Deep Water 5 Act Three

A PLUNGE INTO DEEPWATER

A Somewhat Dark Star Blazers fanfic (Rating: Heavy R): THIS TALE IS NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH!!!

PART FIVE: A HOMECOMING… (Act Three…The Birth of New Pellias….)

By Frederick P. “Freddo” Kopetz

References to Star Blazers and Space Battleship Yamato are intended as homages and no infringement is intended. Star Blazers and Space Battleship Yamato are © 2011 by Voyager Entertainment and Engagio Productions.

Thanks to “Yuki Wildstar,” Gail Kopetz, and Ami Meitsu for ideas contributed to this chapter.

A BIG Shout-out to ANONYMOUS READER for artwork and ideas contributed.

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I. A REVIEW OF EVENTS

Planet New Pellias: The Sea off Beltane

Space Battleship Argo

Tuesday, May 9, 2209

2343 Hours: Earth Space-Time (1544 Hours Local Time)

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Official Captain’s Log

Space Battleship Argo, SBB-01

Supplemental Annex 221-a

Captain Mark Venture, Executive Officer and Officer of the Deck in Command, Reporting for the Captain

9 May 2209

-Report of Shipboard Fight and Captain’s Mast Proceedings

As I reported earlier in this Log, a fight was instigated on board this space vessel at fifteen-thirty. The proximate cause was gross misbehavior by Sergeant Victor Knox’s squad of Space Marines after I, as First Officer, pointed out that certain women aboard this vessel were not to be casually leered at after IQ-9 pulled a little “trick” of his. The brawl took twenty-three minutes to settle, on my part, and on the part of ten other male members of the Star Force. Also, Sergeant Janine Brodsky had her bikini top torn off in the incident. I helped console her and recommended that she see Commander Nova Wildstar for counseling.

Practically the entire Second Squad, or Communications Squad, of the First Strike Platoon of the 523^rd Space Marine Group under Lieutenant Fumimoto was involved in this fracas, which is a major disappointment to me, as I thought that Fumimoto had the 523^rd trained better than this; to wit, twelve Marines were implicated. I have held, in the absence of Commodore Wildstar, Captain’s Mast sessions for four of these men, namely, Staff Sergeant Victor Knox, Private Brown, a Private Harlan “Seabags” Leslie, and a Corporal Okajima. I assigned each of these men to twenty-four hours’ worth of confinement in the Brig, with a bread and water ration, and have also taken a rank stripe each from Knox and from Okajima, reducing Knox from Gunnery Sergeant E-7 to Staff Sergeant E-6, and reducing Okajima from Corporal E-4 to Lance Corporal, E-3. These NCO’s were stripped of one stripe each since these men should have known better.

Lieutenant Fumimoto himself took charge of the Masts for four more of his men, and I have taken the liberty of holding Mast for one more man, a Corporal Jankovitz. His rank was also reduced to Lance Corporal. I have scheduled trials with the remaining three men, Lance Corporal Dan Herbert, Private James Dewey, and Private First Class George Danforth, before, respectively, Commodore Wildstar, Commander Stephen Sandor, and Commander Nova Wildstar. It is my hope that these officers will be available to deal with their cases before the evening ends. I am giving each of them copies of this Log Entry, the trial notes from the trials of the other Marines, and the action reports so that they can judge these cases fairly.

And, since I have been advised the Captain has returned to this vessel, I am ending this report here.

Captain Mark Venture, Executive Officer; Acting Commander, Space Battleship Argo

9 May 2209: 2351 Hours, Earth Space-Time, 1552 Hours, Local Time

_____________________________________________________________________

The crew present saluted as Commodore Wildstar, clad in his regular Star Force whites, came down on his chair lift from the Captain’s Quarters onto the brightly lit Bridge as the sun of New Pellias shone its way into the large compartment as the Argo bobbed gently at anchor. He snapped, “Resuming command as of fifteen fifty-three hours. Commander Venture, report.”

“Captain, the Marines caused a little brawl right after you and Nova left the Messhall earlier,” said Venture.

“What was the cause of this brawl?” Derek snapped.

“Partially the state of dress of the Ralkhen, and the….accident with Nova and IQ-9 earlier,” said Mark.

Derek sighed at that. “Damn Marines. Nova was not planning to be like…well…the way she was…in the Messhall for more than a few minutes,” said Derek. “She told me she wanted out of there soon, and we did take right off for the pool.”

“Some of those Marines should know better,” said Venture. “Looks like they’ve never been around a Preserve Beach on Earth before. Not that….”

“Nova and I had a talk about this while riding back from the hills earlier. She’s agreed that the Messhall area is not necessarily like a Preserve Beach, so, we agreed to make things a little more conservative for the Messhall, as usual,” said Derek. “No one will get in there again in swimwear on this cruise, we agreed, so that we won’t have people in their birthday suits in that messhall again. The swimming pool and sunroom are going to remain as they are, but Marine access will be limited to their own shift hours. They won’t like it, but that should maintain order aboard ship. No changes for the Ralkhen, because that is their usual custom.”

“Sir, you…you’re a step ahead, as usual,” said Venture, who clenched a fist a little, thinking, how does he figure this shit out now? He’s sharper than he used to be. Could Nova have given him a share of those strange mental powers she now seems to have?

Derek smiled and said, “You’re looking at me weird, Mark.”

“Well….things have changed a little, with you and Nova, lately. And why were all the bells ringing in town about an hour and a half ago?” said Mark.

“Call it the beginning of what will be a great realignment of the Cosmos,” said Derek as he smiled. “Remember what Trelaina said?”

“About what?”

“There are great Powers in the Universe…unknown, and unseen….I am just a small part of that Great Life Force. Earth can be the embodiment of good, but it must live on to fulfill that destiny…” said Derek as he thought back to Trelaina’s last words before she had sent Zordar away. “Trelaina said that as she brought you back to us, Mark, and she said that before she left. She said Earth had a special role in the Universe. Those bells ringing before? Both Nova and I had a vision quest earlier and we…saw and sensed things. The bells are a sign that the reign of Ekogaru will not last forever. And, they are a sign, I think, that we will all have something to do with his end…”

“You’ll understand, sir, we’re havin’ a little bit of a hard time takin’ this all in,” said Eager.

“We will be confirming our treaty of Alliance with the Pellian Commonwealth tomorrow morning,” said Derek. “The New Commonwealth is to be declared a little later this afternoon, here, on the decks of the Argo, at seventeen hundred hours this afternoon. Then, there will be two balls; a ball from nineteen hundred to twenty-one hundred at which the Declaration will be made before the Pellian Elders and Generals and the Ralkhen, who are joining the New Commonwealth, and then a second ball at twenty-two hundred to twenty-four hundred proclaiming the New Commonwealth to the Cosmos at Large. We are invited at large to the second ball; so, Venture, Sandor, you two see about getting the names of couples from the ship who desire to attend, concordant, of course, with their duties. Dress will be as formal as possible. The First Ball is closed, and is largely for the Pellians themselves, even though Nova and I will be in attendance.”

“Yessir,” said Venture. He turned to Wildstar and said, “These Marines still need to stand Mast, Derek.”

Derek looked over the list that Venture handed him. “All right. I will see the first one at sixteen hundred. I will schedule Nova to hold Mast for the third one at sixteen-thirty, and Sandor, you’ll get the second one at sixteen forty-five right before that ceremony on deck. How’s that?”

“Sounds good to me,” Sandor said with a laugh.

Derek checked over some other shipboard business, signed off on some reports, and authorized some requests to have the Black Tigers launched on patrol. Brew’s squadron began to take off from the port side upper fighter bay a few minutes later.

Commodore Wildstar then gave the conn over to Venture as he left right before sixteen hundred.

___________________________________________________________

“Lance Corporal Herbert,” said Commodore Wildstar about fifteen minutes later in his Captain’s cabin as the Lance Corporal heard Jefferson Hardy and Paul Rosstowski testifying against him, along with Sergeant Chesterton, a member of the Marine Group Bravo Platoon assigned to shipboard security who had helped the Black Tigers and Rosstowski’s small Trooper contingent clean up the fight. “You are charged with fighting, insubordinate behavior, and damage to an Upper Messhall bench of five hundred credits. What do you have to say in your defense?” Derek snapped.

The Marine squared himself, looked at Derek, Nova, and his accusers in the Captain’s Cabin, and he said, “Sir, I was defending three guys in my squad. Two of them flyboys was throwin’ crap at ‘em…”

“After, as ah said before, they rushed mahself, Wakefield, and Brew,” sighed Hardy.

“Also, it’s clear that you swung at Sergeant Chesterton first,” said Wildstar.

“Did not,” snapped Herbert.

“I say you did, space lawyer,” snapped Chesterton.

“Sarge, yer fulla it!” said Herbert.

Commodore Wildstar rang his bell once and said, “So, we have a general denial, Lance Corporal?”

“I wuz framed!” he said.

“I was framed, sir,” Nova said.

“You shaddap, dame!” snapped Herbert.

“Lance Corporal, I’m going to be holding Mast myself for your buddy in about, oh, ten minutes?” Nova said.

“You was the one that started it, lady, you and that robot when he made your tits hang…”

Derek clanged the bell again.

“Enough,” he snapped. “Lance Corporal Herbert, you are charged with fighting, insubordination, and destruction of Government Property. I find you guilty as charged. I award you the loss of one grade, down to Private First Class, along with twenty-four hours of brig time on reduced rations, and you are ordered to repay five hundred credits from your pay for repair to shipboard facilities. That’s all. These proceedings are ended,” Derek snapped as he pulled Herbert’s Lance Corporal rank pin off and threw it on his desk behind him.

Derek clanged the bell. Herbert snarled at him but saluted, followed by Sergeant Chesterton as he marched Herbert out with Rosstowski’s help.

“Buncha yahoos,” said Hardy as Herbert left.

“I wonder what sort of idiot I’m going to have for my trial?” Nova said as she stretched, very uncomfortable in the boots she had on with her uniform. Her ankles were hurt, and she wanted to be barefoot right now, and her stomach felt nauseous from the pregnancy. However, she knew she needed to be in full uniform for this ordeal.

