Formal events were the worst kind of guard duty for Hannah.  Not only did she have to have her uniform crisp and clean, but she also had to stand still and not do anything unless she had to.  At least with some sort of patrol, she could walk around and look at things.  Instead, she stood at attention, her chest pushed out, and her focus directly forward.  The safety and security of the staircase behind her was at stake during the noble soiree, where any of the drunken inbreds could wander by.  Of course, she couldn't do anything to them without good cause anyway.  So, she was more akin to window dressing than security.  She had been assigned the post to keep her visible but out of trouble, at least until it found her.

"Look at what we found here." A genetic dead-end of the flaky-most edge of society called out after stumbling out of the hall and spotting her.

"That red hair, I see?"  Another followed behind.  "You know that makes her a fun time right?"

Hannah doubted that was ALWAYS the case but wasn't about to prove them wrong.  So long as they stayed within the law, she was happy to let them find out she could very much be a fun time.  She kept her eyes locked forward as they moved in around her.  Listening to their banter, complimenting her body, saying things she'd heard a thousand times before, she enjoyed the fact that she didn't have to react to them. 

The man licked his lips as he ran his hand over her chest, looking for a reaction.  He got one in the form of a deep breath to push her chest out.  Starting with unbuttoning her jacket, he smiled as he saw one of his compatriots lifting her skirt slightly.  The tight skirt was meant to look sharp, not flexible, so it took some tugging and teasing, but it was high enough to show the red lace underneath by the time her jacket was open.  He could see a matching bra under her shirt and wondered what kind of soldier would be standing guard with top-notch lingerie on.

Wandering about the palace, trying to escape the party, Brutus walked in on the sight of a soldier with her shirt being opened by a man while another two flanked her with their hands running over her.  He was a bit stunned, knowing that if it was a problem, the soldier would be reacting.  The cap on her head had a royal seal, so she had to be one of the best.  Instead, she simply stared forward with a blank expression on her face.

Hannah felt the tug on her underwear, shifting it as a hand explored from behind, annoyed she had to keep her feet together instead of spreading them on instinct.  The hands she held behind her back felt the stiff shaft of the man through his trousers as he rubbed against them.  Thankfully for her, her breasts were now exposed to the man in front of her, and she could enjoy some significant skin contact as he fondled them.  He played with the supple and firm breasts that were more than his hands could manage, and Hannah let out a soft moan.

"Yeah, you like that, do you?"  He asked, bending over to lick at her nipples.

Hannah spotted movement in the doorway and noticed the voyeur.  She silently wished him away or to keep out of it.  Without being able to move, she couldn't do much with another man and the ones touching her probably wouldn't share anyway.  Keeping still with the men touching her took a lot of effort, and she wanted to focus on enjoying what she could before it ended.

Just as the man was switching his mouth from one breast to another and starting to cover it with saliva, he was interrupted.

"What the fuck do you want?"  The one man with his hands in his pants trying to pull himself out asked loudly in the direction of the observer.

Hannah let out a disappointed sigh.

"Are you sure you lot should be doing that?"  Brutus asked, taking a few steps closer against his better judgment.

The man who detached himself from Hannah's breasts turned around and approached the newcomer.  "Do you mind?  We are having our fun here and don't need the interruptions.  Can't you see, the bitch wants this?"

Brutus eyed up the man, he was clearly a noble and felt he could get away with whatever he wanted, but he also checked out the redhead with her glistening breasts out in the open, still at attention.  Before he could respond, the third man spoke up.

"We are having fun," He pinched her nipple and gave it a tug.  "We can do what we want."

Hannah decided the exposed humiliation and teasing was worth the interruption.  She braced for the slap that came next as an open hand met her other nipple.  If his hand had still been down her underwear, he'd have felt how wet she was getting.

"She doesn't need to move," The second man explained as he slapped her ass.  "We can redress her later."

