Uniform Stealing Board

Prologue

The harbor city of South Window was the biggest town of the coastal Province of Okéanis. Rich and powerful thanks to the trade and the fishing, it was also well-known for its good living environment and was the home of plenty of Olympian-approved cultural events.

One of the most well-known parts of South Window was the huge forest north of the town, a perfect place to go for a walk. At the edge of the woods, the municipal authorities had build a huge modern multipurpose hall, designed to host various events from concerts to festivals. With the trees in the background, the place had a lot of character and was used by the richest people and the biggest companies to host their parties. Currently, it was used by the EarthSee Corporation, one of Utopia's biggest companies, to hold their yearly General Assembly. A General Assembly that doubled as a big party, in which a lot of important people were invited from company directors to government officials.

**************

Macha was walking out side, behind the building. She had blue eyes and red hair, that were cut into a square cut that was reaching her shoulders. At 26, she proudly entered the last stage of her university course. She was a little taller than average, with a slim body. People from the Province of Ares, like her, were the descendants of antique warrior tribes and even now, most of the inhabitants of the Province still practiced at least one sport to honor them.

Currently, Macha was taking a break in the rear of the building. She was alone, but it suited her well. She needed some air. The sun was slowly going down, but the night would only fall in an hour at least. It was going to be a warm night. I don't think I'll be able to bear this any longer... These stuck-up arrogant fat cats, with their fancy suits and their expensive dresses... But she needed the cash.

At first, when she saw the notice at her University, it seemed like a good idea. The annual EarthSee Corp General Assembly was always a huge event. The kind that needed a literal army of workers to be pulled of. And the EarthSee was in the habit of hiring people of all Provinces, to showcase the diversity of the country in front of their guests. Gotta give a little exoticism to the big shots from the capital city... They were looking for attendants, people to serve the guests, clean the place, prepare the hall before the guests arrive and tidy it up after they leave... By train, Stormfist wasn't very far away from South Window, only a couple of hours. And the EarthSee was even offering the ticket. (They didn't have to pay for it anyway. It was a little "gift" from the Government.) And Macha needed the money... The last three months had been rough for her. She had the misfortune of being the victim of a group of criminals who assaulted her and one of her friends to steal their student uniforms. They were left bound, gagged and half-naked while the impostors wrecked havoc in the Phocas Institute. It took them hours to be rescued. The other students of Stormfist never let them live it down. One day, someone even left panties on her desk. She had searched for the culprit during four days and, when she finally found his identity, she made him eat the briefs. Literally. The jokes stopped after that, but not the rumors.

The noise of the music played inside the hall was becoming annoying. Macha walked in the direction of the first trees of the forest. She arrived at the edge of the woods and took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of the plants. The young woman was wearing the same uniform than the other attendants. A crisp white long-sleeved shirt with a black sleeveless jacket and black bow tie, dark-grey pants, a grey apron that covered the lower half of her body, and black shoes. At first, she kind of liked the uniform. After spending several hours in it catering to the needs of the fat cats, she started to hate it.
Great... Hana isn't here, the journey in train was uncomfortable, the guests are unbearable, and I still have to work until the end of the night. Things can't get any worse...

Suddenly, Macha saw something move in the undergrowth. Intrigued, she took a step closer and looked over the bushes. Nothing. She could have sworn... She then felt something thrust in her back. It was round and metallic. She froze.

"I have a gun on your back. Don't scream and do as I say." It was a woman's voice. She probably hid in one of the bushes to ambush her. For some strange reason, she sounded familiar... "Keep walking."

The stranger had a gun. Macha couldn't do anything but comply. Her assailant led her into the forest. Soon, they arrived into a place concealed by trees and bushes. For all intents and purpose, they were invisible.

"Stop here. Now, take off you clothes."

Macha's eyes widened. "My clothes?" She couldn't believe her ears. What were the odds that... Two times in three months... It couldn't be... Not again...

"Yes. Take off the uniform. You can keep the rest." the woman insisted.

That voice... That voice! I know that voice! "It's you!" Macha exclaimed.

"Me?"

"The woman who assaulted me and stole my clothes three months ago!"

"Oh!"

Macha heard in the woman's voice that she had recognized her.

"Macha Etaine, isn't it? It's a small world after all..."

She was joking... She was actually joking! Macha wanted to turn around and give her a piece of her mind. The sensation of the gun's metallic barrel on her back made her stop.

"Then it'll make things easier." said the woman. "I don't necessarily want to hurt you. But you know that I will do it if you don't cooperate."

Yes. Macha knew. The bruises took a week to go away... She hesitated. Then, with a disgusted sigh, she started to comply.

"Wow!" her assailant said. "Are you sure you're from the Province of Ares? It's the first time I see one of you guys acting reasonable!"

Macha took the mockery in silence. But why? Why was she taking it? Why was she obeying this criminal? She had taken course of self-defense!

Because, even subconsciously, she knew that this woman was stronger than her. This woman didn't train in the comfort of a well-heated training room. She fought in the real world, on the streets, against people who wanted to truly hurt her. She knew how to fight for real. And there was the gun... Macha clenched her fists, her cheeks nearly as red as her hair because of the humiliation. Out of all the women in the country, why was she the one who was again roped into the shaeningans of this crazy criminal? Talk about bad luck... What king of sick twist is that?

