Lecorondia watched the machine`s laser scan her clothes.

　　Blood and dirt flaked away wherever the hardened light touched it, leaving the material pristine. She smiled, pleased that someone had such a useful tool on board this ship. As she`d worn the outfit in the first human`s photos, she figured arriving in the same outfit would lessen any potential confusion.

　　A glance at Julep checking his weapons told her he didn`t need the laundry services. His armor gleamed, acting as both a point of pride and an intimidation tactic, according to Kulthurack. A sentiment she silently agreed with. The Galactic Government had told her nothing about her earthly counterpart, so it made sense to have a physical option on the off chance this ambassador attempted something stupid.

　　"Are you ready to leave, ma`am?"

　　Her gaze flicked from Julep to the door, where two Blitzworms bearing stun batons waited. With the lack of a face, she couldn`t read its expression, though she doubted they cared much. The things were near mindless.

　　Her smile remained fixed as she moved to the laundry machine. It hadn`t dinged, but she didn`t spot any obvious signs. With practiced ease, she waved to the two guards.

　　"Yes. Please be a dear and let me change. Then I`ll follow you to the bay."

　　"Ma`am." Its electronic voice hissed and cracked as it turned, play-acting, giving her privacy.

　　Three hundred and sixty-degree vision was one of the multiple enhancements it gained through the cybernetic suit. She knew it wouldn`t record this, however. Julep didn`t bother to turn; his stare remained fixed on the security and away from her.

　　Not that she cared if he noticed, though she dressed quickly. The Overseer would fuss if she arrived late, and she`d only barely convinced him to let Julep keep his guns.

　　While they followed the Blitzworms, she reached into her purse. Inside, Erodicilee`s treats surrounded her multi-purpose compact. Her heart stung as she touched the treats before grabbing the mirror.

　　With a quiet bit of self-assurance that he would be alright, she turned her attention to her appearance—a normally pleasant distraction. Her nose crinkled, and she knew it wouldn`t be true this time.

　　The mirror showed the terrible state of her hair—purple strands tangled into a near rat`s nest. A flick of her thumb popped out a comb, and she started fixing the mistake. It took her until they reached the teleporter for her to get it done.

　　As they got into position, she sped through the rest of her routine. A quick bit of eyeshadow, purple lipstick, and blush. If she could charm her way into the liaisons` good graces, she would.

　　Her gaze flicked to Julep, standing silent in a nearby spot. Otherwise, she`d use another option. As she put away her compact, Overseer Kulthurack arrived, this time without guards.

　　His expression remained in its typical neutral state, though she felt the ungiven glare.

　　"Are you here to see me off? I can autograph something for you if you`d like." She giggled, her voice holding a hint of flirtation, to see the effects.

　　Lecorondia fought a grin as she swore he twitched. That was his only reaction, however, before he stepped sideways and gestured to the teleporter.

　　"No. Do not mess up. You know what happens if you do."

　　"Please," she said, while trying not to let the vicious tone enter her voice. "This is a simple job of convincing people to do what I want. You`ve seen for yourself exactly how proficient I am."

　　"I suppose I have," he agreed.

　　"Indeed. Julep. Come along. We have a baby to save!"

　　A gesture from Kulthurack to the Blitzworm activated the teleporter, and Lecorondia tossed her shoulder back and stood up tall. She would play the regal lady, one grieving for her lost dog. That should easily get her plans in motion.

　　Light flooded the room, and in seconds, she was elsewhere.

　　The smell of dirt, sweat, and coffee hit her first. Wherever the earth ambassador chose as their meeting point clearly didn`t prioritize cleaning staff. While irritating, it didn`t surprise her. Few but the ultra-wealthy held clandestine meetings in pleasant spaces.

　　Sound came next. A thunking, followed by a gasp of shock. Light, breathy. Female then. Her mind raced. That may take the flirtation route out of play, though perhaps not. She would need to test that carefully.

　　Then the light faded, and her sight returned. An overwhelming urge to grin hit her hard. This would work perfectly. The woman, and with how her clothes hugged her form, it was certainly a woman, stood before her.

　　Her examination covered the long blonde ponytail, the black and white business clothes, and the subtle make-up at a glance. This was someone who knew their natural beauty made them stand out and wanted to hide it. They weren`t good at it.

　　No, for that, she`d need baggier clothes and a more hunched posture. Perhaps a bun instead of a ponytail? Lecorondia snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed the terrified expression the woman gained upon the sight of Julep.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

　　It wasn`t an uncommon reaction or difficult to fix. She`d simply divert the ambassador`s attention towards herself.

　　"Hi," Lecorondia said, doing her best upper-class voice. "You must be Earth`s ambassador? I`m Lecorondia, ambassador of the Galactic Government. I heard you have news of my beloved pet?"

　　As her gaze shifted to Lecorondia, the ambassador showed clear relief, though she tried to hide it moments later. Lecorondia let her smile grow a touch wider. A professional, then. This would be fun.

　　"Lucy McCloud?" The ambassador squeaked, more a question than a statement.

　　Lecorondia`s tail flicked. Her voice was cute. Good. That would make future public appearances easier. An idea of snapping this woman up as a co-star for her next film crossed her mind. They`d make a killing.

　　"Well, Miss Mcloud, or do you prefer Lucy? I don`t know what your boss has briefed you on. Perhaps there is somewhere we can chat? It`s been an age since I`ve had the chance to talk with someone who isn`t a bore." Her words flowed quickly, her tone conversational, as she gestured around the small room.

