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Starlight Gleaming Ch. 01

By: TJSkywind



Thanks to ThatEditorGuy for giving this story a much needed assist! 

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Janetta Tlacotli. Interceptor pilot, code name Ravensclaw.

I saw her name on the Transfer Roster and nodded to myself. So it was true. She really was coming here. I hadn't seen her in twelve years, six months and five days -- but who's counting? And I still remember every inch of her flawless body. Just thinking about her made me hard. Fortunately, I was at my desk, so nobody saw my reaction. I read the codes and knew her assignment. The higher-ups had picked her to be the Wing Captain for our new space-capable AT-24 Queztl class Starhawk interceptors. A plum job, and a stepping stone to becoming a general.

My name is Commander Ranji Kandikan, second in command of Flight Ops at Guardian War base in the Empire of Chimorro. Guardian War base is on the Chotocco plateau high in the mountains of the southern continent, at the south end of a large lake.

We are building a magnetic catapult system, to speed the launching of cargo and ships into high orbit. This is a new technology and it will help us move from the third position among the three superpowers to number two or maybe even number one. Sabotage has been our greatest hindrance.

Our initial space station has been lagging in development. Naturally, security is tight. If things progress as planned, the catapult will be completed in six months. Projections show that the system will initially deploy more than a thousand tons of material a day for a fraction of the cost for current chemical rocket launches. We are also working on a magnetic recovery system, to speed and simplify retrieval from high orbit.

The Atlanteans and the Aesir-Vedans already have operational space stations as well as a few outposts on the moon. On those stations, they have large habitation rings and space capable flights of interceptors and bombers. While both of our rivals deny this, and despite international treaties, we are convinced they also have suborbital tactical and strategic weapons onboard their stations.

Rumor was that ... well, rumors were rife these days. Nearly ten years ago, we gave the Atlanteans a drumming at Galiode in the Sargasso. They withdrew their ballistic missiles from the islands and things calmed down. Even if they had honored the treaty to not put a missile system into space, they still had interceptors and bombers based above our planet that could reach any point within the Empire within half an hour.

All things considered, though, the Atlanteans were easier to deal with than the Aesir-Vedans. While my family is originally Vedan, coming from Hrappa, my parents emigrated before I was born, and my father's work as a material research scientist was rewarded by the Empire with entry into the Science sub-caste of the Priest caste. I'm of average height and fit. In this part of the world, my coloring is more golden than copper, and that makes me stand out. That and my blue eyes.

Excitement in our country is high. While our initial space station is already in orbit, the catapult will make completion much easier and for much less cost. Further, we intend to base our new Starhawk interceptors just coming off production onto the space station to support our B-44 Thunderbird bombers.

The new Starhawk was capable of both extended space and atmosphere combat. Once deployed, we intended to test its range, with the expectation it could reach lunar orbit in just over two hours, have an hour of combat time with enough fuel to return to base.

The Starhawk comes with four Jaguar Plasma Cannons, two Manco Capac engines mated with Tipico inertial dampeners. They are capable of reaching mach nine safely, reducing the stress to two point seven one gravities on high intensity turns. These new aircraft were expected to challenge the Atlantean JiM-120 Helios and completely surpass the Aesir-Vedan AT-12 Bodn. Comparing them to birds of prey, if the Bodn is a kite and the Helios is a small hawk, then the Starhawk is an eagle. The reports from the Nazca Proving Grounds were impressive.

The names of the pilots doing the testing had been classified, of course. But Wing General Tlamachtacol, our base commander, had seen some of those trials and was sure he'd recognized Janetta as one of those pilots.

Some of the military old guard are still surprised at how far Janetta has come.

Tlacotli. A hundred years ago, her name would have trapped her in the Crafter Guilds as an animal handler. Thankfully, that sort of hidebound thinking hadn't stopped her. Janetta was probably the best pilot I'd ever seen, and arguably the best the brass had seen, too.

Top Flight is located at Ute War base in the Northern Desert of the Northern Continent, where the best of the best in the Air Service compete in war games. For three out of the last four years, Janetta's team has won first place.

Coming in with Janetta were seventy-nine picked volunteers. Eight flights of ten fighters. Until the magnetic catapult was completed, Janetta's job would be to make them into a cohesive fighter wing. Until they were transferred to the space station, Viracocha's Glory, they would supplement the aerial defenses at Guardian War base. Naturally, our first space station was named after the first Chimorro Emperor.

Janetta. A lot of things have happened since then, but I still recall how she first looked as if it were yesterday instead of sixteen years ago.

We were both freshly minted Sublieutenants straight out of the Air Academy, taking advanced courses at Tikun War base in the Yucatán. I had already failed my own tests to become a fighter pilot. I could handle a rotary wing, a prop-job, and a shuttle, but I didn't have the reflexes for supersonic combat. I could have gone into Ground Service Air Defense, but opted to stay in the Air Service and train in logistics and operations.

It was in Basic Tactical Command class when I first saw her, and with one look I was smitten. Tall, lean, copper skin with enormous black eyes that showed intelligence and drive, and lustrous, shiny black hair that, when braided, hung halfway down her back. Pert rounded nose and full, rounded lips, and big, white teeth. High, firm breasts, narrow waist and a slim butt. She was full-blooded Nahuatl.

Janetta wore the usual Air Service colors of dark blue trousers with a cyan blouse, but she also wore her pilot's flight jacket. Covering the entire back panel was the rising Imperial Sun in yellow, orange and red supported by two upright jaguars on each side. She came into the room chatting with three young men, also sporting similar flight jackets. Seated at her chosen desk, she looking like a coiled cat ready to jump up at a moment's notice.

The graceful way she moved was pure poetry in my eyes. A hundred years earlier, she would have had a warrior's headdress with thousands of feathers, stones, and patterns of cloth streamers, her chest bared and covered in tattoos, a macuahuitl sword in one hand and Chon semiautomatic pistol in the other. Of course, a hundred years ago, we were just learning how to fly aircraft. Thankfully, the warrior women no longer had to remain celibate upon pain of death.

My first day of Basic Tactics class was a haze. I kept sneaking glances at her.

And then finally class was over. I was still working up the courage to ask her out when, in the rush of everyone leaving, I lost track of her. Dejected, I collected my books. Tomorrow I would make sure I spoke to her.

I was walking down the hall when suddenly Janetta came up from behind me, pushed me into a supply closet, and slammed the door behind us. I started to move, looking for the light switch, when she pushed me back and I sat hard onto a box. Her hands then reached down and quickly opened the zipper on my trousers.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Only the barest bit of light came in from under the door. All I could see of her was her outline.

"Relax. This won't hurt, I promise." I could hear the laughter in her voice. "You're Vedan, aren't you? I can tell by your coloring. Gold-brown skin, blue eyes. How'd you get in here, golden boy?"

Her hands found my cock, which was quickly hardening.

"My father is a scientist. They fled in 2317. My -- ow! Hey! Be careful there!"

"Sorry about that. That's quite a bulge you pack around. Some guys put socks into their briefs thinking it won't matter later. With you being so pretty, I just had to know. Because it's real, I'll fuck you. If it had been fake, we would have nothing to talk about. Ever."

Her hands gave me a quick couple of strokes. She leaned forward, her hot breath searing my mushroom head. "You," she murmured, "are a most fortunate man." Reaching inside my trousers, she gave my balls a quick caress.

Then she inhaled my cock, and I was in heaven. Her head bobbed up and down in the dim light, and I enjoyed her tongue working my shaft and crown. I reached over to put my hands on her head, but she batted them away.

She stood and I heard her open her own zippers. Female warriors were allowed trousers like men, but in deference to their anatomy, they had two buttons and a pair of zippers holding the front flap in place so they could either squat or lean forward to urinate without having to drop their pants. The next moment, she straddled me and I felt my cock begin entering her hot sheath. Only moderately moist, she determinedly rose and dropped, using her weight to impale herself a bit deeper each time. Her breath coming in sharp gasps, rising just a bit as penetration deepened. She was obviously interested for she soon slickened up, making passage smoother. Even so, she was incredibly tight. Then she hit bottom and I could feel the ridge of her cervix brush the crown of my cock.

"Oh, yeah," she muttered, grinding away on my lap. "That's the ticket."

I reached up to squeeze her breasts, but again she brushed them away.

"Don't distract me while I'm flying." Grabbing my shoulders, she rocked her hips with solid, firm thrusts, pushing her clit against my pubic bone.

"Maybe I want to feel them," I retorted.

"If I like what you do, maybe next time I will let you. Right now, just shut up. We have a very short time to complete this mission." Janetta picked up her pace, rocking faster.

In the darkness, I could see little, but I could feel her body enveloping mine. She was hot and slick, and the sound of something squishy moving seemed loud in my ears. And she smelled faintly of jet fuel and something else, something familiar.

"Kandikan. Name's ... Ranji Kandikan." I gripped her waist, helping her move.

"Shut up and fuck, Kandikan! I mean it!" Her hips rocked faster and faster.

Quietly, her breath began to catch as she worked her crotch up and down, arching over mine. "Huh, huh, huh." More speed until she inhaled deep, grinding herself down, shaking and sighing. Her pussy clenched, the tight ripples squeezing my shaft, over and over.

For half a dozen breaths I waited for her to move. "Thanks," she said, and her feet hit the floor. I couldn't believe it! She was going to hump and dash on me!

I grabbed her butt and stood up, shoving her against the wall. She gave a surprised grunt, then wrapped her legs around my hips and sighed appreciatively. I pumped rapidly, determined to coat her insides with my cream. The novelty and excitement certainly played a factor. In less than a minute, I drove deep into her hot, tight cavity and gasped, exploding inside her hot depths.

Janetta waited barely three breaths, then dropped her legs and patted me on the shoulder. "Payload delivered on target. Now pull out. I'm due at the hangar and I don't want to be late."

She reached up the wall and flicked on the light.

My eyes blinked as I withdrew from her pussy.

She glanced down. "Quality delivery system you have there." Then she reached over and unhooked my neckerchief, and without any ado, used it to wipe down her dripping pussy. When she was done, she handed the neckerchief back to me and zipped her uniform back into place. My own crotch was wet, my trousers were soaked with her juices, and my neckerchief was thoroughly soiled. I was going to have to hit the latrine before my next class, and that meant I was going to be late.

Janetta gave her uniform the once-over, picked up her small pack and put her hand on the door knob. "Kandikan, you rate a repeat test flight. I'll tell you when."

Then she was gone.

Something clicked then. Oranges. Jet fuel and oranges. Odd combination, but it seared itself into my brain. That was ever after Janetta.

I grabbed my own gear and hurried out. At that moment I knew two things. First, I wanted her, and not just once or twice but as often as I could get away with, and she didn't necessarily have to like it. Second, I resolved to break her reserve and make her say my name when she came.

# # #

Starlight Gleaming Ch. 02



Thanks to ThatEditorGuy for giving this story the eagle eye! 

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The next day in Basic Tactics, I tried to speak to Janetta, but she glared at me briefly, and then deliberately ignored me. Indeed, her coldness went on for the next two weeks. Basic Tactics was the only class we had together.

Patience, I told myself. Over and over. Patience.

Janetta lived in the women's barracks, and that meant there was a fence and guards with dogs keeping watch on the perimeter. There were also infrared cameras. A male not of the servant class risked being scrutinized simply for being on the grounds. Getting caught inside the women's area after hours was very serious. If you only got cashiered from the service, you should count yourself lucky. There was a real danger one could also find himself at the temple of Tezcatlipoca, the Jaguar god. Tikun had a large temple dedicated to the god of warriors and the night sky, and they still practiced human sacrifice. Yes, I was smitten by Janetta, but I had no desire to have my heart cut from my living breast.

As the days passed, I fumed and hungered for Janetta. I wanted back inside her tight, wet heat and to fill her writhing, bucking body with my seed. I wanted my hands in her thick, black hair and to watch her eyes roll back when she came on me.

When I arrived at Tikun War base, I was used to having sex on a regular basis. With four roommates in my officer's quarters, long classes, and the extra duty, I didn't have time, the privacy, or I was simply too tired to use my own hands for release.

Had I been at home, I would have taken advantage of Calia, my personal servant.

Like the Vedan part of the Aesir-Vedan Alliance, the Empire of Chimorro was rigidly divided into classes, and it was extremely difficult to move up. Going down was easier, but you had fewer rights with each downward progression. At the top was the Imperial Household. Next in status and power were the Priests. Then there were the Warriors, with the expected officer and enlisted division.

The Guild class was next in the hierarchy, followed by the Free Farmers (you had to own your own land), then Merchants, Servants, the Indentured, and finally the Slaves. In Veda, where my parents originated, scientists like my father were part of the Technician class, which was above the Guild but below the Warrior class. In Chimorro, scientists were considered a sub-class of the Priests, which meant they outranked Warriors.

The only real way for upward mobility was for the lower classes to become enlisted in the military, and then to distinguish one's self in battle. Enough combat could gain you officer grade and other rewards. Servants and lower classes had to have permission or a sponsor before enlisting.

Emigrating from Veda to the Empire had been difficult for my parents, especially because the Kingdom of Veda did not want to lose his expertise. However, coming to the Empire meant a major improvement in social class. While my current occupation meant that socially I was inferior to my parents, I did have the option of undertaking scientific certification later, and become a certified technician if I so desired. I argued that as a possibility with my father, but the truth was I loved flying in whatever capacity I could manage.

Heeding class expectations, when I hit puberty, my parents found a servant to take care of me. Calia was a gentle girl with large eyes from the semi-autonomous state of Pano, located in the northwestern mountains of the Southern Continent. Trained in domestic duties, she took care of my clothing, gave me massages after exercises, and allowed me to satiate my horny pubescent sexual energies with her body. I remember there were some days I was inside that girl as often as I could get hard again. Indeed, I'll never forget the first time I did that.

My mother actually slapped me the next day, and then blistered my ears. As her master, she sternly told me it was my duty to take care of my servants. So enamored was I with her willing pussy, I just entered and rode her until I came. Often by the time she started to get a little wet, I was done. Calia was so chaffed she had had to get help afterward. "A man who doesn't treat his servants with respect and loyalty will get none in return!" I was used to the ear blistering, but it was the first and only time my mother ever hit me.

After my father returned home from work that day, he gave me his own lecture, which turned out to be less vehement and a lot more instructive. Quite bluntly, he said, "A man willing to lavish attention on his woman's pussy would earn a lot of forgiveness and even encourage eagerness for whatever else you wanted. And hands are only one tool available." Other gems were the notion that getting the woman aroused not only made penetration easier, but made the act pleasurable for her, too. If I made sure she reached orgasm too, she would be a more enthusiastic partner.

Next, my father informed me that if I let Calia take a more active role in the sex, she could teach me a great deal. Much later, I learned that she had trained for almost two years before becoming my servant, and when she arrived, Calia was at least a year younger than my own fourteen years. Obviously, until that point, the head I had been using to think with wasn't the one on my shoulders.

I had a great deal of affection for Calia, but in the Empire for a Warrior or Priest to marry a Servant was illegal. As a personal servant, Calia even had to have my permission before becoming pregnant. Unless one wanted to deal with a lot of paperwork and pay the huge fees, children inherited the class of the mother. It was common for a Master to have their personal servant sterilized, to make a marriage contract easier, for wives often looked at living bastard children as potential rivals. My parents made it clear they preferred I paid for Calia's birth control, which I did.

There was a sexual oddity in the Empire, at least according to my heathen, Vedan upbringing. Oral sex wasn't done by anyone above the Servant class. Putting your mouth where you pissed from was considered taboo, even polluting for the one doing the act. I have no doubt that people still licked pussies and sucked cocks, but it was the Servants doing it for the Upper Classes.

That Janetta had used her mouth on me for even that brief time -- just long enough to get my crown covered in saliva -- was a measure of how desperately she wanted my cock inside her that day. And as a Warrior, if her actions in the closet ever got out, she was within her rights to challenge me to a duel to the death for impugning her honor. Calia, for her part, had given me a lot of pleasure with her mouth, and being a dutiful son, I took my father's words to heart and became an avid student under Calia's tutelage. Not only did I learn my way around Calia's pussy with both my hands and my tongue, I came to enjoy my perversion.

Tikun War base functioned as both an Air Service training college and as a satellite monitoring station. My training there was scheduled for just five months.

Unless one's family was powerful, base housing was limited to those permanently assigned there. For short-timers like myself, the only other option was housing in the city of Tikun itself, and the costs were beyond a mere Sublieutenant's pay. I had the money, but the cost in time getting to the base and back was not worth it to my mind. Once I received my first assignment, naturally, I had planned on sending for Calia. Until then, she was over a thousand rads to the southeast on my parent's upland estate, near the research city of Tohingo.

Even smitten with Janetta, would I have fucked Calia? Of course.

But since meeting Janetta and then feeling her glorious, tight, wet heat envelope my cock, it was her I wanted. I had a great deal of feeling for Calia, but Janetta made my body ache for want of her. I was seriously considering requesting that my next duty station be wherever Janetta ended up.

The extra duty? Well, in my wisdom on my arrival, I had opted for supplemental training in security, thinking it would help down the road with career advancement. It also meant more classes in hand-to-hand combat and training in police procedures. Naturally, being a green officer, I drew weekend duty. Actually, I lucked out, as I could have drawn a six hour shift on alternating days of the week, which would have made for very long days and little study time.

Very quickly, I also discovered that the non-com assigned to me, Senior Sergeant Itznacoco, didn't bother to hide his disdain for my "sorry green ass." I had the wisdom to see that he was permanent and I was not, so I didn't push it as long as he didn't directly challenge my authority.

It had been four weeks since my tryst with Janetta in the supply closet. I was feeling at loose ends. I was even considering taking a chance on the Diamond District for a whore. The area was dangerous, though. Inexperienced transients like myself often ended up beaten and robbed if they went alone. The criminal caste were becoming bolder all the time.

The security work of this afternoon had consisted of inspections of the armory and enlisted barracks, followed by hours of paperwork. I had until dawn to return for a full double shift. At least part of it would be patrols in town, making sure enlisted Warriors didn't overly abuse their status among the lower classes, especially among unescorted women or didn't get into trouble in the more dangerous areas.

So there I was. Shift was over, and I was tired from a long day of classes and work and hungry for dinner. The humidity was thick enough to swim in. Famished, I signed out, put on my garrison cap and headed on foot across the base toward the cafeteria.

The smell of hot, spicy food drifting across the compound temporarily pushed aside thoughts of plundering Janetta's hidden grotto of pleasure. I planned on a thick steak, some peppered vegetables, and at least two helpings of lemon cream pie chased by some metl juice. Metl juice was a potent alcoholic drink made from the agave plants here in Tikun. It didn't take much metl juice to make you feel really good. Good enough to do stupid things. Metl juice was popular here and to the north. The juice made from the blue agave was especially popular among the Nahuatl, Janetta's people. I had tried it a few times at the Officer's Club on base and liked it.

So intent was I on the thought of food and something to unwind with, I didn't hear the electric motor of the two-seat transport come up behind me.

It almost knocked me over.

My anger at the careless driving was replaced by surprise.

Janetta sat in the driver seat. These two-seat light transports had a canvas top with a rollbar, but no doors, so I had an almost full profile of her radiance. She wore a pretty, flowery sun dress with a simple wide belt. The low neckline revealed part of a war eagle tattoo over her left breast. No sign of a bra. Her thick hair was tied behind her and held by a carved jaguar pendant. A pair of aviator glasses sat atop her head, and her black eyes were dancing.

She flashed me a haughty smile with those bright, white teeth. "I'm ready for another test flight, Kandikan, but it has to be now. Get in if you're ready!"

My stomach growled, but I stared at her. I could see her hard nipples pressing against the thin cotton. Curious, I looked at her footwear. Infantry boots with a combat knife strapped onto each calf. Hoo boy!

"Kandikan! If you aren't interested, I need to know now! I'm dead tired but I need some action. Either scramble your ass into the passenger seat or clear off. Which is it?"

Oranges and jet fuel. Her hot sheath squeezing my hard cock. I moved.

I wasn't fully in the passenger seat before she hit the accelerator. And she laughed as she immediately did a hard left turn, which nearly tossed me out of the transport. I was positive at least two wheels left the asphalt during her turn.

As soon as we were level, she dropped the aviator glasses sitting on top of her head over her eyes and we zoomed west toward the base exit. The bright light of the setting sun bothered me, too, and I pulled out my own pair from my vest pocket.

At the gate, she reached into the visor and pulled out her identification for the guards. I still had my lanyard around my neck. Then we were through, taking the road west toward the mountains and Janetta floored it. I had to admit that the brisk air in the thick heat felt good. Janetta grinned into the wind like a war bird, then she laughed like a maniac.

Oddly, I still smelt spicy food. I glanced in the back. Besides the standard first aid kit, there was a duffel and two small chests. I checked out the first chest. Two full bottles of metl juice (the label declared it to be the blue variety) and four canteens chilling on ice. I glanced back at her.

She saw me looking. "Kandikan, I always leave the tarmac fully armed. You've got a lot to learn about me, ground pounder!"

"Hey! I'm no ground pounder! I'm Air Service just like you. And, I'll have you know, I can fly prop, rotary, and shuttle! So stick it in your turbines."

Janetta didn't reply, but raising her eyebrows, she grinned as she nodded approvingly.

In the second chest was a packed lunch kit, divided into a hot side filled with six sandwich wraps on the left, and a cold side with carrots, celery, and peppers on the right.

"Hand me a sandwich and a canteen," she said. "I'm starved!"

I unwrapped a sandwich and handed it to her, and grabbed one for myself. I put two canteens into the junk tray by the gear shift between our seats. My stomach growled again.

"Hungry?" I asked, my own mouth full of food.

Janetta didn't bother answering. She was halfway done with her sandwich already. She just took another huge bite.

"Can I at least ask where we are headed?"

"Chingli Point." She reached for the nearest canteen and dropped it between her knees and unscrewed the cap. She was using her elbows to steer. "Holy fuck, that's cold!"

"Chingli Point! That's almost two hours away! I have to be back by dawn!"

"No shit! Me, too! I skipped lunch to secure this ride and this food. I don't do that for everyone, Kandikan. Just so you know." She took a long drink of the cold water, shook her head, then took another hefty swallow. She set the canteen back into the tray and stuffed the rest of the sandwich into her mouth.

We were almost at the turnoff to Barakan Mountain and Chingli Point. Normally the trip to the turnoff took half an hour. We were there in ten minutes. Fortunately, there was hardly any traffic in this part of the valley. What wasn't zoned military was set aside as wildlife preserve. The little traffic we did see was mostly pack animals led by peasants on foot, using the dirt trail that paralleled the paved one we rode on.

Further up the mountain from Chingli Point was Pinglo Station. Pinglo was a relay and booster station for civilian and military communications. Its more important function was satellite and air defense tracking, and it was a critical part of the Central Defense Shield, aimed at protecting the narrow strip of land joining the Northern and Southern continents. Pinglo Station also coordinated with Jobintli Naval Base on the western seacoast a few hundred rads to our southwest. While we rarely saw a Shingye Dynasty warship, we often saw their trawlers poaching in our fishing zones, and with the radio gear they carried, we were fully aware it wasn't just fish they were after. Shingye was once again allied with the Aesir-Vedans.

The turn was fast approaching, but Janetta didn't slow down one bit. She whooped as we took the corner fast, and I could swear that once again there were only two wheels on the ground. Could have been just one. I hung on tight while we hit gravel, careening close to the ditch. Then we were back on solid road, flying down the highway.

As we sped toward the mountain's base, trees sprang up left and right, and by the time we began our ascent, the forest had swallowed us up. With the setting sun hidden by the mountain, the temperature dropped several degrees, a welcome relief to me.

The narrower track didn't slow Janetta down one bit, and she powered through the turns with barely a drop in speed. It flitted through my mind that she might have a death wish, but seeing the delight on her face and feeling her excitement, I realized that didn't feel right. If she wanted to impress me with her reflexes, she was doing a good job.

Upwards we climbed, passing through raucous birds and thick foliage. At times the canopy threw everything into faded twilight. The vehicle's sensors detected the lack of light and headlights automatically snapped on. Janetta put her sunglasses back on top of her head. I slipped mine back into my vest pocket.

With our electric engine, our passage through the mountain forest was nearly silent, with only the whine of the tires on the asphalt and the flicker of the headlights marking our passage. For an instant, we caught an ocelot in the glare of the headlights, and then it was gone.

Janetta glanced at me. I nodded and a faint smile passed over her face.

During the whole trip we had barely spoken. I knew very little about her, but instead of talking with her, I was content to just be there with her. We were going to a vista point high up on the side of a mountain where I intended to fuck her brains out, and I had no doubt she intended to do the same to me. I did want to know more about this lithe copper-skinned beauty, and while I felt an eagerness building in my groin that matched the hum of the wheels on the road, I realized she had gone to a lot of trouble to spend more than just a quick fuck with me. I convinced myself that her speed was a reflection of her own urgency to becoming impaled on my shaft.

And suddenly we were there on the pullout. Janetta whooped as she hit the brakes and at the last moment, cranked the wheel. As we skidded to a halt on the gravel, I saw the edge leap closer. Finally we finally quit moving.

Janetta hopped out of the transport while I looked at the gap between the vehicle and the flimsy stone barrier edging the cliff face. A very narrow vehicle might -- just might, mind you -- have squeezed into the remaining space.

The zipper on the back of the transport opened up and Janetta pulled out a blanket and grabbed the strap to one of the chests.

"Kandikan! It's too late to back out now. Move your ass! Grab the other chest and the lamp. The view of the city at night is really great here. I want to fuck, eat, look at the lights, and then fuck some more. And it would be icing if I can look at lights while I fuck."

Absorbing her wishes, I grabbed the food chest, and under a duffel, I retrieved the large electric lamp from its storage spot. I hurried to the south end of the parking lot where Janetta started down a trail. In the fading light, I watched her long legs and the sway of her slim hips. I was intoxicated by her movements.

After a short distance we found the eating area. Three small, rough tables, a brick firepit, and a rail fence on the edge of the cliff face. Janetta set out the blanket by the fence.

I just stood there, watching her. Power and beauty together in one form.

Janetta walked back towards me, her hips swaying. And with hardly a hitch in her step, she reached down to one boot and flicked one of her combat knives my way. The blade whizzed over my head.

I ducked. "What the devil? Are you crazy?"

There was a thump of something hitting the ground. A large snake flopped about, the knife embedded near the head. A nauyaca viper. Nearly four feet long. Nasty tempered as a rule, they were usually ground dwellers. Most first aid kits had anti-venom, but a bite that close to my head? It would have been fatal.




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 02



Janetta smiled at me, but it was need that I saw in her eyes. She grabbed my arm and led me over to the viewing point.

"Janetta, I--"

"Shhh," she said, putting her finger to my lips. She unbuckled my belt and pushed down my trousers and underwear below my knees. "Lay down," she said quietly. I did so, my mind reeling from the near death encounter and her calm demeanor. One hand stroked my cock. Within moments I was hard. She held my shaft and moved over me, moving my cock along her lower lips. I could feel her steamy wetness as she pushed down, enveloping me in her tight, slick walls. Three, then four strokes and her groin met mine. Her hands pushed up my chest, slowly opening my shirt.

Janetta sighed as she slowly rocked. "Fire burns in my loins, but I'm torn. A part of me wants to savor this and the other wants to ride you hard and fast to a quick release. Oh! That's nice equipment you have!"

The feeling of her body enveloping my erection was delicious. I reached up and pulled her forward, slipping my hand behind her neck. Her mouth opened to mine and our tongues fenced. Janetta ground her crotch against me, sighing and moaning. While we kissed, her hands roamed over my chest, pushing my shirt off. My own hands moved to her back, undoing the buttons.

With a groan, Janetta sat up as I pulled down her sleeves, freeing her breasts to my view. My imagination hadn't done them justice. Even in the heat, her wide areolas were puckered and her nipples swollen and erect. The tattoo on her left breast was a stylized war eagle, symbol of Huitzilopochtli, god of war and the north. Part of me admired the artwork, but seeing the other breast, part of me thought it was a shame to mar such perfection. Leaning up, one hand fondled her flesh, flicking her nipple while my mouth inhaled her other. I sucked and licked, one arm holding her close while the other paid homage to her breast.

For long minutes I licked her skin and played with her nipples, rolling and pinching them, switching back and forth with my hand and my mouth. Then with a loud cry she pushed me back down and began bucking and rolling her hips. My fingers rolled and kneaded her soft flesh. The muscles in her belly rippled and tightened. I could feel her pussy squeezing my shaft as it slipped in and out of her sex, wet sounds filling the air between our noises of pleasure.

As she got closer to her release, she just rocked her hips faster and faster, grinding her clit against me. Then she yelled and arched her back, shaking as she came. I felt the gush from her pussy coat my balls. My hands went to her hips and I pressed into her, trying to increase her contact. The sweet sensation of her pussy clamping along the entire length of my shaft was heavenly.

With a gasp, she suddenly began breathing again, and leaned over me. The carved hair tie fell out and her thick black hair cascaded around her face. Janetta grinned. "My initial assessment is the same, Kandikan. I like how you feel."

Then she started to get up!

"Oh, no you don't! Not a chance!" One hand grasping her hip, I put the other on her shoulder and rolled her over. I bucked until my cock pressed back into her slick folds. Holding her tight, I pounded her pussy hard and fast, trying to drive myself into the bottom of her depths with every thrust.

When that didn't give me the penetration I wanted, I pulled up her legs and used my weight to spread her wide while I moved higher. Janetta grunted, a hint of amusement in her eyes. Her breasts rolled every time I slammed into her soaked sex. I could feel the ripples along her tight channel squeezing me. I stared into her eyes while I drove into her body, reveling in the tight, slick heat of her pussy. She mouthed words as I pumped her cavity. Silent at first, then faintly I heard her.

"Do it. Do it. Do it!"

My balls tightened and boiled, and pressing hard into her yielding center, my cock swelled and pulsated, sending rope after rope of thick hot sperm spraying deep against her womb. Janetta kept her eyes on me as she shivered, grinning as her hands suddenly pulling me tight against her crotch.

As my orgasm faded, she patted my butt. "Let me up, Kandikan. Time to refuel and celebrate another successful mission."

Slowly I lifted off her, then pulled out. Janetta rolled over and off the blanket, standing with her legs apart. I watched while long strands of sperm dripped out and landed on the ground. She glanced around and saw me watching. Grinning, she lifted her bottom hem of her sun dress so that I could see her gaping pussy and watch her flex her butt, squeezing tight for several seconds. More strands fell, then a dribble. Janetta took her palm and rubbed it into her wet crotch, then wiped her hands on the dress. She lifted the top and slipped her arms back into the sleeves. She retrieved the second chest from where I dropped it and set it beside the first one on the table.

I put my shirt back on, leaving it unbuttoned. But I took off my trousers and underwear, and on impulse, stuffed my neckerchief into my trouser pockets. Her pussy had been as delightful as last time, but I was miffed about her trying to quit before I had had my own release. Again.

"Keep your boots on," she warned. "Spiders, snakes, scorpions, ants, centipedes. If they don't get your bare feet, they'll hide in your empty boot."

I shook my boots out and put them back on. It felt weird with no pants, but what the hey? I went over to the table. Janetta ate a sandwich and crunched on a large pepper. I couldn't be sure whether the sweat on her forehead was from the spicy vegetable or from our fucking. "What's the deal, Janetta?"

"What do you mean? We're here for a good time. It's not complicated, Kandikan." She opened a bottle of metl juice and took several swallows. "Oh, that's good! Nice and cold with a good bite!"

"No," I said. "When we were joined and you knew I wasn't done yet, you tried to get away. Why?"

She finished one pepper and fished out another. "What's the problem? You got your nuts off, didn't you? I distinctly remember both times you dumping a load inside me. And I also remember you watching me take care of the mess." Janetta took another bite of sandwich and chased it with another swallow of metl juice. Frowning, she poked into the food chest. "I should have had him put in a lemon," she muttered.

"It's sex, Janetta. Both are supposed to get something out of it."

"We have. Before you go off, answer me this. How many times have you fucked a servant girl and never cared if she came or not."

That stopped me cold. Until my father's talk with me, I had done exactly that with Calia.

She looked at me and nodded. "Got you, didn't I? Well, if you want to come inside me, you better keep doing what you have been doing -- hang on and just do it. I can respect a warrior who takes what he wants."

"By the gods, Janetta, it's not a competition or a duel. Even if there's no affection or love, it's two people getting pleasure from each other. You respect your partner."

"You're full of shit," she replied, chewing slowly. "You did good by letting me come first, and if you want more action, you keep on doing just that. And if you want to come inside me, you better hang on and don't let go of me. Because if you can't keep me, you don't deserve me."

I mulled over her words. Meanwhile, Janetta walked over to the dead snake and picked it up. Pulling the knife out of the body, she laid the head on the table's edge and whacked it off. Then she gutted it.

"What are you doing?" I asked. Hungry myself, I reached into the food chest, took out a sandwich and bit into it.

"I'm a warrior, a hunter. I killed it. To waste it would be an affront to its spirit. Now I will eat it."

I chewed and swallowed, watching her work. She went to a small tree and cut off a long branch, whittling off the leaves. Poking through its body, she speared the flayed flesh.

"Be useful," she said, "and go find some kindling. Ever had snake before?"

"No." I scoured the area for some pieces of wood of various sizes. It was getting darker as day turned to twilight, but I managed to find enough to start a fire and keep it going a short while. I dumped my findings into the brick pit.

She was a prickly one, all right. Passionate, competent, intelligent, and in full womanly splendor. Oh, yeah. Good with knives, too. She obviously liked my body. The task was getting her to want me and not just my cock.

Janetta retrieved a lighter from the side pocket of the food chest. Reaching down, she picked up the decapitated head and flung it hard. It sailed over the fence and dropped below the horizon. She fussed with the wood for a bit, then finally succeeded in getting a fire started. With a look of triumph, she took the spitted snake and held it over the growing heat.

I finished my sandwich and took a few swallows from the metl juice. I checked the chest. Two more sandwiches remaining, with some assorted vegetables. I picked up the bottle and offered her a drink.

"It doesn't have to be like that," I said.

"Be like what?" She drank and looked at me suspiciously.

"You don't have to do things all by yourself."

"Oh, come on." Janetta rolled her eyes. "I don't know what planet you grew up on, but because I don't have a cock, I have to work twice as hard to get anywhere. And if I don't take precautions, I can get fucked up one side and down the other by priests or higher ranking officers. So don't whine to me because you think you got your feelings hurt." Using the heat of the fire, she held the knife into the flames and burnt off all the flesh. Her body was tense as she stared at the fire.

She was right. Things were tough for women, and warrior women were only slightly better. A long time ago, any woman of a lower class than your own could be taken. No questions asked. You just hiked up her dress and fucked her. She had no say in the matter. Over the last couple of hundred years, that practice became tougher, but women of the Servant class or lower were still fair game. However, poaching on someone else's servants could be dangerous if their master objected. If you were poor and in the Guild or Merchant class, you were still vulnerable. The attitude was that there was no lasting harm, and if she got pregnant, well, that's what women were for. Even the Atlanteans with their so-called enlightened ways would sometimes raid their neighbors and carry off women. Sometimes they just fucked them and let them go, and sometimes they forced them into marriage, and were actually surprised when someone got upset about the abduction. Upper class Chimorro women didn't have the same rights with lower class men. If she were caught fucking, the man had better be either her husband or from a higher social class or she risked divorce and a public whipping, and the possibility of demotion to the Servant class.

Up until about a hundred years ago, women were allowed to become warriors if their male kin were also warriors, but the women had to be celibate. A woman warrior who became pregnant was seen as defiled and put to death. Empress Tlilibasa, wife of Emperor Chambaca III, helped change that. The Empress had been both a warrior and priestess before her marriage. When the Emperor got ambushed by an Atlantean raiding party, the Empress and her women guards came to his rescue and later forced the decree from the Emperor. Women still couldn't have children while active duty, but with advanced birth control, they could be sexually active. Even so, they still had to be circumspect. Naturally, warrior women tended to stick together for protection. It wasn't supposed to be that way. Military training stressed that you were supposed to be able to depend on your fellow warriors to fight beside you and to defend you. Some men did, regardless. The training images, though, were all of men.

Just as some men protected the women warriors, there were those who saw them as a challenge to a male dominated class. The ideal was that a warrior woman had the right to refuse sex from a man of her own class or from a lower one. If of equal rank or higher than the man, she could kill in self-defense, or later, challenge him to mortal combat. There were very few women pilots, though. Janetta was pretty much on her own. And she could be ordered to submit to sex by someone of higher grade.

"Fair enough, you've had a raw deal--" I began.

"I don't want your pity, Kandikan. Just let it go." Janetta took another long swallow of alcohol. "Go get some more fuel."

Taking the lamp, I went into the nearby brush. I spent several minutes crashing around, and trying to avoid having my bare legs scratched, and trying to think how I could turn things around. I didn't want this to be how the evening ended. This time around, I managed to find a few large pieces of rotting wood and brought them back. Janetta looked them over and put one onto the fire. It quickly burst into flames.

I held out my hand, and she passed me the bottle. I took two long swallows. The alcohol roared down to my guts.

We watched the snake cook in silence. Janetta suddenly announced it was done. She brought it over to the table and pulled out a salt shaker. On her instructions, I found a small plate in a zippered compartment in the back side of the food chest.

Using her knife, she pulled away the spine and scraped some onto the plate and took the hot meat into her mouth. "Hot, hot, hot!" she cried, chewing rapidly. I handed her back the metl juice. She drank, then scraped off some more snake meat onto the plate. "Come on! Try some!"

She was right. The meat was hot. I chewed with my mouth open, trying not to burn my tongue. Tasted sort of like chicken.

Under the light of the electric lamp, we ate the snake, and then Janetta took the skin with the remains and tossed it over the planked fence. She cleaned the blade and resheathed it in her boot.

Night had arrived, and the first few stars gleamed overhead. To the east, we could see the various temples of Tikun, and the thousands of lights from streets and homes laid out in a glittery canvas of colors. Most were white, but some were blue or green or red. Drawn to the lights, we moved closer to the edge.

"I never tire of this sight," she murmured.

It really was a beautiful image. All the many-colored lights blinking, competing with the stars above. But more beautiful to me was the woman beside me. I moved behind her and slid my arms around her.

"What do you think you are you doing, Kandikan?"

I leaned in and kissed her neck. "A very beautiful woman expressed her desire to make love while she looked down on the night lights of Tikun."

"Beautiful woman? You're so full of shit. And the word I used was fuck." But she smiled anyway and leaned against my chest.

"Janetta, I think you are the singularly most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Just looking at you makes me hard for you."

Her breath caught. "Stop it, Kandikan. Don't tell me lies. I don't need them and I don't want them. I just want you to fuck me." For emphasis, she rubbed her butt against my growing cock.

My hands cupped her breasts, molding them in my hands like clay. As my lips moved along her neck and nibbled her ear, her breathing slowly deepened. The fire in the pit behind us shrank down while I continued to touch and caress her. Her breathing heavier, Janetta brushed away my hands and took down the top of her sun dress again. Then she pulled my hands back.

I chuckled and ran my teeth along her neck. Janetta shivered, rubbing the crease of her butt sensuously against my hard shaft. Using one hand, I moved down her belly, rubbing gently and fondling. Pushing my fingers further south, she widened her stance, allowing me access to her dripping pussy. Gently I probed her lower lips, running through her thick muff, then gently brushing her clitoris with my thumb.

I stuck a finger inside her growing heat. Janetta moaned appreciatively, with little catches in her breathing. Fingers ran up and down the length of her slit, then slid back inside. One finger, two, rubbing into her snatch. While my thumb rubbed her clit, my fingers curled in and found the soft, spongy spot just behind her pubic bone. My mouth nibbled and the other hand squeezed her breast. She whimpered, rocking her hips against my hand exploring her wetness. Her noises grew louder while she stared out at the lights of the city far away. I added a third finger and Janetta gasped, pushing harder against my hand.

"That's it," I whispered to her. "You're here, flying high above the city. Come for me. All over my hand. Show me how much you like what I'm doing to you."

Her breathing deepened, punctuated by moans and cries. One hand squeezed her breast while my other hand stroked and rubbed her slick cavity, thumbing her fat clit. Suddenly she stiffened and cried out, her pussy clamping down on my fingers. As she came, I pushed down on her shoulders, and shoved my cock into her pussy.

She arched her back and howled.

As she gushed and coated my cock with her fluids, I pulled her hips against me, plunging deeper and deeper into her spasming wet tunnel. Janetta huffed and shook as I stretched and filled her center.

I waited until she came down from her release before slowly resuming moving within her depths. Being inside her body was wonderful and I wanted to make it last as long as possible. I kept my strokes full and slow. Every fifth or sixth stroke, I pulled her hips against me and ground into her wet center. Janetta moaned and pushed back.

As the evening darkened and the city faded into shadows, we moved together, enjoying the sight and the feeling of our bodies being connected. Janetta grew wetter. Running my hand down her inner thigh, I could feel the slickness. Carefully, I moved my fingers higher, gently circling her clit. The air was filled with the flowers of late spring and the breeze coming up from the valley, but even stronger was the wet sound of us moving together. Both of us built toward release, grunts and pants giving way to moans and faster thrusting.

Overhead, the half-moon cast its bright silvery light over the landscape, covering the forest and the distant, sparkling city with an ethereal haze. Above us, the clear, black sky flickered with starlight gleaming.

Soon I was pounding into Janetta, bucking into her sopping slit, and she hung onto the fence. Faster and faster I pushed, my hips slapping wetly against her ass, my balls slamming into her swollen lips. Then with a long, low growl, she bucked and shivered, her pussy clamping tight around my cock. With a yell, I grabbed her hips and shoved into her, spewing hot ropes of sperm into her welcoming depths. She grunted, pushing back, trying to take me as deep as possible.

"Fuck, Kandikan," Janetta said, her voice shaking, "That was .. first class."

"Ranji. My first name is Ranji."

"I know that." She paused. "You aren't pulling out?"

"Nope. I love how you feel, Janetta. Smooth and tight and hot and wet. I intend to stay inside you as long as I possibly can." I moved my hands up to her shoulders, caressing her bare skin.

She didn't say anything at first, but I felt a tenseness in her back ease just a little. "It feels nice," she whispered.

When I felt myself start to soften, I started moving slowly inside her pussy. And just like that, I was hard again.

"Really?" I could hear the surprise in her voice.

I ran one hand through her beautiful, thick, long hair. My other hand ran along her smooth back and flanks. My cock worked slowly in and out of her sodden slit. Both of our upper thighs were drenched from our just completed coupling. I couldn't imagine wanting to be anywhere else in the world. "Oooh, yes. Any objections?"

Janetta was quiet for several long strokes. "No," she said at last.

"Though I must warn you," I said, leaning forward so my hand could stroke her taut belly, "this round will be harder and faster."




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 02



She pushed back against my cock with each drive inward, picking up the pace ever so slightly. "I love speed," she confessed. "I'm ready to put you through your paces, Kandikan. Show me what you can do."

I laughed, determined to thoroughly plunder Janetta's sex. I could tell, having filled her twice already, it was going to take a lot of stimulation for me to come again. I was determined to ride her until I filled her a third time. One hand held her shoulder while I leaned over and slid my other down her belly and rubbed her mons.

When my fingers found the top of her cleft, she exhaled long and then inhaled just as long and deep. My hips worked faster, my shaft sliding into her wet folds, immersing my cock in the welcoming warmth of her tight womanhood. Long, firm strokes elicited sighs and Janetta pressed back against me, encouraging me to penetrate as deep as I could reach into her depths.

As her cries rose, I moved my hand from her clit to grab her hip, and using my other to hold her shoulder, I began slamming into her slick cavity. She groaned loud, arching her back. The grip of her sheath on my cock tightened and her gasps grew sharper. Then suddenly Janetta growled, shaking and bucking in release once again, her pussy convulsing and covering my cock with more feminine juices. My grip held firm while I continued slamming into her sodden sex, the wet slapping noise of our coupling filling the night air.

As her orgasm faded, I slowed the pace back to firm strokes, my hard shaft plowing in and out of her channel. I loosened my hand on her hip and ran it over her back, delighting in the smooth feel of her skin, then began to knead the muscles of her shoulders and back. Janetta whimpered.

After several minutes, my hand moved to cup and squeeze her breast before lazily drifting down her belly to her mons. I was sure she would be too sensitive for direct stimulation, so I made circular motions on her mound.

"By the gods," Janetta heaved. "I'm almost done."

"All right," I huffed. "Let's change it up." I gave her a hard smack on the ass and pulled out.

"What the fuck? What'd you do that for?"

I pulled her into my arms and scooped her up and laid her gently down on the blanket. "I'm not done. I intend to come inside you again." I moved over her. Putting my hands under her knees, I put her legs onto my shoulders and moved my hips over soaking slit.

"Of course," I continued, "I could always plunder another hole."

I felt her tense up. "If you ever want to fuck me again," she growled, "don't ever try it."

"Fine." I put my cock at her battered pussy and let my weight add to the downward drive. Janetta grunted as my hips slammed into her. I paused, savoring the feel of her wet warmth completely enveloping my cock, I caressed her face. "If you want me to come faster, say my name."

With that, I rose up and began pounding into her slick, swollen lips, slapping against her ass. Each time I hit bottom, she cried out and I felt the ridge of her cervix brush my crown. The undulating, giving pressure of her pussy grasping my cock as I pulled out and drove my full length into her again. The tight suction of her pussy trying to keep me inside. Bit by bit, Janetta began to arch her back, changing the angle. My shaft rose higher, sliding in and out against her battered clitoris. Janetta gripped my arms, her cries louder as I rammed into her tender sheath.

"Kandikan," she gasped.

Holding myself on one hand, I smacked her ass cheek. "My name is Ranji!"

Several strokes. Then, "Kandikan." I could see she was tiring, but there was that trace of an obstinate smile on her face.

I slapped her other ass cheek. Twice. "Say my name," I grunted, shoving harder into her pussy.

"Kandikan." I reached up and grabbed a nipple and pinched. Hard.

"Ow, Kandikan!" she yelled. "Fuck!"

I dropped my weight onto her chest, crushing her breasts under me, gripping her shoulders. "Say it!" I hissed. My hips bucked into her as hard as I could manage. It had taken a lot of pumping, but finally I could feel the dull tingling in my balls.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," she wailed. Janetta slipped her hands under my shirt and dug her nails into my back, ripping into my flesh. "Kandi-- " I sank my teeth into her shoulder and bit down. "Ahhh! Ahhhhhh!" She heaved and shook, then screamed, "Ranji!"

My hands released her shoulders and moved to her ass. Lifting myself off her chest, I humped and pushed into her convulsing, rippling cavity as it squeezed around my shaft. "Take it, Janetta!" I heaved. "Take my come!" My crown swelled and spewed hot sticky sperm against her cervix. My hands dug into her ass, holding her in place while I filled her up. Janetta reached up and pulled me down, her mouth seeking mine. Both of us sucked air through our noses as our mouths and tongues sought contact.

Then she fell back, chest heaving. "Gods, Kandikan--"

Smack! "When I am inside you, Janetta, you will call me by my first name. Understand?"

"All right." A long pause, then, "What makes you think there will be further opportunities?"

"Don't throw chaff at me, Janetta. I think about you all the time. I wasn't lying when I said you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

"You're just saying that so you can get in my pants again."

"I admit, I would do a lot of things to ensure I feel your heavenly pussy swallowing up my cock, but lying isn't one of them. I want to be your lover. I want to know you, the woman." I could feel myself softening inside her.

"Next, you'll be saying you want to breed me. Let me make this clear. I love fucking, and you are a good lay, but I would give up you and every other man in a heartbeat to keep flying. I'm not joking when I say that I would probably kill the person who told me I couldn't fly anymore."

My softening cock finally slipped out, pushed out by her body. "I don't have your level of passion for it, but I love flying too. You're missing the point. I don't intend to interfere with your career, Janetta. I'm not your competitor. I'm the man who wants to spend time with you. This trip here? I never would have thought of it. And I suspect that is just a glimpse of more treasures to be revealed."

"I'm a warrior, Kandikan. I don't want complications in my life. And you keep trying to make it complicated."

"Yes, you are a warrior. And a single warrior can do great things. A single warrior can also be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Or, in the vernacular you prefer, every fighter pilot needs a good wingman to have their back."

She laughed. "You? You aren't even a fighter pilot. How can you be my wingman?"

"Even fighter pilots need ground support, Janetta. Just think about it, okay?"

She pushed at me. "Get off. My legs are falling asleep."

I stood up and held out my hand. In the pale moonlight I could see the suspicion on her face. "Will it kill you to let me be nice to you?" I snapped.

Grudgingly, her hand clasped mine. Giving her a pull, I helped her up. I picked up my trousers and underwear. Janetta grabbed the blanket and shook it out, then roughly folded it.

At the table, she picked up the nearly empty bottle of metl juice, uncapped it, and liberally splashed her injured shoulder. I hadn't meant to bite quite so hard, but at the time, it seemed to be what she wanted. Janetta paused a moment, then doused her shoulder again. Then she said, "Lift up your shirt, Kandikan."

I set my clothes down, unbuttoned my shirt and lifted it above my shoulders. "It's going to sting, isn't it?"

"You're supposed to be a Warrior, Kandikan. Man up and turn around."

I did, and she emptied the bottle on my back. Rivers of fire erupted where she'd raked my lower back. Then the alcohol hit my ass and I sucked air. "Kali's throbbing cunt!" I yelled.

There was a half-second pause, then she roared with laughter. "That's what you swear by? The butcher of Kalicott?"

"Yes, my back stings, but it's my ass that's on fire!"

Janetta laughed even harder. Hearing her laugh was good, though, and I had to join her.

"Good thing I don't have a cock," she snickered, "or I might have to take care of that inflamed back door."

"You should do that more often, Janetta."

"What? Burn your ass for you? Or get a cock?"

"Laugh. I mean that."

"Don't. I almost like you, but you keep spoiling it, Kandikan." She undid the belt at her waist, then tore the thin cotton sun dress from neckline to hemline. Walking over to the fire pit, she found the water faucet near the base and turned on the spigot. The water wasn't potable, but it could be used for putting out fires. She squatted and soaked the cloth. Letting the water run, she sponged down her chest and legs, then liberally doused her thighs and crotch.

I watched her move in the silvery half-light, torn between all the warning bells of her pushing me away and an intense desire to pull her into my arms and hold her until she finally felt safe. Even without seeing details, I could see her face in my mind, and the large eyes, pert nose, and the bright, perfect teeth. Her high, firm breasts and tight butt. My cock was sore, but if I could, I'd do her again in an instant.

"You want to clean up a bit?" she asked, standing.

"Sure. Thanks."

Janetta handed me the wet rag and moved over to the fence. Moving her legs apart and arching her back, she casually urinated through the planks, over the side of the cliff. I rinsed my own thighs and crotch slowly, taking in her nubile, lithe form. My balls twinged in sympathy at the sight, half in moonlight, half in shadow. What an image!

Standing, I slipped my trousers on and stuffed the dirty underwear into my pocket. Then I took my turn at the fence. Since I had the lamp, I policed the area for our litter, including the remains of her dress. We collected our gear and returned to the vehicle.

She opened up the back and tossed in the blanket and the one chest she carried. I stowed the second chest and returned the lamp to its storage nook. By feel as much as by knowledge, I found and opened up the first aid kit. Janetta opened the duffel and pulled out a hairbrush and a class B coverall, slipping her long legs into the lower half of the uniform. I pulled out a large Nu-Skin patch and opened it up.

"Hold a moment," I said, moving the patch to her shoulder.

"I don't need that," she said. "It will heal just fine."

"Shut up and let me put it on."

"Pansy-ass," she snapped. She gave her hair a few swipes with her brush, then secured it with her carved jaguar hair tie.

"Hold still!" I pulled off the backing and put the gel-patch over the bite mark. By tomorrow noon, the Nu-Skin would be absorbed and the bite completely healed. "You forget, Janetta, I get my jollies by being nice to you."

She put her arms into the sleeves and zipped it up. "Maybe I wanted something to remember tonight by, Kandikan."

I grabbed her and pulled her close, kissing her mouth. She resisted at first, then responded. When we finally broke for air, I kissed her face. "That sounded deliberately contrary. Rest assured, I won't forget this night easily. See me again, Janetta."

At that moment, we heard a rough cough from the trees to the north of us. We froze, knowing what it was.

Jaguar. A real one.

Quick movements would likely trigger an attack.

I released her. Janetta carefully turned around, reached into her duffel and pulled out a Chon .44 pistol, flipping the safety. We slowly slid into our seats. With our open passenger sides, had the big cat wanted to, he could have leaped and been on either of us in an instant. Using massively powerful jaws, jaguars preferred to kill by puncturing the skull of their prey.

I reached over and flipped on the lights. In the brush at the edge of the parking lot, just forty feet away, two large eyes reflected light back at us. Then it blinked, and vanished.

Janetta exhaled. Setting the pistol onto her lap, she started up the vehicle. The dashboard came alive and the electric motor hummed quietly. The batteries were still nine-tenths charged.

As we exited the lot, I checked my watch. An hour after midnight. I intended to shower when we returned. If I was lucky, I might even get a couple hours of rack time. I suspected Janetta was thinking the same thing. In seconds we were barreling down the twisting, narrow mountain road at high speed.

She flipped on the pistol's safety and handed it to me, butt first. "Put it back into my kit, and grab me another sandwich. That second canteen, too."

As I did so, I grabbed the last sandwich for myself and the last canteen. I was hungry, too. Empty canteens went into the chest, fresh canteens into the space by the gear shift.

"Request for refuel acknowledged," I said, unwrapping the sandwich top and handing it to her. "You are a go for runway two-eight-zero. Clear skies and safe hunting."

Just like a control tower. Right now, flying was the second thing we had in common. I wanted to remind her of that.

Janetta glanced at me, saying nothing, but as she chewed her food, there was no hiding her delighted smile.

# # #



Starlight Gleaming Ch. 03



Notes:

The translations from the Nahuatl language below are not my own. I pillaged the phrases from another website. Credit where credit is due.

In the Imperial calendar system there are five placeholders. The middle number is the year, and to the right of that are the month and the day. The two leftmost numbers are larger increments of years, groups of twenty and groups of four hundred instead of the decimal system we are used to.

Thank you to ThatEditorGuy for some good feedback. Much appreciated.

*

Janetta Tlacotli had sarcastically sniped that my interest in her was that I just wanted to breed her. Truthfully, imagining her pregnant with our child had a strong appeal.

However, I couldn't do that to her. Besides her undoubtedly real declaration that she would kill anyone who interfered with her ability to fly, I also had no desire to destroy her career. I myself loved flying, and once I was at my next duty station, I intended to resume my twice monthly recreational flights. Things were much bleaker for her. Warrior women could fly but unless she had a patron, civilian women weren't allowed a license. I had never seen her fly, but if it was anything like the freedom I felt, I would never stand in her way of experiencing that joy, even if her life was in real danger.

Our trip to the mountain and Chingli Point was followed by two days of double shifts, and I was dead tired. But each night I pictured her smooth copper skin, her big black eyes, perfect white teeth, and pert nose within easy reach. I recalled squeezing her soft, full breasts in my hands, running them down her taut, muscular belly, down her flanks to her slim hips and to legs that went on forever. I wanted to explore that thick muff that hid her sex again. The sounds she made when she was being pleasured had been music to my ears. The smell of oranges and jet fuel whenever I leaned in close to her skin. I whispered her name as I drifted off to sleep.

Finally, the weekend was over and it was back to class. I didn't know if I was falling in love with Janetta, but the more I was with her, the more I wanted her.

When she walked into the room in Basic Tactics, I smiled at her. Once again, she pretended she didn't see me. The hot and cold treatment vexed me. I wondered if her actions were because I was Vedan. I certainly hoped not. I had been born in the Empire of Chimorro, sworn my oaths and was serving my country just like everyone else, Janetta included.

After class, she gathered up her gear and exited without even a look in my direction.

When my classes for the day were over, I resolved to abuse my limited power with military security and access her records. I figured if I learned a bit more about her, it might explain some things.

Once in the office area, I scanned around and found a free computer. I logged in and brought up Janetta's service record. I wanted this to be a discreet inquiry, so I muted the computer so that commands had to be typed in rather than spoken.

A quick search and her record came up on the screen.

Born in Uiyatiwitz, state of Huezteca. Date of birth, 318.16.16.08.14. Fourteenth day of the eighth month? Janetta's birthday was coming up. Women didn't get birthdays in the Empire of Chimorro, except for the Empress, but they did in other parts of the world. I intended to surprise her. I resumed reading.

Father, Milintica Tlacotli, Animal Handler Guild, enlisted in the Ground Service in 318.16.7.3.8, served with distinction during the Chon Revolt of 318.16.12.9.22. Awarded Silver Shield of Merit. Promotion to Second Sergeant. Served at [redacted], killed [redacted] [redacted] on [redacted] 318.17.0.4.13.

17.0? So he died when she was four.

Posthumous promotion to Captain. And, a posthumous induction as a Jaguar Warrior, Fourth Degree.

Promoted from Sergeant to Captain? Enlisted to mid-level officer after one action? And a Jaguar as well? I searched my memory and could find nothing that I could recall happening eighteen years ago. There was a link to another file, but suddenly I could feel warning bells about attempting to look there. The hair on the back of my neck rose. There was a story but it was secret and probably fatally dangerous. I wondered whether my look-see had triggered something with Imperial Security. I was already there, so unless Imperial Security came through the door to stop me, I was going to finish reading this file but no further.

Mother Zaniyah, address [redacted]. And a No Contact Order. Curious.

The usual notes of grammar school for a girl with a wild temper. Trouble began after her father's death. His death could factor in there. Then things quieted down for a couple years. Enlistment into Air Militia at fourteen, then a transfer to Topango War College at sixteen for two years. Hmm. A note that the Assistant Commandant, Kinchil Chac, disappeared a week before her graduation. Opening up the side notes, I saw that two cohorts, including Janetta, were questioned, but nothing solid materialized. That was two years ago.

Grades prior to military service were below average. Since then, they picked up and have continued to improve. Hand-eye coordination and dexterity, exceptional. Expert marksman. Expert with knives. I could certainly vouch for the latter. Her aerial evaluations were incredible.

Third Degree Eagle warrior. Natural choice for the Air Service. She already had the eagle tattoo of Huitzilopochtli, god of war, fire, and Lord of the North.

Each of the Services had their elite groups.

Connections with these quasi-religious groups could help with promotions, but it also meant taking risks. Membership as an Eagle or Jaguar Warrior was expected in a military career if one wanted to reach general or above.

Interesting. Janetta has applied to also become a Jaguar Warrior. Jaguar is popular with the Ground Service. Involvement with both might prove to be very demanding. I wouldn't do it. I'd have no personal life.

I glanced at the clock and realized over an hour had passed. I checked her class schedules. Basic Tactics had two more weeks, and then we both had other classes to attend. I printed off a copy of her schedule for the remaining three months of her stay here, logged off and signed out, without seeing the Senior Sergeant.

I headed to the cafeteria for dinner.

If I could, I would see if I could wrangle another class with her. Barring that, I intended to let her know I wanted more of her off-duty time.

* * * * *

On the weekend duty with Security, I worked it so I got patrol. Senior Sergeant Itznacoco growled about having to hit Tikun at the start of the weekend. As Senior Sergeant, he had made sure the junior sergeants and the other "sorry green ass officers" did that onerous duty.

I didn't care. I had learned that Janetta was planning on attending a ceremony at the temple of Tezcatlipoca. I wondered if this was to be her initiation into the Jaguar Warriors.

I wanted to do a sweep of that area near the end of the services.

In the Empire, local states were allowed to practice their own religion and even speak their local dialect as long as they acknowledged the supremacy of the Emperor, maintained a temple to the sun god Inti, and used Quechua as the official legal language.

The Central States had their Eagle and Jaguar Warriors, which were incorporated into the Empire's military. The Navy later created the Shark Warriors, but outside the Navy, they weren't very popular.

The eagle tattoo was a prerequisite for becoming an Eagle Warrior. Eagle was preferred, naturally, by the Air Service. Jaguar was favored by the Ground Service.

These quasi-religious warrior groups made demands on time and resources outside of active service obligations. Their political power was such that sometimes Command listened to their policies and interests over that of the Empire. Certainly some of the many brief conflicts over the past two hundred years had been at their behest. Without their emphasis on combat, some of those conflicts might have resolved sooner or not even become hot. Of course, I kept such treasonous thoughts to myself. My father made sure I was instructed in the official curricula of the Empire, but often talked to me of the different views and practices of the other powers, such as Atlantis or Aesir-Veda.

The more I learned, the more I was both grateful for my father's actions and concerned lest he was caught.

Finally, the weekend arrived. The security forces under my command geared up and we set out in pairs of those two-seat electric light transports, or HuetziCactis, or HueCacs for short. There were five HueCacs, one ChoCac -- a six-person armored support with a 35mm main gun and two 20 caliber supports. We also had a Tortoise, a dependable enclosed transport capable of carrying forty fully armed troops. We used the Tortoise for carrying soldiers back to Tikun War base. Our security detail comprised a total of thirty men, with Senior Sergeant Itznacoco and me in charge.

For three hours we scoured the streets and retrieved three drunk enlisted, and rescued two Ground Service sublieutenants from the Diamond District. Both officers had been beaten and robbed, but we got them before the locals made sure they disappeared permanently.

When the city bells rang the Eighth Hour, I ordered my driver to take us back to North Temple Square. Following our lead, the other vehicles fanned out and followed. As we pulled in at the entrance to the square, we stopped. It was past sundown, but the square was filled with people and lights. Food vendors, musicians, people talking and milling around for a late bit of shopping.

Pulling out my night glasses, I scanned the area briefly before looking midway up the temple steps. Several Jaguar Warriors in their feathers and jaguar skins appeared and began descending the long steps.

My sergeant's vehicle pulled up next to mine. Standing on the running board, he too scanned around, then focused where I was looking.

Janetta came out at that moment, dressed in white, cuts to her body in several places though none appeared serious. Her hair and much of her front were covered in blood. She held a jaguar skin in one hand as she spoke to no one, staring at the night sky.

Since my arrival, I had picked up a fair amount of Nahuatl. I thought I could make out a couple of words, and then it was like I was hearing her speak next to me.

Yn onihualla tatzin

I have come, my father

Nimic tlan mati

I know the land of the dead

Nito panmati

I know the beyond

yn onechcoc tatzin

I have arrived, my father

Ninahual ocelotl

I am the enchanted jaguar

Tezcat apec

on the mountain of mirrors

Ye nican nontlalpitza

for here I cast my breath

Yehuanti ezcotihuitze

they will come bloodied

Tlapal loti huitze

they will come reddened,

Yn cempopolhuia xitinia

I will completely lay waste to my enemies

Nimo cehuihtoc caxtica mihcai

I am resting in blood of the dead

Yn onihualla tatzin

I have come, my father

Senior Sergeant Itznacoco's voice quietly came over my earpiece. "A looker, but she's dangerous, Lieutenant. I hope this jaunt is because you wanted field experience and not to sightsee."

Before I could respond, he dropped back into his vehicle beside his driver, and his transport sped off.

I watched Janetta for several minutes, but that connection never returned. I returned to my seat and finished the rest of the patrol.

The next night was much of the same sorts of encounters. Drunks and brawlers detained, a few injured that were seen to and either brought back to base or released in less dangerous areas. When we were done, I hurried through the checking-in process, then grabbed a fresh transport and headed over to the hangars on the off chance I'd catch Janetta still there. I made sure my personal radio was off.

I pulled up outside and entered the tall building from the main road. Up ahead, I could hear talking. When I entered the hangar itself, I saw a trainer version of an Itcha Lightning with its engine and avionics opened and four women around it working and talking. A corporal saw me and went, "Hssst! Inbound."

Two others were sergeants. All three enlisted watched me closely. Janetta was in the cockpit, and like the others, in Class B coveralls. When her head popped up, she saw me and her friendly smile turned to a frown. "Kandikan, what are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," I said. "In private."

"Bugger off, Kandikan. I'm working here."

I pointed to the large Security patch on my shoulder.

"Fine." She climbed out of the cockpit and down the access ladder. Dropping her tools into the toolbox, she pulled a rag from her back pocket and wiped them off as she walked to the hangar office. I followed her.

Once inside, I closed the door behind us.

Janetta whirled. "What the fuck's going on, Kandikan? And it better be good!"

"I need to know why you ignore me when we're in public. Is it because I'm Vedan?"

The sharp retort died on her lips and she looked surprised and even a little hurt. "No," she replied quietly. "That's not it at all. You being Vedan is actually kind of exotic."

"Then why, Janetta? I go to sleep thinking about you, did you know that? But unless we're alone, you treat me like I don't exist."

"You wouldn't understand, Kandikan." She threw the rag onto the desk, refusing to look at me.

"Try me."

Her head turned and her eyes bore into me. "I don't smile directly at any male, Kandikan. I learned the hard way not to look friendly."

I put my hand on her shoulder. "What are you talking about?"

Her voice was hard, but eyes showed her struggle. "Isn't it enough that I fuck you, Kandikan? That I actually came to you?"

I stared at her.

"Fuck this!" she snarled. "I have two group captains and a field commander I have to keep happy, Kandikan. And yes, that means they fuck me at least once a week. They out rank me. I have no choice. It doesn't matter how good a pilot I am or how well I do on my exams. And why it --" her voice caught, "Why it matters what you think is beyond me." Her lower lip trembled.