**************

Klenia wasn't like Emery. She didn't take any joy into striking fear into others. If she could, she would use gentleness to get what she wanted. Unfortunately, in her... "profession", it rarely worked. The so-called gun was in fact a metallic pipe. Olympian laws were very restrictive when it came to gun control, and Aster didn't want to take the risk to bring weapons with them. But her victim didn't need to know that...

Usually, Klenia liked to strip her donors herself. But she would have had to subdue Macha, and she didn't want to risk attracting attention by being too noisy. Well... I just have to admire the spectacle then... Macha reluctantly took off her jacket and her bow tie, then started to unbutton her white shirt.

"A little faster, please. I don't have all night." Klenia said with a little mocking smile.

She saw Macha's body stiffen up and prepared herself, in case she would try to attack her. But the young woman simply let out an angry groan and obeyed. The shirt joined the other clothes on the ground, revealing a white full-coverage bra. Then, Macha took off her shoes and her apron. She hesitated when reaching the black pants, but then sighed and took it off as well. She was wearing dark-blue seamless classic briefs, that were at least giving her a semblant of modesty, and white socks.

Klenia smiled.

"Weirdo... Do you like seeing women that way?" Macha barked. She couldn't see her, but she easily guessed the reason of her silence.

"Of course." Klenia calmly retorted. "And I'm perfectly secure with that. There are some people who would go further and ask you to remove the rest. But, personally, I find it more beautiful that way..."

Macha scoffed.

"I'm sincere." Klenia insisted. "You look very nice. Although don't worry, I may look but I won't touch. Unless you allow me, of course."

"Bite my a..."

"Language!" Klenia interrupted her.

Macha kept silent.

"Now, would you please kindly lay on your belly and put your hands behind your back?"

Macha grumbled but, when she felt the metallic pipe thrust in her back, she obeyed. Klenia had kept a backpack near her, with all the tools she needed in it. She took several coil lengths of brown ropes and a roll of grey tape.

"Don't worry. I'll try to make sure you're not too uncomfortable."

She tied Macha's wrists with some ropes, then did the same with her ankles and her knees. Each time, she was careful to have the rope tight enough to prevent her from wriggling free; but not too tight, in order to not cut the blood circulation. She then cut a strip of tape.

"Close your eyes."

Macha knew what was going next, but she had gone too far to try to rebel now. She complied. Klenia smoothed the tape over her closed eyes. Then, she rolled Macha on her back (admiring her not that big but still well-rounded chest in the process). She took a clean piece of cloth from her backpack.

"Open your mouth."

Macha grimaced and reluctantly opened her mouth. Klenia used the cloth to pack her mouth. She then gently raised Macha's head and secured the cloth in place by wrapping a few layers of tape around the attendant's mouth and lower face, being careful not to get some hair tangled in the tape. Macha let out a muffled groan of indignation.

"Oh quit it! Can you breath okay?"

Usually, Klenia hadn't the time or the opportunity to ask that to her victims, and she was confident in her skills anyway. But it would never hurt to ask. One's never too cautious...

Macha nodded.

You would make a great partner, you know? Klenia thought. But she still had enough tact to not say it out loud.

Finally, she made Macha sit and took a long length of rope to bind the young woman's upper-arms, pining them on her body. With one last coil of rope, Klenia secured her in a sitting position against a nearby tree, to be sure that she couldn't crawl her way to the building.

"And since you've been so helpful, no hog-tie or crotch-rope for you... No need to thank me."

Even if she wanted, Macha wouldn't be in a position to do it. Now, the unfortunate attendant was silenced and well-secured.

"Why don't you just take the rest of the night out? I'll handle things from now. Once we're done, they'll search the forest and will quicly find you." Klenia took off her own clothes and put on the attendant uniform. She took the time to admire how she looked in the nice sleeveless jacket and bow tie.

"No offense, but I'm working it better... A little too tight on the chest though..." Klenia commented.

She was answered by a series of muffled shouts. Well, at least the gag was effective...

Klenia ignored her. She took her cellphone and dialed Aster's number.

"Yes?" the voice on the phone said.

"You're clear? " Klenia asked.

"Yes. I can talk freely. Did you find a way to enter?"

Klenia quickly glanced at the underwear-clad Macha, squirming in her bonds to no avail. "Yes. No thanks to you!"

"Hey, they were supposed to be four!" Aster retorted. "It's not my fault if they changed their schedule at the last minute!"

"Yeah... Yeah... You still ruled me out!"

"Quit complaining. You still got to mug someone. Now hurry up and get inside. We'll soon take action."

"How much time do I have?"

"I give you fifteen minutes top."

"Got it. »

Klenia cut the phone. She put her discarded clothes in the backpack, took it, and blew a kiss to the bound-and-gagged Macha before leaving. She needed to be quick, as she had to get rid of the backpack first.

**************

Macha waited a few minutes, until she was sure that her assailant was gone. Then, she tested her bonds. They were strong and she quickly stopped squirming. She sighed. Well, at least, my shift is over... I wonder if I can pass this as work accident and sue the EarthSee for a little more cash...

Macha didn't know what was worst. The fact that for the second time in three months she had been mugged for disguise and left in her underwear. Or the fact that this fate didn't seem that much worst compared to finishing her shift.

I need to rethink my life...