“He’s bald and ugly, I think,” said Hardy. “He looked like some kind a’…”

Derek was surprised to see that this Marine was a slightly chubby man who looked sort of like Eager, with scraggly hair and a bewildered-looking face.

“Skipper, am I on trial up here, sir?” he said as he was led in by two of Chesterton’s Marines.

“You are,” said Derek. “But I won’t be conducting your trial. Commander Wildstar; his record book,” said Derek as he handed Nova a record jacket and then invited Nova to sit down in his chair. Nova did so, looking out the windows at the ocean and beach for a moment from their vantage point high above the Argo’s bridge tower.

“Yessir,” said Nova as Danforth’s mouth opened and closed quickly when he realized that the girl was performing his Mast as she rang the bell. The room came to attention, and she rang again and they returned to “at ease.”

Nova looked hard at the Marine and she said, “Private First Class George Danforth, I believe?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said as he swallowed hard while looking at Nova’s piercing dark brown eyes.

Nova opened Danforth’s record jacket and said, “Private First Class…you’re charged with fighting with Commander Hardy here, and you’re charged with throwing things at Lieutenant Marrable, and charged with kicking your own Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Fumimoto, when he tried to subdue you. How do you plead?”

Danforth swallowed again and said, “Ma’am, my kicking the Old Man was an accident; because I was tryin’ to kick some gunner who was tryin’ to knock me on my butt. But, I plead guilty as charged on da other ones.”

Nova said, “You’re sure about that?”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Danforth.

Nova then said, “Based upon your cooperative attitude, Danforth, I am waiving the charge of assault against your commanding officer and we’ll write that off as an accident. For the other offenses, I am awarding you with a reduction in rank to Private, twenty-four hours in the Brig at reduced rations, and a fine of two hundred credits to come from your next paycheck.”

“Ma’am…I…I…,” sobbed Danforth.

“Private, remember your military bearing,” snapped Nova. “Give me your stripe, please.”

Danforth took off his pin and handed it to Nova. She then said, “Do your job better next time around, and you’ll earn this rank back in a few months. All right?”

“Aye, ma’am,” said Danforth. He saluted Nova before he was led out.

“That guy was just caught up with the other damn stupid deck apes,” said Hardy. “They were eggin’ him on to faight, actually.”

“I remember he looked at me after I lost my clothes and he just blushed and looked away,” Nova said. “Derek, he’s just a kid. Not long out of boot camp.”

$Description: Description: Description: Description: C:\Users\Honey Bunny\Documents\My Documents\Bunny Nest of Documents\STORIES\Star Blazers\FREDDO'S VISIONS PROJECT\The New Comet\10. Reorganization\Deepwater5c_files\image005.png$ “Some of these men are just influenced by Knox,” said Stephen Sandor thoughtfully. “Although it looks like the guy I’ll be prosecuting in a few minutes is a real foul ball.”

Derek sat down in his chair again and looked over his jacket while Sandor looked on. Derek said, “Why do you say that? I didn’t see his record.”

Nova opened his jacket and read. “His record indicates an attempted rape, back in 2207. Lovely. Public drunkenness and disorderly conduct while aboard the spacecraft carrier Hornet, 2206. Also, there was a finding of Assault upon a commanding officer, 2206. And, to top it off, Abuse of Recruits while a Drill Instructor with rank of Sergeant at Parris Island, 2205.” Nova whistled and said, “This’ll be his fifth offense, and he’ll be up for a Bad Conduct Discharge on this one per the regulations…the EDF has had just about enough of this weasel.”

“So have I,” said Sandor.

“What do you mean?” said Derek.

“Nova, take a good look at the notes. I was on his Court-Martial Board for the 2207 charge. That was one of the little things I did back in the latter part of April of 2207, right when you had come out of cryogenic suspension and you were healing up from that operation. It was a quick trial. We had this guy convicted in two days and he served fourteen months in the Big Brig in Leavenworth because of it. Hard to believe that’s over two years ago already.”

The man, Private James Dewey, was the ugly bald fellow Nova had remembered from right before the fight. She shivered as he was brought in, in handcuffs, and he snarled at Sandor as Steve took the seat and clanged the bell with the gavel.

Sandor looked at him and said, “Private, I hoped that I wouldn’t see you again for a while…after the last time we met.”

“Yeah, sir?” said Dewey. “Well, okay. Looks like I’m in the shithouse again, huh?”

“You are,” said Sandor. “Sir, read the charges off,” he said as he looked at Derek.

“You are charged with; fighting, disorderly conduct, and deviate sexual conduct, in that you pulled the bikini top off a Sergeant Janine Brodsky, waved it around, and then pointed at her breasts and yelled…lewd comments.”

“So what, sir?” said Dewey. “You could see she had big fuckin’ tits!”

Sandor clanged the gong and snapped, “Enough of that here, Private! There’s also a lady present,” he said as he glanced at Nova.

“Your tits are little compared to hers, ma’am,” laughed Dewey. ”Ain’t much to look at.”

“STOW IT, MARINE!” Nova snapped as she stood and put her hands on her hips.

Sandor clanged the bell again and snapped, “We do not need the comments, Private. How do you plead?”

“Not guilty, and I want a full fuckin’ court martial and a fuckin’ lawyer, Mister Exploding Arms!”

“ENOUGH!” barked Sandor as he clanged the bell again.

“We’ll give you what you want, Dewey,” snapped Derek. “But it will be back on Earth! I have no time to call together a Court-Martial Board right now. You’ll be remanded back to Marine Command for a full trial upon your arrival at home, and will be held in the Brig in Solitary until then. My recommendation, though, will be that you are to receive a Bad Conduct Discharge after serving your time if found guilty after you serve your time as hard time on an asteroid work colony. Take this Private out of my sight!”

After Dewey was taken away, Sandor turned to Wildstar and asked, “I know I’m going to have the conn in a while. When do you and Nova expect to be back from Desslok’s flagship?”

“About eighteen hundred, after that ceremony on board ship,” Nova said. “Then, we need some private time alone before we head down to that first ball.”

“Sounds good; see you later,” said Sandor.

__________________________________________________

II. THE DECLARATION OF THE NEW COMMONWEALTH

Planet New Pellias

Space Battleship Argo

Wednesday, May 10, 2209

0059 Hours: Earth Space-Time (1700 Hours Local Time)

__________________________________________________

Derek Wildstar was with a group of his officers near the Argo’s main deck at about 1650 Hours, local time.

“Good thing we were all able to get dressed in time,” said Stephen Sandor as he tugged at his navy-blue peacoat.

“You’re tellin’ me,” said Mark Venture as he laughed.

“Where’s Nova?” said Sandor.

“Is she still getting dressed?” laughed Mark.

Derek shook his head. “Actually, she’s speaking secretly with Astrena, who is giving her some final instructions.”

“I don’t like zese instructions,” said Katrina Savela as she swept up in a brown and black Pellian dress uniform with a black cape on Foxy’s arm; Foxy wore a black tuxedo with a white bow tie.

“Who asked you?” said Mark Venture as he almost snarled at the Pellian. He and Katrina did not get on very well with each other.

“Ze ruling queen of Pellias, My Lady, THAT is who!” snapped Katrina. “And treat me with respect! I am today created as a Princess of the New Realm at LAST! A Princess AGAIN! One of the first Nobles!”

“Katrina, cool down, please,” said Foxy. “I’m sorry, sir…she…has a MOUTH.”

“And out of it comes acid?” said Mark.

“You moron!” yelled Katrina. “Derek, I demand that you let me scratch out his eyes, and….”

“Katrina, CHILL!” Nova snapped with a sudden steel note of authority in her voice that not many here had heard before as she came up behind her and clapped her hands once, angrily.

“I…” said Katrina, whom, to her shock, obeyed, bowing her head for a moment as she gritted her teeth.

“You will remember, Katrina, that we are to respect Her Majesty Astrena today as she boards this vessel. Nothing is to interfere with her moment, nor with the Authority of She who is hidden!” Nova said as she stared hard at Katrina and sent into her mind, “You very well know who it is I refer to. My role is hidden until the first ball, but bear in mind that the High Queen does not approve of your antics. Is this clear?”

“It is,” said Katrina as she nodded at Nova.

“Good,” snapped Derek. “Take your place today, Katrina, but remember why you are here!”

“I will,” she said quietly as she thought, There will come a day when you are bowing to ME, Derek.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

On the Argo, a haunting military march played on the speakers on the polished main deck not far from a table covered with green cloth in the shadow of the Number One Gun Turret.

Commodore Derek Wildstar, in his dress black peacoat, had his primary officers at attention manning the rail near the table. Next to him stood Commander Nova Wildstar as Third Officer, who had on her dress blue coat (newly marked with the three stripes of her Group) with a blouse, skirt, and sandals on beneath it. Captain Mark Venture stood next to her as the ship’s First Officer in his dress coat, and beside him stood Commander Stephen Sandor in his dress coat as Second Officer.

A group of Pellian and Gamilon guards escorted Leader Desslok and Pellian Ruling Queen Astrena up the gangplank, where they took their places near the table. Desslok had on his uniform with a black and red cloak, while Astrena was in a long black gown, green headdress, and silver sandals.

Then, escorted by the military forces of their nations, the Rigelandian King, Roland I, was escorted by a party consisting of General Troughton, and Hegen and Fela. Next to him, escorted by Vilani Guards who looked at distaste at the Ralkhen escorting the King, was their new Premier, Igor Trovotsky, a bald but bearded moderate who had taken control of the Vilani Union in the days of chaos where the populace dragged out and executed the previous Premier in the public square of his capital. Trovotsky had risen from the ranks of the Politburo to take order, immediately announcing that there would be a détente’ with the Rigelandians, and that he would begin to free political prisoners and other persecuted persons from the previous Premier’s jails.