Hannah caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and cursed as the hand slapped her cap off.  Before the royal seal could hit the floor, her arms shot up to grab the hand and twist it hard enough to break it.  She crouched and spun to sweep the legs out from under the other man and caught the cap before it touched the ground.  Fixing it back on her head, she pulled out her baton and got back upright in time to see the first man moving towards her.  Hannah kicked the knee of the man holding his wrist to bend it the opposite of healthy direction and took a swipe at the man in charge.  His head spun under the impact as he spat out teeth and fell to the floor. 

The man who had only been tripped tried to crawl away but soon found a combat boot between his legs.  He let out a howl of pain before rolling over to grab his groin and seeing the woman with her breasts out silence him with a strike to the head.

"Well, fuck."  Hannah cursed.  "That could have ended better."

"I'm sorry?"  Brutus kept his distance.

"You should be.  Guard duty is boring as hell.  Worse when you can't move.  I could have gotten three men off without defying orders."  Hannah said with a huff as heavy boots approached.

"Were you defying orders by defending yourself?"  Brutus asked, looking at the men on the ground.

"Turns out, 'It's not my fault' doesn't count as an excuse in the military.  I was ordered to stay still and out of trouble."  Hannah rested her hands on her hips as other guards showed up.

"Hannah!"  The captain shouted.  "Put those away and explain what the hell happened."

Hannah looked at the bodies and wondered if she had to haul them off to the hospital before she noticed her breasts were still out.  Cursing again, she started to fix her uniform.  "They disrespected the royal seal, sir."

Brutus noticed he was being looked at directly.  "They knocked it off her head.  She put two of them down before catching it.  Never hit the floor."

Hannah gave him an appreciative nod.  He could be forgiven for walking in on things, but he stood up for her, and she appreciated that.

"Get on internal patrol, Hannah.  Don't let me or another living being see you for the rest of the party."  The captain instructed as the guards hauled away the injured men.  "Tomorrow, you are on dock duty until you get promoted.  Ideally, a long time from now."

"Oh no, sir, surrounded by sweaty teamsters all day?  What will I do?"  Hannah asked as she went up the stairs for her patrol.

"The royal airship docks.  Not the freight docks.  I want you to be bored stiff surrounded by automatons!"  The captain barked.

Hannah cursed and walked away.

The men, distracted by the sight of her hips swaying as she went up the stairs and left, focused back on reality when she was gone.

"What rank is she?  You just called her by her name."  Brutus asked.

"I use her name instead of yelling Private all the time because it's easier if I don't give all my people heart attacks when it's always her."  The captain sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"How does she stay in the Royal Guards?  I would have thought you would be quick to get rid of troublemakers."  Brutus kicked himself for continuing to talk instead of getting out of there, but he couldn't help himself.

"You know how some people sleep with their instructors to get passing grades?"

"Yeah."

"Well, she slept with most of them AND excelled.  Then, she volunteered for all the extra training she could get and did it all again.  She's promiscuous as all hell, but on those days when everything goes to hell, she's the one putting it back in place.  Almost as if she's offended anyone but her is giving me shit."  The captain chuckled.

Brutus smiled and nodded as the captain left to return to his duties.  Taking a quick look around, he fled up the stairs before the replacement guard could get posted.  Thinking to himself that while the distraction was unconventional, it gave him the opening he needed.

****

Hannah felt more comfortable, if less sexy, in her regular uniform instead of her dress uniform.  The pants were easier to move in, and the boots fit better with such extensive use.  Only her underwear let her feel sexy, so she elected to go with black today.  Not that there was anyone around to see her; she could only spot a handful of people on decks or running around.  None that were going to ruin their schedules to flirt with a girl with a rifle on her back, at least. 

The upper docks were for luxury goods coming in, being unloaded by the new automatons from the airships of the noble class.  Before then, she could find her own entertainment, or it would find her.  Now, it was decidedly absent of prospects.  The only options were the other guards on patrol, but that could wait until the barracks, and none of them would be new experiences.