**************

Author's note: Hello everyone again. I didn't think I would post another part this soon but I still had some leftovers of inspiration, so I put them to good use. Anyway, I know that this part could be a stand-alone short story called "Macha has a very bad day". It was supposed to be a short brick joke at the beginning of the story, but it kept getting bigger as I was writing it, to the point that it was long enough to have its own part. The next part will be more story-driven.

in my humble opinion, Rufusluciusivan, you have just described the birth of a super villainess; according to the well known "Paradigm of Tirepanted", the hapless Macha Etaine will become one of the worst nightmares for all the uniformed girls of South Window, Province of Okesanis, assaulting and robbing of their clothes countless victims, leaving them tied up in their underwear, all the times managing to escape capture


I believe you should add just a short episode, with Macha in her satisfying- VERY satisfying- new role



hey it is not me who wrote the rules- the fault is of Tirepanted

PS it's a wonderful piece! bravo!

Another great little story! Klenia is a wonderful character - I particularly enjoyed her conversation with Aster at the end.

I was not aware I had an official Paradigm. My stories do feature a number of victims-turned-USBs, but most of the mugged women tend to stay mugged. Still, I'm happy to take the credit for this rule.

Macha may appear in future installments, but will she be able to escape her fate of the eternal mugged victim and rise above her condition? Only time will tell...

Part 1

Klenia hurried among the trees, running during five good minutes, before reaching a small isolated clearing. A car was currently parked in it, well concealed by the undergrowth. A small dirt road allowed to reach the place, but no driver would want to use it, especially the party's guests with their fancy cars. Klenia opened the trunk and threw the backpack in it before closing it. Then she couldn't resist but open the back door of the car to pick inside.

Three tall brown-haired women were sit on the back seat, tightly bound with flex and ropes, and gagged with tape. They were still sleeping, leaning against each other, but it wasn't a suprise given the drug Aster gave them. Their only outfit consisted of black panties and matching sport bras, as their socks were currently filling their mouths secured by tape. And the rest of their security uniform was worn by other people.

Klenia closed the door. The windows were tainted, so the three captives wouldn't be seen from outside. She then hurried back to leave the conceal of the forest and head to the building in which the party was till hosted. She was hoping that her friends, now disguised as members of the security staff, were doing fine.

EarthSee had hired several private security companies to protect its party. Again, the idea was to give some "diversity" by hiring people from different places. Ambushing this van and overpowering its occupants had been surprisingly easy, given the fact that they called themselves the "Best Security from South Window" on the body of their vehicle. Guess there's a difference between checking identities of nice tourists and fighting against real fighters... Once relieved of their duty (and their uniforms), the three bound-and-gagged women were carried in the car that Aster, Mikani, Aaria and Klenia used to come here. Since they were short of one uniform, Klenia was designated to drive their victims off and hide the car. She would then have to find another way to infiltrate the party... Luckily, Macha happened to come across and gave her a golden opportunity. Now, on to the action...

**************

"Ew! That woman truly sweated like a p..."

"Mikani! It's the third time you complain about your sweaty uniform. Please quit it." Aster whispered.

Mikani sighed. "I think I got the short end of the stick... Life is unfair..." she joked.

"And I think Klenia is rubbing off on you. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing." Aster answered. Mikani had opened up the last few months, to Aster's delight. She was still professional, and still had doubts about if Aster's method was the best, but she learned how to be a little more laid-back with her partners, whom she'd started to see as friends.

Aaria simply smiled at their exchange. Out of all the three, she was the one who was working the security uniform the best. Her hardened features made her perfect to impersonate security guards and soldiers. Since she rarely took an active part in the infiltrations, Aster sometimes forgot just how good Aaria could be...

The three women were currently wearing security guard uniforms. Black boots, black pants, black shirts with the words "SECURITY" written on the back, and black caps. On their belts, there was an assortment of threats (handcuffs, badge, tear gas spray, and stun gun) that were giving them an aura of authority and strength. At least more than to the three amateurs they replaced... EarthSee had hired several security companies and assigned them to different parts of the building. Officially, it was to promote diversity. Aster suspected that it was to force them to lower their prices by using the competition between them. Effectively, it meant that the organization of the security was a nightmare. Several of these companies were business rivals and making them cooperate was nearly impossible. Since the beginning of the party, at least one brawl between two groups has been narrowly prevented. Luckily, the guards Aster and her two companions replaced were from a small company, so they were regarded as insignificant, and others didn't pick fights with them.

Aster and her team had been tasked with watching the back corridors leading to the restrooms and the locker-rooms. They could hear the music and the noises of the conversations, muffled by the walls and the locked doors. Regularly, someone would go to the restrooms, ignoring them all the way through, and offering them a brief glimpse of the nicely-dressed guests and the appetizing buffet. Aster didn't complain. The party in itself wasn't the reason why they were here anyway.

Aster's phone bipped. She quickly checked it. "Message from Klenia. She's in the place."

"Does she know what to do?" Aaria asked.

"Yes. Now it's up to us."

"We move?" Mikani intervened.

"We move."

Aster and Aaaria left their post while Mikani stayed behind to watch their back and make everyone believe that they were still watching the corridor.