King Roland looked warily at the man in the uniform of his enemies as Trovotsky bowed towards Queen Astrena, who had taken her place on one side of the table. “Majesty,” he said. “I beg permission to speak.”

“I was to begin, but I shall grant it. What is it?” she said.

“Majesty, my Politburo has sent me to inform me that the Revolution shall continue, but under a new guise. I offer apologies for all of the evils and tensions my predecessors have created, and I beg leave to co-sign the Treaty of Establishment of the New Pellian Government with His Majesty, King Roland,” said Trovotsky.

“That leave is granted,” said Queen Astrena. “I am here to state that, as of this day, the Old Pellian Commonwealth, which has endured for over three thousand years and has been ruled by a long line of Queens, under the Auspices of the Imperial High Queen, a figure who has sometimes emerged from the shadows to fight our greatest Enemy, a spirit being whom I shall not give any further honour to this day. A new High Queen has emerged, although she is still hidden. She and I have agreed that today the Old Commonwealth comes to an end,” she said as she held up ancient white wooden scepter with a fitfully gleaming jewel at its head…and then broke it over her knee. At that moment, the jewel, last blessed by Aliscea, gleamed a dull orange and went dark forever. “Yea…it comes to its end today, so that a New Commonwealth can and will be declared.”

Astrena clapped, and two attendants came up and laid an ancient scroll that looked to Homer like a Torah Scroll on the table. They spread the two rolls, and Astrena produced from a chest carried by two Ralkhen a gleaming, brand-new silver scepter, which she laid on the Scroll.

Astrena said, “This Scepter will be the Foundation Scepter of the Second or New Pellian Commonwealth. It is my prayer that it will endure to the end of Time itself. I take this Scepter, pending the Coming of the High Queen, who shall confirm it.” Astrena then marched to one side of the table, the one that faced the Argo’s bow, and took her place to the right of a brass pillar set up as part of the table. A torch was on this pillar, and as a female Pellian guardswoman (whom Nova recognized from the Blue Council proceedings) lit the first of three oil-fueled torches set in a triangle surrounding the table, two Ralkhens saluted and took their places at each corner of beside Astrena at some distance to her, to the right and left.

Astrena turned to Desslok. “My Lord, do you approve of the founding of a New Pellian Commonwealth?”

“I do,” said Desslok. Astrena then turned to Commodore Derek Wildstar, and she said, “As Representative from the Terran Government, do you approve of the founding of a New Pellian Commonwealth?”

“I do,” said Derek. Astrena then turned to Desslok. “Who stands with Thee to assist ye this day?”

“Talan, my General and Adjutant,” said Desslok. Talan came forward and bowed, standing beside Desslok. They stood together before the table. One of the torches was set towards the Argo’s bow, while the other two, like two pillars, faced Desslok, Astrena, and Talan.

“Commodore Derek Wildstar, who stands with Thee to assist ye this day?” asked Astrena.

“Commander Nova Wildstar, my yeoman, spouse, and Aide,” said Derek. He and Nova held hands and walked up to the table.

At a nod from Astrena, Talan knelt on a cushion near the table, pausing as a female Leptil, who wore only a gold cloak, walked up and lit the second torch. Then, Desslok bowed slightly and signed the document, his signature witnessed by General Talan, who signed as he knelt. Both men bowed and stepped back as the Wildstars came up.

Nova knelt humbly as Derek signed the document, witnessing to Earth’s approval of the New Commonwealth. Then, she signed as a witness, and, before rising, she silently touched Astrena’s fingers as Astrena bowed and touched the Scepter. Their hands met in the middle of the Scepter, and Nova quickly grasped it, kissing the scroll.

Then, Nova looked into Astrena’s eyes, and sent her a quick psychic message, just as Pellas and Astrena had taught her. “In the footsteps of Queen Pellas, as her Successor, and under her Blessing and the Blessing of Heaven, I declare the First Commonwealth dead and found the Second Commonwealth now in Ancient Form. I bear the bulk of the Matrix and am High Queen by It Proclaimed in Secret. Form me a Government and a State in My Name under My Seal thus given, and hold the Scepter in Trust for me as Commander until the day comes when I shall personally claim it to lead our combined forces into the final War against the Dark Lord Accursed.”

Astrena made a mental note of the time, and kissed Nova’s hand as Nova nudged the Scepter towards her before she took it.

Astrena nodded, and Nova stood back, bowing as Astrena took the Scepter and Authority of the New Pellian Commonwealth, and said, “In the Name of Queen Pellas, and the Reverend Ones who have succeeded her, I declare the New Pellian Commonwealth a living thing. We are allied with the Gamilon Empire and Terran Federation, for, I pray, all time.”

Astrena held up the new Scepter, and the Pellians looked in awe as they saw a faint but glorious new light burning in white in the jewel on top of the Scepter. They applauded as Astrena touched the third Torch with the jewel and the Fire in the jewel lit the flame, starting the torch. Then, Roland and Premier Trovotsky came up, knelt before Astrena, and said, “Lady, we surrender unto you our ranks, our right to rule, and our nations.”

“Thank you,” said Astrena. “But you shall take them up again as you continue to rule over your Nation-States under the auspices of my Throne and the Commonwealth Council that I declare as of this day. Who else comes forth to offer me their allegiance?”

Miarahl came up, bowed, and said, “I bring tidings from the others of the Blue Council, Lady. They approve of the new state, the new Matrix-Bearer and High Queen who is Hidden, and the rule She has committed in secret to you, as adjudged by the Light that burns in the New Scepter. The Blue Council blesses your endeavors, and the people of Ralkhandar, and the Wandering Companies of the Ralkhen People, beg leave, through me, to swear fealty to Thee and She who is Hidden.”

“Kiss my hand over the Scepter, and this Fealty will be accepted,” said Queen Astrena.

Miarahl kissed her hand, and Ralkhandar, after a long time in the shadows, barely subsisting, again joined the Pellian Commonwealth as a Member State, and immediately came under the Crown and under its defense umbrella. Astrena nodded to one of here generals. Orders were given for ten Pellian space warships, raising the banner of the eight-pointed Star of the High Queen of the New Commonwealth, to depart and head off towards Ralkhandar, to guard the jungle world under the umbrella of the new interstellar nation which had just risen from the ashes of the Old Pellian Commonwealth.

Talishta, the new Leptil woman present, next knelt and said, “Lady, we beg to join with Thee. We are subjected daily to attacks from the Comet Empire, from the House of Varadis. Only a little bit of our homeworld, Leptala, remains free. The rest is under the vicious whip of the Comet Empire…I beg leave for us to join thee, and…”

“Your prayer is granted,” said Astrena. She turned to one of her Admirals. “Vorkar, take your Battleship Squadron of three vessels and ten escorts. There are forces gathering from the Blackeye Galaxy, much of which is again Free, at our former Base World for this Galactic Region at Samoris, at the Edge of the Milky Way, twenty thousand light years afar from the ancient Telezartian Pale of Influence. Meet our First Legion there after you see to it that Samoris is again secure in our hands as it was desolate for thirty years. Then, go to the rescue of Leptala and liberate it from the accursed Cometines,” Astrena said with words of steel in her voice as Katrina tried not to tremble. She was suddenly very afraid because she knew that Astrena meant business.

$Description: Description: Description: Description: C:\Users\Honey Bunny\Documents\My Documents\Bunny Nest of Documents\STORIES\Star Blazers\FREDDO'S VISIONS PROJECT\The New Comet\10. Reorganization\Deepwater5c_files\image007.png$ Katrina, as Invidia, also knew Prince Malak of the House of Varadis. She knew he was a very vicious, genocidal, and cruel Cometine Prince Commander who maintained an even tighter discipline over his forces than her father Zordar ever had. Malak did not command any respect, only loathing and fear. Invidia also knew that Malak had designs on the Grand Throne itself, and she feared for her father at that moment. She knew Malak had no morals whatsoever. Killing a reigning Emperor would be a minor deed for this cruel Prince, who had been known to crush inhabited worlds to bits in the field of his massive Blue Comet.

Invidia felt pity for the brave Pellians who would soon go into battle against the vicious forces of Prince Malak.

She prayed, against type, that this would be one battle the Cometine people would not win…and she trembled at the thought of a major war between Pellias and the Comet Empire.

She wondered, not for the last time, what would become of her if Astrena and Trelaina (who knew all of the truth about her) decided to unmask her to Nova and give her over to her.

What would the new High Queen do to me if she knew? Katrina thought. She could just take the Matrix from me if she knew, right? And then…?

Invidia tried not to think about it as the ceremony went on, and then finally ended….

…and then, there was something she knew she would have to do.

Katrina kissed Foxy goodbye, hoping not for the last time, and she took off, walking off with a Pellian party towards a shuttle heading for Desslok’s flagship.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Katrina thought that Astrena did not know her secret. She was unaware that Trelaina had let her in on it a while ago.

She knew that Nova did not know.

It was Katrina’s intent to just spill the beans to everyone…when she heard Trelaina’s voice in her mind. It is not yet the time, Katrina.

It’s not? Katrina thought.

No, it is not, Trelaina said. You will come very close to exposure soon, but the time is not yet here. Do not speed things up…let them be…and have faith in Destiny and the One Above All….

Have faith? Katrina thought.

Wait. You will ruin things if you expose yourself now… Trelaina said in her mind.

All right then…I will keep…my peace, Katrina thought.

Katrina went quiet. She decided to just follow a group of Pellian officers to a large room in Desslok’s flagship. She saw he had refitted the ship extensively since the last time she had been aboard her back on the original White Comet, so she didn’t know what this room was, nor what would happen there.

Katrina just remained there, and waited.

_____________________________________________

In the meantime, a while later, a chime went off near the door of Leader Desslok’s private suite aboard the Gamilstadt.

Desslok was sitting in his suite at a table with only one servant nearby, sharing dinner with Astrena, Aisha, and Dellar.

Dellar smiled and said, “Look at the blueness of that planet below, Father. We can see it from the window. Is it our latest conquest?”