Hannah sighed, feeling like it would be a long time before anything happened on the docks to get her promoted.  Then she heard someone raise an alarm and saw the smoke from a small fire.  She smiled, looking in the opposite direction. 

The reason distractions work isn't because guards are idiots who see the thing and go after it.  No, it's because guard duty is so damn boring that any excuse to not be doing it is preferable.  So when the fire started, most of the duds who didn't understand what was going on ran towards it.  Then, there was a single redhead who knew something much more interesting was going down. 

****

Brutus had mixed feelings about his escape plan.  On the one hand, fewer people on the docks meant fewer eyes to spot him.  On the other, it meant fewer people to keep track of.  The fire was a simple thing: a magnifying glass on some packing straw in a pile.  Nowhere serious, nobody to get hurt.  The guards were already rushing over to put it out.  He was skirting the edge of a warehouse, looking out into the sky beyond.  The docks ran around the mountaintop, just below the palace, with ships coming and going.  There was enough commotion that he could go unnoticed.  He adjusted the strap of the bag on his back over the other shoulder and turned his head to look behind him.  It saved his life as the wall burst with the impact of a bullet, and the crack of the shot soon followed.

Hannah cursed at how close she had gotten with her warning shot.  The last-second look saved him and she cursed again as she recognized the startled face.  He had ducked down to take cover when she decided to charge.  By the time she got to where he had dropped, he was gone.  The warehouse doors were open, and she fixed her bayonet before entering.  The dusty interior of stacked crates might have been organized at some point but had clearly gotten lax for a while, making Hannah's careful hunting difficult.

"You don't want to come after me," Brutus spoke softly enough that he could be heard but difficult to locate.

"I usually come several times before, if I am being honest,"  Hannah announced loudly, knowing her best bet was always to throw people off their game with lewd comments.

Brutus coughed on his next words, only slightly because of the dust.  He quickly moved positions, knowing it had given him away and hoped the heavy boots following him covered his own noise.

"Sorry about that warning shot though.  I wasn't trying to kill you."  Hannah knew he had to be close.  "What did you do that made you need to slip out through the docks?  Lighting a fire puts people on alert.  Not a smart move."

"Something valuable.  Now, please, as much as I am going to make, I don't want to spend more than I have to just to escape."  Brutus pulled a scroll from his bag.

"Magic won't save you if that's what you are planning."  Hannah hadn't been able to seduce the magic instructor, so she couldn't get that training.  "Give it up, or failing that, no fire in here, please."

"Well, since you asked so nicely."  Brutus knew she was close, but he was next to the far wall.  He threw a clay pot at Hannah as she came around a stack of crates and put the scroll flat against the wall.

Hannah bashed the clay pot with her rifle, but it shattered, and dust was going everywhere.  Her vision cleared to see her prey turn a scroll into a hole in the wall with a magic shimmer.  As she aimed her rifle, he went through, and the wall returned to normal.  Her boot tested to make sure she couldn't follow, and she cursed.

"Sorry!"  Brutus called from the main door and slammed it shut, pulling a stack of crates over in front of it to keep it closed.

Locked in, Hannah looked up and fired at one of the windows near the highest stack.  It hadn't been the first time she had to leave a warehouse, but at least this time, she wasn't sneaking out naked.  Her rifle was slung on her back.  She climbed up the precariously stacked cargo until she got to the window and knocked the rest of the glass out with her baton.  Getting through the small window wasn't easy, but she was grateful for her good luck with the packing straw piled high below it.  She dropped down and smiled like a child at the experience before getting her head back in the game and continuing the chase.

Brutus worked the controls of the small airship.  It was what he wanted when he planned the heist: a nondescript little boat that would start when he needed it and keep going for a long time.  Unfortunately for him, it didn't gain speed quickly.  It started puttering out of its slip, and he tried to keep it straight between the larger cargo ship to his right and the docks to his left.  He just needed it to get out and get low.  The plan was always to abandon it in the city below that surrounded the mountain palace.  He could get lost and get away.  Only now, it was in a hurry he didn't plan on needing.

