Meili was awakened rather rudely in her estimation, but nevertheless, she was awake, remaining less than alert. She slowly made her way to a seated position, cradling her head in her hands, elbows on thighs. [i]‘My fucking head is killing me,’[/i] she thought to herself. She reached for a small bag of analgesic powder in a drawer. She drew a pinch and placed it between her lower lip and gum line. The lip began to feel numb and within minutes, she felt relaxed.

[i]‘Smith, Rain, Silver, Masters, Elijah, Gunslinger and the Captain,’[/i] thoughts of crewmates drifted through her less foggy mind as she became oriented on where she was and her purpose on this space traveling vessel known as the [i]Endgame[/i].

She stood slowly, a bit unbalanced from being asleep for so long and crept toward the narrow shower stall. She removed her clothing and cleansed her body with warm soapy water. It felt good, helping her to become more and more awake – alert. After toweling off and drying her hair, she dressed in her under clothes and began to braid her hair which reached the small of her back when wet. The braid ended almost to the bottom of her rib cage. She continued to dress, insuring the braid was tucked into the back of her clothing. She did not want it exposed, knowing it could be used against her.

Meili found a new custom camouflage suit in her quarters. It fit snuggly, but it also enhanced her reflexes better, amplifying her ability to move quickly and silently. A rare smile pursed her lips. [i]‘Thank you, Captain,’[/i] the former soldier whispered to herself. Then she noticed the other gift, an ultra violet laser to enhance the effectiveness of her D4 Ripper. [i]“Sweet!”[/i] she stated aloud. [i]‘That Captain is really taking care of me.’[/i]

She finished dressing, slid her sword’s scabbard over her back and fastened the dagger’s scabbard onto the left side of her belt. The D4 Ripper was slung high on her right side, hanging down under her arm. She slid it back so that it hung over the sword’s scabbard. Then she left the room heading for the bridge.

When she reached the bridge, the Captain was beginning his monologue over the ship’s communications system. Crew members were in various states of alertness. She listened to him in person. She heard the mission and what was expected of her. She smiled, while modeling her new suit in front of the Captain as he stated its existence. She mouthed the words, [i]‘Thank you’[/i] as he stated them over the intercom. She nodded in affirmation to the mission she had been handed. Her expression was one of confidence, knowing she could complete the task. She only wanted to study the plans of the ship they were boarding and was starting to imagine how good that Chardonnay would taste after she brought back Rhiner’s head.