Astrena shook her head a little and smiled at Desslok and her son. “No, dearest. It is not a conquest of the Gamilon Empire, although it is about to join the New Pellian Commonwealth of its own accord.”

“Yessir!” said the aide as he saluted and walked off.

“What’s the…the…New Pellian Commonwealth?” said Dellar. “Is it another conquest of ours?”

“Not at all,” said Desslok lightly. “You explain this ancient ideal of a State, my love,” he purred.

Astrena smiled at him and said, “Dellar. The New Pellian Commonwealth has not ever conquered anyone, at least in the years I remember.”

”So what kind of Empire is it?” sneered Dellar. “Mom, that sounds stupid! Why do you have all those ships, planes, and those freaky cat-people if you don’t conquer anyone?”

“It is a Commonwealth,” said Astrena. “That means it is a free association of worlds. We had, in our history, and are working up to having, four kinds of worlds. The first are Compact worlds, which are basic constituents of the Pellian Republican Kingdom. Compact worlds agreed to be Pellian of their own free will. This world, Meccaner, is about to join us freely and to become our new Capital. Secondly, there are Colonies. Colonies are worlds that we settled; largely unsettled worlds. When those worlds have enough population, they can become Compact Worlds, or keep their sovereignty and leave us, or they can remain sovereign but ally with us and become Associate Worlds.”

“Ally with you?” said Dellar.

“The Gamilon Empire chose to ally with Astrena when I married your mother,” said Desslok. “Iscandar allied with Pellias, as well, and Terra has been an informal ally but is now formally becoming an Associate of Pellias. Associates make a bargain to come to each other’s aid when needed and to trade with each other. By no means have Gamilon, Iscandar, or the Earthlings given up their sovereignty to Astrena.”

“Most of our allied worlds in the past were Associates,” said Astrena. “The rest were Colonies or Compact Worlds. The Commonwealth once had ninety-five Compact Worlds or States, close to two hundred colonies, and almost three hundred Associated Systems,” said Astrena.

“A bit bigger than Gamilon at its zenith,” said Desslok thoughtfully.

The aide came back, saluted, and said, “Leader Desslok, it is Talan. He has the Wildstar couple with him. Also, General Varen has been dressed and brought up from the Brig for judgment.”

“We shall meet them there,” said Desslok. “Astrena, bring both children.”

“Of course,” she said, wondering what the enigmatic Leader was up to. He was keeping his mind shielded, even in their bond.

__________________________________________________________________

TEN MINUTES LATER….

Desslok, Astrena, and the children met with Nova and Derek in a large dark conference hall on the Gamilstadt below the bridge levels.

“My briefing room…and judgment hall,” said Desslok.

“He deals with our worst criminals here,” Astrena said. “He also let me use this room to deal with a few Pellian miscreants in judgment.”

“Who is to be judged here?” Derek asked.

“Before you go on, if I may ask…there are still some issues between you and I for my recent…imprisonment…” Nova said, looking very formal in her dress blue jacket and white skirt.

Desslok bowed his head and said, “The answers to those questions are bound together, Nova. Talan, bring forth General Varen. My former Security Chief from Gamilon…”

“Yessir,” said Talan. He nodded to two guards, and Varen was brought up, in chains.

Nova noticed Katrina standing there with a group of Pellian officers. She nodded quickly, and Katrina smiled and nodded back.

Varen looked at Desslok and said, “Leader Desslok. I have served you for a long time, and I ask for your mercy and clemency. I…”

Desslok smiled and raised his hand. “Actually, Varen, it is quite pointless to ask me for mercy of any sort.”

“Sir, there…they…you were always said to be harsh but fair,” pleaded Varen. “I…”

Desslok glared at him and said, “Again, I will not be one judging you today. Nova, as a gesture of reconciliation between you and I, I now consign his fate to your hands as the hidden Pellian High Queen in being, as you were the one most wronged by his actions. Ask me or Astrena to carry out any sentence and we will see to it.”

Varen’s eyes went wide as Nova looked at him after she nodded at Derek. Nova looked at Desslok and said, “Desslok, thank you. This heals the rift between you and I somewhat.”

Nova fixed her eyes upon Varen, who began to whimper under the assay of Nova’s dark brown burning eyes. He could see the Fire burning in them, just as it burned in Astrena’s eyes and the eyes of Desslok, and he was very afraid.

Katrina also saw that Fire, and even she was a little afraid of Nova, for the first time ever.

Nova looked hard at him, and he could feel her new energy, and the Light of the Matrix, burning in his soul. He almost wanted to scream under that piercing, terrible spiritual examination.

Then, Nova turned away. “As I thought…no real remorse or repentance, General. Leader Desslok? Do you still consign people to exile on the polluted planet Lars in the old Galman Empire? The prison planet of the damned?”

“I...I…” said Varen.

Katrina blanched and went a little cold. Even she had heard rumors of that place. She thought, Desslok, you have a Hell like that in your ‘enlightened’ Empire? You’re the same murderous bastard as always, Desslok.

“You were thinking of sending me there, weren’t you….as well as crucifying me? You could not decide between a lingering death for me on a cross or a living death on a polluted world?” Nova said mildly. “Sending me to a living death, a living Hell, where I would have become a mindless animal tearing off my own garments and living like a naked dirty beast in my own filth in a month or so with no memory of Derek, my children, or my prior life?”

“How did you know of that place, Nova?” said Desslok in utter shock.

“The Matrix teaches me much of the true nature of things,” Nova said softly. “Behind the glittering façade of your Empire, there is much pain, suffering, and damnation. Varen discovered that place and enhanced the atmosphere to make it worse. And he sent many there who are innocent. I know who they are. I would ask you to free the innocent ones, and send this man to the living Hell he himself created. If you do that, then I will again consider you an honest, decent man…and a true adoptive stepfather.”

Katrina shivered as she looked at Nova and felt herself connecting to her for a moment through the Matrix. She knew that Nova had made a very ruthless decision, but that she had made it almost reluctantly, and there was no great joy in her decision, only a sense that justice had to be served and a balance had to be set right. Nova nodded once in her direction, as if to confirm the circumstances under which she had made her choice, but she left Katrina with a searching question in her mind, If you were some ruling Princess, Katrina, what would you have done?

Katrina had no answer for that, and she only looked down at her boots with a bowed head.

A moment later, she slipped out of there, very quietly. Something about the way Nova was looking at her was very disconcerting, somehow.

Desslok looked hard at Astrena, who nodded. Then, he asked her, “Do you know who the innocent ones, as she put it, are?”

“She is sending me the names, mind-to-mind,” said Astrena. “A thorough examination of their trial records will bring to Light the fact that many of those men and women were political prisoners, or sent there by Varen on trumped-up charges. They can be taken to Iscandar. Starsha and her physicians can then restore them to health and sanity via their arts.”

“Very well,” said Desslok. “Nova, your judgment stands. Guards, take this man to Lars. To exile. I dismiss him from my command. For all time.”

“Desslok, have mercy!” screamed Varen. “Please shoot me! Please give me a warrior’s death! Please…”

“I have nothing further to say to you,” said Desslok as Varen was dragged off, screaming.

Desslok bowed to Nova and said, “That was actually a devious…and wise…solution to this problem.”

“She’s always had a way of getting to the heart of a matter,” said Derek.

“And this is even more so, now,” said Desslok. “Your Pellian Race has a very wise Ceremonial High Queen, Astrena.”

“Thanks to Destiny,” said Astrena. “Dellar?”

“Auntie Nova, don’t ever….get mad at me like that?” he said.

“I hope I never have to,” she said as she tousled Dellar’s hair. “Derek, let’s go…”

Commodore Wildstar saluted and said, “We will take our leave now…and see you later on New Pellias.”

“Of course,” said Desslok.

Nova then walked up to Desslok, with the heels of her sandals clicking on the deck as she stood there. “Desslok?” she said.

“Yes?”

“Thank you,” she said as she gave him a hug. “You are not perfect. None of us are. I am certainly not. But we grow…”

“…yes, despite our flaws,” said Desslok. “Our philosopher Mergans, Fifth Dynasty Era. Have you been reading him?”

“Yes, in the original Gamilon,” said Nova. “He’s quite an elegant writer of the language.”

“Just as Julius Caesar was a scholar of your ancient Latin,” said Desslok. “Veni, vidi, vici,” he intoned in Latin. “I came. I saw. I conquered.”

“You would like that,” said Nova with a smile.

______________________________________________________________________

When they got back to the Argo, Nova and Derek found a memo in their computer from Sasha.

It was a short memo, to the point. It said;

Hey, you two!

Looks like you missed us! We were supposed to meet up on the beach with the kids before the ball? Remember!

I’m on the beach now with Star and Dekee! Dekee loves my chapeaux! That’s all I have on! This is fun! Heee hee hee!

Love and kisses….

SASHA

Nova grinned and said, “I do need work on my tan, Derek…”

“Nova, do we have…TIME?” he said as Nova pulled down his pants while she began to wriggle out of her peacoat, followed by everything else!

A mere two minutes later, Nova was nude, and Derek was tying on her chapeaux while she called Wendy down in the nursery. “Wendy?”

“Yes?” she replied.

“Who’s your relief?”

“Angie Hartcliffe,” said Wendy. “Is it beach time yet?”

“Yes…and how come I forgot about this?” Nova said. “Please bring up Alex and Ariel…”

“I will…even though my robe may be open…”

“Why?” said Nova.

“Aaron’s hungry….”

“GOOOGLEPLEX!” screamed Ariel into the phone.

“Undress us!” yelled Alex as Nova giggled.

Nova kissed Derek and wrapped a towel around him as a cover-up and made sure he had on his flip-flops while she stepped into hers and threw on a short kimono to clothe her nakedness until they got off the ship.

A banging came at the hatch five minutes later.

Derek opened it, and Alex and Ariel ran in, ambushing him with hugs. They were both naked, and they looked adorable.

Wendy was carrying Aaron against her breast, while Homer, in just a kimono, held hands with Joshua…while he argued with Wendy.

“And who’s supposed to pardon you walking around with your boobs out?” he snapped.