Hannah was greeted by her leftenant as she got out of the straw, who had been attracted by the gunshots.

"What are you shooting at?!"  He barked at her.

"Thief!  Take this!"  Hannah threw her rifle at her commanding officer and dropped her ammo belt after drawing her revolver.

"What are you- get back here when I am speaking to you!"  He shouted as she ran off towards the pier.

"No time!"  Hannah knew her new commander would take too long to brief, let alone convince him to let her give chase.

She ignored the sputtering shouts behind her as her eyes locked on the only moving ship nearby.  The small boat was slowly gaining speed towards the exit.  Running as hard as she could along the dock, she was gradually closing the distance.  When she got close enough to see the cabin door and a face looking out through the window, she took a shot at it.

Brutus cursed the speed of his boat and the tenacity of the woman after him.  The shot hadn't gotten anywhere close to him, but it hadn't made anything easier.  The end of the pier was close, and he could soon start his dive.  Just as he passed the edge, he checked behind him to wave at the woman coming after him only to see her leap off the end of the pier without stopping.  He was too stunned to adjust his course, and when he heard the thud of her landing on his deck, he swore again at his bad luck.

Hannah took a moment to take a breath after her landing.  Her revolver aimed at the cabin door while she recovered.  When she was ready, she moved slowly to the door and opened it with a hard yank.  It was a sparse bridge with only the control station at the front.  She fired at the ground next to where someone might be hiding behind it but got no reaction.  Entering and checking her corners, she couldn't see anyone, just a satchel in the back corner.  Approaching the controls, she took a wide angle and looked around it, only to find nothing.  At a loss, she scanned the bridge for another exit, but it wasn't a complex ship.  There was only one door.  He'd have had to get past her to have gotten below deck.  Just as she was about to let her guard down in confusion, her training kicked in with regards to anything to do with airships.  'Don't forget to look up.'

Brutus dropped down from the cut-out roof section that normally gave crews a better view in the air but blocked him from view from the rear door.  He landed on the redhead just as she tried to draw her weapon up towards him.  Getting his hand around her wrist with the gun, they struggled as he felt sharp strikes to his kidneys.  Had he not been wearing heavy padding, it would have hurt more.  Brutus couldn't enjoy being on top of the woman with how hard she fought.  His other hand went for hers, and she went for her baton, and they got face to face.  She was all business, and he was getting a bit scared.

Hannah struggled to get her hands free, but he had muscle on her, and his body weight was keeping her from kicking him off.  The hand holding her gun away moved and slid a finger under the trigger guard, pulling the trigger and letting off a round.  He did it again and again, trying to empty it.  Twisting for a better angle, she tried to aim the last shot at him, only to hit the controls when it fired. 

The ship rumbled as sparks from the controls covered them both.  It shocked them apart right before the whole ship tilted upwards.  They were flung to the back of the bridge, the ship almost vertical, with its engines roaring as they fired off into the sky.  Neither of them could move under the acceleration as they looked at each other and tried to lift their limbs.  It didn't stop until the steam engines in the rear sputtered out.  Both knew airships well enough that the whole Ember fuel supply had been burnt through in a minute.  As the ship corrected itself back to level, they were powerless high up in the air.

"How high are we?"  Brutus asked, keeping a respectful distance from Hannah, who had lost her cap when they had been thrown, and her long red hair had come loose and blocked her face.

Hannah flicked her head to clear her vision and checked her quarry first before glancing at the controls.  "Assuming we didn't break the altimeter ourselves, higher than it was made to understand."

Brutus edged towards the window and looked down.  "Oh my, we just set a record, I think.  Nice view, though."

Hannah checked the window on her side, impressed by the view but annoyed by what it meant.  "It's going to take hours to drift back down."

"So we aren't going to crash and leave a giant hole in the ground?"  Brutus thought about it for a moment.  "Oh, right, the floatwood in the hull."