I pulled her into my arms and hugged her tight. She hit me on the back several times, weaker each time until at last she held me tight in return.

"Fuck you, Kandikan," she sniffed. "What are you doing to me? And why?"

"Tell me who they are."

Janetta pushed me away. "No way, Kandikan. They will eat you for lunch. You try and mess with this and you will disappear and no one will find your body. Just -- just let it go."

There was a knock at the door. "Lieutenant? Are you all right?" The door opened and all three enlisted women were there. I noticed one had a hammer and two had large wrenches held discreetly in their hands.

"It's all right," Janetta assured them. "He's okay."

The shorter sergeant looked at my name tag and her face lit up. "Kandikan? The same one you took to Chingli Point?"

"Yes, he is," Janetta answered, then she growled, "No poaching! Now out! Cholan, Ixma, you too, Zinja. Out!"

Two looked at my crotch before meeting my eyes. The heavy sergeant licked her lips. Janetta pushed them out the door and closed it.

When she turned, I was there, reaching for a kiss. She sighed and kissed me back.

"Meet me at the Officer's Club in an hour," I said.

"No," she said firmly. "Don't you get it? If I show up there with you, others will get the idea they can ask me. No where public."

"Okay, somewhere private then. I want to be with you, Janetta."

"Not tonight," she said. "The Lightning has to be ready by midday tomorrow. Maybe not tomorrow night either. I may be too tired. I do have to sleep sometimes."

I pulled her into my arms again, leaning my forehead to hers. "When, Janetta?"

She looked at me, then sighed, reaching a decision. Pushing me away, she started undoing her zippers. "Better fuck me now, then, Kandikan. But make it quick. I have work to do."

Once the zippers were down, she hopped onto the desk and spread her legs. I leaned close and kissed her, running one hand along her hairy cleft. Soft, but pretty much dry.

"I'll be as quick as I can, Janetta. I promise not to hurt you. Your word you will stay where you are and let me finish."

Puzzled, she slowly nodded. "Okay. But if you try and put anything into my ass, the deal is off and I will hurt you."

I pushed apart her legs, holding her down. Then kissed her inner thigh.

"Oh, shit, Kandikan, you're not going to--" Janetta inhaled loudly when my tongue caressed her outer lips. As I pushed my tongue deeper, she stiffened, holding her breath. I set to work, plundering her womanly center. Janetta exhaled slowly, shivering.

As her labia began to swell and her juices began to flow, my mouth was there, my tongue lapping up what she gave to me. Slowly, she began to relax and more juices flowed. Knowing the precariousness of our situation, she kept pretty quiet even as her breathing deepened.

Soon, she was rocking her hips under my mouth, and when I stuck a finger into her slick heat, she arched and groaned. First one, then both of her hands held my head. When I added a second finger, she started to shake. I moved my tongue to her swollen clit and sucked, flicking the underside rapidly. Janetta held her breath, humping my fingers and mouth as hard and fast as she could. She was getting close, probably on the edge.

I stood up.

"Why did you stop?" she gasped.

"I think you're ready now." I unclipped my holster and set the pistol on the desk beside her.

"Fucking pervert," she moaned. "You better hurry and give me your cock, Kandikan."

Undoing my belt, I pushed my trousers and underwear down below my knees and moved forward. As I lifted her legs onto my shoulders, she grabbed my hard cock and guided it to her dripping slit. I pushed and glided easily inside her tight, wet, heat.

Sweet heaven!

Pressing deep, I set to giving her pussy long, full strokes.

Janetta closed her eyes. "Ah, yeah. Ohhh. Deeper, Kandikan. Hahhh. Faster."

Bending her nearly in half, I grabbed her shoulders and pumped with more force. I stared into her eyes as my cock probed her depths, breathing heavily. "You know .. what you ... need to do," I gasped.

I could see she was close again. Her hands gripped my arms. "Oh, oh .. by the gods. Fuck me, Ranji. Fuck meeee!" Janetta arched, bucking against me. Her pussy throbbed all along my shaft.

I pounded into her center, feeling my balls tighten. "Janetta!" I cried, and shoved into her cavity, pressing deeper as I spewed my hot seed into her welcoming pussy. Her hands moved to my butt, digging in, and pulling me tight, Janetta whimpered as she ground her sex against me.

I heard some muffled noises outside the office. I raised my eyebrows and looked at her. "Were they watching?"

Janetta wiped the sweat from her brow. "Probably with a scope and camera so all of them could watch on the monitor." She turned her head to the door and bellowed, "When I come out of this office, my bitches better be working!"

"Your bitches?"

"Damn right. We stick together. We quit shifts together, and make sure we get to the barracks together." She slapped my butt cheek. "You did good. Now let me up."

I leaned forward for a kiss.

She moved her hands in front of her face. "Hey! No. You put your mouth down there, Kandikan."

"You liked it, didn't you?"

"Yes," she admitted, scowling. "Just -- just give me a while to think on it. You had to be a pervert, too. Now get off!"

I pulled out of her, and she grabbed the rag to catch the runoff. I quickly secured my underwear and trousers. While she was busy, I reached over and caressed her cheek.




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 03



Her head jerked back.

"I just want to touch you, Janetta."

"Why, Ranji? We're only here for a few months. Why can't we just fuck while we're here and enjoy it? If I open my heart to you, it will only get broken."

"I can ask to get posted wherever you go."

"You can't help making it complicated, can you? Even if I wanted to, we can't get married, so why put ourselves through this?"

Married? So she was thinking of me, too. "Just think about it, okay?" I caressed her cheek again. "By the gods, you are beautiful."

She hopped off the desk and went to the fresh rag bin. She folded one and put it into the straps on the hanging panel of her coverall. Then she zipped up both sides.

"You like me, despite my complications, don't you?"

She just growled.

"When can I see you next?"

Her hand reached for the door.

"Janetta?"

"Okay, already! Come by next week, after classes and after first shift. No promises, but I'll see what I can do." She flung open the door and to the three women standing by the gutted jet, announced, "Okay, the Bitch Queen is back. Let's get to work!"

I watched her a few moments as she took charge of her work crew. I secured my pistol and headed back out the way I entered the building.

As I drove back to the motor pool, my mind worked over what had happened. It bothered me that once again it had taken someone else to open my eyes to what was patently obvious. Like my father's talk about Calia, and treating the woman as a sexual partner rather than just someone to ejaculate into. Now, Janetta, this woman I craved, was showing me how tough women had it, even in the Warrior caste. I had no illusions about my ability to change things. But even with everything hemming her in, she seemed to enjoy being with me.

Then I hit the brakes, and the tires protested as they dug into the asphalt.

She had called me Ranji. When we were done with the sex, she had called me Ranji!

The grin on my face wouldn't go away, even as I rushed through the rest of the evening and finally settled into bed. "Janetta," I whispered, and closed my eyes, smiling.

# # #



Starlight Gleaming Ch. 04



Note: Some violent non-consensual sex.

Kudos to ThatEditorGuy for giving this story a much needed assist!

=========================

Basic Tactics wrapped up without a hitch. During class, Janetta Tlacotli continued to ignore me, but now that I knew her reason, it didn't bother me so much. I looked at her as discreetly as I could, taking in her beauty. Those big, black eyes, thick black hair and her ever-present jaguar hair-clasp, and bright, white teeth. Tall, lean, with full, firm breasts. I was quickly moving past lust and becoming very attached to her.

The very next weekend, after my double shift performing security detail, I found her at the hangar working with her support crew. When I showed up, she stopped what she was doing, and we went into the office.

Janetta tried to put on that she wasn't keen on me kissing her. A lifetime of believing that oral sex was disgusting didn't stand a chance against a dedicated tongue lashing her tender lower lips. During my ministrations of her feminine parts, I managed to get off both her trousers and her combat boots. With a combat knife attached to each boot, it was no small feat. While she was bucking and heaving under my mouth and tongue, I found I really enjoyed her enthusiastic reaction to my efforts. I kept working my fingers in her slick cavity. I moved up and covered her mouth with my own. Janetta hungrily responded until she realized what I'd done. Vigorously wiping her own juices from her lips, the line of invective she spewed forth was both inventive and educational, but I silenced her by firmly pushing my hard cock into her swollen, dripping pussy. Once I was fully inside her tight, wet heat, Janetta groaned and wrapped her body around me and when I kissed her again, she kissed me back. Once I found the depth of her, we fucked hard and fast. As our hips slapped together, pleasure quickly rose and I soon sprayed my seed into her throbbing pussy.

Then I surprised her by not getting off right away. Instead, I held her and nibbled while touching and caressing. At first Janetta protested. "Nicely done, Ranji. Now get off. I've got work to do."

I liked hearing her call me by my first name. I deliberately ignored her request, running my lips along her neck and face, gently squeezing her breasts. I never really softened inside her, and when I started gently thrusting again, she looked at me in surprise.

"Really, Kandikan?"

"By the gods, Janetta, it's been a week, and that was just the once."

"You know they're watching us again." Janetta referred to the three women that comprised her work crew. Normally the camera probe was used to inspect critical systems within an aircraft for wear or damage. This time the women had pushed the probe past the keyhole so the little camera eye was plainly visible on our side. They were watching everything we did on the display monitor in the main hangar. Probably with sound, too.

"I don't care. Right now, I'm here with you, Janetta." I ground my hardening cock within her wet folds, then drew her hand to my lips and gently kissed it.

Janetta sighed, but I was beginning to learn that some of her resistance was for show. "Then I want to change position," she said. "This desk is hard on my hips."

"Fine." I withdrew and grabbed the rolling chair, pushing it near her. "Kneel on this."

Janetta raised her eyebrows.

I flashed her an impudent smile. "You like me taking you from behind, don't you?"

Slowly she rose up. Grabbing a rag, she wiped down the mess dripping down her legs, then put her knees onto the seat, bracing herself against the back of the chair. "You really are a pervert, Kandikan." I rotated the chair until her bare ass and puffy cleft faced the door. She dropped her head, blushing. "I can't believe I'm letting you do this to me."

I laughed as I moved into position behind her. Lining up my cock, I pushed back inside her warm, exquisite wetness, sighing as her sheath enveloped me from crown to base. I felt her tighten her pussy, squeezing my shaft as I probed her depths.

"You like what I do to you," I told her. "And you like showing them what you're getting." I grabbed her hips and probed the length of her slick channel. As I ground against her, feeling my crown caress her womb and my balls brush against her labia, Janetta's sigh turned into a long, low moan. Soon we were matching thrusts and appreciative noises as we worked together. Because I'd already come once, I lasted a long time, bringing her off at least twice before I filled her belly a second time. With the humidity in the closed room, both of us were covered in sweat.

I held myself against her as our breathing returned to normal. Leaning over, I kissed her back, then pulled out. Janetta started to move, but I put out my hand, pressing down.

"What are you doing, Kandikan? Let me up."

"I want to watch it come out," I told her. Sure enough, a few seconds later, semen began dribbling out of her glistening, puffy crevice.

"You are seriously twisted, do you know that? You used your mouth on my pussy and after that you kissed me? And now you want to show them you squirted your seed inside me? I should stop seeing you, but I can't help myself." Janetta arched her back, and I could see her clenching her butt and groin muscles. "Is it dripping on the chair? It's leather, you know."

"It is. Does it matter?"

"No. Captain Klockshiutl is an asshole, and it's his chair. Can I get up now?"

I let her up after I patted her butt cheek.

"It's a good thing for you that you have such nice equipment, Kandikan. You are such a pain in the ass."

"Naturally, it has nothing at all to do with the fact that I make you feel good, and that I want to be with you."

When she stood up, I pulled her into my arms and kissed her long and slow. After a few seconds, she melted against me, sighing. When I released her, her eyes gentled. "You're a pervert and a twisted, sick man, you know that? Now get your ass out of here so I can get some work done."

Drawing fresh rags from a shelf, we wiped ourselves down and dressed. The office smelled of sex, and I expected that Janetta would leave the door open to air it out. The smell of sex outside the office caused Janetta to shake her head. There was no doubt but her team had appreciated our show for them. Rather than be embarrassed, Janetta saw this as taking care of her enlisted crew, as much as her returning with them to their barracks at night. Being an officer, albeit a very junior one, Janetta gave her enlisted crew protection they wouldn't otherwise have. I found her loyalty to her people a very admirable quality.

It was past midnight and I'd been up more than twenty hours, and I had another double-shift starting in the morning. Nonetheless, I felt great. I put on my garrison cap and grinned like a fool. I even whistled as I headed out.

Janetta rolled her eyes, but she also smiled as she watched me leave.

The next weekend, I spent over an hour with my face between Janetta's legs, bringing her to at least three separate orgasms, shaking and moaning each time. Finally, she begged me to please just enter her and fill her aching emptiness. Once I was inside her buttery center, I didn't last long. Both of us had classes that were winding up, and the long shifts on the weekends left us both tired. In spite of it, I'd like to believe that we both needed the release. I stayed inside her after filling her center, touching my head to her chest, enjoying the intimacy while our breathing returned to normal. After we dressed and I held her in my arms, Janetta complained that I gave her rubbery legs, but didn't try hard to hide the twinkle in her eyes. And, she seemed to enjoy me holding her. I left shortly after.

When I arrived the following weekend, Janetta took the initiative, and repeating our first encounter together, she pushed me into the rolling chair and rode my cock. This time, however, the lights were on and there was a lot more room. Another improvement was that she let me squeeze her breasts and when she shook with pleasure, she leaned her forehead against mine and she groaned out my name.

Then with an arrogant smile, she tried to get up! Lifting her up, I laid her roughly onto the desk and humped back into her slick pussy. I paused long enough to put her legs onto my shoulders and then pounded into her gushing center, driving in and out as hard as I could muster. When my cock swelled and spat hot come deep into her pussy, I gripped her shoulders and ground into her. Janetta clung to my arms and laughed between moans, enjoying the results of her tease.

Then classes and schedules changed. Janetta and her crew were still working weekends in the hangar, learning about the more common aircraft in service from the ground crew's perspective. By working with her team, Janetta was matching her flying experience to the strengths and weaknesses of the various craft she trained on.

For me, however, it was an unmitigated disaster. While I was doing well in the classes themselves, there were several personnel changes in Security, and my weekend duty suddenly become my after-class duty for the next month. Instead of double shifts on the weekends, I had them during the work week. Normally, I would expect to share that duty with another sublieutenant, so that I'd have more time to study, but there wasn't anyone else. Several students had washed out, and a brush with the Atlanteans on the Inland Sea put the base on high alert for a couple of weeks.

Senior Sergeant Itznacoco couldn't decide if he was happy about the inconvenience it caused me, or if he should be pissed about the inconvenience it caused him. After the second day, I think he decided to be both. While he snapped at underlings and treated me with the barest possible respect, there was an unholy glint in his eyes as he spread misery unto those around him.

For me, I went straight from a weekend of double shifts, then to a full day of classes. At the end of my classes, I had but a two-hour window of free time and then a full evening shift of work ahead of me. That first night, I stumbled to my quarters and barely got my boots off before I passed out on top of my bunk. I napped when I could, struggling to stay awake. On the third day, Itznacoco gave me a glass of cahault, a local stim drink. A mix of the coffee and cacao beans, I soon became addicted. It helped me make it to the weekend.

Because of the sudden shortage of security officers and the heightened alert, even during classes and the weekend, I was on call. The Security patch on my shoulder and my sidearm were new fixtures to my uniform.

When the weekend finally arrived, I slept through the lunch hour. I went to the cafeteria and grazed through the afternoon as I cracked my books. After dinner, I went back to my quarters. I was torn between more sleep or more study time. I needed both. Instead, I dropped my books onto my cot and headed over to the hangar to see Janetta.

Spring was fast heading toward summer, and doing so with a vengeance. The humidity of Tikun was thick enough to swim in. It would be daylight for hours yet. I missed the mountains of the southern continent where my parents lived, with the cooler summer air and nights so black the starlight gleamed pristine down from the heavens.

When I entered the hangar, the first thing I noticed was the absence of music. While they worked, Janetta allowed her team to listen to music for background noise. The second thing was that the hangar doors were closed.

Slowing down, I heard a man's harsh laughter. I peeked around the corner and saw Janetta's young corporal on her hands and knees, her trousers bunched about her ankles. Humping her hard from behind and yanking on her braid was a captain. I'd never seen him before. Her ass was purple from the welts he delivered from his hand. Her cries were from pain, not pleasure.

Nearby, Second Sergeant Zinja lay sprawled on the cement floor.

I worried about Janetta and the other sergeant. I checked my pistol to make sure the safety was still on, then slid a clip into the handle and chambered a round. A quick check of my dagger, making sure its safety flap was secured. The man outranked me by two grades. I didn't want bloodshed, but if it happened, I wanted to be ready. The rules of Security were to first attempt to defuse the situation, and if met with resistance, respond with overwhelming speed and force. The Empire of Chimorro was a warrior culture. When force was needed, what the civilians learned was how to disable. Warriors were taught to kill outright or to maim. Nonetheless, shooting a gun was all kinds of paperwork, and you had to account for every round expended.

I took a breath, then I walked around the corner and into the captain's line of sight.

He spotted me within a few steps. "Who the fuck are you?" he demanded, slowing down, his hand still wrapped in her loose hair, roughly pulling her head upright.

Keeping my face neutral, I walked closer, pointing to the patch on my shoulder. "Security."

Corporal Ixma saw me and began sobbing.

He yanked her head back roughly, and using his other hand, he smacked her hard alongside the head. "Shut up, bitch!" Turning to me, he said defiantly, "She's enlisted. I'm within my rights."

She put a hand to her where he'd hit her, crying freely.

Walking slower, I continued to close the distance. Nodding to the prone sergeant, I reminded him, "You are allowed to fuck them, not to injure them."

He snarled and pulled out of the young woman. "I outrank you. Piss off!"

I pointedly kept my face looking at the corporal until I was within easy reach.

Released, Corporal Ixma curled into a ball and wept. At the moment he turned his attention to her, I hit him in the nose, then grabbed his arm, whipped it around his back, and threw my other arm around his neck. He struggled while I applied pressure, cutting off blood supply to his brain.

After several seconds of resistance, he suddenly collapsed. I pulled out my cuffs and slipped them behind his back. I heard a clatter and looked. A stunner. Blades were common, even on base, but not projectile or energy devices. There were plenty of armory stations, mind you, but only security or senior officers were allowed something more formidable on their person. I slipped it into my pocket. On impulse, I grabbed a nearby rag and stuffed it into his mouth. It was greasy, but I wasn't feeling particularly generous.

Using a nearby electrical cord, I secured his feet as well.

I knew the corporal was alive, so I checked on the prone sergeant. Breathing shallow. No obvious signs of trauma. Probably from the stunner. At least I hoped so.

I didn't like the next part, but I had to do it. I touched the corporal's shoulder. She jerked away, but I didn't have time to be gentle. I grabbed her and pulled her to me.

"Hey! Corporal Ixma! I need you to pay attention. Where's your lieutenant? Where's Janetta Tlacotli?"

She shook her head, trying not to look at me.

I grabbed her face with both my hands. "You are a warrior! Snap out of it! Where is your officer, Corporal? Where is Janetta?"

"In--in--in the office. We-we couldn't .. couldn't ..." She struggled and lost it again.

I could see the beginnings of a shiner on her left eye. Bruises around her neck. "You are alive. Get dressed and check on Sergeant Zinja."

Something clicked for her, and she nodded, wiping her nose and her eyes.

The door to the office was closed. Because the man outside had been armed, I had to assume that whoever was inside with Janetta was also armed.

Scanning around, I spied the camera probe. I unfurled the cable and slid the rubberized end quietly into the keyhole. Moving back to the main unit, I snapped the power switch. The screen flickered, then cleared.

Seated on the rolling chair was a man I'd seen a few times at the officer's club. His trousers were at his ankles, and the short, round sergeant was busy giving him head while he held a combat knife to her throat. From what I saw of the marking on the hilt, the knife looked like Janetta's.

He slapped the sergeant's face. "Slower, and no teeth! You're too fat to fuck but you're good for this. Hurry up, Cherno! I want a turn fucking that long-legged, uppity bitch, too."

"Stun that fat bitch so we don't have to worry about her. We'll sandwich Tlatcotli between us."

Janetta was pressed down over the desk, the bottom half of her coveralls cut away and the remnants in ruins at her feet. I got a full view of his butt clenching and releasing as he fucked into her soaked and swollen cleft.

I caught her impassive glance at the door, before she returned to staring at her sergeant. I could see the steel in Janetta's black eyes in her otherwise wooden face. Every time I had been inside her, I could tell she enjoyed it. This humiliation she endured because of the knife at her sergeant's throat. The difference was night and day.

Quietly, I removed the camera and tossed it aside. Then I drew the stunner, holding it ready as I took a slow breath. As I flung open the door, I fired at the man in the chair. The bolt hit him dead on. He jerked then collapsed, the knife clattering the ground.

At that instant, Janetta stamped on the instep of the man behind her. He started to swear while she whipped around, murderous rage on her face. She grabbed his hair with her left hand and slammed the open palm of her other hand into his nose. The bone pierced his brain, killing him instantly. He jerked for several seconds while his nerveless body dropped to the ground.

The round sergeant struggled to stand up, weaving about. Part of the energy blast must have hit her as well. Janetta moved quickly behind the man in the chair and wrapped her arms around his neck. She gave a quick twist and there was an audible pop as his neck snapped. When she let him go, his body sprawled onto the floor beside his companion.

While the sergeant pushed the dead man onto his back, Janetta came over to me. While her face was calm, there was unmasked fury in her eyes. Then I noticed her split lip, and a bit of dried blood on her chin. "Thanks, Kandikan. You really are a good wingman. Where's that other soulless bastard?"

One hand on the wall to hold herself steady, the sergeant stamped on the dead man's balls. "Too fffat to fffuck, huh? Take--take that, monkey shhhhit!" Until it wore off, the neuro-inhibitor of the stunner affected her ability to speak.

Janetta retrieved her second knife from the wall and cut away her uniform's remnants from her legs. The zipper to her top was ruined and hung loose, exposing her breasts and the tattoos of the eagle and jaguar. There was a cut on her breastbone where they'd sliced away her bra.

I was surprised and puzzled by the sergeant's reaction. "He's secure," I assured Janetta.

"Good." Janetta pushed past me, and I followed her out.

The rescue had suddenly gotten a lot more complicated. The two sublieutenants weren't a problem. Being of equal rank, Janetta had the right to refuse sex from the men in the office, and she had the right to defend herself accordingly, and even extend that protection to her ground team. That was the law according to Imperial Decree. I considered that her being both an Eagle and a Jaguar Warrior could prove beneficial. It would be messy, but with truth drugs, it would be salvageable. There was the nagging doubt, though, as to whether the local brass would accept that, or quietly bury all of us in an unmarked grave. Senior Sergeant Itznacoco was an arrogant son of a bitch, but he was actually giving me a real understanding of both Security and the politics that often bent things sideways. As long as they did their jobs, local commanders had a lot of leeway in how they ran things.

What mattered now, however, was what was going to happen with the third man. He outranked us both. Killing a superior officer was deadly ground to tread.




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 04



Janetta walked over to a tool box and pulled out a thick roll of tape. She went to the captain and rolled him onto his back. Then she straddled his chest. Leaning forward, she slapped him hard on the face. When he didn't respond, she looked at me. "Tell me you didn't stun him."

"Sleep hold," I replied. "What are you planning on doing?"

"You did good in the office, Kandikan. Don't fuck it up by getting squeamish now. Do not interfere!" She leaned forward and slapped the captain three more times. Finally, he moaned and began to come to. As his eyes focused, he looked first at her bare, sodden sex and then up at Janetta's face.

"Captain Zoubat, you are such an arrogant fuck. Look at you now. Wasn't it enough that I had to let you fuck me twice a week? You tapir's prick! I am Eagle and I am Jaguar, and right now, you are my meat! I am a warrior officer! I shouldn't have to fuck anyone unless I want to! But I did what you demanded and that should have been the end of it. But no. You thought you had the right to pimp me out to your toadies."

Zoubat? Holy shit! He was XO for Base Ordnance! Wait. This was one of the men who forced Janetta to fuck?

Janetta leaned closer. "I should cut out your living heart and drink your blood while it still beats in my hand! But who do I dedicate your life to? Huitzilopochtli, Eagle of the North? Or Tezcatlipoca, Jaguar of the South? Every time I had to spread my legs for you was humiliation, you arrogant piece of filth, and you promised my crew would be safe. But today you deliberately came here to hurt those under my protection! That I can not tolerate."

Unrolling a line of tape, she covered his mouth. Zoubat bucked and struggled.

In a warrior society, it is a truth that human life doesn't mean that much. Codes and honor are much more important. Some things were changing, but it was still dangerous to step outside the rules. Janetta was an honorable officer who'd been betrayed by her superior.

"I give you to Xipe Totec." Death by suffocation, a method reserved for slaves and prisoners of war. Janetta unrolled another line of tape and covered his eyes.

Zoubat struggled wildly. The electric cord binding his legs threatened to come loose. The corporal, looking shattered, walked over from the prone sergeant and sat on his bucking legs. Zoubat's nose flared noisily like a winded horse.

I knew that once he died, his body would have to completely disappear. If the authorities ever found out, all five of us would end up on the sacrificial altar. If we were lucky. I had no illusions that my parents' rank or Janetta's mysterious Imperial connections would save us one whit. More than half of the world had abolished human sacrifice, but it was still strongly embedded within the Empire of Chimorro.

So Zoubat was one of the men that used his rank to force Janetta to fuck. If the others were as demanding, then Janetta was very likely forced to have sex every day. Yet still she sought me out.

Janetta placed the third strip over Zoubat's nose. Using her hands, she pressed each of the strips firmly over the captain's face, sealing the tape against his skin. Like a mask, it covered his features and dehumanized him as it deprived him of air.

I moved over and sat down on his belly, right behind Janetta. Very quickly, Zoubat began to choke, struggling harder. Then he seized and lay still.

Without turning around, Janetta said, "Thank you, Ranji."

"Kinchil Chac was another one, wasn't he?" The Assistant Commandant who had disappeared just before Janetta's graduation from the Air Service Academy at Mahongo.

She glanced at me over her shoulder, then nodded. "I owe you that. If Zoubat was arrogant and without honor, Kinchil Chac was a monster. He and his catamite priest Douba tried everything they could to get me to drop out. Tlacotli was Guild, not worthy to be Warrior. My family wasn't wealthy, and that was strike two. But for Chac, worst of all was that I didn't have a cock. That's the mantra, isn't it? A woman is not made to fight. She is made to fuck."

Janetta shivered. "Chac and Douba forced me at the same time. Chac, because he was bigger, delighted in fucking my ass. It took everything I had to work through the pain and keep my grades up until I graduated. They didn't force me too often, mind you, or it would be too obvious. Imperial Security was still keeping tabs on me then."

So she knew that Imperial Security was interested in her.

Janetta continued. "Chac and Douba made sure it hurt to shit all during my last year at the academy. But Chac showed me something that forced my compliance. He had my parents' wedding picture, still in its original frame! Chac or one of his cronies went into my mother's house and stole it. If I resisted, would they do to my mother what they did to me? A warrior's widow with no man to protect her? Chac and Douba are two bodies that will never be found. And my mother got her picture back."

Janetta and I stood up. "There's a lot of work to be done, Ranji. And the bodies are only part of it." She helped the Corporal to her feet and drew her into her arms, kissing the younger woman on her forehead.

The sergeant came out of the office, still a bit wobbly.

Janetta called to her. "You okay, Cholan?"

"Do--do you think I'm too fat to fuck?"

Janetta grinned. "Cholan, if I had a cock, I'd screw you until you squealed. Every week. A regular event, rain or shine."

The sergeant brightened. "Really, Lieutenant? You would ... do that for me?"

"Really."

Sergeant Cholan looked at me, then back to Janetta. "Why? When I look like this?" She waved at her body. Cholan's face was pudgy and she had a lot of extra weight, but I'd seen her smile, and she could look cute. Yes, she had almost no waist, but she had huge breasts for her shorter stature.

Even as she talked, Janetta continued to hold the young corporal, rubbing her back like a mother would to calm a child. "Because I know you and even though you aren't supposed to know it, I like you. I've seen you dance a little, and you can wiggle those hips just fine. For me, best of all is that you know your way on a circuit board like nobody's business. That, Cholan, makes you sexy."

"Why do you care what he said?" I asked Cholan. "He was making you do something you didn't want to do. What he said doesn't matter."

Cholan looked away. Janetta scowled at me. "Don't you get it, Kandikan? From the time we can understand the world around us, we are told our main purpose in life is fucking for men. Even if we don't like it, we are told to take it or get hurt. The higher our caste, the more protection we have. But even there, we depend on the good will of men around us. All of us here have taken oaths to defend our country from outside aggression, and if needed, to give our lives in that defense. But if someone higher in rank wants it, we have to spread our legs so some asshole can get his nuts off. We are trained warriors, but when it comes to sex, we might as well be Servant Class."

Suddenly I understood. "He effectively told her she was worthless."

"There's hope for you yet, Kandikan. Zinja knows engines and Cholan knows electronics, and they aren't just good at their jobs, Kandikan. They are amazing. I am allowed to have my own service crew. I will take all three with me when I post to my next station. I'm a fighter pilot and my craft needs to perform as expected in the air. My life is in their hands. And it's not that we object to sex. With the right lover, it feels good. I don't expect it to happen in our lifetime, but we are warriors and we should have the right to say no. And just maybe all free women should have that right, too."

That was a radical concept. But I'd heard rumors of such attitudes making the rounds not only here in Empire, but among the Aesir-Vedans, too. Even some upper class Atlanteans had been talking about it openly, and there had been some protest marches on the vids.

I noticed that she didn't mention what talents Corporal Ixma had, but let it pass.

Most men cared for the women in their lives. But a few men were exceptions. Such exceptions delighted in control, humiliation, and giving pain.

These women were trained to fight, and today, one had been pushed too far. I also noticed that her crew didn't question the turn of events, even though its discovery would cost them their lives.

The unconscious form of Second Sergeant Zinja stirred. Corporal Ixma broke from Janetta's arms, looking anxiously to the older woman, then back to Janetta.

Janetta nodded.

The young corporal rushed to help Zinja up, crying anew. I heard her say, "Mama." Suddenly Ixma's role in this team was clear.

There was nothing against mother and daughter both serving or even serving together. Ixma was the baby the other three women took care of. Yet I couldn't help thinking that the cub would have to grow a lot faster or she might not survive being a warrior.

"Cholan," Janetta said, walking toward me. "Get a forklift and a pallet with four big drums. All empty, marked for holding waste oil. Kandikan," she said, slipping her arms around me. "Will you help with some clean up?"

Avoiding the damaged side of her lips, I kissed her as thoroughly as I could. I also squeezed her bare butt cheeks in answer.

We laid out a tarp and brought Zoubat's body over. When people die, their bodies release their bladders and feces. There was already a puddle under Zoubat. When we retrieved the other two, it was the same. I mopped while Janetta straightened out the office. She also returned her knives to her boot sheaths. When Janetta was satisfied, she went to her locker and retrieved another class B coverall, bra, and panties. I followed her, staying close.

"Ranji," she said quietly.

"Yes?" From the first aid kit hanging on the wall, I pulled out a nu-skin patch for the cut on her breastbone and removed it from the wrapper.

"I want you to do something for me." Janetta slid on the fresh panties and quickly slid the bra into position.

Before she hooked the bra into place, I stopped her, and applied the patch to the valley between her beautiful globes. When she raised her eyebrows, I said, "It'll chaff under the elastic. Might even get infected."

"Next you'll want to kiss it to make it better." She hooked the bra and adjusted the fit. Then she shook out the coveralls and stepped into them.

"What do you need me to do, Janetta?"

She looked up at me as she zipped the legs closed and stuffed them into her boots. Then she zipped up the front. "When Cholan gets back, I want you to do her."

"What?"

"And would you please do that thing with your tongue on her, too? Make her feel good, Ranji. Not some quick fuck. Make her glad she's a woman." Pulling out a brush and holding her jaguar clasp in her mouth, she combed out her hair, quickly did a loose braid, tied off the end and re-seated her jaguar hair clasp behind her neck.

"Are you serious?"

Janetta turned to me. "As much as I want you, Ranji, you can't have me today. I hurt too much inside. I can fantasize about you filling me up, and all your strong, virile sperm killing all of that bastard's bad seed inside me. Well, you told me you want to come with me to my posting after Tikun. If you still want to be with me, I tell you right now that I agree to your request. You've shown yourself worthy. Today binds us now as deep as any marriage ceremony. And it binds all of us, my team included."

"Of course I want to be with you, Janetta. But I'd like to think I'd do what I did even if we weren't lovers."

"I think you would, too." She looked both happy and sad. "But I meant what I said. Spend some time with Cholan. She needs it."

I reached over and gently touched her swollen lip. She pulled away and I raised my eyebrows.

"Zoubat's work. They were here a while--" She acted as if she was ashamed.

"Shh, shh, shhh. There's no need. What matters is that you are all right now."

"No! I need to tell you. And that's what is so annoying! We don't talk about when you are coming to see me next, but I find myself anticipating your return and wanting it. I hardly know anything about you except that I want you inside me and that fact pisses me off. You make me feel vulnerable and I don't like it. Yet I don't think I can give up how you make my body feel. You are a shitload of complication in my life, Ranji. A solid shitload. But today I'm glad of it."

As a backhanded compliment, it was a doozy, but I smiled anyway.

"Zoubat made me bend over in front of them all, and he entered me hard. Cherno Tixil and Hensha Zlatl laughed and commented on what he did to me. When Zoubat finished, I thought that was the end of it. He used my own knife to cut my coveralls. I thought he was going to fuck me again. But when he said he was going to fuck Ixma next, Zinja picked up a wrench and yelled and the next moment she was on the ground from his stunner. Then he ordered me and Cholan into the office. Well, you know the rest." She looked away. "I--I don't know how I feel about you, Ranji. You're like a Markham Osprey, full of power and touchy as a wet cat."

The Osprey was a naval aviation VTOL import from the Seven Nations on the Northern Continent. I wondered how she'd managed to fly one, but didn't doubt that she had. But I had to wonder why she thought me touchy.

"We really don't know each other, but I want to find out more," she continued quietly. "You make me feel good, Ranji, and I get wet when I see you. We can't get married and I will always be at the mercy of those higher in rank, so there's no use even trying to be exclusive. But I want to know what it would be like sleeping next to you. Having you when I want you."

I smiled. "That's got to be worth something then." I shook my head. "I wished I'd skipped dinner and come here first."

"Don't. No second guesses. We'd probably be dead instead of them. Even if we took one or all of them with us. You did just fine, Ranji. You disabled two so I could finish them. We're a bit battered, but still fit. I'll take that kind of sortie any day." She took a small bottle from the top shelf of her locker and sprayed it on her neck and chest. Orange Mist, it read. That's why she always smelled of oranges!

"You really mean it about Cholan? You want me to be with another woman?"

"Not exclusive, remember? But yes, I'm asking." Janetta put back the perfume and closed her locker. "He hurt her feelings badly." She moved close, letting her hand rub against my crotch. My cock responded to her touch. I groaned.

She pursed her lips, mischief in her eyes. "I suppose I could let my hands give you a weapon's test, but I know your firepower. Large caliber. Armor piercing. Quality stuff, Ranji. Cholan is a kind woman who doubts herself and her worth. I need her skills, and she belongs to me. While she is mine, I will protect and take care of her. You don't mind if I lend you out in a good cause, do you?"

"As long as I get you, Janetta. As long as I get you." I pulled her back into my arms and kissed her face, all around her split lip. I looked into her big black eyes, and I saw affection in them. For a long time, we just held each other.

When Cholan returned with the forklift, we put the bodies into the empty drums and partially filled them with waste oil from the drum in the hangar. Zinja threw in some chemicals, and the drums were resealed.

As it was getting toward dark, Janetta had me ride with Cholan to dispose of the drums. While we rode to the storage depot, the others busied themselves with servicing the aircraft in the bay. Opening the doors eased the heat that had been building inside the hangar.

It was a short ride to the depot, and we rode together in silence. Cholan was probably thinking about all that had happened. My mind was on what was ahead. Once at the depot, we logged in the barrels and left. Then we dropped off the forklift and walked back to the hangar.

When we arrived, Janetta called Sergeant Cholan over. She spoke quietly to her. I joined them.

Cholan looked at Janetta, hope and hunger in her face. "You mean it, Lieutenant? You aren't just blowing chaff at me?"

"Sergeant, I wouldn't lie to you about something like this. My word on it. It may be the only time I let him do you, so make the most of it."

Sergeant Cholan riveted her eyes on me, then she suddenly blushed. Nervous, she wrung her hands as she lowered her head.

Janetta waited several moments and neither of us moved. She flashed me a look of irritation, but when she turned to her sergeant, her face gentled. "Cholan," she said quietly. "I know you're nervous. Kandikan came here to see me. He hasn't been with a woman since last week. I'm too sore to be with him today. So, you'd actually be doing me a real favor by taking care of him. Can I count on you?"

She nodded, slowly at first, then with more vigor. "Sure, Lieutenant. I--I'll do my best." With that, she did an about-face, and strode to the office.

Janetta glared at me. "Be nice to her, Kandikan. Take your time and make her feel good, and you get to come with me to my posting. That's the deal."

I scowled. "Listen, Janetta. You already made your offer. You don't need to beat me over the head with it. I'll do it because you want your friend to feel good about herself. I admire the fact that you care about your people. I will also do it because you asked me to. I want you and I want to be with you. I'll go show Sergeant Cholan a good time, but not because it is part of some deal between us. You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, Janetta. That's not flack. It's how I honestly feel. You have a hard time receiving compliments or just letting me be nice to you and I think that's because you haven't had a lot of either in your life. Cholan isn't the only woman here who doesn't think she's worthy. Understand that I am here because I want to be with you and we'll get along a lot better."

Janetta stared in surprise. I reached down and kissed her gently, mindful of her busted lip, and walked to the office.

Once inside, I closed the door.

Cholan looked at me, a riot of emotions on her face, nervous and breathing fast. If she wasn't careful, she'd hyper-ventilate and pass out.

I wasn't attracted to her, but she was important to Janetta. Then it occurred to me that if lust couldn't inspire me, then simple kindness could. To help with that, I needed to calm Cholan down, make her feel at ease, and get to know a little bit about her. Oddly, I remembered my personal servant, Calia, and how patient she was when teaching me.

"What-what do you want me to do?" she asked.

"Relax, Cholan." I smiled at her. "I know your Lieutenant asked you to take care of me, but you don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"Oh, it's okay, Lieutenant ... I--I don't mind if you don't. Should--should I take off my trousers?"

I shook my head. "Not just yet. Just hop on the desk and we'll talk a bit. See where things go. Hmm?"

She did, and promptly put her hands in front, wringing them together.

I reached over and gently brushed some of her stray brown locks from her face. "Where are you from, Cholan? What's your House and how did you get into the Air Service?"

"I'm from Dyn Choga. If I do the full twenty in the military, I'll have a pension, so that when I get out and get married, there'd be more money to live on." On familiar ground, she relaxed a bit.

I took one of her hands, turned it over slowly and kissed the underside of her wrist. "That's in the Inland Sea, isn't it? East of here, across the Devil's Bay?"

She gasped when my lips brushed her skin. "Ye--yes. The big island of Pangosta. My parents came here when I was a small child. They're techs, Guild class. My House is Yakalme. Both of my parents are civil engineers."

"Hunh. My father is a material's research scientist. His background is engineering. So we have something in common." I kissed her fingers.




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 04



Dark eyes wide, she watched as I leaned in. A gentle caress of her cheek. Her eyes closed as she sighed. A ragged breath and she began to tremble. A light kiss to her lips, tracing her jaw line, then a lick and breath to her ear.

Cholan moaned.

I unbuttoned her shirt slowly. "Are you afraid?"

She shook her head, then licked her lips.

I pulled her shirt from her trousers. "Are you nervous?"

Looking away, she nodded. "I'm so fat," she murmured.

I gently kissed her mouth again. "Janetta's right. You're cute when you smile."

Cholan glanced at me, disbelieving and hopeful at the same time. "Really?"

Taking her bra in my hands, I unhooked the front clasps and pulled the cups from her massive breasts. "Cholan, these are really impressive," I exclaimed, placing my hand next her nipple. "Your aureoles are almost as big as my palm."

"You-you like them?"

In answer, I hefted one, squeezing her ample, soft mammary while I tried to inhale the other into my mouth. Using my teeth, I grazed her robust nipple, rolling it with my tongue. My hand pinched her other nipple, feeling it tighten as I played with it.

"Ohhh. Mmmm. Ohh, that's so nice."

She moaned deeper as I nursed her breast more vigorously, her hands coming around my head. From breast to breast I moved, lavishing attention as I went. Cholan's breathing deepened as my mouth sucked and licked. Her hands caressed my hair. "Ahhh--hah. Soooo good. Mmmmmm, yesss."

Cholan rocked a little. When I lifted up, she was surprised. I took one hand and undid first one cuff and then the other. I looked into her face as I helped her take off her shirt and bra.

"We--we watched you .. and the Lieutenant. It was .. so hot. I can't believe I'm here, with you."

I moved up close to her and drew her into my arms. Cholan sighed, lifted her chin and melted against me. When my mouth found hers, she whimpered, her mouth moving slowly against mine. For several minutes we just kissed. Once, then twice I held her face in my hands, kissing all over, nibbling one ear and then other, then back to kissing.

When I broke away, Cholan looked at me, eyes heavy with lust. "I'm so wet," she breathed.

Moving back a bit, I lifted her leg and methodically unlaced her work boot, pulled it off, and removed her sock. Then I did the other foot. When I reached for her belt, she eagerly leaned back. I unbuttoned her front, and as she lifted her hips, tugged down her trousers and underwear at the same time. I set them onto the desk beside her.

Breathing heavily, she chewed her lower lip.

"Lay back," I told her. "I think you will enjoy this." Pushing apart her meaty legs, I revealed her glistening slit.

Keeping her legs apart, I used my foot to pull up the chair and sat down. My lips kissed upwards, toward her center. Cholan groaned, beginning to tremble. As my tongue reached her fat nether lips, she arched her back.

"You're actually .. doing it. Oh, my. Licking my pussy! Ahhhh! Oh, sweet gods that ... oh, my that ... uuhhhhh."

Into her crevice I probed, exploring her outer labia. Pressing deeper, I caressed her inner lips with my tongue, and Cholan bucked, shaking and gasping. Fluid gushed from her pussy and her hands grabbed my head.

"Oh, oh, ohhhhh. By the Jade Goddess! Ahhhh, so, so .... hahhhh, sweet gods!"

Licking up what she gave forth, Cholan moaned as I drank from her frothy fountain. Letting her calm down a bit, I kissed around her swollen sex. Then I lathed her slit again, sucking up all that dribbled out of her pulsating pussy. Pressing into her puffy lips, I explored more of her outer tunnel. Cholan huffed as she rocked her hips. In no time, she began heaving, trying to press herself harder against my mouth. Then she froze, shivering and grunting. And again I lapped up what gushed forth from her leaking center. This time, though, Cholan fell back and she began to cry.

Surprised, I lifted my head up and leaned over her. "Cholan? Are you okay?"

She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "That--that--that was the best .. best orgasm ever. I didn't know ... it could feel that good."

"Do you want to stop?"

She sat up, horror on her face. "Aren't you going to fuck me? Oh, please don't tease me like that! I couldn't bear it if you stopped now."

I grinned. "Are you ready?"

She grabbed her legs and held them as wide apart as she could, exposing her swollen, dripping cleft. "Oh, Lieutenant! I want to feel you inside me. Please, take me!"

I quickly undid my shirt and pulled it off. Mindfully, I secured my pistol into its holster. Dropping it into a drawer, I then pushed down my trousers. Grabbing Cholan by the hips, I pulled her closer to the edge of the desk. Lining up my cock, I slid into her wet heat. Surprisingly, she was very tight. As soon as my crown disappeared inside her, spreading her lips, Cholan inhaled, long and deep. The nervous tension was gone, replaced by the eagerness of sexual sensation. Pressing further, I slid deeper into her sheath. I wasn't all the way in, and I could feel the nodule of her cervix brushing under the head of my cock.

"Do you feel me inside your pussy, Cholan?" Grabbing her shoulders, I shoved harder into her center. She grunted, feeling the weight of my hips on her crotch and my shaft probing her sex.

"Oh, gods! You're gonna split me apart! Aaaaa-ohhhhhhhh, hmmm, hhhnnnn, hah, hah, oh, shit!"

I gave her a long, full stroke, as deep as she could take me. She shivered as she rolled her hips against me, trying to take me deeper.

And by the second stroke, she came again. Her legs snapped around me and she bucked, riding my cock while she whimpered and gasped.

As her pussy throbbed around my shaft, I thrust hard and fast into her cavity, spearing into her center, pushing against her womb. "Fuck for me, Cholan, fuck for me! Take my cock! All the way!" In and out I pounded into her sloppy slit, my balls slapping against her ass. "You like this? You like it? Huh?"

Hips rocking, she looked at me, hunger in her eyes. "Yes, yes, yes! Don't stop! Please, don't stop!"

"What do you want, Cholan?" I ground my cock against her crotch, then pounded into her again. I could feel the faint tightening of my balls. I could make it last or with a little effort, cream her depths. "Tell me what you want! You want me to come inside you?"

"Yes! Give it to me," she begged. "Fill me up! Fuck me. Fuck me! Fuck meeee!"

My hips pistoned harder and faster. The tingle grew and my cock swelled. Gripping her hard, I ground my cock into her middle as I sprayed her womb with hot, sticky sperm.

"Oh, gods above, I feel it! I feel it!" She arched her back, and shook, tears spilling again. Her arms and legs held me tight. "I feel you ... feel you coming! Inside me! Oh, ahh, gods, it's so good!"

I pressed against her as my ejaculations faded. Loosening my grip on her shoulders, I grinned at her, my face mere inches from hers. "You fuck just fine, Cholan. Anybody says you can't fuck, you tell them that you know better. You hear me?"

Wiping her eyes, she just nodded, grinning as tears escaped. She shivered again. As I lifted off her, she sat up. Her hands were busy along my back as she kissed and rubbed her face along my chest and belly. When I pulled out, sperm gushed out.

"I can't see it, but I can feel it running out," she said quietly. "I--I'm happy about it, too. Happy that I pleased you enough to make you come."

Cholan saw my drooping cock and hopped off the desk. "Here," she said, getting down onto the floor and dropping to her knees. "Let me clean that for you."

And like that, she inhaled me into her mouth. Sucking and licking, she soon had me clean. But she didn't stop. Cholan explored my sack and balls, then licked up the shaft and then swallowed me again. She used her tongue to flick the sensitive end, and to brush against the ridge under the crown. As my shaft hardened again, she whimpered and sighed, using one hand to hold my butt while the other cradled my balls. When she released my cock, it was fully erect again.

Cholan looked up at me, waiting. Hope flickered in her eyes, teased her lips into a smile.

"Well, now, see what you did? Now you are going to have to fuck for me again, Cholan. Get on your hands and knees. I want your ass in the air."

Delighted, she quickly hunkered down, moving her legs a bit apart, pointing her pussy at me. "You aren't going to--"

Smack! "Ahhh!"

I gave her a smack to her other butt cheek. "Arch your back more." I lined up behind her and thrust back into her wet, dripping slit. "I'm going to ride your pussy hard."

Cholan whimpered, "Oh, yes. Ohhhhhh ... so deep ... so good. Awwww haaaahhhhh."

Moving over her and holding her waist, I started pounding into her depths. Her feet lifted off the floor as I speared into her gaping, slick center.

"Ohhhhh, gawwds! You're .. you're .. hitting bottom!"

I lasted a lot longer the second time. She soon found the rhythm, and met my thrusting by pushing back against me. Every so often I'd smack her big butt and she'd moan and press harder, meeting my thrusts. When I finally sprayed into her sodden cavity, she groaned, arching her back. "Yes! Oh, yes. Give it to me."

And when I pulled out, her legs gave way and she slumped onto the floor, breathing heavily. Glancing between her legs, I saw the pool of sperm spilling out of her gaping pussy lips.

In the humid, summer night, both of us were covered by a sheen of sweat.

"The tile feels good," she murmured. "Nice and cold. Can I just lie here for a day or two?"

"Wish I could let you," I said, pulling up my underwear and trousers. "But I think your Lieutenant has plans for you."

With a sigh, she lifted up to all fours. I reached down and offered my hand. Cholan took it, and I helped her to stand. Leaning down, I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her gently. "Thank you."

She stared, her mouth open. "You actually thanked me?"

I smiled as I retrieved my pistol and secured it back onto my belt. "Of course I did. I had a good time, too."

Grabbing a rag, she wiped down her crotch and thighs. When she was done, she slipped on her underwear and then stepped into her trousers. "Thank you, Lieutenant. You're the best I've ever had. Bar none." Cholan scrunched up her face. "By the Jade Goddess, my pussy feels like you are still pumping inside me. I'm going to be sore tomorrow, and that's a fact." Gently, she rubbed the outside of her crotch. "Maybe two or three days. Do you have a brother?"

"Only child," I replied.

"Figures. Sometimes the gods are really cruel," she sighed. "If my Lieutenant lets me, would you consider fucking me again?"

"Enthusiasm, like intelligence, is sexy, Cholan. Janetta says you are very intelligent, and you definitely have enthusiasm. And she trusts you. Yes, I'd do you again."

Cholan shook her head. "If you weren't the Lieutenant's man, I'd fall on my hands and knees and beg you to make me yours. I'd suck your cock every night. I'd even quit the service and give you a hundred babies--"

I raised my eyebrows.

"Well, maybe not a hundred. But I'd spend my life trying. And with modern medicine, I can have babies into my fifties, so I could manage to pop out twenty or maybe even thirty. If I had me a man as considerate as you, I'd spend my life taking care of you and be a truly happy woman."

She wagged her finger in the air. "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad you're the Lieutenant's man. She needs you more than she admits or even knows. All of us see it. You make her happy."

Cholan grew more serious. "She's a good officer, Lieutenant. Real good. She takes proper care of us. Yells when we need it and fights to keep us safe. Zinja is still a looker, and sometimes the officers would get her alone and work her over. Ixma was dressing as ugly as she could. Took to peeing her pants every day so the smell would keep the men away. It stopped when the Lieutenant took us in. At least, until today. And the Lieutenant, she made it right. I'm not much of a fighter, and only a fair shot with a pistol. But if someone bad-mouthed my Lieutenant, I'd part their hair with my wrench, sure as the sun rises every morning."

Such loyalty, I thought. Willing to kill a superior officer and face probable death by torture without batting an eye.

Cholan continued. "I'll do everything I can to help her stay happy and safe. That means I'll take what crumbs she tosses my way and be glad of it. I think you are a good officer, too, Lieutenant. And an amazing man. You made me feel ... made me feel ..."

"Like a woman?" I offered, pleased with myself.

"No," she replied. "Better. Like a human being. Like I count for something." Her eyes misted as she nodded. "That's it, right there. A human being. No man's ever done to me that before."

I was completely floored by her compliment. It took several seconds to recover.

We finished dressing, Cholan for her part, bubbling with happiness the whole time. I offered to help clean up the desk and mess on the floor, but she wouldn't hear of it. She hummed as she quickly worked. When she was finished, I opened the door, and gave a slight bow, waiting for her to exit. Cholan blushed at the courtesy. Standing straighter, she exited with a swagger and I followed her out.

The others stopped their work to watch, and Janetta hopped out of the cockpit. Taking a rag from her back pocket, she wiped her hands as we approached.

"Well? Was he nice to you, Cholan?" Janetta glanced at her watch, though I could see the twinkle in her eyes. "Holy shit, Sergeant, you were in there going on two whole hours! I should dock you a day's--"

Cholan dropped to her knees, then to the ground, grasping Janetta's feet, kissing them. "I love you, Lieutenant, I swear it, honest to all the gods in heaven! That was the best gift I ever got from anyone. Ever. I love you, I love you, I love you! I will follow you any where you want, even if it's cannons blazing straight into Bamandia itself." Bamandia was the main military base for the Atlanteans, just outside their capital city of Mu.

Janetta raised her eyebrows as her eyes fixed upon me, her amused razzing sidelined by Cholan's heartfelt declaration. "Okay, Sergeant, my feet have been kissed enough. Get yourself together and start earning your pay."

Zinja cleared her throat. "Lieutenant? Uh, do you think maybe later on I could--"

"Kandikan!" Janetta suddenly bellowed. "Get your ass out of here, right now! And I don't want to see you back here for days, do you read me?" Whirling around, she glared at her ground team. "If you have any itches, scratch them on your own time. It's nearly midnight and I want this plane fully serviced before dawn. When Captain Klockshiutl comes on duty in the morning, I want this plane to pass inspection, one hundred percent! You read me? All hands on deck, now!"

I folded my arms, waiting. I wasn't worried. I'd seen no fire in her eyes.

Janetta snapped her head around, growling. "I meant what I said, Kandikan. Get your ass out of here!"

"Reading all patrol craft inbound, safe and sound. Welcome back. You're cleared for home, runway three-zero." Her eyes softened. More quietly, I added, "If anything happens and you need to get a hold of me, my phone code is chi-gen-one-one-four-one."

I moved to pull her into my arms, but she put out both her hands. "Can't I kiss you goodbye?"

"Are you crazy? Your face smell's like Cholan's pussy!" she snarled.

I laughed. "Next time, it'll be yours."

"Your face had better see a lot of soap and water before I see you again!" Still, Janetta turned away to hide the grin that escaped. "Now get out of here! We've got work to do!"

Striding out of the hangar, I was exhausted, but felt okay. Even with the violence earlier in the evening, I would have to be okay. A warrior in a warrior culture had to be prepared to do what was needed and not look back. Hesitation could be fatal. If I was questioned, I'd have to pass scrutiny or I was dead and so were those four women. In that respect, Janetta was right. We were all bound now.

Back in my quarters, I took a quick shower and collapsed onto my bunk, thinking about what I was going to do to Janetta the next time I saw her. I managed an image of her bare tattooed breast and taut puckered nipple disappearing into my mouth before everything went blurry.

* * * * *

For the next two months I visited Janetta once a week, and we spent our time in her hangar, fucking in the office. Afterward, I'd chat with all of them while they worked or made a food run for them. Then Janetta and I would go for a second round. Janetta chose not to share me for the duration of our time at Tikun War base.

In the meantime, the search for Zoubat and the two junior officers went on for several weeks. I was questioned, of course, as was Janetta and her team. Dozens of people were questioned. Nothing aroused suspicion, so we weren't put under truth drugs. No sign of them was found, for which I was profoundly grateful. After a while, the search died down.

During the last week, Janetta and I were too busy to see each other, even for a quick round of sex. We were both finishing final exams and finding out about our next duty stations. The closest I got to seeing Janetta and her team was watching their JEBos Condor transport take off eastward for Point Reception and High Guard War base. Janetta was assigned to the 233rd Interceptor Group.

I received my own orders the morning after Janetta shipped out. I was going into Operations like I wanted, at High Guard War base. I let out a whoop and grinned like an idiot all day.

For my final four days there, I worked single shifts with Security. I was scheduled to work right till the end of shift, grab my gear and catch the transport. I think Senior Sergeant Itznacoco had something to do with it. Normally, after graduation, one got a little free time prior to re-assignment. Knowing I was going to High Guard War base and to be with Janetta, I didn't care about the extra duty. I did my shifts and counted down the hours until I left.

Finally, it was my last day at Tikun. I took both of my duffles to a locker at the hangar where the transport was being serviced. I had a nice steak for lunch and two glasses of cahault, the chocolate and coffee drink. Not sure if I could get it at High Guard, I had two tins in my gear.

At the moment, I was nursing more cahault. As Officer of the Day, I was in the tiny office assigned to the OD, and reviewing security reports. In a few hours, I'd turn in my pistol, shoulder patch, pass, and keys, and be on a transport to Point Reception and High Guard.

Senior Sergeant Itnacoco entered the office, closed the door, and sat down in the single free chair. I looked up. "Hello, Sergeant. Come to say goodbye?"

The grizzled older man, with the salt and pepper, close-cropped hair stared at me for a moment. "You know, you are still a sorry-assed Lieutenant. Not so green anymore, but still sorry-assed."

I raised my eyebrows. By rights, he should have asked before seating himself, but I'd learned a lot from him over the past five months. It was based on his recommendations that I had placed so well in my Security ratings. Technically, I was on the hook, but we both knew he was much better at Security than I was. And, his grudging compliment meant something.

Then he surprised me. He locked the door, then disconnected the network cable from my computer. Taking the keyboard, he punched in some commands, then fished out a data disk. Held it up so I'd see it. Plugged it into a free port. The system automatically scanned it, then the sergeant opened a file.

Don't speak, he typed. Just look and learn.

The file filled the screen, showing a midnight-blue, 2-D map of the base. I noticed the date, and my belly went cold. I wondered if this was it. Had Itznacoco waited until the last day to arrest me?




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 05



I originally set this story to be six chapters, but it's not working out that way. I know how it ends, but the journey getting there is taking different routes than envisioned. I'll write until the story is told and not make any further arbitrary predictions as to length.

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I should have been sleeping. It was a three hour flight to High Guard War base.

Trouble was I couldn't relax. Part of it was anticipation, of course. I hadn't seen Janetta in four, going on five days and it seemed a lifetime. Even more, it was almost two weeks since I'd been inside her wet, writhing heat. However, it wasn't just excitement about holding my dark sultry warrior in my arms again that kept me awake.

I kept re-playing Senior Sergeant Itznacoco's revelation in my head. It was by his actions that we were all still alive. I hoped his stated reason was a true one and that the incident was buried with that bastard Zoubat and his two toadies. He could have said nothing at all and I would have been happily ignorant of just how close we'd been to being caught. The warning he gave, that all officers were chipped and monitored while on base was valuable, and no doubt something a mere sublieutenant like myself should not be privy to. And the knowledge that enlisted were not chipped was a puzzler. Was it truth? The Empire was strongly bound by caste, and enlisted were drawn from the lower classes. Was it arrogance on Command's part to dismiss them so? Or was it simply that whoever designed such a tracking system would include some means of keeping tabs on enlisted as well? Rank made no difference on ability to kill or commit crimes or acts of treason. Itznacoco himself had opened my eyes to look for layers within layers. Perhaps he'd just masked the enlisted on the data display he'd shown me?

I had a feeling that I now had a blood debt and that one day the Senior Sergeant would come collecting.

The plane turned and banked. It was past our second hour of flight and an hour before midnight. Below us were the Eastern Islands of the Inland Sea. Like the Seven Nations on the east coast of the Northern Continent, the Eastern Islands were a buffer state between the Empire of Chomorro and Atlantis. Flying direct, we could easily have arrived at High Guard in under two hours. It was only eleven hundred rads by direct flight. But by treaty, military craft flew in narrow corridors that added over an hour of flight time in a show of respect for foreign air space. High Guard War base was technically within the Seven Nations, but the War base itself was Imperial territory. Had been for over two hundred years. As large as a small city, it was defended by six interceptor groups, two ground-attack air groups, search and rescue units, and an adjacent naval base as well as a submarine pen. There was even a division of armored Ground Service for base defense. High Guard was vital in monitoring Atlantean activities and for deflecting raids.

I glanced out the window beside me. The moon hung huge and luminous over the Ocean of Atlan, surrounded by starlight gleaming brilliantly in attendance. Outside the thick glass I spotted the Navigator's Triangle of Altair, Vega, and Deneb. The summer stars were in their splendor, sharper and clearer so far from city lights. My parents had their home in the mountains southeast of Tohingo on the Southern Continent, and the nights were pristine there, too. Ahead, I spied the constellation of the Big Bear and traced the arc to the red sun of Arcturus.

"For those of you still awake, we are on final approach to High Guard, ETA thirty-three minutes. If you care to assist, Lieutenant Kandikan, my co-pilot, Lieutenant Canbatca, will do his best to avoid eating at the vending machines at Tikun while he makes yet another detour to the latrine."

The pilot's crisp voice came over the hard earmuffs we all wore. Without them, the numbing noise of the six rotary engines carrying us through the night sky made it impossible to talk. JEBos Condor transports had little insulation, being designed for work, not comfort. Because of that, all of us wore jackets to keep warm. Even in the summer, flying anything above about five rads gets cool or even downright cold. Less atmospheric pressure to keep the heat in. To ease communication, the ear protection also came standard with short range radios and microphones.

I heard the flight engineer laugh at the pilot's tease. Inside the huge belly of the Condor there were three enlisted and myself and over ten thousand stone's weight of food, tools and sundry supplies, as well as eight new HueCac Light Transports and two Tortoises -- the Ground Service's nickname for the heavier, armored electric transports. I looked toward the cockpit and spotted the pilot waving at me. I unbuckled and made my way forward. I passed the co-pilot on the way to the latrine. He did indeed have a look of urgency about him.

Stepping into the cockpit, I first shook hands with the flight engineer. I'd been inside a couple of Condors before. I'd flown and was rated in the much smaller, two-engine JEBos Albatross as well as the cutting-edge Sunskipper, a high-orbital shuttle for long distance runs.

The pilot, a Senior Lieutenant, turned and held out one hand. "Zim Blaychan." As with the navy, the commander of any aircraft with a crew was called captain. To captain a ship and to have the rank of Captain were not the same thing. A lot of flight crews also referred to the bigger transports as ships, a holdover from when anything that flew was an airship.

I shook his hand, pleased to have something else to do. "Ranji Kandikan." I settled into the co-pilot seat, scanning the instrumentation around me. I spoke what they were, to check them off, and he nodded each time. I noticed we were about eight point two rads above the ocean.

"The Flight Controller at Tikun mentioned you were a pilot. I'm satisfied. We'll be at Point Reception in about fifteen minutes and at High Guard about two minutes later," Blaychan said. "Enough time for you to ride the stick a little before we land. Have you flown a Condor before?"

"PE-15 Albatross is the biggest I've flown. I appreciate this opportunity." I adjusted the seat a bit and buckled in.

Blaychan shrugged. "This is a cake run. This time of night, we don't have to worry about the Atlanteans or the East Islanders. We passed the big island of Pangosta and the wild city of Dyn Choga about half hour back. We'll reach Mehayan Peninsula and the Seven Nations shortly. Grab the stick and I'll let you drive a while."

Flying the Condor was a little rocky at first. The controls were firm but the slightest adjustment easily moved the plane. I put my feet to the rudder controls and experimented with some slow yaw to the left and right. Pulling a bit on the wheel, the ailerons moved and we rose a bit, and then I pushed down and our pitch descended. I asked about payload capacity, rate of fuel consumption loaded and empty and other useful information as I felt for how the big transport responded to me. Big and ponderous was my assessment, but manageable.

Naturally, that was when the proximity alarm began to blare. Blaychan grabbed the master wheel and I let mine loose.

The engineer was reading the radar scope behind me. "One unidentified, flying Mach four, repeat Mach four. Crossed behind us. Now he's turning and coming up behind us at eighty-five degrees."

Almost directly behind us then. I glanced back at the engineer as he rubbed his mustache nervously.

"What do we have?" I asked.

"No armaments, if that's what you mean. The Condor's big and slow. Four chaff bursts and four anti-missile rockets. She'll take multiple lightning strikes and keep going, but against an interceptor? Forget it. Mach Four? It's an ET."

The engineer leaned over and scanned out the window. "He's pacing us alright. Fucking aliens. Elongated bubble. Confirmed as a Grey."

The Grey leader types were spindly with only four fingers and enormous black, almond-shaped eyes. Bald, too. Ran around with dwarves that acted as their drones. Reports were that they were somehow linked in some sort of hive mind. And they were allies of the Atlanteans. I didn't like them. They reminded me of insects, and I always got the impression they looked at humans the same way that humans viewed animals. The draconians, uneasy allies of the Aesir-Vedans, simply wanted to subjugate us. There were other interstellar races on earth but they were in much smaller numbers than either the Greys or the draconians.

Blaychan pulled on the wheel for altitude. "Hang on, boys," he muttered.

"Need a hand?" I asked.

"No. Keep your hands clear in case they--"

There was a bright flash of light outside that flooded the cabin, brighter than a clear day at noon, and at the same instant, static electricity danced over the instrument panel. Blaychan shook as the energy leaped from the console, up the wheel, arced up and jolted him. At the same moment, all six engines sputtered and died.

"What was that?" I demanded.

"Electro-Magnetic Pulse," the engineer answered. I heard a big breaker being flipped, and then he was pulling the pilot back into his seat. There was a scorch mark on the captain's right temple, and a trickle of blood coming from his nose.

"Grab the wheel and keep us steady as you can," the engineer continued. The Condor began pointing its nose down. "We have a sixty-second wait before the system resets and we can restart the engines. The Condor may be old, but the tubes in the avionics are immune. It's the modern circuits up front here that need time to reboot after being hit. Research is working on shielding, but in the meantime, it's the best we've got. "

I grabbed the wheel and pulled. There was still some assist from the hydraulics, but without the electrics, it was a lot tougher to move the controls.

The alien ship zipped ahead, crossed back and forth across our nose three times, then shot up into the sky in a full vertical ascent.

They were now officially Grey Bastards in my book.

