream following along closely. The globulon naturally attracted a good deal of attention from people they passed by in the hall, though the old man’s presence kept them and their reactions firmly in line.

“So how many kids am I going to be looking after?” Star asked.

“Three classes, for a total of ninety students. I’ll have your full schedule sent to you later, but your first lesson starts in about four hours.”

“And they won’t mind that I’ll be replacing whatshisface on such short notice?”

“A sudden change in command structure happens all the time in the field. If the cadets can’t cope with that, then they have no place trying to be a Ranger.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s a fair point.”

“Say, Star? What subject will you actually be teaching?”

“It’s official designation is Advanced Recon and Sabotage, though most just call it wargaming.”

The class in question consisted almost entirely of grueling virtual reality combat simulations designed to push trainees to their limits without putting their lives at risk. Even though it was just an imitation of actual conflict, the pain, exhaustion, and dirt-eating felt as real as they could get.

“Incidentally, ARS was one of my best subjects,” Star added with a smirk.

“Hah! That’s an understatement!” Martinez chuckled. “This girl still holds the high score in four of our standard ARS simulations. She’d have made one hell of a Ranger if not for her poor discipline. Something that still hasn’t changed, judging from what I hear of her exploits as a merc.”

“And yet you still hired me. Are you sure you haven’t gone senile yet, ya old fart?”

“I’m quite sane, thank you. Trust me, you weren’t my first choice, but we can’t allow our schedule to be interrupted.”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s always about the blasted schedule with this place.”

“And results. Good ones! Don’t go forgetting about those now, you hear? In any event, here is your room. You’re free to rest here until you’re needed.”

The women thanked Martinez and entered the room in question through the sliding doors.

“Wow! It’s so big!” Cream exclaimed. “We can probably fit your entire ship in here!”

“Yeah, if I disassembled it into spare parts maybe.”

The globulon seemed to not notice her sarcastic remark and rushed over to press her face against the oval window on the far wall.

“And look at that view! The planet below is so blue! And all those stars! I wish the Salty Suzy had windows!”

“Not a chance, they’re structural weaknesses. One good shot and boom - explosive decompression.”

Cream still wasn’t listening though, as she was far too entranced by the sight. Seeing her this happy over something normal people took for granted lifted Star’s spirits somewhat. It also made her a bit sad, as she felt she was no longer able to find joy in simple things like that. Not after all the lives she’d taken.

Shaking her head, Star went over to the bed and laid down on it, staring up at the ceiling. She turned her mind to more productive thoughts, such as thinking up what she was supposed to do with this class thing. How was she supposed to teach them anything, other than how to hurt people? No, that was probably why Martinez sent for her in the first place, but she was out of her depth and she knew it. However, she’d already signed a contract, so there was no backing out now.

When the time finally came, she entered her first class. To her surprise she wasn’t met with disrespect, suspicion or fear, but with respect and admiration. The reason this puzzled her was because she was a woman, an outsider, an aug, and a merc - four things that had the potential to invite degradory comments and remarks. She soon found out this was because she’d become something of a legend within these halls without even realizing it. Apparently recordings of her old ARS performances were being widely used as reference materials, so her face and propensity for combat were already well known.

Being treated like this was a bit awkward at first, but as the days rolled by she began to enjoy being the subject of positive attention for once. The students’ admiration grew even further when she hopped into the simulation and she showed off how much she’d grown since her academy days. As a direct result, she found herself enjoying this job far more than she suspected. At least in some ways. The mandatory curfew, strict control on firearms and the ironclad ban on booze were less than ideal, but she was coping with them. For the moment, at least.

Cream, however, was not acclimating to this new environment as quickly as her violent savior.

“Star!”

“Waah!”

The slime girl slammed her goopy arms on the bed, right next to where her human companion was sitting. The sudden motion startled Star so much that she nearly dropped the PDA she was fiddling with.

“Uh… Hi? What’s going on, Cream?”

“You took a shower again, didn’t you?”

“Uh, yeah? Why wouldn’t I?”

The room the two were given had its own private bathroom, and Star was quite adamant about taking advantage of it. Taking long baths behind a firmly locked door was one of the few ways she could unwind around here. Teaching was kind of fun, but it took up so much of her time she rarely got any time to herself.

