Star Bound Liberty (Complete)

Chapter Eighteen

We pulled up to a large pavilion like structure with incredible shops lining each side. It definitely catered to the upper bracket of society and I wondered if I was going to get a foot in the door wearing what I was wearing.

'Anyone have a pair of sunglasses on them?' I asked, and everyone shook their head in the cab. Burns spoke to the rest of the team and still shook his head. Even the cabbie shook his head. I waited, just to see if a pair would present themselves before I got out and swindled my way through enough shops to pull together some semblance of a wardrobe that befitted an Ambassador. This should be fun.

A moment later, a knock sounded on Ortiz's door. He opened it and a small baggie was slipped through. He looked in it and pulled out a pair of the most ridiculous pair of sunglasses I'd ever seen. They had to be designer by the looks of them. Huge circular peach lenses with white frames and rhinestones embedded in the frames. Not rhinestones. Diamonds. And true diamonds too. Said right there on the sales material that came up on my wrist unit when I tried to identify them. I slipped them onto my face and found a vidscreen interface on the right lens.

'Oh, Uncle Ortiz, these are fantastic.' I purred already falling into character, and really hoped I got to keep them. Wrist unit cloning, tracking device, safety glass. Perfect.

The doors all opened and I got out after Ortiz signalled an all clear. Two marines stayed with the taxi whose driver sat in the cart reading a book. I spotted the last marine guard walking a dog down the street, turned to blow him a kiss and skipped up into the pavilion.

'Oh my gawd, Uncle Ortiz this is amazing!' I swung around in a circle, screeching at the top of my lungs, ensuring the attention of everyone in the expensive strip mall.

'Oh, its just like at the resort at Taquilan. So amazing!' I rushed into the first shop, and knew straight away I didn't want or need anything from it. It catered to a younger clientele and wasn't appropriate for the duties I needed expensive clothing for. Although I did find a couple of cute sleep suits perfect for a tummy sleeping alien-back-hogging girl.

'Oh, these are so cute! I'll need ten sets, one in each colour. Thank you, Uncle!' I left the store in a whirl knowing that the shop had my measurements as soon as I stepped over their threshold. Charges would be made to my personal account and deliveries would be in the taxi before we left the mall. The next shop held shoes. I pulled on a cute pair of strappy sandles in my size and danced around the shop and out of the door with my new purchase and it went that way for the next half an hour.

I hated shopping in a hurry as my heart just wasn't in it. I wanted to go and buy me my new attack shuttle that I'd already enquired about at the ASF shipyard. I had almost paid for it, but buyers insurance demanded that I actually test drive the vehicle before buying it so I had the yards fuel it up and have it warmed up and ready for when we arrived.

Two more shops and new workout gear and running shoes were purchased. Burns and Kallers started slipping in redundant items into my piles of purchases, but I always managed to pull them out before I bought anything. I let them keep a few of the cuter items, but the XXL sized clothing or children's shoes were thrown back at them with a squeal. By the time we found the more grown up boutique stores, I had purchased over forty items of clothing and had calmed down a little. I decided I should probably act my age and rank. I went from one shop wearing tank top and yoga pants to a sundress in lemon. It was breezy and Ayms loved it.

I was the picture of elegance by the time we arrived at Mrs Angrid's store. And what a beautiful store it was. My measurements were collected at the entrance and all the physical and digital displays rotated to showcase ball gowns and cocktails dresses, all manner of evening wear in many different styles from across the sectors.