"Will he be all right?" I put my feet to the floor, straining to pull the wheel and keep the nose up. Without power, we were descending fast. Empty, the Condor had a glide ratio of about eight point five, but loaded down, I estimated we were doing about five to one. Probably less. And we lost a bit of altitude between the time Blaychan went unconscious and I grabbed the wheel. The altimeter now read five point four rads between us and the glittery ocean below, and falling steadily. The Inland Sea south of Mehayan Peninsula was known for both tiger and bull sharks.

The flight engineer broke smelling salts under the pilot's nose. Nothing for several seconds, then Blaychan jerked awake, arms flailing. I glanced at him as he wiped the blood from his nose. Then he swore, rubbing the burn on his temple gingerly.

"Time?" Blaychan whispered hoarsely.

The flight engineer glanced at his watch. "Ten seconds."

Blaychan turned my direction. "Can't quite see yet, Kandikan. Altyun, did you hit the master control? Good man. Ready the reset. Kandikan, when Altyun resets the power, count to five, then begin engine restart in this order: innermost engines first, then center pair, and then finally the outer pair."

Altyun, the engineer moved behind me. "Four, three, two, one. Engaging."

I heard the master switch click into place. Lights flickered and the console came alive again.

"One thousand," I counted aloud. "Two thousand, three thousand, four thousand, five thousand. Engine restart, inner pair." I flipped both switches. Both engines coughed and nothing. Without both hands pulling on the wheel, we descended faster. Three rads and falling. Even blinded, Blaychan had his hands on his own wheel and was struggling to help me keep the nose up. And still we were coming down like a brick! The surface of the ocean loomed closer.

I shut the switches off, then flipped them again. The second time, the left engine caught, and then the right one. The distance between us and a watery grave narrowed.

"Engaging second pair," I intoned. Two engines weren't enough to keep our weight airborne, but now the electrics were working. I flicked the second pair of switches and they too coughed to life. Inside, my pounding heart eased a bit. With four engines working, we could now maintain and even slowly regain height. I glanced at the altimeter. Just four-tenths of a rad!

"Bringing outer pair online." I flipped the last two switches and they too roared back to life.

The co-pilot entered the cockpit. I glanced at him. "You want me to move?"

"How bad you hit, Cap?" Lieutenant Canbatca asked, ignoring me.

"My eyes are fried. Seeing double when I can make anything out. What's wrong?"

"My ass is burned, Cap. I think half of it is still cooking in the latrine. Don't think I can sit and drive. I don't care what they say, Cap, I want a wooden seat. Is that too much to ask?"

"Holy hells. Welcome to Condor Flight School, Kandikan. You've done PE-15s. Time for you to graduate to the Big Boy School. Canbatca, come over by me. I can do the main bit by feel, but I need you to reach for the right switches. Otherwise we'll overshoot the runway and end up in the drink. Altyun, do a quick scan of the cargo, make sure none of the locks disengaged when we lost power. We don't want a lot of weight shifting when we're trying to land. Then get back up here for a radar fix."

"Aye, Cap." The engineer ducked through the hatch and was gone.

"How many hours you have on the Albatross, Kandikan?" Blaychan turned to look at me, but his eyes were focused just to the right of where I actually was.

"Over three hundred," I replied. The Condor passed the second rad mark and was still climbing.

He nodded. "This will be a new one, but you have enough flight time to ease my mind quite a bit. The Condor is big and she's fully loaded, so when she comes down, she'll want to do so hard. Keep her nose up until the last second. Once we hit the ground, start tapping the brakes. I'll help. At the same time, throttle down all the way. Canbatca will turn the dial to reverse the engines. Once the switch is locked, bring the throttles back up half way. We'll use the reverse drag of the engines to slow us down. Got it?"

I repeated what he told me.

He breathed a sigh of relief, nodding. "Good. Good." At three rads above the ocean, we leveled off.

Altyun came back into the cabin, moving to the radar scope. "The front half is secure, Cap. A quick visual of the rest. Coming up on Beacon 2612, two-point-five rads south-by-south-east of Point Reception. Confirming contact with secondary Beacons 2687 and 3010."

Over the radio came the Flight Controller from High Guard War base. "Aircraft on southern approach, you are not broadcasting identification codes. You have entered Restricted Air Space under the protection of the Empire of Chimorro. You have fifteen seconds to respond. Identify yourself or be considered hostile."

The engineer reached over to the panel on my right and pushed a button twice. A light flickered next to it, first red, then green. "Got it, Cap."

Blaychan spoke into his mike. "Sorry about that High Guard. This is Zeta Victor Seven Niner Three. Our flight plans should be on record and you should also be getting our ID now. We had a party a bit ago but you seem to have missed it."

Altyun said quietly. "Four interceptors in the air, on northern approach vector."

"A party?" asked High Guard. "How many interlopers?"

"Just one. He did his trick and left."

"Confirmed, Zeta Victor Seven Niner Three. ID codes also confirmed. Any injured? Emergency Teams being notified. Cleared for Runway one-one-two."

"Moderate injuries only. Runway one-one-two, roger," replied Blaychan. Turning to me, he warned, "If we overshoot, Kandikan, we'll go straight into the water. And I hate to swim."

High Guard did more verbal checking, and in sixty seconds, four Itcha AT-7 Lightnings screamed by doing a confirmation pass. Once High Guard was satisfied of our credentials, the tactical fighters assumed escort position above us.

To help get me more used to how the Condor flew, I did one fly-over of the landing strip before coming back around and lining up on the runway lights. Canbatca read off the altimeter as we dropped lower. Then we were down. We bounced a little, but with their assistance, we landed without difficulty. Canbatca reversed the engines and then I throttled them up midway to slow us down further. Once the plane stopped, we all breathed a sigh of relief. I throttled back down again. The first officer re-engaged the forward gear while Engineer Altyun clapped me on the shoulder. Easing slowly up on the engines, I turned the plane around and taxied to the terminal.

As we neared the building, several emergency vehicles paralleled us, lights flashing in the darkness.

Blaychan told me not to discuss the ET.

"Why?" I was incredulous. "That craft attacked us! We very nearly ended up in the water! And how long has this been going on?"

"You're in it, so you deserve an explanation. Over a year now. Orders from Command, Kandikan. They come from high up, too. Security will become very interested if you push it. We get hit about every tenth trip or so. Most of the time we recover with just a headache to show for it. Even as they are unloading, ground techs will scan us for any residual damage. Lost three ships before they figured out the EMP sometimes leaves hot spots that smolder and then flare back up. Maintenance will be all over the ship even as the ground crew unloads."

I shrugged. "All right, Cap. You got it."

Canbatca flipped on the wing lights, tripling our viewing radius. The Ground Master, in bright, reflective gear and waving electric torches, directed me toward the hangar, giving minor corrections until he was satisfied. Then he gave the signal to kill the engines. I did so.

Tossing my earphones onto the console, I unbuckled and stood up. The cabin lights came on, and then I noticed Blaychan was looking directly at me. "Hey! You can see!"

"Got it back about three seconds after we touched down." He grinned and held out his hand. I happily shook it, genuinely pleased about his vision returning. "Nice landing, Kandikan. You can fly with me anytime. You get tired of riding a desk, let me know and I'll put in a good word for you."

"Thanks, Cap." Canbatca and Altyun also shook my hands.

Blaychan and Altyun went back to check the cargo and the three passengers before opening the rear bay doors for unloading. From the side hangar, portable stairs pulled up to the doorway by the cockpit. I went back to my seat and grabbed both of my duffles. Canbatca stiffly followed me out.

When the door opened, the ground crewman stepped aside so I could deboard. Already on the ground was a small bus, a Quartermaster sergeant and a lieutenant from Security.

Moving slowly, Canbatca came down the steps as a medical transport arrived. They helped him onto a stretcher and carried him off.

"Anything to report?" the Security officer asked me.

I shook my head, handing him my transfer orders. "Party's over."

The sergeant looked at his roster. "You are to report to Logistics in the morning."

Logistics? Not Operations? Logistics had been my second choice. Oh, well. You go where the military sends you.

"Your quarters are in BOC," he continued. "Dorm Six, Room Fourteen, Sublieutenant Kandikan. Need directions?"

Just then, a HueCac quietly pulled up beside us. Second Sergeant Zinja drove, and Janetta, in her Class B coveralls, sat in the passenger seat. There was plenty of illumination from the terminal, but it was past midnight and still she wore flight glasses. Even as I rolled my eyes, I couldn't suppress a grin. It was unbelievably good to see her.




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 05



Janetta leaned forward. "Kandikan! Are you cleared yet?"

I looked at the Security officer. He signed on my orders and handed them back. "Take off!"

"Release the quarters," I told Quartermaster Sergeant. "I'll update my address tomorrow." Opening up the back of the HueCac, I tossed in both duffles and then hopped on top of them.

"Get us home, Second Sergeant," Janetta barked.

"Yes, Sir!" And the electric transport zipped across the tarmac, moving like a ghost in the night. I grabbed the rollbar. Janetta turned in her seat and grabbed me. "Come here, you!"

I leaned into her and our mouths met, and for several seconds we devoured each other. When we broke, Janetta husked, "I am so going to fuck you, Kandikan."

"Do tell," I replied, immensely pleased. And like that, we suddenly stopped in front of a hangar. I blinked in surprise. "What's up?"

Janetta and Zinja got out. I crawled out the back.

"There was some activity tonight," she explained. "Not sure what, but our flight is back-up, so we're on call, until dawn at least. What were you doing up there, Kandikan? No, leave your duffles there. I'll send you on home in a little bit. What time are you due to check in?"

"I report to Logistics on the Eighth Hour." Sharing my little adventure this night could wait. Besides, she was barely paying any attention to anything I said.

Janetta took my hand and pulled me urgently into the hangar. Corporal Ixma waved, and Sergeant Cholan started laughing as I was half-dragged into the small office. Janetta closed the door and undid the zippers on her coveralls, exposing her crotch. She took out the rag and tossed it into the dirty bin. Her arousal filled the air. I was already seriously interested, but her scent hardened me instantly.

"Second rag tonight, Ranji. I can not believe how wet I am just waiting for you to get here!"

"I fail to see why that's a problem, Janetta."

She looked at the tent poking from my trousers and licked her lips. Sitting back onto the desk, Janetta spread her legs. "I'm fully primed. Just drop your pants and give it me, Ranji. Hard and fast. No prisoners. Full payload delivery."

I moved up to her, putting my hands to her face. She dodged my kiss and impatiently undid my belt, shoving my trousers and underwear done to my knees. Grasping my erect cock, she guided me to her slick, puffy lips. I pushed forward, and she wrapped her legs around me, pulling me closer as she sighed.

"Come on! Just fuck me!"

I slid my hands under her butt and pulled her tight. "Hang on."

"What --!"

I lifted her up and sat down on the chair, her legs straddling my hips. "Drive, Janetta. You'll enjoy it better."

The pure lust on her face gave way to surprise, then to tenderness. "Oh, gods," she sighed, using her own weight to impale herself on me. Grabbing my shoulders for leverage, her feet hit the floor and she rapidly bounced on my cock.

She was right, she was soaked, her juices quickly coating my balls. And in less than a minute, she moaned as she ground her crotch against me. Eyes closed, Janetta shivered with her release. She paused for several long seconds, whimpering as she tried to catch her breath. Then she kissed me hard and fervently. I gave back as good as I got. Part of me waited for her to try and lift off once she'd come, my hands possessively on her waist, but instead she began rocking again, eager for a repeat. Being inside her slick heat was exquisite! I'd started to feel the tingle in my balls, but her pause allowed me to cool down. I love coming inside Janetta, but the pleasure of her tight walls, of feeling her lithe body responding to mine is so good that I want it to last as long as possible. Of course, getting her to come was half the fun.

"Not done yet?" I managed to get out.

"No," she huffed. Janetta began bouncing again, giving me full strokes into her hot, velvety depths. "I missed you .. so much." She groaned as she picked up the pace again. "You -- you're mine. Ahhhhh! Take care -- nnnnnnnah -- take care of -- haaaaahhh -- my team." And she came again, shaking as she rested her head on my shoulder. More fluids gushing as her long, slick channel pulsated, gripping and releasing my shaft buried within her body.

I kissed her face gently as she recovered. "Admit it, Janetta! You like me!"

"You're a .. shitload of complication." She leaned her forehead against mine. "You know what I think? Complication .. has to be your middle name. But I can't believe how good you feel. Can't believe how much I want to feel you come inside me." Her voice softened. "Come on, Ranji. Give it to me. I'm on the clock here and I need what you have to give."

I tightened my grip on her waist and stood up. Janetta's legs wrapped tight as she hung on. I laid her down on the desk and began to move within her buttery slickness, pushing and probing as firmly as I could.

"Aaaah, fuck." Janetta closed her eyes as I ground and drove into her. Her breathing deepened as I settled my weight onto her mons. Flexing her hips, she met my thrusts into her center with her own desire to take me as deep as she could within her hungry depths. Soon I was rapidly sliding in and out, and on each down stroke she used her feet to pull me in harder, deeper. Brushing up against her womb.

The tingle in my balls was growing fast. "Ready?" I managed.

Janetta dug her fingers into my butt as she frantically humped against me. "Yes!" she hissed. "Yes, yes, and yes!"

My hands moved back to her hips. Grunting, my cock suddenly pulsed, spraying into her steamy center. Jet after jet emptied into her as she writhed underneath me.

I looked down at her, gazing into her big, dark eyes, seeing for the first time vulnerability there. Right then all I wanted to do was to hold her safe in my arms. Then I saw the glint of bravado and bluster return.

Reaching up, she nipped my shoulder, then laughed as she shivered. "I really needed that. Thank you, Kandikan." She gave a squeeze to both of my butt cheeks, then unlocked her legs. "Up! I need to get cleaned up and out of here, and you need to get some sleep before morning."

There was a lot I wanted to say, but I chose not to. Lifting up, I pulled out and pulled up my underwear and trousers.

Janetta reached for a rag, then gasped at the mess between her legs. "How many nuts did you use? I'm going to have to shower before I put on my flight suit!"

"If it's not enough, I will happily give you more," I assured her. "I can easily do you again, Janetta. Right now." I meant it, too.

She raised her eyebrows. "I have to get into standby on the tarmac. If I could, I would happily ride you until dawn and make you go without sleep on your first day here. It just isn't working out that way. Trust me. I want to find out which of us tires out first as much as you do."

I shook my head. "It's not a competition and it's not just your body, Janetta. I want you."

"Don't fuck with my head, Kandikan. I'll give you what time I can. We've both got careers ahead of us. Flying is everything to me. You're a bonus. By the gods, my head screams you are trouble, but my heart and my pussy both want you. We can't have a normal life together. Deal with it."

I smiled. "Your heart and your pussy want me?"

Janetta stood up, the front panel hanging down and her crotch dripping. "What, are you deaf? Get out of here, Kandikan. Get some down time!"

She yanked open the door and strode to the open shower by the lockers. I followed her out, mesmerized by the poetry of her body. Janetta quickly stripped and rinsed herself down. The night air was humid and warm enough she didn't even bother drying off.

Janetta glanced up. "Zinja! Take him home. Take Ixma, too. Then meet us at runway one-nine-zero. Cholan! Get this bird hooked onto the tractor!" She pulled out a flight suit and quickly dressed.

Zinja came up beside me. "Let's go, Sir."

"Safe flight, safe return, Janetta."

She gave a curt nod and buckled her boots, then reached for her flight helmet. Outside the hangar, I slipped into the passenger side of the HueCac. Corporal Ixma climbed into the back on top of my duffle bags. Zinja backed out and we hugged the edge of the road. Two other AT-7s were already heading down to the airfield.

Then the scenery flew by. A dozen turns and we ended up in front of a small cottage amidst a long row of duplicates. The address read ninety-three. No street signs and oddly, no street lights either.

The Second Sergeant nodded as I got out. "It's a cracker box, that's for sure. The Lieutenant's got the main room. We're sharing the other. With three of us, there's hardly room to move about inside, but it's ours. Ixma, make breakfast for him in the morning."

"Yes, Sergeant." Ixma crawled out and stood off to the side, yawning.

"That's my girl." The lean woman smiled at her daughter. Zinja waited for me to retrieve my gear, then sped off into the night. Aside from a few scattered porch lights, the street was dark.

Ixma reached for one of the duffles, but I shook my head. "I got it."

She nodded sleepily and pulling out a key, unlocked the front door. She reached in and flipped a light switch, then waited for me to enter. "Rooms are off to the right. Left door in the hallway is Officer's Country. Middle is latrine and shower. Right door leads to Enlisted."

I glanced around. A small open area with a couple of chairs, a small, battered table against a wall, a few boxes acting as end-tables, a small desk with a vid-comp, and a kitchenette behind a breakfast bar at the back. It really was small, but a far sight better than dorm living. At the moment, it was much stuffier inside than out. At least it wasn't as humid here as Tikun!

Ixma went around opening windows and turning on overhead fans. The lights were low watt, and there were no decorations anywhere except for a large unit insignia for the 233rd Intercepter Group on one wall. A snarling red sabre-toothed tiger leaping forward in a black background with a white border. "Dangerous When Provoked" was their motto.

Inside Janetta's tiny closet, I discovered she'd left space for me to hang some uniforms. I filled the space, putting my underwear and kit onto her dresser. I put the other duffle on top of the now-empty one against the wall. Filled with books, a personal comp, and casual clothing, it could wait until later. Though I did dig out one of the tins of cahault. I wanted some in the morning. I heard Ixma in the latrine, then her quiet, "Night, Sir," as she went into the bedroom across the hall.

When I was satisfied with my minimal unpacking, I grabbed a towel and my kit and hit the shower. The water wasn't terribly warm and the pressure was miserable, but I made do. I'd see what could done about the water situation later. When I was done, dressed only in a towel, I grabbed my laundry and headed to bed. Not bothering to dress, I set my alarm, turned on the room fan, opened a window, and turned out the light. I still had news to give Janetta, but that would have to wait until later. Was it just yesterday afternoon that Senior Sergeant Itznacoco had been in my office? Her pillow smelled of oranges and her, so I wrapped my arms around it and let myself drift away.

* * * * *

The alarm went off at the sixth hour and I rolled out of bed. Four hours wasn't a lot of sleep, but that's the way it goes some days. Dressing quickly, I discovered Ixma in the bathroom, so I shaved in the kitchen. Then I looked for a pot and filter to make my chocolate coffee drink. A search of the pantry showed just enough plateware for each of us. Four plates, four bowls, four cups, silverware, a couple of cutting knives and a cutting board. Most of it was chipped and unsurprisingly all in the plain white functional design found in the base cafeteria. One pan and one skillet. One cupboard filled with Meals Ready to Eat. Ground Service MREs? Gods above.

While I was browsing, Ixma came into the room. I looked in the mini-fridge. Some millet beer and an unopened bottle of Blue Agave Metl juice. No doubt Janetta's special stash. An extra large jar of salsa. I sighed. The prospect of a Ground Service MRE breakfast left my stomach in knots. I had had to eat them for two weeks during survival training and every meal left me nauseated. Not even tea in the cupboards. And in all this mess, no means to brew my cahault.

Ixma shyly scooted by me and reached up into the cupboard for an MRE. Instant eggs. Her dark brown hair was braided with red and black ribbon, the colors for their unit. She wore a short-sleeved summer class B uniform. Patch for the 233rd above her grade mark. Where her mother was lean and angular and handsome rather than pretty, Ixma was skinny and gangly like a very young teenager. I'm average height, and I was a full headspan taller than her. She also continued showing a lack of self-confidence. I didn't think she was even twenty yet. That lack of confidence needed to change. It would attract those who liked to intimidate and hurt.

As she started to open the MRE, I said, "Stop. What are your duties today, Ixma?"

"Cook you breakfast. After you leave, do the laundry at the base laundromat. Then I can sleep until they get home."

"Can you cook? I mean besides prepare MREs?"

"I know how to cook some." She looked like I had caught her doing something wrong and she wasn't sure what it was yet.

"This pantry is not up to specs. There's almost no cookware and no real food. How far is the laundromat? And how are you going to carry that much gear all by yourself?"

She pursed her lips. "There's a wagon in back for me to use, sir."

"Where's the base cafeteria? I know what your mother said, but you eat too many of those MREs and you'll end up doing the Atlantean Two-step."

She didn't say anything, looking away. I couldn't tell if she was embarrassed or angry at my changing her mother's orders or both.

"Come on. Show me where the cafeteria is and we'll grab some food there." I hoped they had cahualt. Barring that, some good hot, black tea.

"I can't."

"Why?"

Ixma explained that there had been bribes to get the housing, even though as a pilot, Janetta should have been allotted space as part of her housing allowance. It had taken all their pooled cash to get the place and what little they had on hand. She thought there was still money owed to some officer. The upshot was they had no money until payday in three weeks. She only had enough to do their laundry maybe twice.

High Guard War base was supposed to be front line defense against the Atlanteans. We were less than seven hundred rads away from a shooting peace. And some corrupt shit was gouging front-line warriors trying to defend the Empire!

I pulled out my wallet and gave her twenty credits. "Take it. Now get your wagon loaded and ready. We're going to breakfast. My treat."

She hesitated, holding the note in her hand.

I pointed to my shoulder pip. "Corporal, I know what Sergeant Zinja said. I outrank her. Get your gear and turn to!"

She was unhappy, but did as she was told.

I hit the latrine while she loaded up the wagon. Outside, I confirmed our address. Ninety-three West Seashell Lane.

It was only a rad to the base cafeteria, but with the foot traffic, it took us half an hour. The wooden wheels on the wagon made conversation next to impossible, so I brooded while we walked. Not even rubber wheels? What was going on here? Along the way, I noticed other enlisted pulling wagons. Irritation gave way to curiosity to another question: why they were spending so much time hauling things about by foot? The wooden wheels had to be harder to pull, too. It was good exercise, but a tremendous waste of time. The War base had over ten thousand personnel, yet I'd seen less than a score HueCac vehicles and only one of the four-seat ChoCacs.

When we got to the Cafeteria, I went in while Ixma waited outside. She couldn't leave the wagon unattended. I quickly rolled through the buffet line and picked up food for both of us, including two large cups of cahault. Suddenly my day was looking a lot better.

Outside, I found Ixma fidgeting nervously. I handed her a breakfast wrap and drink. "Eat," I told her, and took a bite of mine. It was passable, but it was ten shades better than the freeze-dried eggs I had narrowly dodged. Navy had the best rations, hands down. Some men even fought over whether Air or Ground Service had the worst. I had had to endure both. Air Service was better. Marginally.

Ixma ate her food, but her demeanor remained submissive. It was irritating, but then something dawned on me. The house where we resided was mixed residential, not female only. Alone, she could easily be bullied into sex, even hurt. I had an idea. "Corporal? Where's the Commissary?"

She pointed up the street. There was the sign, about three blocks away.

"Come on, let's go." Off we went, me leading and Corporal Ixma trudging behind me with her wagon loaded with duffles full of dirty laundry.

Inside, I first went to uniform supply and bought a spare neckerchief and a pair of sublieutenant's pips. Then I went to grocery and grabbed a cart and loaded up a set of steel pans and two boxes each of dishware and silverware. I actually had a lot of money from the trust fund my parents set up for me. I also had had little chance to spend my pay on anything in the two years since finishing Officers College in Tohingo. I had quite a bit of change set aside. At the deli, I ordered two score of meals from their pre-order list to be sent to the house, and put it all on my charge card. Then I hired a porter to load the items I bought onto the wagon. On my way out, I also purchased a map of the base.

Outside, Ixma looked dismayed at the extra weight. The porter loaded the large boxes on top.

I gently took her by the arm. "Take off your beret, Corporal."

She watched the porter work, then did as I told her. Shaking out the neckerchief, I refolded it into a headband, and put it on her head, tying the ends under her braid. Her eyes grew wide. I put the pip on each side behind her ears, and then took the beret, setting it on top of her head. This marked her as the woman of an officer. It wasn't anything official, but it was a known practice. As an officer, I was at the bottom. But it should give any enlisted men pause before they harassed her.

"You wear this, you understand? Anyone asks, you belong to me. I work in Logistics. Lieutenant Tlacotli is still your boss, and she is my woman. That makes you mine, too."

She nodded, eyes big.

I then gave the porter forty credits, close to a week's wages for him. By his red hair and blue eyes, I figured him to be from New Siluria or even New Brae, the northernmost of the Seven Nations, up by the frozen island of Manahatta. I also stored away the information that foreign nationals were on the base for casual labor. I looked at his name tag. "Bran, your job is to haul this wagon to the laundromat with Corporal Ixma, and then to unload everything at the house."

"Yes, sirrah!" he nodded.

I touched the neckerchief on Ixma's head. "See this? She is mine. You protect her, get her to the laundry and to our house and the contract is done."

"Yes, sirrah. I work."

"What should I do?" Corporal Ixma asked.

"You're a Lieutenant's woman. Act like it. You lead, and he follows. I'll be home this evening."

Glancing at my watch, I had fifteen minutes to Eighth Hour. A look at the map revealed that Logistics was a rad and a half from the Commissary, so it would be close. I told her goodbye and set off at a run.

I found the building with two minutes to spare. I checked in, was introduced to my immediate superior, Senior Lieutenant Danchan Topichtwi, and to Second Sergeant Matiwatli, his aide. I was given a desk, and then sent on to Security. When I was done getting my clearances, keys, and passcodes, I grabbed lunch and came back to find a tech hooking up the cables to my desk computer. Because I had a decent tech background myself, it didn't take as long as normal to get my profile set up. By mid-afternoon, I was processing supply reports. And that was the rest of my first day at High Guard.




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 05



At day's end, I walked home. Which I noticed a lot of others doing as well. It was the start of summer, so it was still light out as well as being hot and humid with summer getting fully underway. Thankfully, it was still less humid than Tikun, which must be absolutely miserable in high summer.

During my work, I reviewed and entered a lot of orders that included HueCacs, but the numbers I saw were still far short of what I expected. Granted, it was only my first day there. Lifting off my cap, I wiped my brow, and then something else clicked. Or rather, its absence. The Empire has a good understanding of solar power and electric batteries. Our mid-range panels, available and affordable commercially, have an eighty-three percent conversion rate. The roofs of most of the buildings should have been covered with solar panels. Main buildings had collecting panels, but the majority were bare.

When I reached West Seashell Lane, I put my rumblings aside and thought about what awaited me at my new home.

When I opened the door, all four women were scattered in the living room, happily stuffing their faces with food. On the breakfast bar, more cartons of food were open, and all of them were on their second or third beer.

Janetta set down her bottle and plate and stood up, grinning broadly. "You've been busy, Kandikan. This is a real treat!"

I took off my cap and neckerchief and stuffed both into my back pocket. Walked up to her. "I do all right." Pulled her into my arms. "What about you? What's your schedule?"

"I start long-range patrols tomorrow afternoon. It's that way for the next week, then it's night duty. Not looking good for a lot of time together. At least, right away. But, we're off for tonight."

I leaned down to her ear and whispered, "Good. Because I am so going to fuck you, Janetta."

In response, she growled and leaned up for a kiss. Her big, black eyes closed as our mouths met. Holding her tight, our tongues danced while we pressed against each other, hands caressing and squeezing, eager to touch. When we finally broke for air, both of us were breathing hard.

"You fueled up enough?" I asked her.

"I don't know, Kandikan. That's pretty good shit you got for us. I can go for thirds. What about -- hey!"

I scooped her up, holding her in my arms.

Janetta raised her eyebrows, but there was amusement on her face. "Right now? Have you eaten yet?"

"No, but I intend to remedy that."

Zinja sputtered on her beer and Cholan laughed. Ixma turned away, blushing furiously. Janetta just grinned.

Turning to the other women, I said, "Zinja, before tomorrow, make a list of food, spices, and whatever is needed to set up a decent galley for us here. Cholan, when you get a chance but sometime this week, look over the electrical set up here. Let me know what kind of load the circuits can take." On impulse, I added, "And check for any anomalies."

Cholan looked intrigued. "Yes, sir."

"What the fuck, Kandikan? Giving my people orders?" She thumped me on the chest. "They're my crew!"

I gave her a serious look. "They are yours for what you need. I'm ground support, remember? To take care of you, I need their help. We are a team. I can't cook but I suspect that one or more of you are capable of that skill. I do, however, know that you need spices, meat and vegetables -- real food to make meals with. The food I bought will last a couple of days. It's a stop-gap. I am not promising steak every night but all of us need decent food to function. Those are Ground Force MREs, arguably food that slaves would reject. Food is just for starters, Janetta. I intend to take care of you, and that means I take care of them, too." With that, I carried her down the hall and into our bedroom. Using my feet and back, I pushed the door closed.

I set her down onto her feet. Janetta searched my face with her large, black eyes.

"Is there a problem, Janetta?" I brushed my hand against her cheek.

She shook her head slowly, thoughtfully. "Just absorbing it all."

"I know I'm a shitload of complication for you. But that's what any relationship is. You've got to--"

"Kiss me, Ranji." Janetta's hands reached up, pulling me down.

Gently at first, our lips met. Leaning in to her, the kiss soon turned to full oral exploration with our tongues dancing, each trying to take in the taste of the other. Inhaling deeply, I took in her scents of jet fuel and oranges and the subtle, muskier smell of Janetta herself. She sighed and held me tight. I lasted about a minute before my hands went to the zipper of her coveralls. Taking it down to the belt cinched at her waist, I unhooked her bra and freed her mounds. My hands kneaded her soft flesh mercilessly. In between I pinched and rolled her nipples.

Janetta broke the kiss, gasping, her eyes glittering with interest. I leaned down and inhaled one breast, nursing on her while my hands squeezed her butt. She moaned, arching to give me more of her sensitive tit. When her nipple was hard I moved to the other breast to remedy its being neglected. Janetta ran her hands through my hair, sighing, while my tongue, lips and teeth worked her over.

"Ahhhhhhh, so good," she moaned. "Mmm."

I love appreciation like anyone. And, I liked giving it.

She tensed while I ran my teeth over her nipple, flicking it with my tongue. Arching, she leaned into my mouth.

When I went back to sucking and licking, she wriggled her arms out of her coverall sleeves and her bra dropped to the floor behind her.

Breathing heavily, she pushed me away. "My turn," she husked. Her hands quickly opened my shirt, yanking it free from my trousers. Janetta licked and sucked on my nipples, rubbing her face on my chest. She was too hot to spend too much time there. Then she dropped down to her knees and removed my shoes and socks. Janetta chuckled when she reached for my belt and rubbed my growing erection. In a smooth motion, my trousers and underwear were pushed down to my ankles and I stepped out of them.

Before I could grab her, she eluded me, holding up her hand. "Allow me."

Leaning down, she unhooked the combat knives from her boots and tossed them onto the floor by her dresser. The four heavy clasps popped open and her boots were off. Socks next. Then she stood up, my black-eyed beauty. War Eagle tattoo on her left breast, and the fresher Jaguar on the right. Janetta unbuckled her belt and her coveralls slid to the floor. My cock hardened.

Stepping back to the bed, she sat down and scooted onto it. Putting both pillows behind her head, she spread her legs, holding them apart. The dewy line along her swelling lips was visibly wet.

I moved to her. Climbing onto the bed, I knelt before her open invitation.

"I want you inside me, Ranji," she said, eyes heavy with lust, staring at my erection.

I grinned, running my hands along the backs of her legs. Wiggling my eyebrows, I said, "Engine inspection," and descended on her wet slit. She tried to close her legs, but my hands kept her spread open for my exploration. I ran my tongue along her groove, teasing the folds apart, tasting her arousal.

"That's not -- ohhh! Not my engine! Ahhhh, gods above! eeeee-Haaaaah!" Janetta arched, lifting herself off the bed.

My tongue went deeper, opening up her channel. Licking and drinking, I moved from her perineum and the bottom of her darkening labia, along her leaking, delicate lips, then up to the swelling bud at the top. Then I slowly moved back down. Janetta moaned loudly while I plundered her steamy center for all the goodness she had. Rocking her hips, she pushed her aching need to my mouth, grunting and sighing. In no time, she was moving faster.

Huffing and grinding her pussy against my mouth, she was close when I suddenly lifted my head up. "Fuck!" she yelled.

"No, I'm sure this is your engine." I slid three fingers into her tight sheath. Janetta inhaled deeply, gasping and arching once again. "And this has to be your throttle," I quipped. My mouth engulfed her swollen clit and my tongue flicked it with the same energy I'd given her nipples earlier. Rolling my fingers left and right, I thrust them into her cavity as I licked the underside of her throbbing bud.

"Oh, oh, gods!" Panting, Janetta grabbed my head, mashing my face against her wet crotch, shaking as she came. Then she pushed my face away from her clit. "Too -- too much!"

I moved lower, removing my fingers and slurping up all the fluids gushing from her gaping crevice.

"Stop," she pleaded. "Let me .. catch my breath."

Moving over her, I guided myself to her wet center and pressed inward. Deeper, deeper, and deeper I went, sliding in until my crotch rested on hers and my balls touched her ass. All along my shaft I felt her throbbing, slick heat caress my length. Such delicious pleasure! Pressing down, I felt her cervix under the crown of my cock.

"That's not .. letting me .. catch my breath, Ranji." Her legs wrapped around me while her hands caressed my chest.

I began a slow probing of her depths. "Want me to stop?"

Janetta grabbed my butt, digging in her fingers. "You do and I'll hurt you. Fuck me, Ranji. Fuck me good!" As I pressed into her velvety channel, she pushed back, rolling her hips down, grinding her clit against me.

"It's nice," she huffed, "to be able to fuck totally naked. We haven't done that -- ahhh -- since Chingli Point. Gawds."

I chuckled. "That doesn't count. We both wore our boots."

Janetta blinked, then snickered. "You're right. Ahhh! How come -- how come you feel so good?"

I could see her question was an earnest one.

I grunted, relishing the sweet friction of sliding out, and the enveloping tightness on penetrating her anew. "You feel really good to me, too, Janetta." I sighed, relishing the sensations. "Really good."

She moved her hands to my face, looking up into my eyes. And there was that vulnerability, that opening of her inner self. "Oh, Ranji."

Emotion filled me, and I moved faster. Pushing harder, deeper, toward completion. "Janetta," I huffed. "Janetta!"

My hips slapped onto her, my hard cock churning her depths as I probed her open sex. Gripping my arms, she met me thrust for thrust. Each stroke pushing harder against the mouth of her womb as her body enveloped my shaft. Her dark eyes closed and I humped faster. I took in all her reactions, but my focus was on being inside her, on reaching her inner core. Desire now was to bathe her insides with my seed, to empty myself to overflowing within her welcoming body.

Janetta gripped my arms harder, bucking beneath me. She was moaning long and low. "Ah, ah! Rannnjiii!"

I felt the familiar tightening in my balls. Janetta's moan raised in pitch. And suddenly she grabbed my butt, grinding her crotch onto me, crying out as she shook with her release. Moving my hands under her, I shoved hard, pulling her tight while my cock swelled and exploded, shooting rope after rope of hot come into her spasming depths. Janetta bucked, crying out again, wrapping herself around me.

When our orgasms faded and our hammering hearts and heaving breaths slowed down, I held myself up over her and gazed at her face. I gave her the biggest smile. Her legs flopped onto the bed, but her hands moved across my chest, caressing my skin.

"Fucking-A, Ranji," she whispered. "That was intense."

I could only nod. It pleased me immensely that I still saw that openness in her eyes. I leaned down and kissed her slowly.

When we broke it, I leaned my head against hers.

She frowned. "You taste like pussy, Kandikan."

"Yes, but it's yours, Janetta. It's all yours. No doubt in my mind, that is your engine down there. Intake valve is thoroughly cleaned and lubed."

She started giggling and then laughing loudly. "Lubed? My whole ass is wet! I'm afraid to see how big a mess we made!"

"Shall I disconnect?"

Janetta immediately wrapped herself around me again. "No, don't! Stay inside me. You fuck good, and this is so -- calm yet intimate. I like it."

"I like it, too."

"The aviation stuff when we fuck is fun. And yes, I admit I like you. A lot, and probably more than I should. I'm scared because I want this to work between us." She looked away. "I find that getting off isn't enough. I still want to come, but I also want to feel you come, too. Inside me." She looked up, gazing into my eyes. "How crazy is that?"

"Not crazy at all. That's why I eat your pussy, Janetta. I want you to come, too. I will do you as often as I can get away with. And I freely admit that I'm scared, too, and for the same reason."

Janetta leaned up and kissed me. "I want you so much. That scares me, too, Ranji."

As I kissed her back, I felt myself harden again. I began stroking slowly, gently within her folds.

"You're not serious," she asked, incredulous. "You did this at Chingli Point, too. You did me last night, and again just now, but you're acting like you haven't been inside a woman in months. What's up, Ranji?"

"You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, Janetta. Hearing you say you want to pleasure me? That you want me in your life? That's the effect your words have on me."

Surprise and wonder filled her face.

I wasn't sure if I could actually come again so quickly, but I intended to take advantage and continue my exploration of her pussy for as long as I could.

Sometimes we kissed, easily, lightly. I moved slowly within her folds. Long, leisurely withdrawals and unhurried penetration. Little sighs and catches of breath while we maintained our union. Then, at last, when she moved a little faster, I responded. Slowly our pace built. A little more rocking of hips, and a little harder thrusting. Before either of us knew it, my body was driving into her again, firm and urgent. Both of us were slick with sweat. I suddenly stopped and lifted her legs onto my shoulders, then resumed my drive into her steamy depths.

Each time my balls hit her ass, she cried out.

I still wasn't sure if I could actually ejaculate again, but it felt so good taking her I didn't care.

Then she grunted out, "Come -- ahhh -- Ranji! Hunnh! Come!"

With her magic words, the tingle began. It was weak but there. Gripping her waist, I bucked harder into her frothy center.

Intensely focused, she leaned up, fingers tight on my shoulders. "Come, come! Uhh! Come for me! Aaaahhhhh, come!"

And I was there, spewing more hot sperm into her depths, roaring my release. I didn't have much, but I gave her all I had.

"Holy fuck!" Janetta yelled, and gripped me harder, shivering against me.

Almost as soon as my cock stopped twitching inside her, I rolled off and lay beside her. Both of us heaved in the close heat of the room. Janetta slowly lowered her legs, flopping her arm onto my chest.

"Gods of North and South, Kandikan. I am well and truly fucked." She wiped the sweat from her forehead.

I laughed. "Me, too."

The next moment, she bounced up out of bed. Glancing back, she paused. "Pull off the blanket, Kandikan, because I'm not sleeping on that wet spot. I'll get us some food." Then she was out the door. Naked.

I yanked off the thin blanket and the sheet and saw the spot was on the bedspread as well. Digging into my top duffle, I pulled out a fresh towel and covered it. Then pulled out a pair of shorts and a summer shirt from my top duffle and slipped them on. I gathered up our clothing from the floor, and put her sheathed knives onto her dresser. Then I noticed the small box from High Guard Commissary. I flipped it open and saw the pair of double-pips for a full lieutenant. If she was getting promoted, I was pleased for her success. I also felt guilty for snooping. Not a good way to start something more serious. I knew now that Janetta thought of me as more than just the man she liked to fuck. I'd like to think that before my time at Tikun, I wouldn't have snooped like that. But working with Security makes you both more observant and more curious. However, I was now in Logistics and Supply, with cross training in Operations yet to come. I'd best come clean about the snooping and not make a habit of it with her.

Janetta came back into the room without food, her face serious. She went right to the closet and pulled out a knee-length turquoise skirt and slipped it on with a cream-colored crossover tanktop. Understated and elegant. Stepping by her dresser, she slipped on her combat boots and put on her knives. Elegant and now ready to kick ass.

"Something wrong?" I asked. I reached for my own belt knife and slipped on my deck shoes.

"I'm going to find out," she muttered and left again. I followed.

In the living room, much of the food carnage was put away. Cholan sat at the tiny desk, working the computer with head phones on, eating a banana. Janetta was at the screen door. "Ladies, will you come inside, please?"

Zinja and Ixma entered the small living room. Cholan pulled off her headphones slowly.

Janetta folded her arms and gave the three women a once over. "All right, spill it. What's going on here?"

They looked puzzled. Second Sergeant Zinja cleared her throat. "Is there a problem, Lieutenant?"

Corporal Ixma sat close to her mother, eyes worried.

"I come out and the place is policed. Cholan's got her headphones on, and you two are outside on what passes for a porch, braving the numerous night bugs. You aren't eating or relaxing or even spying on us. When I opened the door, I half expected to find the Diagnostic Scope in the front room! You're acting different and I want to know why."

Zinja looked away.

Cholan brushed a loose lock of brown hair from her round face. "We just wanted to give you some privacy, Lieutenant. No harm meant."

Janetta raised her eyebrows. "We're a team. We depend on each other. My life is in your hands every time I am in the air, and because it is your hands, I know I have nothing to fear. For three months you spied on us every chance you got. What's changed?"

"You did, Sir," Cholan replied.

"By the Seven Hells, what is that supposed to mean? Explain yourself! I'm going to be in the air tomorrow for seven hours, and I need to know everything is okay with my team."

Zinja said quietly, "We're fine, Lieutenant, and so are you. At least we hope you are."

Janetta's black eyes flashed. "Speak plain, Sergeant! Both of you quit dancing around the point. What the fuck do you think has changed with me?"

"When your man picked you up and carried you to your room, we saw it. All of us did." Zinja put her arm around her daughter and hugged her. "It's new yet, but he's your man and you love him. Before, you were our officer having some fun, and we appreciated your sharing. Now you're in love, and it seems wrong to be listening in on something that should be private. Like Cholan said, no harm meant, Lieutenant. If I can speak frankly, we're happy for you."

Cholan and Ixma nodded.

Janetta dropped her arms. "Like him? Yes, I do. Love him? No! It's not true! I--I don't! I can't!" She whirled on me, her lower lip trembling. "I can't! A warrior who loves is a fool! And--and everyone .. everyone I love dies!" Then she fled to her room, slamming the door behind her. Through the paper-thin walls, we could hear her sobbing.

I started for the bedroom, but a look from the older woman stopped me. "You know what she said is complete mastodon dung! A warrior without love protects his own heart, but he is never willing to give the ultimate if that is what's needed. A simple house cat will take on a pack of dogs to protect her kits. Even if she is killed, she still makes the fight." A tear escaped from her eye. Zinja wiped it away fiercely. "I want to thank you, Lieutenant. What happened in the hangar? Both of you officers did right by us. And today, giving Ixma the neckerchief to mark her as yours, to help keep her safe? It means something. It does."

I knew she loved her daughter and wanted to protect her. When Zoubat had declared his intention to mount Ixma, Zinja had grabbed a wrench and charged an officer. Only the stunner had stopped her. If Zoubat had survived, she would have faced court-martial and possible sentencing to the temple as a sacrifice. At the risk of being killed, she had risen to the fight. I smiled in acknowledgment to her.




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 06



During the gray light before dawn, I felt the warm body of a woman next to me. Half asleep, I inhaled her scent, feeling my erection pressing against her smooth backside. I sighed to her as I ran my hands along her ribs, lazily kneading her breasts. Kissing her back, I pulled her hips to mine, shifting her angle until I lined up along her hairy slit and began working my way inside her delicate folds. Long, slow strokes, pressing a little deeper each time. Her passage slickened as I worked her channel, her soft whimpers reaching my half-awake ears. Pleasure built, and as it grew, I pressed further into her depths. Firmer I gripped, pulling her hips to meet me. And as easy as taking a breath, my cock began spewing into her depths. I murmured to her as the pulsations along my shaft ran up my crown and shot sticky warmth within her body. I heard her long, gentle sigh, and staying within her, I pulled her back into my arms, and nuzzling her, drifted back to sleep.

A few hours later, I awoke. Calia lay beside me, facing me, her normally warm brown eyes were sad as she watched me come awake. Dried tears were visible on her face.

"What's wrong?" I asked, wiping the sleep from my eyes.

"Who--who is Janetta?"

I took a long breath. She deserved to know. But before I could say anything, comprehension dawned on her face.

"You've found someone else," she said, looking away, her eyes blinking rapidly. "Ranji, do you intend to discard me?"

"Oh, no, Calia. Never." I drew her into my arms, kissing her forehead. "You are a part of this household. No, dear Calia. I promised you a long time ago I would always take care of you. Even if we are not lovers, I will not desert you."

"Not lovers?" Her breath caught. "Then you love her?"

"I do. She's a strong and proud warrior, but she is afraid to love. I hope she will decide I am worth the risk."

She took my hand in hers, kissing it gently, cradling it lovingly as she regained her composure. "You are worth the risk, Ranji. Never let anyone tell you otherwise." Clutching my hand, she pulled it to the valley between her breasts.

My heart ached because I knew I'd wounded her heart, and yet here she was giving me comfort, reassuring me.

"If she rejects you, promise that you will send for me? I will take good care of you." She looked at me hopefully, her eyes full.

I kissed her forehead again. "You always have. And yes, I promise you true, Calia."

Nodding her acceptance of my promise, she wiped her eyes and nose with the back of her hand. "And have you thought of my petition?"

"Not right now, Calia. It's not a good time." This one would have to wait until after things with Janetta were settled, one way or another.

But she persisted. "It's never a good time to have children. They take energy and aren't convenient, but they make us greater than we are alone. It takes hope to have them and they give us hope in return."

"I said no, Calia."

Again she closed her eyes, drawing a ragged breath. "I'm so lonely without you, Ranji. If I can't be with you, at least give me your child, so I have someone who is a part of you to hold and love while you are away from me."

"If I have a child, I want to be a part of his life, like a proper father."

"You're a warrior," she countered. "Like a nomad, you are drifting from place to place, wherever the Empire sends you. I love you, Ranji. And I am desolate when you are gone. I would teach our child to love you, too." She looked at me, pleading. "Think of your parents--"

"Calia! That is totally unfair!"

"You know they would love your child."

"That's not the point and you know it. Better for me to pay the caste fee and make you a free woman." Mother had mentioned her desire for me to have children during my last visit.

Calia rolled her eyes, exasperated. "How many credits do you have? Fifty thousand? Sixty? I'm a personal servant, part of the Indentured Caste. For five thousand credits, I can become Servant Caste. I have cleaning skills, but if I continued to sleep with you, the other servants would call me whore. You could pay ten thousand credits and buy me some land and I can move up another level and become a free farmer. And then I will starve because I have no farming skills. Unless you plan on marrying me off to some country dullard that I don't even know? By the merest letter of your promise, that would be taking care of me. No? Well, then, for a mere twenty-five thousand credits, I can rise three levels and become a merchant, but without a husband to protect me, what have I to sell but my own body? Whoring is technically a guild trade. It's at the bottom, but still a guild trade and one I have some passing skill at--"

"Stop."

Calia barreled on. "It would take fifty thousand credits to make me Guild, and I would not drain your Trust Fund just so I could become a whore in both name and fact. I was bought to take care of you, Ranji. You, not strangers." She shook her head. "And I would die of shame if you burdened your parents with this plan. I can never repay them for all they have given me. They have given me literature, music, philosophy, science, and they gave me to you. I live better than many who are free. No, Ranji. Keep your money. I am your bondswoman. I am close to the man I love, even if just for this moment. I choose servitude and love over freedom and an unfulfilled heart any day."

I sighed. There was a flaw in her argument. Personal servants could be emancipated to the prostitute trade for only five thousand credits, but she would be locked in the trade for the rest of her life, literally branded to it, unless she found someone to marry her after her transition. She could marry anyone but me, for I would have to swear I was discarding her, casting her out because I was dissatisfied with her abilities, her character, her reliability. And I had promised I would not do that to her, so it really wasn't an option.

I always thought the law against marrying a Servant or an Indentured person unfair. The only way around it was the route Calia had just explained, by expending an enormous amount of credits, making the option only open to the very wealthy. I suspected my parents would willingly help, but Calia was my personal servant, and thus my responsibility.

Her confidence and debating skills had improved much since I entered the Air Service. Which prompted me to ask, "Do my parents still have their discussions together?"

"They do. For the past six years, except for very brief visits, their beloved son has been away. Missing you so much, in their kindness they allow this grateful servant to commiserate with them over your absence."

Ouch. "I was joking earlier when I said they loved you as much as I. Now I suspect they would chose you over me, their prodigal son."

"Ranji! How could you say such a thing? Your mother and father adore you!"

"Loyal, devoted, caring." I caressed her cheek. "That is why I will never turn you out, sweet Calia."

"You were only testing me! Well, I am true to you and to your family, Ranji." She kissed my hand again. "How long are you here for this time?"

"Three days. I must leave on the fourth."

"So short a time!" She closed her eyes, biting her lip. "And how many months before your next visit home?"

"In another four months, I will have two weeks coming."

With a catch in her breath, she reached down, fondling my cock. "Then while you are here, I ask that you use me as often as you can, Ranji. Give me memories to ease my heart until I see you again."

With one hand, she tugged at my hip, pulling at it while she maneuvered underneath me. I slid a hand between her legs, feeling her fur and the groove of flesh nestled underneath. There was heat but no moisture. I began to move down.

"No, Ranji! We don't have much time. Take me quickly! Your parents ... breakfast .. you ... you ... oh!" Without further protest, she lifted her legs, spreading them for me, and I licked up the first few drops of her sweet nectar, sipped as she began to leak, and then drank as she finally gushed out her pleasure, crying out in joyful release.

Now that her body was ready for me, I put my hands under her butt and lined up my cock to her swollen lips. Calia eagerly guided me to her entrance, and I slid into her welcoming wet pussy as she wrapped herself around me. As I thrust into her sheath, Calia humped back, huffing and moaning. Slick juices spilled from her frothing center, and we slid and moved faster together, thrust and counter-thrust. She looked at me with lust and love, happy to take what I had to give as she yielded herself to me. When the passion took me I drove harder into her, my hips slapping against hers. Her eyes met mine as my cock swelled within her slick sheath. I held her firmly, embedding my shaft within her wet, throbbing center. Anticipation filled her face.

"Sweet Calia!"

With the first hot splash of sperm against her inner walls, Calia arched. "Ranji! Ahhh!" Then she bucked, trying to ride my cock, seeking all the seed I had to give her.

Hearts pounding and gasping for air, we ground against each other while we rode the waves of pleasure emanating from our union. Even as it faded, we remained linked. Rolling till we were on our sides, we held each other while we gulped for air and kissed, focused on the moment of here and now. The future was a crossroads yet to arrive.

When I finally slipped out, we were a sticky, sweaty mess smelling of sex. Calia insisted we bathe instead of showering. Seeing the look in her eyes, I gave in.

In the large bathroom -- almost as large as my bedroom -- we both drank large glasses of cool water. As I stepped into the hot water, Calia turned on the jets of the bathing pool. Then she grabbed the brushes and soaps and lathered me up, thoroughly scrubbing my body. My skin felt raw, but alive and good. It had been a long time since I'd been so well cleaned. I returned the favor, washing and rubbing in the soap everywhere. By her flushed face, hard nipples and the noises she made, it was apparent she enjoyed the attention. I was ready to take her from behind when there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" I called.

"Stashim, Sir. Your mother and father wish to know whether you will be having breakfast with them on the veranda or whether you wish to sleep longer and meet them for lunch?"

Calia casually stroked my cock while she waited for me to answer.

"As soon as I finish my bath, I --" Her mouth replaced her hand on my shaft, her tongue swishing back and forth under the ridge of my mushroom top. It made my toes curl. "I'll be there."

"Very good, Sir," came the muffled reply.

"Oh, you are a naughty girl!" I muttered, pulling out of her mouth with a pop. Turning her around, I pushed her down at the edge of the bathing pool and plunged into her pussy. Calia shrieked with delighted laughter at my reaction that quickly transformed into sighs and then moans as I probed deeper. Using one hand to grip her shoulder, I slid my other hand under her, rubbing her mons and sometimes brushing her swollen clit. Since we'd both come only a short while earlier, it was going to take a lot to reach orgasm. I alternated pounding hard and fast into her intimate center, ruthlessly plundering into her slick crevice with longer, slower strokes while I fingered her sensitive nubbin.

Grunting as I slammed into her, Calia looked over her shoulder at me, pushing back to meet me. "Ranji, come for me. Ahhh, ahhhhhh. So good! Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh, fuck me! Fill me! I want it! Haaaaahhhhhh! Ahhhhh-ohhhhhhhhh!"

Growling, I thrust even faster, firmly holding her hips while she bucked and heaved. Finally I felt the tightening and I yelled as I emptied myself into Calia once again. She cried out, pushing back against me.

Breathing heavily as I leaned over her, I said, "I think I'm done for a while. Will this last you at least until tonight?"

Calia grinned mischievously. "Gods above, I am not used to such a battering! I hope I can walk straight. At least we're already in the bath!"

I patted her butt affectionately and pulled out. Calia gingerly washed and wiped herself while I soaped and rinsed myself.

"Should I ask your mother for some healing salve?" she asked drily.

My head snapped to her, catching her teasing smile. "Are you crazy? She'll chew on me like a saber-toothed tiger, carving great chunks out of my behind. " I pointed at my own butt to emphasize the point. "And there's not a lot there to start with!"

"And such a nice butt, too! Good for thrusting!" Calia laughed, getting out of the pool. Wrapping a towel around herself, she held out another and waited for me to join her.

"You don't have to do that, you know. I can dry myself."

"It is my duty, Ranji, but it is also my privilege. Please, while you are here, let me take care of you." She gently patted me down.

Back in the bedroom, she quickly selected some loose trousers, a light shirt covered in tropical flowers, and sandals. A bit of deodorant and a depilatory cream to deal with my fuzzy face -- which she applied and then wiped off -- and I was deemed presentable. I kissed Calia and thanked her, and she turned me around, pushing me toward the door. "No more delays! They have already been waiting -- she saw the clock and blanched "-- Ninety minutes! Oh, what they must think!"

At the doorway, I said, "And they'd be right!"

It was only by the narrowest of margins that I avoided the pillow. Calia's aim was much improved since my last visit.

* * * * *

My mother put a cherry into her mouth and raised her eyebrows as I arrived. "I wondered if you really had arrived last night or if I had just dreamt it all." She dropped the pit into her spoon and selected another cherry.

My father smiled, putting away his newspaper. "Good to see you, son."

There was more gray along the sides of his hair than I remembered from my last visit. I sat down. "It's good to be here."

Casually spreading some jam onto toast, my mother said, "We wondered whether we'd have to wait until dinner before seeing you today." She took a bite and watched me. "You are being well taken care of?"

"Yes, Mother. Actually, very well. Thank you for asking. It really is good to be here. I apologize to you both for my tardiness." A young serving girl brought a covered plate to my seat, removed the cover, and stepped back. I glanced her as I thanked her. I didn't recognize her. She smiled shyly as she stood by the serving cart.

"Calia has missed you a great deal," my mother continued. "It's not fair to keep her so far away and to wait so long between visits. Now that you are settled in your new job, you need to make arrangements to have her come live with you."

"It's called a posting, Mother." I looked at my father. He shook his head and smiled as he ate in silence. No help there. "Having her there would be difficult at this time. I've already discussed this with Calia."

I started eating. Scrambled eggs. Curried potato and ham. Salad with yogurt and mint dressing. Cherries and star fruit. The curry was a treat. I'd forgotten how much I'd missed Vedan-style cooking.

My father sipped his black tea, piping hot, with cream, sugar, and cardamom. While he made it clear he wasn't going to intervene in my mother's interrogation, he listened and watched the discussion with interest.

The tea smelled good so I poured myself a cup.

My mother narrowed her gaze. "What is there to discuss, Ranji? Calia is your personal servant. You are an officer in the Warrior Caste. She should be there to cook and clean for you. She is supposed to take care of you. These years while you've been gone, she has kept busy learning and reading. Calia is articulate, companionable, and devoted to you. I don't understand this reluctance! Ranji! Surely you don't intend to dismiss her?"

I shook my head. "Certainly not, Mother. I care for Calia and I would never do that to her. No, there's someone else." My mother stonily sat back into her chair as I told them about Janetta and my love for her. I also told them about Janetta's denial, but left out the attack in the hangar and what we did with the attackers. If that episode ever got out, I wanted my parents to be able to truthfully deny all knowledge of the incident.

When I was done, she speared a star fruit and proceeded to cut it into small pieces. "I suppose it was to be expected," she said. "At least she's an officer. What will you do about children, Ranji? Women warriors cannot become pregnant. You are our only child, and past due starting a family of your own." Irritated, she kept cutting the pieces smaller and smaller until she dropped both fork and knife into the fruity mush.

I shrugged. "I don't know, Mother. Janetta loves flying, and she will not willingly give it up. Nor will I ask that of her. She is making a decision about me, about whether she will risk her heart for love. I hope that she will. Calia has asked for a child, and .. I will consider it. Once Janetta chooses, I will explore my options about children. Trust me, I do not intend to leave your House empty."

"Our House," my mother corrected. "Yours, too, Ranji." There was some hurt in her eyes.

My father nodded, his gaze on me.

"Our House, of course," I amended.

The rest of the morning passed more pleasantly. Then my father had to leave for Tohingo to check in on his research projects. I carried a basket while my mother trimmed flowers in the garden and selected bouquets for dinner and the drawing room.

Afterwards I went for a run alone on one of the mountain trails on the family estate. Ten rads over hilly terrain. It was satisfying exercise, but even this high up in the mountains, it was still summer and sweaty work.

Once done, I took a quick bath, and then Calia found me. I had said nothing about my plans and yet here she was. She set up her table and for an hour, she oiled and massaged my body. She had been dressed when she started, but when she climbed onto the back of my legs to work my lower back, I felt skin on skin. Her hands felt like magic.

Calia lifted up and patted my bare butt. "Over."

I turned over and she moved up to my chest and sat down. Her eyes were full of desire, her nipples hard.

"I thought we were done for the day," I commented. "At least until tonight."

"Time flies too fast and not enough memories," she murmured. "Besides, I have my mouth, my breasts, and my ass to please you with." Leaning over me, she reached for the bottle of oil, then began working on my shoulders and chest. Her breasts swayed as her hands kneaded. I could feel the wetness from her folds leaking onto my belly as she worked. My erection grew as she continued giving me attention, but I kept my hands still, watching and enjoying her attention.

As she scooted back, her wet lips caressed me, sliding along my hard shaft. My crown brushed under her clit. I inhaled at the sensation. Calia bit her lip, but kept on task. Her hands rubbed oil onto my breasts and ribs while her slick crevice ground against me. Slowly she moved. Moment by moment, she leaked more wetness, coating my shaft as her hips rocked over me. Her breathing deepened. The sensations were pleasurable for me, too.

"I-- I'm sorry, Ranji. At the moment .. I am unable to finish your thighs and legs." Calia rocked faster, rubbing her clit along my thick member. Several locks of hair came loose from her simple ponytail, framing her face. "I hope you .. Ohhhhhh .. you don't mind?"

Her eyes followed me when I reached over for the bottle of oil and poured some into my hands and oiled them up. Reaching up, I plied her soft breasts. She bit her lower lip as she worked her hips and I kneaded her sensitive flesh. Pinching and rolling her nipples. Calia moaned, then leaned forward, rubbing herself vigorously against my shaft, gasping for air. Her warm brown eyes searched mine. I saw vulnerability, lust, and longing.




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 06



Then she arched and shoved back and suddenly I was buried within her warm, wet heat. Sliding deep, her swollen lips swallowed me whole, kissing my groin wetly as my crown brushed against her womb. Calia cried out, grinding and pressing herself onto me. I felt the twitching within her walls, the wash of her pussy gushing wetness as she sobbed her release.

"Hold on," I said, lifting up.

Her arms went about my neck, panting heavily as she tried to catch her breath. "Oh, by all the gods, you feel so good."

I turned, slipping my arms under her legs, grasping her butt. I walked around the room, each step pushing my cock against one side of her tunnel, then stretching the other. Calia hooked her legs around my waist, groaning, leaning her head on my shoulder.

"You wanted it hard and fast, Calia?"

She lifted up her head. "Hard and fast, long and slow. Any way you want to give it to me, my beloved. Just so I feel you fill me up."

"You know I love Janetta, Calia."

"I see that in your eyes. It does not change how I feel for you, Ranji." She kissed me. "I loved you long before you left for the academy. I have ached for your return. Whatever happens, I will be here, waiting for you, grateful for whatever affection you bestow. I know of no exquisite sensation greater and imagine no greater joy than right now, feeling your hard cock stretching me wide for your pleasure."

Using both of my hands, I lifted her off my long shaft. I saw the flicker of fear that I would pull out, then the relief and pleasure as I pulled her close, impaling her slick sheath once again. Firmly I repeated my actions, moving faster each time. Soon, my hips were slamming into her open center. Calia cried out each time her engorged labia engulfed my cock and my balls slapped her soaked pussy. Grunting, I felt my crown part her sensitive folds, spreading her wide, plowing within her slick center until I pushed into her slick, sensuous core. Faster and harder I pounded into her, the friction drawing us both tighter toward release. My balls tingled as I slid in and out of her. As I pulled her home, my cock swelled and spewed hot, sticky streams against her womb.

Calia jerked when the first stream splashed her walls. "Yes! Oh, yes! Fuck me!" Shivering, she gripped me tightly, trying to take me even deeper into her pussy.

Leaning down, I kissed her cheek and she reached up to meet my mouth with her own. Hearts hammering, sweaty and slick and feeling good, we both gasped for air. When we were both breathing more normally, I set her gently down on the massage table and pulled out.

Without a word, we went to the bathroom. Calia put her long hair into a towel to keep it dry and we stepped into the shower. Both of us sated for the moment, it was casual, reminiscent of the many times we'd done this before I'd left for the Air Service. I washed her back and then she washed mine. Finishing quickly, Calia toweled me dry, and then we headed back to my room.

She thought I hadn't seen it, but when she was in the closet selecting fresh clothing, she glanced back at me and nearly lost it, her lower lip trembling. Then with a steadying breath, she was all smiles again.

I would take care of her. How could I repay such loyalty by discarding her? The answer was I couldn't and wouldn't. Somehow I'd make this all work out.

I dressed and she went to her own room to do the same.

* * * * *

My parents waited in the drawing room until Calia joined us, and then we moved to the dining room for the evening meal. Almost immediately, she and my mother began talking household gossip. Who was getting married, how the children of such-and-such a servant were doing, and how much or how little one child resembled one parent or another. My father watched them and me with an amused smile. The meal itself was exceptional, as usual, and dessert was lime meringue with coconut ice cream. Focusing on the food was safer.

After the meal, the four of us retired back to the drawing room, where Calia and my mother continued unabated. Then they began discussing children's names and their meanings. My father cleared his throat and suggested he and I step out into the garden to talk. I readily agreed. They watched my exit like hungry dire wolves helplessly watching their prey escape.

Standing half in light and half in shadow, he pulled out his pipe, stuffed it with tobacco, and lit it. For several long moments, we were quiet while he puffed and worked the flame down to a low heat before taking a long draw. After the barrage of mother and Calia, I was grateful for the silence. The night sky was splendid, though some of it was spoiled by the light spilling out from the house. I followed as he stepped into the darkness..

"I apologize for your mother, Son," he said quietly. "She's come to love Calia like a daughter. And she wants you to be happy and taken care of by a good woman. Your Janetta is an unknown, and from what you've told us, not even a sure thing, despite what you wish for. Don't hold what they do against them."

"I won't." And I truly didn't.

In the shadows of the night, I saw him look up while he pulled out his pipe. "Starlight gleaming," he said.

I smiled at the familiar line. We'd had many discussions with this as a lead in.

Heard him fiddle with the pipe while he continued speaking. "The stars above us, whether a handful of light years away or thousands, all shine not just for us on our world but also for all the other billions of worlds out in the cosmos. Some of those stars are dead but we don't know it yet because the flare of their nova hasn't reached us. And still other unseen stars are birthing, and the light they bring is still traveling toward us. We are but a small piece in the grand scheme of the universe."

On a philosophical level, it was a truth. But the metaphor also applied to our daily lives, where we act with those around us, yet are also drawn into or are buffeted by the actions of greater forces around us. I rarely see the night sky with all the glittering colors of distant suns winking and sparkling above us without thinking of my father and his words.

There was a brief flare as he used his lighter again. He puffed several times to draw up the flame and the acrid smoke wafted around us, finally burning on its own. Then his voice dropped lower, and he asked, "What do you know about the extra-terrestrials, Ranji? The aliens who visit our planet?"

"I'm a tree ready to bear fruit," I replied, meaning I would listen to his words with my full attention. Did he know about my experience flying out to High Guard?

"Humph. What I'm about to tell you isn't for mass consumption. Psychic ability. Some humans have it, but it's weak. Touch, strong emotion, and energy barrier fields seem to help with telempathy, distance viewing, and many other skills. A few hundred years ago, there were reports of verifiable talents. Within the Empire itself, the Pano were developing genuine telepathy. Calia herself is quite empathic. Similar abilities were showing up in a half dozen other places across the world. Then the Falling Sickness hit and those with the talents died. What we've found is that the virus that killed them was artificial. Designed to target specific genetic markers, markers we believe are essential to psychic ability. Three million across the world died due to an artificial disease, Ranji. At the time the disease hit, the technology to create it was beyond the capability of every human nation.

"The aliens themselves all seem to have some psychic ability. We don't know if it is natural, enhanced by technology, or entirely artificial. Probably differs from race to race. There is a theory that their knowledge of electro-magnetism is related. We do know they are able to create energy fields -- paralysis fields if you will, that affect us at the neuro level, making us helpless to all they wish to do while they move freely about, and then affect and suppress memories."