“Homer, it’s just one, and Aaron’s hungry!” Wendy snapped back.

“You’ve been breastfeeding him too damn long!” snapped Homer.

“Excuuse me?” said Wendy. ”Nova, how old are Alexander and Ariel?”

“Twenty months old,” said Nova. “Homer, your two children are nine months younger, if you remember. They’re not even a year old yet.”

“He should remember that!” snapped Wendy.

“I remember that they were born sometime in June. All right! They’re almost a year old!” yelled Homer. “Wendy, why do you keep on babying them?”

“Because they’re babies,” said Wendy.

“They’re starting to eat solid food now! They’ll grow too dependent on you, like Nova’s brats are on her!” said Homer.

“My…brats?” Nova said, rather insulted.

“We’re not brats!” yelled Ariel.

“Just poo-poo!” giggled Alex.

“Letting them suck at your boobs will make them unmanly!” snapped Homer. “And it’ll give them cooties!”

“Why, you immature dweeb!” yelled back Wendy. “Then don’t come with us if Aaron suckling me nauseates you! He’s hungry!”

“I won’t come then!” snapped Homer, who abruptly shoved Joshua towards his mother, slapped him on his bare bottom, and ran off, slamming the hatch behind him.

Derek snarled, and he opened the hatch, yelling, “Homer! You get back here right now, you rotten excuse for a father! Homer!”

“No, let him be,” sobbed Wendy. “He’s…he’s…jealous!”

“Jealous?” said Nova as she hugged Wendy and helped her comfort Joshua, who was crying, and saying, “dada! DADA! DADA! DADA BAD!”

“Yes, Dada bad,” sobbed Wendy.

“What the fuck is his problem?” snapped Derek.

“He…thinks the kids are too old to breastfeed…” sobbed Wendy.

“That’s nonsense…they’re not even a year old, yet,” said Nova.

“And he wants my breasts back…just for his sexual pleasure,” sobbed Wendy.

“Nursing and pleasure are not mutually exclusive,” said Nova softly.

“I think she’s hot when she nurses our kids,” said Derek as he came up beside Nova and kissed the nape of her neck while she blushed. “Homer’s the one with the problem, Wendy…how long’s the jerk been like this?”

“Ever since he had that fracas with you guys on the bridge and got in trouble,” sobbed Wendy. “And he doesn’t call our sons “ours” anymore, but “yours”. What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s jealous of them, and he shouldn’t be,” Nova said. “We’ll talk this out more on our way to the beach…c’mon…”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

TEN MINUTES LATER

A short Jet Recon Boat ride took the Wildstars and most of the Glitchmans to the beach.

When they got there, they found a charming scene.

Fela, the pregnant Ralkhen girl that they had grown close to, was kneeling in the sand as Nova pulled off her own kimono and kicked off her flip-flops and waved to her. Fela waved back.

Star squealed and said, “Miz Fela!!!”

“Yes, little dear?” said Fela.

“I hear the baby kitties inside you! They’re going Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr….brrrrr…brrrrrrr…”

“They’re trilling and happy,” said Fela.

“That means they wants out?” said Star with a giggle.

“Yes, sweetheart, they want out,” said Fela as she cuddled Star.

Hegen, in the meantime, was getting Fela a drink from a cooler. The soda was called “Kalev”, and it was a local lemon-lime type drink that came in a green glass bottle with a sealer that went to the bottom when one opened it, something like an old Japanese Seven-Up bottle back on Earth.

Wendy waved and smiled at Sasha and Fela, and smiled at Fela’s large, pregnant tummy and thought that Sasha’s smaller first-trimester belly size looked adorable. Wendy looked next to her, and saw Nova in the nude, smiling as Alex lay in her arms, suckling while Derek tickled him and made him laugh. Nova’s own smaller first-trimester tummy was also fully exposed, and Wendy said, “You look so cute pregnant…”

“Thanks,” Nova said as she kissed Derek. Seeing the young couple who were now close to nine years married made Wendy feel just a little worse as she thought, Was marrying Homer a mistake? I thought he wanted to be a father, but now, he’s acting as if he wished we never had kids! Being a caring father does not make someone unmanly…look at Derek and Deke! They’re crazy about their kids…and they’re very manly men, same with Jeff Hardy and his boy David! For the first time, Wendy thought, Might I be better off without Homer? No…look at the trouble Angie had with her dead ex-husband, the insane drunk! Thank heavens she got a good second husband and stepfather for her boy with Clive, another rough, tough dude who loves playing with his boy…

Wendy looked over in time to notice Nova talking animatedly with a cute, dark-haired girl she recognized from Sickbay known as Sergeant Traci Schulman. Traci was a bit younger than Nova, and she had on only an orange Meccaner chapeaux and nothing else. Traci tickled Alex, and then, Nova lay down on a beach towel that Derek set up while he gently took off her chapeau and used its rod-extension to set it up as a parasol for his now totally naked young wife. A beach ball landed near Nova’s foot, and she gave it a good barefoot soccer kick away as Deke and Sasha laughed and applauded.

“What’s this suntan lotion called?” said Traci as she looked at the bottle. “I can’t read these local letters.”

“I can, sort of,” Nova said. “They’re Middle Pellian…the name of the lotion is…hmmm…”Beach Gold”, translated into English. Smells like Coppertone,” she said as she squeezed some onto her hand and began doing Derek’s chest while he began to do her back. “Like me to get some on your back?”

“Sure,” laughed Traci.

Ariel and Star were busy pushing sand into a mound to try and make a castle. Soon, Sasha and Fela helped them while Deke got a beer from the cooler after Hegen pointed it out. “They’ve got Bud here?” he said.

“It came in on the cargo ship White Star,” said Derek. “First ever trade shipment to New Pellias from Earth proper.”

“What are we getting back?” Nova asked.

“Kalev soda and about three gross of these hats,” laughed Derek as he fingered Nova’s chapeaux on its rod extension.

“I heard Homer yelling some crap the other day about cooties,” said Deke. “What’s his problem?”

“He has no balls,” said Sasha. “Figuratively, of course,” said Sasha as she ran her fingers over Deke’s naked equipment.

“Derek’s are in very good working order,” said Nova as she kissed Derek’s navel and admired her husband’s exposed jewels.

“Did I hear some scuttlebutt about you and Fluffy, sir?” asked Deke.

“Don’t mention it,” groaned Derek while Nova giggled while she put suntan lotion on Traci. “Don’t even fucking mention it!”

“Fluffy the kitty went after his balls!” giggled Alex. “She went RRRRRRROOOOWWWL when she did it! Then she went POOPY!” said Alex as he stood up on his little naked toes….

…and suddenly, his face contorted….and he crouched….

…and then, he went poopy from his little bare bottom himself…right in front of everyone…and right in the beach sand.

“ALEXANDER! YOU DO THAT IN THE TOILET!” yelled Nova as everyone laughed.

______________________________________________________________________

III. A RECONCILIATION

The Vicinity of New Pellias

Gamilon Imperial Flagship Gamilstadt

Wednesday, May 10, 2209

0112 Hours: Earth Space-Time (1705 Hours Local Time)

______________________________________________________________________

Later on, Emperor Desslok, clad in only a black dressing gown, strode into the bedchamber that he and Astrena usually shared.

“You summoned me with a message sent to my mind?” he said.

Astrena nodded and smiled. She was on their bed, clad in only a dressing gown of her own in light blue. In her lap was Aisha, who was cuddling naked against her bare breast.

“Yes, Desslok, I have summoned you.”

“To what end? You look so comely, now. Are we not to dress for a private ball before the Assembled Council Elders, the Prime Ralkhen, and the King of the Rigelandians?”

“Yes, I am, and I will be clad only in my ceremonial gown in black, sandals, and a headdress. You will wear a uniform in white to escort me; and the High Queen, my dearest, shall join us clad in only her ceremonial gown in white and sandals, with her beloved in his best dress whites. She will need no crown or headdress.”

“Why is that?”

“You know Nova has returned from her vision quest. She has met Queen Pellas, and the Ancient Queen has crowned her with the Imperishable Crown at last, which will be visible on her brow tonight. This will be a great time of celebration; this ball, and the ball we shall have the next evening in more conventional garb before the Rigelandian Council right after we sign the Grand Treaty re-establishing the Ancient Commonwealth tomorrow morning, by everyone’s choice, on the Argo, hopefully, after the Declaration is made tonight.”

“Aren’t you making the Grand Declaration?” purred Desslok as he kissed Astrena.

“It is not for I to make, actually. The circle must close and reopen tonight. As Pellas declared the Commonwealth long ago on this world, her descendant, our young Nova, must re-declare it again herself. The Matrix will be guiding her in this matter, and that is all I know, save that she contacted me mentally and asked me to continue again as Ruling Queen and Prime Minister to form a Government; a prayer I have accepted.”

Astrena clapped for a servant. A moment later, a nurse came and took Aisha after she burped her, and the sleepy baby was carried off to her nursery.

Desslok and Astrena were left alone.

“Stand up,” said Desslok.

Astrena did so, smiling gently as Desslok. “Yes?” she said.

“It is not meet that we have this great celebration tonight…without having been reconciled to each other?” Desslok said. “And, we are alone for now…I have given orders that none shall disturb us.”

Astrena came to Desslok’s arms, and smiled, and did not protest, as Desslok tenderly stripped her of her dressing gown and cast it to the floor, leaving Astrena nude.

Astrena kissed Desslok at his neckline, and then, she went down his chest as she opened his black dressing gown, lined in red, clasp by clasp, leaving him naked when she pushed it off him and let it fall to the deck.

Astrena knelt before Desslok, and then, she took him into her mouth, tenderly, lovingly sucking at him, receiving his member with kisses, with little slurps, with tender sucks.

“Lay…back on the bed, my love,” Desslok said to her.

Astrena, as bare as a newborn child, without any clothing, jewelry, or headdress on her form, lay back on the bed, and she parted her legs as Desslok began to kiss his way up one foot, starting with her toes, which were soft and tender, even though for the past few days she had not worn boots, choosing only to wear sandals or go barefoot.