Aster knew the layout of the building. The back corridors she was currently in had an access to the first floor, that was her destination. Dimitri had been invited to the party, as he was the CEO and founder of the Demeter & Sillo Associates, an agriculture company that has already worked with EarthSee in the past. It was him who gave most of the intel to his wife.
She also knew something even more important... The CEO of EarthSee had brought with him a list of the new commercial contracts he was hoping of getting the next few months. He wanted to show it to his board of directors. The list was going to be in the conference room of the first floor. He was also carrying a good sum of money, in order to distribute a few bribes at the end of the party. The money was stocked in the building's safe, that was also located in the conference room.
While gathering informations was an essential part of Aster's work, she often took part in operations that were just as vital for the Rebellion. Operations of sabotage and operations to earn money.
Tonight's operation was both. A rival company had contacted them to steal the list. She would then offer better prices than the EarthSee Corp and win the contracts. Corporate espionage. Aster was going to be paid royally for the service, a money that would greatly help the Rebellion. And the EarthSee was the company which had the more ties with the Government. Weakening it would weaken Olympus. And the best part was that their client didn't even know they were working with the Rebellion. Aaria made them believe that they were a group of freelance criminals.

The door of the conference room was guarded by two muscular women. Both had closely-cropped hair, the first had black hair, the second had brown. They wereroughly wearing the same uniforms as Aster and Aaria, but their posture showed that they meant business. Contrary to the other members of the security staff, they were carrying real guns on their belts. For now, they weren't aware that they were being watched.

"I heard from Dimitri that the CEO likes them butch." Aster whispered, while watching from afar.

"To each their own." Aaria answered.

"I texted Dimitri. The CEO is about to make his grand speech and all the board is with him. The safe room is empty."

"It still contains what we want?"

"He hasn't shown the contracts to his associates yet. He'll wait until after the speech. And he'll give out the bribes only at the end of the party."

"Dimitri worked well."

"He's not the leader of our network for nothing."

"So, how do we take them out?"

Aster thought for a moment. Time was of the essence. They needed to be quick. "We go with our guts."

**************

The first guard raised one eyebrow when she saw Aster and Aaria approach. "What do you want?" she asked.

Aster did her best to sound a little panicked. "We need your help. There's a fight in the restroom corridor."

"We can't leave the safe room. Can't you handle a few drunk guests?"

"The fight is between the Caid Security Service and the Ares Privates!"

The guard let out a curse. By reflex, she grabbed her walkie-talkie. "Incompetent fools! Why haven't we been informed?" But then she frowned. That woman was a professional, and she noticed that something wasn't right in Aster's story. Real guards would have sent only one of them to warn the others, not two at is would mean there would be one less person to try to split up the fighters.

The guard tried to grab her handgun, but her hand was still on her walkie-talkie and it gave Aster an advantage of two seconds. Just enough. One jolt of stun gun put her out of commission.

The other guard had already drawn her gun.

Aaria grabbed her hand and forced her to drop the weapon by twisting her wrist. She carried on with a few punches in the guts to cut her breath. Aster took advantage of this to knocked the second guard out with another jolt of stun gun.

They searched the two unconscious guards. "We're lucky! They have the keys!" announced Aster. "You won't have to pick the lock, Aaria."

"Perfect."

They unlocked and opened the door, before dragging the two unconscious guards inside and closing the door.

The conference room had already been prepared for the upcoming board meeting. The seats were ready and there were sheets of papers on the table in front of each seat. In the back of the room, there was the safe. Aaria immediately went for the safe. She was the only one with the knowledge to open it. Aster dragged the two guards in a corner and used their own handcuffs to cuff their wrists. She took off their boots and used their long socks as gags: one thrust in their mouths, the other fashioned as a cleave-gag to hold the first in place.

Then she searched the conference table. After locating the files she was looking for, in a briefcase, Aster took a picture of each sheet of paper. Once it was done, she carefully put them back in the same order inside the briefcase and put the briefcase back in its place. She hoped no one would notice. "It's okay?" she asked to Aaria.

"Almost." Aaria was the fastest, she had the best tools and this safe wasn't exactly top-notch quality.

"Once it's done, take all the money. They have to think it was a robbery." Aster instructed. She then went to guard the door. Mikani was supposed to text her if someone tried to go to the first floor. But Aster was still nervous. It was the most hazardous part of the plan. They'd have to wait until Aaria was done. They needed to cover their tracks.

It took her partner a while, but she finally succeeded. Still nobody. In the safe, there were mostly checks, but still enough cash to make a robbery look plausible. Aaria took everything and put it in a backpack. "Ready!" she finally said.

Aster nodded and sent two texts. The first was for Mikani, to inform her that they were going to hightail soon. The other was for Klenia. Do what you have to do. she instructed.

Then, Aster and Aaria left the room, closed and locked the door, then met up with Mikani. The latter gave them a questioning look. "So far so good." Aster answered.

"Did you tell Klenia?" Mikani asked.

"Yes. Any minute now..."

Suddenly, the sound of the fire alarm resonated in all the building. Klenia had pulled it. Already, Aster could hear the confused screams of the guests. Soon, everyone would exit the building. "Time to make our big exit." she said.

Aster and her partners would use the confusion to leave the building and drive off with the pictures and the money. Their contact was already waiting for the intel.

**************

Exiting the building was almost easy. The guests were rather disciplined and the security staff carried on their task with professionalism. However, this kind of unexpected incidents always created disorder. And Aster's team used it as cover to flee undetected.

Aster, Mikani and Aaria joined the security van. They had parked it far from the building, on the opposite side of the rallying point in which the guests were gathering. The place was deserted. "Good work, team. I think this is another success." Aster said.

Mikani smiled, while Aaria nodded.

Then, they heard the voice. "I don't think so. Rebel scum."

Aster felt her heat missing a beat. Flabbergasted, she turned around. The woman was wearing a soldier uniform. And her machine gun was pointed at them.