He took several long pulls on his pipe before continuing. "We also know they are able to enforce their will on their targets post visitation with varying degrees of success. And, disturbingly, their nano-tech is still better than ours, though we are catching up quickly. We are getting better and faster at finding the implants they put within the humans they have marked. They tag humans like we mark wild animals." I was surprised at the bitterness I heard, but understood it well enough. He continued.

"Humans, unlike most other animals, are receptive sexually nearly all the time. There is a claim that this is deliberate, that our evolution has been manipulated on purpose, so that humans will sexually service one or more of the alien races. The notion doesn't stand up well, though, as human technology is fast approaching that of the aliens among us. We are getting better at resisting."

"It stands up if they knock us down," I countered. "Despite the advances in technology, we continue to be at odds with Atlantis and Aesir-Veda. What if fostering this international rivalry was their idea to keep us from reaching the stars ourselves? And it wouldn't take much to send us back to the stone age. No, Father, not so far-fetched."

"Hmm. Others have raised such points, but I don't agree. But it's irrelevant to my point. We are working on a way to shield ourselves from their paralysis field, and to detect if any one is human or alien with a subtle detection scan. Mostly, these shape-shifters seem to be draconians. However we haven't ruled out this deception being practiced by the Greys or any of the other half-dozen aliens who walk among us. Of course, the Vanir don't even need to disguise themselves. Though often tall for humans and exceptionally attractive, they look blonde and light-skinned, like Aesirs and some Atlanteans."

Some this news explained why many of the aliens had been expelled from the Empire more than twenty years ago.

My father stirred the tobacco in his pipe with another match, then took a few puffs while I digested his words. "The Greys continue to conduct experiments, exploring what alterations will trigger what disease. They often copulate with their victim, and they are collecting eggs and sperm. Recently, it was discovered they have even molested the Emperor and Empress. Naturally, the Emperor is furious. We have been directed to improve the detector scan, and to see what we can develop that will provide some sort of defense against future incursions and discover weapons to punish them."

It was then I told him about my own experience with the Greys using an EMP weapon on the transport I was on. I also told him that the aircraft had the bulk of its electronics in the ancient test tube technology from the last century, and how the older tech was apparently immune to the EMP attack.

He was thoughtful for a bit, then said, "So you were the difference in six men's lives. That is no small thing, Son. I still think you are wasted where you are, as you could be helping us deal with the underlying cause. Stay where you are if you insist. Instead, I challenge you to read up on the research. I will send you papers and articles. Will you read them?"

"Certainly, Father. And I can ask you questions about what you send?"

"Of course! Tomorrow I'll give you an encryption key to use with electronic mail." He drew several long puffs, sending the acrid spicy smell into the night. "Good," he replied approvingly. "Yes, very good."

I was less enthusiastic. If the attacks of those Grey Bastards continued, how long before the Empire challenged Atlantis openly, demanded they bring their allies in check? How long before we entered global war? There were almost a billion people on the earth, and the loss of life would be catastrophic. Would the world be even recognizable afterward?

* * * * *

The rest of my stay went quickly. Calia did everything she could to arouse me, and I responded to her ardent wishes. And I often awoke to find her quietly watching me. I told her she was running herself ragged, and in truth there were hollows under her eyes. But she would just kiss me and curl up next to me.

After lunch on the fourth day I packed my duffle bag and headed out to the car. I had expected Calia to see me off, but there was no sign of her. Father had left earlier that morning for Tohingo, returning to his many research projects. My mother noticed me looking for Calia and she archly asked me what did I expect? "She can't bear to see you leave her again. I don't blame her, as we see too little of you ourselves."

I nodded as I hugged her goodbye. "I love you, Mother. Take care of yourself and Father."

She ruffled my hair. "You both are my life, Son. Keep writing and calling. That way we know you think of us while you gallivant in strange places for the Empire."

After promising to keep in contact, I got in the back seat of the electric sedan and the driver began to pull out. I caught sight of something moving in the mirror and I turned and looked back. Calia was running down the driveway after us, her scarf and shift flailing behind her.

"Stop!" I told the driver. When he did, I got out and she flew into my arms. Clung to me. I lifted her face and kissed her forehead.

Tears streamed from her eyes, trying her best to keep it together while she squeezed me tightly, her hands digging into me.

"Come on," I told her quietly. "Why don't you ride with us?"

Calia just nodded and climbed into the back seat beside me. I moved into the corner, and she curled up on the seat, laying her head on my lap. My hand went to her shoulder in comfort as we started the long drive down the mountain. She was a good woman and deserved better than I could give her. Still, I resolved to do my best for her.

* * * * *

Leaving Calia at the gates of Sentry War base was difficult but High Guard and Janetta both called for my return. Even if Janetta refused to make a decision, that in itself was still a decision.

On a hunch, instead of flying straight to High Guard, I caught a transport flying west to Tikun. I arrived in less than an hour.

The humid summer heat hit me like a lash when I disembarked. Storing my duffle in a locker, I walked to Security to see Senior Sergeant Itznacoco. When the older man saw me, he gave me a sour look. "Aren't you supposed to be at High Guard?"

I nodded. "There are things to discuss here, though, Sergeant. You have time for a walk?"

He raised his eyebrows for about two seconds and then grabbed his garrison cap from his belt and put it on. I led and he followed.

Out in the middle of the street near the base cafeteria I stopped, looking him square in the eyes. "A couple of things, and I'd appreciate straight answers, even if it's no comment. Rather that than half-truths or outright lies." A half-smile from him, waiting for me to continue. "All right. First, if officers are being tracked, it makes no sense to not also track enlisted. Why did you say officers instead of service personnel? Why feed me that garbage?" I paused, but he didn't answer. "Second, I strongly suspect you are undercover Imperial Security. Should I address you as Sir when we're alone?"

Another pause. I dug out the flash drive I had prepared before my trip and handed it to him. "I've been working Supply and Logistics since I arrived at High Guard. For the moment, I've not yet started in Ops. There are some damned strange things going on. Casual and subtle, but still strange. There's a spreadsheet with invoices, dates, and vehicle tracking information. HueCacs and ChoCacs have been coming into High Guard regularly for years. Going back the past five years, almost two thousand vehicles are unaccounted for, transferred to units that don't exist. My access won't allow me to go back further. Most of the base gets around on foot, even officers. Enlisted use hand-drawn wagons to carry goods, and the wheels aren't rubber. They're wood!"

I was on a roll. "Foreign nationals have free access to nearly all parts of the base. High Guard is less than a thousand rads from Atlantis itself. The Commissary has quite a business there selling casual labor on a daily basis. Three, the Quartermaster's Office is charging extra for base housing, and it's in the hundreds of credits per unit. Janetta and her crew are in a two-bedroom cottage and they paid a twelve hundred credit move-in fee and pay eight hundred credits a month, plus utilities. Base housing for assigned personnel should be one-third gross pay. I looked it up in the Ministry of War regs. As a sublieutenant earning seven hundred and twenty credits a month, it should only cost her two hundred and forty credits.

"On top of that, the housing construction itself is sub-standard. I had an electronics specialist evaluate the wiring in one residence. None of them appear to be field-reinforced in case of hurricane. I haven't had a chance to see what kind of storm defenses are in place, but if this is any indication, High Guard is a disaster waiting to happen. A heavy storm could knock us out for weeks, even months! However, I don't have a good reason to poke my nose down at the sea wall without attracting attention."

Senior Sergeant Itznacoco looked at the flash drive thoughtfully, then back at me.

"Four, solar panels come in, but very few are in place. None of the housing units have panels. Instead, everyone pays electric fees when we should be selling the excess electricity to the Seven Nations. The transport I came in on had two full crates full of panels. Enough for a dozen buildings. But the wiring in the houses themselves? Well, if we put in anything more than the half-height fridge assigned to the building, it will likely blow a breaker." I shook my head. "High Guard is supposed to be our front line against Atlantis. I'm not privy to the base defense systems. If they shortcut on the personnel so much, what's to keep them from doing the same with defenses? If the Atlanteans sent over a decent sortie of a couple companies and a dozen aircraft, they might even be able to destroy us! High Guard is like an overripe fruit hanging on the vine, ready to be knocked to the ground."

The sergeant took a breath, then, "Come with me, Kandikan." He turned and headed back to Security. Instead of going into the office, however, he headed for a HueCac electric transport parked in a Second Sergeant's space and motioned for me to get in. He hopped into the driver seat, turned it on as I slid into the passenger seat, and we headed to the base gates. Once through, he drove about three rads and then pulled over.

This was the same road that led to Barakan Mountain and Chingli Point. Off to the right were fields of beans and squash, grown for feeding the service personnel at Tikun War base. Far from the road, a half dozen peasants worked in the heat of the afternoon, tending the crops. Now that we were stopped, I sweated and my shirt stuck to my body.

"I knew you'd figure some of it out," he said, leaning back into his seat. "The question was what you'd do with it. Now I know. As to your other issues. Yes, we can track enlisted, but it has to be set in motion first, not as an afterthought. In two years, however, that will change. Yes, I'm with Imperial Security. You react well under pressure and under crisis, so I deliberate fed you subtle clues and you bit. As far as you are concerned, however, I am a Senior Sergeant and that's the end of it. As for the other? We've had suspicions about some what you brought to me, but it's politically sensitive, meaning some high ranking Warrior and Priest families are involved in the graft. We'll confirm what you've given to me. As for you, well, let's see. Your exploits on the Condor were noted by those higher, and not just because you've been sleeping with Tlacotli or because of your father, though all three together are quite the alarm bell." He turned to face me. "Your father checked out a second encryption randomizer key from Tohingo. Did he give it to you?"




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 06



I nodded.

"Good. Use it. I'll have another one sent to you so that we can communicate as well. Later on, I'll get you a new computer with the encryption keys built in. Keep the keys secure. I'll put in new orders for you when we get back."

"New orders?" I protested. "I'm at High Guard. I don't want to go anywhere else."

He turned the electric vehicle around and began driving back to Tikun War base. The wind from driving was a relief from the thick, humid heat. Heat I can do, but humidity too? Plain awful.

"Relax, Kandikan. It's not permanent. You can stay with Tlacotli. It's for six weeks advanced training. At Sparanztlo."

Sparanztlo? The training base for Imperial Security? "Fuck! Make that Seven Hells and double fuck."

The Senior Sergeant laughed. "I knew you'd enjoy hearing that. The official reason is that you are being questioned further on your flight's attack by the Greys." Then he looked serious. "Look, you really don't have a choice, Kandikan. You've come to the attention of some who would like to see you have an accident. A permanent one that might include people around you. I'm not sure even your parents would be safe, and your father is really important to us. Don't resist this. Once you are done with the training, some additional doors will open for you. And it will make it harder for those who mean you ill to strike out at you. You think High Guard is in danger. I agree. You will be part of remedying this situation."

"Seven Hells," I repeated. "All three hot, all three cold, and the one in between them all."

Itznacoco laughed all the way back to the base.

Once inside the base again, I asked him, "Why the trip outside? That wasn't necessary for what you told me."

He grinned. "Actually, it probably was. I'm watched, too, Kandikan. A decent sound scope can pick up conversation at up to five hundred feet. Not everyone who works in Imperial Security has the Emperor's interests at heart. Unfortunately, some put lesser masters above the Empire. They will puzzle for days, maybe weeks trying to figure out what we were about."

Terrific, I thought sarcastically. High Guard was rife with corruption and apparently Imperial Security was too. Shit, shit, shit.

Itznacoco drove me back to the hangar where my duffle bag was stored. "Say, Kandikan. Zoubat had a stunner registered to him. You don't happen to still have it by any chance?"

I nodded.

"Get rid of it. The serial number on the processor is registered to him. I'll get you another." I fished it out of my pocket and tossed it to him. He looked incredulous as he stuffed it into his own pocket. "Gods of North and South! That's done at least. You have a side arm of your own? No? Get one. Something with stopping power. A smaller one for backup would also be good. Good luck, Kandikan. Safe flight, safe return."

My head snapped up at the phrase. Air Controllers used it when aircraft left the field. I'd never heard him use it before. I nodded, oddly pleased. Both of us, at least on the surface, were supposed to be Air Service. "If it's not too presumptuous, my best to your wife, Sergeant."

His dark eyes clouded, a mixture of sadness and pain. "She's gone six years, Kandikan. No way you would have known that, of course. After she lost our child, she tried for another. I didn't know and shortly afterward, I was away on a special assignment. She hadn't healed quite right after the beating Zoubat gave her. Something went wrong and she bled out before anyone found her. Her name was Nic'te. She wanted to give me a son so badly. She was one of a kind."

"I'm sorry," was all I could think of. But I meant it.

The Senior Sergeant shook his head. "Don't be. Had I tried anything against Zoubat, it would have cost my sister and her family as well as myself. Because of you, my wife's spirit can now enter the Land of the Dead." He looked at his watch. "You'd better get a move on, Kandikan. The next transport heading east leaves in ten minutes. It's a three hour wait for the next one." With that, he drove off.

I grabbed my duffle and ran out to the hangar where the transport, another Condor, was powering up and closing up its rear door. Running full out, I yelled as I closed the distance, managing to hop onto the ramp just as the hydraulics were lifting up.

The flight engineer gave me a black look for having to pause the lock down. He ordered me to find a seat and buckle in while he finished securing the door. I found one and slipping on the head gear and pulling out my flight jacket from my duffle bag, I settled in for the long ride back to High Guard. I had much to think about, so naturally my tired brain promptly dozed off.

* * * * *

I woke up as we touched down at High Guard War base. My neck was stiff but I started moving it and it began loosening up.

I presented my orders to the Security officer, and because I already had quarters, ignored the Quartermaster Sergeant. Because of the three hour flight and the two hour time difference, it was already after Eighth Hour in the evening when I arrived. I wanted my vehicle, a hot meal, a shower, and then I wanted to see Janetta.

At the Storage Yard by the runway, I entered the Security Station. The corporal saluted. "Can I help you, sir?"

"I want my HueCac. I left it here four days ago."

He glanced at my name, then scanned through the logbook. Then he swallowed. "It's been commandeered, Sir."

"What?" I pulled the logbook over and scanned it. Checked out by Senior Lieutenant Zinochtli. I fumed. I wouldn't let him fuck Ixma, and now he's going out of his way to be a pain in my ass? I took a breath. "Make a copy of that page, Corporal."

"Sir?"

I pointed to the pip on my collar. "Officer. You're enlisted. I said, make a copy of that page. That's my proof that the vehicle is no longer in my possession."

"I can't. It's not allowed, sir."

I narrowed my eyes. "Fine. Step outside."

"Sir, I --"

"Lieutenant Kandikan?"

I turned to see Second Sergeant Zinja standing there, a grease smudge on her nose and a toolkit on her belt. She must have just come from Janetta's hangar. "Sergeant. Corporal, I said step outside."

"That's not allowed either, sir--"

Smash!

We both whipped around. Zinja stood in the corner, wrench in hand, and the office security camera lay on the floor in pieces. She raised the wrench again in the corporal's direction. "You were telling my Lieutenant?"

I turned back to the corporal.

"Fine," he muttered, scooting by and slamming the door to the small office.

I grinned at Zinja as I grabbed the logbook and went to the copier. "What brings you here? Not that I'm not delighted to see you, Second Sergeant."

She gave me an odd look. "I got a call from Security at Tikun War base. Said you'd be getting in about now. Sorry I'm late." She secured the wrench onto her belt. Then she went to the recorder and removed the storage disk, slipping it into her breast pocket. Wiped the controls down with her greasy rag.

Itznacoco. I shook my head, collected the copy, and put the logbook back onto the desk. I exited, followed by Zinja. "All yours," I told the corporal.

"What about the camera?" he yelled.

"What camera?" I yelled back.

Zinja flashed me a grin, got into the driver's seat, flipped the ignition, and the HueCac hummed to life. I tossed my duffle in the back and climbed into the passenger side. The wheels crunched in gravel as we turned around, and then we were off, the whine of rubber on asphalt overwhelming the sound of the electric engine.

"She needs to see you, sir," Zinja said. We were covering ground at a pretty good clip, faster than the speed limit. "She's a right mess, she is."

"Did she send for me?"

"No, sir. Just after you left, her commander ordered her for a physical, and she failed it. Diagnosis of exhaustion. She has another exam in three days. If there's no improvement, they are going to transfer her out."

"Is her commander fucking her?"

She glanced at me. "No. Captain Tanosca has actually made it clear to the other pilots she is under his protection. By all accounts, he loves his wife and is an honorable warrior. Please, will you see her?"

"Have you eaten dinner, Sergeant?"

"Uh, yes, sir."

"I haven't. I want a hot meal and a hot shower and clean clothes. Then I will go see Janetta."

Zinja drove me to my quarters first. I showered and changed while she waited for me in my stuffy little ten by twelve room. Fortunately, at the moment, I had no roommate. Then we went to the base cafeteria, and I went to the enlisted section so Zinja could sit with me. As a sergeant, she wasn't allowed in the officer's section. While it was frowned on, officers could and sometimes did eat in the enlisted area with their command.

I knew I was hungry, yet I can't recall what it was I ate. I do recall having three cups of cahault. I glanced at my watch. Just an hour since my return to High Guard War base. Zinja nursed a beer.

During the meal, I showed her the photocopy. "Zinochtli. That name is important," I told her. "He tried to fuck Ixma before I left, but I wouldn't let him. He took my vehicle, which means he's made it personal. Watch your daughter, Sergeant. Keep her close. I'll do what I can to get you a picture of him. Chanotl, too. He hangs around Zinochtli."

She pursed her lips, then finished her beer in two swallows. "Yes, sir."

"Okay," I said, standing up. "Let's go see Janetta."

We bussed our table, and got into the HueCac. Outside, it was nearing dusk, and the lights blinked on. As she backed up and turned us around, I asked her, "What will you do if she decides she doesn't want me?"

"Then I will kick my Lieutenant's ass, sir. She wants you. She just won't admit it."

"And if she still refuses?"

She sighed unhappily. "The Air Service will break us up. I'd rather not think about that until it comes to it, if you don't mind, sir."

"You said your family were Free Farmers?"

"Once upon a time. The lands were sold to pay for my time in the hospital. The Air Service is my only home now, sir."

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes, sir. Why?"

"If things fall apart, get Ixma out of the Service. We both know she's too gentle to survive on her own, and it may be some time before I can get my own staff. However, my parents have a large estate near Tohingo. She'd be safe there."

Zinja stopped the vehicle and turned to me. "You'd do that? For her?"

"I marked her as my own, didn't I? You can stay in for your thirty and get your pension. In the meantime, she will be safe, cared for, learning more skills while she waits for you."

"You mean that, don't you. Of course you do. You've been taking care of all of us from the day you arrived here. Even before that, too, at Tikun. All right. I'll keep it in mind, Lieutenant. Thank you, sir." She started driving again.

A few minutes later, we arrived. I stepped into the cottage first, followed by Zinja. Sergeant Cholan, seated at the vid-comp, took off her headphones and grinned when she saw me. Corporal Ixma, in the kitchen, put her hands to her mouth, bounced up and down a couple times, then twirled around. It had been a week since I'd seen Ixma and about three since I'd seen Cholan.

"Greetings, Ladies. It's good to see you. If you'll pardon my rudeness, I have someone else to see first."

Ixma went to her mother, and the three of them watched me enter the hallway. I tapped on the door twice, and hearing no answer, entered the stuffy bedroom. She was lying on her belly on top of the sheets, naked.

"Go away, Zinja," Janetta muttered. "I told you I'm not hungry and I don't want to be bothered."

I stepped inside and closed the door.

Once, she had called me a pansy ass. And here she was, wallowing in pride and self pity. Worse, the women in the other room depended on her and her self-destruction threatened them with an uncertain future. I walked over to the side of her bed, and putting one hand to the small of her back, quickly delivered three hard smacks to her left butt cheek, and for good measure, three more to the other.

Janetta swore and struggled, and when I let her up, she blinked, her hand rubbing her backside. "Kandikan? What the fuck are you doing here? And why did you hit me?"

I flipped on the light and the fan. Janetta covered her eyes a moment, then snarled and jumped up.

I scowled. "You aren't hurt, pansy ass. And I got your attention, didn't I?"

The room was a sty. Dirty laundry on the floor. Janetta's thick black hair was a mass of tangles. She'd lost weight, and had huge bags under her eyes.

Janetta advanced, arms up and growling, ready to claw me. I grabbed her arms and held them. She leaned closer. "I don't need you. I don't need any man."

"On one level, that's true enough. You are a capable woman, able to do amazing things without a man -- when you aren't shut in your room feeling sorry for yourself. Every one has the choice to open their heart to love. And love creates its own needs."

"You fucked up my head, Kandikan! Fucked it up till I don't know right from left, day from night, or wise from stupid. What are you trying to do to me? Why are you here? To finish the job? Because--because all I want to do is die from the hurting." Tears spilled from her eyes as she gritted her teeth and pressed up against me, angry and defiant.

I pulled her wrists behind her back, drawing up her against my chest. "And there it is. It's easy to fuck and walk away and not look back. But when someone shows you some kindness, and cares about whether you enjoy yourself too, that's different. Your head says complication but your heart wants more of that kind of attention, and before you know it, your heart has decided for you. Love can make you vulnerable, Janetta, but it doesn't make you weak. I told you before, two together are stronger than one alone. For weeks you have faced the darkness and quailed in fear, afraid to admit your own feelings. You say you don't need me? Fine. Then the question is, warrior filled with pride, do you want me?"

She took a deep breath, held it, and with the exhale the fight went out of her. "Yes, Ranji," she said, lips trembling. "Gods help me, I want you so much. It hurts so bad."

Once I released her arms, they flew around my neck, pulling me down for a kiss full of hunger and aching need. I met her mouth and responded in kind.

When we broke for air, I pushed her back a bit. "Ground rules, Janetta. You physically injured me last time. I love you, but I won't put up with you hurting me like that. I won't be your punching bag. And I won't be baited into hurting you, either."

She looked ashamed. "I didn't mean it, Ranji. I slipped. I really didn't mean to hurt you."

"I need an apology, Janetta."

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Ranji." She put her hands on my chest. "Please hold me? Make love to me? I have missed you so much."

"I love you, Janetta." I caressed her face, and she nuzzled my palm. "Do you love me?"

"Yes!" she cried, then quieter, "I love you, too, Ranji. Are we okay now?"

I put my hands on her shoulders. "You are a mess, Janetta."

Janetta got a sly look in her eyes. "I could order you, you know. I outrank you now."

It was good to see the spark in her eyes. However. "Try it, and you'll earn another spanking. I'll be honest with you Janetta. From the first time I saw you, I wanted you. After you jumped me in the cleaning closet, all I knew was I wanted a repeat in the worst way, and I even fantasized taking you even if you weren't willing. But after what happened to you and the others in the hangar? I knew I could never take you against your will. The reality is too shameful, too cowardly. When you give your body to me, it is pure joy. To hurt you in that manner would be ashes in my mouth, Janetta. Now if you want to roleplay later, I am willing to try a few things. But don't ever seriously try ordering me around. Are we clear?"

She nodded slowly, then more vigorously.

"Good," I grinned. "Grab your kit and hit the rain locker. If you hurry, I might scrub your back."

Her big black eyes lit up. "We've never done anything in water before." She rushed to her dresser, grabbed some things from a top drawer, fussing about for a clean towel. Janetta paused. "It's awful tight in there, you know. Think we'll fit?"

"It has before. The shower is small, too, but we'll be fine."

She rolled her eyes as she grinned with excitement, and arms full, she scurried to the shower without a stitch on.

I stepped out into the living room, and three faces looked at me expectantly. "She's going to take a shower--"

"Thank the gods!" Cholan said loudly.

"I heard that!" came Janetta's muffled voice from the bathroom.

Her sass was back and all three women beamed happily.

"Zinja? Please put together a large plate of cold food for her. Plenty of meat if you have it. A cold drink, non-alcoholic. Cholan and Ixma, I'm going to join her. Will you please police her room? Fresh sheets on the bed, collect her dirty clothes, and leave the door open to help air it out."

Zinja started preparing the plate. Cholan and Ixma followed me into the bedroom and set to work. I began undressing, hanging up my uniform on a spare hanger. When I got to my underwear, both of them were putting on a set of shiny black sheets onto the bed, but they stopped and watched as I put my hands on the waistband of my underwear. Clearing my throat, I decided to leave it on until I made it to the bathroom. I heard Cholan mutter, "Almost." Ignoring her, I went over to the bed and examined the sheets.

"Those look impressive." I stroked the fabric. "Are these actually silk?"

Ixma nodded. "You told me to get something special for everyone. Tonight seems the perfect night to give them to her. I hope she likes them."

"You did good, Corporal. You did really good."

Ixma flushed with the praise. Cholan brought in a scented candle and lit it. I left for the bathroom while they finished up.

Hearing the miserable, meager stream coming from the shower, I remembered my earlier mental note to do something about it. Later, I told myself. Dropping my underwear, I opened the curtain and slid inside the narrow cubicle.

Janetta immediately turned to me, touching my chest. "Ranji? Do I have to wait? It's been weeks. I know it's my fault, but I want to feel you inside me." Her hands moved down my belly and caressed my cock.

"You understand we aren't leaving until you are clean. Even if the hot water runs out." My shaft hardened under her touch. She caressed it more firmly, stroking the head and gently cupping my balls.

"I don't care if it runs out." She moved closer, standing on her toes, aiming me toward her swollen cleft.

I slipped a finger along her groove and felt the heat within, touched the slick juices leaking from her pussy, her labia engorged with arousal. Leaning down, I kissed her. Moving my hands to her butt, I lifted her up. Moaning into our kiss, Janetta used one hand to guide me in while her legs opened and wrapped around my waist. Pushing within her soft folds, she hugged me, humping to take me deeper.

"Oh, gods! Ohhhhh! Take me!"

Pressing her against the shower wall, I began working myself deeper within her slick heat. When my balls rested on her butt, she groaned, squeezing her legs tighter. Within a dozen strokes, she cried out, shivering and bucking on my shaft, her inner walls throbbing around me. I kissed her and waited for her to calm down.

She looked puzzled. "Why did you stop? I want to feel you come inside me, Ranji. I need to know we're okay."

I kissed her cheek, nuzzled her neck. Then I saw her eyes were struggling. With the release of orgasm, her body was finally succumbing to exhaustion. I pulled out and set her onto her feet.

"Time to wash, now."

Grabbing the shampoo, I squirted a generous amount into her thick black mass and set to lathering it up. Letting it set for a bit, I soaped up her back, butt, and legs.




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 07



My alarm went of at Sixth Hour. I got up and shut it off, dressing quickly. The curtains that came with the cottage were thin and gauzy, barely filtering the light. Having a place of our own was nice, but I was quickly realizing just how shoddy and miserable our quarters really were, and at extortionate rates. In the back of my mind were rumbling ideas on how to deal with the mess we were in.

I looked at Janetta, hugging her pillow and sleeping on her belly. Her delectable backside, smooth skin, and firm butt with her mossy grotto peeking from between her legs a tribute to the innate beauty of woman, and especially this woman. I was tempted to wake her as she'd awakened me but three hours earlier. I considered using my tongue to caress those soft, delicate folds guarding the way to her innermost sanctum. Regretfully, I had a lot to do. As her breathing deepened, she began to snore. I chuckled. She did need her sleep.

After shaving, I went into the common area. Zinja and Ixma were already awake. Ixma peeled potatoes and Zinja chopped vegetables. Both were in their cyan class B summer dress, comprising short sleeves, loose trousers and boots, with their cyan berets in their back pockets. Ixma wore the neckerchief over her braided hair with the red and black ribbons.

I smelled hot cahault brewing, and grabbing a cup, filled it from the pot.

"Morning, Lieutenant," Zinja said. Ixma grinned, flushing, until her mother bumped her with her shoulder to get her attention.

"Morning, Sergeant. Corporal." I waved the cup toward them. "Thanks."

Zinja nodded, taking a sip from her own cup, before setting the large skillet onto the burner. "Least we could do as you've been buying for all of us. I see she's eating again. She sleeping? Good. She was badly lovesick and didn't know it. We're glad you two have worked things out."

I raised my eyebrows. "There's still a lot to get settled between us. But I'm hopeful. How are things for you three? Anything that needs attending to?"

"Thank you for asking. We're fine. Have a seat, Lieutenant, and we'll have a hot meal for you soon enough."

Zinja finished dicing potatoes and put them into the warming oil. Ixma policed the area while her mother prepped more vegetables. Then Ixma uncovered a bowl and taking out some dough, began slapping it between her hands. I sat and watched while both women cooked, entranced by their activity. Mother and daughter worked side by side in a sort of dance without words or music. Zinja frequently stirring the potatoes until they were partly done, then adding celery, carrots, peppers, cilantro, parsley, salt, and a bit of lemon juice. Ixma dropped the flat dough onto the griddle and using her fingers, deftly turned the bread as it browned. As each one finished, she spread butter onto it and began another. In no time, she had a large stack of hot flatbread ready for food wraps. After she had about twenty of them, Ixma turned off the smaller griddle, put the unused dough into the mini-fridge, and pulled out eggs. Zinja emptied the skillet of food into yet another bowl, added a stick of butter, and both them cracked eggs into the hot pan. Ixma added more while Zinja roughly scrambled them. Ixma took out a block of cheese and grated enough to fill a small bowl, then retrieved containers of sour cream and salsa. As the eggs finished cooking, Zinja added back in the vegetables and stirred them together to finish cooking.

My stomach rumbled as my nose inhaled the enticing aromas. I filled my cup for the third time. Turning off the stove, they set the food onto the breakfast bar and handed out plates and silverware. Serving spoons were set out.

Mother and daughter smiled at each other, obviously proud of their efforts and rightfully so. A simple meal but enticing. "Dig in, Lieutenant. You first."

I scooped up two heaping spoons onto my plate and grabbed two slices of bread. Topped with cheese, salsa, and sour cream, I used the bread with a fork to scoop the delicious concoction into my mouth.

"How is it?" Ixma asked.

I rolled my eyes, nodding as I groaned appreciatively. It really was good! I shoveled more into my mouth. They laughed, pleased with my response, and filled their own plates, settling into the living room to eat. About that time, Cholan trundled out, dressed in a long flowery skirt, a printed blouse and sandals. I had to take a second look as I'd never seen her in civvies before.

"Smells good," Cholan said, grabbing a plate for herself.

"Very pretty, Cholan." Joining her at the breakfast bar, I hooked another slice of bread and a smaller portion for seconds.

Pouring herself a cup of cahault, she sat down at the vid-comp and began eating as she started it up for the day. "Thank you," she said, pleased. "Both for the compliment and for the gifts. I'm told these are from you."

I glanced at Ixma and she grinned, nodding.

"I guess so. I'm happy that you like them, and I continue to be impressed with Ixma's good taste."

Ixma blushed, but her mother said, "He's right, girl. You did good."

Checking my watch, I took my empty plate and cup to the sink. "Breakfast was delightful and the company astonishingly pleasant. I, however, must leave for work."

"Ixma and I will take you, Lieutenant. We've got laundry to do and it's no trouble to drop you off first."

"Okay," I nodded. "That'll save me some time. Cholan? Thank you for that report you wrote. First rate job. I've another task for you. I'm going to get four MaziTec Solar Panels and put them on the roof. I need you to itemize the wiring, batteries, fuse box and circuitry we'll need so we can switch the power we're using to solar."

"I'll do the list of supplies, sir, but we can't do any modifications without written permission. It was on the contract we had to sign. All of us."

"Contract?" I scowled. "Do you have a copy? Find it for me. I want to read it when I get home tonight. And," I said, emphasizing it, "I want to know exactly how much you paid in fees, and how much this place is costing us each month in addition to the rent."

Zinja smiled. "Us? So you're moving back in?"

I shrugged. "Well, I should make it official and ask Janetta when she wakes. But assuming so, I'll swing by my quarters to pick up my gear tonight before coming here. I'll wait to release my quarters until she gives the okay."

"It's supposed to get over a hundred today, sir. I've got work at the hangar for a few hours, but I should be done by early afternoon. Give me a call when you are done, and I'll come pick you up and take you to get your gear."

"That's kind of you, Sergeant."

"A pleasure, Lieutenant."

Ixma collected two duffle bags by the door and carried them outside. Zinja picked up two more, and I collected the large blanket tied into an awkward bag filled with sheets and linens. With all the laundry, there wasn't room in the back for Ixma.

"So what's the plan here?" I asked.

"Climb in, sir," Zinja replied. "Ixma can sit on your lap."

"That's the plan? Really?" I looked at Ixma, who looked immensely pleased with herself.

Zinja hopped into the driver's seat. "It's a short trip, and saves us some time. Besides, it will be good for you two to be seen together." She glanced meaningfully at my lap. "Unless you'd prefer Ixma to drive? She's a little green, but I'd be happy to sit--"

"No, no. The original plan is fine," I interjected. I sat and Ixma settled herself sideways on my lap. Putting her arms around me, she leaned her head on my shoulder. "Comfy?" I asked, to which she just snuggled close and sighed.

Zinja burst out laughing as she backed up the HueCac, then zipped us across the base, passing dozens of enlisted hauling those strange wooden carts. Between the substandard construction of our tiny house and the wooden carts, I felt like I was in a rural village instead of the Empire's front-line military base protecting us from Atlantis.

The vehicle pulled up by the front door to Supply and Logistics. Ixma hopped out, and I clambered out after. "Thanks!" I said and turned to go inside.

"Lieutenant!" Ixma cried.

I turned back. "Ye--"

She pulled me down and kissed me soundly on the cheek. "Have a good day, sir!" Then giggling, she hopped back into the HueCac. Both of them laughed as they waved, and then they were gone. They had teased me and I admitted that I had enjoyed it. She had only wiggled a little while on my lap. There were a lot worse things out in the world.

Three enlisted workers grinned at me as they entered the building. "Morning, sir."

"Morning," I replied, following them in.

A few faces did a double-take, then smiled as I passed. Most I'd knew in passing, but I was surprised at their reactions.

As I passed by Second Sergeant Matiwatli, assistant to my immediate CO, he cleared his throat and point to his cheek. "A thank you for the holiday, sir?"

"What?"

He reached into a drawer and pulled out a hand mirror. On my left cheek was a perfect lip print, courtesy of Ixma. I hadn't even noticed she'd worn lipstick. I pulled out my handkerchief and wiped it off. When I was done, I handed the mirror back.

Ixma's prank furthered the notion that I had a woman in my life. More so, Ixma was increasingly confident, which I approved of. "Apparently more grateful than I thought," I replied.

Matiwatli laughed and I did, too.

At my desk, I settled in to work for the day. And the first thing I did was scan in and file the photocopy showing that Senior Lieutenant Zinochtli now had possession of my old HueCac. Then I processed the paperwork transferring the vehicle to him and requisitioning another one. On a whim, I selected the latest model four-door, cargo-carrier model ChoCac.

* * * * *

That evening I moved back in to West Seashell Lane. Janetta had slept until late in the afternoon and was awake by the time I arrived with Zinja. Mother and daughter quickly made dinner, and from the ice chest, several bottles of millet beer were quickly disposed of. Ixma and Cholan did the dishes.

After dinner, Janetta and I retired to the bedroom where I soon proceeded to put my mouth to her lower lips and brought her to three orgasms. She begged me to enter her. Even though I was stiff as a board, I said, "Let's have another go at the shower."

She blinked in surprise, but readily gathered her stuff and bounced out of the room. I grabbed fresh underwear and my own towel and followed her. When I got inside the tiny bathroom, the water was already running. Stepping inside the small cubicle, Janetta had a washcloth soaped up and barely washed my chest and arms and legs. Then she homed in and cleaned my cock and balls several times. When I was hard in her hands, she looked at me in faux astonishment, asking. "Did I do that?"

I just picked her up, and as her legs spread, she guided me inside her crevice. Janetta moaned and wrapped her legs around me while I pressed her against the shower wall, stretching and filling her pussy with my cock. I worked vigorously within her channel, and she encouraged me with her touches, sighs, and her hands gripping my butt. Her dark eyes were heavy-lidded as she stared at me, letting sensations thunder through her body. I leaned my head against hers while I pumped into her slick center, reveling in the tight, pulsing heat of her pussy clasping and caressing my shaft.

"Ranji?" she said, her face suddenly serious.

"Yeah?"

"Are women made for fucking?"

I slowed down pumping into her slick sheath. There we were, joined together under a paltry stream of water that dribbled down over both of us. But I knew what she was asking. "No more than men are."

"Ooooh, I like that answer!" Her eyes lit up, and giving me a lazy smile, humped harder back at me. "Give me what you've got, Ranji. I want it all!"

Thrusting harder, I shoved as deep into her as I could reach.

Each time our groins met, she sighed, "Come."

In no time I reached my peak. Grunting and gripping her butt, I pulled her against my crotch while I filled her depths. Janetta groaned and kissed my mouth hungrily, wriggling on my shaft.

Breathing heavily, I stayed inside her, content with feeling her body wrapped around mine. Janetta gently caressed my face. Soon, my cock began to slip out and I set her down. More awake this time, she let me wash her hair and then her body. This time her hair was much easier to brush out. I also noticed she closed her eyes the whole time that I tended to her, a contented smile on her face.

Back in the bedroom, I asked her about it.

"I liked how you touched me," she said, her face full of tenderness. "No one's cleaned me since I was a little girl, and it felt .. gentle and nice. I'd like to keep doing it."

"Deal." We crawled into bed, she onto her side while I spooned up behind her, holding her in my arms.

* * * * *

Janetta ate and slept most of the next two days. Reporting in the afternoon on the third day, the doctors pronounced her on the mend. Captain Tanosca provisionally reinstated her, with orders to return to active duty with the next shift rotation in five days. Her duty was to be six weeks of on-call back up. In case of trouble, they were the first to fly to the aid of the other patrols. Mostly, though, back up duty was dreaded. It was double shifts of waiting on the tarmac, with an hour of over-flight while one patrol landed and another launched into the air. Janetta chaffed at the assignment, but also recognized how close she'd come to losing it all.

In the meantime, a few days later, I finally got a chance to tell Janetta about Itznacoco's intervention at Tikun.

We had just finished a quiet, easy lovemaking culminating in an easy, gentle release. We were lying there naked, holding each other close, enjoying the simple contact of touching bare skin. As I finished, though, she positively blanched, then rolled onto her back.

For a long time, she just looked at the ceiling, then quietly whispered, "Fuck." I drew her into my arms and she shivered. "We swore oaths to the Empire. Don't they trust us? We're really chipped? Like wild animals?"

"I saw the file. Satellite feed, Janetta."

She closed her eyes, frowning bitterly.

Then I told her I would have to go away for six weeks as part of the deal to protect all of us.

Her eyes snapped open, ache in her eyes. "Six weeks! When?"

"I don't know. Soon, though."

She started to cry then. "It's not fair. He broke his word and he hurt me and my people! May he rot in the underworld forever! Even dead, he's still causing us trouble!"

"There's more," I said.

"Oh, gods, Ranji! More?"

I told her about the night I arrived, and what the Greys did.

Despite my orders not to talk about it, Janetta was a fighter pilot, and I felt that she had a need to know. A part of me hoped that she was already privy to my news. However, by her reaction, I could tell she was not.

How soon would it be before the Greys changed from targeting defenseless transports to challenging the fighter patrols? Keeping it from her and the others made no sense whatsoever. Did they even have master breakers installed? One EMP might even knock out an entire patrol! If such happened to Janetta, I wanted her to make it home in one piece instead of becoming a statistic for Command to evaluate.

This news, however, actually seemed to calm her down. Pushing aside her fears and frustrations, she latched on to the events as something to focus on. Hopping off the bed, she grabbed my tee-shirt and slipped it on as she padded barefoot out of the room.

Curious, I slipped on shorts and grabbed a fresh tee shirt, and followed her out. Cholan was at the vid-comp as usual with her head phones, and Zinja and Ixma were on the small couch studying a tutorial on her new computer.

"Heads up, everyone." Janetta said. "Ranji, tell them what you told me about the Greys and what they've been doing to our transports."

So I did. How the alien ship came down, followed us, hit us with the EMP, then took off. The sixty second reset and the use of a master breaker switch and our narrow escape from the watery grave. What surprised me next was Janetta's next question to Cholan. "Do you think you can either adapt some of the old e-boards to protect the electronics? Or can we rig a small field to protect it from an EMP?"

Cholan shrugged. "I don't know, Lieutenant. I'll take a look and see what we can do. It might take awhile to make it happen. I may have to pull some of the armor to make room for the bigger, older parts."

"No structural changes without my okay," Zinja warned with a growl.

Janetta pointed her finger at each of them. "In the meantime, this is not for talking about with others, am I clear? I don't want this to come back and cause trouble for Lieutenant Kandikan. I'll make some discreet inquiries, see what I can find out about who knows what. But no talking about this to others without my express say-so. That is an order."

Her ground team nodded. "Yes, sir."

"What about the Voisantzt Air-to-Air missiles on your Lightning?" I asked. "An EMP will make them useless, too."

"He's right, sir," Cholan said. "We might be able to shield the avionics so you don't lose the bird, but then all you'll have is the guns, which are short range and useless against a basic defense shield."

Janetta shrugged. "Upscale tech is out for now. But we might surprise them with more low tech. Seven Nations still use the Jing-we-oh rockets. They're fire-and-forget type. They don't even pay attention to chaff. They go where they're aimed and that's it. Won't do anything to those Greys, but they will still give the Atlanteans pause. And I suspect it won't be long before our adversaries start sporting newer tech improvements. Zinja, see if you can find some of the local arms merchants. Maybe we can make some deals."

* * * * *

The next day a courier arrived and delivered to me another randomizer key. I had already received several communications from my father and was working my way through them. I found I was having to brush up on a lot of physics and higher math. My father responded quickly to my inquiries and was patient with his replies. I think we both understood it was going to take me some time to catch up and see the whole picture.

That afternoon, though, I also got a message, from the Tikun Tourism Board of all things. The message itself was gibberish. That is, until I put in the second key into my computer. Most of it was still gibberish, but in the midst of it all there was a name -- Melannee Siroptic , a date and time -- tomorrow afternoon -- and an address, 245 Palm Drive in Capisco, the Seven Nations city just north of High Guard War base.

An hour later, I received yet another surprise. My requisition for a vehicle came through. And, I was floored. I got a ChoCac, complete with a large storage bay in the back, and voice-activated security locks. The latter was to avoid another surprise commandeering. A higher rank than me could access the vehicle in an emergency, but it would only allow the person inside, lock the doors for protection, and then call for help. Driving was only possible if it failed to reach someone in Security.

I made arrangements to use a half-day's leave for the next day, which didn't sit well with my supervisor, Senior Lieutenant Topichtwi. I'd just come back from four days off, he groused. But I was caught up on my work, I had the leave accumulated, and was within my rights to use it, so he signed off on the request.

After the shift, I picked up my vehicle, set the voice locks to recognize me and drove home. The vehicle was pristine, fresh off the factory floor. The engine quietly hummed and so did I.

The doors and roof were solid and combat armored. Even the windows were rated to withstand up to 20mm shells. The onboard sensors would seal up the air system if it detected any chemical or bio-weapons, and it could also detect and jam targeting lasers. With portal axles and thick, deep-grooved tires, it wasn't so fast on paved roads. However, it would do what it was designed to do, which was perform decently on rough terrain. Standard, too, was the front winch and rear trailer hitch.




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 07



Cholan saw me drive up and she hurried outside to take a look at my vehicle. The others came out, too. On impulse, I had each of them sit in the driver seat and speak their name to the Security AI, so if necessary, each of them could access and drive the vehicle. I even managed to get Janetta to add her voice to the database. Their HueCac was painted in Air Service cyan blue, and they had the insignia for the 233rd on the hood. Surprisingly, the ChoCac was camo-painted Ground Service style. I hadn't specified any color on the request, and could always have it painted later.

"Changing service branches?" Janetta teased.

"Not hardly," I replied.

Part of me wondered if a certain Senior Sergeant at Tikun hadn't had a hand in that quick turnaround on my request. If he had, I wasn't complaining.

While the three enlisted women opened doors and examined inside with "ooh's" and "ah's" at the extra features, Janetta folded her arms and tried to hide her smile. "I'm a fighter pilot and I am entitled to a service vehicle. How did you, a sublieutenant, get a hold of something like this?"

"I work in Supply and Logistics, sweetheart."

"Smart ass," she muttered and stalked back inside the cottage.

"Hey!" I said, running after her. "It also means all of us can go on outings."

She turned around in the front room. "What sort of outings?"

"I thought maybe after I get back and we get a couple of days off together, I'd rent us a cabin up the coast a ways so we can soak up the sun, swim a little and maybe dance and party in town. Just you and me. Or if you think it's a good idea, a second cabin so all five of us can go. Interested?"

Her large black eyes flickered with interest. "Maybe."

"It's no Chinglo Point, but I hear some of the tourist spots are pretty cozy. I'd like to show you a good time. Think about it."

She smiled and put her arms around me and I had to kiss her. She smiled even bigger afterward. "I've had some good times recently," she murmured, her mouth lingering next to mine. "But I'm ready to be impressed, Ranji."

We hadn't seen each other since that morning, and I was more than content to hold her in my arms and resume kissing.

The three women came back inside, moving around us while Janetta and I continued to reacquaint ourselves.

"All locked up, sir," Cholan said, her eyes glittering. "That's one of the latest models. Sweet Security AI, too. GPS. Impressive armor plating. Can I read the manual?"

"Sure. Have at it."

Janetta suddenly moved away. "Nearly forgot in all the excitement. Ixma. Cholan. Show him what you got from the Dispensary today."

Both women handed me their prescription bottles.

I took them. Machab'ak they read, meaning no child. But for the names on the bottles, both were identical. "Birth control pills. I don't understand the significance, other than the need for you to take them." Then I looked at Zinja and Janetta. "You two don't take anything?"

Zinja replied, "No babies while in the Service, sir. I had my tubes cut when I joined up. Easier that way. Besides, I already had one babe to take care of, and she kept me busy enough."

"My tubes were cut, too," Janetta nodded. "Good thing, as I didn't always get access to a Dispensary each month."

I raised my eyebrows at Janetta's revelation. "Okay, but I still don't understand why you are showing this to me."

"They're different, sir," Cholan explained. "Normally, they are red squares and have a skull embossed on one side. These are blue pentagons with a crescent."

"Maybe the tech made a mistake--"

"Both of them, sir?" Cholan said. "I didn't see any notices in the Dispensary indicating a change in the shape or design for birth control pills. I checked the board for posting. The newest notice was four years old. I don't have clearance to access a pharmaceutical database. Can you verify these for us, sir?"

I was going off the base tomorrow anyway. It would be easy enough to stop off at an apothecary in town. I put both bottles into my pocket. "I'll let you know tomorrow night what I find out. Soon enough?"

"Yes, sir," they replied.

Janetta squeezed and patted my butt, murmuring, "Thanks, Ranji."

While dinner was being made, I sat on the small couch and Janetta sat in my lap for more kissing. After a bit, though, she just laid her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes with a sigh. Cholan brought up the Armed Forces Radio Network, and we listened to the Empire's news of the day.

"Drought continues to destroy crops and cause thousands to starve in northern Veda. The Aesir have launched the first module of their planned space station into high orbit. Called the Bifrost, the Aesir claim their station will be online within two years. In local news, with assistance of Imperial Security, a raid by Seven Nations police discovered two warehouses filled with hides and ivory from various protected animals, such as scimitar cats and mammoths. Nearly two score individuals have been arrested in the biggest anti-poaching operation in over thirty years. Early indications are that the contraband goods were destined for Atlantis. From the southern regions of the Empire, there has been an accident at the Nazca Proving Grounds, resulting in the loss of four personnel and at least a dozen injured. Names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin...."

"Air Service," Janetta said. "Air Service!" we echoed, bowing our heads a moment. We finished our beers at one go. Cholan turned the volume back up while Zinja got us all refills.

Trade embargo with Shingye Dynasty. Imperial Navy enforcing a wider circle of control around Jobintli Naval Base, expelling foreign vessels to at least five hundred rads from the western coastlines. New trade relations with Zimbabwe.

Cholan switched to some local music and we ate. Then gave me a copy of the contract they signed on a flash drive. I put it into my pocket to look at later.

After dinner and the dishes were done, I pulled Ixma aside. She smiled shyly as we stood by the back door. "Yes, sir?"

"I know you got those fabulous bed sheets for your Lieutenant, and I saw the clothing you got for Cholan. What did you get for your mother? And for yourself?"

She looked down. "Mother said you feed us, and with the computer, another gift was too much."

"You already brought that up when I gave you the instructions." I took a long breath. "All right. Ordering you to accept gifts defeats the purpose. This one is an order, though. The next time you go shopping at the Commissary, get a catalog. Order a bathing suit for anyone here who doesn't have one. Also, get some portable lawn chairs, a shade umbrella, and another couple of ice chests. Clear?"

"Yes, sir. Are you angry with me, sir?"

I patted her shoulder to reassure her. "No, Ixma. Just disappointed."

She bit her lower lip. "Yes, sir. Is that all, sir?"

"Yes--"

And like that, she dashed headlong to her room and closed the door.

All three of the other women turned to me. Perched on the arm of the couch, Janetta folded her arms and raised her eyebrows. "Kandikan? What did you say to her?"

"Nothing! I asked her to get some things for the outing you and I talked about."

Faint weeping could be heard from the enlisted bedroom. Zinja narrowed her eyes at me. Cholan politely busied herself fussing with the vid-comp.

I sighed. "Okay, before I left, I asked her to get something non-essential, something fun for everyone. I asked her what she got for herself and her mother." I caught Zinja in my gaze. "When I found out she hadn't gotten anything, I told her I was disappointed."

Zinja immediately looked guilty and got up. "I'll go talk to her," she muttered.

Janetta sighed. "Let's go talk in the bedroom, Kandikan."

I followed her, closing the door behind us.

She lay down on the bed and patted a spot next to her. "You are so gorgeous. I'm a prickly pear and I know it. I don't know why you put up with me, but I'm glad of it."

"Easy," I grinned. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, Janetta. And then I learned you are smart, brave, loyal, and you challenge me. I think I'm pretty lucky."

"Gods of North and South, you give those compliments to me so easily, and each one makes me want to shout with joy you are here with me, and rage that I learned fear of men so well. Did you know that I haven't had to fuck anyone I didn't want to since we got here, Ranji? No higher ranking officers making me bend over for their pleasure. My commander made the order in front of everyone, saying that he would take it personally if anyone ordered me to fuck. It means so much to be able to say no and have that be the end of it! He's a really good commander, Ranji. You'd like him."

Janetta paused, reflecting on her revelation. She seemed to have a lot more to say, so I just listened. I didn't have to wait long.

"You, though, you complicated my life from the start, Ranji Kandikan. From the first time we fucked in that tiny closet, I couldn't get over how good you felt. It was your exotic looks and the bulge in your pants that attracted me. Your persistence and dedication were important in winning me over. Your respect for me and my crew and your kindness sealed it. Even when I messed up and you left, you still provided us with real food, Ranji. By the gods, you don't know how grateful I was, too. I had the runs after the first day we had to eat that trash. Ground Service MREs are more effective than an enema."

Janetta laid back on the bed. "I don't think you know how charming your kindness is. I find myself waiting for you to get home and my pussy starts leaking, anticipating you spreading me wide. When it's with someone I want, I really enjoy sex. But my anticipation is for you. I find myself eager for you to come home so I can see you, touch you, hold you in my arms. And what you do with your mouth on my pussy? Gods above, Ranji, just talking about it makes me wetter."

I just smiled.

Janetta sat up, warming up to her point. "I asked you to do Cholan back in Tikun, and she was absolutely radiant for over a week. And twice now since we've been here, I've heard her having wet dreams in the middle of the night, saying your name. Once, she said something odd about a hundred not being enough. You really made an impression with her."

A hundred not being enough? I barely managed to keep from laughing at that. Janetta might not understand. Cholan's astute assessment after I had done her was important. "She said I made her feel like she mattered, like she was a human being."

She pondered that for a moment, nodding slowly. "That's it in a nutshell. Who knew respect and kindness could be so erotic? But I shouldn't be surprised, should I? You've turned my own world upside down. When I'm not with you, I want to be in the air. When I get back on the ground, I want to hurry home to you. Then there's my team. I know Cholan would do you in a heartbeat if I gave her the okay. Zinja is half in love with you because you seriously look out for her daughter. And Ixma? You treat her nice, buy her things, and you protect her. She wears that neckerchief constantly, fretting and washing it if it gets dirty. Your disappointment brought her to tears. She's smitten, no doubt about it. Not that I'd think any of them would try anything without my say-so, but there it is, Ranji. On one hand I'm jealous, but I understand it, and I know it's not something you are deliberately trying to cultivate. You treat us as good as men. The result of that is besides me, there are three women here who would eagerly let you cream inside their pussies and they would thank you for the privilege! And I bet you my next month's wages you've left a trail of broken hearts before I met you."

I thought of Calia and pursed my lips. I still had yet to breach that matter with Janetta. I didn't want to derail her with what would no doubt be a very hot topic.

"Is that the basis of love? Respect and kindness?" she asked.

"It sounds like a good start," I replied, then sighed. "I really don't try to make things complicated for you, Janetta."

She burst out laughing, slapping her legs. "That's a good one! Oh, gods, Ranji. I don't think you know how not to be complicated!"

"What would you suggest I do? You are their commander."

"Nothing different, that's for sure. Gods, both of us would go crazy if you tried to be what you aren't. I know enough to not ask that! I can admit my feelings for you now, but our situation hasn't changed a bit. I still can't afford jealousy and I can't ask you to be exclusive because I can't be exclusive myself. Not by choice, mind you, but it is what we both have to live with." She bit her lip before continuing, her voice quieter. "I want you so much, Ranji. Sometimes it hurts how much I ache to wrap my body around you. I like having you here, being able to sleep next you, having your strong arms around me. Being able to just reach over and have you is intoxicating. Maybe worse than metl juice." Janetta ran her hands over my chest. "Sorry for the meandering. I prefer to be practical and direct, but I have so much to say to you and it's just spilling out every which way. We are warriors, Ranji. We live closer to death than everyone else in the Empire. Gods of North and South, we can't even get married! At least, not unless I am willing to give up flying. And as much as I want you, I'd wither away if I couldn't fly."

Flying was what Janetta lived for. And the power of opening her heart to love had sent her spinning so badly it had come close to jeopardizing everything. I loved flying, too. Not as intensely as she did, but it gave me understanding enough to truly empathize with her desire.

Janetta leaned over and kissed me once, then again for longer. She caressed my cheek. "I have an idea that might help things. It may backfire and bite my ass hard, but it may give Ixma something to think on, something to dislodge her sense of speciality without hurting her feelings too much. I want you to get two more officer neckerchiefs and mark Zinja and Cholan like you have Ixma. Zinja and Cholan sometimes have to run errands away from the hangars, and I'd like them to have the same sort of protection you gave Ixma. Will you do that?"

I narrowed my gaze at her. "You just got through telling me you aren't having to fuck senior officers here. What's the need here for the extra protection? I live with four women. If all three enlisted wear the neckerchiefs, I am saying I am fucking them. And they are going to assume I'm doing you, too. Think about this, Janetta. Is that what you want?"

"No, but I'm going with it. What others may say or think matters less to me than them being safe. Those three women trust me to look out for them and I nearly lost them all. Oh, yes, now that my head is out of my ass, I am ashamed how close it got. You can spare two, can't you?"

"I'm not going to talk you out of this, am I? All right." I got up and went to the closet. Taking two neckerchiefs left me two in reserve, plus the one I had in my back pocket. That one was dirty so I tossed it into the laundry bin. "I'll pick up some more later."

She came up behind me, laying her head against my back as she wrapped her arms around me. "Thank you, Ranji. For everything. Love hurts and it aches and it is a pain in the guts. Yet when you are inside me and holding me close I feel joy so intense I never knew was even possible. Oddly, it sort of reminds me of home. And I crave that respect and kindness you give me. With you I can let my guard down a little and take a step back. Knowing you are beside me, I feel I could take on the whole world, Ranji. You are a dependable and brave warrior, and what more could I ask for? You were right. Two are better than one."

"I love you, Janetta." I clasped her arms tightly with my own.

"Those words still terrify me. Aside from my father, you are the first man I can truly say I love. I know how to be a warrior. I have no skill at being a woman in love. I'm not soft or gentle. I'll make a lot of mistakes, but if you'll be patient, I think I can learn. I hope so, anyway. No. Rather, I believe so."

Dropping the neckerchiefs, I turned around and embraced her, my mouth hungrily seeking hers. Eyes flashing, tilting her head back, she met me half way, her lips and tongue demanding, exploring. Her hands dug into my back while she rubbed her belly against me. As she felt me start to harden, she whimpered, widening her stance and rubbing her crotch in a deliberate, slow grind against mine. Inviting me.

I started walking her backwards toward the bed. Grinning, she started opening my trousers while I worked on getting into hers. As she reached the mattress, I had her pants and panties at her ankles. She got my pants to my knees while I hoisted her legs up and put them on my right shoulder. Our eyes hungry, I put my hard cock at her puffy, wet lips and pushed in. Relief and pleasure crossed her face while I pressed deeper. Janetta moaned while I settled over her for a serious probing of her inner walls. Then quietly whimpering as I thrust within her slick channel.

"Not going to last long, Janetta," I grunted.

"Not a problem, Ranji," she huffed, grabbing my butt, eagerly trying to help with the coupling. "You feel so damn good."

My balls tightened so I pressed deep within her folds. Grinding against her pussy, my shaft swelled and filled her with hot, sticky sperm. When the first splash hit her womb, she jerked, then shivered, gasping, a look of wonder on her face. "That -- that, oh, gods that was a surprise. I didn't even .. feel on the edge." Her pussy throbbed around me as I finished filling her deepest recesses. "That is so incredible."

I stayed inside, enjoying the intimate slick heat of her pussy grasping my cock. Janetta caressed my face, looking pleased. It had been so quick, we were content to enjoy our union. Soon, though, my cock shrank and her pussy squeezed me out, followed with all the semen I'd sprayed inside her. Rising off her, I hiked up my pants and grabbed a fresh washcloth for her.

While Janetta wiped herself down, I straightened myself out and retrieved the fallen neckerchiefs, putting the pips on. Once she was dressed, she patted my butt affectionately before leaving the room.

Janetta sat in the corner of the small couch with a fresh bottle of millet beer. Cholan sat at the small table with the vid-comp, a catchy tune spilling from the speakers. Zinja and Ixma were prepping food for the next day.

"Zinja? Cholan?" Janetta announced. "The lieutenant has neckerchiefs for you both. His decision to protect Ixma was a good one. I want both of you to have that protection, too."

Cholan was closest, and I handed one to her first. Her round face lit up in pure delight. Then she wrapped it around her ponytail as if she had expected it all along.

Zinja, however, shook her head no.

Janetta raised her eyebrows. "What's the matter? I want to protect you. Wearing Ranji's neckerchief will help with that."

She rinsed her hands and hung the towel to dry. "Begging your pardon, sir, but I don't feel right about it. Look. I'm thirty-six years old, so most think of me as old and dried up and that's fine with me. I don't have big tits and while I'm not flat out ugly, I'm no raving beauty either, so all that helps keep me from unwanted attention. But most of all, sir, he's your man. You are obviously happy and that makes me happy. I just don't believe--"

"Stop right there, Second Sergeant." Janetta took a breath. I leaned up against the wall to watch and not block their line of sight. Quieter, Janetta continued. "Zinja, I asked him to do this, and now I'm asking you. I am your officer. If Ixma had been wearing it at the hangar in Tikun, she might have been spared being raped."

Zinja winced, but said nothing. Ixma fretted with her hands.




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 07



"Give her the neckerchief, Ranji."

I handed it to Zinja. She held it, staring at it.

"I've always thought you incredibly beautiful, Mama," Ixma whispered, touching her mother gently. "I want you to be safe, too."

Surprised and overwhelmed, Zinja looked at her daughter. Without further resistence, she tied it around her single braid.

Then Zinja asked, "What about Chanotl or Zinochtli? They were surprised the last time, but they may decide to push things yet."

"Who are they?" Janetta demanded, eyes narrowing.

"Ixma told me about it," Zinja said as she looked at me. "Two officers wanted to fuck my girl outside of the Commissary. They weren't even going to do it off the main street. The Lieutenant here came to her rescue. Even then, they wanted him to do her right there to prove she was his, but Ixma and the Lieutenant convinced them they really were a couple so nothing happened."

Janetta raised her eyebrows and glanced at me before turning back to Zinja. "Just how did they convince these two officers?"

"Ixma kissed him. Open mouth, sir. With lots of--"

"I get it, I get it. Was that all?" Janetta looked at Ixma, then back at her mother.

"And she showed him her card." Zinja put her hand onto Ixma's shoulder and squeezed it.

"What kind of card?"

"Get it out and show her, girl."

Ixma dug into her pocket for her wallet, not looking at her lieutenant. She pulled out the charge card and handed it over.

Janetta took it, then looked at me. "Seven hells. That's a silver card, Ranji! Silver! My own card is brown, and the only reason it isn't black is because I still have four credits to my name. Maybe a little less fucking and a bit more talking between us is in order." Then she took a deep breath and read the names. "Ranji Kandikan and Ixma Ba'lanchicotl. Well, with this, I'd have no trouble believing you two were a couple." She gave Ixma back the card. Ixma returned it to her wallet, then went back into the kitchen to stand behind her mother.

"Well, I'm glad you weren't hurt, Corporal. That's the honest truth." Janetta turned her attention back to me. "Talk to me, Kandikan. How did this card come about?"

"Convenience," I replied calmly. "With this poor excuse for a refrigerator, food has to be picked up every two or three days. Ixma, with or without her mother, can do whatever shopping that's needed without having me come down and pay for it. I can't always get to the Commissary easily, and giving her the card made perfect sense. It still does. Ixma does a lot of the errands and chores around here while Zinja and Cholan are helping you at the hangar."

Janetta nodded, taking a long breath. "It does make perfect sense. Are you going to make cards for them, too?"

I blinked in surprise, then shrugged. "Sure. I'll take care of it."

Zinja cleared her throat. "There's more, sir."

"Go on," she urged quietly, glancing at me again.

"When your Lieutenant came back from his trip, someone had taken his vehicle. It was this same Zinochtli. He seems to have turned his disappointment into a personal insult. Lieutenant Kandikan made sure I knew about it. I haven't let my girl go out alone since then."

"I see." Janetta took a long pull on her beer then rubbed her temple. "What do you know about this tapir's prick, Ranji?"

"Nothing at the moment. He's a Senior Lieutenant, and Chanotl is a full Lieutenant. I don't know anything else. I came back to High Guard four days ago after visiting my parents. Zinochtli has done one bit since trying for Ixma ten days ago. It may be over or it may just be starting. I warned Zinja just to be sure. I do intend to look into the matter."

Frowning, Janetta finished her beer and tossed the empty onto the floor. I went to the mini-fridge and got her another. She took it without comment. "That makes the prescription changes very suspicious, Ranji. Find out what you can. About Zinochtli, Chanotl, and about the pills. We'll go from there."

She took a long pull of the beer. Then she looked at me. "Did you hear anything about your orders today?"

The others looked at me, too. Cholan was surprised, Zinja thoughtful, and Ixma looked both sad and worried.

"It's not permanent," I explained to the others. "It's for six weeks. And no, I haven't yet, but I do have to go to Capisco tomorrow afternoon. So I expect it will be soon."

"Six weeks?" Ixma quietly asked.

I nodded.

"At lot can happen in that time," Janetta said. "Cholan? How many of your old pills you got left?"

"I'm out as of today, Lieutenant."

"Ixma? How many do you have?"

"Four, sir."

"Ixma, give two of them to Sergeant Cholan. Second Sergeant Zinja, you are supposed to keep me in the loop. I need to know about this kind of shit when it happens, not days later."

"Begging your pardon, sir, but you weren't letting me tell you much of anything at the time." Zinja pursed her lips.

Janetta stared at her a moment, then nodded. "I admit I have been a total bitch these past few weeks. I remember you trying to get me to eat among other things. Fair enough, Sergeant. I promise to pay more attention to what you say and maybe I can keep my head out of my ass." Turning to me, she asked, "In light of your vehicle being taken, do you think I'm being paranoid?"

I shook my head. "If they aren't birth control pills, I'll pick up replacements while I'm in Capisco."

"If it turns out that they are not birth control pills, I'm going to want a piece of whoever did the switch, and by all the gods that piece will be in bloody flesh." Janetta looked at her crew. "While I'm still standing, no one tries to hurt my people and gets away with it. You are mine. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir." Relief on their faces at being reassured. Ixma went to their room.

Janetta finished her beer. As fast as she downed it, I knew something else was percolating in that head of hers.

Ixma came out and gave two pills to Cholan. Cholan swallowed them both.

"Part of me thinks I need to start listening to you more, Ranji. But I still think the neckerchiefs are the right way to go. If I could, I'd wear one myself, even if it is only one pip."

"Ah, grade and rank," I responded, smiling. "Does that mean you want to be on top, Lieutenant?"

She burst out laughing, nodding. "Sometimes, yes. Still, I've no complaints, Ranji." Then she grew serious again. "With the neckerchiefs, all of my team are marked as your women. I'd prefer if they had men of their own, but seeing how I hardly ever let them have a spare second to call their own, that's not likely to happen. I'd rather be prepared, and if they are asked, I want them to be able to speak truthfully."

Suddenly understanding, Zinja spoke up. "That's not necessary, sir! Really. He's a good man, but I don't need it." She made to remove the neckerchief from her hair.