He kissed his way up her leg to the center of her, tenderly, gently finding the tuft of dark blond hair above her rosette, kissing her there, and then, he found the very center of her, which he began to tease and lick with his tongue.

“Ohhhh…NOOOO! YES!! YESSSSS!” screamed Astrena as she received his tongue in her femaleness, while she gently raised a foot, and tenderly used her toes to push Desslok’s member against his muscled abdomen, gently pleasuring him with her bare foot, which she used almost as well as her hand.

Desslok gasped and shivered as this went on. Finally, bringing Astrena almost to the point of climax, he said, “Turn over onto your stomach and lie on the bed.”

“Yes?” she gasped.

“I desire to take you from behind…..while playing with your bosom…”

Finally, as she was reaching climax, he entered her womanhood, sliding into her with a practiced motion on the bed as he embraced her, and teased her breasts and the hardened nipples with his hands.

“Aaaaaaa…..shaga…vi’lazshia…yes….fuck me….yes….Desslok….I want….shaga….vilaz…..yes…schessikier mich; Ich’ liebe….dich…ooooo…yessss! YESS!”

So, Astrena went in Pellian, Terran English, Gamilon, and then in Terran again as she climaxed with him inside her in three languages.

And Desslok kept on going on and on and on. His big thick, engorged, beautifully veined, turgid blue/purple shaft rammed repeatedly at her womanhood. Naked, Astrena’s shapely beautiful buttocks were undulating at his loving assault.

He rammed her hard as his hardened, excited testicles slammed over and over and over again into her deep rosy pink rosette.

Desslok smiled at her as they went on and on and on. He thought she was at her most appealing when she was like this, nude, and filled with passion.

Her fleshy petals dripped with her dew and his seed as he climaxed hard inside her, their private parts both slithery and wet, slapping as he went at her again and again and again.

Astrena loved this act, and her Desslok!

In his hands, her full ample, and globulous breasts were bouncing and swaying as they gushed, ejaculating in pulses with her orgasm with her bountiful milk spurting out.

Soon, the milk joined in more puddles beneath her with the puddle of their combined love-essence and seed, in their raw, passionate, all-consuming oceanic coupling of reunion...a blessed satiation for both lovers as they cried together, glad that they were again reconciled, wondering how they could have been so angry with each other as to have denied each other this love for the past few days.

But, now, all of the quarreling was over, and the love was back between the strong, naked Emperor and his beautiful naked Empress and Ruling Queen.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

On the Argo, as classical music (a rock version of Bach’s Little Fugue in G) filtered in from the Captain’s Quarters, Nova Wildstar showered her back while Derek stroked her buttocks tenderly with bath oil.

She no longer felt nauseous, at least not for now. A good meal and some anti-nausea meds had helped. Then, the Wildstars were left alone while Sandor assumed command of the ship. After having fed Alex and Ariel some dinner (and having given Alex a good bath in the shower due to his accident on the beach), followed by some short but blessed time at her breasts, (Nova was noticing that they seemed to be slowly weaning themselves as their nursing sessions grew a little shorter each time) Nova had put the little ones to bed, where they would be watched tonight, up here in the Captain’s Cabin, by Wendy, who was alone with her twins.

Homer was not with her tonight. He had to serve a late watch as Officer of the Deck, which was just as well, because, as we saw, he and Wendy had endured a massive argument a while ago. They were currently not on speaking terms and would not be attending the second ball together later on.

“Astrena and Desslok settled their feud,” she said softly as Derek kissed her neck.

“How do you know that?” Derek said teasingly.

“I received impressions, dear,” Nova said. “They were just up to the same thing…uh….we were doing as a quickie in here half an hour ago before Wendy came up with her kids…”

“Oh, yessss…that,” said Derek as he couldn’t resist goosing Nova’s rosette in the shower.

Nova screamed and dropped her nozzle. “Help! AMBUSH!” she cried. “HELP!” Then, she laughed as Derek grabbed her breasts and began playing with her nipples.

“Dear, dear, dear,” said Nova. “I don’t mind at all when you’re frisky, but, if we get into it now, we’ll never, ever make that private ball!”

“Why not, Your Sublime Majesty?” said Derek into her ear.

“Because I’ll be in here with you all night without any clothes on getting my brains fucked out,” Nova said with a laugh.

Derek saw the point, and he kissed Nova and helped her dry off.

Then, she dried him off. Wrapped in towels, they went back into their cabin.

In their cabin, they began to dress for the first ball.

Derek put on his full Command Dress White uniform, recently made up in the Dynamic Do-All, which consisted of an elaborate white pair of slacks, white shirt, white boots, and a long white peacoat worn with a sash and his katana.

Nova had assembled (for the second ball) a similar Mess White uniform for herself with a long blue skirt that she placed in a garment bag with a set of accessories. Owing to the fact that Nova was not yet actually of Command Rank (Captain or above) the Mess White dress uniform was the highest EDF dress uniform she could wear right now with her current rank of Commander.

Then, Derek gently clothed Nova’s nude body in her white ceremonial gown. She shivered a little in it, and said, “I know it’s the Pellians’ custom…but well….I feel a bit funny wearing so little in public. I mean, you can see so much of me that I’m almost…”

“..naked,” said Derek. “You look lovely…although I also sort of wish you could save this for your secret Council. Or our bedroom?”

“I know,” sighed Nova. “But, Astrena has told me that the Pellian elders will expect me in this. At the first ball, anyway. The white symbolizes purity, and it is a symbol of my new rank amongst them. I was also given a Pellian military uniform to wear at a later convocation on some other night, in black and white. It covers more than this. I…understand their customs…the Matrix tells me it is normal for them, but, I hope I don’t die…of embarrassment!”

“You won’t, Nova, because I will be with you,” Derek said. He closed the see-through gown, kissed her, and slipped a pair of dressy silver high-heeled sandals on her feet, and then gently plaited (at her request) two large White Orchids into her hair. Then, he slipped on a long knit navy blue shawl, which would serve Nova as a cover-up until they got to King Roland’s Palace, where the first Ball would be held.

The Wildstars left a few minutes later, after making sure that Wendy was up there with the kids. They kissed Alex and Ariel good night, and they left.

__________________________________________________________________________

IV. THE FIRST CELEBRATION…

Planet of New Pellias

The Union of Rigelandia

The City of Beltane

King Roland’s Palace

Wednesday, May 10, 2209

0210 Hours: Earth Space-Time (1803 Hours Local Time)

__________________________________________________________________________

At King Roland’s Palace, the Wildstars arrived in a closed black limo driven by a staff officer of the local planetary military forces. When they stopped, a Palace Groom took the garment bags that contained Nova’s change of clothing for the second ball and took it inside.

When they got out, near a red carpet into the Palace, they saw a line of soldiers on guard in two lines, forming a long rank from the red carpet’s beginning up the high stairs into the Palace. They alternated a bit; some were members of the local Rigelandian Marine Corps; others were Gamilons, and some others were Pellians. Some, Derek saw, were Space Marines under Lieutenant Miyagawa’s command, and, last of all, wearing only baldrics to hold their swords, there were four large Ralkhen troopers.

General Troughton saw the Wildstars approaching. He snapped, “PRESENT ARMS!” as the couple approached, and Derek and Nova walked up past a line of men with their slug rifles, blasters, or swords at the ready.

“This way, Honored Ones,” said a tall Ralkhen guard.

Nova and Derek were walked down a number of corridors. They stopped at one, where the Ralkhen asked Nova to leave her wrap behind. With a slight blush, Nova allowed Derek to take away her shawl, leaving her in only her ceremonial gown, and a light, beautiful glow that was issuing from her nude body beneath the thin gown. Nova was naked except for her gown and silvery sandals, but she was clothed in a soft light.

Nova looked at herself in a full-length mirror, blushed, and smiled as the thought came to her mind, Let the Matrix decorate you. This is the point of why you are dressed like this for this Ball….so that the Pellians can see the glory of their new High Queen as she briefly stands revealed before passing back into the shadows…

“Nova, how do you feel? Do you want that shawl back?” Derek whispered.

“No…I’m letting the Matrix clothe me in its light…just as, I sense, It often clothed Queen Pellas…”

Derek then looked at Nova’s face. A light began to appear above her brow. They were both awed by it.

“What is that beautiful light?” Nova said softly.

Then, before they passed into the next Hall, Nova and Derek stood shocked as a vision again appeared unto them.

Standing there, in a similar white gown, but holding a bright, silver sword, was the spirit of Queen Pellas herself. She had a similar star at her brow, and was clothed in a diaphanous white gown like Nova’s, with white flowers in her hair, and what looked like crystalline sandals on her bare feet.

Pellas smiled at Nova and said, “As I told you, earlier, the Light you bear is the Crown Imperishable. I have a memory of it at my brow, and I will be here in spirit tonight, watching over Thee, daughter. You two look so young, beautiful, and clad in white. You are the Debutantes tonight…the very youngest ones here amongst the Pellian, Rigelandian, and Gamilon Elders. Fitting, for tonight, Terra begins to assume its destiny; the destiny it was Created for, the destiny it was so long Preserved for. There are great Spiritual Forces here tonight, even though you two do not yet have the eyes to see them. Some are very good, and at least two of them have literally come here from the Light of the High Presence Himself. But, some are Evil, and one of them comes from the Throne of Mockery itself, to serve our Enemy. He also has eyes watching this gathering tonight, and the second gathering. Be ye careful. I do not foresee that this will entirely be a Ball of Peace tonight. But I will be here…even though you may not be able to see Me….”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Nova said, curtseying slightly to the mighty, burning maiden who stood there on guard with her sword.

_______________________________________________

In the meantime, Ekogaru, who was far away in his cavern in black robes in the dark on R’Khell’eva, bowed as he watched Randall Flagg. Flagg was there, at the Ball, disguised tonight as a Rigelandian General, and he was sending a mental report back.

“Is it time to strike yet?” said Ekogaru.

