Qil

Part III

Qil

I made it to the location with a few minutes to spare. I scoped out the place to ensure my contact wasn't already there.

I was very familiar with this Yukin outpost. It was home to one of my many shops in the __ quadrants. It was always bustling with its popular and fully-stocked market; the Yukin Cadet Academy, which he wanted to not think about; and nightlife. It was a great place to get lost in, but there were eyes everywhere.

The small lounge I chose to meet my contact was quiet and off the beaten path. The place was mostly empty at this time. I sat in a booth in the far corner. It was nestled back in shadows against an interior wall, directly opposite of the entrance. I could see everyone coming and going, but I was mostly obscured.

I was still caught off guard when the Commander walked up to my table. I had been lost in thought. I now knew what she looked like and although I put distance between us and was able to control my second heart, everything about her now haunts me.

There was her touch that fell squarely over the heart that at that moment was beating for her. It warmed in the fraction of a second that it rested there. I could still feel a phantom handprint there. It was a small and delicate hand.

I could smell her. The scent from this morning had already reached through the distance between us and seeped into my memory, but in our last encounter, it flooded my senses with an intensity that could not be stifled.

And hul! Her face, her big hazel eyes, full lips and supple honey-colored skin, and hour glass body were seared in my brain. My heart rattled a half beat and my hard-on that still persisted from our encounter increased.

I exhaled loudly, trying to breathe her out of me, calm my body and loosen her hold, all at once. That is when I noticed the Commander standing before me, looking at me with concern.

"You are distracted. You did not notice me approaching across this entire lounge," he announced.

He was second being to tell me so. And I didn't have time to be distracted. I had somehow become embroiled in a drama that put my life in danger. I needed to focus and extricate myself from this mess.

"I was just thinking about our dilemma. This is a safe space as any to do so. Please sit. What have you learned?"

The Commander Tarq did take a seat. "Nothing! Unfortunately," he sighed out. "The leak is definitely within the Academy, but I'm none the wiser as to who it can be. We have narrowed it down to our graduating class., but that is the best we have been able to do."

"Fine. Details. Tell me about them all."

Commander Tarq went through the class one by one, detailing each cadet, their origins, familial background, skills, temperament and any other details that seem to importance. There were 13 left in the original class of 20 cadets.

"And the last is Qin. It's unlikely to be her. I'm not even sure how she has survived this long. She is of no import," he finished.

"No, let's not leave any stones unturned. Please detail her stats," I managed to groan out in frustration.

"Well, Qin is ... ," he searched for the words. "She really is an oddity, but she grows on you. Qin has been with us since she was 19 years old. She was orphaned, at least partially, by her mother. Her father is a mystery. He abandoned her before she was even born. She cleaned the barracks until she was of age to enlist. Qin is a fighter, but in the same breath, she doesn't want to hurt anyone. It often puts her in the infirmary and she heals as slow as  ... well, a half human."

Qil groaned. The female seemed to be on his heels no matter where he turned.

The Commander continued, "The sabotage didn't start until well into her first year, after Qin had almost been with us for 2 years. Besides her softness, I have deduced that it is not likely her for that reason."