**************

Klenia left the building by the back entrance. In the chaos of the evacuation, nobody noticed her fleeing. She hadn't seen the others but Aster's message meant that they succeeded.

Klenia headed towards the forest of South Window. While her comrades were supposed to flee with the security van, she had been tasked with retrieving their car, still hidden in the woods. Klenia was briefly tempted to go see how Macha (probably still bound and gagged) was doing, but she resisted the temptation. She couldn't afford to waste time.

Klenia was an athletic woman and a little sprint wasn't much for her. She quickly arrived in the clearing. When she opened the back door of the car, she was greeted by a concert of mewlings and muffled screams. It seems that our generous uniform donors have woken up... The three security guards had tried escaping their bonds, but all their trashing seemed to have been in vain. The guard on the right, whose brown hair were tied in a slick ponytail, turned around. Klenia could see a ray of hope shine in her eyes, before she recognized her as one of the women who mugged her.

"Sorry... It's just me..."

The woman and her two companions tried to shout threats at her, but the task could prove difficult when one's mouth was filled with two socks and sealed with a few strips of tape. Klenia ignored them and grabbed the first guard by the underarms. She suppressed a grimace when she noticed that the woman had sweat a little.

"Girl... Remember to take a long shower once you're back home..."

"Mhhhhkmmm bmmhhh!"

She dragged the woman and concealed her under a bush. Her two colleagues soon followed. Klenia got into her car.

"So far so good."

While maneuvering the car, she tried to call Aster. She wasn't answering. Klenia frowned and tried a second time. Still nothing. "Come on! Why aren't they answering?"

She hurried to leave the clearing.

**************

The soldier was alone but, with a loaded machine gun, the numerical inferiority wasn't a problem. She could shoot the three of them down with one hail of bullets. Aster's mind raced, trying to find a solution. The woman had coal-black hair and her eyes were almost as dark. Her figure wasn't very impressive, but there was something in her posture that was sending shivers in Aster's spine. This was the posture of a predator. She was wearing the standard soldier military uniform.

But something wasn't adding up. How did that woman manage to surprise them? Were was she a few seconds ago? Why was she alone? Soldiers always acted in pair, at the very least. And, more importantly, how did she know they were part of the Rebellion ? Shouldn't she assume, at worst, that they were robbers?

Then, Aster noticed the eyes. The cold dark eyes. The eyes of a killer.

Aster composed herself a scornful expression. "You killed and replaced a clown recently? I didn't know you had any sense of humour. Emery."

Emery coldly stared at her. But Aster could see a glimmer of pure malice well-buried beneath the dead expression. She knew the exact reason why Emery did this little comedy. The two women couldn't stand each other. When she saw an opportunity to humiliate her, Emery took it.

"I was sent here to help." Emery said, ignoring Aster's remark.

"Then why don't you start by pulling that gun away?" retorted Aaria. "Ever heard of gun safety?"

"My bad..." Emery complied. She then added: "Hieron is waiting for me in the military car. Aster will come with us. You two continue the mission."

Mikani looked at Aaria and Aster. She seemed unsure.

Aaria gave Aster a questioning look. The latter nodded and gave her the camera. "Give the pictures and get the money. I'll handle it."

"You sure?" Aaria whispered.

"She won't hurt me. Cérès probably needs me for one of her plans, so she sent her loyal dog to fetch me."

"Logical."

"Still, be careful." Mikani intervened.

"I will. Don't forget to warn Klenia about the change of plans."

Then, Aster followed Emery while Aaria and Mikani got into the security van. On their way, Aster quickly took a look at Emery's uniform.

"I'm not going to ask you how you got your soldier uniform..." she said.

"Don't worry. It's been taken care of."

Aster scowled, but didn't add anything until they got into the military car. She sat on the backseat, while Emery sat on the passenger seat. The man driving the car was stocky and muscular, with a shaved head and dark skin.

"Hello Hieron." Aster saluted.

The man greeted her. Hieron was one of the big shots of the Rebellion. One of the oldest too. He was working for Cérès, the leader of the resistance network in Lakeland, the Province north of Korê.

"How do you do, Aster?" he asked.

"Cut the chit-chat. What do you want?"

Hieron sighed, then talked. "Cérès has a mission for you."

Aster grimaced. She pointed out Emery. "And why did Cérès send her attack dog here?"

"Because she will accompany your team during your mission."

**************

Aaria was silently driving. Uncomfortable, Mikani was sit next to her. She had called Klenia to warn her about the change of plan. Since then, nobody had said a word. Apparently, Aaria was fine with the silence but, after the scene she just witnessed, Mikani needed to talk.

"I didn't imagine Emery that way..." Mikani finally said, breaking the silence.

"She's not good at making first impressions." Aaria answered while still looking at the road.

"I imagined her... Different."

"Don't be fooled. Emery's a professional. Better than you or me. It's just that... She can be incredibly petty with the people she doesn't like."

"Why?"

Aaria sighed. "I'm not a psychologist..."

"Please..."

The older woman groaned. "Fine..." She thought a little, then added. "Emery wants to be feared. She wants that other people feel worried when she's around them. When it doesn't work, she'll try to belittle them out of spite, and to keep the others in line."

"She and Aster seem to particularly dislike each other..." Mikani added.

"That's an understatement."

"Why?"

Aaria sighed again."You will bother me until I tell you?"

"Yes."

Aaria sadly shook her head. "Klenia really did rub off on you..."

"Aaria?"