“No, not yet,” said Flagg. “I was given specific orders for tonight. I am to incite Chaos without directly causing it…that will be easy to do, given that you will have Bolars attending the Ball with the Vilani Socialists.”

“Who gave you those orders?” whispered Ekogaru.

“Much higher Authority in the Kingdom than you,” hissed Flagg.

“Who gave you such Authority?”

“He of High Rank,” hissed Flagg. “He who is far more Ancient than us.”

“Not…?” gasped Ekogaru.

“Yes,” hissed Flagg. “The Plenipotentiary of the Great Rebel himself. Who I believe, has orders for you, too…”

Ekogaru felt Flagg breaking contact….and then, he saw a strange, grey hole opening up in reality….

….where a mighty and terrible Demon Lord with burning eyes entered the cave.

Ekogaru recognized the indistinct form at once; he was known as Asmodeus, the Lord of Dis, an infernal City in the Kingdom of Hell.

“Lord, why do you remind me of old defeats?” said Ekogaru.

“SILENCE!” snapped Asmodeus. “I come from the Throne Room of the Master. It is his desire that you continue to make things uncomfortable for the Pellians. But do not at this time try to engage the Ruling Queen or High Queen in direct combat. Do that, and the Master Accuser prophecies you shall die and pass into Hell at once, your Sphere broken, and you will enter Our Kingdom earlier than anticipated to fall unto eternal torment as a SUBJECT of his, rather than a Prince. It is the desire of the Master that you begin building your Empire again to match the Pellians’ building alliance. And stop casting about so much with those foolish fancies from Terran movies. They do not become Thee. They make Thee look like a Fool. Build thy Empire, and bide…thy…time….”

At that, Asmodeus bowed mockingly, and he vanished.

Ekogaru sat moping. He thought, I have the Bolar there. I will also send R’Khell forces to aid them, and I have a few Black Nebulan ships left. I can muster up about three hundred space warships for this raid. The Terrans, Pellians, and Gamilons have less than a hundred ships there. I can defeat them by sheer force of numbers and a sheer mass of troops. New Pellias, so-called, will then be given over to the Bolar Federation so they can use it as an advance base to strike at both the heart of the Gamilon Empire and the Terran Federation.

Ekogaru then smiled. He gathered his resources, possessed the shivering body of Gary Maples, and he flew off into the Void, appearing a moment later back on the bridge of the damaged Black Nebulan space battleship Mejansa.

He stood there, robed in black, and smiled darkly as he waited for Jigan to kneel.

“Have you assembled the forces I asked for?” hissed the Dark Lord.

“I have, Lord,” said Jigan as he grinned like a madman.

“Yes, Lord,” said Jigan. “The Bolar Forces are under the command of Admiral Naljinsky. They have regrouped, and Naljinsky has been in touch with the Vilani Union Premier and told him to anticipate a landing of Bolar troops on his planet from the 212^th Fleet. A Lieutenant Igor Pushkin will be the commanding officer of the landing force, known as the 265^th Strike Legion. Their mission will be to terrorize the Vilani into obedience by raping, pillaging, and murdering the Vilani until they comply with Bolar goals, which are the same as the goals of…”

“…my Galactic Axis,” hissed Ekogaru.

“Yes, our mighty Galactic Axis,” said Jigan. “Lord, the Vilani have been in peace negotiations with the Rigelandians and have been making noises about accepting the Pellian takeover of this world. Najinsky’s job will be to disabuse them of this notion. The Vilani will again be encouraged to work with the Bolars, as we agreed, and their nation will become a beachhead for their occupation of the planet for the Galactic Axis you have declared.”

“Excellent,” said Ekogaru. “What of the R’Khell role?”

“A new R’Khell Fleet is on its way under Grand Admiral Hyzot Dinar, Lord. He will cooperate with us. My job will be to take the Princess Invidia as a captive. Through heavy and severe torture in the Sphere of Joy, she will be forced to bless our endeavors as a House move and declare a full war upon Terra. We hope to attack the Earth next after we secure affairs at Meccaner, which will be New Pellias no more,” said Jigan.

“Good work,” said Ekogaru. “We shall begin to execute.”

“Yes, My Lord,” said Jigan as he bowed.

_____________________________________________________________________

On the Argo, it was near sunset as Knox sat quietly in his cell in the Brig, playing solitaire with a deck of cards.

He heard a tap on the bars, and he looked up, glumly, to see Serena Skollar standing there.

“No…” said Serena, who sat down on a box, showing her legs as her new white skirt hiked up a little. She now had on a sleeveless summer blouse in pink and black, knee-length skirt in white, and black sandals.

Some of the other Marines saw her, and they began to yell various rude comments.

“Hey, babe, makin’ a house calls from the whorehouse?’

“Yo, girl, nice legs!”

“Nice tits!” yelled one of them.

Knox yelled, “SHUT UP, JACKASSES! DERE’S A LADY PRESENT!”

“Back to where we were, “ said Serena. “I want to thank you for saving me back on Abraxas. Even though I was not very ladylike because you were then a little less than gentlemanly. What are you in the brig for?”

“Fightin’,” said Knox.

“Over what?” said Serena.

“Shipboard business,” said Knox. “I’ll be outta here in a while, Serena…”

“I heard something about a riot caused after Mrs. Wildstar, sweetly, but a little naively, stripped naked to show her sympathy with the Ralkhen after IQ-9 ripped her outfit off. Remind me to keep away from that pile of bolts. Were you part of that?”

“Yeah…sorry…we were lookin’ and some shit was said, and the Star Force guys hadda defend Nova’s honor. You said you was in medical school. Know her?”

“By reputation. She’s supposed to be a very bright but high-minded student. I was at her wedding years ago to then-Captain Wildstar. Very heroic girl, maybe a little too idealistic,” said Serena.

“Why are you in Medical School?”

“Reason one, to make a career for myself. Reason two, to show my ex a thing or two. He thought I was all boobs and high, squeaky voice sans brains. Do you recognize that I have brains?”

“You can sure hit a guy,” laughed Knox.

“We may have a start there.”

“You and your ex…any kids…?”

“One….he had a genetic disease. The little boy died six days after he was born,” said Serena quietly. “Not long after that, my marriage, which was limping along like an old V-8 piston engine on four cylinders, limped its last and we finally agreed to call it quits. Don’t worry. I can have kids…like most men ask. The genetic disease was on his side.”

“Wanna go out after I’m out of here?”

Serena smiled. “I can think about it. You’re not so dumb, I think. You know that?”

“Thanks,” said Knox. “You’re the first lady in a long time who hasn’t talked to me like I’m dumb.”

“That’s because you’re not, Sergeant,” said Serena softly. She kissed his nose through the bars and picked up her purse and took off.

Knox sat there smiling to himself to lots of yells of “Knox got a girlfriend…Sarge got a piece o’ ass!” as he sat back on his bunk and thought of pleasant things.

______________________________________________________________________

At the Ball, a Herald introduced Desslok and “Astrena, the Ruling Queen of the Pellian Commonwealth.” Then, he paused and said, “The Ruling Queen is accompanied by Commodore Derek Wildstar of the Earth Defense Forces, who is the commander of the heroic Space Battleship Argo. The Commodore is being escorted by the new White Lady, Commander Nova Wildstar of Earth, his spouse, also possessed of distant Pellian and Iscandarian ancestry…the Primary Bearer of the Matrix and our new High Queen…”

Oohs and Ahhs accompanied the appearance of the young couple in white as they strode down the stairs together with Desslok.

The same haunting military march that had played at the Declaration Ceremony again played as Nova strode down the stairs grasping Derek’s hand.

They wondered why the young Terran girl was near-naked in a white ceremonial gown so much like Queen Pellas’ gown that it almost looked presumptuous. Or, why the young officer escorting her was all in white himself, like an ancient Pellian officer from the old times.

They were answered a moment later when they saw a light beginning to appear at Nova’s brow.

Light and gentle at first, the Light began to grow almost overwhelming as a gentle light covered Nova’s body, from the crown of her head down to her sandaled toes, making her light gown seem almost gossamer on the naked body beneath.

Astrena, in her black gown and black sandals with silver headdress, looked quietly awed, along with Derek. Desslok tried to look as cool as possible, but he was startled as Nova raised a hand and waved to the crowd, with the Light from her burning as it had back in the days when Queen Starsha had been young, and he had been to her coronation as a boy.

Nova saw one of the Priests of Pellias there, and she smiled and genuflected to the Priest, kissing his hand as Astrena watched her come down the stairs and walk into the hall with a surprised, bemused Derek at her side.

Astrena spoke to some of her courtiers, who nodded quickly, and saw to it that the Scepter was handed to the Priest.

The robed Priest handed the Scepter to Nova in silence.

She held it up after almost instinctively kissing it as she followed the Matrix’s lead on what to do.

Nova stood there as the jewel in the Scepter blazed with a glorious white light, leaving the Pellians and the assembled Ralkhen elders and lords of Rigelandia in wonder as she knelt before Astrena and handed her the Scepter, saying, “As I have been anointed by the Pellian Matrix that burns within me, as successor of Pellas, I hand the right to rule to you, Ruling Queen Astrena. Create a Government!”

Tears ran down Astrena’s cheeks as she hugged Nova, her rule made legitimate in spectacular fashion by One all of the Elders now knew was their legitimate High Queen.

Then, Astrena stood and put her hands on Nova’s shoulders and said, “I thank you, Majesty, for thus creating me. I ask all of ye who have seen this to keep this memory as quiet as possible in your breasts. Keep among yourselves that this Terran girl is indeed our High Queen. For, even though the Matrix has anointed her, I prophecy and declare that the Hour has not yet Come when she will lead us into battle against the Nameless. When that Hour comes someday, the whole Cosmos will know it as she takes back to herself the Scepter and mounts her steed and openly declares war on the Hated One at last with an eye to his destruction. That hour is coming. But it is not here yet!”

The crowd applauded long and hard at Astrena’s stirring words, and many of the Elders came to embrace her.

