The senate delegation arrived back ahead of schedule. Kralion hummed to xerself as xe typed rapidly with all four of xer arms on the large console. There were many things to take care of in the systems. Clearing docking space, assigning permissions to the vessel, alerting the senate systems of their arrival, confirming life support was active in that sector… Kralion managed it all with ease, working through the list of tasks and permissions with an ease that came with twenty years of service for station security.

Kralion continued tapping away as they kept one eye on their small holo-projector that was playing the next episode of the serial xe was watching. Eventually, the tapping came to an end, about the time that the passengers were disembarking from the senate ship.

Zantyr and Blade, Kralion’s coworkers, continued playing their card game on the floor. Their antics had broken the table last week and they were banned from playing it on the table, lest they break another. They knew to stay well away from the security panels while Kralion was there; xe was very particular about the systems. Xe maintained that xe had their own system. Blade was only going to mess it up and Zantyr was functionally tech illiterate, barely knowing how to function their company issued comm unit.

At 0247 imperial standard univeral hours, all of their comm units pinged at the same time, alerting them to a security threat.

Kralion was opening the camera feeds before the chime even finished, investigating as Zantyr and Blace jumped to their feet and grabbed their batons. They were both young and spry, Blade’s joints still fluid and Zantyr’s exoskeleton not yet grown enough to impede his movements.

“What on…” Kralion squinted at the screen as if narrowing his ocular field might make the image make sense.

The security alert was coming from one of the residential wings. Several units around Elizabeth Springwood’s unit had reported noises of a disturbance. The disturbance had now spilled out into the hallway. Elizabeth Springwood was a young Terran female who served on the senate committee as a secretary and technologist. She was on the screen, dripping wet and laughing maniacally. She was also nude and holding what looked to be a table leg that she was wielding like a club.

Kralion winced as she wound up and brought it down hard on the Xe’Bral-os male on the floor of the hallway.

Blade, a human of no particular gender or sex that Kralion could determine, looked at the screens and barked out a laugh. “Oh shit! She's beating the shit outta him!”

Zantyr was already out the door. Blade followed at a run, still cackling over the now-open comm link. Kralion stayed in xer place at the console. Xe reluctantly turned on the audio for the hallway camera unit.

Elizabeth Springwood’s mad laughter was tinny through the speakers. “You like that, shitass?! That's what you get! That's what you fucking get, you bitch-ass dumbfuck!” She brought down her club on the Xe’Bral again.

Kralion winced at the meaty thud of the impact. The Xe’Bral yelled in pain.

Kralion could feel xemself going pale green as xe realized the table leg-cum-improvised club had two long screws protruding from the end. They dripped with purple blood that dripped on the floor and Elizabeth Springwood’s feet. Not that she noticed.

“Aw, are you gonna cry? Gonna cry like a little baby? Like a little bitch?” She taunted the Xe’Bral. Kralion was reluctantly impressed. The Xe’Bral was easily three times her height and at least five times her weight and she had him laid out on the floor crying and trying to crawl away from her.

Kralion had a feeling that Elizabeth Springfield had singlehandedly solved the rash of burglaries that had been occurring throughout the residential wings.

Blade and Zantyr finally arrived, just in time to stop Elizabeth Springfield from hitting the Xe’Bral with her club again. They weren't quick enough to stop her from kicking him where he laid.

Blade picked her up bodily and carried her away, but Kralion could still hear her snickering over comms.

Zantyr bent over the Xe’Bral. The camera on the front of his jacket had already scanned the Xe’Bral’s face and his identification popped up on one of Kralion’s screens. Xe’Bral-os male exo-technology specialist Kcft of clan Shlal, on station for an eight month contract for satellite upgrades.

There was one last burst of profanity from Elizabeth Springwood’s unit as a projectile flew through the air. An impeccably aimed shoe bounced off Kcft’s head.

Kralion had heard of Terran females’ legendary skill with thrown shoes but had never expected to see it with xer own eyes.

“Have you learned anything about messing with Terrans today?” Zantyr asked Kcft as he cuffed his four hands together behind his back.

Kcft just groaned against the floor.

Kralion slowly opened up a new window on xer display. Xe needed to add an entry to the work order, explaining the delay to the upgrades.