"Okay, you win, I'll tell you the story. It happened five years ago. At that time, Klenia was still a petty thief. It was only Aster and I. We had started the whole infiltration-schtick a few months ago, but we already had had several successful missions. This time, we were tasked with stealing medical supplies in a hospital to supply the Rebellion. We were paired with a back-then young but promising recruit. Emery..."

Aaria continued. “We had managed to hijack an ambulance but, when we parked it in a secluded forest area, the two paramedics tried to escape. Aster and I managed to grab the first before she left the ambulance, but the second managed to exit it. Emery chased after her and quickly caught up with her. She jumped on her and they rolled in some bushes. We lost their sight for a few moments. And when Aster went to see how she was doing...”

"Emery had killed the paramedic, right?" Mikani understood.

"Yes. She had strangled her with her bare hands. But she didn't do it because she had. Emery was a lot stronger than the woman. She could have incapacitated her non-lethally. Emery killed her because she could. Because it was a little easier that way. Because she saw nothing wrong with that." Aaria sadly shook her head. "Aster was furious. If I wasn't there to split them up, they would have fought each other. We lost too much time because of that and the mission was a complete failure. Aster never forgave Emery for what she did, and Emery never forgave Aster for causing her first failure in a mission."

"Didn't Aster tell her to not kill them?"

"She did. But Emery wasn't Aster's subordinate, even though she was younger. They held an equal rank and Emery wasn't forced to follow her orders. It wasn't a well-planned operation. It was the first time we hired a third person. We made mistakes. We should have drugged the paramedics as soon as we could. We should have made it clear that Aster's word had force of law, or refused to take Emery with us."

Mikani fell silent.

Aaria concluded. "Aster used to admire Emery, when she only knew her by reputation. She thought that she was the most promising recruit ever. That's why she resents her so much now. She has felt betrayed."

**************

"You want me to do what?!" Aster was furious.

"Please just calm yourself and hear me out!" Hieron retorted.

"Why can't Cérès send her attack dog alone?"

"She will need assistance, and you and your team are among the best when it comes to infiltration."

"You want me to help Emery in one of her little assassinations?! Is this Cérès' way of insulting me?"

"You didn't even hear the name of the target..."

"I don't c..." Aster started.

"It's Heraclius Eudokia." Emery interrupted her.

Surprised, Aster felt silent for a moment. "Heraclius Eudokia?" She repeated.

"The officer who ordered the mass decimations in three villages of Rift after the sabotage operations in the mines of Mount Talos. One inhabitant out of ten, selected at random to be shot by the firing squad." Emery confirmed. "You saw the pictures, didn't you? They made a point of including the children. It was his idea."

Hieron intervened. "We all know how you feel about dealing with the grunts, and we respect that. I respect that. But this is a war, Aster. Things are going to escalate quickly. The Headquarter is planning a mass rebellion of all Provinces in the near future, in one or two years at most."

"So, we finally get a chance to take a shot at one of their leaders?" Aster asked.

"Heraclius is a talented and influential officer. But we found a way to get him. And if we do, we'll have one less obstacle in our crusade to overthrow the Olympian Government." Hieron confirmed.

"We know you're interested." Emery added.

Aster scoffed at her. But the truth was that she was interested, even though she refused to show it to them. Aster didn't want to kill the "donors" of their uniforms. They were just pawns of Olympus and most of them, even the average Olympian citizens, were ignorant of the true extent of the Government's malevolence. Just like everyone else, they were deceived and indoctrinated by the official propaganda. However, the possibility to make pay one of the leaders... One of these cynical bastards on top of the system...

"I put one condition. And it's non negotiable." Aster finally said.

"What condition?"

"I'm in charge of the mission. You can give me all the advices you want. But I make the decisions and my orders have force of law. I want to be obeyed as if my orders were given by Cérès."

Hieron thought for a little, then said "I think we can agree to that..."

"I want Emery to say it."

Emery scowled. "Say what?"

"That you will obey my instructions. We will deal with Heraclius, but we won't have colateral victims unless we absolutely can't avoid it. And it is I who will decide their fate. Not you. Understood?"

Emery stared at her. The glimmer of malice in her eyes had become a huge spark. Aster knew that, if Emery and she had been alone in an isolated area, she probably wouldn't have made it out in one piece.

But they weren't alone and Hieron was Emery's superior. He gave the assassin a meaningful look.

"I will obey." Emery said, as if she was spitting venom.

"Good. Then, tell me how we will proceed." Aster retorted.

"Ever heard of the Grand Botanical Competition that happens each year in the Province of Hera?" Hieron started.

"Yes. It will begin soon."

"This year, you'll be participating."

**************


Author's note: So a lot of story and character interactions but few interesting scenes, for which I apologize. Originally, the prologue and first part were supposed to be just one part. The idea was to start the story in the middle of a mission, before continuing with the true mission of the story. But it just kept getting bigger as I was writing it... Hopefully, the other parts will be more balanced between story and uniform thefts. Also, have you noticed how all the character's joy dies at the end? THAT is the power of Emery. Yes, we finally get to see her, and to know why Aster can't stand her. Joke aside, I know that this part is darker than my first story; you just have to see what Aster's next mission is. But rest assured, the story won't become grim-dark after that and there will still be plenty of lighter moments, including during the uniform thefts. However, I would like to know what you think about this development.

