Star Haven; Suspicions

"Commander, a strange woman is waiting for you in the briefing room.  Her documentation checked out, but we've run it through to the Guard to have it double-checked."
"Well done Jenson."  Natalya accepted the file that her Executive Officer, Colonel Helix Jenson, handed her.  He was a stalwart lad, good soldier.  His entire family was in the fleet somewhere or other, and she knew he'd already lost a nephew in delaying actions out on the fringe of civilized space.  It gave him scale, a means of converting the threat from a mere 'destroy the known universe' into a more personal 'destroy the part of the universe I know'.  Most people didn't make that distinction, not consciously, but it was the difference between doing your duty because you said you would, and doing it because you wanted to.  She respected that difference, and it was one of the reasons she'd picked him to serve under her.  The other reason was that he was exceptionally good at his job; men did what he ordered them to do, and he had no problems conveying orders that didn't make a great deal of sense at the time or which seemed dangerous.  Natalya could come up with the plans, and they nearly always worked, but she lacked the presence needed to get men to override their fears and do things.  At least in part, it was simply because at seven foot eight inches, he had a good foot on your average Nielda.  Combined with a stocky build and well defined musculature, most of the crew were simply unwilling to cross him.  The rest quickly found that he had a voice as strong as his body, and the ability to use his words like a scalpel, cutting through red tape and all but the most resolute arguments.  Conversely, Natalya was barely an inch over six foot, had tried her best to put on muscle mass and achieved nothing, and was easily frustrated when faced with debate.  To worsen it all, she was assured by all of her superiors, family members, and friends both romantic and otherwise that she was down right adorable when she got angry.  It didn't make her any less capable a commander; her brains and skills were more than adequate for most tasks, but it did not make her especially fearsome, nor did it instill obedience in her men.  Not coming up to her XO's armpit didn't help her any, but at least she could be certain they'd listen to him.
"Commander, if I may have a word before you meet with this woman?"
"Yes Jenson, of course."
"I believe our guest may be...out of the league of our security personnel."
"And why is that?  Is she a Guard or something?"
"I recognize her from..You may find this somewhat improper commander, but I believe our guest bears a remarkable resemblance to a hero from Ol' Cloaky forty years ago.  He lead the party to a woman on a mountain who taught them how to use advanced fire based destruction magic.  I'm not certain of it, but I wanted you to be aware of the possibility, as a precaution."
Jenson didn't tend to act on whims.  Not that he never did, but it was uncommon.  So at times like this, when he did, she had learned to take him seriously.
"Thank you Jenson.  I'll be sure to take extra caution when dealing with her then."
He saluted and closed the door on the shuttle.  The rest of the crew would be aboard shortly, and he would join them.  Normally only one of them would be off the ship at a time, but she'd had special clearance from command to leave the ship before he returned.  It didn't make her any more comfortable about having the guest already on board.  If she'd bewitched Harn, and Jenson's suspicions gave her cause to believe she could indeed use magic, then there was plenty chance she could do the same to the crew.  Good as she was in a scrap, Natalya knew she wouldn't be able to fight off half her crew.  She'd picked them because they were some of the best, and that would be quite the disadvantage if they turned on her.  She could only hope her men were loyal enough to her to resist any magic the envoy used.

It was a short, slightly anxious, flight, and Natalya didn't even bother looking out the window.  She'd brought her copy of 'Adventures of the Lost Princess' to tide her over on the flight.  Kate and Zero's adventures in deep space had always ensorcelled her.  She'd have liked nothing better than to travel through the stars with their sort of adventurers; seeing things no one had ever seen before and brushing shoulders with the upper crust of intergalactic society.  Thalia Immersfeld, the Dark Lady and Empress of Gravaga; Tala, the Storm Mage and head of the legendary immortal pantheon; and a score of other even more mysterious figures ranging from the nameless assassin who always lurked in the shadows of the Immersfeld family to Petra, a demon-hunting warrior who fought her way across the cosmos.  But such was more than she could ever hope for.  She was a soldier, an officer, and adventure was for immortals, tragic orphans, and the children of nobility.  Natalya was not a hero, and the great didn't have time for public servants.
The shuttle landed with a light thump as the anti-gravity field deactivated inches above the deck, dropping the small vessel to the floor of the hangar.  Natalya disembarked and, after necessary protocol was observed, proceeded down to the Briefing Room.  There were no signs of bewitchment, and the crew seemed to go about their business in much the way she had become accustomed to.  It was unexpected, but entirely welcome.  As such, she was able to manage a smile as the door opened and she was presented with the envoy.
"Commander Natalya Oerin, Commanding Officer of the D.E.S. Djinn, 42nd fleet, assigned to patrol the edge of the blizzard and prevent infiltration by hostile forces." The woman spun around and snapped.  Instantly she seemed to shrink, lose muscle mass, and her outfit changed dramatically.  It went from simple compound armor, the reinforced leather preferred by Nieldic mages for ages,  to an ornate, and somewhat intimidating, gown of infinite intricacy.  "I'm sorry to have decieved your crew like that, but knowledge of my presence cannot leave this room.  You are the only one with whom this mission can be entrusted."
Natalya almost fainted as she recognized the tiara on the envoy's head, and when it dawned on her that the great villain of her childhood was in her briefing room her mind blanked out.  Thalia Immersfeld von Gravaga, The Dark Lady, Empress of Gravaga, and High Necromancer of the pantheon was on her ship.