“Because! I really want to taste your sweat! But I can’t do that if you’re squeaky clean all the time! Drinking your used bath water just can’t satisfy me anymore!”

Star’s face twisted into a grimace, as she wasn’t sure what to do with this new information. Other than it was probably indicative of a deeper issue.

“Has something been bothering you, Cream? Are the people here treating you right?”

“I wouldn’t know! I never get to talk with any of them! You never let me leave this room and you don’t spend time with me anymore! Even now you’re too busy obsessing over sim results to pay attention to me!”

“Uh, yeah. I’m doing my job. You know, the one you insisted I get? I don’t get why you’re so upset, this entire thing was your idea.”

“You think I would’ve suggested it if I knew I’d just end up being a prisoner again!”

Star’s mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words came out. She had been so preoccupied with her own affairs that she barely even considered her feelings. It wasn’t like Cream necessarily needed to be confined to her quarters. In fact, Martinez had given her a VIP guest pass allowing her free roam of the facility so long as she wasn’t being a nuisance. The only reason she didn’t leave this admittedly nice room because Star had asked her not to for fear of her getting hurt. A plan that had obviously backfired wonderfully.

“I’m… I’m sorry, Star. I didn’t meant to snap at you like that.”

“No, I should be the one apologizing. Ignoring you like that was wrong of me, even if I didn’t mean to. Making you feel lonely and isolated despite knowing what you’ve been through, I’m the worst kind of person, aren’t I?”

“… If you truly feel bad about it, then I know how you can make it up to me.”

“Oh. Uh, okay? What do you have in mind?”

“You’re going to go to bed soon, right?”

“Yeah?”

That was why she was wearing a tank top and shorts to bed in the first place.

“Then I want you to sleep on me.”

“… Come again?”

“Use me as a mattress and let me soak up your sweat for the entire night. Only then will I come down.”

Star sighed. She should’ve expected it to be about swapping bodily fluids.

“I don’t know, that’s pretty weird. I mean, I toss and turn a lot. Won’t I disturb your own sleep?”

Cream cocked her head and raised an eyebrow.

“And what is it you think I do most of the time while you’re teaching class?”

With literally nothing better to do, Cream spent her days mostly lazing around and napping while bored out of her nonexistent skull. Something Star should have known, considering she tripped over her sleeping body just yesterday. In other words, she wouldn’t be disturbing Cream’s sleep, because Cream had already slept.

“Okay, that was a stupid question,” Star admitted. “Nevermind.”

“Alright! Then gimme a sec to prepare!”

Cream got off the bed and spread her amorphous self across the middle of the room. Once she had melted herself into a blobby bright yellow puddle, she reformed a replica of Star’s head and hand and beckoned her over.

“Hold on, I don’t remember agreeing to this!” she protested, much to Cream’s dismay.

“Oh… yeah… I guess you didn’t… ”

Seeing that heartbroken face slowly sink into the rest of the goo-girl really tugged at Star’s heartstrings. The guilt from making Cream remember her time in captivity wasn’t helping either.

“Okay! Okay, I’ll do it! I just need to lie down, right?!”

Moving quickly before she could change her mind, the woman threw herself onto the bed of slime while clenching her eyes. Cream’s body mass sloshed around within her membrane, but it effortlessly took Star’s weight.

“So, how is it?” she asked with a smile.

“… It’s a lot bouncier than I was expecting. Dryer too.”

Rather than a puddle, it was more like laying down on an enormous water balloon. Cream’s ‘skin’ texture was a bit slippery, but it was perfectly smooth and pleasant to the touch.

“Of course it is, dummy. I can control the firmness of my skin. I’d be drooling bits of myself all over your stuff otherwise.”

“R-right. I knew that.”

“Sure you did. Go on then, make yourself comfortable.”

Star sheepishly began shifting her weight around. She flipped over onto her back and let her body slowly sink into Cream’s. The sentient semi-fluid slowly rose up around her and began to gently envelop Star from the left and right.

“Uh, Cream? What are you doing?”

“You won’t sweat lots if I don’t tuck you in, right?”

“I mean… I guess…”

“Do you not like it?”

“W-well… I don’t hate it.”

‘Not hate’ was putting it mildly. This superb softness and warmth enveloping Star’s limbs was so divine that she felt like she just might melt. Before she even knew what was happening, she was completely wrapped up in Cream. She then felt a gentle tugging at her clothes, which made her snap out of her reverie.