Part 2

The Grand Botanical Competition of Hera was divided into two parts. The first part was the public area: huge marquees as well as stands selling food and drinks, games for the children, tents and caravans. The second was the luxuous resort hotel near the fair, which was reserved for the contestants, the judges, and the prestigious guests. Access was restricted and a pass was needed.

**************

Klenia wasn't happy.

How could Aster do this to me again...? “And once again, I'm the sucker...” she said out loud.

“It's been two days already. Can't you let that one go?”

“Shut up Hieron!” She turned to look daggers at him. Then her eyes widened. “And what are you doing exactly?”

While she wasn't looking, the bald man had bought a silly hat, a (hideous) colourful scarf with a flower pattern in it and a snack he was currently munching on.

“I've been told to blend in. I'm blending in." he answered with a big smile. "You should do the same.”

Klenia was wearing plain clothes to not attract attention: sneakers, light-blue jeans and a grey cardigan. She was still looking good in them. Her hair were dyed red, she changed her eye color with contacts and make up allowed her to make her skin paler. She also had a backpack. In the fair, seeing someone with a backpack wasn't an uncommon sight, so Klenia could carry hers without raising suspicions. In it, she had all the tools she needed.

“Okay.” she said. “I'll just... ignore the abomination of bad taste you're wearing for now.”

“Are you still mad at Aster?”

“Of course! She left me behind! Again!”

“Officially, Aster only has three employees. We could only get her four VIP passes.”

“I know. And I'm supposed to be one of her three employees...”

“She needed the third for Emery. She wanted to keep an eye on her.”

Klenia instantly calmed herself. The mere thought of Emery was enough to douse her anger.

“Besides, we all know that Aster left you behind because she trusts you the most to find your way in.” concluded Hieron. “You're the more resourceful of her team. You'll find a way. Think of it as an oportunity to have a little more fun than the others... We both know that you already found worst excuses to mug someone...”

Klenia shook her head and smiled. It's not untrue... “You truly know how to speak to women...”

“It's a talent...” Hieron paused, then added. “I'll let you handle things from here.”

“You're not going with me?”

“I'm supposed to stay here and keep an eye on this part of the fair.”

“Riiiight... Have fun then.”

**************

The botanical competition began two days ago, and Aster actually managed well, but ultimately lost the second day. Her job as a florist may be a cover, but she was still very good at it. Tonight would be the last stage. Officially, Aster was going to leave the festival after her loss, along with other contestants unwilling to see the victor rub their success in their faces. However, there were still a few hours left before the bus taking her to the train station would arrive. She would put that time to good use.

The fair wasn't the reason why they came her.

Today was the moment they would spring to action. They had two days to watch and plan. Aster, Emery, Mikani and Aaria in the resort hotel; Hieron and Klenia in the public part of the festival. Now, they were ready.

Klenia checked her wristwatch. Time to leap into action... She had a plan.

**************

The caravans had been parked away from the rest of the festival. (And even then, Klenia could still hear the obnoxious music...) They were occupied by spectators from far away, the few contestants not important enough to have a room in the hotel, and florists from the Province of Hera and beyond who were hoping to take advantage of the fair to sell their products.

Klenia located the right caravan, which was rather big. She checked around to be sure that there were no witnesses, then knocked on the door.

“Who's there?” a female voice inside asked.

“Staff member, ma'am. You asked one of us to help you carry some orchids that you sold.”

“I'm coming.”

The woman inside the caravan was a florist from the Province of Hera. She was planning on selling a few rare orchids to a rich client and asked the fair for help to carry them. (While first and foremost an entertainment, the Grand Botanical Competition also managed plenty of transactions.) Therefore, a staff member was supposed to visit her this morning to help her carry her plants. And due to a stupid (but right now useful) tradition in Hera, all the staff members of the Grand Botanical Competition had to be women.

Klenia needed the uniform of a staff member. They were allowed to circulate between the public and the private parts of the fair, but they were numerous enough so that people wouldn't pay attention to a new face. Since the beginning, she planned on taking one of them out. She just couldn't find a viable way. That is, until that florist gave her the perfect opportunity when Klenia overheard her conversation the day before... When the staff member would come, Klenia would be waiting for her. Unfortunately for the real florist, it meant that she had to be kept out of commission too. And it meant that Klenia would have not one, but two “occasions”...

The caravan's door opened. The florist was on her mid-thirties. She had the blues eyes, blond hair and fair skin typical of the people from Hera. She was tall, with a nice figure to boot, and wearing her professional clothes: comfortable shoes, green pants, a white t-shirt, a green thick apron to protect her from the mud and a headscarf tied over her hair, themselves tied into two small ponytails. Even with the unflattering clothes, she looked stunning.

Her eyes widened because of the surprise.

“You're not from the staff!”

“Great deduction.”

Klenia leapt into action. The door closed behind her. The woman tried to fight back, but Klenia was far stronger than her. The caravan rocked back and forth a few moments, but nobody was here to see it. Or to hear the muffled cries for help. Or to hear the sound of clothes being swiftly removed.

**************

The florist was beautiful, as most of the people from Hera were, but Klenia didn't waste too much time admiring her body.

She started to remove the shoes, then the apron. She continued with the pants, making them slide on long slender legs. Once she was done, she was greeted by the sight of perfectly-trimmed lacey pink panties. They were so beautiful, and expensive, that Klenia was tempted to take them as well. But she had a rule about leaving to her donors at least a few shreds of dignity, so she resisted the temptation. Instead, she grabbed the white t-shirt and took it out, then did the same to the tank top she was wearing under. The bra matched the panties and was just as beautifully-crafted. Probably had a date planned later... Klenia thought. Well too bad for him – or her... I saw them first! She smiled.