"Stop right there, Second Sergeant," Janetta growled. "You've already expressed your thoughts, but this is how I want it to be. You are marked as his woman and that's all there is to it. And we'd better make sure it's not a lie before you leave, Ranji."

Folding my arms, I frowned. "She said she doesn't feel comfortable with the idea. You've told me a woman should have the right to say no. I agree with that idea. The neckerchiefs are one thing. I know you want to protect them, but not against their will!"

Janetta scowled, considering my words.

Zinja stared at me, then shook her head. "You got it wrong, sir. We watched you and our Lieutenant for months, whenever we could. While you stretched her, making her glad she was a woman, our own hands were busy, keeping pace. When you filled her up, we imagined being filled, too. I've got no problem with the notion of you stretching my pussy. I've thought about it, wondering what it would be like to be with a man who was gentle, who actually cared about whether I wanted it too. No, sir. It's that you are her man, and you love each other."

Zinja turned to look at Janetta. "More so, she needs you. Only now is she starting to admit how much. She's taken a lot to become an officer and some of those wounds haven't healed proper. They need tending. When she gets into her jet and straps in, she gets a blissful, settled look for just a moment, that all the hardship was worth the price to finally be there in that cockpit. That night after you arrived, I saw that same look on her face when you carried her to your bedroom. That's how I knew she loved you." She turned back to speak at me. "It's my job to take care of her aircraft and to see that everything runs smooth for her. We got a good crew, and you're a help, sir, no denying that. It's you and her that I don't want to mess with."

Janetta got up and walked over to Zinja. Then she kissed her on both cheeks before embracing her, causing the older woman to blush. "I haven't heard you talk so much since that time we got into that bar fight in Mahongo. You have a good solid right cross."

"I was aiming for the guy behind you. You just got in the way, sir."

"So I did," Janetta grinned, taking her hand. "Come with me."

When Zinja realized she was taking her into the bedroom, she started to protest. "Sir? Ahem, sir?"

Janetta pulled harder on Zinja's hand. "Kandikan, say goodnight and get in here!"

Cholan got up and put her arm around Ixma. "Come on, girl. You can sleep with me tonight."

I entered the bedroom and closed the door. Took a deep breath.

Janetta stood in front of Zinja, kissing her neck gently. "I do depend on you, Zinja, for so many things." The taller woman stood straight, eyes closed. "In just a few days, Ranji has spoiled me for sleeping alone. I find it very comforting to have someone sharing my bed. Would you consider sharing my bed while he's gone?"

"Sir?"

Janetta switched to the other side of her neck. Kissing lightly and breathing on her skin. "To keep me company. Until he comes back. Would you do that for me?"

"I .. uh, .. sir?"

Stepping back, Janetta sighed. "How long have we known each other?"

"Two and a half years, sir. A year since I was posted to your command."

"I remember what happened after that fight at Mahongo. I didn't for a long time, but I remember now."

Zinja swallowed.

"That was a good fight. And I remember the metl juice you bought, and us drinking it down. I was almost blind drunk, but you took me to your home, made sure I was safe." Janetta slowly unbuttoned Zinja's shirt, pulling up the tails from her trousers.

"Sir, I--"

Janetta put her finger to Zinja's lips. "I thought it the luck of the gods, finding an Air Service mechanic in that bar, and one willing to fight by my side without even knowing me. And at Tikun, when the days were bad and the nights even worse, you held me through the night."

Janetta removed her shirt and her bra, leaving Zinja topless. Thumbing her nipples and kneading her small globes, Janetta murmured, "This isn't a duty, Zinja. You can say no, and I'll respect that. If--mmmph!"

Zinja cupped Janetta's face and kissed her hard and urgent. I leaned back against the wall, enjoying the proceedings. When Zinja broke the kiss, both of them were breathing hard. Janetta blinking in surprise, slowly licking her lips.

"I got an aching curiosity, sir. Had it for a while. If you want me to warm your bed, I need to know first."

"What's that?" Janetta breathed.

"If your pussy tastes as sweet as your lips."

Janetta laughed. "I'm not sure I know what to say to that. I have no idea how my pussy tastes. And if by some chance I did taste it, I must have blocked that memory out. You prefer women, Zinja?"

"Not especially. Been with others before. Some women officers can be as cold and heartless as some of the men. Worse in a way, because they should know better. Never been asked by anyone before I had to put out. I like and respect both of you a lot and I'm thinking this could be really good."

"I've never been with a woman I didn't have to fuck either. I like and respect you, too. Ranji, will you get the lights? Looks like Zinja and I have some things to work out first. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all." I went over and lit the candle on her dresser while they kissed again. "But I also don't intend to sleep on the couch in the front room. It's too damn short."

Zinja leaned down and worked on Janetta's breasts.

Janetta arched, letting the taller, older woman have free rein. "You sleep with me while you are here, Ranji ... oh, that feels nice. Ah! Just .. just get undressed and get into bed. We'll .. get to you .. when we can."

I turned off the light, set my alarm and undressed. When I turned back to them, they were removing their boots and socks. While I climbed into bed, I watched Zinja drop to her knees and begin slowly caressing Janetta's mound with her hand, then rubbing her mouth along the cloth covering her center. When Zinja unbuckled Janetta's belt and began sliding her trousers down, Janetta was breathing hard, punctuated by slight catches. Her panties quickly followed. Zinja kissed along her thighs, inching slowly inward and upward to her cleft. Janetta moved back until she reached the bed, then scooted further back. Zinja moved with her, moving up to kiss her mouth and neck, then to suckle and knead. Janetta moaned in appreciation.

Between the both of them, the air smelled of feminine arousal. Even though I'd recently filled Janetta, my cock was twitching. With the little bit of blood remaining in my brain, I believed what I'd told Janetta, that two hearts together are stronger than one alone. She is right in that we really can't be monogamous. Our society won't permit that for women, even warriors. Maybe the Emperor is the only one who can be, but how do I know what pressures or deals he has to live with? Like Janetta, I readily admit I enjoy sex. But it's Janetta I think about when I want it; she's my first choice.

Laying on the bed next to me, Zinja on top, she sucked and teased with her teeth Janetta's larger breasts. Her hips slid over Janetta's mound. Their breathing picked up, and Zinja kissed and nibbled under one breast, then zigzagged across her belly. Janetta lifted her legs when her lips caressed her inner thighs, slowly circling in closer and closer toward Janetta's leaking, swollen pussy.

It takes me a moment to realize I'm slowly stroking my cock. They may sate themselves and want to go to sleep afterward. Then again, they may decide they want more and I will be expected to provide the more. Best if I don't stoke my own fires too high. It gets more difficult to resist, though. I love Janetta, and listening to her moans and wet, squishy sounds, and watching her hump against Zinja's face causes me to squeeze my pelvic muscles, making my cock harder. The air is filled with the smell of sex. This is becoming a real test.

When Janetta suddenly arches her back, gasping, her hands pulling Zinja into her sopping crotch, I flash on the image of me pushing Zinja aside and riding Janetta hard and rough and deep. Touching my cock, I find the crown is wet with pre-cum dribbling out. I stretch and force myself to breathe long and slow.

Zinja moves up, spreading Janetta's legs wider, moving her clit against Janetta's. The grind is fascinating to watch. The slow circular motions of Zinja's hips, lifting up to run her folds over Janetta's swollen nubbin, then trying to push her clit into Janetta's leaking center. Sounds of wet flesh frisking against wet flesh grow louder, their musky scent permeating the air. Both of them actively rubbing their sexes against each other, hips moving and jerking. A little faster with each thrusting. Zinja is definitely a lot noisier when she's aroused. Her mouth hangs open as she stares at Janetta, wordless cries coming from her mouth.

Then they were there. Janetta arching her back on the bed again, shaking and gasping. Zinja wailing as she grabbed Janetta's legs to steady herself, shaking and grinding against Janetta.

Heaving, Zinja collapsed and Janetta wrapped her legs around her, hugging her tight, both of them breathing heavily. Soon they kiss and laugh and kiss again, murmuring quietly.

Janetta catches my intense gaze on them. Then she sees my hard cock and grins. "Hi, Ranji. Are you ready?"

"After watching the two of you, I'm pretty wound up. I'll try and last as long as I can. Were you planning on just watching, Janetta?"

"What else?"

"Doesn't have to be that way. If Zinja wants to have me all to herself that's one thing. If she still wants to spend time with you, that too is an option."

Janetta raised her eyebrows. "What are you going on about, Kandikan? Zinja is soaked. It's time you stretched her insides."

"I could do that. Or, you two can move your butts to the edge of the bed, and I take turns entering each of you while you continue to kiss and fondle each other. Or, I can lie back, and you can sit on my face while I lick your pussy and Zinja can ride my cock."

Janetta's jaw dropped, so I got up while she responded. "How do you even know about such things, Kandikan? I mean --" I grabbed Janetta's legs and pulled her to the edge of the bed.

"Wrap your legs around Zinja. Zinja, widen your stance over Janetta. And if you feel inclined, you can rub each other's clit."

Her legs went around Zinja's waist and Zinja moved her legs apart as she put her hand atop Janetta's swollen nubbin, rubbing gently around it. Lowering my cock, I pressed into Janetta's gaping crevice, steadying myself by holding onto Zinja.

"Holy shit," Janetta grunted. I stroked into her several times, and her head fell back onto the bed, huffing and moving her pussy to swallow me deeper into her body. I pulled out, and guiding my slickened shaft, I put it at Zinja's soaked pussy. Both of their inner thighs were slick from their dripping honey. Slowly I pushed, parting Zinja's fat nether lips. Zinja stopped rubbing Janetta and sucked air while I penetrated her hot, wet channel.

By the third stroke, I was almost all the way in and she trembled.

"By the gods ... he's ... unnnh ... ohhhhhh ...so full!"

"Big, isn't he?" Janetta caressed her face.

The older woman sucked air, nodding vigorously, her body tensed.

"It's not hurting you, is it?" Janetta murmured gently. "No? That's good. Just try to enjoy it."

I stroked in again and felt my balls brush up against her labia. Zinja grunted again, then whimpering as she shoved back, pressing hard against me, her pussy throbbing around my shaft. I didn't move too much because I was too close myself.

Zinja gasped and shivered for several seconds, then dropped onto Janetta's chest, breathing heavily. I pulled out and aiming lower, re-entered Janetta. Stroking slowly within her buttery center, pressing against her.

Janetta closed her eyes and sighed. "You feel really good, Ranji. I think Zinja likes you, too. Ohh. Mmmm. That's nice." For several minutes I stirred my cock within her frothy center. Janetta's moans and my own sighs were echoed by the wet slick sounds of my moving within her swollen nether lips. Then I pulled out and pressed slowly back inside Zinja. The older woman shivered again, arching her back. Stroking gently, easy, I continued deeper explorations until this time my hips pressed against her butt. She barely breathed the whole time I moved within her throbbing folds.

Switching off back and forth, I was able to prolong my own ejaculation for a while, giving both of them pleasure. And, Janetta realized that she could kiss and mold Zinja's breasts, flicking her nipples while I worked myself within their slick, warm centers. Zinja responded to the attention, kissing and nibbling and groping and squeezing in return.

Eventually, though, the pressure and sensations rose within my shaft down to my balls, and I stroked faster and faster. I was in Janetta, moving in and out quickly. My balls tightened. Pulling out of Janetta, I rammed into Zinja's wet heat and she yelled at the sudden invasion. On the third stroke, my cock swelled and Zinja arched and bucked as I sprayed her inner walls with hot semen. I gave her a couple of pulses and then moved down and dropped back into Janetta's steamy center, coating the entire length of her channel with sperm. I gave her some creamy strokes and then re-entered Zinja, pumping hard into her dripping folds, giving her the last twitches from my balls.




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 08



Capisco.

The population census was about a hundred thousand. A lot of supplies from the Seven Nations, especially food, were funneled into the base from the city. The area beyond the base and its ten rad buffer zone was thick with towns and farms growing crops and raising livestock.

I was going to meet a contact from Imperial Security, a Melannee Siroptic. However, since my outing was supposedly a pleasure trip, I dressed in a pull-over shirt covered in flowers, shorts, and deck shoes. I had no idea what the local fashions were and hoped for the best.

There was one main road of four lanes exiting High Guard War base with three checkpoints: the base gate, midpoint, and leaving the land claimed by the Empire and entering the Seven Nations. For those without vehicles, buses shuttled people back and forth to Capisco.

The ten rads of land surrounding the base were filled with mobile defenses, hard points and obstacles. Periodically, Ground Service troops would set the vegetation on fire to keep the land clear.

Along the route, I counted at least six tank bunkers housing Tlokan heavy tanks with their distinctive twin 90mm barrels. One bunker was adjacent to the road; their treads were massive and twin anti-air batteries mounted behind the turret were just as impressive, a threat on the ground and the air. Seeing those twin guns pointed at me for even a fraction of a second was disconcerting. Supporting the tanks were armored versions of the electric four-door ChoCacs. A few sported cargo bays like the one I drove, but most were equipped with a shielded heavy machine gun turret or a 35mm gun. Some were modified to use tank treads in the rear half or were converted entirely to tank tread for covering especially rugged terrain. There were also dedicated artillery units and anti-air hardpoints supporting the Ground Service units. Thick concrete walls lined the road, enough to slow down or halt civilian trucks.

Besides the midway checkpoint through, incredibly, there was also a store where people could stop off for refreshments or use a latrine. There was also a pullout on both sides for inspecting incoming and outgoing vehicles. The traffic wasn't what I'd call heavy, but it was steady.

Ground Service personnel strode around in bronze uniforms, and more than half were supplemented with powered battle armor and assault rifles. The unarmored troopers used scanners, checking for contraband or comparing shipments to manifests. With them were guard dogs, trained to sniff out contraband drugs and to kill.

Because of my vehicle's shielding, I had to turn the vehicle off while they opened the rear doors and ran the scanner through. The team at the midpoint were in and out in under five seconds. The armored Second Sergeant with his shielded visor and speakers resembled some of the new battle droids being adding to various national arsenals as the new critical weapon in ground combat supremacy.

"You're clear," came his bored voice.

As he moved on to the next vehicle behind me, the servos moving his armor synchopated with the heavy sound of his boots clamping onto the concrete road. From here, the Ground Service defenses protecting High Guard War base looked impressive. But once the walls were breached, I still had my concerns. With nearly everyone on foot, there would be almost no mobility, no means to move warriors to where they were needed to rapidly contain a hostile force, and no means to evacuate non-coms out of harm's way.

At the third checkpoint before entering the Seven Nations, I was stopped again. This time, the sergeant was just in his summer class B, carrying a tablet computer and a radio mic set. Two infantry with scanners opened my doors, waved around and checked compartments, yelled "Clear!" and the doors and rear closed back up. The sergeant handed me back my ID card, then leaned against the vehicle. "First time in Capisco, Lieutenant?"

"Yes."

"Grant me wifi access to your AI, please? Sending ... now. If you need to go places, the AI in your vehicle will now have the proper local maps. There are streets in Capisco that are reserved pedestrian only. And they have streets that are strictly one-way. Park only in designated areas. The local law will boot your tire if you park in the wrong place, and the fines can be heavy. Also, there is a list of places in Capisco that are off limits. If you are within four blocks of any such establishment, the AI will warn you to avoid them. Mostly they are drinking establishments with a tendency to relieve you of your cash. If you get in trouble, ask for the Imperial Consulate. Please be advised that it can take a day or three for them to extricate you, depending on what you do. One last thing, sir."

"Yes?"

"Get your vehicle painted for Air Service, sir. Or at least, get rid of the Ground Service paint job. It irritates some of our officers when other branches drive vehicles with our markings."

I grinned. "Appreciate the advice, Sergeant. I will take care of it when I get home."

Nodding, he slapped the roof. "Cleared!"

I passed through a swatch of forest about a rad in length, then the trees thinned and I began to see houses and shops and narrower side streets. Following the advice of the sergeant, I had the AI map out the route with the new road restrictions. I frowned. The proposed route was a circuitous path through a maze of streets. Then the male-voiced AI surprised me. "Do you wish driving instructions, sir?"

I shrugged. "Sure." Then I felt stupid because the AI couldn't see me shrug.

"Resume driving straight ahead for one-half rad. Turn right on Teotonka Drive."

"I can't read the native language!" I looked at my watch. I had an hour to get to my destination. The checkpoints had eaten up twice the expected travel time.

"Assessing ... resume driving for one half rad." It paused. "Approaching right turn in five seconds. Four. Three. Two. Turn right. Continue for one quarter rad, moving to left lane."

And so it went. The first thing I noticed was a lot of civilians on the streets and in vehicles, and an absence of soldiers. Instead, they had something called police, who were in uniforms, sure enough, but carried only a single pistol and riot baton, and the ones I saw on foot traveled alone rather than pairs or groups. And I didn't see very many of them either. And, there were no police or military from the Seven Nations at the checkpoint into their country.

Nearly an hour later, I arrived at my destination. I paid the attendant, I put the sticker on the dashboard and parked. A credit to park and a two credit sur-tax. Ouch!

I pulled up a readout on the GPS display for the address. The AI identified 245 Palm Drive as a diner called Gator Bits. I hoped that wasn't all they served as I had skipped lunch in an effort to be here early. Instead, because of the long, circuitous route through most of the city's crowded streets, I was in danger of being late. A lot of the vehicles were Imperial made HueCacs and ChoCacs. There were also Aesir-made vehicles, and a lot of Trundlers -- an odd but durable three-wheeled vehicle built by Roanoke Manufacturing, the same Seven Nations heavy industry that also supplied a lot of military parts.

I locked my ChoCac, took the elevator down, and walked the two blocks to the diner. In the window was a large neon sandwich beside a smiling alligator. My stomach rumbled at the thought of food and hoped for the best.

The diner had most of the lower floor for tables, separated into sections with support beams. For a late afternoon workday, it was fairly busy. A waitress greeted me when I entered. She spoke another language at first, which I shrugged at, so she tried a rough version of Queschua. I nodded and she motioned for me to follow.

She pointed to a table. I sat, and she handed me a menu. Presumably it was the local dialect on one side and Queschua on the other -- or rather a cousin of the Empire's main language. I wondered what rear-ended pork was and how earnest the vegetables really were. Butter-flavored butt cakes? And several versions of fried alligator. One was saucy and another frisky. Hoo boy.

Melannee appeared as the waitress left. She turned out to be a blonde, thirty-something white woman with bright green eyes and a trim, athletic figure. Her face was delicate with a slightly upturned nose. Clad in a cream and dark blue blouse, a mid-length blue and red plaid skirt and knee-high leather sandals, she looked both competent and attractive. She also carried a wide, black leather briefcase.

Sliding into the seat across from me, she introduced herself, then said in Vedan, "So you're Ranji Kandikan. Bernim said I'd like the look of you and he is right, as usual. You are a handsome one."

"Who is Bernim?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Ah. You probably know him as Itznacoco. Is he still a sergeant these days? I forget. He's been at Tikun a while now." She pushed the briefcase under the table with her foot. "That's for you. There's a computer inside, voice coded for you only, with a spare battery and a charger. The computer is equipped with a self-destruct and a rather impressive amount of plastique. You don't want to be nearby if it goes off. The case also contains a Beltan stunner and two mini flash grenades as well as two pistols, a Chon .44 and a Wampag Talon. The magazine for the Chon holds eight shots. The ammo are teflon hollow-points. The Wampag clip holds twenty-five shots, including one in the chamber. It uses sabot flechettes, which aren't very good against powered armor, but are very effective at bare flesh and body weave vests. There are four boxes of spare ammunition, two each. The stunner can do four shots without a recharge. Questions so far?"

"No false papers to go with this?" I moved the briefcase closer to my chair.

She scowled. "Don't be an idiot. This isn't a damned vid show! You will likely be trained for wet work, not undercover ops. Besides, your looks are too distinctive to blend in well here. And according to our records, you don't even speak the local language."

The waitress came over, holding a pad and writing pen in her hand, and Melannee's face resumed being pleasant.

"I'd recommend the mastodon burger. It's flavorful and grown locally. There's chicken, but I think it comes from the production farms in Kena-Tuck. Okay for fast food, but not for real eating. The alligator is chewy and the fried breading is only for the brave of stomach."

I shrugged. "Mastodon it is then."

Melannee spoke to the waitress who nodded and moved off. "I ordered us some sweet tea. It's a black tea with sugar. On the sweet side, but it's a popular local drink. The burger comes with chips."

"Chips?"

"Slices of potato fried in oil. Not bad with salt. You can try the dip they come with."

"That sounds good," I replied. "Your name. It sounds--"

"Atlantean? That's because it is." She leaned back in her seat. "I'm also half Aesir. At least that's what the genetic testing says. Typical sad story. Atlantean maid raped by Aesir raiding party. Nine months later, here I am. Boo hoo."

"So why are you working for the Empire?"

"Not on a first date, Kandikan. Maybe later you'll earn that tale."

The waitress brought our drinks and moved off.

"Did you know," she continued casually, "that Atlantis has a file on your father at least four inches thick? Yours is almost two, which is impressive for a junior officer in a foreign military."

"How do you know that?"

She gave me a wistful look. "The world could stand more good looking people, and you are that. A pity that Persavati didn't make it out with them."

"Who?"

She looked pleased with herself. "Ah, so you don't know the whole story of their prior life, do you?"

"Whose prior life? Who is this Persavati person?"

"She was your birth mother. She--"

"You lie! My parents are Arjun and Shanti Kandikan!"

Melannee nodded calmly. "Biologically, yes. Your mother Shanti comes from a priest caste family and they are wealthy. Very. Her parents indulged her and let her go to university, which is where she met your father. She married down to be with him. Her parents disowned her, which later turned out to be good for their own health. Your mother is incapable of carrying a child to term. Apparently some defect in her uterus, according to the Vedan medical files. Persavati was her maid servant. Shanti is your mother, but Persavati carried you for nine months. She gave you life. Surrogate motherhood is not a new technology. She was shot while your parents made their escape."

"Supposing this is true, how do you know this? And how do you know just how thick the Atlantean files are?"

"I'm good at my job," she replied. "Now--"

"Seven hells! Can you give a straight answer? It doesn't change who my parents are! And what does this have to do with me?" I was getting very irritated with her games. Why was she poking around in my family's history?

"Smile, Kandikan," Melannee said. "I'm going to come around the table and give you a kiss, and you are going to smile and nod like everything is better." She got up, came over, and kissed me. Putting her hand around my head, she tried to put her tongue in my mouth. I let her in but didn't participate. Melannee gripped my hair tightly, then dug in her nails. Releasing my lips, she whispered, "Just what I thought. No instincts for it. Well, now it's for real. Two agents from the other side just came in, taking the booth in the corner behind you. They probably followed you here after running your vehicle ID. Do you even know how to check if you are being followed or how to evade a tail? I didn't think so. And don't turn to look at them either."

Smiling, Melannee sat back down.

The waitress brought our meals, topped off our drinks, and left.

"I'm not used to kissing--"

"Women?" she offered. "Chomorran men kiss women all the time. For that matter, they'll even fuck a woman they don't know in public and in broad daylight. Even if she doesn't want them to."

"No, kissing strangers. Besides, I have a lover."

Melannee cut her sandwich into bite-sized pieces, then using her fork, put one into her mouth. "Ah, yes. The fighter pilot. There's a tale or two there as well. And you wonder why your file is so thick! You have a lover and you wish to be loyal to her. How sweet. I have my reasons for what I do, Kandikan. And it's none of your business." She put down her fork, speaking quietly. "Eat. We are supposed to be amicable. If you cause me trouble because of this, I will simply shoot you the next time I see you."

I took a bite. The meat was different, but okay. I was hungry so I dug in. Janetta called herself a prickly pear. I was beginning to think this Melannee was a porcupine.

She nodded approvingly. "Now to the important stuff. Pay attention but do not react. I have news that someone new has been placed in the home of your parents. We suspect many things, but it's possible this person may not even know they are a plant. They obviously passed the basic background screening by Security. The name of your birth mother, Persavati, was associated with this new person. It is believed her name is a trigger word for an assassin."

Now I understood her point. And just how much Imperial Security digs into our lives. Atlantis, too, for that matter.

"Given trust and surprise," she continued, "such a plant can be an effective killer. If this news of your past comes to your attention -- and we believe it will be soon -- it will be up to you to assess the motive of the person giving you the message. The message itself will likely be couched in a way to be alarming, probably in the hope that you go home to challenge your parents on the matter. When you are notified, contact me, and apply for emergency leave to go home. I will do my best to go with you, but if not me, then someone else to keep things from going wrong. Your father is very important to the Empire. There is a dummy email account on your new computer for both Tikun Travel and Capisco Travel Guides. I am the latter. Understood?"

"Understood." I thought the tea was overly sweet and left it unfinished. Instead, I drained my water glass.

"Try the chips. They are pretty good."

I did. The potato crunch was different. I liked it. The waitress refilled our water glasses and moved on to other tables.

A man approached the table. White like Melannee, he was blond with cold, blue eyes. His darker-haired partner hung back by the support arch, watching the proceedings. Speaking Atlantean, the blond brusquely asked her, "What are you doing here?"

"Having lunch. What does it look like?"

"You are supposed to be working!"

"I am!" she retorted. "Let me do my job!"

In Vedan, I asked her, "Don't tell me your cover is a prostitute? I thought you worked as a guide. How much do you need?"

"Dopachek, he's--" I held up a crisp one hundred credit note. The blond man snatched it and grinned at Melannee, waving it at her before moving back to his table. Speaking in Vedan, she said tersely, "I really wish you hadn't done that. I could have convinced him you were booking a holiday vacation. Now you've committed yourself, and by extension, me."

Dopachek and his friend muttered and laughed as they watched us from their table.

"Committed to what?"

"To fuck, you idiot. There's a room upstairs, and they film it for blackmail. Fortunately, there's a sound jammer I can activate that generates white noise. They'll get video but no sound." Seeing my face, she continued, "If you don't fuck me, they'll get suspicious. And no, you can't beat them up or kill them because that will make things even more inconvenient for me."

"Charming."

"You made the assumption and put yourself into it. Now we have to deal with it. And you've got no call to be mean to me or be upset about this. You get to fuck. I'm the one who gets fucked." She took a breath to calm herself. "At least you look nice. Most men say I am pleasant to look upon."

I nodded, embarrassed. "You are. And I was just trying to help."

"Next time let me handle things. You aren't in the Empire here. The rules are different. I've been in the field for fourteen years. You would think I would get more respect, but I don't. My only consolation is when the men are handsome or nice. Rarely are they both. Tell me, are you nice?"

"Depends on the circumstances," I answered cagily.

There was a small upturn on her lips. "I understand you live with four women. How's that working out for you?"

"We get along."

"I imagine you do," she replied. She drained her tea and stood up. "Let's get this done."

I grabbed the briefcase, and tossing a twenty credit note onto the table for our bill, I followed her to the back of the restaurant. By the latrines, she opened a door leading to a narrow staircase going up. I was treated to the motion of her hips and plaid skirt swaying as we ascended. At the end of the hall, she used a key and opened the door, then closed and locked it behind us.

The room reminded me a lot of the base housing where I lived. Cheap, shoddy, and substandard. Faded wallpaper and cracks in the ceiling plaster. A twin bed, a rickety table and two spindly chairs, a battered wooden dresser with a worn mirror, a tiny bathroom, and small closet. Overhead, a bare bulb glared weakly. Like something out of a Kemer melodrama. If it had been a vid, Janetta would burst through the door and get into a cat fight with Melannee, clawing, scratching and howling as they ripped each other's clothes off before I asserted my heroism by fucking them both. Both would get pregnant, and two or three years later, the kids would be grown adults, scheming and fucking with the older generation. At least that's how it worked on those vids. Calia, for a while, was addicted to an Atlantean melodrama series called "All My Progeny," but I think she grew out of it. Imagining Janetta and Melannee, though, put a smile on my face.




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 08



Melannee caught the look as she turned on a radio to play local music. "What amuses you so?"

I gestured. "Is this for real? I mean, seriously?"

"Yes, this place is a dump. No kidding. And I assure you, those two mean business. They aren't just part of the local criminal gang. They are Huginn."

Atlantean Intelligence? "How did you get mixed up with them?"

"How else but to infiltrate their ranks? Enough of this. If they get suspicious and get a Vedan speaker to lip read, we're both dead. Then they will probably rape us. And probably after they kill us. Both of them are twisted that way." She took a breath, then bending over, lifted her skirt and pushed down her panties.

"You're serious about fucking?"

She gave me a stern look as she stepped out of her underwear. "Bernim said you were pretty quick but I am starting to have my doubts. What part of what I told you didn't you understand? They record this. You waved money which made it appear to them you were paying me to whore for you. I'm the experienced field agent and you sidelined me. If you fuck me, they get their jollies, you walk out alive and I continue working for the Empire. I am also beginning to believe you don't think I'm very pretty, either, which hurts my feelings and is pissing me off. What's the matter, Kandikan? Am I too white for you?"

I set the briefcase down. "No," I replied quietly. "Actually, I think you are quite striking."

"I was going to lay down on the bed, but now I'm embarrassed and I just want it done and over with. And don't drag it out, either." She turned around, and bending over the table, flipped her skirt over her hips, baring her blonde muff to me.

Despite her words, I could see her nether lips were puffy and glistening. I approached her. She turned her head and watched me come up behind her, her face unreadable. I ran my palm over her bare butt, caressing her smooth skin. I leaned down and kissed her tight cheek.

She stood up and whipped around. "Hey, there! What are you--mmmph!"

I pulled her in and kissed her, wrapping my arms around her. She stiffened at first, then slowly she relaxed, kissing back.

I had no idea if I would see her again. I sort of hoped we would, but I had no real idea how the spy / undercover security agent thing worked. But if we were going to have to fuck, I wanted her to enjoy it and not remember she had to spread because I messed up. Penetration is personal, and I didn't want a bad experience to fester and sour her further. She really might shoot me. Selfishly, I suppose, I also get off when the woman has a good time. It's grand to feel my cock slide inside a woman's wet, slick center, that's for sure. Yet it's grander still to have them push back, trying their best to envelope my length, taking everything I have to give and wanting it all.

Melannee was nearly as tall as Zinja, and as tall as me. As my lips explored her mouth, my hands ran along her hips and back, touching and squeezing. Her hands did their own wandering. She smelled of lavender. Slowly I moved my hands until I cupped her face as I finally broke the kiss.

"I hope that helps soothe your hurt feelings," I told her quietly.

She looked at me intently for several seconds, breathing deep. Then she whispered, "Shit."

My hands drifted down, molding her breasts, pinching her nipples through her bra. A deeper breath before she arched her back, thrusting them out.

"You are persuasive," she muttered.

Squeezing, kneading, I tested their heft before I unbuttoned her blouse. As I exposed her skin, I gave light kisses along her collarbone, then into the valley between her white orbs. My fingers traced the edge of the lace-fringed bra to the center. "What the--?"

"In the back," she breathed.

"Why would they put it there?"

Impatient, she slipped the straps off her shoulders before reaching behind to unhook it. They weren't overly large, but they hung heavy like ripe fruit. "Atlantean fashion."

"That's silly. Why would women wear something that clips in the back where you can't see it? Ah, but what they hide is beautifully made." I kissed my way across the top of their swells as my thumbs flicked her nipples. The pink areolas puckered and hardened.

While I inhaled a breast, her hands undid her thin belt and unbuttoned the top part of her skirt. The garment fell off into a heap. Her hands caressed my shoulders and stroked through my hair. I switched to the other breast, using a free hand to squeeze and tweak the wet nipple.

Melannee began to breathe heavier. Then she sighed and gently pushed me away. "Okay, you've convinced me. Let's use the bed."

I watched her move, her muscles rippling subtly under her smooth skin. Took in the trim line of her shoulders to a small dimple above her ass. Then I spotted two thin scars below her left kidney area and what looked like three bullet wounds -- one below her right shoulder blade, one in the lower back, and one where her thigh met her butt cheek. Graceful like a big cat and, no doubt, just as dangerous. She climbed onto the mattress, and settling onto her back, she spread her legs, pulling her knees up until her heels were flat.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked.

"Sorry. I was impressed by what I saw."

Melannee looked at me thoughtfully. Pulling off my shirt, I pushed down my shorts and underwear, socks and shoes. Reaching for one leg, I started to unbuckle her sandals, but she pulled her leg from my grasp. "Leave them. Call it my quirk. I only take off footwear when I feel safe. So you -- ooohh." I ran my tongue along her inner thigh and kissed the swelling lips between her legs. Settling into a comfortable position, I kissed and licked her outer folds, watching her sex engorge further, turning as pink and wet as her inner passage hinted at.

Gently rolling her hips, Melannee sighed. "Careful, Kandikan .. I might start .. oh, ohh! .. to think you liked me after all. Mmm."

I pulled apart her outer lips and began lathing her inner folds. As her hips moved more firmly, I caressed the length of her groove from the bottom of her opening all the way up to the underside of her thickening clit. Her breath caught each time I brushed her sensitive nubbin. I was tempted to put my fingers inside her oozing tunnel but decided against it. I thought she'd appreciate a slower pace. Melannee squeezed her own breasts while I explored her center, and sighs turned to whimpers. Slowly, she began lifting her butt off the mattress, arching her pussy against my mouth as I drank in her wetness. The gyrations of her hips became smaller and shorter, matching her short, intense breathing. Then her legs tried to close around me while she suddenly bucked, groaning. Her pussy gushed, the swollen lips opening and closing.

Lifting up, I moved over her and pressed my thick crown to her convulsing center. With a deep thrust, I parted her groove and my hard shaft slid inside her heat. Pushing deeper, I buried my cock into her depths.

Melannee grabbed my shoulders, her eyes wide, and Atlantean slipped out. "Sweet. Mother. Hera. Oh!"

I set to rapidly plunging into her wet sheath. Leaning over her, she writhed, humping back at me. I thrust harder.

"When you're ... when you're ready to .. ready to ... oh, Hades, never mind. Just fuck me!" She shivered, and I felt her pussy contracting on my length again. More slickness released within her throbbing walls. Her legs lifted up and wrapped tightly around my hips, grunting as her feet pulled against my butt to encourage even deeper thrusting. I felt her cervix opening and closing along the ridge under crown of my cock. Grinding against her, I pressed firmly, letting her womb caress my sensitive spot. In seconds, I felt my balls tighten and my shaft thicken. Just as her inner walls began to calm, I began spraying lines of hot sperm against her inner sanctum. Her belly tensed and I felt her cervix convulsing around my crown again. Yet more fluids filled her tunnel, coating my cock and balls with her release.

As my orgasm faded, I started to pull out, but she gripped me tighter. "Don't be in such a rush. Stay a while. Please?"

"Okay. I just hope you are no longer irritated with me."

"You are a strange man, Kandikan. You did ... good. Not many have shown the consideration you did. You went down on me without asking. It's not taboo in Atlantis or Aesir or here for that matter, but most can't be bothered." She caressed my cheek.

"Does that mean you aren't going to shoot me?"

"Only if you need it. And you really did tempt me." She bit her lower lip. "You are a heart breaker, you are. Need I ask how attached you are to your fighter pilot? No, I see it in your eyes. You said I was striking. Was that in a good way?"

"Yes. You are beautiful, Melannee."

"If we had the opportunity later and I asked, would you consider doing me again?"

"Sure. But not today, though. Janetta asked me to make love to her when I got home, and I want to do her right."

I felt myself slipping out of her sheath. Melannee sighed, pursing her lips as I rose from her body. I went to the bathroom, and finding a worn hand towel on the rack, rinsed it with warm water.

She started to rise off the bed, but seeing me, she paused. When I handed her the towel, there was a look of wonder. Melannee wiped herself, then handed the towel back to me. "Gods, you are a treasure! Handsome and kind. Some woman taught you right, too, and for that, I thank her truly. Yes, I'm very okay with how things worked out."

I rinsed out the towel and cleaned myself. We both dressed quickly. Opening the briefcase, I took out the stunner and slipped it into my pocket, then closed it back up.

Melannee watched, then nodded approvingly. "Find someplace to secure the other weapons so they are quickly accessible to you."

As we descended the stairs, I told her, "I need to find an apothecary before I return. Is there one nearby?"

"Sure. There's a Fix-All Drugstore a few blocks away. Everything okay?"

"I'm fine. But if it's not too much trouble, and as you noted I don't speak the local language, can I impose on you to come with me?"

She stopped and turned to look at me. "Already collecting on my goodwill, Kandikan?"

"I prefer Ranji. And yes. Will you do it?"

With a smug smile, she opened the door leading back into the diner. "I don't normally get so casual, especially with contacts I just met, but I'm still in a really good mood. All right, Ranji. I'll go with you."

As we exited, I noticed Dopachek and his friend were gone.

She saw my search and didn't say anything until we were outside. "They are probably trying to jack off to the video they made of us. They don't think much of pussy-licking. They are going to make a lot of jokes about you being pussy whipped."

"Did you enjoy it?"

There was a slight pinking of her cheeks to her ready smile. "Oh, yes."

"Then fuck them and the horse they rode in on."

Melannee laughed. "Liking you a lot more, Ranji."

She asked me about what I needed from the apothecary, so I explained my purpose. She nodded and asked about Chanotl and Zinochtli. I'm not sure when it happened, but as I saw the neon mortar and pestle sign, I discovered Melannee had slipped her hand into mine. I squeezed it and she returned the gesture.

We passed the gift section and headed to the back, got into the line, and waited. Standing there, I glanced at all the knickknacks and oddments that packed the shelves. One item caught my eye, a picture of an ovoid with a handle on top standing on four round balls. I picked one of the boxes up and looked on the sides. The writing on one side was Atlantean, which I could read. "Three vibrating speeds! Relax your shoulders! Soothe your back!" In smaller lettering, "Cleans with normal soap and water. Guaranteed to last five years, even with heavy use."

Melannee saw what I had and burst out laughing.

"What is this?"

"A small portable massager. A favorite of the ladies. I have one myself."

"Why is it a favorite of the ladies? There's a picture of a man leaning on this contraption while sitting in a chair."

"I'm surprised you haven't figured it out. I forget that this is on the contraband list, which is a damn shame. It vibrates and women use it on their clit, Ranji. You can push one of the feet inside a bit for more oomph. It hums through your bones. It can give stellar orgasms. Not as nice as a real lover, but very helpful during dry spells, and not as obvious as a dildo." She cocked her head. "Might be a nice gift for your pilot."

"This is contraband?"

"Afraid so. The priest caste thinks it corrupts women. But those dickheads think everything corrupts women. The comedians in the rest of the world get a lot of mileage over the priests and warriors saying oral sex is taboo and polluting. And I am so happy you obviously don't agree with that idiocy. Going to get one?"

"Four."

"Four!" Her green eyes lit up. "For your harem." I winced at her term. "I should not be surprised. With this toy, you will be a real hit, I assure you. Do you have local currency? There's a sur-tax on Imperial charge cards, but not on Atlantean ones. After we're finished here, we'll go to a bank and open an account for you. You have at least a couple hundred credits on your military account?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I'll front the cash and trust you to make good. We'll get them on the way out."

Then we were at the counter. Melannee asked me to get out the prescription bottles and she spoke to the man in the lab coat. He opened the bottle and frowned. Speaking to Melannee, he shook his head, tapped a keyboard, then turned the flat panel screen around for us to see. I saw the blue pentagons with the crescent. The main script I couldn't read, but I could read the Atlantean and the Queschua.

Najayb'ak pills, literally to "fill with child." The Atlantean translated to "fecund," and noted a common side-effect of causing multiple births. Seven hells!

The man behind the counter turned back the monitor and tapped more keys. Then he turned the screen back for us to see again. I saw the pills Cholan had described for birth control. Rust-red squares with a skull on one side. Machab'ak, or Queschua for "no child." The Atlantean said "barren ground."

"I want enough for three months, for two women," I told Melannee.

She thought a bit, then nodded. "I'll tell him. Ranji, what if your two aren't the only ones targeted? There are still some families that think warrior women are an affront to the gods. They say women--"

"--are for fucking not for fighting? I've heard that nonsense before."

"Think about it. The enlisted who get pregnant will be dishonorably discharged and lose any pensions, returning to their former caste, unmarried with bastard children. Many will be ground into poverty. But any women officers caught by this will face the death penalty. The furor over doctored meds will fade in the scandal of dozens, maybe hundreds of women expelled from the military in disgrace. Legislation to ban women from the warrior caste will be brought to the Council of States, mark my words. I'll tell Bernim about this. You might see me sooner than we both expected."

While I digested her thoughts, she spoke to the apothecary. They came to some decision and he set aside the two bottles, going back to his line of shelves. When he came back, he set six new ones onto the counter.

"Check them," Melannee said, writing on the documents he presented. "You know what to look for." Then she unbuttoned the small pocket on her skirt and presented a bank card. Gold colored, and sporting the EasyCard logo for First Bank of Mu, capital city of Atlantis.

I checked the contents. They were the rust-red pills we needed. Melannee pointed to the shelf behind us and the man suddenly grinned as he entered the billing. "Grab four of the toys, Ranji. Pick the colors you want."

Not knowing who would want what, I picked red, blue, green, and purple. If they were different colors, there wouldn't be confusion about whose toy belonged to whom. He handed the bag to me and the card back to Melannee. They exchanged a few more words, then he laughed, nodding.

As we exited onto the street, we headed further away from the parking structure where my vehicle was stored.

"What were you two talking about at the end there?" I asked her.

"He said with four of the toys, I should have a really good time. I told them they were for your other girlfriends. He offered to sell you some herbs to increase your libido and potency. I told him you didn't need them. He said if I knew you had four other girlfriends and I didn't mind, you were one lucky man."

I stopped. "My other girlfriends?"

"Oh, come on, Ranji! Don't get your knickers in a bunch because I told him I'm your girlfriend. I signed for the drugs saying they were for me." She started walking again. "I tell people what I have to so that I get the job done. That means I lie. A lot. The bank is three blocks over and one north from here."

I nodded and hurried to catch up.

"Doesn't mean I'm not thinking about you doing me again, though," she added with a smirk.

* * * * *

At Melannee's suggestion, I did some other shopping for the women. Unsurprisingly, she knew how to find the shops. More, she knew the sizes for Janetta and her team. She did work for Imperial Security so she had access to all their records. I also wondered about her work for Atlantean Intelligence and how that all fit together. Atlantis was the enemy. And we weren't too friendly with Aesir-Veda either. The next time I saw Senior Sergeant Itznacoco, I was going to have more questions for him. And I hoped the tightrope that Melannee walked didn't get her killed. She was probably a stone-cold killer. The scars on her back said someone had tried to kill her. I doubted the same could be said for those who tried to end her and failed. Even so, I found I liked her.

At the final checkpoint leading back to High Guard War base, I looked up and saw the starlight gleaming far above us all. I wondered if other worlds would laugh at our trials and the things we held so dear. If they even understood them, they probably would think us crazy. With all the idiocy and posturing of men and nations, it wasn't all for nothing. My father once told me truth and protecting the feelings of others mattered. The older I grew, the more I admired him.

Once inside the gate, I called up Vehicle Maintenance and told them I wanted to paint my new ChoCac in Air Service blue. I read him the model off the dashboard like he asked and he wanted to know why I was bothering him. "Just have the AI change the color for you!" the sergeant told me in exasperation. "I've got six vehicles all coded urgent that actually need fixing," and hung up. Chagrined, I found the menu and had the AI select Air Service blue for the vehicle coloring. I wasn't sure how it worked, but knew it used a slow charge from the batteries to electrify the paint somehow to make it happen. It would take all night, but by morning, the vehicle would be cyan blue.

It was hours after dark when I pulled onto West Seashell Lane. I pulled into the driveway for number ninety-three, right next to the two-seat electric HueCac. Except for the tires moving through the gravel, the electric engine of my ChoCac was just as quiet. Even driving around all afternoon, I'd used less than five percent of the batteries.

The curtains in the windows moved and I saw someone looking out in the fading twilight at me. As I grabbed some of the packages, the women piled out and swarmed around me. Janetta threw herself into my arms and the packages scattered. Holding her tight, she kissed me deeply.

"What took you so long! I missed you, Ranji. I --" She sniffed, raising her eyebrows. "Lavender?"

Zinja and Ixma collected the packages on the ground.




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 08



"I'll tell you later. Not out here. In fact, everyone, get inside the ChoCac." They got inside, Janetta moving to the front passenger seat while the other three squeezed into the back. I flipped the power switch back on. "Security AI, engage detection counter measures. " The doors locked and the windows darkened. "Map light," I said, and a small dome light came on.

"Okay, Ranji," Janetta said. "What's so hush-hush?"

"The sound proofing in our house is for shit. The neighbors can hear us when we have sex and we can hear them. And fights, loud music, whatever. Hand me that yellow package, Cholan." I opened it and dug to the bottom. I handed three prescription bottles to Cholan, then dug out the rest and gave them to Ixma.

Cholan looked at the bottles and opened one up. "It's red, with a skull on one side."

"The pills they got were bogus, weren't they!" Janetta demanded.

"Worse. The blue ones are fertility pills."

The women expressed their anger and confusion until Janetta barked at them. Her black eyes glittered. "I am going to cut out the heart of who ever did this and eat it in front of their fucking face!" She tried to open the door but it was locked. She banged on it. "Let me out, Ranji! I'm going to get my gun and we are going to the Dispensary, right now!"

"Wait! There may be more to this."

"Go on," she growled.

"Melannee pointed out that it may not just be you. This could be base-wide. Who ever did this may be trying to get to all the women on the base."

"Sweet Jade Goddess," Cholan whispered.

"Did this Melannee give you orders?" Janetta asked. She was calmer, but her voice was cold and hard.

"Yes. Keep quiet about it for tonight and tomorrow. I sent a message to my contact at Tikun War base, and she confirmed it. Imperial Security agents and Imperial Guard will be arriving tonight and tomorrow, to see if Air, Ground, and Naval Service Dispensaries are all affected, and they are bringing extra supplies of birth control pills. If you want in, Melannee said to be by the Commissary tomorrow night after dark."

Janetta turned to her crew. "Cholan? Ixma? They tried to burn you. You want to be there?"

"Yes, sir!" Cholan replied.

"Yes, Lieutenant."

"Me, too, Lieutenant," Zinja growled.

Janetta had a feral smile. "You, I was already counting on, Second Sergeant. It may be a couple and it may be dozens who are going to die, but there will be blood for this. There will be blood."

Cholan cleared her throat. "So, uh, what's in these other packages? Sir? This one seems to have my name on it."

"There's something for each of you. Open them."

Packages were shuffled. Cholan opened hers first. "Is this a dress? It feels like satin! And there's more down here, something glittering and there's feathers ... Sir, the light in here's crap. Can we go inside and have a better look see?"

"Ranji?" Janetta inquired.

"AI, disengage security defenses. Release the doors." The four women let themselves be distracted, peering into their packages while they walked into the house. I carried the last one with the toys.

Inside, the women had separated, their gifts spread out around them. Cholan was entranced by the beret style hat, covered in red and blue hummingbird feathers and trimmed in silver and fluorite. The others had their hats out, too, and the evening dresses. The dresses were mostly black, but the lower half had a seashore design in dark grey while the top sported a large gray, full moon surrounded by sequins. Each of them also received a sun dress and a set of non-regulation bra and panties.

Beaming, Ixma gathered up her stuff and got up.

"Where you going, girl?" her mother asked.

"To try them on."

Zinja scooped up her things. "I'll join you."

Cholan quietly followed them.

Janetta looked at me. "I was getting worried, Ranji. Scared even. Hours and hours and no word. How long did it take you to do this shopping?"

"I tried to call, but there's no phone service onto the base from Seven Nations. The shopping took about four hours, give or take. The rest of the time was spent on taking care of other things." I set the package and the briefcase down. "The shopping could have waited, but since it was close by, I let the time get away from me. I'm sorry I worried you."

She nodded at the package and briefcase. "Some things for yourself?"

"The package has some novelty items. One for each of you. The briefcase has my new computer and weapons. Tomorrow night, I will transfer my data off the old one, and give the computer to Cholan. It's not new but still a pretty good model. I think she could make good use of her own portable comp."

"And you know sizes for all of us? Because these look like they'll fit me and I have to tell you, I'm impressed if you do."

"I had help," I confessed. "But now I do have all that data on my phone."

"Let me guess. This Melannee person?"

I nodded. "She was a big help today."

"I bet," she said quietly, reaching down to the pile of clothing. "This one, however, appears defective." She picked up the white lace panties. She poked her fingers through the hole in the middle. "I don't have anything in my plumbing that needs to be let out."

"Uh, actually, it's so you don't have to take it off while I slide in, Janetta."

She looked amused. "So this is actually for you, then."

"No, no. You get to wear it."

"Ranji, I sleep naked. I have done so ever since I could walk."

I moved in front of her. "You don't have to actually sleep in them. You could wear them for special occasions. I would love to see you in them."

A smile teased at her lips. Next, she held up the sheer nightgown. "This, too? I mean, it's completely see-through! What's the point? Might as well be naked."

"Gods above, Janetta, you are the most beautiful woman in the world. I'm told by a knowledgeable sales clerk that this is to emphasize your charms, to be sort-of dressed without actually being dressed and ... and I am not remembering his slick speech very well at all. We could try it out and see if you like it. If you don't, you don't have to wear it ever again." I leaned in and kissed her gently.

Janetta rested her head against mine. "Let me understand this. You bought these things for me, but they are really for you?"

"It is supposed to help you overwhelm me with your female charms."

"Female charms? I have those?"

"Oh, in abundance, Janetta." Kissed her forehead. "I get hard for you all the time." Kissed her cheeks. "I kept thinking all the way home what you told me this morning, that you wanted me inside you, pounding into your pussy and filling you with hot come." Kissed her mouth.

She opened her mouth to me and our tongues touched and probed back and forth. When we broke for air, she looked pleased. "I do like it when you give me your hot come. Unfortunately, it'll have to wait. You've done Zinja and Cholan already. Way things are moving, I want you to do Ixma tonight. She and Cholan split the last two birth control pills this morning after you left. Thanks to you, they now have a good supply on hand."

I cupped her face.

"I kept thinking about you today, too," she added. "How you came twice last night, and then how you worked Zinja over real good this morning and then did me hard and rough right after. I came so good." She half-laughed. "Zinja positively bounced all morning. Only three other times have I seen her that happy. When she got assigned to my crew, when Ixma got transferred in, and when I got promoted to full Lieutenant. You were right. I can see it now. Once is not going to be enough. You knew it would be that way, too, didn't you? Tried to warn me. Too late now, though, because it's done. Tactical error to me. I told you I didn't know anything about being in love. Command training frowns on fraternizing with the enlisted, and I'm going to be sleeping with them. With my small team, though, I think keeping a barrier between me and them wouldn't work. Anyway, second rule of command, learn from your mistakes and move on. At least I'm still Queen Bitch."

"Queen Bitch is the first one, isn't it? Never let them know you're scared?"

She grinned. "Damn straight."

I pulled her in and she kissed me hard and fierce, and I gave right it back to her. She hadn't been to the hangar in a while, so I didn't smell jet fuel, but I did smell oranges.

Just then, the bedroom door opened and all three of them came out wearing their sun dresses. Zinja's dress was sky blue with white fluffy clouds and fanciful propeller aircraft - monoplanes, bi-planes and tri-planes from two centuries ago. Cholan's dress had various pastel-colored computer peripherals and robots on a sienna background. Ixma's was pale green with large tropical flowers and huge, dark green leaves.

Ixma spun around, grinning. "What do you think?"

"Very nice!" I grinned. "Very nice, indeed, every one of you!"

"Thank you," Ixma beamed. "For everything!" Cholan and Zinja echoed their thanks as well. Janetta nodded thoughtfully.

Excited, Cholan looked at Janetta. "What does yours look like, Lieutenant?"

Using her index finger and her thumb, she slowly pulled it from the pile of clothing. Cholan looked away. Zinja closed her eyes, scrunching up her face. Ixma covered her mouth with both hands.

"What?" I asked them. To Janetta, I said, "I tried to find a duplicate of that dress you wore to Chingli Point --"

"And what," Janetta interrupted sharply, "do you remember I did with that dress?"

She'd torn it in half and used it to wash the sweat and dirt and come off her body. I had used the other half, and it had ended in the trash.

Janetta dropped the dress. "Captain Mils Tapanek got it for me. Insisted I wear it twice a week when I had to go fuck him in the armory at Tikun so I didn't fail my handgun test. I was more than happy to see it 'accidently' destroyed beyond all salvage. This looks like the same print. I appreciate the thought, Kandikan, but you don't mind if I have a bonfire tomorrow out back, do you?"

I shook my head. "Not at all. I didn't know the history. I didn't know. I saw it and it reminded me of an incredible night with the woman I love."

"You are being gracious. Back then I was a prickly pear, rude and difficult, and tonight I just threw this gift back in your face."

"Prickly pears are good eating. Like my date that night. I just had to get to the inside."

Janetta threw her arms around me and hugged me tight. "Gods, I love you so much, Ranji. I am so glad you didn't give up on me!"

Ixma gasped. "Lieutenant! What's that?" She pointed to the nightie. "Can I look at it?"

Janetta cocked her head then snuggled into my chest. "Go for it."

Ixma held it up, gasping. "Oh, my! It's gorgeous!"

Zinja whistled. "That's a man-buster all right."

"I'll say," Cholan echoed.

"Man-buster?" Janetta turned to look at them. "What's that?"

"Sort of like extra ammunition, sir," Zinja replied. "When you get the enemy lined up and fire a missile, then fire a second one for insurance, in case he drops some chaff to avoid your first shot."

"I see," she replied. Though I could tell she didn't. I'd ask her about it later. "You really think it's pretty?"

"It's soft and it shimmers in the light!" Then Ixma examined the white panties. "And these are beautiful, too! The lace is so intricate and delicate looking, and ... and why is there a hole in the middle?" She looked at Zinja, puzzled.

"That, my girl, is so they can connect without her having to take them off."

Ixma darkened from cheeks to her collarbone.

"Like keeping the bow on while you unwrapped the present. Or--"

"I got it, Mama." She carefully replaced the underwear onto Janetta's pile.

Amused, Janetta brushed her hand through my hair. "Did you eat today?"

"Late in the afternoon, I had a mammoth sandwich and something called chips. Fried potato slices. Not sure about the meat, but the chips were good. And later, we had some kabobs. But I could go for something."

"I've had chips," Ixma piped in. "They have them at the Cafeteria on Midweekday. They're good with salsa."

Zinja went to the kitchen and retrieved some food from the mini-fridge.

"Take your things to your room for you, Lieutenant?" Ixma asked. Janetta nodded and they were scooped up and carried away. The sun dress though, landed in a heap by the back door.

I sat down on the small couch and Janetta parked on my lap.

"Want your case and the other package in your room, sir?"

"Briefcase, yes. There are four boxes in the package. One for each of you. Different colors."

Cholan set them out. Red, green, blue, and purple. "Lieutenant, you get first pick."

Janetta twisted around. "I'll take red. What is it?" Cholan handed her the box. Janetta opened it. Took out the ovoid with the handle-grip top, and the four balls extending out the bottom.

"There's supposed to be a switch at the top. Off, low, and high."

Janetta clicked the switch then nearly dropped it. "It vibrates!" She set it down on the makeshift coffee table. It skittered slowly across the surface. She laughed in delight. "What an odd toy!"

"Hand it to me," I told her. She did. I moved it around her back and placed it against her shoulder. Pressing it into her muscle, I moved it slowly around.

"Hohh-kay. I can see where that .. Mmm ... can be useful."

"I'm told these are really popular with women. Regular sales."

"For that?" Janetta scoffed. "Maybe if you got someone to do it for you, but regular massage is just as good." I shifted the toy to my left hand, and pressing one of the legs down into her crotch and flipped the switch. Janetta jumped, bouncing off my lap and onto the cushion. Eyes wide, she looked from me to the little vibrating toy in my hand. "Fucking shit," she said quietly.

"Imagine that against bare skin," I told her, handing it to her.

Janetta stared at it, feeling it vibrate, and licked her lips.

Cholan stood up, announced, "I pick green!" and strode for the bedroom.

Zinja brought over a half sandwich on a small plate and a beer for me. I shut off the toy and took the sandwich from Zinja, nodding my thanks. Zinja came around and picked up the purple one. "Seems I recall seeing something about this." She looked at me. "What was it? Oh, yes. Isn't this on the contraband list?"

My mouth full, I nodded. I took a drink of beer. "They just confiscate it, though. Optionally, a fifty credit fine."

"Contraband, Ranji?" Janetta looked at me archly.

"You mean forbidden? Like licking pussy? I think this toy is harmless. I also know what you told Zinja last night. You lied to her. You do know what your own pussy tastes like and you have for months now. I lick your pussy all the time and then I kiss you. So you--"

"Easy, Lieutenant! Easy," Zinja warned. Janetta actually looked stricken. "She'll come around. Don't force it, and some day we'll get her to lick pussy and suck cock because she wants to."

Janetta asked us both, "I'm really going to want to do that?"

"Sure, Lieutenant. That nice cock your man has fills your pussy so nice and so good, doesn't he? And you love him, don't you? Miss him when he's gone? That cock is part of him. You know what it feels like when he gets down between your legs and puts his mouth on your pussy. It's like that for him when you suck his cock. You can make him go all crazy with pleasure using your mouth on him like that. There's fun and control in making him so helpless because of what you do to him. When he did that for me this morning I thought I was in heaven! I know I want to give back to him what he did for me." She looked me in the eyes. "I'd do my best to suck you like a vacuum cleaner, sir. Down to the last drop." Then she grinned, tossing up the box and catching it. "Thanks for the toy! I'll try to put it to good use."

Janetta took my beer and drained it. Then she scowled, staring at the empty bottle she held. "I do like it when you lick me down there, Ranji. What she says makes sense, but I'm still having trouble with it."

I patted her leg. "Hey, I'm happy playing with your tits and coming inside your pussy, Janetta. Anything else you want to do, we do at your own pace. No rush. Okay?"

She nodded, standing up. "You are so patient with me. Thank you for that. Come on, Ranji. Time we took the littlest lamb to bed."

A low wail rose up, loud, from the bedroom. As it rose in pitch, it suddenly broke off into maniacal laughter. We glanced at one another in alarm. Then the wail resumed, and Cholan shouted, "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuckity-fuck! Sweet Jade Goddess and the rowboat She floated in on!"

Janetta snickered, then laughed, slapping her legs. "Guess she likes the toy! Ranji! Up! Let's go to bed. We got our own screaming to do."

I got up and suddenly remembered the cards in my pocket. "Hey, Zinja, this is yours. I guess you can give Cholan hers tomorrow." I passed the two charge cards to her.

"You're a good man, sir. Trusting us like this."

"We're a team, Sergeant. We've been tested and our enemies are dead. Our new enemies should fear us. Like your unit motto says, 'Dangerous When Provoked.' Fits us, too. Janetta? Here's yours."

She stopped, staring at it. Then her face darkened. "I don't need this, Kandikan! I told you to get cards for them. I don't need it!"

"Don't challenge me on this, Janetta. I mean it. I told you I will take care of you and your team. Only four credits to your name? How do you think I felt knowing you couldn't even buy lunch today if you were hungry? If you were my wife, you'd expect me to provide money for us to live on, wouldn't you? I am your man and you are my woman. Two are better than one. That means we share. Everything. Good. Bad. Everything. Now take the damn card, Janetta, say thank you, and shut up about it. And I better see you using it, too, or we will have words. Are we clear?"

Very quietly, she murmured, "If you were my husband." She looked at the card, rubbing her thumb over the ridged names. Then she straightened. "Yes, sir, Lieutenant! Loud and clear. Thank you." She put it into her wallet and led the way to the bedroom. At the doorway, she paused. "Ixma? Time for you to come with us."

Ixma glanced to her mother. "Can the Second Sergeant be there with us?"

"That's up to you, Ixma," Janetta told her. "It's your time to be with Ranji. You can have any of us on the crew you want to be there for you. Even all of us. But I might kick some bodies out so there's room for sleeping afterwards."

Zinja raised her eyebrows. "Second Sergeant? Does this dress look like a uniform, Girl? Don't you Second Sergeant me! I'm your Mama and don't you forget it."

Ixma smiled as she headed to the bedroom. "I know, Mama."

Zinja blinked. She looked at Janetta grinning at the doorway. "She just razzed me and I fell for it."

"She did." In the bedroom, Janetta went over to the laundry hamper by the closet and began undressing. She removed her pips from her shoulder boards, setting them on her dresser. Then she spied Ixma carrying Janetta's new dress to the closet. She took it, and pointed at me. "Don't fuss with clean up. You are here to be with him. Now go."

Zinja went over by Janetta and slipped out of the sun dress. Underneath she wore the new dark blue lace bra and panties I'd bought her.

Topless, Janetta put her boot knives onto the dresser, then stepped out of her boots and pulled off the socks. Glancing at Zinja, she gave her a long look. "You look really different. How do you feel?"

"I'm a warrior, but I feel ... special. I've never worn anything so fancy before. Kind of rich and decadent. Or like a kid at Winter Solstice Gifting." She ran her hands over the fabric, reveling in the texture. "I'll probably take the bra off, but I think I will try the panties for sleeping in. See how they feel."

I looked at Ixma who stood away from me, wringing her hands together. I could see she was getting nervous, second-guessing herself. I held out my arms. "Come here, Ixma."




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 09



Summary:

The story is told from the point of view of Ranji Kandikan, a junior officer in the Air Service in the Empire of Chamorro.

At High Guard War base, SLT Ranji Kandikan has moved in with interceptor pilot LT Janetta Tlacotli and her flight crew, Zinja, Cholan, and Ixma. The enemies of the Empire are Atlantis and the Aesir-Vedan Alliance. Many smaller nations and nation-blocs try to avoid being caught up in the crossfire. High Guard War base is a military enclave within the Seven Nations, an independent neutral neighbor that trades with both the Empire and Atlantis.

Women have few rights in the Empire; they must submit to those of higher caste, and in the military (Warrior Caste), to those of higher rank. Janetta has decided that each of the enlisted women on her team will wear Ranji's officer's neckerchief to show that they belong to him and thus give them some protection from unwanted sexual advances. Further, to avoid being caught in a lie if the claim is challenged, Janetta has begun sharing him with her flight crew. Janetta, having recently admitted to herself that she does love Ranji, is distraught to learn that Ranji will be leaving soon for training to become an agent of Imperial Security.

Women are forbidden from getting pregnant while in the military. For enlisted, it means dishonorable discharge and loss of all benefits, but for officers it is a death sentence. The birth control pills that Cholan and Ixma recently received from the military dispensary are discovered to be fertility drugs. Janetta takes the attempt on her crew personally. Melannee, Ranji's local contact with Imperial Security, has promised to come to the base and sort things out.

Note: there are scenes of graphic violence in this chapter.

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It was still dark when I woke. I was hard and in the dim moonlight streaming in from the window, I could see my beautiful Janetta facing me in the bed, her black eyes glittering as she watched me. Her thick black hair was loose, casually framing her face. When she saw my awareness, she flashed a smile with her white teeth before leaning in to kiss me. Out of sight, I felt her hand caressing my shaft. Shifting closer, she lifted her leg over my hip and guided me into her heat. As I parted her slick folds, she sighed, then whispered, "I love you, Ranji Kandikan. Make love to me."

Behind me, Ixma was curled up against in my back. I heard the easy breathing of her and Zinja sleeping peacefully.

Janetta sighed again, kissing me gently while her hips slowly rocked to meet and envelope me. I moved easily within her warm, welcoming pussy, feeling her walls clasping wetly along my shaft. There was no urgency, just satisfaction and pleasure in being intimately connected together.

"I love you, too, my beautiful warrior," I breathed.

She put her hand behind my head and pulling me in, kissing me thoroughly.

For long minutes, we lay side by side, holding and touching while I moved within her and she moved to envelope me. In the dim light, I saw love and delight and surprise play across her face. The sweet sensation of moving within her tight, wet heat was sufficient for me, our joining intimate and satisfying. That she woke me to make love to me, tired though I was, spoke volumes about her desire for me, and I was eager to oblige her need.

Janetta's wetness soon coated her inner thighs, and then mine. She shifted, moving her leg higher over my hip. Her hand traced my jaw, then my shoulder. "You said earlier tonight that you are my man and that I am your woman."

"Yes." I smiled at the memory, even as she enveloped and released me.

"Oh, gods, you feel so good. It makes my heart sing. Tell me again, Ranji."

"You are my woman, Janetta, and I am your man. I love you, my strong, brave warrior."

She gasped and her hand moved to my hip, pulling me tight as I thrust within her slick folds. "Again. Please?"

"I am yours and you are mine. You and me, two warriors together, side by side."

Her hand gripped my hip and she pressed harder against me, taking me deeper. I pressed back, her wet nether lips brushing my groin.

"Yes! Shivers all the way .. down to my toes." A gasp. "More."

"You belong to me and I belong to you. That means I will take care of you, support you, love you." She groaned, pressing harder, grinding. My hand moved to her butt and squeezed.

"Ohhh!" Janetta arched, grinding harder against me. "So .. close."

I stroked firmer, rougher. "I am yours. You are mine! Mine, Janetta."

"Take me, Ranji. Oh! Take ... me!" She arched, pressing against me, her pussy clamping around my shaft.

"I love you, Janetta Tlacotli."

Janetta pulled me in for a passionate kiss, her breath catching as waves of sensation rolled over her. When her breathing eased, sighing against my shoulder, I slowed my movements within her slick, trembling folds.