Hannah watched as he figured out the answer to his question, sizing him up for another fight as she picked up her baton.  "We will fall slow enough for someone to hook a cable on before we hit once we are low enough for them to fly close.  However, if you want to leave early, I am game to give you that hole in the ground you wanted."

"Is there an option two?"  Brutus was amazed she was ready to fight again.

"I lead you out of here with an iron attached."  Hannah pulled the pair of hand irons out of her pocket.  "There is no third option.  Now tell me what you stole."

Brutus sighed, "The Scepter."

Hannah's blood chilled.  "You stole The Scepter?!"

"Yeah, impressive, eh?"  Brutus let himself feel a bit of pride in being able to say it.

Hannah had to admit it was.  It made sense he had magical tools for getting through walls, and wondered what else he had.  The Scepter controlled the undead guards of the palace.  With it, anyone could control an unkillable army and take over the city.  If they had political support, they could have kept control of it after the fact.

"Don't ask who hired me.  I don't know."  He looked at the satchel on the floor and then at Hannah, smiling with pride.  "Almost got away with it.  Thanks for the distraction last night, though.  That tussle got me an opening that saved me the use of that scroll.  Of course, I had to use it to get away from you, so I suppose we are even."

"They know it's missing by now.  There is no way you can escape to sell it even if you were on the ground now."  Hannah imagined the army flooding through the city, looking for it. 

"I get that.  And I understand that the only way I get out of this alive is to get arrested."  Brutus admitted, but considered he might still get away if he left his loot and ran as soon as he could.  "But we still have the problem of how to pass the time."

Hannah cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Since I ruined your fun last night, and you are free to move now, I suppose I can make up for my interruption."  Brutus took a long look up and down her figure.

"You think I haven't taken care of my needs since then?  On patrol, at the barracks after, woken up by an alarm cock this morning, I'm good."  Hannah smirked, checking him out as well.

"Sounds like it's been more than five minutes then.  You must be desperate by now."  Brutus was surprised at her frequency and might not have been interested in a woman like that before, but he needed her guard down if he was going to get away at some point.

"Alright, that was a low blow."  Hannah was starting to like the man.

"Sorry, all I heard was the word 'blow'."  Brutus put on a cocky grin, amused at his own wordplay.  "If that's how you want to start, then I am game."

Hannah pursed her lips and pushed them to the side in surprised amusement.  "I did not jump on this ship just to do all the work." 

"Don't worry.  I plan on getting back on top and pinning you down again."  Brutus started unfastening his jacket.

"Alright, that works."  Hannah started stripping off her jacket and losing the rest of her gear with her boots. 

Pulling his shirt up over his head, he was greeted by the sight of Hannah already on her knees in front of him when he finished.  Her hands worked over his trousers to unfasten his belt with surprising speed and efficiency.

"We are going to be here for hours, so you had better not finish quickly for me."  Hannah looked up with a serious expression as he pulled his manhood free and held it in her hands.

"I think I can manage…"  Brutus trailed off as a warm tongue ran up the length of his member, and he lost himself for a moment.  "Less confident now, but I suppose that's why you kept the baton."

Hannah smiled as she kissed him, holding him against her face as he hardened quickly.  "It has its uses, that's for sure."

Brutus was going to reply, but he saw her flick the tip with her tongue and suddenly plunge it deep down her throat.  "Oh fuck!"

Hannah giggled as best as she could with her airway blocked, knowing men always got caught off guard when it happened to them the first time.  He was as big as she could uncomfortably fit down her throat without dislocating her jaw, but she knew she could handle it.  Working him out, taking a breath, then taking him down again, with a well-practiced rhythm, she got lost in the moment as he grabbed her head and held her there a bit longer each time.

He liked it when she coughed and gaged, seeing saliva dripping down onto her shirt.  "You are getting that dirty.  Let's take it off."

Hannah stood up and lifted her shirt to reveal her black lace-covered breasts.  "Ruin the lace, and you get the baton instead of me."