Now that the florist was only in her most intimate garments, Klenia could see just how gorgeous the woman's silhouette was.

“You do realize that the people of your Province may be the only ones capable of making me feel self-conscious about my own body...” Klenia said to herself. She clapped her hands. “Now, on to business...”

She started to drug the blonde with a dose of Agent Moonlight, to ensure hours of peaceful slumber. Then she took a roll of strong green tape and green ropes, a colour she chose to keep in theme with the Botanical Competition. First, she taped the woman's hand together, palm against palm, entrapping the fingers to be sure she couldn't free herself. Then, she taped her feet together. Ropes were used to tie her wrists, ankles and thighs. Finally, Klenia mummified her upper-torso with tape. A few cotton pads filled the blonde's mouth, then a few strips of tape were smoothed on her pulpous lips to gag her. Voilà... All done...

She laid the woman on her bed in the caravan and covered her with the sheets. She quickly removed her own clothes, save for her blue plunge bra and matching panties, and donned the florist's attire.
Klenia knew that disguising in the florist's clothes wasn't essential, as she wasn't supposed to leave the caravan. But, hey, better safe than sorry. And she needed to occupy herself before the arrival of her other generous donor...

**************

Klenia only needed to wait 20 more minutes after changing herself.

She saw the staff member from the caravan's windows before she reached the door. She was a little younger than her previous donor, probably in her early thirties. Her long auburn hair had been carefully braided. She was a little shorter and less stunning than the florist, but she was still close enough to Klenia's size. Her uniform consisted of comfortable brown work trousers held on her waist by a belt, a baggy green t-shirt with the golden emblem of the fair on the chest and on the back, and a green cap also adorned with the symbol of the fair. Good. Baggy clothes mean easier to remove and to wear.

The staff member knocked on the door.

“Staff member, ma'am. You asked one of us to help you carry some orchids that you sold.”

“I'm coming!”

Klenia opened the door. The first thing she noticed was that the woman had beautiful hazel eyes. Then, she quickly checked and saw that there was still no witness in sight. That was the other reason why Klenia chose this place to change outfit. Most of the people in the caravans were absent during the day, as they were either visiting or working at the fair. She mentioned to come in to the woman from the staff.

“They're inside. Please, come in.”

However, the woman seemed puzzled. “Weren't you supposed to be from Hera?” she asked.

“I've had a lot of plastic surgery.”

“Wha...“

Klenia grabbed her by the collar and pulled her inside. For the second time in the day, the caravan rocked back and forth as an unwilling clothes donor was swiftly rendered unconscious.

**************

Klenia wasted no time and stripped the auburn-haired woman of her outer garments. Soon, the woman was only left in her comfortable full-cup bra and briefs. Her underwear were white, with a cute floral-pattern on them. Wow... Talk about attention to detail... I wonder if the staff members were required to wear floral-themed underwear.

Klenia found the access pass in a pocket of the pants. Perfect... Resort hotel, here I go...

She bound and gagged the auburn-haired woman, using the same method as with the blond florist, then injected her a dose of Agent Moonlight as well. Now, the caravan's bed was occupied by two sleeping angels, who were laying side by side, peacefully breathing through their noses. Klenia pulled the blanket up to their mouths.

For the second time in 20 minutes, Klenia changed clothes. As expected, the baggy shirt fit her quite well and the pants weren't that much tight. She discarded her mugged victim's shoes and kept hers. Then, she folded her own discarded clothes on her backpack and, keeping it in her hands, left the caravan. She would give the backpack to Hieron, then would head to the restricted part of the fair. Aster was waiting for her.

**************

Aster checked her wristwatch and took a deep breath. Everything was set. She had dyed her hair black in her chamber's bathroom, changed her eye color with a pair of color contacts and used make-up to change her skine tone. Klenia had met up with them, very proud that she had already mugged two persons before the operation even began. Then, Aster sent her, Aaria and Mikani to do their parts. Everyone was at their post.

Aster glanced at Emery. Her “partner” was sitting on an armchair. But she wasn't relaxed, on the contrary. Somehow, even in that position, she seemed to be ready for combat. She sat in a way that would allow her to quickly rise and attack if someone was threatening her.

“It's time.” Aster announced.

“Perfect. You do remember the steps?”

“Yes. You do remember my orders?”

Emery didn't answer.

“Do you?” Aster insisted.

“Yes.” the assassin finally answered.

“Good. Now, let's start with step 1.”

**************


Author's note: A little shorter that the last, but I hope you'll like it.

I like it! ! great new installments so far!

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. I remembered your advice in one comment about giving more time to shine, hence more details for her scene in the latest post. Gotta give the people what they want.

Gotta give the people what they want

I don't think so; it's not matter of what the audience wants

personally I am a staunch believer of the Plato's theory according to which the creators and artists, novelists etc. are simply tools of divine Realm of Ideas; the latters need room to be presented

In other words, when I asked about giving Klenia more time , I acted on her behalf

Great build-up! The expository scenes help set the mood, and they make the uniform-stealing scenes more exciting as a payoff.

Klenia is a wonderful character; her dry sense of humor adds a great deal to her mugging scenes. The "plastic surgery" line was particularly good.

Not sure how I feel about Emery yet. She has potential, but I hope her character doesn't darken the story too much. You're doing very well with the upbeat tone.