"You give me so much pleasure, Ranji." She kissed me, breathing heavily against my cheek. "Come inside me. I want to please you and make you feel good."

"You do please me. Your pussy feels wonderful, Janetta," I assured her.

"What can I do for you?"

"It's not you. I'm just tired is all." And I was tired. I saw the flash of disappointment cross her face. She was taking this wrong, taking this as her failure to pleasure me. When it came to love, she was full of doubt and inexperience. Such would have to wait until I was more awake. "Okay, Janetta, move under me."

While I lifted up, she eagerly shifted, wrapping her legs around my waist. Pressing back inside her wet sheath, I thrust deep, adjusted, and thrust again until I was fully buried inside her slick, tight walls. Janetta held onto my shoulders while she rocked her hips against me. I gave her firm strokes, vigorously probing her center with my hard cock.

"That's it!" she breathed. "All the way inside me." She lifted up to meet my thrusts, taking my entire length with every stroke. "Full payload, Ranji. You're on the mark, target lined up, wingman. Give me all you've got."

I held myself above her, her face mostly in shadow. The glint of desire in her eyes, the catches in her breathing. My hips moved faster and harder into her pussy.

"Mmm, so good. So deep," she murmured.

The bouncing of the bed had roused Ixma and Zinja. They moved to give us space, but my focus was on Janetta and coming inside her eager body. She urged me on with her touches, her caresses; her sighs were underscored by the wet sounds of our flesh joined and moving together. At last, the tension tightened within my balls as they slapped against her ass. Sliding my hands down, I held myself up and gripped her butt, bucking and shoving into her hot, undulating pussy.

"Yes!" she hissed. "Do it, Ranji! Do it!"

My cock swelled and grunting, I sprayed deep into her recesses. "I love you."

Janetta moaned, her legs pulling me tighter against her crotch. As I pulsed, coating her tunnel with my sticky warmth, she rubbed her hands over my chest. "I love you, too," she breathed, then suddenly shivered. "Give it all to me. My heart feels full to bursting for want of you."

When my orgasm faded, Janetta's legs released me. I braced myself above her, ready to slide out and wrap my arms around her in a return to sleep.

"Don't pull out. Move until we're laying side by side," she said. "I want to go to sleep with you still inside me." Putting her leg over my hip, Janetta sighed as she snuggled close, her head in the crook of my arm.

"Want a towel, sir?" Ixma quietly asked. "For the wet spot?"

"Thanks, but we're good," Janetta replied. She kissed my chest before taking a long breath. "We are well and truly good."

* * * * *

Morning came too early, but I pulled myself out of bed. Grabbing a fresh tee-shirt and my shorts, I put them on, then slid into my deck shoes. Since moving in with Janetta and her team, our schedules hadn't really meshed. The overlong hours of study at Tikun had cut into my exercise time. It would shorten breakfast, but I needed to do a run before I went to work. I had plenty of activity, not that I minded, but thus far it was almost entirely horizontal. I needed to make my body work. The lack of exercise was making me restless.

Janetta barely stirred when I got up, on her belly, the pillow halfway over her head. Ixma and Zinja, however, slid out of bed and were collecting their clothing when I left. Ixma kept yawning as she moved about.

On the porch, I stretched, set my watch, then started down the street at a brisk pace. With summer heading into full swing, even this early it was past dawn. The last of the starlight gleaming in the sky faded out, overwhelmed by the morning sun. Already the air was growing warmer, promising to be a scorcher later. Salt air on the breeze, I inhaled deep. It felt great to be alive and outside.

On the second block, the brisk walk became a jog. Then I ran. Houses flew by, then down along the sea wall. When the alarm went off, I ran back to the house, and while I caught my breath on the porch, checked the pedometer function. Seven rads. Not bad.

I saw through the front window that Ixma and Zinja were busy cooking. Both smiled when I entered the cottage.

"Cahault, sir?" Ixma asked, wiggling her eyebrows as she checked me out.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead. "Shower first, uniform, then cahualt."

Ixma stared.

"We'll keep it hot for you, sir," Zinja promised. Then she bumped Ixma with her shoulder.

After the shower, I was mostly dressed and at the closet selecting my shirt when I heard Janetta pad up behind me. I turned, saw her sleepy face and the thick tumble that was her hair. She leaned up and I happily kissed her.

I brushed a wayward lock from her face. "What's up, sweetheart? Aren't you on a swing schedule? You go back on duty ... is it tonight or tomorrow night?"

She hugged me and nuzzled her head contentedly against my chest. "Tonight, about Ninth Hour. I want to see those bastards get their due for trying to hurt my team. I'm going to be pissed if we end up missing it. Right now, I just needed to touch you before you go. Meet you after work?"

"Sure. How about dinner in the Commissary? That way, we'll already be nearby when things start to go down. Zinja and Ixma won't have to cook and no one has to do dishes."

I reached for my shirt and she let me go. "That'll cost ten credits at least. Maybe fifteen. Are you sure you're okay about the expense? You have a lot of money, but even a little whittling every day eventually takes its toll."

"Probably closer to twenty-five. The Commissary prices are higher than the Cafeteria. And it's fine." I pulled her close, squeezing and patting her butt as I kissed her. "You get to buy. Use the card I gave you."

"Gods, this is so weird for me, Ranji, just taking your money like that. But I get what you told me, that you want to take care of me. The idea itself is new to me. Just so you know, it goes both ways. I don't have any money to do things for you, but I so want to make you happy."

Janetta put her nose to my chest, inhaling before continuing. "You were so good to Ixma last night, and I really loved what you did to me this morning. I wish you had time to do me again before you go. I don't have much energy, but I'd lie there and really enjoy you having your way, stretching my insides and oiling my notch." She adjusted my neckerchief, brushed my cheek, then stood back. "Safe flight and safe return, my love."

When she turned to go back to bed, I smacked her bare butt.

"Ow! Hey, you!" She whipped around, hand on her hip. Her face was indignant, but there was also a smile of interest in her eyes. "I have a boyfriend now, and after I kick your ass, I'll tell him what you did."

"You do that, Lieutenant. Make sure you tell him he's a lucky man while you're at it."

"Damn straight, he is!"

Out in the main room, I filled my thermos with cahault, the chocolate coffee drink I was addicted to. I also grabbed the breakfast wrap Zinja made for me. I told them we were having dinner at the Commissary after I got off work.

I made sure I had both my new and old personal computers in my satchel before heading out the door.

Ixma tried to kiss me, but after her last kiss before work, I made her wait until I checked her for lipstick. Seeing none, I pointed to my cheek. She gave me a face, then pulled me down for a kiss. She didn't make a big fuss over it, just a good solid kiss with a bit of tongue as she broke off. Pointing to the neckerchief she wore over her hair, Ixma informed me, "I am your lover now. You are an officer, but I expect certain liberties with your person and to receive signs of affection from you. Have a good day, sir."

"Uh, you, too." I guess she told me. I glanced at Zinja.

Zinja held up her hands, laughing. "I'm good. See you tonight, sir."

Outside, I looked at my four-door ChoCac parked next to Janetta's two-seat HueCac. Both electric vehicles were now Air Service cyan blue. I was impressed by the vehicle's nano-tech ability to change its color overnight. A spin-off from the medical field, I wondered what other technological advances would manifest in the years ahead.

I climbed in and zipped off to work at Logistics, wolfing down the breakfast wrap as I drove.

After parking, I hustled inside the main building, reaching my desk with a minute to spare. Almost immediately, the normal noise of the office changed. Sounds of irritation and frustration bubbled up from other cubicles. I powered up my work computer, saw it go through its boot process, and surprisingly, saw the Imperial logo flash on my screen. "Network Maintenance" was all it said. And there it remained.

More voices expressing consternation. Standing up, I glanced around to other cubicles and saw the same splash screen. Periodic updates did happen. After all, there was a whole regiment dedicated to conducting cyber-warfare against both Atlantis and Aesir-Veda. And our enemies worked just as hard to destroy our systems. Usually, only those computers that linked to the outside were at risk. Updates weren't daily, but they were usually done in under a minute. Phrases like "Come on!" and "Hurry up!" were being heard, along with choicer phrases reserved for off duty. Senior Lieutenant Topichtwi, our unit CO, frowned on the use of coarse language at work.

After fifteen minutes, the CO called up Computer Support for a prognosis. He listened and after some terse words, he announced that all computers were expected to be down for several hours. "In light of that, and not wanting to waste the Emperor's money, you will clean your workstations. Second Sergeant Matiwatli will check you off. After that, we'll see."

For the next two hours, I worked at no great speed, dusting, wiping surfaces, and competing with others for cleaning supplies. Having arrived less than three months earlier, there really wasn't a lot of cleaning to do. Afterward, I poured myself a drink from my thermos, put my feet on my desk and sipped cahault. Linking both of my personal computers by a data cable, I began moving personal data from the old laptop to my new machine.

Matiwatli came by and stood at the doorway to my cubicle frowning. I raised my eyebrows. "I'm done," I informed him.

The sergeant seemed to know his job, and as my CO's main support, he could make things difficult. However, while he no doubt saw me as green, I was still an officer and he treated me respectfully. Matiwatli, though, was a far cry from my experience with Senior Sergeant Itznacoco at Tikun War base. He glanced around my cubicle. I could see he was thinking about trying to give me more to do, but then he shrugged. "Good enough, Lieutenant."

After lunch, the CO had Matiwatli call Computer Support again, and was duly informed the network would be unavailable for the remainder of the day.

Once I finished with the data transfer, I unhooked the cable, and set the old computer to wiping the free space clean while I poked around on the new laptop. I discovered a folder entitled "Security Tools," but it was password protected. Presumably there would training on its use down the road. I relaxed, drank more cahault, and confirmed the settings on the programs I used had migrated successfully.

A sergeant looked out the window. "There's a lot of air traffic over the base today." He opened the window and the barking sound of distant rotors could be heard more clearly.

"There's two transport helos coming in for a landing at the Parade Ground," observed another gawker.

"Hey, those birds are from the 92nd. That's Imperial Guard, based at Tenochta War base. Something big is going on."

The Lieutenant and his sergeant went to the line of windows and stared outside for a bit. "I was going to cut you loose today," the CO said at last, "seeing how we're dead in the water. I'll call Command and Control, find out what they advise. Until then, you are to remain within this building."

There were several groans, but none that were too loud. A few moved chairs and parked to chat. Here and there I could hear cards being shuffled and the rattle of dice.

When the old computer was done, I powered it down and put it back into my satchel. I then opened my mail on the new machine. The server was down, of course, but I had a couple of long messages already downloaded from my father to go through. One was a math refresher, while the second outlined some of the physics questions he wanted me to respond to.

A blinking message indicator in the status bar caught my attention. "Access granted," it flashed before fading out. I glanced at my office computer. It was still frozen with the maintenance screen displayed. Then a pop-up, saying I had a new message from Capisco Travel Guides. Curious, I opened it up.

"Information confirmed from other sources. Casting the nets. -- M."

Over by the building entrance, I heard someone mention my name. I stood up and looked. Two troopers in black powered armor made their way to me.

Their shoulders sported the blazing sun patch of the Imperial Guard, and below that, the snarling dire wolf insignia of the 92nd regiment. A sergeant and a corporal. Both carried Tlokan Razors, an 8.5mm heavy assault rifle on their shoulders. Short swords and heavy stunner pistols on their hips. I shut down and secured my personal comp and thermos into my satchel.

"Sublieutenant Ranji Kandikan?"

I nodded. "You found me. What can I do for you?"

"Come with us, sir."

My CO, Senior Lieutenant Topichtwi, also arrived. "Is there a problem here?"

The armored sergeant turned to him briefly, then turned back to me. Topichtwi, ignoring the slight, asked, "Anyone you want me to notify, Kandikan?"

"Thank you, but no, sir." I put on my garrison cap and shouldered my satchel.

As we left the building, a dozen more troopers entered Logistics and Supply.

Outside the building, in the already hot morning, I saw other squads of armored soldiers heading in different directions. Anyone not in the company of the Imperial Guard moved quickly and with purpose.

We marched over to Command and Control and went inside. A few armored troopers stood guard at various points. Air Service staff at their desks looked nervous, watching us pass with a mix of relief that it wasn't them and fear for what was happening around them. The two Air Service Security I saw looked sullen, underlain with fear.

I had been in C&C before. We passed the conference rooms that Air Service Security had used when they questioned me about the alien attack during my arrival. But then we headed in a different direction, to an area I hadn't seen before.

At the Base Commandant's office door, the sergeant rapped twice.

"Enter!" was the reply.

The office was what one would expect, filled with expensive furniture and the walls covered with awards and honors for the general. I noticed that the Air Service general was not at his desk, though. Instead he was seated in a guest chair. His grey hair braided and hanging to his mid-back, and his sharp features looked up at me as we entered his office. Overall, the general just looked plain unhappy.




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 09



At the window, her back to me, was a woman, her black hair in a severe bun, hands clasped behind her. She was wore the black uniform and grey piping of Imperial Security. Holstered pistol and dagger on her hip, a mini earpiece and microphone on her head. Scabbarded short sword and harness beside a black beret sat in the center of the general's desk as if laying claim to it. I noted the twin diamonds over twin bars of a commander on her shoulder boards. She was just one grade below a general and six steps above me.

I had wanted Imperial Security to take my reports seriously. With a full commander here, I wondered, was this officer loyal to the emperor? Or did she have another master and thus dangerous?

Without turning, she said, "General Dagantochtlo, will you be good enough to give us some privacy for about ten minutes?"

That voice was familiar.

Without a word, the general stood up and walked out, followed by my two escorts.

When the door closed, the commander turned around. The hair was black instead of blonde and the eyes were brown instead of green, but I knew that face and the huge smile on her face!

Melannee!

"Miss me, Ranji?" She came around the desk and perched on its edge. Now that we were alone, her excitement was plain.

"We just saw each other yesterday," I reminded her.

She laughed. "Thank the gods for stim tabs. I haven't been to bed yet, so I guess it seems longer to me." Melannee looked me over. Sucking in her lower lip, she nodded in approval. "I thought you looked nice yesterday. Uniform suits you. Even in your class B, you look handsome. Your pilot has good taste."

"Thank you for the compliment. Why the change?" I gestured to her hair and eyes.

"My alter ego," she replied evasively. Melannee didn't try to hide her discomfort of the subject. That piqued my own curiosity.

"I thought I was to wait at the Commissary until later, about dark you said. Have things changed since your message earlier?"

"No, but it will be earlier. Just after dinner hour. Your pilot has to be in the air near sunset for her duty shift, and she should have a chance to confront those who tried to hurt her people." Melannee licked her lips, then plunged on. "Ranji, I waffled on this, back and forth. By the time I'd decided that I wasn't going to do this, I'd already sent for you. And once I give orders, I have to have a good reason to change them. Now that you're here, though, I'm going to indulge myself." She dropped down in front of me and reached for the zipper on my trousers.

"Hey!" I tried to pull back but she had her hand securely on my belt. She held me in place.

"I've been thinking about this in the back of my mind all night," she muttered. Melannee undid my belt and pushed down my trousers and underwear, her hands on my growing shaft. "You stretched me good yesterday, Ranji. I want another go around. I'd prefer a couple of hours, but all we have time for is one hard and fast couple. And I mean fast, no diddling around. Hump and dump."

"I hardly know you, Melannee. Yesterday, I messed up. I--Melannee!" She inhaled me, her head bobbing along my length. "Don't I get a say so here?"

Melannee pulled off and looked up at me. "Ranji, I gave you the same outline I give all new Security recruits. And that was before you treated me to three rocking orgasms. I haven't come like that since I can't remember when. I've got a lot of unpleasant work ahead of me, and some sex with you would really help me get through it."

I stared at her.

"I read your psych profile so I know if I order you, you won't do it. I'm not going to get between you and your pilot. I want us to be friends! And I thought we had fun being together shopping for your women. Was being inside me yesterday so bad that you won't give me a quickie right now?"

"You read my psych profile?"

"Of course I did. I stay alive that way." She looked hurt. "Yesterday, you said you'd consider doing me again. Now I'm asking. But you didn't answer my question, Ranji. Was I so bad that you won't fuck me again?"

"No. Actually, you were fun to be with, Melannee. You are attractive as a blonde. I also appreciated your help, and I enjoyed the shopping." Her hand resumed fondling my cock. "You just surprised me."

"You think we can be friends? Because I really want to be your friend."

She looked at me, her face eager and intense. Below that, I sensed vulnerability. I knew she was a veteran spy and double agent. Melannee already admitted she was an expert and casual liar. But this desire to be friends struck me as truth.

"Sure. I'd like that ..." I began, but then her mouth inhaled me again. "Less tongue on the piss hole, Melannee! Shit, that's intense!"

Giggling, her hand stroked the lower part of my shaft while her tongue caressed my crown. Once I was hard, she stood up, unbuttoned the front panel on her trousers, and hopped onto the desk. The padding of cloth she'd added to catch her fluids was imprinted by a wet kiss from her nether lips. Lifting her legs, she held them apart, showing me her pussy, her eyes full of hunger. The thick blonde muff along her folds glistened, her labia dark pink and swollen. With a tug and a wet sound, Melannee pulled her nether lips pulled apart and her juices dribbled out. The scent of her arousal hardened me further. "Come on, Ranji. Hard and fast."

Lining up, I put my cock at her entrance. Parting her fat lips, I moved over her, shoving into her slick, tight heat. Thrusting vigorously, driving deep.

"Oh, sweet gods, Ranji! That's better than I remembered!" she groaned. Melannee wrapped her legs around me as I thundered into her center. I had only given her a few strokes before she stiffened, arching her back as her sheath began clasping and throbbing around my length. Melannee's release coated my shaft, splashing out onto my thighs. Pulling her legs up, I spread her wider, pounding into her soft, feminine center, my balls slapping against her butt. Melannee closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, gripping the desk and whimpering while I sawed in and out of her swollen channel.

For several minutes, there was just the sound of us grunting, breathing heavily, and the liquid sound of my cock stirring her frothy, gaping pussy. I focused on the tightness of her walls grasping my shaft, the give of her slick folds as she took what I pressed within her. Sensation built as I continually parted her, over and over, opening a pathway into her innermost sanctuary. My balls tightened and I bucked harder within her sheath, held her, pressed her down, pinned her body to the desk. When my cock swelled and began spraying into her cavity, Melannee suddenly looked at me, an emotional riot crossing her face. Her hands dug in while her pussy began clenching my hard member, the walls of her sex gushing with her second release.

"Ranji," she shuddered. "Oh, sweet mother Hera ... oh, filling me up." Melannee let out a long, quivering breath. Then she caressed my cheek, running her hands through my hair, her look thoughtful. "Whenever I think of you, I will remember you, here and now, your handsome face above me, your hard cock deep and giving me your seed. I can't tell you how much this means to me. Thank you." She took a deep breath. "We have a couple of minutes yet. Just stay where you are and let me savor this moment."

"Gotta ask. Your natural look is blonde and green eyes?"

She nodded.

"I like that look better."

"So do I," she replied, smiling faintly.

There was no name tag, but before I could ask, she distracted me. Reaching up, she undid the knot and pulled off my neckerchief. When I laughed, she looked at me strangely.

"What's so funny?" She pulled it free.

"Janetta, her team, and now you. I go through lot of neckerchiefs."

Melannee smiled indulgently. "Hazards of being a nice guy." She patted my shoulder. "I'd love to just lay here and spend the day fucking you until neither one of us can move. We are about to have visitors very soon."

As I pulled out, she quickly stuffed the neckerchief into her crotch, then pulled the panel of her trousers closed. I started to put myself back into my pants but Melannee dropped down and inhaled me into her mouth, just long enough to run her tongue around my shaft and lick me clean. Standing back up, pleased, she murmured, "Very nice. Very nice, indeed, Ranji."

"What about the mess on the general's desk?" I asked, straightening my uniform.

She shrugged dismissively. "Dagantochtlo is lucky he's connected. Otherwise he'd have to retire. Might as well leave it."

"After you leave, I'm going to be here. I'd rather not make enemies where I don't have to."

Melannee pursed her lips. "You're right, of course. And being prudent. There's a private toilet behind in that door."

Grabbing some wet paper towels, I wiped the evidence off his desk. After disposing of the towels, I washed my hands.

Melannee stood by the door, her face serious. "Ranji, my gut says I can trust you and it's never been wrong. I have only trusted one other man as much as I trust you, and for as short a time as we've known each other, believe me when I tell you it's a big deal. You will hear and see a side of me I'd rather you not know about, but it can't be helped. What I ask of you is that you don't believe everything you hear about me. Please, consider me your friend. It would mean a lot to me. I already count you as mine. And, I take care of my friends."

I paused. Except for the rocky start yesterday, I knew I liked her. While we were together - was it only yesterday? - she had laughed easily and let me feel the measure of her sharp wit. She could be leading me. Expert liar, spy, and probably assassin, too. Yet I could see us becoming lifelong friends.

"How bad could it be?" I told her. Then, suddenly curious, "No name tag, though? And that grade on your shoulders, is that real?"

"Don't need a name tag. The rank is as real as the sun in the sky. And Itznacoco outranks me."

"Seven hells," I muttered.

She reached over and brushed my cheek, trying to reassure me. "Hey! I'm still the same woman who helped you buy sex toys for your girlfriends. Please, don't forget yesterday. That's a golden day for me."

There were two raps at the door, the outside world making itself known.

Melannee moved back to center of the office, straightening her tunic as she called out, "Enter!"

The door opened and the general re-entered his office. The sergeant in the powered armor stood by the entrance. "Commander, the priests of Xipe Toltec are here. And the plastic is in place in the Interrogation Rooms."

Plastic? Priests of Xipe Toltec? Gods above! What were they planning?

The general sniffed the air and frowned, staring at Melannee and me. The smell of sex was strong. There was no hiding what we had done. I stepped out of his private toilet and closed the door.

Melannee went to the desk and collected her sword and beret. She started to leave but then turned back slowly to face the general. I realized it was deliberate, and it was done naturally to great effect. "Thank you for your cooperation, General Dagantochtlo. I look forward to your continued assistance in this grave threat to our people and our way of life. Imperial Security and the Imperial Guard will remain here at High Guard War base until the traitors are rooted out. And root them out, I will, for the good of the Empire. You will be provided a list of detainees, prisoners, and any punishments and executions by the end of the week.

"Additionally, teams from the Naval Service Inspector Admiral's will be here to audit the records of Logistics and Supply. They will be here soon. Likewise Ground Service will be audited by Air Service, and Naval Service will be audited by Ground Service. The 92nd will also conduct safety inspections once our criminal investigations wrap up. If you have any questions, I will be in Conference Room Twelve until Seventeen Hundred. After that, you can reach me through my aide, Group Captain Hanastoctli. I believe you have already met him."

The general nodded to her. "We will help in any way we can, Commander Orchid. We all serve the Emperor."

Commander Orchid?

It was a bright and hot summer day outside, but I was suddenly cold. The only person in the Empire who had a reputation for being more ruthless and cruel than Commander Orchid was Minister Supay, the Imperial Spymaster and head of Imperial Security. The Commander had a reputation for laughing as the families of traitors were sentenced to slavery, and for bathing in the blood of those declared to be enemies of the Empire. Melannee was playing a dangerous game if she was impersonating ...

It hit me then. Gods above, she really was Commander Orchid. She had just tried to warn me, to cushion the blow. My realization must have been all over my face. I saw the hurt flash in her eyes as she briefly glanced my way. Then she was all business: brisk, cold, efficient.

"Remember what I told you, Sublieutenant." She slipped on her sword harness. Buckled it into place. With her black beret firmly on her head, she strode to the door. "Sergeant! Have the corporal see that Sublieutenant Kandikan gets where he needs to be. Sergeant, your orders are to remain and protect the general until relieved."

"Sir!"

"Yes, sir," I replied quietly, saluting to her back, but she was already through the door.

Numbly, I collected my satchel. I turned to salute the general before leaving, but he stared out the window, watching the rotary craft of the Imperial Guard drift over the buildings, like vultures hovering over the bones of his command. The corruption on the base had been uncovered on his watch. The general might survive, but I would be very surprised if his career wasn't dead.

The corporal met me outside the office and I followed him outside.

"Do you mind if we pick up my ChoCac, Corporal? It's back at Logistics and Supply."

He paused. "If you wish, sir. My instructions are to let you do as you want as long as it doesn't contradict or interfere with my own orders."

"Thank you, Corporal."

As we walked, I tried to reconcile what I knew of Melannee Siroptic and Commander Orchid, the latter a woman whose face was never seen in pictures or videos, but whose name inspired fear throughout the Empire of Chimorro. There were even entire dramas featuring her. She was portrayed as the Emperor's Vengeful Hand, dispensing brutal justice and venting the empire's wrath upon criminals. Her face was never directly shown on the vids, just a woman's cold, calm voice spoken from the shadows, narrating, issuing orders, or simply pronouncing judgment.

Melannee had been fun to hang around with.

I had trouble wrapping my head around the dichotomy.

We collected my vehicle and drove over to the Commissary to wait for Janetta and her team. I looked at my watch. Three hours to go. I offered the Corporal a meal and a drink, but he declined both as he was on duty. He stationed himself near my table and stood there in silence.

I called Janetta and updated her that because of her duty shift, the confrontation was taking place right after dinner rather than later. I also let her know I was already there at the Commissary Diner, so that whenever they were ready, they could come down.

In the meantime, I pulled out my new personal comp and caught up on email. I responded to mail from Calia and my mother, then settled into another article from my father.

The corporal stood immobile in his power armor, his head encased in a bullet shaped helmet, the visor completely masking his face, like some guardian statue hewn for a temple.

Slowly, the dining area filled up with patrons, but they were quiet, subdued, and avoided going near the armored soldier.

I was on my third cup of cahault, finishing up my comments to my father on the article when Janetta and her team arrived. Janetta gave me a quick kiss and sat down next to me. Cholan sat on my other side. She and Zinja wore the neckerchiefs tied to their braids down their backs. Ixma wore hers in her usual bandana fashion. All of them stashed their berets under their left shoulder lapels.

"What are you working on, Ranji?" Janetta asked.

I saved the draft and closed the message. "Science paper from my father. He sends articles and asks for my feedback. Nearly done with this one, but I want to check it again later before I send it. If you like, I'll give you his personal email so you can talk with him. My mother, too, for that matter." I smiled at her. It would be good, I thought, for them to start talking to each other.

She frowned. "I don't know much about your family other than they live near Tohingo and they are wealthy. Email is not a way to make a good first impression. I would prefer to meet them first. In person, Ranji."

I nodded. "I'd love to introduce you to my parents. I'd also love to meet your mother."

She gave me a sharp glance before looking away. "Maybe," she hedged. "Later. Not now."

Once my comp was powered down, I put it into my satchel, and retrieved my old unit and the charging cord. I set it down in front of Cholan.

Her round face was a question. "Sir?"

"I have a new one, so I'm giving this one to you," I told her. "You need something portable for your own work. The memory is maxed out to what the motherboard will support. It should have enough storage to do whatever you need it to do. It's a lot better than the desktop comp at home."

Cholan looked surprised and delighted. "Are you sure, sir? I mean, this is a seriously decent model. It's listed in the top ten as a favorite in the trades." She glanced at Janetta, who nodded.

"Lieutenant Kandikan already talked with me about it. Now you won't have to carry data sticks around and wait until you get home to test your ideas out." As Cholan opened it up, Janetta continued. "However, right now, we are having our first meal out in public together, and your attention is required to be with us."

Chagrined, Cholan nodded, closing the lid. Then she cradled it in her arms, grinning widely.

I was pleased by her reaction to the gift. "Since we're here at the Commissary, why don't you use your new charge card and buy yourself a satchel to carry it in, and a data cable so you can synch with that clunky desktop. And, if you need some software, you have my permission to get it."

"Just don't take too long," Janetta warned. "I want to eat soon, and we have other business to attend to tonight."

Standing up, Cholan glanced at Janetta before she leaned over and kissed my cheek. "Thank you, sir!" Then she hurried off.

Janetta raised her eyebrows at the retreating sergeant. Zinja laughed and even Ixma grinned. Janetta asked Zinja archly, "You think that's funny?"

"Yes, sir, I do. She's already strung tight, wondering when she's going to get another turn at Lieutenant Kandikan. Fancy clothes and fancier undergarments. Past couple of days of listening to the rest of us scream in delight, she's on edge. The poor girl went into the bedroom to relieve herself three times before you got up. Cholan needs to get laid before she has an accident." Zinja paused a moment. "Just a suggestion, sir."

My warrior took a long breath before nodding. "Thank you and duly noted, Sergeant." Janetta leaned close to me and quietly asked, "Why is that Imperial Guard here, Ranji? Where is your neckerchief? And why do you smell of lavender and sex?"

"He's to make sure we get to where we're supposed to. As for the rest, we'll talk later, in private."

Janetta looked thoughtful before speaking quietly. "All right, Ranji. I'll wait. Tonight's my first duty back in the air in a couple of weeks. I'll be busy for about two hours, but then I'll have some time free. It will make a short night for you, but I need you to be there. And as much as I want to wrap myself around you, we--no, you need to talk. I need to learn more about you."




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 09



"Fair enough," I agreed. "Just so you know, I love it when you wrap yourself around me."

"This morning was straight-up mind-blowing, Ranji. But I feel like I'm flying low level through mountains, the air is socked in with clouds, and all I have to go by are my instruments. Not much warning between staying alive and hitting the ground dead hard. I need intel from you to give me some visibility."

She was right, of course. Sure, plenty of people get married and the only good thing they have is the sex. And sometimes the sex isn't all that great, and potentially much worse if the marriage was arranged by the parents because then you're stuck with it.

I decided against telling them that the infamous Commander Orchid was here, in person. I worried that seeing Orchid would overwhelm any sense of justice in seeing the villains caught. If Janetta and the others learned that fact, well, I'd help them deal with it.

However, I resolved absolutely that I would not tell Janetta that Melannee was also Orchid. I didn't like keeping things from them, especially Janetta; lying to your lover is flat out wrong and can easily lead to justifying other transgressions. Yet I could see no earthly good that could come from Janetta learning that information. I also believed that such knowledge was not mine to share, and if it got out, it could cost Melannee her life.

I took Janetta's hand in mine. She looked surprised and nervous, then actually blushed. Then she surprised me by squeezing my hand.

Signaling a waitress, we ordered cold beers. Ixma asked for a large plate of the fried potatoes and salsa for us to snack on until dinner. Cholan finally came back with a couple of packages, beaming from ear to ear. Once she settled into her seat, we ordered dinner.

The meal was good, and we were thinking about dessert when the corporal touched his helmet. Ixma jumped at his sudden movement.

"Orders confirmed." His visored helmet turned to me. "Lieutenant, you and your guests are requested to come with me to the Dispensary now."

"All right." We settled up with the diner staff and headed out. Zinja and Ixma rode in Janetta's two-seat HueCac, while I drove the rest of us in my larger ChoCac. To Janetta's consternation, the corporal insisted in riding up front.

At the Dispensary building, as I pulled up, I could see a dozen Imperial Guards posted around the building, at least half in power armor, and there were at least four patrols with dogs. I parked and we were met at the door by an Imperial Security sergeant in summer dress. Greeting the corporal first, he said, "Go take a meal break and report to your unit. Code four three zeta zeta."

The corporal paused, then nodded. "Code confirmed," and walked off.

The sergeant turned to us. "Lieutenants Tlacotli and Kandikan and flight crew, please step inside."

We entered the main room for the Dispensary where people queued up to get their medication orders filled. The service area was large enough to hold scores of people. The floors were marked for lines, and at one end were four counters for receiving people and processing orders.

The first noticeable change were the bright lights on telescoping stands. Seated amongst two dozen folding chairs were eleven men in Air Service summer dress, some wearing medico vests. Nearly all appeared haggard, scared or resigned. Standing guard in the room were four Guardsmen, two in power armor and two in battle dress with guard dogs at their feet. With the score of soldiers outside and these guards inside, it may seem like overkill, and it was. But that was how Imperial Security operated in public. In your face and no hope of success if you tried to run.

Across the room, near a set of double doors was a portable table where two men from Imperial Security were working on laptop computers. Between them was a printer and a stack of folders. Both men wore service pistols in holsters, belt knives, and headsets with mics. One was a first sergeant and the other was a Group Captain.

Our escort bade us halt half-way. He advanced alone to the table, speaking quietly. The officer looked up in irritation, then at us. Speaking into his headset, the captain stood up. The sergeant saluted and went through the double doors. The captain was tall, broad shouldered, black hair, dark brown eyes, and a neatly trimmed mustache and van dyke giving him an aristocratic bearing. Marring the crisp appearance was a thin scar running from his jaw-line down his neck and disappearing below his collar.

Picking up a tablet computer, the captain approached us. From his name tag I recognized him. He was Orchid's assistant.

"I am Group Captain Hanastoctli. You are Lieutenant Tlacotli and Sublieutenant Kandikan. With you are the Lieutenant's Flight Crew, Sergeants Zinja and Cholan, and Corporal Ixma. Is that correct?"

I deferred to Janetta. She was the ranking officer. "That's correct, sir," she told him.

He frowned, giving all of us searing gaze. "Normally we don't do this, but I'm told to accord you special courtesy. This is being recorded. It will not be in the news, but most likely be a part of a video drama this coming year."

As he turned to approach the seated men, Janetta blinked, then turned to me, her face a question.

"Not a clue," I muttered.

The captain read off the names of the seated from his tablet, then looked at them. "Each of you are accused of using your positions to cultivate your own personal wealth at the expense of the Emperor, to the detriment of your fellow warriors, threatening the security of this military base and ultimately the safety of the Empire itself."

From a side room, a keening wail began, muffled by the doors. Slowly it rose in volume and pitch.

"Your attention!" the captain barked at the seated men. "I will accept signed confessions now. This is my only offer. Rest assured, for those who do not confess, you will be examined under truth drugs. In a gesture of mercy, for those who confess now, you will save your immediate families."

The wail rose louder and higher. The men were torn between listening to what their lives depended on hearing and the noise of someone suffering indescribable pain. As the wail became a shriek, it was cut off by the sound of two gunshots, one right after the other. Several of them jumped, turning fearfully to face the captain.

The captain paused before continuing. "If you are guilty of the charges, confess now. If we find out later that you have lied about your guilt, you will condemn not only yourselves to death by torture, but you will also condemn your wives and children to slavery, your family listed as traitors, and the forfeiture of all your property to the Empire." Taking two steps back, he barked out, "Who asserts their innocence, raise your hand high above your head."

Seven hands rose. The fear was palpable. The captain asked each to speak his name, making notations on his tablet.

Just then, the doors by the table opened and in came a woman in Imperial Security garb, a full commander, but her face was covered by black gauze wrap that hid her features. In her hand was a Chon .44 pistol. She scanned the room as she holstered her weapon, and immediately walked over to us.

It had to be Melannee, or rather Commander Orchid. How many female commanders might there be within Imperial Security? I had no idea but doubted it was more than a handful. If that. When she spoke, though, I doubted myself. The cold, crisp voice couldn't be the same woman who had ardently professed a desire for my friendship. And there was blood on her shoes and the cuffs of her trousers.

"Sergeant Cholan," the commander ordered, "Go stand by Group Captain Hanastoctli. Point out and verbally identify the man who dispensed your birth control medications. If that man is not here, so speak without fear of reprisal."

Cholan looked at Janetta.

Janetta nodded to her. "For all of us, Sergeant Cholan."

In reply, she snapped a salute to her officer, then walked over by the captain. She scanned their faces, then pointed at one in the second row. "That's him. That's the man who gave me the fake pills."

The commander turned. "Corporal Ixma, do you agree that is the same man?"

Ixma paled, frozen.

"Corporal! Is that the same man who dispensed incorrect medications to you?"

"Y-y-yes, sir. That .. that's him."

The commander faced the men. "His name, Captain."

"Second Sergeant Jantega Oyachan."

The commander patted Cholan on the back. "Thank you, Sergeant Cholan. Please return to your officer." As Cholan returned to us, the commander turned to the captain. "Show me." He tilted the tablet to her, she gazed at it briefly, then spoke into her microphone. "Team Two, come in please."

Four guards came in from the door by the table. "Those who claim innocence, stand up and go with these guards. Not you, Jantega Oyachan. Sit down and stay where you are. The rest of you will be interrogated by a member of Imperial Security and Ground Service Security. The drugs will be administered by a Naval Service technician. Proceed in an orderly fashion, and cooperate fully with your guards." She watched until the guards and their charges exited the room.

Jantega began to sneer. "What's with the covering? Who are you? You don't even have a name on your uniform, bitch!"

She slowly turned to face Jantega. "The covering wasn't for you, it was for those who left." Undoing the loose knot at her neck, she pulled off the gauze wrap. "I am Commander Orchid. I don't need a signed confession from you, Jantega. Besides these two witnesses, I have enough on you to condemn you three times over. Under video, it was explained what would happen if you lied to us about your guilt. Corporal Taklito, secure Jantega."

At the commander's self identification, Ixma gasped. The corporal in powered armor moved forward. Jantega jumped up and tried to evade him, but the corporal was too fast and too strong, pinning Jantega's arms behind his back, securing him with disposable handcuffs. Jantega kicked about, but the armored trooper easily held him in place.

Stuffing the wrap into her belt, Commander Orchid spoke into her microphone again. "I have another one for the priests. Please ask them to come here."

A moment later, two priests came through the doors. They wore large feathered headdresses of red, orange and blue, wearing red robes and carrying bloody obsidian knives. Priests of Xipe Toltec.

One priest lifted up a floppy, bloody mess. Holding it up and whooping as he waved it about, it was the skin of a man. Incredibly, he poked fingers through two holes in the chest. The priest flung the skin onto the floor, then pointed at Jantega. Jantega kicked out with his feet and began to scream.

Ixma fainted. Cholan, tears falling, yelled, "No! Stop! Stop I say!"

Commander Orchid turned to her. "He wronged you. He tried to end your career in disgrace. You and two thousand three hundred and seventeen other women, all serving in defense of the Empire."

"Punishment, yes. And justice. That? That's torture." She pointed at the priests. "What do they have to do with me? I wear the uniform and I will fight if I need to, but I'm not a real warrior. My Lieutenant is brave and fearless. She puts her life on the line for us every time she goes into the air. I do my best to help her, but she's the real warrior. Not me!" Cholan took a breath. "This has nothing to do with me."

Cholan was short and fat, but she was also a wizard with electronics, and a friendly and likeable woman with good taste in music. And at that moment, I was immensely proud of her strength. Despite her words, she was a brave warrior.

I also noticed Zinja quietly attending to her daughter, helping her stand back up.

The commander walked up to Cholan. "Sergeant Cholan Yakalme, do you seek mercy for this man?"

Cholan struggled to answer, wiping at her eyes. Jantega struggled vainly with the trooper holding him, screaming obscenities.

Commander Orchid continued more quietly. "There are four Air Service women officers that use birth control drugs. Thirty-two in the Ground Service. All of them would face death if their plan had succeeded. Thirty-six warriors in the service of the Empire threatened simply because they are women."

"No mercy, Commander. But .. no torture either. Please."

The Commander gave her a nod. "Very well, Sergeant Cholan. I give you the honor of carrying out that sentence."

Cholan paled. "Lieutenant?"

Janetta stepped in between the commander and her sergeant. "Sergeant Cholan is mine. I am her officer and I protect what is mine. I want his blood, for Cholan and Ixma."

"I accept your claim, Lieutenant. As her officer, carry out the sentence."

Aroused and barking, the dogs had to be restrained by their handlers.

Janetta removed her right boot knife and strode to the struggling Jantega. The man flailed out with his legs at Janetta. She stood quietly a moment, just out of range, her face grim. Suddenly she swooped in and stabbed him in the heart, then twisting it. Withdrawing her blade, she shoved her left hand into the wound. As Jantega went limp, blood pumped out over her hand and dousing his chest. Stepping back, she smeared the blood onto the front of her flight jump suit. "You worthless shit, I am Eagle and I am Jaguar, and I protect what is mine!"

The dogs barked at the violence, struggling to be free and attack. The guards worked to calm them down.

The armored trooper hauled the body to the wall and unceremoniously dropped it onto the floor.

"Team Three, bring in the plastic," the commander spoke into her headset. "It's getting messy in here."

Janetta cleaned her knife, replacing it in her boot sheath. Returning to us, she asked the commander, "Are we done here?"

Orchid looked at Cholan. "Are you satisfied, Sergeant?"

She nodded vigorously. "Yes, sir. I'm satisfied."

The commander turned to the remaining men. Four had emptied their bladders. "You will approach the sergeant at the table one at a time, identify yourself to him, sign the confession, and then line up against the far wall. You have my word that in return for your confessions, there will be no reprisals and no actions taken against your families. They will, unfortunately, lose all benefits, returning to your former caste prior to your entry into the Air Service. If you have extended family, indicate that on the Notes to Survivors form. Your family will receive transportation to where you indicate. You will have five minutes to compose any notes you wish them to receive. This is your reward for your admission of guilt. Afterwards, you will be given poison. As traitors, your bodies will then be shot and dropped out at sea."

Two Imperial Guards entered the room, carrying a large folded square of plastic. They began laying it out on the floor.

To the priests, the commander said, "You may return to the room set up for you. I expect three of those being interrogated will end up in your hands before the night is over. Now please go."

"What about them?" one of the priests demanded. "They are traitors. They deserve a traitor's death."

Commander Orchid stood up straight as she turned to them. "I serve the Emperor of Chimorro, the chosen of Inti, God of the Sun. You heard my decision. Do not question my orders again, priest, lest you seek the scrutiny of Imperial Security on you and yours. Attempt to presume on my good will and you will find I have none. Now get out."

They whirled angrily about, slamming the door behind them.

"Dangerous," I heard the captain mutter quietly.

"Fascinating, don't you think," she quietly replied, "that all the priests who do the sacrifices also happen to be sociopaths?" Then she walked over to a young man seated amongst the remaining condemned. "Corporal Sowitwee, no plea for justice? No claim of innocence?"

He shook his head, tears streaming down his face. "No, sir. I knew what was going on. I .. no excuse, sir."

"Yes, you did know what was going on. Corporal Sowitwee, we are aware of your circumstances." The commander's voice became less harsh. "Your wife was found this afternoon. She is badly hurt, but she's at the Naval Hospital right now. The doctors expect she will make a full recovery."

"Nariya? She's safe?" He started, his face full of hope, but then he sat back down, overcome by emotion.

"We know all about it and the men who did this will not get away with their crimes. Captain, restore his status pending further review, and write him a pass so that he can enter the Naval base. I believe Corporal Sowitwee wants to see his wife and make sure for himself that she is all right. Sowitwee, you are granted Emergency Leave for tomorrow. The day after that, you will report to Logistics and Supply bright and early for whatever duty your new officer assigns you."

"Sir?" he looked at Commander Orchid blankly.

"Corporal, you will be examined under truth drugs sometime during the next couple of days. There may yet be a disciplinary hearing. That is undecided at this time. After all, your silence aided the plans to endanger thousands of armed service personnel. But at this time, I am satisfied that we have the truth of the matter."

The captain went over to the table, wrote on a paper, stamped it, and handed it to the commander.

"Thank you, Group Captain." She looked at it, and handed it to the corporal. Taking his elbow, she gently guided him in our direction. "Take this pass, Corporal. I'd like to introduce you to your new officer, Sublieutenant Kandikan. Lieutenant? Would you be good enough to give your new Aide a lift to the Naval Hospital? Corporal Sowitwee is to report to you day after tomorrow."

She turned to Janetta next, leaving me to digest the surprise she'd just delivered. "Lieutenant Tlacotli, I know you are anxious to leave. However, there is one bit of business that must be taken care of, and while I have no doubts there is nothing of concern, I must be thorough. Please follow this Security agent."

A woman, a Third Sergeant, had just arrived and stood at ease behind the commander. "You will be provided labels to write your names. Each of you must urinate into a cup in front of the sergeant. The cup will be sealed and marked in front of you. Every woman in the Air, Ground, and Naval Services on this base must do this. No exceptions."

Janetta put her hands on her hips. "With all due respect, sir, I had my tubes cut on entry into the Air Service. That fact is in my personnel jacket. Second Sergeant Zinja is the same."

The commander's face hardened. "I said no exceptions, Lieutenant. This is not a request."

Janetta kept her eyes on the commander. "Sir! Second Sergeant Zinja, is Corporal Ixma back on her feet?"

"Yes, Lieutenant."

"Alright, Sergeant Monc'te. Lead on." Janetta followed the sergeant through the doors. Cholan, Zinja, and Ixma were right behind her.

"She is feisty," the commander quietly observed, switching to Vedan. "I can see why you like her."

"I love her," I corrected.

"Ah, yes. So you told me earlier."

"Was that necessary? The pregnancy testing?"

"I am not prepared to discuss it further right now. But I assure you I had little choice in the matter."

"I don't intend to tell them about your other personae. But that's moot, because you already have."

She raised her eyebrows.

"You're still wearing the lavender. Janetta has a good nose and smelt you on me earlier. Pointed out my missing neckerchief. She will put it together. She's smart, and she won't say anything to anyone else. But she knows."

"That's embarrassing. Normally Orchid wears a different scent. That sort of slip up can be fatal. Thank you for the reminder. I'll have Sowitwee's personnel jacket sent to your computer tomorrow." She sighed, whispering, "I am so tired."

I looked at her. Up close, now that I was looking for them, I could see the color contacts she wore. And the dark circles around her eyes from lack of sleep. Going on thirty-six hours for her, at least. "I take it things will change for me, too?"




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 10



Thanks to my reader, gyfurune, who helps catch the errors. I have been remiss in giving him credit for his help. I freely admit that any mistakes that slip through are my fault.

=========================

I flipped on the power switch and the ChoCac hummed to life. I left the Naval hospital where my new Aide kept watch over his wife, and passed through the gate that lead back to the Ground and Air Service part of High Guard War base.

I had been driving to the hangar, but found myself in the parking lot of the Commissary.

Janetta was likely still in one of the many jets that circled and roared in the evening skies above us. Her crew were at the hangar, prepping for her return. We'd had dinner, but Cholan and Ixma had lost theirs after witnessing the horror at the Dispensary. Something light to supplement the crackers, I thought.

Fruit smoothies sounded perfect. Cold, sweet, and light. It was summer. The smoothies wouldn't keep very long in this heat. On a hunch, I called Zinja.

"Lieutenant?"

"Zinja, do you have a fridge there, for storing food and cold drinks?"

"Are you kidding, sir? We have the cold storage chest we brought from home with our food in it. When we got our hangar, the only thing the previous crew left behind was some battered office furniture, a full allotment of cobwebs, a dead mouse, and droppings from the hundred cousins that moved out at the last minute. And it's a battle to keep them and the snakes from coming back."

I chuckled. "Thank you. I'll be there soon."

Going inside the Commissary, I bought a full-sized fridge, a new office chair for Janetta, a dozen cases of bottled water, a half-dozen cases of beer, as well as several cases of mixed fruit drinks fortified with vitamins and electrolytes. Dropping down the back seats, the fridge fit nicely in the back. The extra liquid supplies packed in neatly alongside the new appliance. The new chair came apart and fit in the front passenger seat. Fortunately, I remembered my original quest. Five large fruit smoothie drinks sat beside me as I drove to the hangar.

Once there, I consulted with Zinja on the best place for the fridge to reside. Against the back wall of the hangar were three smaller bays. Janetta's enclosed office occupied one bay, the lockers and open shower were in the middle, and the tool bay was the third. There was a power socket and space right next to the lockers, and it would be hidden by the lockers when the main bay doors were open, so it was less likely to attract poachers.

Zinja put together the chair with a grin and rolled it into the office. I backed the car into the bay. Between the four of us, the fridge and supplies were stacked next to it. Cholan and Ixma quickly loaded the fridge while I parked my vehicle behind Janetta's HueCac beside the hangar.

Ixma had been tasked with scrubbing the bay floor with cleaners, and she returned to it after the fridge was loaded. But she kept pausing to look at me. Zinja was in the tool bay, listening to chatter from the control tower while she cleaned her tools. Finally, Zinja told her to take a break.

Down went the broom and Ixma was in my arms, burying her face into my chest. For several minutes, I just held her.

"You're okay," I said at last. "Had I known what was going to happen, I wouldn't have let you come. Not you, not Cholan, not even Zinja. As awful as it was, you were not injured, and the men who tried to hurt you and Cholan are dead. Your mother is beautiful, brave, wise, and strong, and you are your mother's daughter, are you not?"

Ixma looked up, her blue eyes wet. Then she smiled. "Yes, sir."

"Are you going to be all right?"

"All of you take good care of me. Having you for my man means everything, sir. I feel grown up and real, like I mean something. Being in your arms, knowing you care for me is the best feeling in all the world. Kiss me, please."

So I did. Twice, which made her sigh. Then she patted my chest. "I'm better now."

Pushing away, she wiped her eyes, collected her smoothie from the fridge, and took a long drink before resuming her work.

I caught Zinja watching me. She gave me an approving nod.

Cholan, for her part, dug into her shopping bags. Zinja warned her to pay attention to the time, as Janetta's Combat Air Patrol would last another hour, tops. Cholan needed to be on the tarmac when she landed, ready to hook up Janetta's aircraft and bring her back to the hangar. She quickly dispensed with the wrappings and put together her laptop accessories. She even finished installing one of her new programs before she put it away, her face full of geek joy.

It was bright with electric lights and full of mechanical things inside the hangar. Outside, it was fully nighttime. As Cholan climbed onto the tractor, I said, "Let me ride along with you. I want to watch her come in. I promise I won't get in the way."

She glanced at Zinja who waved us off, then grinned in delight. "You'll have to stand behind me. There's no handholds, but you can put your hands on my shoulders. Climb aboard, Lieutenant."

We joined a small convoy of tractors, all heading out to the runway, headlights adding to the bright lights of the airfield. The last of the night patrol was finally airborne and streaking away, their afterburners kicking in as the Lightning interceptors zoomed away into the night. Then the overflight watch began to land. We passed the row of hangars in front of us and suddenly we were on the airfield, skirting the edge and making for the end of the runway.

As we reached the waiting area, Janetta's AT-7 touched down, braked, and rolled slowly over to us. Then the engines of the Lightning cut out.

Janetta rolled back the cockpit hatch, lifted her visor, and exclaimed, "What are you doing out here, Ranji?"

I hopped off the tractor, bowed, and said, "Cholan's Towing Service, Lieutenant! Check your tires? Clean your windshield?"

Janetta laughed, dropping her helmet onto the floor of her cockpit. "What a loon! All right, hook me up, Cholan. Try not to run over my boy toy, will you?" Then she turned on her dome light, propped her flight logbook onto her knees, and began to write.

Cholan saluted as she snickered. "Don't run over Boy Toy. Yes, sir."

The Tow Tractor isn't fast, but it is strong enough to haul thirty-five tons of aircraft. Around the tractor is a circular frame that serves as a track for the hook used to haul the aircraft. Using a control switch, Cholan rotated the hook around to the front of the tractor, then edged the tractor forward to the landing gear strut and cleanly locked it into place. Then she got off and secured the connection with an S-pin with a safety latch. Back in her seat, she locked the frame and clamps dropped into place. Then she rotated the tractor one-hundred-eighty degrees in position.

"Best get on, Lieutenant. See those three tanker trucks down the field? We're going to top off the fuel tanks and the water reservoir before we head back to the hangar. That way, we're prepped for the next flight in five hours."

I clambered back on, hands on her shoulders to steady myself while she drove. "Water reservoir?"

Cholan nodded. "When the Lieutenant hits the afterburner, water is injected into the air stream, faking the fuel sensor so it believes the air is denser than it is. More fuel is added to the mix to maintain airspeed. It also adds to the fuel mass, and both combine to give it more thrust for the amount of fuel expended. Zinja knows how it all works a lot better than me, though. If you want the details, she can give you good, solid instruction."

I patted her shoulders. "You did just fine."

When the refueling was done, a corporal pulled up some stairs, climbed up to the cockpit where Janetta signed off on the fuel record, and he signed on her logbook, noting the number of the fuel slip. Then we headed back to the hangar.

I got off while Cholan parked the jet. Zinja directed it from the back. Once the jet was inside the hangar, Ixma brought up the step ladder and secured it for Janetta to climb down. Since Janetta was going back out in four hours, they left the Lightning hooked up to the tractor.

Ixma placed the chocks around the tires. Janetta gave the logbook to Cholan, who scanned it for any notes on servicing needed. Removing the ladder, Zinja replaced it with the portable work platform, lining it up beside the front fuselage. Once it was in place, Cholan hauled the data cable from the diagnostic computer to the data port behind a panel. Zinja did a safety check of the landing gear, followed by a visual on the fuselage. Cholan opened the avionics and control panels, hooking up sensors to the large diagnostic computer on wheels. A well practiced team, they operated smoothly and efficiently, each moving to the next task in concert with the other two.

Janetta contented herself with giving me a long hug, smiling as she buried her face in my chest. After several minutes of indulging, she pushed away. "I've got work to do."

Ixma brought Janetta the smoothie from the fridge, then moved to help Cholan, giving a readout of the initial findings.

Surprised by the cold drink, Janetta asked how it was still cold. Zinja told her about the new fridge.

Pointing at me, Janetta said, "You, with me. Now." Turning around, she ducked under the wing and strode to her office.

I closed the door. She saw the new chair and stopped in her tracks. She sat down slowly. Sighed as her weight sank down.

"My ass thanks you, Ranji. I'm afraid you are stuck with that sorry excuse to sit on. The fridge is also quite welcome. I see how things are going to go. I'm the mean officer and you are the nice one. I can do Queen Bitch. At least between us, we'll get their minds off tonight."

"You don't fool them, you know. Even when you yell at them, they know you will do everything you can to protect them, and they love you for it."

"Maybe so, but it works for us. Now spill it, Kandikan. You fucked that cold bitch, didn't you. Tell me, and I want to hear it all." She didn't look angry, just focused.

She slowly drank while I told her about my meeting with the commander in the general's office. When I was done, she leaned back in her chair, her hands steepled in front.

"Ranji, I want to make sure I understand. Your contact, that you went to meet yesterday, is also the infamous Commander Orchid? And you had to fuck her because you messed up being a secret agent somehow, and then she spends hours helping you shop for naughty clothing for us? And today, she sends for you, and asks you to do her again? On the general's desk?"

Janetta rubbed her temple for several moments before speaking again. "I get that if she says fuck, you need ask what hole and how long. But I don't like it. Not one bit. I'm already crazy dealing with this love thing. I mean, you are sitting there, not doing anything, and the hint that you might just touch me is getting my pussy in a bind. On top of that, soon you're going to be away from me for several weeks. That's like a dull knife getting closer and closer to my heart, the notion hurts so much. Gods of North and South, Ranji, how am I supposed to deal with all this?"

"I love you, Janetta. You love me. We'll find a way."

She took a long breath. "I suppose we will. I like knowing that after we make love, my pussy juice is on your cock. And I don't care if you come to me after fucking one of my team. I know them, I like them, and I trust them. But Orchid is one sick monster. They filmed us. That captain told us they plan to put our faces in some drama vid -- for entertainment! I thought those stupid vids were made up! The whole concept is an obscenity, Ranji. The bastards got caught, and that's good, but we were used, and I feel dirty."

Janetta leaned back in her chair. "When people smell me on you, it's kind of cool, like when you fill my pussy with your seed. Your scent on me, my scent on you. Marking each other. Like it should be. And smelling Zinja, Ixma, or Cholan on you is okay because they belong to me."

"Face it, Janetta, you love them, too. They're your family."

She blinked, then nodded. "I do. And they are. Funny how easy it is to admit that now. But I wasn't finished with my point, Ranji. If you have to be with that cold, sick bitch -- and this is a big one -- I want you to do a full body wash before you touch any of us. I do not want any of her leavings to touch me or my crew. The thought of that bitch's dried pussy slime on you makes my skin crawl, and the notion of that slime getting inside me? No. Not happening. Lavender is now officially on my 'Hate That Stink' list. Do I make myself clear, Ranji?"

I took a breath. "You do. Janetta, I don't know all the particulars of her situation, and I think you are selling her short. It comes across to me as something she has to do, not something she herself enjoys. But I will do as you ask. That sergeant in Tikun values her, and he spared our lives. If it gets out that both identities are the same person, it could be fatal for her, and fatal for those who spilled that information."

"I'm not stupid," she replied. "I don't intend to talk any further about the matter, and certainly not to anyone else. Commander Orchid is a scorpion, and scorpions don't have friends, Ranji. They have prey. Smart people give scorpions a wide berth. She took care of the problem with the finesse of a fragmentation bomb. I admit, you getting an Aide surprised me. Is it on the up and up?"

"Sowitwee's wife was there in the hospital like we were told, and hurt bad. Nu-skin patches over half her body and plaster casts. He really loves her, that much is obvious. I believe both are real."

"Shit. Ranji, the more I learn about what you're getting into, the more scared I am. Spies lie for a living, and I'm afraid it will twist you. And it's dangerous, too. One mistake and it'll be over. I wouldn't have a clue about why or how, I'd just be there waiting, and waiting, and you never coming back to me."

She picked up her drink and downed the rest of it. "I want something with kick to it, but I don't dare until I'm off duty. Ranji, I want to talk more with you, but things have changed since you dropped me off this evening." Janetta gestured to a large pile of papers on her desk, about six inches high. "Captain Angawa, the Second in Command, dropped this bombshell on me just after you left. He'll pick the reports up in two days, so all my down time is pretty much gone. But if you can, I'd like you to come and spend some time here at the hangar. With our schedules right now, I'm not going to see you very much otherwise, and that just makes me want to .. I don't know. I'm torn between crying like a little girl, and wanting to get my gun and shoot someone."

I stood up and pulled her to me. Janetta readily buried her face into my chest. She seemed to have no problems holding me in her arms, and I certainly enjoyed holding her right back.

"I love you so much, Ranji. You make my pussy wet, and pretty much all the time, I'm ready for you to take me. But that's not all of it. I miss you when I don't see you. Dinner tonight was the best time ever. I want years of memories like that with you. Gods above, how do you do that?"

I kissed her long and slow. She sighed while our mouths hungrily explored each other. When we finally broke apart, I looked into her big, black eyes. "Do what, my love?"

"When I'm in your arms, nothing else matters, but the nearness of you. I feel loved and safe. How do you do that?"

Caressing her cheek, I grinned. "Must be love, beautiful woman. When I see you, my heart fills with joy. Rest assured, I love you, right back."

"I want you to take me right now, but I can't. I need to focus. Besides," she sniffed dramatically, "you need to go take a shower and wash off that stink. Use the one here."

I chuckled. "You know I am going to distract your crew."

"They will appreciate the show." Janetta opened the door. "Zinja! Close the hangar doors!"

"Lieutenant! It's still in the nineties! We will cook inside here!"

"Turn on the big fans then. Ranji's going to take a shower!"

A half-second pause, then, "Closing the doors, sir!"

Janetta laughed, turning back to me. "It's a good thing you are young, Ranji. Keeping four women properly stoked and poked is not for the weak."

I started laughing with her, and she swatted my butt. "Move your ass, Kandikan. Hit the rain locker!"

My hands on her waist, I walked her back until she was trapped against her desk. "After I get cleaned up, are you sure you don't have time for me to make love to you?"

Her big, black eyes looked at me wistfully. "As much as I'd love it, our gentler charges need attention, and you are really good about making a woman forget everything but what you are doing to her. I didn't see you do Cholan in Tikun, but I know the effect you had on her." She caressed my cheek. "You took away all her pain and doubt with your kindness and attention. I saw you do Zinja and Ixma, and there is no doubt they liked what you did to them. You seduce them with kindness and attention. I'll watch, but I want you to do Ixma. She needs to feel you thundering into her so she forgets today's obscenity. Then, I'm sending you home with Cholan. Love them, Ranji. Whenever I'm there, I want whatever happens to be in my bed.

"Tonight, though, we won't be home until after you have to leave for work, so go ahead and sleep with Cholan in her bed. Tomorrow night, I will be more than ready to make love with you."

Leaning in, I brushed my lips over her cheek and chin. "Most women would not be so willing to share."

"As you pointed out, I love them. A good officer takes care of her people. What you do for them makes them happy, and they are working harder, too. When we fought and I thought you were gone, I lost myself in misery and self-pity. When you are gone for your training, I will need their help to get me through it. They will miss you, too. Together, we will cope until you return."

I kissed her and she sighed as she responded. Then she pushed on my chest, wrinkling her nose. "Damn it, I've smelt that lavender stink long enough, Kandikan! Move your ass and get out of my office!"

At the shower, I began to undress. "Lieutenant, what am I supposed to wear when I'm done? I don't have any spare clothing here."

"We did laundry this afternoon. It's still in the back of my vehicle. Zinja? Get Lieutenant Boy Toy some fresh duds. Trousers, shirt. Underwear optional."

Zinja grinned and left by the rear hangar door.

My clothes in a heap, I turned on the shower and stepped into it. The water pressure was considerably stronger than the feeble dribble at home.

"Don't get attached to that nickname, Janetta," I warned her as I began to wash. "I'm not very fond of being called Boy Toy."

Ixma and Cholan parked themselves close by and watched me intently. Janetta, her arms folded, stood beside them and watched me, too.

I was pretty much done when Zinja returned. She set my clothes down on a bench and sat next to Cholan, eager to take in the view.

Janetta shook her head. "He's not doing it right. Corporal Ixma!"

The young woman jumped. "Sir?"

"Strip. Get in there and help him clean up right." All three woman looked at Janetta. "You heard me, Ixma. Get your clothes off and make sure he washes everywhere. And I mean everywhere. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Puzzled, Ixma stood up and removed her work shoes, then her short sleeved shirt and trousers, setting them neatly on her chair. Underneath, she wore the green and gold trimmed bra and panties I'd given her. She removed those and set them down carefully, too. Lastly, she removed the neckerchief she wore as a bandana. She kept her hair braided with the ribbons.

As Zinja warned, the temperature inside the hangar grew warmer. It was probably edging over a hundred degrees. The big fans, almost as tall as a person, helped by moving air around. Still, the concrete floor was cool.




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 10



Moving to her locker, Ixma retrieved a large brush, then standing next to me, held out her hand. "The soap, sir." I gave it to her. Ixma wet down the brush and lathered up the bristles. Using one hand to hold me, she began thoroughly scrubbing me down. Shoulders, chest, upper back, lower back, legs, feet, even doing the crack in my ass. She worked quickly, peeling off a layer of skin. Each time she was done with a section, she'd say, "Rinse," so I did. The last time I'd been so thoroughly scrubbed was when I visited home, and my personal servant Calia had worked me over.

The young woman was flushed from the heat and the exercise, her nipples hard, her gaze lingering over me. All that remained was my crotch. Ixma looked at her Lieutenant.

Janetta looked vastly amused. "Probably better not use the brush there, Ixma. Too brutal for detail work. Best use your hands. Clean him good."

Nodding, Ixma rinsed out her brush, set it aside, then soaped her hands. Standing in front of me, she reached down and began to wash my upper thighs and lower belly, then my ball sack and cock. Naturally, I hardened. When Ixma rinsed me off, she looked up at me, licking her lips. I looked directly into her eyes. "Is that clean enough, sir?"

"Move aside," Janetta replied. "Let me see. No, not clean enough. Do him again."

Again Ixma lathered up my thighs and between my legs, running her soapy hands up and down my shaft, making me harder. She looked up at me as her hands moved over my cock and balls. This time she moved out of the way after rinsing me again. "Clean, sir?"

"Looks good," Janetta replied. "Who is your officer, Corporal?"

Startled, she turned to Janetta. "You are, sir."

"Who is your man?"

"He is, sir."

"Corporal, you are naked with your man, and you have your hand on his hard cock. What do you intend to do about it?"

She looked up at me, water streaming down our fronts, her blue eyes comprehending. Opening her legs and standing on her toes, she tried to move my cock into her pussy. "Please take me, sir."

"Even with them watching?"

"We are all your women, sir. Show me I belong to you." She got the crown of my cock within her outer labia, moved, but it slipped out. Grabbing my shaft, she tried to guide me inside again. Her outer lips, slicker, took in my crown, but then her feet dropped back to the floor and again I slipped out. Frustrated, she looked up. "I'm too short to take you standing face to face."

I put my hand between her legs, caressing her bare folds. Gently I slid a finger inside, probing her wet heat. Gasping, Ixma held onto me and arched her hips forward, giving me better access. I tried for a second finger, stroking the length of her swelling lips.

Her eyes closed and she moaned. "Please," she begged.

"Hang on to me," I said. "Put one leg around my hip, and when I lift you up, wrap your other leg around me. I'll put my arms under your legs and hold you up. Yes, just like that. Now guide me in."

She guided my cock inside.

Shifting, I pressed a little deeper into her sheath, gaining an inch at a time.

Ixma cried out as I opened her up. Her eyes grew bigger with each thrust until her sex fully enveloped my length, stretching her insides. She shivered as she whimpered. More liquid heat coated my shaft as she wrapped herself tightly around me.

I turned sideways so the other three could more easily watch me driving into Ixma's open flower. Starting slow, I pulled her away until my crown was just inside her pussy, then pressed back inside, sliding into her buttery center until my balls caressed her butt.

"Oh, gods." Her blue eyes wide and unseeing, her focus on my length buried within her center. Hard nipples brushed my chest as she undulated against me. Ixma's pussy slickened further, coating my balls as I probed her passage. In and out, her body caressing and receiving mine.