"I can't believe you wear that on duty."  Brutus cupped her breasts, feeling the flesh through the lace before pushing her back down.

"My motto is to-"  Hannah pushed him down her throat again before pulling out to continue speaking, "-be ready for anything."

"Mine is to take what I want when I can."  Brutus pulled Hannah back by the hair, letting his member slide over her face to make a point before letting her fall backwards.

Hannah slipped off her pants as she lay on the floor, watching him kick off his boots before he could do the same.  She had enough time to get her panties off before he snatched them and stuffed them into her mouth.

"That should keep you quiet for a bit.  No more threats from you."  Brutus kissed her on the lips of her full mouth as he pushed her legs apart.

Having her hands grabbed again and held over her head, Hannah squirmed with her hips, feeling him rubbing against her to tease.  Not willing to put up with his tomfoolery, she heeled him in the thighs to push him forward and bucked her hips to get him inside.  It didn't go deep the first time, but he wasn't going to pull out, and she smiled her full mouth as his thrust pushed into her all the way.  Legs wrapped around him, and Hannah felt good with how things were going.

"Damn, even pinned and gagged, you are getting what you want."  Brutus used his legs to get some elevation and force her hips into the air.  "So be it."

Hannah was bent at a sharp angle, only her shoulders on the ground as the man impaled her with the weight of his body down into her.  It was like driving a pile into her body.  The force of it drew out her first climax as she shuddered.  He didn't stop until she stopped shaking.  Taking the opportunity, Hannah unclasped her bra and tossed it to the side, near the priceless magical artifact.

Brutus couldn't help himself once the breasts had been set free.  He let her lay back down on the floor so he could feel her breasts on his chest as he got in close for another kiss.  He caught her underwear in his teeth and pulled it free, tossing it aside with a flick of his head.

"Alright, that was new!"  Hannah exclaimed as she took his mouth to hers and tasted his tongue. 

"You mean I did something to you that nobody else has?  That mean I've gotten past your defences?  I mean, I have penetrated you deep."  Brutus punctuated his statement with a hard thrust.

Hannah laughed, hooked her heel around his leg, and bucked her hips hard while counter-grabbing his wrist to flip him over.  "Bitch please, I have your manhood surrounded."  Hannah started bouncing her hips in the dominant position.

Brutus hadn't been ready for that.  He had let her hands go to support her while driving into her, and now she was on top.  Seeing her breasts bounce was consolation enough, reaching out to touch them, grab them, and yank on the nipples.  He could see the drops of sweat fly off her and land on him.  It took some effort not to finish right then.

Hannah leaned forward, giving him a break so he wouldn't burst but letting him taste her breasts.  Hanging them over her face, she let his hands on them support her weight as his mouth did its work.  She mused that his tongue work was far better than the men he had interrupted and let herself feel another wave of pleasure shake her body as proof.  Stimulating her wasn't difficult, but it took talent to bring her all the way with her breasts.  She felt the part of him resting inside her start to move again.

"How about we get you against the glass?"  Brutus asked as he saw her face again.

"As long as you don't pull out, you can put me anywhere."  Hannah smiled at his confused face as he had to consider how to stand up.

Brutus got her back below him and stood up, thankful she hung on with her arms and legs to make it easy for him.  Getting her against the large windows, he could kiss her as he thrust, his arms supporting her under her legs.

"Shame there isn't an audience."  Hannah mused, looking out the window and seeing they still had a long way to go.

"Let's give them a show anyway."  Brutus pulled out and quickly spun Hannah around to press her chest against the glass as he pushed back into her.

Her breasts squished against the window.  Hannah wished there had been someone to watch.  She could feel his pace quickening and knew he wouldn't last much longer.  Her hair was pulled back as he pushed her harder against the glass and kept her there, feeling him explode into her. 

His grunting turned to a growl as he emptied his seed into her.  Brutus felt good as his balls emptied.  Then, he slowed down but kept himself inside her, not wanting it to end.