　　Lucy nodded, appearing grateful that she`d mentioned the business at hand. With a small cough, she straightened her shoulder and nodded again.

　　"Of course, if you`d follow me? My partner and I would love to discuss your plans."

　　"A partner?" Lecorondia raised a hand and tapped Julep on the shoulder. "Forgive me. I should have introduced my bodyguard. Julep. Please, lead on."

　　After Lucy turned, Lecorondia let her tongue flick out, tasting the woman`s nervous energy. It filled the air, but she`d done a good job of keeping it out of her voice.

　　As they arrived at their destination, Lecorondia did her best to focus on the mission. It was time for the regal alien actress to charm her co-stars.

　　***

　　"This is Jerry," Lucy said, gesturing to a man sitting in an uncomfortable-looking metal chair.

　　Jerry smiled and held out his hand. He appeared at ease with the situation, his lined face showing laugh lines and a genuine smile. It made her nervous.

　　"I have to admit, I didn`t expect the first alien I met to be so delightful. Fantastic outfit. Where did you get it? My daughter would love it."

　　Lecorondia sat in the chair Lucy offered her and shook Jerry`s hand. "A fabricator I know whipped it up based on some designs. I`m sure I can get you something."

　　"Excellent!" Jerry laughed. "She has a birthday coming up, and it`s become a bit of a game between my ex and I. I don`t think she can beat actual alien clothing."

　　Lecorondia laughed along with him, noting the slight shock on Lucy`s face. A sign they had orders to keep this under wraps? That might make things difficult.

　　"Oh?" she asked, looking towards Lucy. "Your overseers won`t mind?"

　　"Not for something that small, no."

　　"Wonderful," Lecorondia said, hiding her glee.

　　She continued to engage them in small talk—little bits and pieces—to test the waters. Jerry appeared happy to speak about almost any topic. Lucy, however, tried to get them back on point. A weak point.

　　It was obvious Jerry cared little about his job, or at least pretended not to. Lucy did. A situation Lecorondia intended to utilize. As she finished congratulating Jerry on his granddaughter`s spelling bee win, she sighed.

　　"I suppose we should get to the meat of the matter. My darling baby, Erodicilee. My superiors mentioned you have photos?"

　　Jerry nodded, though she noticed the way he glanced at Lucy. She was in charge then, which made him her mentor. An idea popped into her head: Was this her first time leading a case?

　　If so, that changed things. Lucy may not know the rules, and clearly Jerry didn`t care for them. That should make leading the investigation herself simple, though she`d move with caution.

　　"We do," Lucy said, pulling out a device and placing it on the table.

　　A few flicks of her fingers, and Erodicilee`s photo appeared. Lecorondia let herself smile and lean in. She needed to look eager and a touch desperate. Which wasn`t difficult.

　　"This was taken by the first human who stumbled upon you."

　　"The redhead, yes." Lecorondia nodded. "Uncouth surprising us like that. Scared my poor baby half to death."

　　"Erodicilee attacked according to him." Lucy pronounced her darling`s name slowly and deliberately.

　　"As he was trained to do, he`s my second line of defense. My darling baby is my trusted companion and security measure."

　　She sobbed briefly before crying out. "And now he`s lost and alone!"

　　Jerry winced, and Lucy looked uncomfortable as she cleared her throat.

　　"So, he`s intentionally a threat?"

　　"A threat? My baby wouldn`t hurt a fly that didn`t attack him first. The mean man`s photography startled him, was all," Lecorondia said, watching as the two shared a glance.

　　"Self-defense then. That`s all?" Lucy asked.

　　Lecorondia nodded emphatically. "That`s all! He`s not designed to attack; he simply defends. Now he`s all alone out there with those nasty beasts."

　　"Is he designed to hunt beasts?"

　　Lucy reached out and switched to a second photo. This one showed her baby dripping wet and terrified.

　　"Beasts? Not specifically. I mean, if he`s hungry, everyone has to eat. Why?" Lecorondia glanced between the photo and Lucy as she spoke, unsure what the relevance was.

　　She resisted the urge to grimace as Lucy explained the two teens` story. That wasn`t good. The last thing she needed was for him to gain any additional unchecked powers. Her saving grace was the lack of evidence.

　　Fear clutched her heart, and she did her best to force calm into her voice. She needed to make him sound controllable, frightened, and innocent. Whatever happened, he couldn`t be the one to shoulder the blame. If Kulthurack found out the humans believed Erodicilee was a threat, he`d nuke the planet without hesitation.

　　In the overseer`s mind, Erodicilee`s adorable appearance would do little against the two teens horror story. She had to get ahead of this. Now. That meant making sure the galactic government saw them moving towards her darling baby`s capture.

　　"That`s terrible!" Lecorondia exclaimed. "We must travel to this site immediately. Julep, my bodyguard, is a fantastic tracker. If my darling boy is hunting wildlife, it`s because he`s worried about me."

　　"Worried?" Jerry asked.

　　"Yes. He`ll want to get stronger, a protective instinct. We need to let him know I`m here."

　　"Should people be concerned? Will he attack them?" A flash of fear filled Lucy`s eyes, and Lecorondia pounced.

　　"No, not if we discover him first and not unless they attack him. Do you have transport? Hurry!" She allowed urgency to floor her voice, and her tail flicked Julep, who jumped out of his seat.

　　Both of the humans flinched at the sudden movement, and she rose alongside him. With a flick of her hand, as though dismissing servants, she strode towards the exit.

　　She could hear the others following her, but she ignored them. Her thoughts focused on a singular question: how much trouble can her darling cause before she found him?