"So good," she husked. "Don't ever stop."

As I picked up the pace, her breathing quickened to match, and I echoed her. Firmer I thrust, then harder. Ixma moaned, increasing in loudness in time with the faster coupling.

Soon I was pounding into Ixma's tightening, slick sheath, my cock spearing into her puffy folds, exploring deep inside her belly. Her hips slapped hard with each bounce against my groin, and she wailed in pleasure. Every sixth or eighth drive into her, I held her close, moving her up and around, grinding her mound against mine. She eagerly rocked her hips, panting.

Ixma's grip on my arms tightened. As she neared her peak, she quieted, her desperate, hungry eyes lost in lust, focused on our union. Over and over, I lifted her up and dropped her down, grunting as I impaled her on my shaft. Again and again, her hips slammed against mine, and my cock plowed into her slick, hot groove, opening up her channel. Then she cried out, bucking in my grasp. Slowing down, I deliberately stroked in and out of her full length, while her pussy throbbed, coating my cock anew.

Continuing my firm, thorough probing of her sex, I suddenly felt my balls tighten and my shaft thicken. Grinding myself within her slick heat, I grunted as jet after jet of semen sprayed the entrance to her womb. Ixma gave a strangled cry, rolling her hips as she tried burying me deeper within her welcoming, convulsing sheath.

When her mind returned to awareness, she leaned in and kissed me hard as she heaved for air, flushed from her face all the way down to her breasts. Under the cooling water, the darker shade rapidly faded.

Ixma cupped my face, staring into my eyes. "You feel .. so amazing. Nothing else mattered but you moving inside me. I feel your hard shaft filling me. And the hot and slick warmth of your seed in my belly." Then she shivered as another tremor ran through her body. Leaning her head against my chest, she murmured, "I love you, Ranji. I love you so much."

Kissing the top of her head, I glanced at Janetta. She didn't seem surprised by Ixma's declaration. Ixma had asked her permission about it the night before, and Janetta had given her response.

Zinja and Cholan both stood up, faces flushed as they adjusted underwear and closed up their trousers.

"Zinja," Janetta said, keeping her eyes on us. "I want you to show the Corporal how to run the scope and the diagnostics programs tonight. She needs to get up to speed on that."

"I'm already started on that work, sir," protested Cholan.

"Sergeant, as soon as Lieutenant Kandikan is dressed, you are going home with him. Your night off. But, I expect you back here by noon tomorrow, to pick up any slack. That will mean almost a full twenty-four hour duty, Sergeant Cholan. Are you up for that? Because if not--"

"No, sir. I mean, yes, sir! Really, sir?" Cholan got excited.

As I slipped out of Ixma, I let her legs down. She grunted at putting her legs together, but contented herself with holding me close as the heavy stream of water ran over us.

Janetta nodded, speaking to all her team. "Yes, Cholan. Depending on how much we get done tonight, and tomorrow afternoon, I'll let Sergeant Zinja go home with him tomorrow night. As a heads up, in the meantime, we are approaching the two-hundred-eighty-fifth hour limit on my engines. After last flight tomorrow morning, Zinja, you need to contact Maintenance and verify they have two Manco model two-hundreds ready for us, because after the weekend, all four of us will be busy swapping out the old engines and putting in the new ones, on our day off. And I will want a test flight before that bird is back on the line.

"Cholan, you and Zinja put some of that beer into Kandikan's car. The fridge at home is empty. When you get home, Cholan, stock the fridge and deliver the duffle bags with clean laundry to the bedrooms. Zinja, I'm going to my office to deal with the paperwork. Break out the sandwich wraps for lunch."

Looking in the new fridge, Janetta took out a bottle of juice and one of water. "Corporal! Clean your pussy, get dressed, and get your ass in gear! We've got work to do. And someone get those damn doors open. It's like an oven in here!"

The women hustled about. I got dressed and loaded the beer into my vehicle. Zinja had picked out my civvies for me to wear-- shorts and a plain tan tee-shirt. My dress shoes didn't really go with them, but so what? The temperature had dropped to the mid-nineties, so once the hangar doors were opened, it felt a lot cooler. It wasn't lost on me that the first item of clothing Ixma put back on was the neckerchief over her hair.

I stopped by Janetta's office before we left. I rapped on the open door.

"Busy, Kandikan. Go away." Without looking, she continued writing.

"Your stud would like to know, Queen Bitch, if he can kiss you before he goes home for the night."

She put down her pen and grinned. "Since you asked so nicely, I would like that."

I pulled her up and drew her into my arms. For several long moments, we enjoyed the contact of each other's bodies, while our mouths explored each other. I started down her neck, but she pushed me away.

"Stud, huh? That implies breeding. No breeding allowed here."

"True enough," I told her quietly, looking directly into her eyes. "But if I rode you like that was the goal, wouldn't you like that?"

She scowled at me. "I am already soaked from watching you work over Ixma. I love you and ache for you and .. and you say that to me? Knowing I have to wait until tomorrow night?" She waved her finger at me, then poked me in the chest. "You are a mean bastard! Knock that shit off, Kandikan! Get out of here. I've got work to do. Out! Out! Out!"

Laughing, I collected Cholan and we drove home. It was already after midnight.

* * * * *

Once at the cottage, we took care of the beer and the laundry, then opened windows and turned on the ceiling fans.

Cholan paused in the doorway to their room. I hadn't really had a good chance to see what was inside. I mean I had glimpsed inside if the door was open, but since it wasn't my room, I tried not to pry. Now, however, I was here to spend time with Cholan in the room she shared with Zinja and Ixma.

Two full beds and a narrow lane between them. Some might think mother and daughter sharing a bed strange, but it was common among the middle and lower classes. Expense might be a factor, but people often slept better with someone else close by. Zinja and Ixma had a deep love for each other, and both women shared themselves with me, but there was nothing sexual between them.

I continued scanning the room. At the south end by the double windows was a large dresser, and a smaller one, side by side. I was pretty sure Zinja and Ixma shared the larger one, and a tiny closet for all their uniforms. Then I noticed the evening and sun dresses I'd bought for them, hanging amidst the many blue uniforms. It was tight in the small closet Janetta and I shared. Theirs was packed.

On the walls were a few travel posters announcing the scenic pleasures of Tikun, the relaxation to be found on the glittering beaches of The Eastern Islands, and -- hmm, Capisco has a zoo? See the giant sloth, the short-nosed bear, sabre-toothed cats, scimitar cats, and more! Family fun for everyone!

I saw a picture and went over to examine it. Zinja stood in her dress uniform. She was younger, with the rank of a buck sergeant. She looked serious, but you could also see her pride, too. Beside her was Ixma, barely in her teens, wearing a simple yet pretty dress, and a line of flowers in her braided hair. She held her mother's hand and grinned happily. The photo was black and white. Color was more expensive, and knowing how much sergeants made, especially one supporting a child without a spouse, it must have been an extravagance. Nonetheless, I thought it a remarkable image, a literal snapshot of a happy moment from their past, proudly displayed by their bed. There was no doubt mother and daughter loved each other. No doubt when you saw them, they still loved each other.

I turned and realized I had ignored Cholan. Sitting primly on the bed, she watched me examine their personal space. The satchel with her laptop rested on the corner of her dresser. I went over and sat beside her.

"I'm sorry. This is the first time I really had a good look at your room. The place is pretty barren, like the front room. Are you nervous?"

"Yes, sir," she answered quietly.

Distraction to help her relax is what she needed. I took her hand and turned to face her. "The posters are okay, but I really like that picture of those two. It makes the room individual, personal. You should put up something too, Cholan. Do you have any pictures of your family that you could put up?"

"Only digital images. Actual photographs are expensive, sir. Last time I checked, it was twenty credits for a small three by five image. Forty for a six by ten, and sixty for a nine by fifteen like they have. Color is almost double that. Nearly everything goes to our rent here. You keep us fed and give us things ..." Her voice trailed off.

"You have your own charge card now. Select two or three pictures you really like, have them printed and framed, and put them up on the wall. And before you protest, hear me out. There should be something that says, 'Cholan lives here.' And do them in color. Pass on to Zinja that if she or Ixma have a picture or two they want to add, that I want them to spend the credits."

She frowned. "So much money, sir?"

I shook my head. "Besides my pay, I get a stipend from my parents. I spend over a hundred credits in monthly locker rental for my aircraft alone. It's not going to break me. You are important Cholan. You matter."

Cholan looked astonished. "You .. own an aircraft?"

"I do. I need to find a place to store it nearby, but yes, I do. It's not anything fancy. Just an ultralight. I am a pilot like your Lieutenant and I love to fly. I didn't qualify to be a combat pilot, though. Put me in an interceptor and I'd get my ass shot down, sure as the sun rises. I love flying, but Janetta lives and breathes it. Like it was her religion, and she was the high priestess."

"Yes, sir," Cholan chuckled. "That's her, all right."

"I haven't had a chance to go up for the fun of it in over a year," I continued. "I need to get a storage locker in Capisco. I think I should buy another ultralight, so she and I can go flying together. Maybe let you and the others buzz around a bit, too."

"Me? Fly?" she squeaked.

"Sure! It's easy. Just like driving a car, but with up and down added in. I have a Lio Airways Sparrow. It's really stable, even when you lose power." Having voiced the idea, it sounded good, too. Get a storage locker somewhere in or close to Capisco, order a second ultralight, and have my own shipped here.

Photos of all of us sounded good, too. Pictures of all of us, together. Informal ones, and ones where we are all in our dress uniforms. Maybe something to give Corporal Sowitwee to do -- either to find out who does them, or have him take the photos.

"Do I have to decide now about the flying?"

"No, you don't." I smiled at her.

"Good." She looked relieved.

"Cholan? You are in the Air Service. You came out here in one of those Condors. Do you have a thing about flying?"

"Closed my eyes the whole time, sir. Pretended I was riding the bad roads around Dyn Choga. I like my job fine. Ladders and platforms, no problem. I can get into aircraft if it's required, but I really, really like solid ground."

My laughter transformed into a yawn, followed by another. I suddenly felt tired. "Sorry. Are you still nervous about being with me?"

"Not as much, but some. Yeah." She nudged me. "I appreciate you talking to me."

"I remember our time together in that office with great affection. I had a great time with you. You let me know you had a good time, too, and that, in itself, is pretty hot stuff, Cholan. Back then we hardly knew each other. I know I like you a lot more now." I caressed her cheek. She closed her eyes, leaning in to my touch. "Why are you nervous?"

"It's been almost four months since you had me, sir."

"I know. But that has nothing to do with you. I am happy to be here with you. You are a good woman. You're smart, have a great taste in music, and I'm finding that you have a wicked sense of humor, too. Pretty sexy, all that wrapped up in one person." I yawned again. "I'm sorry. The yawning has nothing to do with you."

Concerned, she put her hand on my shoulder. "I know. It's hours past your regular bedtime. If you just want to go to sleep, I'd understand, sir."

Shaking my head, I stood up. "I am tired, but I also want to be with you. I just don't want to short change you."

"We don't always get all that we want. Inside, I'm giddy with the fact that you are here in my bedroom with me, and I get to sleep beside you."

I grinned at her. "Let's get undressed and get into bed, shall we?"

"Yes, sir." Standing near, she yanked out her shirt tails and removed her shirt, folding it neatly and laying it beside her laptop on the dresser. She caught me looking at her breasts when she took off her bra. "You like them, sir?"

"Seriously impressive. Huge aureoles, thick nipples. I could lose myself amongst them."

Kicking off her shoes, Cholan looked pleased. "You just let me know when, sir."

Naked, I pulled back the blankets down to the sheet, and climbed onto the bed, moving over by the wall. She finished undressing, turned off the light, and climbed in next to me.

Scooting in closer, I drew her in and kissed her. Sighing, she responded eagerly. Each time our lips met, there was a growing urgency. Our hands weren't idle either. My free hand kneaded her breast, while she reached down and stroked me, encouraging me to harden. I slid my hand down her belly, running my fingers through her mons hair, then caressed the long groove of her entrance. Her legs opened up and she moaned. The heat I felt there was suddenly overwhelmed by the flood bursting from her swelling folds of sensitive flesh.

"You are really wet," I grinned.

"Yes, sir," she moaned, rubbing her mound against my fingers. "You pounded into Ixma like a farmer plowing open new earth, spreading her pussy lips wide like furrows, and then you filled her with your seed."

"Plowing her furrow? That's an unusual phrase coming from a city girl like you."

"You're right, true enough. Zinja said it while we watched you do Ixma. No question, sir. You destroyed that girl. We both came from watching and hearing her pleasure. The Lieutenant didn't touch herself, but I'm sure I heard her squish when she moved away. When I learned I was coming here to be with you, I almost had another orgasm right then."

"Oh, Cholan." I caressed her flank, squeezed her hip with my hand. Nibbled along her neck.

"Sweet goddess. I got a tingle all the way down my spine, just from hearing you say my name like that. In my mind, sir, I already have you flat on your back and I'm humping you like a crazy woman."

I grinned, rolling her nipple between my fingers. "You want to be on top?"

"Not tonight," she groaned, arching her back. "I want to surrender to you, feel your weight on me, while you take me."

Getting onto my hands and knees, I moved over her. Cholan moved onto her back as she reached for me, spreading her legs to receive me.

"Sorry, girl. I need to feast on all the honey dripping from your sweet flower." I moved down, holding her legs apart. Kissed her belly and thighs.

"You don't ... you don't need to do that, sir. I am so primed. I ... oh, blessed goddess!" I brushed my lips along her soft petals and then blew on them. A sharp inhale, held for a long moment. And like that, with a wet sound, and a gush of more fluid, they opened, revealing her depths.

Gently, I licked up what leaked from her open cavity, working along the edges first. Her legs grew tense and her breathing more labored. When my tongue slipped in and caressed her inner lips, Cholan heaved up, her hands holding her legs wide apart, opening herself wider for my attention to her womanhood. It was only a short time before she began shaking. A new flood gushed out as she yelled out her release. While tremors ran through her short frame, I slurped around her sensitive center, taking in what she offered, careful to stay away from her clit.




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 10



Her hands caressed my hair as she slowly rocked her hips against my mouth. "My heart sings .. for the pleasure of .. your exquisite, gentle touch," she murmured.

When her breathing eased, and tension faded from her body, I moved back in, lathing those fragile folds, caressing and sucking on those sensitive lips with my tongue and mouth. She moaned, and her body quivered, rising again toward another explosion. Swallowing as fast as I could, I did my best to drink in her essence. Circling her now prominent nubbin of joy, then alternating with long strokes up and down her succulent, swollen flesh. Whimpers escaped from her, as her hips rolled up and down, eager for the contact. When my tongue flicked the underside of her clit, she froze, gasping. Resuming my plundering, I sucked her lips into my mouth, and Cholan half sat up a moment, then fell back, rocking her pelvis faster.

"Oh, sweet Jade Goddess ... so good. I might .. I might lose my mind."

I slipped two fingers into her hot channel, and inhaled her clit, my tongue rapidly flicking the underside of the sensitive flesh.

Cholan lifted back up, grunting, her hands gripping my head. With short, firm thrusts, she moved against me. Her pussy clamped down around my fingers. Another flood gushed from her center as she cried out. After a few seconds, she pushed my head away. "No ... no more! Please!"

I sat back, pleased while she closed her legs and rolled to her side, quivering in pleasure, sucking air like a bellows. I got up and went to the kitchen, grabbing a couple of bottled waters from the fridge. Calmer, she sat up as I handed one to her. I drank half of mine. Cholan took a couple of breaths in between, and emptied her bottle in one go. I handed her the rest of mine, and she took it gratefully.

When she finished off the water, I tossed the empties into the recycle bin, and grabbed two large towels from my room. I put one onto her dresser, while she moved over. The overhead light was off, but there was enough ambient light coming in from the window, to see the large wet spot on the bed.

"Gods," she murmured. "That spot's bigger than my ass. And that's saying something."

I spread out the towel, and Cholan settled onto it, spreading her legs wide. I paused, wondering if I should say something. I knew she felt bad about her weight.

"Sir? Please, sir, don't stop now. Let me fuck for you."

Moving onto the bed, I sat on my haunches. Ran my hands over her wide thighs. As I leaned over her, Cholan's hands reached for my cock. I had lost some of my firmness. She made a worried sound, and pivoting, pushed her face into my groin. Her hot mouth inhaled me. Using both her hands on my hips to steady herself, her tongue flicked under the sensitive crown. Her eager mouth swallowed my shaft, while her tongue caressed my length. Her head bobbed a few minutes, sending me waves of pleasure. When she was satisfied I was hard enough, she moved back under me, spreading her legs, pulling and aiming my hard cock at her wet pussy. As my mushroom head touched her swollen lips, Cholan moaned, and lifting up, tried to impale herself.

"Lieutenant? I need you inside me so bad. Please, don't make me wait anymore."

Moving my hips forward, I dropped a little weight onto her. She gasped as two inches slipped in.

"Go slow, please! You're -- you're bigger than I remember."

She was as tight as I remembered. Moving slowly, I worked my cock into her sheath a little at a time. A little forward, a little back, feeling the hot, slick, muscular flesh give way, enveloping me as I penetrated her body. Little cries escaping as I worked deeper, her body tense.

"You okay, Cholan?"

"Hah, uh, yeah. Tight fit .. is all." Her hands came up, gripping my arms, her face scrunched in concentration.

"Want me to stop?"

"Oh, goddess! Don't -- don't tease me like .. that, sir," she grunted. "I need to make you feel good, make you come inside me. Ah! I think you hit bottom!"

I pushed a little more, moving my hips side to side, probing her depth.

Cholan inhaled sharply, pain crossing her face. "No! It's all I can take, sir!"

There was more than an inch to go, but I backed off a bit."I don't want to hurt you, Cholan. Let's give you a little cushion."

Leaning back, I brought her legs together, and put them over my right shoulder. Her thighs kept me from pushing too deep, and gave me the depth of penetration I craved. I resumed gently thrusting into her. The slick, hot walls of her pussy gripped me tightly, as I sawed back and forth. "How's that?"

"Wonderful," she breathed.

Within a minute or so, I could feel myself drawing up, pleasure intensifying. "I may not last, Cholan. If you want, I can try to hold it, give you more contact--"

"Fuck me," she gasped. "So .. intense!" Her hands grabbed my butt, and as I drove into her channel, she pulled me in, forcing me deeper.

Each time I reached her depths, she grunted, growing more frantic in her movements. The tightness in my loins coiled and I pumped faster.

Crying out, Cholan arched her back, shaking in rapture. Her pussy clamped down hard, released, clamped, released. Hot slickness bathed my shaft, coating my balls. With a final thrust, I pressed into her, grinding as my cock pulsed, spraying into her depths. Grunting, Cholan jerked and gripped my butt harder, grinding her pussy on my cock, determined to take me even deeper.

My cock continued twitching within her folds, and she shivered again. As the passion faded, I kissed her calf on my shoulder.

"Mmm. You feel so good," she sighed. "I want to stay right here with you, but I need you to get up, sir. I really gotta pee."

"Hmm? Oh, sure."

As soon as she had clearance, she rolled off and dashed out of the room. Getting up, I took the off the towel we used, and put down the fresh one. Gathering the wet towel, and my clothes and shoes, I took them to my room. When she was done at the toilet, I took my own turn, washed up, then returned to her bed.

Climbing over her, I pulled up the blankets around us both. Cholan settled in, facing me, her head in the crook of my arm.

"Thank you, sir." Her hand caressed my chest. "I love what you do with your mouth. I mean I really like the toy you got me, but it's so much better when there's some one to hold and share with." I felt her shiver and snuggle closer.

Kissing her gently, I smiled. "I wholeheartedly agree with you. Thank you for sharing yourself with me, Cholan." I set the alarm on my watch. "Mind if I ask a question?"

"Ask away, sir."

"Are you all right with having to wear my neckerchief? I'm pretty sure I know how you feel, but I'd like to hear it from you. Janetta didn't give you or Zinja a choice about it."

She made a pleased noise. "I feel like I've died and gone to heaven, sir. You are the best man I've ever been with. Now it's even better."

"Better? How so?"

"The neckerchief tells everyone I'm your woman, your mistress. It feels good down deep, knowing I belong to you. I know you belong to the Lieutenant first, but if you need to come inside a warm pussy, you don't even have to ask. Just bend me over the couch and do me, sir."

"I'm flattered, but I'm not usually in the habit of bending women over couches, especially without asking first."

"I know you wouldn't hurt me, that you'd take your time until I got wet enough to take you. I .. I just want you to know that I'd like it that you wanted me that much. See?"

I kissed her head, forehead, then leaned in and gave her a slow, lingering kiss.

Cholan sighed. "That's real nice, sir."

"There's something else I want to ask you. Our first time, you were barely able to take me all the way, but you did manage it. This time, you weren't able to take all of me. What's changed?"

"Just fatter, sir. I don't even eat as much as--"

"How much more weight?" I interrupted.

"Twenty pounds. I'm five foot two and yesterday I passed .. I passed two hundred pounds." I saw the shadow of her hand cover her face. "If I hit two-fifty, I'm out of the Service and I lose everything! What am I gonna do?"

I pulled her against me, holding her tightly. "That's what we're doing, Cholan. Dealing with it head on. Tired, too?"

"Ye--yeah. How did you know?" She lifted up and looked at me, surprised.

"How are you coping?" I wasn't a doctor, but we'd had a servant with a thyroid problem. That could be fixed, but first it had to be diagnosed.

"Caffeine pills ... and stim tabs."

"How many each day, Cholan?"

"Four .. no, six caffeine pills. And two stims, twice a day. I'm trying to be careful. I really am."

"You drink cahault, too. That's chocolate and coffee. Stimulating your system that much can hurt you in the long term."

"I know," she whispered, wiping at her eyes. "But she needs me. I'm her E--man. I can't let her down. I just can't."

"Have you been to the Infirmary?"

"Yes, sir. I went while you were visiting your parents. The medico, he said I was just fat, and I needed to exercise more." She sniffed again.

"A medico? They can do triage and first aid, but nothing complicated. You need to see a regular doctor, Cholan. If they give you any trouble about it, you tell me, and Janetta and I will both go down there, and make new orifices. And your officer, you know that's one of her favorite activities."

"Yeah." She giggled, her body losing some of its tension.

I gave her a squeeze. "I mean it, Cholan. Ask for a full work up, you hear? Blood, urine, and anything else the doctor needs. When's your next day off?"

"Six days. But we're swapping out both engines on the Lightning that day. And then we're back on the line again."

"That's not going to do, Cholan. It's already been going on too long. I know you have a really busy day tomorrow, but try to make time the day after. If not then, the next day at the latest. And if you need a ride, you tell me. I'm serious about this. You understand?"

"Yes, sir. I will, sir." She laid her head back down onto my chest.

I heard her sniffle. "You okay? I'm not mad at you, Cholan. If anything, I'm worried."

"No, sir. Actually, I feel better. I was just thinking how lucky I am."

"Lucky?"

"I got a good officer, I like the rest of my team, I'm the woman of a hot--looking Lieutenant, and that man -- you, sir, you care about me. Me! Fat Cholan. A man wants me for his woman, and he wants to take care of me. Is it any wonder I want you so much?"

"I take care of all of you," I reminded her.

"I know! That makes you even more special! Lieutenant Tlacotli is the best. But if you said, 'Cholan, I need you to make babies for me,' my resignation papers would be in, and my ass would be in the air for you yesterday. And I'd be the happiest woman in the world."

I laughed. "Gods above, Cholan! I remember what you told me in Tikun. Apparently you dreamed a hundred babies weren't enough. And rumor is you had that dream twice."

She snickered. "I had it three times. Pretty silly, though."

I squeezed her shoulder. "Tell me about the dream."

"I haven't a clue what it means, but I had to eat oatmeal and star fruit while wearing a white dress. And every time I finished eating a bowl, a baby plopped out from between my legs, dropping into a basket. Ixma kept telling me to quit eating that stuff because it was making me fat. But there was some strange guy in a doctor outfit and a clipboard who kept telling me I was behind, and that I needed to make more babies and make them faster. A hundred babies weren't going to be enough. And ground crews came by driving towing tractors. They put the baby baskets on carts and took them to the airfield. Silly and strange, huh?"

"Indeed," I agreed, amused. Her hair was loose, and I stroked it, enjoying the physical touching.

"I used to eat star fruit with my oatmeal as a girl while growing up in The Eastern Islands. I mean, I know how babies are made and all. But now I'm almost afraid to eat that combo, in case it's a warning from the gods. I know that's even sillier, but there it is."

"Yeah," I mumbled. Exhaustion was rushing up to claim me, whether I willed it or not. I nuzzled her hair. "Look, I'm fading here. Good night, Cholan."

"Good night, sir."

* * * * *

When my alarm went off, I realized several things at once. It wasn't my own bed, my back was sore from too hard a mattress, I was spooned up behind Cholan, my cock was hard, and I was inside her.

She gave a ragged breath, gently rocking against me. Her hand was moving between her legs. "You feel so good, sir."

"Cholan?"

"I couldn't help it, sir. I felt you get hard in your sleep. I got so wet, and all I could think about was having you stretching me, filling me." She groaned. "Now that you're awake, would you come inside me?"

"It'll have to be hard and fast. I want to get some running in before I have to get ready for work."

"I'm down with that, sir. Fuck me like there's no tomorrow."

"All right," I said, pulling out of her. "Get up on your hands and knees. It's not like bending you over a couch, but it will do."

Crouching down, her butt in the air, she grabbed both pillows and held onto them. "You say the nicest things, Lieutenant."

I lined up behind her, and pushed slowly back into her heat.

Cholan arched, moaning into the pillows. "Gawds, that's so deep!"

"I seem to remember you liked something else about this position." I smacked one bare cheek, then the other.

Surprised, she cried out, pressing back against me.

Gripping her hips, I drove into her slick center. Her nether lips strained around my shaft, pulled in with each thrust, drawn out with my withdrawal. The leverage wasn't enough, so I rose up behind her and grabbing her shoulders, leaned over and slammed into her sodden cavity. Grunting became yelling as I pounded into her, giving her flank another hard smack. Then she screamed into her pillow, her pussy squeezing and gushing around me. Shoving roughly into her, I felt my balls tighten. Growling, I emptied myself into her. Each time I sprayed into her womb, my nuts hurt. I was still breathing hard from the release, and thankfully the orgasm ended quickly. Carefully, I moved back, withdrawing. Her dark, swollen vulva slowly began to close, dribbling out our juices.

Cholan's legs slid down. Still breathing hard, she said, "It feels like you're still inside me. Now that's a wake up call."

On the floor, I leaned over and kissed her cheek, patting her butt affectionately. I glanced at my watch. "I'll be back in about half an hour."

"Have a good run, sir."

In my room, I slipped on fresh shorts, tee-shirt, socks, and my deck shoes. I did my stretches in front of the house, set my timer, and began my jog. Half an hour later, I was back in front of the house, having completed at least twenty minutes of running full out. I stretched again, walked for a couple minutes, then went inside.

Cholan was at the stove, in a night shirt and apron, cooking some pan bread and potatoes. When I came around the counter, I noted with amusement that her night shirt barely covered her lower cheeks.

Pulling a bottle of water from the fridge, I drank half, then leaned in and kissed her neck with my wet, cool lips, then patted her bare butt affectionately. She shivered.

"What are you doing, Cholan?"

"Enjoying you touching me. And, I'm cooking you breakfast before you go to work."

"You didn't need to do that. I could have easily grabbed something from the Cafeteria on my way in. And you have to be at the hangar in six hours. You should be getting more sack time, not doing this."

"I wanted to, sir," she replied, turning to face me. "I'm not a great cook, but I do okay in the kitchen. Zinja and Ixma are much better, and besides, they like doing it, so I let them. But I wasn't going to pass up on this chance to cook for you."

"I'd hug you, but right now I'm all sweaty and I don't want to stink up your nightshirt."

"It'll wash, and so will you, sir. I'll take that hug and a kiss, too."

Hunkering down, I drew her in, and held her tight, while I locked on and explored her mouth. Cholan held on and explored me right back. When we broke, I caressed her face. "Thank you, Cholan. That was very nice."

"Oh, any time, sir," she whispered, her eyes affectionate.

With a whistle, I showered, and got dressed for work.

We didn't have a real table, but she had the chair pulled up to the breakfast bar. A full cup of cahault, and a plate, with pan bread, fruit spread, eggs and diced potatoes, all hot and ready when I came out. And she had my thermos filled.

I saw that she didn't have a plate of her own. I got up, retrieved a plate and silverware for her, and cut a section of pan bread onto her plate.

"Lieutenant? What are you doing, sir?"

"You went to all this trouble. I want some company while I eat."

"But I--"

I turned to face her, my tone firm. "Don't, Cholan. Don't even start. You are looking at a really long shift ahead of you. You are stressing your body with stimulants. I won't have you skipping meals, too. If you don't have an ulcer or pass out from hunger, it'll be something worse. You need sleep and food. So when I leave here, you are going back to bed, you hear me?"

"Yes, sir," she answered quietly.

Setting her plate next to mine, I dished off a portion of my eggs and potatoes for her before pulling up a chair for her to sit next to me. I patted the seat and she sat down.

I took a bite. The bread was pretty good. She just sat there. I put down my fork.

In a gentler voice, I asked, "Why aren't you eating? You aren't allergic to any of this, are you?"

She shook her head.

"Good. Eat breakfast with me, please."

Her lips quivered. "What if .. what if they don't find anything wrong with me? What if it's just me being a fat girl?"

I took her hand, kissed and held it. "Whatever the tests say, you, your officer, and I will deal with it. You aren't alone here, Cholan. Tomorrow or the day after, I want to hear that you saw a doctor, not a medico, and if you don't, I will want to know why. You told me this morning that you really liked the fact that I take care of you. But I cannot do it alone. I need your participation. You matter, Cholan Yakalme. Take care of yourself, because you believe you are worthy of that care. I believe you are worth it.

"But there's more. Skipping meals do not fix anything, and actually makes any weight issue worse. You think by starving yourself you'll lose weight. It doesn't work that way. Your body will think there's no food, so it converts some of what you eat into fat. If you aren't hungry, don't eat. But don't skip meals because you are trying to lose weight. All that does is increase your overall hunger, you lose some water weight, and you stress your body."

Her face lowered, tears spilled from her eyes.

I brushed her cheeks, wiping away both of the wet trails. "Now I'm going to remind you that if you are tired and hungry, it might affect your work. You are an important part of your officer's flight crew. She depends on you to take good care of her aircraft, so that she has the best chance of survival in combat. Rest when you can and no skipping of meals. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir." She wiped her eyes, ashamed to look at me.

"Cholan? Did you know that about not eating? What that does to you?"

"No, sir."

"Yes, you have a weight issue. We are here to help and support you. But I never, never think of you as 'Fat Cholan.' You made a first rate breakfast. Please share it with me."

She nodded. "Thank you, sir."

"You know, when we're alone, you can call me Ranji. I wouldn't mind."

"I .. uh, better not. I'm your woman, but you're the Lieutenant's man first. Besides, I'm enlisted and you're an officer. It wouldn't be right."

"Your choice," I told her.

We ate quickly, and checking the time, saw that I had to leave or be late. I gave Cholan a quick kiss, thanked her again for breakfast, then hustled out the door.




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 11



There is a scene describing a family murder-suicide after leaving the hospital. If such disturbs you, there is a break where Ranji and Zinja get the weapons from his vehicle; from there, you can skip to the next break mark.

Near the end of the chapter, Zinja sing an Oexecan song. The quote indicates a glottal stop, when the syllable is cut short. The language is a complete fabrication, but I wrote it after listening to a couple of albums by Radmilla Cody.

Thanks to my reader, gyfurune, who helps catch the errors. Any mistakes that slip through are my mine.

=========================

I awoke groggy and disoriented, wondering where I was. My next thought was how stiff and sore I felt. The low light, the cream and chrome decor, the ice cold rail of the hospital bed against my back, and Janetta snuggled close -- all coalesced into my awareness. We were in the Naval hospital.

Shutting off my watch alarm, I got up as gently as I could, but even drugged with sedatives, my battered warrior noticed me leaving.

"Ranji?" she murmured, reaching after me.

"It's okay, Janetta. I have to go to work, but I'll be back later." I nuzzled her, gently kissing her cheek and lips.

"'Kay," she mumbled, and wrapped her arms around her pillow. Then she rolled onto her belly. Burying her head under the pillow, she moved her foot with the cast until her toes hung off the mattress edge. Sometime during the night, she had removed the flimsy hospital gown. The marvel of her tight, feminine butt brought a sad smile to my face, her beauty marred by the bruising she'd suffered.

The Nu-Skin patches on her back were almost completely absorbed. By tonight, the deep, draconian claw marks on her back and the bite at the base of her neck would be healed, leaving only thin marks and lines in her skin. While the patches were less effective with bruises, they did help, as the timed-release of the analgesic reduced the pain while the muscles healed.

I stretched a bit to work out the kinks. I was in need of a shower, a shave, a fresh uniform, and breakfast. A couple of cups of hot cahault would also help improve my outlook. A year ago I'd never had the chocolate-flavored coffee so popular in the northern states of the Empire. Now, I found it hard to go without drinking four to six cups a day.

After slipping my shoes on, I pulled the sheet over Janetta, but she immediately fussed and wriggled it mostly off.

Seeing her there like that was an exercise in heartache. Even battered and bruised as she was, her butt cheeks were pure perfection. Attached to those smooth globes were strong, lean legs that went on forever, all part of the amazing beauty of Janetta Tlacotli. It was her physical charms that first turned my head. It was her direct, forthright, yet sassy manner that fed my hunger for her. But it was her strong heart, so full of passion, that won my own.

Fully cognizant of the jokes I'd get if word got out, I kissed her ass. Both cheeks. "I love you, Janetta," I whispered.

During the night, the Imperial Security private outside her room had been replaced by a corporal. I suggested to him three reasons why Janetta and Cholan should share a room: it would improve their morale, it would make them easier to guard, and it would free up a room, the latter which would make the Navy medical staff happy.

"I'll pass it along, sir," he said.

* * * * *

Nu-Skin was an invention of Imperial bio research, and one that we in the Empire of Chimorro were justifiably proud. Once released to the public, it was quickly pirated by the other nations of the world. A simple product, it is quickly absorbed by the skin with minimal or no scarring. Just remove the back cover to activate the compounds and the sticky patch is ready to adhere. The patches safely store for up to three years, a further boon to their usefulness.

Complementing the development of Nu-Skin were the breakthroughs in nano-technology. Those microscopic nano-machines were capable of rebuilding shattered bodies, reconnecting severed nerves, and regrowing limbs, or cleansing diseased organs. Even shattered bones would migrate back together and reform as a single unit within a week, and be fully healed within a month. A broken foot once took four to six months to fully and safely bear weight once again. Broken ribs could take as long as a year for the last ache to fade. The process requires some sedation as bone growth, and even bone-knitting, was a painful experience. Nonetheless, the effects were nothing short of astounding.

The nano-treatments were a complex healing system. I didn't know the specifics, of course, not being a physician, but I did have a basic understanding of the process. The technology requires mapping both the genome and the phenome of the individual. A genome is the entire genetic coding that makes up a person; it is all the potential that resides within your body. For example, within the genome is the code for making your hand have three fingers, four, or five, whether you have an opposable thumb, or whether you have fingernails instead of claws.

If one's genetic history and potential is the genome, the phenome comprises what genetic switches were turned on, and in what order. Sometimes it was one gene sequence for one trait, but as often, one codon controlled several traits, whereas another trait might require several combinations of code. There's more to it, a lot more, but that's the gist of it.

Medical computers, too, are required to monitor the process, keeping the nano-robots on task. The liquid supplements and bathing in nutrient solutions help provide the extra raw materials for the tiny machines to complete their work. Without the supplements, the microscopic workers would plunder nearby healthy systems for needed resources, creating a viscous cycle of universal deprivation to the host, often resulting in an excrutiating death.

There were, however, two drawbacks to the nano-treatment. First, it remained expensive, and outside the financial reach of most citizens. One treatment would set back a lower class family for a decade or longer. The military would pay for nano-treatments only if the injury was incurred in the line of duty. Otherwise, older, more traditional methods were used. That had been the argument I'd had with the doctor over Cholan's treatment. Because her thyroid condition had not occurred in the line of duty, the Air Service wouldn't pay for the added cost. The focused treatment on her thyroid, that she should have received upon enlistment, would have taken an hour as an out-patient. Now it would take a year to bring her body safely back into balance.

The second drawback affected women in the military. Sterilizations were healed, and birth control drugs were quickly flushed from the body, rendering them ineffective.

That meant no sex involving vaginal penetration for sixty days following the last nano-treatment. Even if the Fallopian tubes were subsequently cut, to be safe, there was a thirty day wait to make sure an egg hadn't slipped by, and was waiting quietly in the uterus for a sperm bath. Just putting the cock inside, with the goal of pulling out prior to ejaculation, was taking a risk. Once hard, pre-cum lubes the pathway while cleansing it of urine. Prior to ejaculation, though, small amounts of semen also leak out and mix with the pre-cum. It only takes one single sperm cell to do the job. Granted, the risk is small, but it's still a risk. For Cholan, it would end her career. For Janetta, it was recklessly putting her life in danger.

Despite the fact that Janetta and Cholan were healing at an accelerated rate, I didn't see either of them being too happy about the sexual restrictions. If she craved penetration, Cholan might be open to the alternative, which was plenty of oral with some anal action.

I did not see Janetta accepting that. One of the first things she told me was that her ass was off limits. During her time at the military academy, she had been repeatedly raped by two men determined to make her quit the service. Some women take to anal right away, and some never like it. Ever. My personal servant, Calia, and I had tried it a few times. Calia told me it made her feel incredibly submissive. It takes patience, and a lot of care and arousal to do it without hurting the woman. And, there's no doubt that if the nerve cluster in the anus isn't sensitive enough, there's less incentive for the woman to repeat the experience except as an act of love for her man. In Janetta's case, however, she had had almost two years of pain associated with the act.

Birth control drugs were cheap, costing about two credits for a month's supply. Yet there was another, legal alternative to the drugs, and it was one that wasn't well known in the Empire.

Condoms.

With the limited rights of women in the Empire to have a say in their sexual partners, and with nearly half of women still being illiterate, it wasn't surprising that condoms were a rarity. The man had to be willing to put them on. The low cost of the drugs, too, further discouraged their usage.

In many places, condoms had to be special ordered. In that respect, having the Seven Nations so close was a boon. I had seen various brands available at the apothecary in Capisco.

If the Commissary didn't stock them, I would make a special trip into Capisco. At least, once I obtained another vehicle for my personal use.

In the interim, I would use my fingers and tongue to keep Janetta's pussy humming from the coming. Imagining her writhing on my face gave me a huge grin. She liked it and it made me feel good giving her such pleasure.

* * * * *

Since they were closest, I visited Sowitwee and his wife first. I was unsurprised to find him rumpled and fitfully dozing at her bedside.

His wife, Nariya, was awake when I arrived. A nurse was putting on fresh Nu-Skin patches onto her wounds. Already, most of the third- and second-degree burns were covered by new layers of artificial skin. Once the dangers of infection were gone, the nurse informed me, Nariya would be moved from her private room to shared quarters on the first floor.

I found Nariya herself to be very polite and quite charming. I was surprised to discover that she was mute. Watching them converse in sign language was heart warming, their devotion to each other plain. I was also quite clueless as to what they talked about.

Hustling him out, we went up three floors to Ixma's room, and I re-introduced Sowitwee to them both.

With my ChoCac gone, all we had for transportation was Janetta's two-seat HueCac with its short cargo bed in the back. My plan, I explained to all three of them, was to drop Sowitwee by his place to get cleaned up. Then I would swing back by on the way to work. Sowitwee's first job would be to drive back to the hospital and pick up Zinja and Ixma by mid-morning, and --

"Sir? I can't drive," Sowitwee interrupted.

I blinked. "You're kidding me."

"Ixma can drive some," Zinja noted blandly. "She only hits guard rails and fence posts about a third of the time any more."

Her daughter narrowed her eyes. "It was only the one time--"

"Twice," her mother corrected, narrowing her gaze in return.

"There was no damage that second time, so it doesn't count," Ixma insisted.

"The post was plastic, so you lucked out, girl. Had it been metal, you would have bent the bumper and possibly the frame." Turning to face me, she continued. "It's only six rads, sir. Not a bad walk. We'll stop by your work in a couple of hours."

"Hmm," I thought aloud. "I could come by during lunch and pick you up?"

"Navy is cutting us loose about an hour after breakfast," Zinja replied.

"Let's talk to your guard. Maybe he can arrange transportation." Stepping into the hallway, I explained to the guard my desires. He raised his eyebrows but remained polite about the request. He would pass it along, I was assured. I re-entered the room, not very encouraged.

Zinja asked for an update on Janetta, which I gave. As we were about to depart, Ixma insisted on a kiss goodbye. Slipping out of bed, she wrapped her arms around me and laid on with sincere interest.

When I managed to get some air, I shook my head. "What am I going to do with you, Ixma?"

"I'm your woman, Lieutenant." She smiled, looking up at me. "I want you to keep making love to me. What? I can't help it, sir. I love you." Rubbing the stubble on my chin affectionately, she stepped back. "Your turn, Second Sergeant."

I half expected her to demur as she usually did, but Zinja stood up and drew me in for a gentle hug and an easy, lingering kiss full of underlying heat. Leaning in, she whispered to my ear, "Don't forget, I made a promise to you. Like a vacuum cleaner, sir."

My groin twitched. When I remembered to breathe again, I cleared my throat. "Thank you, Sergeant Zinja. Come on, Sowitwee. Let's clear out while I'm still standing."

Zinja laughed while I retreated from the field.

Downstairs, we stepped out into the early summer morning. There was a bit of humidity in the air, so I looked southeast toward the ocean. Dark clouds lined the edge of the horizon. I hadn't heard anything recently, but I had been too busy to check. When I got to work, I planned on getting a weather report. We were heading into hurricane season at High Guard.

Sowitwee and his wife lived in the NCO dorm, sharing their ten by twenty room and bath with another couple. Corporals didn't make enough money to afford their own housing, and with the graft that had been going on, they likely had little to spare each month to cover things like laundry and extra clothing for his wife. Hopefully, with the exacting eye of Imperial Security, and the various accounting offices, going through the finances of the base operations, things would get to a normal level of chaos, instead of the penury the enlisted, and many of the officers, had been forced to endure.

We arrived at Logistics and Supply with a good ten minutes to spare, so we sat in the HueCac. On the way, I had bought us both breakfast from the Commissary, so while we waited, we ate and enjoyed the morning sunlight. Over two hundred men and women were gathered around the building's entrance.

Sergeant Doyya spotted me and made her way through the crowd. Bold as brass, she grinned at me. "Beautiful day, sir, isn't it?"

I nodded, taking a drink to clear my throat. "You look happy."

"Best night's sleep in a month. Can I speak freely, sir?"

"Go for it." I took another bite of my breakfast wrap.

"You look like shit, sir."

Sowitwee started choking on his food.

"If you are going to heave," I warned him, "do it outside the vehicle. You do not want to get on the bad side of Lieutenant Tlacotli, believe me." I turned to Doyya, smiling thinly. "Thank you, Sergeant. It's what I needed to hear first thing this morning." I took another bite of breakfast.

Doyya looked at me with concern. "No, really, sir. At the end, when you left last night, you looked pretty bad. Did you get any sleep at all?"

"A little. I live with four people, Sergeant, and all of us spent the night at the Naval Hospital, and three of them are being treated. Sowitwee's wife is there, too. The good thing is they are all alive. A very good thing." I clapped Sowitwee on the back a couple of times until he held up his hand, breathing easier.

She nodded. "Understood, sir. I just meant that you need to take care of yourself. You're a decent officer. We need you." And with that, she gave a respectful nod and moved away.

Sowitwee looked at me in surprise. "You actually let her talk to you like that, sir?"

"Sergeant Doyya doesn't work for me, but it's a sergeant's job to keep the officer up to date with what's going on. An officer who only wants to hear things are going well is not a good officer. Sergeant Doyya was expressing concern, even if she was being remarkably blunt about it. While I worked last night, she stayed for hours, volunteering her time, keeping me in food and cahault."

He looked thoughtful."Yes, sir."

We dumped our trash in the bin beside the building and went around to the front.

Just then, three vehicles pulled into the parking lot. One was a Tortoise Troop Transport. The back hatch opened and ten Imperial Guard spilled out, taking up stations around the newly arrived vehicles. The other two vehicles were ChoCacs, and several Imperial Security got out. A senior lieutenant, attended by a half dozen aides, strode through the crowd, and stepped onto the landing in front of the main doors.

There were seven officers, including myself, present in the growing crowd. Our names were read off by a second sergeant. The senior lieutenant consulted his tablet computer, then announced that the first four were confirmed at their present rank. One lieutenant was demoted to sublieutenant. The other lieutenant was promoted two steps to captain and made provisional CO for the 917th Logistics and Supply Division. Mayerka Xotochan.

That meant that all the remaining officers, of senior lieutenant rank and above, had either been demoted and transferred out or had been executed by Imperial Security. That fact was not lost on us.

A security sergeant handed out the grade changes right there. As the lowest ranking officer, my name was the last one to be read.

"Sublieutenant Ranji Kandikan?" spoke the sergeant.

"Here," I answered.

"Promotion to Senior Lieutenant, in command of the new Auditing and Security Oversight unit. Step up and receive your grade change."

Once I was on the landing, the sergeant removed the single pips from my shoulder lapels and replaced them with the line of three circles. Then he handed me a plastic bag with more triples inside. I raised my eyebrows. "I was told you need extras," he muttered.

Counting six extras, I couldn't help but smile. Commander Orchid was being thoughtful while she indirectly teased me about Janetta's flight crew.

The senior lieutenant looked me over. "Lieutenant Kandikan, your unit is the first one to be re-authorized in your Division. Captain Xotochan, you and the other officers here have one week to review current work flow and present any changes to Command and Control, while the Naval Office of Accounting performs an inventory of all supplies on hand. Lieutenant, you need to appoint your Second Officer and your senior NCO."

It was a gamble, as I hadn't had a chance to review her personnel jacket. However, she struck me as being smart, honest, ethical, loyal, and a hard worker -- everything I would want in a Second. "What is the status of Sergeant Doyya?" I asked.

"Sergeant Doyya Lovyanchiti?" asked the security officer. "Status is .. grade confirmed as sergeant. No change."

"Sergeant Doyya, advance," I called out. I saw her eyes widen.

She moved to the front of the crowd, then snapped to attention. "Sir!"

"Promotion to Second Sergeant, effective immediately."

"Noted," the security officer said. Setting his tablet on the wide hand rail, he tapped on the screen. "Sergeant Doyya confirmed as Senior NCO--"

"And," I continued, "brevet promotion to Sublieutenant as my Second."

I thought Doyya was going to pass out for a moment, but she recovered quickly, standing her ground.

"A moment, Lieutenant. I will need to confirm this request." The senior lieutenant typed on his tablet, then waited. Several minutes went by, then spoke. "Promotion confirmed, brevet grade for one year, pending review at that time. Signed, Commander Orchid."

Doyya closed her eyes a moment, exhaling slowly. Several others blinked at the mention of the Commander's name.

"Easy, Doyya," I whispered.

"What about your Senior NCO, Lieutenant? I need to know your selection."

I pulled out my laptop from my satchel, flipped up the lid and pressed the power button. "You have your lists for the enlisted? Send them to my computer. My laptop should be showing up as available on your network any moment."




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 11



"I see you now." The security officer tapped away. "Sending you the list, Lieutenant."

"My Second and I will be reviewing records around the corner for the Senior NCO. Before I go, I need the status of one other enlisted. Status on Corporal Sowitwee?" Right after the file transferred, I saw incoming two email notices, one from Capisco Travel Guides, and one from Tikun Travel.

He scrolled on the tablet, then read a moment. "Corporal Sowitwee, no House surname, serial 1D320-19-21-TA109. Rank confirmed, listed as your Aide, Lieutenant. Do you wish to make a change at this time?"

The security sergeant with his bag of officer grades, handed me a pair of single pips for Doyya. I dropped them into my breast pocket.

"I'll keep him as is for the moment, thank you. Doyya and Sowitwee, with me."

Carrying my laptop, they followed me around the corner, and back to Janetta's HueCac. I looked at Doyya and grinned. "You look like shit, Lieutenant."

She looked at me for half a second, then dropped to her knees, and beginning an oath of fealty.

"Stop that, right now. Get up, Doyya. You are now an officer in the Empire. Your loyalty first is to the Emperor and then to the Air Service. I take third place, got it?"

"Yes, sir. Gods above and below, I knew you were going to be important to me. I just had no idea! When you called my name, I thought I was going to be your Senior NCO, like that Lieutenant did. And I would have been grateful for that measure of trust. But as your Second? Why?"

"I'll be honest, Doyya. I'm going by gut instinct here. Even if there wasn't a shortage of officers, I don't know any of them well enough to take them on. You, however, stayed to help me out, even after you knew that your own problem was taken care of. I know you did it to show your gratitude. I want that type of person as my Second Officer. I think you are someone willing to see that the job is done and done right. The promotion to Second Sergeant is permanent. Whether you keep the officer rank is up to you. You have a year to prove yourself, and not just to me."

Doyya would have to undergo examination by an Officer Review Board to keep her promotion. I could advocate for her, but I couldn't be on the board itself.

I dug the single pips out of my shirt pocket and pinned them on her shoulders. "Nice. Looks good on you. You got cash on you, Doyya? Because I have some messages I need to take in private. Before I pick the Senior NCO -- and I will depend on your help -- you need to go to the Commissary and buy brevet sleeves for your officer pips and your second sergeant patches. Sowitwee? Go with her." Reaching into my wallet, I dug out my last credit note. A twenty. I handed it to him. "Get all three of us a cup of cahault and some bottled waters while you're there."

"Yes, sir," they echoed, and headed off down the street.

Setting the laptop on the hood of the vehicle, I entered the password and reviewed the message from Tikun Travel first. Itznacoco congratulated me on the promotion, and officially notified me that I had ten days to get my house in order before my ten weeks of training.

I re-read that line. Ten weeks away from Janetta, not six?

Seven hells, I thought. All three hot, all three cold, and the one in between.

My new command was going to be barely together before Doyya was going to have everything dumped into her lap. I hoped I had chosen well, and that she didn't end up hating me for it.

When you are in the military, they own you.

The next message, from Capisco Travel Guides, outlined the duties of my new unit, with a suggested outline of the unit's command structure. Aside from my Second and Senior NCO, there were to be three other sergeants and eight lower enlisted in support roles. Additionally, there were to be six Air Security assigned to the unit. One was to be a sergeant, with a maximum grade of second sergeant, with the remaining of lower rank. Nineteen, plus me. Besides the auditing of reports and requests, we were also to do random inspections of the supply warehouses. Then she ended it with a personal note. "Congratulations, and don't worry, your pilot still outranks you. She deserves more, but this was the best I could leverage for you both. - O"

Janetta was being promoted to captain? I smiled with pride. She would no doubt enjoy very much the fact that she still outranked me.

I didn't know what had prompted her promotion to lieutenant after her arrival at High Guard. I hadn't gotten around to asking. The attack by the draconian had been a surprise, as had the attacks on Ixma and Cholan. Janetta had not only survived her rape and attempted murder, she killed her assailant and somehow managed to secure his alien technology in the process. Janetta worked hard for every advance in her career. At twenty-two, she would be very young for a captain, but she deserved it, and she deserved a medal, a gold or silver Shield of Valor, or at least a Star-Cluster of Merit.

As for my own promotion? Some of it was no doubt due to all the sudden vacancies rather than my own worthiness. Nonetheless, I intended to do my best. And, I had an idea percolating on how to start things off right.

I closed the messages and pulled up Sowitwee's personnel file. After reading through it, I read the one on his wife as well. Indentured class. His master signed off on the enlistment, citing the lifelong service of Sowitwee's father. Sowitwee was paying off the Indenture on Nariya, buying her contract. At the interest rate and principal, he would be paying for another five or six years. Probably longer. I hardly knew him yet, but it seemed that he had already overcome a lot of adversity. Hmm. Nariya had been an entertainer, trained to recite poetry and to sing. Injured at fourteen, tongue removed by her assailant. A senseless and cruel act. I loved to read. If I was poor and someone had blinded me, I don't know how I would cope with the loss of sight, much less no longer being able to read. I sighed.

Moving on, I pulled up Doyya's file. Her test scores weren't exceptional, but they were decent. She had passed her Third Sergeant's exam, but the slots were full, so she had been passed over for promotion. Seventh child of a middle-income merchant family, she was regularly sending home a hundred credits each month.

I heard someone walking toward me so I glanced up. Zinja, Ixma, and their guard approached. On foot. I closed the files and powered down the laptop.

Ixma waved, then hurried forward. "Lieutenant!" Throwing her arms around me, her blue eyes sparkling, she leaned up for a kiss. I obliged her. Ixma sighed, snuggling into me. Then she suddenly exploded, bouncing up and down excitedly, touching the lapels. "Senior Lieutenant? You got promoted! Whee-haw!"

Zinja raised her eyebrows. "Truly, sir?"

"I just found out, but yes, it's true." I reached for the bag beside the laptop. I pulled out two triple pips. Seeing them in my hand, Ixma immediately calmed down. I removed the single pips of a sublieutenant from her bandana, and replaced them with the three pips of a senior lieutenant. She stroked each one, grinning excitedly. When I was done, she threw her arms around me, kissing me soundly.

"Thank you, Corporal Ixma. We'll talk more later."

Seeing the stern look on her mother's face, Ixma composed herself.

Drawing out two more, I replaced the pips on the neckerchief tying off Zinja's braid.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," she quietly said.

I gave her a light kiss on the lips. She was surprised, but then she smiled.

"What are your plans for today, Second Sergeant?"

Zinja briefly watched Ixma caressing the new pips on her bandana before answering. "I thought we'd get some decent food. Navy hospital food is better than Air Service hospital food, but it's still slop, sir. Then, we'll go to the hangar and make sure it's cleaned up and ready for business. I'm told Imperial Security managed to blow up the old diagnostic computer. I need to make sure they cleaned the place up, and that they didn't empty the fridge or take it with them."

To his credit, the guard kept a straight face.

She continued. "Then, we need to get a new diagnostic computer and get it set up for Cholan. I also need to see if they will let me take custody of the new Lightning and put it into our hangar. I'd really like to begin a thorough systems check on it before the Lieutenant gets out of the hospital. The paperwork is done, but without an officer present, they might not let me have it. I'll give you a call when we're nearly done, sir. We'd like to head over to the hospital and visit our wounded eagles after dinner."

"That sounds like a full day. Call me when you are ready." I put the plastic bag of single pips into my pocket and put the laptop into my satchel, clearing off the hood of the vehicle.

Zinja got into the driver's seat of Janetta's HueCac, and the guard settled into the passenger side. Ixma climbed into the back, mouthing the words, 'I love you' when she thought no one else was looking. Zinja gave me a salute, which I returned, before backing up. The electric vehicle quietly zipped off down the road.

When Doyya and Sowitwee returned, I asked Doyya her opinion about Corporal Yalcamara from Air Security. "How did she strike you? Is she someone you could work with?"

"Thinking of another promotion, sir?" Doyya asked.

"I need a sergeant in charge of the Air Security team. If she's passed Imperial Security's recent look, I'd like to tempt her to join us with a promotion to sergeant and some responsibility."

"Can you bring up her personnel file on your laptop, sir?"

We sat down, leaning against the wall. After the laptop powered up, I searched for the corporal, and surprisingly, I quickly found her. Doyya and I reviewed her record. Academically, nothing exceptional, but she had good ratings in hand-to-hand combat, and she was proficient with several weapons. I put in a request for her transfer, with a promotion to third sergeant if she accepted.

I also noticed that my laptop had enabled access for other divisions. If Doyya noticed it, she made no comment.

"Okay, Doyya. You've been here for years. You know a lot of the people in Supply and Logistics. Who do you recommend for the Senior NCO slot?"

"I'd actually recommend Third Sergeant Chita. I just met her, but she has experience with how things are run at Command and Control. And she was pretty shaken by the deaths of those two JAG officers. She may be ready to transfer out. She probably doesn't know a lot about how things have worked in Logistics and Supply, but that might actually be a good thing. An outside perspective might be useful. At the least, she'd have a good background in War Ministry regulations."

I was pleased by her reasons. After I pulled up the personnel record for Third Sergeant Chita Wanwari, we reviewed her record together. Satisfied, I agreed to make her an offer of second sergeant and becoming our unit's Senior NCO.

Around the corner, Imperial Security were progressing quickly through the names. Shutting down the laptop again, we got up and rejoined the main group.

Once he spotted me, the senior lieutenant paused to inquire about my selections. I let him know my two current choices. For the remaining eleven office slots, there were several volunteers. I picked one sergeant. Doyya, with my deference, quickly picked the remaining sergeant as well as the enlisted. The senior lieutenant made note of the transfers on his tablet. Yalcamara's duty, if she joined us, would be to select the Air Security team. I then requested a chance to speak.

He shrugged. "As you wish, Lieutenant Kandikan."

Clearing my throat as I climbed the steps, I turned and faced the officers and enlisted members of Logistics and Supply.

"Some of you didn't know me until yesterday, when you asked me to Intercede for you. My job will be monitoring what happens within our Division. We must work together, ensuring that supplies go where they are needed, and arrive when they are needed. Working together requires trust. Captain Pentil Tanosca, commander of the 233rd Interceptor Group, has instituted a rule that no one may order another person to have sex against their will, on threat to his personal honor. I hereby institute this same rule within our Division, and I will enforce it. I hereby also instruct my Unit to enforce it as well. To this order, I also include civilian family partners, both for officers and for enlisted. Anyone violating this rule will face my wrath. Each instance will be evaluated individually. Punishment may include the lash, stockade time, reduction in rank, or even a personal challenge to the death.

"I have no authority with higher ranked officers who choose to hurt you. If you are bothered by someone outside our Division, come to me. I can't promise any action, but I, and my unit, will do what we can to help keep each of you safe."

I scanned the crowd. The women were stunned. Some of the men looked surprised or happy. Only a few openly frowned. I pressed on.

"No matter our jobs within the Air Service, we are all Warriors. We have all given our vow to serve the Emperor and the Empire, to commit our lives in defense of our people and our way of life. A good officer protects his people, keeps them safe from unnecessary hurt or danger. A good warrior protects his or her fellow warriors. I swear to stand for you. I need your help to make this happen. I need you to work with me."

Doyya raised her fist into the air. "You are my officer. Llam nuqan! We work together!"

Private Sosha raised her fist. "You Interceded for me and asked for nothing in return. Llam nuqan!"

One by one, other arms raised, their voices speaking out. Some were no doubt caught up in the moment, but more joined in.

"Llam nuqan! We work together!"

Captain Xotochan, the new commander of the 917th Logistics and Supply Division, held up his hands as he measured me with his gaze. "I have yet to pick my executive officer, but I think I could do far worse than make you my Divisional Second, Senior Lieutenant Kandikan. I hereby underwrite your orders with my own support." He raised his fist. "Llam nuqan!"

With the endorsement of the new commanding officer, the entire Division raised their fists, shouting, "Llam nuqan! We work together!"

I let it go for a bit, letting them shout out their unity, feeling a bit heady with their open support. I raised both my hands and they quieted down. "Thank you. Imperial Security, I think, has more yet to do. We should let them get on with it."

The security lieutenant actually laughed. "Lieutenant Kandikan, continuing on with the remaining personnel would be anti-climactic at this point. You have our list. You finish the notifications. We will retire and let you and Captain Xotochan get started on putting your Division back into order."

He put away his tablet computer, and signaled the rest to collect their gear. "Commander Orchid warned me to never stand in front of you. I now see what she meant. An instructive experience and, I think, a privilege." He held out his hand to me. More quietly, he added, "I hope your new rule spreads."

I shook his hand and took note of his name. Senior Lieutenant Hayantotichti.

After Imperial Security departed, I pulled out my laptop. The Captain and I continued doing roll call for names and confirming status, or announcing changes in grade as necessary.

That took us to lunch time. Captain Xotochan spoke quietly to me. "We are short by twenty-three percent of our allotted staff, and we are down to one third the number of required officers. What do you suggest as a next step?"

"Brainstorm, sir," I told him. "We have an opportunity to poll the people who do the work. Today, we collect suggestions on changes that would improve work flow, speed processing of requests, complete reports for the Air Service Ministry, and consider whether a re-organization of the division's hierarchy is in order. Some may want to shuffle jobs, but I will defer to you on any requests, and suggest that it happen after we settle on a final structure."

Nodding slowly, he replied, "That's a solid response, Kandikan. I'll announce just that in a moment. We'll let staff break for lunch, and on their return, they can find areas inside to meet and write down suggestions. Except for your Air Security team, you appear to have your unit pretty much complete. What do you intend to do this afternoon?"

"My unit will be trained to supplement Security. We will do random checks of what's on the books and actually inspect the physical inventory. Additionally, in times of emergency, we will support Air Security to help defend the base. Everyone in my unit will be issued, and trained in how to properly use a stunner, so we'll be at Air Security's main armory for a while. I also intend to get four vehicles from the Supply depot. A replacement for me, one for my Second, and two vehicles for the security team. We should be back later this afternoon. If you are agreeable, we can start meeting with the heads of the different sections to begin evaluating their suggestions."

"You think you can get a vehicle assigned to me?" Xotochan looked hopeful.

"Yes, sir. You'll have to sign for it, but I'll bring you the paperwork. Married or single?"

"Married."

"I'll see if I can get you a ChoCac, Captain."

Pleased, he nodded at the developments. "Very good. After lunch, I'm going to scope out where my office is going to be, and be advised, yours will be close to mine."

"Don't get too involved in moving everything yet, sir. As part of my first audit, I intend to have our building inspected, to make sure it meets War Ministry regulations."

Xotochan looked at me.

"There are only four solar arrays on the roof," I explained. "We have room for two dozen. High Guard War base should be selling excess electricity to the Seven Nations, not buying it from them. A lot of construction on this base is substandard. It wouldn't do to have it fall down around us. We need water, sewer, power, communications, structural integrity, and backup power systems all checked to make sure they are up to Imperial Engineering specifications, sir. I'd also like the various Emergency Shelters checked out. At this point, we can't assume anything is actually there and up to specs until we do a visual inspection. This is a new start and I'd like to see us do it right."

He blinked, then looked at me thoughtfully. "I'll make the calls about getting our building inspected. Maybe we can see about making that inspection of the Shelters a part of your duty with the other Divisions. That is, if Imperial Security will let us. We'll talk more when you get back this afternoon."

Xotochan made the announcements about the brainstorming for improved work flow, which intrigued some of the enlisted. With instructions to eat lunch and return in one hour, he cut everyone loose. Nearly everyone headed down the street to the Cafeteria.

I gathered my team together by the side of the building, around by the parking lot.

After introductions, I told them our unit was going to take the security portion as seriously as the auditing duties. Everyone in the unit would need to become proficient in marksmanship and weapon safety. Those assigned to security functions would be armed with projectile weapons, but everyone would be assigned and responsible for a stunner, and trained in its use. The office staff would get a Beltan 110 stunner, a light weapon capable of four, close-range shots. The Air Security team would get a Beltan 570, a heavier model with twelve charges, capable of wide area, or single targets at a further range. If anyone thought they weren't up to the duties, they needed to let Doyya, or myself, know after the meal break. Then I dismissed them for lunch.

The core of the plan was to create sub-units to supplement Air Security and the Ground Force units already on site. If Atlantis tried a raid on High Guard War base, it was hoped, and part of the proposal, that Atlantis found the base a much tougher opponent than they were expecting.




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 11



I kept Doyya back, telling her we needed to take our meal together, as there were things to discuss. Sowitwee kept along side of us. We went down the street to the Commissary.

"So how about it, Doyya? Can you shoot?"

"I passed basic marksmanship, but I've shot nothing in years, sir."

"I'm not expecting anyone to become a crack shot. What I don't want is for people to shoot themselves, or those around them. You, myself, and all the security detail, will be armed while we are on duty. I want us to look at the accounting and the reports, but during our random inventory checks, we might run into people taking things, and they will probably not surrender easily. And, if they have to enforce the no sex without consent rule, a stunner is the best way to make sure no one is hurt until the facts can be determined. I also want us to be prepared to supplement Air Security in times of emergency. Can you drive?"

We entered the Diner and found a table. The waitress brought menus.

"I can do light vehicles, sir," she told me. "Haven't had the practice since arriving here, though. That was four and a half years ago."

Doyya frowned at the prices.

"I'm buying, so don't worry about it. Get what you want. You will also be getting your own HueCac. As my Second, you need to be available at all times, and have the means of getting where you are needed without having to run around on foot. In an emergency, even ten minutes is a lifetime."

I outlined the need for Doyya and I to have our vehicles, so that we could get where we needed to be. The Air Security team would also need two vehicles, one for the sergeant and one for her designated Second. Faster response times were critical. "If we can, we also need to get a ChoCac for Captain Xotochan's use. I'll collect the paperwork for him to sign. If we get there early enough, we should be able to get them before other officers, in other divisions, realize the situation has changed."

My Second looked at me thoughtfully.

The waitress came back, bringing glasses of water.

Doyya blinked. "I thought yesterday was the best day in years, because I got to stay in the service. Today, against all odds, I'm an officer in a unit that will actually be doing things, maybe making a difference. I get a gun, and I get my own vehicle. And it's only lunch time." She suddenly grinned.