"You know the deal.  Baton now until you are ready again."  Hannah demanded, pushing away from the window and him out of her.  Then leaned against it and put a foot on the control station.

Brutus fetched the baton and admired the shiny stick before sliding it into her slowly, using what he put inside her just moments ago to lubricate it.  "We are going to have a few rounds before we get low enough to be rescued."

"I'm planning on it."  Hannah moaned as her baton pushed all the way.  It had room to go inside her.  "No deeper, just work it there, give it a twist as you do."

Brutus did as instructed, wishing he didn't have to escape her the moment he had the chance.

****

They both lay exhausted on the deck of the bridge when they heard clangs and voices from outside.  They were being boarded. 

Hannah was the first to react, pulling on her pants and jacket and stuffing her underwear in her pockets.  Getting her boots back on while her exhausted lover roused to the situation.  As he tried to do the same, she got the rest of her things together.  When he tried to pull up his trousers, she moved in to help.

"Thanks, I'm spent.  I had no idea I could go that long."  Brutus fumbled, getting his arms into his jacket sleeves.  "What happens n-"

He was cut off by the metal clack of irons locking into place and adjusting tightly.

"Do as I say, and you will be fine."  Hannah locked the other side of the iron to her wrist.

"You… why?!"  Brutus was in a panic and didn't know what to do with the irons suddenly locked around his genitals. 

"Go ahead and struggle.  I dare you."  Hannah taunted as voices could be heard. 

"You… I… I mean…"  Brutus was caught.  He didn't know what to do.

Hannah moved to pick up the package with The Scepter in it.  The slightest tug with her wrist bringing the man with her, his pants down around his ankles.  She put her cap back on as the voices got closer, and she called them in.

The door opened, and the boarding party came in.  "What-"  They sniffed the air in the tiny room and were shocked. 

"Everyone can relax.  I caught the thief and secured The Scepter."  Hannah stated matter of factly, with her jacket still open to show off her bare breasts.

The boarding party wore a mixed expression of being entirely unsurprised to find Hannah in such a situation and so very much surprised to find out what she had recovered.

"Right," her leftenant stared at her a moment.  "Get him off the ship."

"Yes, sir!"  Hannah turned around to Brutus.  "Should I give him a salute?"

Brutus felt the tug of her right hand, "Fuck no!  Just walk slowly!"

Hannah giggled and led him off the ship over the boarding plank, listening to him complain the whole way.  She enjoyed the wind of high altitudes cooling her off as it blew over her exposed skin. 

****

Brutus sat in the palace dungeons.  It was little comfort to him, buried deep in the mountains, that he was still above most of the city.  Even the expensively polished stone and metal bars didn't do anything to improve his mood.  His plan to play along and slip his cuffs or take advantage of some post-coital sympathy didn't stand a chance, with his family jewels leading him around.  There was only one guard outside his cell keeping an eye on him, but he knew more were in the other room.  It wasn't some city jail, it was a fortress, and he didn't have any tools.

****

Hannah had once again fixed her uniform after a quick trip to the barracks to fetch a clean set of underthings.  She contained her breasts in a more ordinary set of brown leather and made herself presentable.  Her meeting was with the Marshal of the Palace Guard.  When she walked into his spartan but well-appointed office, she was set to act fully professionally.  After going over the events of the previous night and her encounter with Brutus, she explained what had happened earlier that day.  Hannah truncated her report on what she did on the ship to 'waiting' and then finished with a sharp salute.

"Witnesses say you lept off the pier."  The Marshal stated, his face giving no sign of being impressed.

"A thief was leaving the palace, sir.  I assumed he wasn't making off with the cutlery."  Hannah held her salute.

An eyebrow twitched.  The Marshal was indeed amused.  "Then, when the ship was recovered, you led the prisoner out with your wrist cuffed to his genitals?"