“Cream.”

“Yes, Star?”

“Why are you trying to undress me?”

“Skin contact is important.”

“But-! Yahn!”

Before she could even say anything, her clothes and underwear were all violently ejected from the goo-girl cocoon she was now, for lack of a better word, trapped in.

“Hehehe, Star let out a cute voice!”

“Idiot! I don’t care if you’re not human, but I am! There’s certain boundaries you need to respect!”

“It’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before. I’ve already tasted every part of you.”

“That’s not the point!”

Cream shifted her head across her own body and lifted it over Star’s so they were face to face.

“Oh, but it is,” she said calmly. “I know all of your flavors. Your sweat. Your drool. Your blood. Your tears. You may try to hide it, but I know when you’ve been crying, Star.”

“What are you- Mmpf!”

A strip of slime covered Star’s mouth, preventing her from speaking, and forcing her to listen.

“I may not have eyes and ears like you do, but that doesn’t mean I’m blind and deaf. The Salty Suzy is a small and silent ship, and your pillow monologues are a lot louder than you think. I actually know exactly what’s been bothering you over the past month. I was afraid of what would happen if I brought it up, but seeing you tear yourself apart like that made me hurt like I’ve never hurt before. I don’t want either of us to hurt anymore, so I’m taking matters into my own hands.”

Cream then positioned her head so that she was cheek-to-cheek with her violent savior, creating an atmosphere as if the two of them were lying side by side.

“Look, Star. Look at how beautiful your namesakes are.”

In all the excitement, the bound woman completely forgot about the cabin’s window and the spectacular view of the cosmos it presented her with.

“I do not know much about anything,” Cream spoke softly, “but what little I know, I learned from you. You were the one who offered to show me the galaxy, and you delivered magnificently. You had every opportunity to sell me off or abandon me, but you didn’t. You stuck by me, despite me being a ‘bubble-brain’ with ‘weirdo habits.’ You showed me how to live, Star, and for that, you have my eternal gratitude.”

She gently moved Star’s head to the side so that the two of them were face to face once more.

“I know you’ve convinced yourself otherwise, but believe me when I say this. You have the right to be happy. It’s okay to strive for a better life. You are not worthless, nor are you trash. You tell yourself you’re a murderer and a horrible person, but that’s not what I see when I look at you. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me - the only ray of kindness in the otherwise cold and unfeeling void of space. And if you’d let me… I can be yours, as well.”

Tears began streaming out of Star’s eyes as she sobbed gently into her gag. Cream leaned her head over and lightly kissed her moistened cheeks before smacking her lips in a satisfied manner.

“Mmmm, so this is what relief and happiness taste like. Much better than regret and self-loathing, wouldn’t you say? Ah, but this part is quite good too…”

She pulled back the strip of slime covering Star’s lips and pressed her own against them, only to have Star instantly and eagerly return her affections. They kept at it a while longer until they inevitably separated, their mouths connected by a thin string of saliva. One that Cream eagerly and noisily slurped up.

“Mmhmm… Was it as good for you as it was for me?”

“Y-yeah. It was nice.”

“Will you start taking better care of yourself, now?”

“… I’ll try. For you. Just, don’t spring any more of these interventions on me.”

“But I like holding you down and tasting you all over!”

“Ugh, you’re terrible.”

“Hehe! I have a good teacher.”

“Heh. I suppose you do.”

The two of them shared a giggle and another, lighter kiss, after which Star affectionately nuzzled her face into her partner’s neck.

“By the way, Cream?”

“Yes, Star?”

“Not that I’m complaining, but when did you get so good at this romantic stuff?”

“Oh, that? I studied lots on the extranet about human relationships.”

“I see. Is that also why I feel a strangely solid lump creeping up between my thighs?”

“Yeah. This part comes next after kissing, right?”

“Don’t, okay? My heart’s not ready for that step just yet.”

“It is beating rather loudly, isn’t it?”

“Exactly. So if it’s alright with you, I’d just like to sleep now.”

“Of course. Sweet dreams, my shining Star.”

Cream gave her new lover a goodnight kiss on the forehead, allowing her to doze off while wrapped in the comforting warmth of another for the first time in her adult life.