"It gets better. And it will get worse. As an officer, you can have your own projectile weapon for personal use. Keep it accessible. You will also get one assigned to you."

"I don't have the funds for a weapon, sir."

I raised my eyebrows.

"I'm helping to support my disabled brother, his wife, and their three children."

"Relax. I know what a sergeant makes. Consider this my congratulations gift for becoming an officer. Stop right there, Doyya. Let me finish! A week from now, you might not feel so charitable toward me. Trust me. If you think things have been chaotic, you don't know the half of it. I just hope that you won't hate me by the time things settle into some sort of routine. So take the gift and bide your time before you respond. I'd like to get the weapons selected before we need to be back to collect our people."

I continued. "While I'm there at the Supply Depot, I will also get you assigned a personal laptop. While we are getting weapons at Air Security, every one of us will need to get updated photo ID, showing rank and unit. We also need to make sure your clearances as an officer are processing properly."

"Yes, sir."

"Believe me, Doyya, you will need that laptop. Once you have it, you will get a copy of the files I received from Imperial Security, detailing what they see as our role and structure. It will be your responsibility to oversee training for everyone. I expect you to delegate much of that to the Senior NCO, but you need to review it periodically. I want constant training to be an important part of our unit. Technical skills, weapons, safety, hand-to-hand, security procedures, even first aid."

Finishing my third cup of cahault for the day, I switched to water.

"Do you have a personal phone, Doyya? All right. One for you, one for Sowitwee, one for Chita or whoever else ends up being our Senior NCO, and one for each of the Air Security team. You will need to get the list of phone numbers and ID chip numbers to Air Security, and they will push out an update packet of contact numbers so that every phone has them."

The waitress came back, hovering. We made our selections, and the waitress moved on.

"Corporal Sowitwee. You are my Aide. Right now, I don't have any sort of duties worked out. As my Aide, I would prefer that you, too, be weapons trained, and be armed. You have been a Medico. Do you have a problem with being armed?"

Sowitwee shook his head. "I like helping people, but I am prepared to do what's needed, sir."

"Good," I told him. "I want you also to keep your Medico training up to date. I want all officers, the Senior NCO, and all the Air Security trained in first aid. You will work out with Lieutenant Lovyanchiti on when it is to take place, and annual reviews. Everyone who passes first aid, learns a weapon proficiency -- and that includes the stunners -- and one new demonstrable skill, I will authorize a ten credit bonus to their monthly paycheck. And the new skill can be basic math or reading."

Doyya glanced at me. "Sosha isn't in our unit."

"I noticed." I pulled out the laptop and powered it up. I typed for several minutes, outlining a training program, which covered much of what I had just told Doyya. I sent a copy to Captain Xotochan, and one to Doyya's account as well. Then I put the laptop away.

"Last item, for the time being. I want both of you to go with me on my visit to the Naval hospital. There's news you need to hear tonight. It shouldn't take long, and I'll cut you loose after that."

They both acknowledged the order.

The food arrived, and in no time, we demolished the fare. There was a short pause while we waited for the food to hit bottom.

Doyya swirled her half-empty cup of cahualt. "Are you sure you want Sergeant Matiwatli working on your team, sir? He was aide to Senior Lieutenant Topichtwi, our former CO, and Topichtwi was executed yesterday. Matiwatli was busted to Corporal, but you are taking him back as a Sergeant. Are you sure you can trust him?"

"It's your team, too, Doyya. You are my Second," I corrected. Then I shrugged. "You might be right. I hope not. He's got years of experience, more than either of us in how things have worked in the past. He passed through Imperial Security's scans, so he's not dirty, even if he looked the other way. He's been in fourteen years. I want that experience. In our unit, we get to watch him close without making him feel like he's being singled out. If he's reformed, he deserves a chance. Later on, or sooner, if you feel it's warranted, we'll test him, and then we'll know."

After I paid for the meal, we went into the shopping area. On the off-chance, I checked in the uniform section. Commander Orchid was thorough. The only thing she had missed thus far was Cholan; she'd told me that Cholan was getting the best care. At the Naval hospital, I discovered that wasn't so, and I had remedied the situation myself. I did plan on asking her about it later. However, since the commander had gone to the effort of designing and outlining the unit I was to command, I thought I'd check to see if unit badges were in the computer database.

The Unit badges were indeed available. We were the 945th Logistics & Supply - Security Oversight. I bought fifty patches. The robotic weaver began creating the patches right there, sliding in the velcro backed blanks into the slot and the computer stitching away.

While the patches were being made, we browsed through the weapons section.

Doyya tried the weight of the Chon .44, the Peacemaker of the Pampas, but it was too heavy for her to draw quickly. The next best option was the Caiman 35, another handgun made by Chon Firearms, but lighter in both weight and caliber. I bought a service belt and two spare clips for my own Chon pistol, and a shoulder holster for the Wampag Talon.

The Talon intrigued Doyya. When I described that it would penetrate body weave, she looked interested. When I said that, thus far, it had also successfully bypassed draconian body shields, she was eager to have it.

"If you want the Caiman and the Talon, let me buy you the Talon. Air Security doesn't approve of the Talon as a sidearm, so let them assign you a Caiman 35 from their stores. Keep the Talon as your backup."

Doyya agreed, her face thoughtful.

I also purchased the remaining two Talons they had in stock. One was for Janetta, to supplement her Chon pistol. The second Talon was to be a spare, to be stored in my replacement ChoCac. I bought all four boxes of ammo for the Talon they had in stock and ordered ten more. Eight boxes of shells for the Chon, and a shoulder holster. Two spare clips for each pistol. I also picked up an extra holster for the Talon I had. I decided that having a spare pistol in my satchel with the laptop was a good place to store my backup weapon. Over six hundred credits, but an investment in safety.

Next, I bought a backpack, put the extra weapons and ammo into it, and gave it to Sowitwee. I then bought him a basic combat knife with a belt sheath.

He nodded, putting the knife onto his belt without comment.

We exited the Commissary and walked the six blocks back to Logistics and Supply. Overhead, the sun shone bright and warm, the air thickening with humidity.

As we neared the unit, I turned to Doyya. "After we get our gear from Air Security, I want you to make a personal plea to persuade Yalcamara and Chita to join our unit. If either or both pass on us, we need to select a replacement as soon as possible. One more thing, Sublieutenant. I want to apologize for placing your life in jeopardy."

At first, she looked puzzled. Then she paled. "I'm an officer now."

I looked at her seriously. "Do not miss your trip into Capisco, Lieutenant. I just got you. I don't want to lose you."

"Yes, sir."

* * * * *

The rest of the day went as planned. There was a lot of paperwork, but there were no issues with getting the supplies we requested. The captain was delighted with his new vehicle.

He was less enthused about going through the suggestions. He also resisted my plan regarding training, of rewarding those who completed the extra training with a slight bonus to their pay. And he grew less enthusiastic as the afternoon wore on. His aide and mine were kept busy typing notes into computers to follow up on.

I got a call from Zinja. Looking at the clock, I saw it was an hour past dinner. "Grab their laptops and meet us at the Diner," I told Zinja.

Xotochan looked at me in annoyance, looked at the clock, and then grudgingly changed tack. "Mit'an, put it away. Let's call it a night, and start again, first thing tomorrow. Good night, Kandikan."

He put away his own laptop, grabbed his satchel and garrison cap, and headed out of the conference room.

"Doyya? Sowitwee? Let's grab some food. Doyya, you'll get to meet some of my family at dinner, and the rest of them at the hospital." I collected my own gear.

"It will be an honor, Lieutenant," Doyya assured me.

Outside, I got into my new ChoCac. Sowitwee slipped into the passenger side. As a precaution and a sign of trust, I had the ChoCac's AI record both of their voice prints as having access to my new vehicle.

I flipped the power switch and it hummed to life. Doyya hopped into her own vehicle, turned it on, and bouncing in the seat, grinned with delight.

Most people who drive the two-seat HueCacs in the tropics have the doors removed. Since her vehicle was fresh from the warehouse, the doors were still on. The doors were little more than frames, with snaps for attaching plastic covers for rain, and a solid bar across the middle for the door handles.

In the southeastern skies, the dark clouds roiled closer, occasionally showing flashes of lightning. The hurricane was expected to hit landfall later tonight. Already, we were getting gusts of wind.

Doyya waited until I pulled out, then she followed us the short distance to the Commissary Diner.

At the same time as we pulled in, Zinja arrived right behind us. Once I stepped outside the vehicle, they both gave me a hug. Ixma gave me a kiss full of eagerness and desire. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered.

I introduced them both to Doyya, who greeted them politely, then I had Zinja and Ixma record their voices for the AI.

During the meal, the three women seemed to warm up to each other. Ixma, for her part, asked about Sowitwee's wife, and then surprised me by asking permission to visit her. Nariya was improved, he said, and that he and his wife would honored by her visit.

Zinja then casually informed me, "The cameras that you wanted were installed this afternoon. They seem to work fine."

"Oh? Imperial Security techs?" I asked. I had asked for the equipment. Having the work done was unexpected. However, with everything that needed doing, I frankly was relieved that I didn't have to deal with it myself.

She nodded warily. "Does that mean they are going to spy on us?"

"Possibly," I shrugged. "But they already do a lot of that already. And they already know all about us. If it truly bothers you, when Cholan gets out of the hospital, you and she can examine the cameras, and the computer setup, for any spyware or external communication software."

Zinja scowled. "Thank you, sir. It's just that the hangar is our work area. We do what we're supposed to do. What we do, and how we go about it, is no one's business but Lieutenant Tlacotli's, and our own."

Ixma gave a wicked grin to her mother. "I think the Second Sergeant wants her own chance to make sure you are clean, Lieutenant."

Sowitwee and Doyya looked puzzled at Ixma's statement, but politely said nothing.

"That's enough, Corporal," Zinja muttered.

Ixma burst out laughing, and then began laughing so hard, she could hardly breathe. It was a struggle for her to stand up. "Oh, gods," she gasped. "I better go pee. If I laugh any more .. I'll wet my pants!" Giggling, she put her hand between her legs and dashed off to the latrine.

Zinja blushed, eating her food with fierce determination. Our two guests glanced at me, but that was one mystery I didn't intend to reveal. I barely managed to keep from laughing at Zinja myself.

* * * * *

Just over an hour later, our caravan arrived at the Naval Hospital.

Zinja had had the foresight to put the doors on Janetta's HueCac. Her tropical two-seat version had a rollbar with a canvas top. The thin doors were little more than a frame for the removable plastic covers; the horizontal support bar halfway up also held the door handles. There were alpine versions of the HueCac, their passenger areas were solid construction with roofs and doors, much like the ChoCacs, and were able to withstand sub-zero temperatures.

The wind blustered and snapped around us, and the air pressure continued dropping. The air was damp with moisture.

Doyya's new vehicle had none of the coverings in place, but at least the doors were on. Her vehicle was the standard type, with a solid roof and canopy, with a solid back door that lifted for access. We spent half an hour getting the plastic covers for the doors installed on her HueCac.

Weather predictions were for winds in excess of ninety rads per hour. Having clipped some of the northern Eastern Islands, the storm had dropped about a foot of water in twenty-four hours. That's a lot of water in a short time. Many Eastern Island villages and towns were reporting floods and washed out roads.

Once inside the hospital, we went up to the third floor to look for Cholan first, as she was closest. Two guards kept watch inside the room. They checked us out, and let us through.

When we entered the room, Cholan's casts were gone, replaced by braces. But the first thing that struck me was the second bed in the room. As soon as we entered the room, the occupant sat up.

Janetta!

The look of delight and relief on her face was plain. "Zinja! Ixma! Please tell me you've come to break me out of this gods-forsaken exile!"

Zinja held up Janetta's laptop, and Janetta held out her hands to receive it. "I think I love you," she grinned. "I've been absolutely dying of boredom. All I've had to do is sleep and watch these awful melodramas. I was considering tackling my guard for his gun so I could shoot the television."

I came in behind Zinja and Ixma. Doyya and Sowitwee followed me in.

"Ah, there's my shitload of complication! Ranji Kandikan, I don't know whether to kiss you or kick your ass for what -- gods of North and South, what is that on your shoulders? Explain yourself!"

But for the foot brace she wore, she was as naked as I'd left her this morning, with only a thin hospital sheet around her waist.

"What are you going on about, Janetta?" I walked up to her, grinning. "Aren't you happy to see me?" I took her face with both my hands and homed in on her mouth. Her agitation smoothed out some, and her lips opened to the touch of my tongue, eager to explore her mouth.

When we broke apart, both of us were breathing hard. I leaned my forehead against hers, lightly kissing her face.

Then she glared and socked me in the shoulder. "I asked you about what's on your shoulders, Senior Lieutenant. Now fill me in."

"As to what-for or why, I am clueless," I told her, rubbing my arm. "I just showed up to work today. That's all I did. Honest. And they promoted me. I'm pretty sure it had a lot to do with all the vacancies."

"Begging your pardon, sirs," Doyya said. "He's too modest. He helped save dozens of us yesterday, and today, bold as brass, issued an order that no one in our Division, man or woman, has to have sex if they don't want to. Convinced the CO to support it. And the whole Division cheered him on."

"Who are you?" Janetta asked.

Snapping to attention and giving a salute, she said, "Sublieutenant Doyya Lovyanchiti, Second in Command, 945th Logistics and Supply, Security Oversight, sir!"

Janetta looked at me.

"She works for me," I confirmed. "Doyya, this is Lieutenant Janetta Tlacotli, combat pilot, 233rd Interceptor Group, and the keeper of my heart."

"An honor, sir." Doyya held out her hand, and Janetta shook it.

Then Janetta, looking pleased, glanced sideways at me. "Keeper of your heart, Ranji?" Leaning forward, she touched my chest. "Nope. It's still there."

Taking her hand, I brought it to my lips. "Sassy and full of brass. I love you, Janetta Tlacotli."

Scooting over, Janetta patted the bed. Spying her hairbrush on the table nearby, I collected it, showed it to her, and her face softened. Unhooking her jaguar hair clasp, I began to section out her hair and brush out the knots.

Janetta closed her eyes as I worked. "Did you issue that order like she said?"

"I did," I confirmed.

She was quiet while my hands worked through her thick, black strands of hair. When I finished my brushing, the jaguar clasp went back on. Janetta then pulled my arms around her, leaning against me.

"I don't know how," Janetta said said at last, "but every day, my heart is full to bursting with how much I love you, Ranji Kandikan. And then you go and do something like this. You know what that choice means to us, knowing there will be resistance, and still you did that for us. I don't know if you truly understand how much it means to be treated like a human being, to have a say over my own body. You are a shitload of complication, Ranji, and gods above, I love you so much!"

She turned her head - and I saw her wince from the pain, but she didn't pull away. "It's a good thing I hurt too much, because otherwise, I'd take you right here and now. And with the nano-treatments, that's not a safe thing to do."




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 12



There is a scene that briefly describes a brutal killing at the second break mark. For those who don't like to read about such things, skip to the next break mark. There are also scenes where children are discovered to have been murdered; the reason why may also be disturbing.

Thanks to my reader, gyfurune, who helps catch the errors. Any mistakes that slip through are my mine.

For those who are interested in such things, I have drawn a map of the region where events are taking place and submitted it on my page. It's basic, but it might help put things into perspective. Enjoy!

=========================

"Lieutenant? Lieutenant, please wake up."

The voice poked at my consciousness, drawing me from sleep. Hot breath moved across my cheek, then a drop of wetness.

"Lieutenant?"

I finally registered who it was.

Zinja.

Opening my eyes, I saw the faint outline of her lean body above me. Normally, I'd be able to see some details with the ambient light. With the storm still raging outside, the room was nearly pitch black.

"What's wrong?" I reached under the pillow for the holstered Talon.

"I'm sorry to wake you, sir. I didn't want to. But I just .. I just need you right now."

"Okay, Zinja." Abandoning the search for the weapon, I propped up on my elbow.

"Can -- can we move to the floor? I don't feel right being in my Captain's bed while she's not here. And, we can't use my room."

It took a second. Then I remembered the little girl, Sisi. The murder of her mother and little brother, and her father's suicide. The grim images flooding back helped to wake me as I sat up.

Zinja moved off the bed and sat on the floor.

Crawling over the edge, I slid down beside her. Putting my arm around her, I drew her close, kissing her temple. "Talk to me, Zinja. What's bothering you?"

She turned into me then, burying her face into my neck. "I had a bad dream. It was all mixed up. What happened to me, what happed to Sisi's family. I know it was just a dream. I also know you haven't gotten much sleep lately. I just .. I just ..."

I lifted her chin, kissed her lips gently, nuzzling her cheek. "You want me to hold you?"

Her mouth moved along my jaw, licking my skin. "I need to feel alive. Please, make love to me," she breathed.

I felt her trembling, trying to burrow in against me.

"All right," I murmured.

Then her mouth came back for mine. My hand went to her face, caressing her. Moving over, she straddled my lap. There was need in her, but it was a fresh ache on top of old wounds. The desire was to be touched, comforted, and reassured. Another tear splashed on my cheek.

"Seeing them dead tonight brought back memories of your own family, didn't it?"

Zinja gave a strangled gasp, nodding as she clutched me tightly.

Her family had been brutally murdered by Atlantean raiders when she was fourteen. Assaulted, battered, and left for dead, from a family of seven, Zinja had been the sole survivor. Nine months later, Ixma was born.

I yawned.

And she immediately stiffened. "Oh, gods, I'm so sorry, Lieutenant. This could have waited until--"

"Hey! Just waking up is all. I have you, Zinja," I whispered, kissing her cheek. Then I lifted her face until I put my forehead to hers. "Right now, it's just the two of us. Be here, with me." Brushing away her tears, I kissed her eyes, working my way slowly down her face.

With a slow exhale, she relaxed. "Okay."

Reaching up behind me, I grabbed the blankets off the bed and piled them on the floor behind her. With the storm blowing around, the summer night was cooler. Then I rolled her onto her back. Scooting next to her, I drew her into my arms.

She reached for me, slipping her hand inside my underwear, seeking what lay within.

Cupping her small breast, I rolled her hardening nipple between my fingers.

She lifted up and pulled off her tee-shirt before laying down again. Her hands ran over my skin, through my hair. As my lips moved down her neck, she arched, pushing her breast at me. When my tongue caressed her aureole, Zinja gave a ragged sigh. Inhaling, I took in nearly all of her sensitive flesh, sucking and rolling her breast in my mouth. She stiffened, gasping. Her nipple hardened, and I suckled it firmly before flicking the nubbin and grazing it with my teeth.

"Oh, yes," she sighed.

Then I moved to the other one.

"Oh, gods, that's good," she murmured. "More. Give me more."

Moving back up, I sought her mouth, and Zinja eagerly opened her lips to me. Tongues danced, each of us tasting the other. One arm holding her close, my free hand drifted down, into her panties, exploring the growing dampness between her legs. She moved her legs apart to give me access. Putting her knee on my hip, she moaned into my mouth.

Dipping a finger within her folds, I probed her opening. She pressed against it, driving it deeper. Adding a second finger, sliding along slick flesh, I stroked the base of her clitoris and her swelling labia. Her kisses grew more urgent with her arousal.

"Please, I can't stand it any more. Take me," she whispered hoarsely. "I need to feel you inside me."

"Not so fast," I growled. Moving down, I hooked my fingers into the waistband of her panties, and she lifted her hips up as I pulled them down. Pulling her legs apart, I kissed and licked my way to her center groove.

"Oh, sir, you don't--"

"Oh, but I do, Zinja."

Using my hands to hold her legs apart and to keep her in place, I set about lathing those sensitive petals guarding her succulent channel.

Moaning, she reached down, ran her hands through my hair, and fisted them, while spreading her legs wide apart. The hitch in her breathing turned ragged. "Oh, gods, I love .. I love what you do to me."

Rocking her hips, she pushed her leaking, swelling sex at me, encouraging me to plunder her entrance. I was happy to oblige. Licking from the bottom of her crease, up along her thickening, full lips, all the way up to her engorged bud at the top of her mound. With each downward roll, I descended again, lapping at the juices leaking out of her.

As Zinja's breathing deepened and her belly tightened, her erect clitoris escaped its protective hood. I added more attention to it, circling it and caressing the underside. To keep her off balance, my tongue continued to give long caresses along her swollen lips, in between teasing her nubbin of joy.

Panting, her hips rocked faster. Pressing down her legs, I kept her leaking pussy open to my ministrations. Slowly, her feet lifted into the air, her breathing now hard gasps.

"Mmm. So close. Gonna .. gonna come!"

I slipped two fingers into her steamy canal, and she suddenly sucked air. Turning the fingers, I found the soft, spongy spot on the roof of her cavity, just inside her pubic bone, and gently rubbed. My tongue descended directly onto her clitoris, flicking the swollen bud with my tongue.

Zinja's gasps turned to grunts, her hands gripping my hair harder as I plundered her open flower, sucking and caressing and flicking her sensitive nether lips. With a sharp inhale, she suddenly arched and stiffened, then furiously ground her slick center into my face. Liquid gushed from her heated depths, her pussy convulsing around my fingers.

"Oh! Oh .. sweet gods .. above."

With heaving gasps, Zinja bucked against me for long seconds, then just as suddenly, she forcefully pushed me away. Her hands went between her legs as they snapped closed. Curling into a ball, she whimpered, her body shuddering.

Moving back up, I drew her into my arms, seeking her mouth. Covering her face with her own wetness, I pressed my tongue between her lips. Gasping, Zinja responded eagerly, pulling me tight into her arms, pressing herself against me.

As her body descended from her peak, she caressed my face.

"You are the only man and the third person who's ever done that to me," she whispered. "Gods, I love you. You didn't need to do that. I was wet enough for you."

"Did you enjoy it?"

"Oh, yes," she breathed. "Now my thighs are soaked with how much I want you. I ache all the more to feel your hard, warm cock moving deep inside me, filling me with your presence. Don't make me wait anymore." Her hand moved down, stroking my erection.

"I enjoy giving you pleasure, Zinja. Any time you want me to lick your pussy, just ask. Do you want to be on top? I'd be happy to let you drive."

"No, sir. I like laying under you, feeling your weight on my hips, stretching me open and touching all those intimate places inside. I want to give everything I have to you." She scooted closer, trying to move underneath me.

I lifted up and moved over her. "Guide me inside."

Spreading her legs wide, Zinja aimed my hard shaft at her sodden center. As my swollen crown touched her pouty, wet lips, her legs wrapped around me. She held her breath as I slid down, down, down into her hot, slick, velvet sheath. Halfway in, she gasped, then held her breath again, her body tense. I felt her channel giving way before me, her liquid heat enveloping my shaft, bathing and caressing my entire length. With a sigh, I felt my balls and groin being kissed by her wet, lower lips.

"Joined together," she murmured, her body trembling. "Sweet gods, you feel so good." Locking her ankles behind my butt, her arms pulled me down until my chest lay on hers. "Ride me, sir. Love me."

Rocking my hips, I began a gentle thrust and retreat, probing her depths.

Remembering what Cholan had said, I nibbled her neck as I moved slowly within her clutching walls.

"Do you feel my cock plowing into you, opening you up like the earth, making you ready to take my seed?"

She stiffened a moment, then she giggled until the giggles became groans. "Someone's been talking ... sharing secrets." Zinja ground her hips against me.

"Do you feel me inside you?" Shifting from side to side, I brushed the entrance to her womb.

"Oh, gods, yes. So deep inside me," she grunted. "Harder."

I drove into her, moving faster and with more force, giving her what she wanted. Zinja rolled her wide hips, taking me deep with each stroke. Shifting, I moved higher, using my pubic bone to grind against her mound while I moved in and out of her slick channel. Arching, I ran my teeth along her shoulder, grazing her neck. Using one hand to keep my full weight from her, I used the other to squeeze her small breast. We moved together rapidly, I to plunge into the pulsing heat of her body, and her to envelope all the length I could give her. When I rolled and pinched her sensitive, fat nipple, she bucked faster, heaving for air.

"So good, so loving," I murmured. I felt the tingling in my balls, the pressure building. "I'm not going to last."

"Don't stop! Please don't stop!"

Gripping her shoulders, I thrust into her, over and over, the sensuous grip of her wet walls drew the pressure in my balls even tighter. She rocked her hips, meeting each thrust with her own drive to fill her aching depths. Panting and frantic, we both hurtled toward the edge.

"That's it! Yes," she moaned. "Make me .. feel alive."

Our coupling was a wet sound, discernable over the distant roar of the storm outside. Hearts racing, heaving for air, we held on to each other while I pumped into her searing, wet heat, and she rose to meet me. With every downward plunge, she ground her clit against my pubic bone.

"Zinja, I'm going to come inside you," I gasped.

Her fingers dug into my arms as she writhed beneath me, huffing and gasping.

Gripping her body tightly, I shoved into her center and crossed over into release. Hot, sticky streams burst forth, spraying deep into her open cavity, coating the entrance to her womb. Zinja gave a strangled grunt, her strong hands moving down and digging into my butt, trying to pull me even deeper inside as she rotated her hips, rolling her tight sheath around my cock. I felt her muscular flesh throbbing around my pulsing shaft, her cervix opening and closing as it moved across my fat tip, her womb greedily milking me for my sperm. All along her channel, a wave of slickness covered my length, leaking out and coating my balls and thighs.

For several long seconds, hearts hammering, we barely moved as we pressed our joined bodies together, trying to prolong the pleasure. Zinja quivered as her quiet cries slowly deepened to contented moans. Finally, as the pounding in my ears faded, she released her grip on me and I lifted off her chest.

"Do you feel alive?" I kissed her soundly. "Do you feel loved? For I do love you, Zinja."

"Yes, oh gods, yes!" Then she pulled me back down, kissing me with less hunger and more affection, rubbing her freshly wet cheeks against my face. "Loved .. and safe."

"Why the tears, farm girl?"

"Farm girl?"

I heard surprise in her voice. "Yeah. You take seed so well." For emphasis, I flexed my cock inside her sheath.

She gave a breathy laugh. "I have trouble seeing you as a farmer. Though seeing you with your shirt off, working in the sun would be appreciated immensely. You make an old woman feel like a teenager."

"Thirty-five isn't old, Zinja. Besides, I'm almost twenty-two. That's not so much of an age difference."

"Listen to you. Almost twenty-two. Lieutenant, I'm old enough to be your mother. If I met yours, I'm not sure I could look her in the face."

"Why? I'm not ashamed to be with you, Zinja Ba'lanchicotl." Reaching up, I brushed her hair from her face. "We're both adults. I meant what I said earlier tonight. We have a commitment. I love you. You love me. We didn't intend for it, but that's how it is. So why the tears?"

She sighed as she caressed my face. "They are tears of happiness, sir. I needed to be held and comforted, and you chased away all my night demons. I know I resisted it, but I'm glad she made me be your woman, too. I know you love our Captain best. You are good for her, and she loves you." She paused a moment, then continued. "I tried not to love you, Lieutenant. For her. I can't help it, but yes, I do love you. Knowing that I can have you like this? It's amazing to feel that way about a man and incredible that you love me right back. That said, you need to know that I love her, too. I crave her touch as much as I crave yours. I won't willingly leave her side. While you are gone, I intend to suck her tits and lick her pussy as often as she will let me. Are you okay with that?"

"I am okay with that," I assured her.

"I'm glad we understand each other."

I felt her relax even more. "She told me herself that she will need all of you to help her get through my absence. And I have no problem with you loving her. But I want you to know, I don't see you as old. I have no problems getting hard for you, farm girl."

"Are you going to start calling me that?"

"I just might."

"All right," she chuckled. "I think I will let you. Hmm. Nothing can come of it, but I think I like the fantasy of you taking your farm girl and giving her the seed poke. Like Cholan says, I'm down with that." She ran her hands through my hair, then she hugged me tightly. "Gods, this is so incredibly intimate. We're talking and you are still hard, deep inside me, and my belly full of your warm, sticky seed." Just then, my deflating cock was squeezed out of her pussy. "Damn," she muttered.

I rolled off her, drawing her against me.

Zinja gave me a gentle kiss. "I'd love to lie here next to you, curled in your arms, but I'd best get back. That little girl doesn't know Ixma as well, and she might panic." Reaching around, she grabbed her tee-shirt and rubbed it vigorously between her legs. "Would you really adopt Sisi as yours?"

"Of course. I wouldn't have said it otherwise. It's not a given yet. There's the thirty day wait. But there aren't any close relatives on record. Does the prospect of you and I raising a child together cause you concern, Zinja?"

"No, sir," she paused, then said quietly. "Quite the opposite, actually. Proud, and overwhelmed, too, that you would even consider it. It's almost as good as you filling my womb with your child. I'm just not sure how my Captain will take it. I worry about her. She's still finding her way with you and her heart. I don't think she's even given thought to the issue of children. I mean, she can't have them and still be a pilot. But she might find she yearns to have your children, and it is yet one more sacrifice she has to make to fly. Sisi being here might bring it to her attention louder, and with more force, than she's ready to face yet. She was strong last night, even after she learned you are leaving soon. I don't want to make it harder for her."

"I fully respect Janetta's need to fly, and I'd never pressure her to have children. I'd love for her and I to have kids. I won't deny that. But flying means too much to her. When you love someone, you support their dreams. However, you and I have our own relationship now. You are my woman, Zinja. You have my full support to keep Sisi and raise her as our child. I will no doubt make mistakes, but I will do my best to be her new dad. Considering the fine job you did with Ixma, Sisi is lucky to have you."

"Thank you, sir." Zinja got to her feet.

"How are you two doing on the educational programs?" I asked her.

"Real good. Ixma is starting to pass me up." She gave a half-laugh. "I can't tell you how much I love you for that alone."

"Keep at it. Buy what programs you want to study, both of you. It pleases me that it is so well appreciated, but it would please me even more to have you both keep learning. When you are getting things for Sisi -- you know, clothes and shoes and toys -- pick her up a child's tablet for her to practice on. If she hasn't started learning to read and know her numbers, get her started."

"I'll do that," she replied. "You are a generous man, sir." She went to the door.

"If I am to be her father, I need to not just keep her safe and healthy, but help provide opportunities for her." The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea.

And, it helped settle my dilemma with Calia.

"Another thing, Zinja," I stood up, picking up the blankets from the floor and tossing them onto the bed. "I told Cholan, before she got injured, to pick some pictures and to have them printed up -- and large ones, mind you, in color. I want her to have something of hers in this house that says, 'Cholan lives here.' That picture of you and Ixma together, the one by the closet? It is beautiful, Zinja. I only wish it was in color--"

"I do have the digital file," she said. "It's in color."

"Really? Print up a color version, please. And please send a copy to me. I want to have more pictures on the walls, pictures of each of you. A shot of you, Ixma, and Sisi together, printed and framed, and hanging where everyone can see it. A large photo of the entire Flight Crew in the hangar would be grand, maybe in front of her Lightning. It should hang right beside the unit logo in the front room. If Janetta will stand for it, one with everyone, and Sisi, too. One in fatigues, one in dress uniforms. Use the charge card to pay for them. I'd also like some pictures of Janetta by herself. One wearing her flight suit, holding her helmet, standing next to her Lightning, or even sitting in her cockpit. One with her in her dress uniform."

"We have a lot to do tomorrow," she observed. "Going next door to get items for Sisi to keep. Whatever decent clothing that's hers. The Dependent's Office. Shopping. Pictures. Food. And then to visit our Captain tonight. Oh, and then she wants us to bring her some real food, and a bottle of metl juice. She mentioned the blue label three times, so best not forget it."

"All right," I chuckled. "Pick up a digital camera from the Commissary, then. The laptop can take photos, but they aren't designed for quality printing."

"Yes, sir. I'll see to the pictures. But we need to get some of you, too. I know our Captain would never ask, but am sure she would love to have your picture to help remember you by while you are gone. I know the rest of us would like it, too."




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 12



"I hadn't thought of that. Thank you, Zinja. When you are down at the Dependent's Office, please, take a look at the other children there. Even if you don't want to take them on yourself, I think we can find a place for them on my parents' estate. Put a claim on any you think have even a chance of benefitting. All right? You still have the address for my parents?"

"Yes, sir, I do. You know, you can't save everyone."

"You know what the Air Security officer said to me tonight? No one cares about girls. The earth just swallows them up."

She didn't answer. She just stood there, a shadow in the darkness by the bedroom door.

"That no sex without consent order won't survive if we don't change how we view each other, Zinja. There has to be respect between men and women. As for the kids, well, someone I really admire once told me that babies care not about the circumstances of their conception. They learn to value what they are taught. With your help, I can save a few. Will you do it?"

I knew she believed those words. She had used them to explain why she had kept Ixma.

I heard a sharp intake of air, saw the shadow of her hand moving to her face. Then, "I will, sir. Good night. Try to get some rest."

Once she was gone, I flipped on the overhead light, as much to find my underwear as to locate the holstered Talon. Keeping the pistol under the pillow apparently didn't work so well. I found it, lodged between the mattress and the headboard. I'd have to rig something more permanent so that I didn't have to fumble around for it in the dark. In the meantime, I put the weapon into the center drawer in the headboard.

After shaking out the blankets, I grabbed a fresh pair of underwear and put it on, then slipped on a fresh tee-shirt. After weeks of fluctuating between the high nineties and over a hundred, having the night air in the low seventies felt chilly.

Checking my alarm again, I turned off the light and climbed back into bed. Grabbing Janetta's pillow for her scent, I settled back into sleep.

* * * * *

In the morning, because of the storm, I slept in a bit later, opting to skip my morning run. It was still raining pretty hard, and the gusts were still rattling the windows.

After a quick shower, I got dressed. Zinja was helping Sisi get cleaned up, including sharing Zinja's toothbrush. Ixma fixed me a cup of cahualt while I powered up my laptop.

I sent off a note to my father about the children I might be sending his way. I also expressed my desire again to have my ultralight brought here, and suggested that it come by rail. Calia and a couple of men for protection could make the trip, and she could take the children home on her return trip.

Ixma fixed me a quick breakfast wrap. Eggs, cheese, cilantro, beans, and salsa. Then she sat next to me to eat her own wrap.

Zinja and Sisi came in, and the little girl delighted in showing both of us her clean teeth. Then Sisi asked when she could go home to her mother, and to see her father and brother. Zinja picked her up, and talking quietly, carried her back into the bedroom.

Ixma glanced up, her face sad. When the little girl's sobbing drifted in from the bedroom, she set down her food and closed her eyes.

"It's going to take a while for Sisi to understand," I told her. "All she knows now is that she can't see them. The why won't make sense for years."

Ixma looked surprised. "You sound like you've dealt with children before, sir."

"No. Developmental psychology." I reached into my satchel and pulled out a data stick. Curious, she watched me. Scrolling through some old files, I found the picture I wanted. My graduation photo from the military academy. On a whim, I also selected a picture of me sitting in the pilot's seat of a Sunskipper sub-orbital shuttle. Then a third one of me and four others standing in front of a JEBos PE-15 Albatross, all of us holding our graduation certificates. I transferred the files and gave the data stick to Ixma.

"Sir?"

"You will probably need to share, but I thought you'd like them. They are pictures of me. Your mother thought you'd like them printed up." Turning on the laptop's camera function, I told her, "Smile," and turning the lid to her, snapped a quick shot.

She came around to take a look. "That's awful, sir. My hair hasn't been brushed out and re-braided. I'm in my night shirt, and you can tell I'm not wearing a bra." Then she looked at me, realization dawning. "You want pictures of us for while you're gone, don't you." Standing up, she said, "Get ready to take another one. But you have to promise not to share it around."

I raised my eyebrows. "Ixma, what do you have in mind?"

She pushed down her panties, and hiking up her shirt above her small globes, turned away from me. Moving her legs a bit apart, she bent over, then looked at me over her shoulder, giving me a sultry look. "Take the picture, sir."

"Are you sure about this?"

Reaching under, she slapped her pussy several times, causing it to darken. "Yes, sir. I want you to remember what's waiting for you when you come back to us."

I took the picture.

She stood up, and put one leg on the breakfast bar while playing with her breasts, no doubt thinking to have me take another one, but at that moment, there was a loud banging on the front door.

Eyes big, Ixma quickly snatched her panties from the floor and dashed off to her room.

Laughing, I got up to answer the door. I wondered who it could be at this hour.

It was Melannee, in her guise as Second Sergeant Innati, and she was soaked to the skin. Stepping inside, she threw her arms around me. "Ranji! I need your help! Please, come with me. They intend to kill them all!"

Pulling her inside, I closed the door. "Hold on. What are you going on about?"

Wiping water from her face, she looked tired, hurt, and angry. "I promised those men if they confessed, their families would be safe. But I found out just a bit ago, Imperial Security has them all down at the beach. They intend to kill them, Ranji. All of them. Women and children! Murder them in cold blood. I need you to help me stop it."

I turned, and spotted Ixma peeking around the corner. "Get her a towel, will you? And get both of my rain slickers." Ixma disappeared. "Have you called Tikun? Spoken to our mutual friend?"

She shook her head. "I'm cut off. My phone doesn't work."

"How did you find out about this?"

"I have allies, people who will risk much for my sake. I thought I could depend upon my Aide, Group Captain Hanastoctli, but I hear he's involved. And I don't understand that. It's not like him. Not at all."

The captain was her Second here during the operation at High Guard War base. Based on the brief bit of conversation that I'd overheard, I agreed. The captain had heard her make the promise, and he had carried out her orders without hesitation. He had even seemed concerned for her safety over her decision.

Wearing trousers, Ixma came in with a body towel, and both sets of rain slickers. She handed the towel to Innati, and set the slickers down on the arm of the couch.

Digging out my phone, I handed it to her. "Try mine. Why do you think this is happening?"

"I don't know." Using the towel, she wiped her face, and began patting her shirt. "Maybe I underestimated the base general's connections. If all the dependents are dead, there's no one to verify the embarrassment. Kill hundreds of women and children, and after a year or two, sweep the whole mess under the carpet, and his career is magically rehabilitated. Or, it could be Supay. Who knows? The point is, I need help, and I don't have anyone else. I promised those dead men, Ranji. If I did nothing to stop this, I'd be worse than the men I ordered put to death."

"Do you have a weapon?"

"Not accessible. I tried to go to my quarters, but there are guards there. I overheard them receiving orders to detain me. Me! A full commander in Imperial Security!"

"I have a Chon Peacemaker and a Wampag Talon. Which do you want?"

"I'll take the Talon. It's lighter."

I slipped off the shoulder holster and handed it to her. Three full, spare clips balanced out the other side of the holster. She quickly slipped it on, buckling it into place. I took off my patch and, removing the Motor Pool patch from her arm, made her part of my unit. I headed to the bedroom for another one.

"Oh, your laptop! I'd like to send a message to Bernim."

I stopped and turned around. "Wait!"

Innati moved to the small table, then looked at the monitor as she slowly grinned. "Very nice picture, Corporal Ixma. Very nice, indeed."

Ixma blushed furiously, muttering, "I think I want to die."

Sitting down, Innati started typing on my laptop.

"Finish getting dressed, Ixma," I told her.

Grumbling and glaring, she left. I retrieved another unit patch from my dresser and placed in on my arm. I also grabbed the second holster from the closet with the Chon, belting it around my waist.

When I returned, Innati looked at me seriously. "I'm not going to sugar-coat this, Ranji. If this doesn't go down right, we both might disappear. But I couldn't bear it, knowing I stood by and let them die. I take it you've decided I'm your friend?"

"I am," I confirmed.

"Thank you. That means a lot, Ranji." She gave me a brief smile before turning her attention back to the monitor. She typed a bit more, then powered it down. "We need to go."

Zinja came into the front room, followed by Sisi. "Leaving, sir?"

Pulling the Chon from its holster, I depressed the release and the clip dropped from the handle. I made sure the clip was full, then snapped it back home and re-holstered the weapon. "If anything happens," I told Zinja, "contact my parents. Let them know you have the charge cards, and to keep the account open. I want all of you taken care of."

She looked shocked, then strode over to me. Wrapping her arms around me, she kissed me fiercely, tears spilling from her eyes. "You better come back, Lieutenant," she growled. "Do you hear me? Or you'll have four women kicking your ass. Sir."

"I love you, Zinja. Take care of our Captain." I kissed her back, gentler, then broke away.

I tossed one slicker to Innati and grabbed the other. "You drive. You know where to go."

Ixma cried out, "Wait!" And she flew into my arms. "You can't go without kissing me, too! You can't!"

I kissed her soundly. "Study hard. Stay safe. I love you, too, Ixma. Help take care of your new sister." And I followed Innati out into the pre-dawn wind and rain.

Innati climbed into the driver's seat. I slid into the front seat beside her. Opened the glove box and grabbed the spare Talon, slipping it into my belt. While she backed up and turned onto the street, I called my CO.

"Xotochan. What is it, Kandikan?"

"I will probably be late getting to the office today, sir. I'm on a special assignment."

"Are you heading to the beach?"

I glanced at Innati, and she nodded. "Yes, sir, I am."

"Make it right, Kandikan." And he hung up.

I blinked at that tidbit. Next, I called Doyya.

"Sir?" she answered groggily. "What's up?"

"You'll have to handle things by yourself this morning. I'll be there whenever I get done."

"Lieutenant, you sound just like you did before you went to the Commissary and found your family injured. I'm your Second. Let me help you. Where are you?"

"Doyya, I appreciate your loyalty. Stand by, then." I glanced at my watch. It was nearly six-thirty. "If you don't hear from me in an hour, head to work normally. And if they ask you about my call, I only asked you to keep an eye on my family. Do you understand?"

A pause. "Yes, sir."

"Good bye, Doyya." I put my phone away.

"Doyya Lovyanchiti. Ranji, I'm impressed. That's more than just gratitude for you promoting her. She appears ready to jump in the fray with you, without even knowing what it is. How did you pick her?"

"I took a chance. So far, she's exceeded my expectations."

She shook her head. "You keep surprising me, Ranji. That's not easy to do. And the little girl? She's new."

"Neighbors. Father killed her mother and brother, then himself. Zinja is taking her in."

"Zinja sounds like a born mother. Raising a child by herself, and making it to Second Sergeant. Says a lot about her, and all to the good." She slowed down, scanning around. "We're here."

Pulling to the side of the road, she parked the ChoCac. Pulling out the Talon, she hit the release, examined the clip, and slid it back home. "Follow my lead. And stay behind me."

"Got it."

* * * * *

We exited the vehicle, a few hundred yards from the shoreline. Heavy waves boomed as they crashed onto the sand. Along with the strong wind and biting rain were the screams and cries of hundreds of people, shrieking in terror, begging for mercy.

It was the very image of the fifth hell.

There were dozens of guards in power armor, heavy assault weapons at the ready. Dozens more in slickers, armed as well. Guard dogs snarling and snapping. Imperial Security forces were there, keeping them in the cold ocean. Driving them into the surf.

Innati strode forward.

Three guards moved to intercept. She snapped out a coded phrase, and they let her pass, unsure. I flipped off the safety on my Chon pistol and followed her.

Innati headed to the surf-line, toward the frightened, milling crowd. Straight to the man directing the soldiers.

"Push them further into the water! Don't let them back ashore. Exposure will kill them soon enough." He turned, and I recognized Group Captain Hanastoctli, Orchid's Second and Aide. Spotting Innati, he snarled at her with contempt. "Get out of here."

"Those people were promised life. Not death."

"I'm following orders," he snapped. "Get out of here, Sergeant, or you will join them. Now."

"These are very stormy seas," she replied.

"What of it? And an Air Security patch? That's not sanctioned. If you are not out of here in five seconds, Air Security or not, I will shoot you and your lover."

She took three steps back, then turned away. Passing me, she motioned me to follow. Once we were out of earshot, she held out her hand. "Your phone, Ranji."

I handed it to her.

In the bleak, gray morning, a woman carrying her child suddenly ran from the buffeting waves, streaking toward shore. Desperation sped her feet. But with a command, several dogs were loosed. As fast as she ran, the dogs were faster. The shrieks of mother and child were quickly cut off. I was filled with rage, horror, and revulsion. They ravaged the bodies until their handlers finally brought them back under control. As the sun began to rise above the horizon, the cloudy, darkened waves lapped around their bodies, pushing them around in the surf.

* * * * *

I heard Innati's surprised exclamation. "He's where?" I looked, and she stared at Hanastoctli. "I tell you, he's on the shore, not two hundred feet away from me." She listened, then said more quietly. "I heard you. And no, I can't let this go. It's too much to pass over. You know I'd never betray you or the Empire. You said that already. I'll deal with it afterward. I will miss you, too."

She closed the phone and passed it back to me. Strode up to the nearest soldier in power armor. The soldier turned to her, raising his rifle, taking aim. Two others moved to back him up.

"Queschua, Inti, Inti, Queschua, three five ten six Cocha Queschua." Innati barely glanced at him, striding back toward the maelstrom of human misery before her.

The soldier paused, then said, "Imperial override accepted." He followed her, and the two others joined him. I hurried to keep up.

She got within twenty feet when other soldiers challenged her. Without pause, she drew the Talon and began firing it at Hanastoctli. Other soldiers drew on her, and the men in powered armor next to me opened fire, mowing them down.

Then it was chaos.

Golden light flickered on the Group Captain. Draconian!

Snarling, the captain drew from inside his jacket a strange looking weapon. I fired at his weapon hand as he drew on Innati. The Chon hit, but golden light flared, and all I managed to do was ruin his aim. Sand melted and fused behind her.

Innati kept firing, adding her other hand to keep the natural rise at a minimum. Shells rapidly ejected into the air.

One after the other, the flechettes hammered into his chest.

Dropping down to avoid the line of bullets tracking near me, I dropped the Chon pistol and grabbed the Talon from my belt and flipped the safety. I added my own fire at Hanastoctli.

Suddenly, the shield vanished and the last few shots ripped directly into him. He collapsed.

Sporadic shots continued.

Innati calmly retreived the alien weapon and stuffed it into her belt.

Over a dozen men around us either rolled about on the sand, wounded, or they lay still. One of the men in power armor was also down, bleeding into the sand.

"Cease fire and stand down!" boomed an order over loudspeakers. "I repeat, cease fire!"

From the base road, headlights and floodlights suddenly flickered on, their bright beams aimed at the shore. Two Tlokan MZ-90 heavy tanks quietly came to a halt, their twin turrets making a slow sweep. They were flanked by half a dozen half-track ChoCacs, their gunners searching for any hostile response, machine guns at the ready. Two score Imperial Guards in power armor trotted up behind them, taking support stations around the vehicles.

Imperial Security soldiers began dropping their weapons.

I glanced at Innati. Standing over the reptilian alien, her trouser panel hanging down, she pissed on him.

"What have you done?" screeched a woman running up from the surf line. Wearing the black and grey piping of Imperial Security, she had the double diamonds and double bars of a full commander. Waving her pistol, she barked, "No one stands in the way of Minister Supay, you--"

Innati pulled the alien weapon from her belt and fired. The commander flew back, hitting the wet sand, her body burnt and oddly askew.

Walking over to the dead woman, Innati stood over her and let loose another stream of urine. "Payback's a bitch, Maretta. This is for Nic'te."

Wait! The dead wife of Itznacoco? I put that one away for later.

Searching the ground, I found my Chon pistol, and flipping the safety on, I holstered it. The Talon went back into my belt.

Both soldiers in the powered armor opened their visors. I didn't recognize the first one, but second soldier was Senior Lieutenant Hayantotichti, the man who'd given me the promotion orders the day before. Giving Innati a salute, he asked, "What are your orders, Commander Orchid?"

Innati removed the sergeant's rank on her arm. With a brief closure of her eyes, the look in her eyes noticeably changed. She discarded the personna of Second Sergeant Innati, and was once again Commander Orchid. I wondered how deep the personalities were ingrained. And, how many she had to keep track of.

"Lieutenant, get those people out of the water. Tend to the injured, civilian and military alike."

Hurrying away, he set to carrying out her orders. Pointing to the other man in powered armor, the commander ordered, "You stand guard over that dead draconian. You do not leave under any circumstances."

"Yes, sir," he acknowledged.

I could see the excitement in Orchid's eyes. If one body had been the coup of the century, a second one doubled the Empire's chances of successfully mastering the technology.

"Lieutenant Kandikan," she said, securing her trousers. "Follow me." Turning, she strode toward the armored units by the road. When she neared the headlights in front of one of the tanks, she bellowed, "Who's in charge?"

"I am," came a snappy reply from the turret of the second tank. "Field Commander Ajanta Barankoshto, at your service, Commander."

The lights were too bright to see clearly, but I could hear the speaker dropping down to the ground. I saw a tall woman, in short-sleeved, bronze-colored battle fatigues and black beret, enter the lit area. She looked at Orchid, then stuck out her hand. "Pleasure to see you again, sir."




Starlight Gleaming Ch. 12



"Likewise, Commander," Orchid replied. "Your presence here is an unexpected delight, and I must ask you for further assistance. These civilians need safe escort away from the beach, and they need food, fresh water, and dry clothes. If you have the time and resources, they might want to gather some possessions from their homes. If you can do so, allow them one bag each. Some will need medical attention. Then they will need to be escorted to the airfield. I'm hoping they will be airborne sometime later today, and seriously hoping it's before sunset."

"I will see to it, Commander Orchid," she replied. "I got back from visiting Capisco this morning. The other Commander--I take it, she has left?"

"In a manner of speaking," Orchid answered. "She's on the beach, slain by a draconian weapon."

"Indeed?" The Ground Service officer looked unexpectedly delighted. "Would you object if I took a trophy from her? She shot my Aide while I was away, and then blackened her record. She was my friend and a damned fine officer. She deserved better."

"Be careful about the trophy. She was Minister Supay's fuck toy. However, give me your Aide's name and I'll fix her record. Oh, and there's a dead draconian amongst the casualties. Please see that the body is secured until the Science Division people arrive."

The Field Commander looked unhappy about the revelation about Maretta, but she gave the name of her Aide, and started to provide her own phone number as well. To the Commander's surprise, and mine as well, Orchid finished reciting it.

"I remember it from when we talked the other night. Take care of the civilians. I leave them in your able care, Commander."

"I'll see to it myself, sir." Snapping to attention, Commander Barankoshto gave a perfect salute and held it for several seconds. Then she whirled and began barking orders. The tanks, support vehicles, and the Imperial Guards began moving.

The sun continued its rise. Wind gusted and carried light rain everywhere.

For the next hour, Orchid made use of my phone and my laptop, and often both at the same time. Some of the civilians were still by the shore, attended to by Ground Service soldiers and Medicos. Ambulances came for those in critical condition, as well as for the wounded troops. Vehicles came and went with regularity. The Science unit picked up the draconian, and the dead were seen to. A dozen Imperial Guards kept a watch on Commander Orchid, but the rest of them left, moving on to other duties.

I was surprised to see a HueCac approaching us. When I saw the driver, I was both pleased and perplexed.

Doyya.

The Guards challenged her, but I quickly interceded, assuring them that she was with me.

Retrieving a small cardboard carrying tray from the passenger seat, Doyya handed me a cup of hot cahault. She offered one to Orchid. Orchid refused it. "Too damn bitter," she said, before returning to her phone call. Orchid held up her index finger, so Doyya waited with me.

I took a drink, grateful for the hot, sweet liquid warming my gut, then looked at my watch. Almost time for her to be on duty. "Aren't you supposed to be elsewhere, Lieutenant?"

"I was there, sir, as ordered. Arrived half an hour after you called. Captain Xotochan arrived at the same time. He said you were attending to things at the beach, and that I should come see if I could be of any use."

I raised my eyebrows. "Indeed?"

Doyya looked around, speaking more quietly. "The Captain was upset, and retired to his office, closing the door. His Aide, Second Sergeant Mit'an, mentioned the Captain's quarters are near here." She scanned the nearby cottages, then pointed to one on the other side of the shore road. "I think that one is his."

That explained his response to me earlier. "All right, Doyya. Stick around, then. I'll tell you what I can when I can, but nothing right now."

"Yes, sir."

Orchid dismissed most of the Imperial Guards acting as her protectors, keeping only three. "Lieutenant Lovyanchiti, you will provide transport for one of these Imperial Guards, and you will follow us. You other two, you'll ride in the passenger seats with us. Lieutenant Kandikan? You're driving. Let's go."

Doyya hopped into the driver's seat of her HueCac, and after the Guard was seated, backed up and turned around, waiting on the road for us to lead the way.

Flipping the power button, the ChoCac hummed to life. "Where to, Commander?"

"The Commissary parking lot."

I glanced at her, but she just stared ahead. She looked on the verge of exhaustion. Once the Guards were settled into the back seats, I drove, just over the speed limit.

"I was impressed you remembered Commander Barankoshto's phone number."

"I have an eidetic memory, Lieutenant. I never forget anything."

Some people think an eidetic memory is a useful tool, a helpful aid to learning. I had once thought so myself, but my father reminded me of the down side. Any injury, any emotional hurt, any act you regret, with a single thought it all comes back with crystal clarity, as fresh as the moment it happened, never to dull or soften with the passage of time. Our presence on the beach wasn't just the right thing to do. For her, it would have been an unbearable memory, forever chasing after her.

It also added yet another layer to this woman that I now called my friend.

When we arrived, there were only a dozen or so vehicles in the parking lot. Commander Orchid gave us a license number to search for.

We quickly found the sedan-style ChoCac.

Moving toward the rear of the sedan, she looked at me. "Lieutenant Kandikan, please access the AI override. Use the phrase, 'Systems Clear, code twelve-forty-four' afterward. That will prevent it from broadcasting an emergency beacon. Once you have access, instruct the vehicle to open the trunk."

I did as she instructed. Once the trunk popped open, I rejoined them.

Group Captain Datoranka Hanastoctli lay on his side, his skin pale with death. Dark, clotted blood pooled around him in the trunk.

Ordering two of the Guards to remove his body and lay him out on the ground, Orchid took a deep breath and looked away briefly. Because of rigor, it took a lot of shuffling to get him out. Doyya and I tried to help where we could. Once he was clear, the Imperial Guards laid him gently onto the pavement.

"Lieutenant Kandikan, please call Air Security and the Morgue. I want the Captain's death properly recorded."

Taking out my phone, I made the call.

"What happened to his chest?" Doyya asked.

As the Guards laid him down, the huge wound to his chest was readily apparent. Considering its location, I looked at the Commander. "His heart?"

She nodded. "The draconians consider it a delicacy." Commander Orchid looked at me. "I knew it wasn't Dato on the beach. We had a code phrase worked out."

"These are very stormy seas," I quoted. "That was your test, wasn't it?"

The Commander looked pleased. "Just so," she replied. "There are a lot of such tests we put in place. And we change them often. We've known about the draconians and their ability to camouflage for years. It didn't take long for us to latch on to the fact that it meant they could also impersonate others with that tech."

On the street nearby, a HueCac zipped by. I wouldn't normally notice such, but it suddenly screeched to a halt in the middle of the street, backed up and turned into the parking lot.

Zinja and Ixma. I didn't see Sisi, but I didn't wait for that. The little girl didn't need to see the dead security officer.

I moved to the approaching vehicle, waving my arms. It came to a halt and Zinja half fell out of the driver's side, her eyes red and puffy from crying. As soon as she saw me, tears fell anew, her arms gesturing wildly. "Lieutenant! We were at the house getting things for her, and-- and they took her from me! Took her! They told me there is a buyer for Sisi. A buyer!"

"What? Who took her?" I demanded. "Tell me what happened, Zinja!"

Commander Orchid watched us a moment, then motioned for two of the Guards to follow her as she approached.

Taking a deep breath, Zinja wiped her face. "We were .. collecting stuff for Sisi. Doing like you asked. Two Air Security were there. We were only there half an hour when another group arrived. They said they had orders to collect Sisi and take her to the Dependent's Office for processing. I told them no, we had custody, and that I was heading there right afterward to file a claim for her. I gave them your name, too. They said it was too late, that the buyer was here to collect her." She looked at me, incredulous. "Her parents aren't dead even twelve hours, and she's been sold to slavers? There's supposed to be a thirty day wait before anything happens. You told me that yourself. They said she was sold, Lieutenant! Sold! How is that possible?"

Ixma glanced at her distraught mother, then she looked at me hopefully. "Sisi didn't want to go with them, sir. Cried and struggled until they shot her with a stunner. Shot her! You'll help us get her back, won't you, Lieutenant?"

"Was there a civilian with them?" Commander Orchid asked brusquely.

"Yes," Zinja replied, noticing her for the first time. Even wearing the cyan summer dress, there was no mistaking who stood there. "A white man with pale blond hair, and pale blue eyes. Cold as ice."

The Commander tapped out numbers on the phone, half turning away. "Commander, I need another favor. There may be a vehicle trying to exit the base with several children in it. Secure any vehicles and detain any adults, and they are to use metal cuffs, not plastic restraints. Send all ID tags to this phone until you get a clear from me. A small girl by the name of Sisi is of particular interest. Yes, this is related to what happened on the beach. Thank you, Commander Barankoshto."

Turning to the Guard sergeant, Orchid told him, "Call for support. I want at least two squads to meet us at the Dependent's Office. No lights, no sirens. Sharpshooters to cover escape routes. Now this is critical. I do not want any one of them getting away."

To the Imperial Guard by the dead captain, she loudly instructed, "You are to stay here and escort him to the morgue. Once there, give the Captain your respects, and then you are to return to your unit."

The Guard snapped a salute. "Sir!"

It appeared she debated a half moment. Then she walked to the back of the sedan and knelt briefly by her dead friend. "Goodbye, Dato. It was an honor and a privilege to serve with you, my friend. Even in death, you help me catch more enemies of the Empire." Standing, she gave him a salute, then spun back toward us, barking out orders. "Mount up, people! To the Dependent's Office. Now!"

"Ixma!" I pulled the Talon from my belt, confirmed the safety was on, and quickly replaced the nearly empty clip with a fresh one. "Take this!"

She ran up and took it, then hurried back to the HueCac. Zinja barely let her get in before she was moving. Once she got turned around, she burned rubber. Doyya was right behind her.

I hopped into my vehicle. The other guards were already inside. Orchid was on the phone once again. Flipped the power switch. Once clear of the parking lot, I floored it.

As we sped down the street, an Air Security cruiser, lights flashing, passed us going the other way, no doubt headed for the Commissary.

Using the horn, I narrowly avoided pedestrians and caught up behind Doyya.

"They aren't slavers," Orchid informed me coldly, staring ahead. "To them, they are just buying food."

"What?"

"Oh, yeah. Some draconians call us monkeys. And, they have a taste for what they call baby monkey meat."

I glanced at her. She just nodded.

There were no words sufficient. But my shock quickly coalesced into fury. I already had a serious dislike for the Greys and their casual killing of our planes and crews with their EMP weapon. But this was so much worse.

Orchid suddenly pointed. "There! That large van. Block it in. Guardsmen, secure the vehicle and anyone there. If they resist, shoot to kill."

"Confirmed, Commander. Shoot to kill." I heard safeties of both rifles come off behind me.

In the skies above, the chock-chock-chock of rotary blades cutting through the air grew louder. Overhead, the two helicopters split off from each other, one heading to the Housing Office directly across from the Dependent's Office, while the second banked left and flew over to the next building behind it and hovered. Ropes dropped down, and soldiers rappelled to the rooftop and took up station. Rifle barrels scanned the area.

I angled the ChoCac where she directed me. Both men behind me bailed out before the vehicle was fully stopped. Quickly separating to cover their targets, their automatic rifles were brought to bear. Doyya ran up, pistol drawn, offering her support to the one focused on the driver.

Surprised, the two men sitting in the front of the van raised their arms.

The Guard sergeant barked out, "In the Emperor's name, you will not resist. Passenger! Stay where you are! Driver, hands where I can see them! Exit the vehicle slowly. Slowly!"

Drawing my pistol, I covered the passenger side. The second Guard covered the back doors on the van.

Two Air Security cruisers pulled up, windows rolled down.

Commander Orchid instructed them. "You, drive around back. Secure the back entrance to the Dependent's Office. No one in or out. If any one tries to run, shoot to kill. Two men per prisoner. Metal cuffs, not plastic. Go!" And like that, the second vehicle zipped off and disappeared around the corner. "You in the squad, take these people into custody. I repeat, two men per prisoner. Metal cuffs."

Orchid strode around to the back doors of the vehicle, pistol drawn. As two Air Security men covered the door, I followed her, then moved to cover the doors from the other side.

"You want me to open it?"

She shook her head. "You have cuffs on you? Good. Secure the handles. I want to get inside the Dependent's Office before they know we're here. If they decide to fight, I want us inside before they can become entrenched. Fewer casualties that way."

Just as I finished locking the doors, the handle turned and tried to open. It rattled, then stopped. There was a loud bang as something heavy hit both doors.

Doyya came around behind me. "Got something inside there, sir?"

"Apparently so. You have your Talon handy?"

"It's in my HueCac, under my seat."

"Swap your weapon out, Doyya," I ordered. "Hustle!"

And she was gone.

Something pressed on the doors, trying to force them open. We could hear a grunting growl as the doors started to give.

One of the Air Security stood there, watching. "Holy gods. What's inside?"

As if to answer, a scaly, clawed hand snaked out, grabbing a handle.

Orchid stuffed the gun into her belt and grabbed the short sword from the Air Security soldier standing near her. Using both hands, she laid to. With a raging scream, the hand disappeared inside. Or, at least part of it. Four digits and the lower half of the bloody claw lay on the asphalt. She handed the blade back to the stunned soldier, his gaze going back and forth between his sword and the bloody mess on the ground.

Doyya returned then, with Zinja and Ixma in tow.

"Good!" Orchid exclaimed, seeing the Talon in her hands. "Lovyanchiti, if he tries to break out, shoot him until he quits moving. After he quits moving, give him another four rounds. If the bullets sparkle when they hit, he's still alive. Do not let anyone try to open the doors until we return."

She nodded at Orchid. "Yes, sir!"

"Come on, Kandikan. Sergeant. Corporal. Stay behind us! Understood?" Without waiting for an answer, Commander Orchid strode toward the double doors of the Dependent's Office. I jogged to catch up. Zinja and Ixma kept close behind me. Two Air Security and the Imperial Guard sergeant brought up the rear.

Bursting through the doors, the receptionist first stared at her computer screen. "What the hey? My computer just died --" She saw us and stood up. "You can't come in here--" Then she saw the drawn weapons, and the uniforms.

Orchid spared her a brief moment. "Get under your desk and live," she growled.

The woman scrambled to do as she was told.

As Orchid walked in to the main lobby, there were dozens of desks with workers scattered around an open center, civilian women with children in various cubicles. Two men in civilian dress, each carrying a limp child, were heading toward the entrance but froze when they saw us.

Before they could react, Commander Orchid shot twice. Perfect head shots. Both men collapsed with their burdens.

She didn't even pause as she hurried forward. Across from us was a large conference nook. Three women in Air Service uniforms, and an officer, holding clipboards and papers. And four more civilians, one with a child in his arms. All turning to us, alarmed at the gunfire, the sounds loud inside the large open room.

I recognized one of the men. Dopachek, the Huginn operative from Capisco! The white man with the pale blond hair and cold blue eyes, just as Zinja had so aptly described him.

Dopachek and one of the men drew pistols. A third pulled from beneath his jacket an Atlantean PUG 32, a short-stocked automatic rifle.

Orchid opened fire again, and I added my own fusillade to the fray. Pistols and the automatic rifle barked at us.

The Guard sergeant was quick. I heard his heavier automatic coughing behind me, along with pistols from the Air Security. Bullets gouged holes into the walls behind our targets. Two of the hostile civilians and two of the Air Service workers fell back, bloody geysers erupting forth.

Pandemonium. People yelling, diving behind or under desks or just standing there, frozen. Some just covering their faces and screaming. Papers flying as bullets crisscrossed the room.

I heard cries and bodies falling behind me, too.

Before I could turn, though, I saw Orchid shooting Dopachek. Saw the little gold sparkles on his body where the flechettes passed through his shield and tore into his body. Once the other shooters were down, I added my fire at him as well. My Chon couldn't penetrate the shield, but it might keep him off balance.

Dopachek dropped.

Less than sixty seconds, and it was over. An overhead light fixture crashed to the floor, adding more glass shards to the chaos of the room.

The windows of all three conference rooms in front of us were shattered. Several people sobbed, hidden by desks. A baby wailed and a mother tried to shush it. Orchid removed the clip from the Talon and loaded a fresh one.

I stood up, having dropped to the floor for some non-existent cover. Then I heard a ghastly shriek behind me. Turning, I spied Ixma leaning over Zinja, who lay sprawled on the floor. My heart went cold.

Tears streaming and eyes wide with rage, Ixma pulled out her pistol and strode over to the fallen civilians.

Commander Orchid stood over Dopachek, who was bleeding out from a score of wounds. She glanced at Ixma in surprise.

Ixma aimed at the one who'd fired the automatic, his arms raising into the air. He was alive!

"You shot my Mama!" And without hesitation, she fired four times. Then she stifled a sob, rubbed her eyes, and then fired four more times.

The Guard sergeant had been hit three times, but his body weave took the shots. Keeping alert, he scanned the area for residual hostile movement. Both of the Air Security had fared much worse. One was clearly dead, and the second had two bullet wounds; one to his leg and the other to his guts.

Zinja was family. I moved to her, fearing the worst. A large red wound soaked her upper left chest. As I knelt and touched her throat to check her pulse, her eyes opened. As they focused on me, she said hoarsely, "Damn, Lieutenant. Hurts worse than a dry fuck. I think I've been shot."