"We've been trained to fight while restrained, sir.  I didn't want to make the assumption he was any less so.  I was by myself, so I had to make sure he wouldn't resist."  Hannah had spent the time since her return deciding just what flavour of bullshit her report needed.

"Officially, he did, as you say, 'steal the cutlery.'"  The Marshal leaned forward, his chest heavy with medals clinked.  "The Scepter was never stolen."

"I'm as surprised as you are that it was such a frivolous heist, sir."  Hannah knew what was coming next.

"Of course, pretending that nothing happened isn't possible.  Too many people saw how you left and returned.  Yet, we can't give any official reward for an act otherwise deserving of great service."  The Marshal explained with his voice adding an extra bit of gravel that would keep normal soldiers quiet from protesting.

"I'd like to be demotion-proof, sir,"  Hannah responded without skipping a beat.

The Marshal was surprised as much by the request as he was that he received it at all.  "Explain."

"I have a reputation.  It can get in the way of a career.  Setbacks and the like.  Short of committing actual crimes, I would like immunity from punitive actions related to said reputation.  No need for official recognition.  Just a quiet word to any commanding officer that I've earned some leeway.  Sir."  Hannah felt her heart beating quickly at her bold suggestion.

The Marshal leaned back in his chair.  "So long as you keep to those terms and don't otherwise aggravate anyone above my station, that can work for me."

"Thank you, sir."  Hannah took another breath.  "What of the thief?  He didn't take anything of value, but he did get through our security."

"I suppose you have an idea in mind?"  The Marshal decided his demeanour didn't bother the woman and entertained her instead.

****

Brutus looked up sharply as the door swung open and he saw Hannah, her hair loose under her cap hanging around her shoulders.  He didn't know how to feel about her at the moment, but he couldn't help but smile.

"What are you doing here?"  The guard asked, suddenly very scared.

"Don't look so shocked, Sammy.  Your wife scares me more than the Marshal.  I won't try anything."  Hannah gave him a friendly pat on the cheek.  "I need to speak with the prisoner."

Sam pointed to the cell as if she needed direction.  "Over there."

As Sam recovered from his heart attack, Hannah approached the bars.  "Hello, sailor.  Fancy meeting you here."

"I am having a lot of feelings right now.  Are you going to tell me what one I should settle on?"  Brutus asked with trepidation.

"Well, given what you did, they should load you up into an old palace trebuchet and fire you off into the sky.  But you already saw the city from above, and people don't need you to land on their house."  Hannah playfully explained.

"So you AREN'T here to make me feel better.  Got it."  Brutus couldn't help but return the banter, he only had one way out, and it wasn't by giving up.

"Oh, but I am.  You could stay here and die horribly."  Hannah presented the fate as a happy prospect.

"Is there an option two?"  Brutus found himself asking her again.

"You help us find who hired you and how you pulled off the heist in the first place.  Then you spend the foreseeable future robbing the palace over and over to improve our security.  See, I convinced the Marshal that anyone good enough to do it once could help make sure nobody else can do it again."  Hannah softened her smile as she watched him contemplate his choices.

"So, I get to do the thing I enjoy, not get killed even if I fail, and presumably get paid or at least not live in the dungeon?"  Brutus was just about ready to forgive Hannah for the manner of his capture.

"Dungeon for a little bit, maybe, but yes.  Except you forgot what else you get to do."  Hannah leaned forward, smiling.

"You, I presume?"  Brutus was more than happy to include the redhead on the list of perks.

"No, silly,"  Hannah responded, deflating the man's hopes.  "We established I call the shots.  You are the one who gets done by me."

Brutus let out a heavy sigh, feeling played.  "That's fair."

"Either that, or I just make you towel me off in between others.  Take it or leave it."  Hannah gestured for the cell to unlock.

As Sam opened the door, Brutus stared at Hannah.  "Fine, I can always jump in a trebuchet later."

"I'm going to enjoy catching you again soon."  Hannah turned and put a little extra sway in her hips as she left the dungeon, their movement forcing Brutus to follow.