Desslok was pleased, smiling as his Empress and the Pellian Ruling Queen became the center of attention.

________________________________________________________________________

On the other hand, Derek and Nova were respectfully spoken of, and respectfully greeted by many present, but Derek noticed that not many of them spoke long to Nova.

Nova found herself led to a red, velvet-covered chair, where she sat down with Derek holding her hand.

She noticed that although the Pellians came and bowed to her and showed her and Derek a great deal of respect, not many spoke to her for long.

Derek stared impassively at the crowd, and then he looked at her with a smile laced with love and pity, and said, “They’re scared of you.”

“Scared? Of me?” said Nova.

Derek nodded gently. “I can see that flame burning above your head. I know what it is…that it’s just part of you…so I can’t condemn you for it…but to these people…you’re beloved, but you’re like a living goddess to them. Oh, if only they could see one of your hormonal fits, my dear Goddess, when you whip things across the room…” Derek said with a smile.

“Up yours, Derek,” Nova whispered. That made them both giggle a little, and they were found touching noses as a huge Ralkhen showed up.

He was close to seven feet tall, and his fur was jet-black. He wore only a deep grey sash around his waist, and black open-toed boots. He said, quietly, “Majesty, my name is Field Marshal Danek. I am one of the commanders of the Pellian Border Legion Ground Forces. I have heard so much of you through our gestalt and Mother Miarahl, little one. Your reputation precedes you. Commodore Wildstar, it is my understanding the Nameless One fears you both?”

“He does,” said Derek while Nova quietly appraised the large Ralkhen commander. “We have met him in combat many times, since…”

“Since the day when he transported the original Planet Pellias through the Interphase,” said Danek. “I was on another part of Pellias then, and helped oppose the later invasion by the Rikashan Empire before they saw the light. It was my lot to fight many of the R’Khells before I was ordered to flee Pellias with a ship of refugees by Her Ruling Majesty here,” said Danek as he bowed to Astrena, who was walking up with Desslok. “It is a pity that I could not have met you then, but, even then, when you rescued Aliscea, who had the Matrix at that time, we Ralkhen had a sense that It would at some point find another Bearer.”

“And why was that?” asked Astrena.

“Lady, we had a sense that Aliscea was not all she could be…from prior dealings with her,” said Danek. He shut his eyes to close out the painful memories of a time, about a year before Planet Pellias was brought to bay at last, when Ekogaru’s forces were opposing the Pellian Commonwealth over a planet in the Blackeye Galaxy known as Skaldic

Nova picked up from the mind of Danek an image of Aliscea, in combat, standing with a large group of Pellian soldiers and Ralkhen as they were overwhelmed by the enemy.

In this mental flashback…Nova saw the following, taken gently from the mind of Danek, and shared with Derek through her bond with him.

Danek looked at Aliscea and said, “Lady, I advise you to begin an ordered retreat to a safer position!”

“WHY?” snapped Aliscea as she looked at Danek, who, in battle, wore only his fur and a cartridge belt.

“Lady, we’re outnumbered here, and they have the high ground!” Danek yelled as Technomugar laser fire bounced all around them and men died screaming. “If we can move over to Hill 932, we can set up a flanking move!”

“My father, Gralnacz, is leading that column!” yelled Aliscea as she shot fire at them and drew lots of enemy fire. “If I can capture or kill him....I will have my moment of glory; my moment of revenge against the bastard!”

“Lady! This is about a victory, not your personal revenge!” snapped Danek. “If you ever become High Queen, do you think you’d have our confidence as Supreme Commander against Ekogaru if you act like this?”

“DAMN WHAT YOU THINK, CAT!” she said as she struck Danek in the face. “I give you my orders to fight, fight, FIGHT!”

“I will follow your orders, Lady,” said Danek. “But think not that you have my respect!”

The flashback ended, and Nova looked at Danek with pity and kissed him.

“Your poor people, having to deal with a commander like that,” Nova said in a gentle sense of outrage. “I’m only thirty, and I’ve had enough military training and real-life experience in battle to know that you don’t let the enemy come at you from the high ground like that…you pull back and reflank, that’s what you do, right Derek?”

“Yes, it is,” said Derek.

“Don’t be deceived,” said Desslok. “She almost still looks like a mere teen, but she’s a commander with the heart of a lioness,” he said as he bowed to Nova. “Indeed, her defense of her beloved surprised me so much that my opinion about the Terran race was changed in a few minutes when I was fighting them. One of the strongest assets Terrans have is their loyalty and love for one another and those under their command.”

“And you don’t go about insulting your allies, either, especially when they are bleeding and dying to protect your own butt!” Nova huffed. “Aliscea should have had her head examined for insulting one of her own commanders like that! Danek, if you and I are ever in battle together, someday, you have my ears.”

“I sense, Lady, that this is a true statement,” said Danek. “If, in battle, your character is as strong as the promise of it is, you will be someone that we do not just follow…but revere…”

A moment later, Katrina came up with Foxy as dance music sounded all around them. She kissed Foxy and said, “May I have this dance with you, Commodore Wildstar? That is provided Nova won’t mind letting her out of your sight for a few minutes…”

Nova and Derek looked at each other, and nodded. Then, Derek said to Nova, “I’m getting the sense that Danek would like to dance with you…”

Nova kissed Derek passionately and then turned to Danek and curtseyed. Several of the Pellian officers and many of the Ralkhen smiled at that as Nova flounced off onto the dance floor with the large Ralkhen.

Derek held Katrina’s hands, and he danced with her in a rather decorous waltz. She smiled at him and said, “Could you hold me a little closer?”

“If I did, a certain Lady might get very jealous,” smiled Derek.

“She’s cuddling up to Puss in Boots over zere,” she said in a low voice as she heard a Ralkhen or two hissing at her comment. “He has his tail around your wife…”

“So?” said Derek. “I trust Nova, and she trusts me. We don’t have a lot of reason to be insanely jealous. What’s up?”

“I wanted to dance vid you, Derek, because I am overhearing things,” whispered Katrina. “They are amazed at Her Ladyship, but I’ve heard reports that a Bolar Federation fleet has been spotted in this star system. Some of our friends think they are up to no good, and two Vilani agents have been caught trying to communicate with them. Please tell Astrena and Nova that you have the trust of their Premier, but I am getting the definite sense that others in the ranks of the Vilani cannot be trusted. And some of their commanders still have political prisoners in jail in the Vilani capital, and they are due to be executed. A few of the Ralkhens are wondering if a rescue mission may not be in order…”

“I’ll communicate this to Astrena and Desslok…thank you,” said Derek as Katrina held him. Finally, he smiled at her and said, “Do you have a crush on me?”

“I do think you are cute,” said Katrina. “Yes.”

“I thought so,” said Derek with a blush. As they flounced around, they passed Nova, who was twirling with Danek. She smiled at Derek and winked, sending the thought, Don’t let her cling to you like that. That’s my job, dear…

Derek smiled and sent back, You be careful with Danek, dear. I don’t want to get a furball caught in my throat when I roll around in the rack with you tonight…

Nova giggled and smiled back at Derek. Danek asked her, “What is so amusing, Lady?”

“Derek…oh…he’s just…Derek at times,” Nova said.

“Tell him I don’t shed,” said Danek in an amused voice. “I’m not like the silly house cat you keep as a pet…”

“How’d you know about Fluffy?” Nova said.

“The Matrix gives you the ability to tie into our gestalt,” said Danek gently. “Your thoughts are almost as exposed to me as your pretty little breasts are in your ceremonial gown, m’lady.”

Nova blushed deeply at that, having almost forgotten about her ceremonial near-nakedness in the light gown she had own. “I…uhh…”

“I sense this is strange for you…not necessarily bad…just…strange…”

Nova nodded. She then added, “I am learning how to do a ceremonial Iscandarian dance I may someday be brave enough to do in public.”

“The one where you dance in only your bare skin with a veil thrown about you as decoration?” said Danek.

Nova nodded and blushed even more deeply. “yes…part of me likes to…dance naked…”

“I can’t deny that you are very pretty and it would be a pleasant sight to see you like that,” said Danek as he stroked Nova’s hair.

She smiled and blushed even harder at that, thinking, I want my Derek…and…oh God…why do I want him to take me off somewhere and strip me right now? I need to control myself….control…control….

Danek looked at her and could barely keep back a laugh. “You blush right down to your toes, little one! That’s adorable!” he laughed.

Nova hugged Danek, trying to keep from blushing as the dance ended while the song went into its last few notes. She bowed, curtseyed, kissed Danek’s hand, and ran back to Derek.

Derek was trying, (and we do stress trying) to stop his dance with Katrina, who had him ambushed in a tight hug.

Nova finally had to whisper in her ear, “Katrina?”

“Yesss, blushy one?”

“May I please have my Derek back?” Nova said softly.

“Yes, after the song ends,” said Katrina; the song’s last note was playing as she said this.

Foxy then appeared and tapped her on the shoulder. “Katrina, this is Foxy. Nova wants you to finish this, and I agree with her. Please do hurry up?”

Katrina smiled. She mischievously gave Derek a kiss on the cheek, and said, “I shall see you later, Derek. This was wonderful…”

Katrina bowed, and placed Derek’s hand back in Nova’s.

“Thank you,” said Derek, Nova, and Foxy all in chorus to Katrina.

Katrina bowed, looking rather cute in the white dress she had on, which had red and black accessories (red hair ribbons, a black choker, and black sandals) and then, she flounced off to go outside to one of the balconies.

$Description: Description: Description: Description: C:\Users\Honey Bunny\Documents\My Documents\Bunny Nest of Documents\STORIES\Star Blazers\FREDDO'S VISIONS PROJECT\The New Comet\10. Reorganization\Deepwater5c_files\image018.png$ Foxy followed her, and he found her sitting out there a few minutes later, smiling a little as she looked up at the early evening stars.

“The stars are so pretty here on what they have named New Pellias, aren’t they?” said Katrina.

“Why must you be a spectacle, dear?” said Foxy.

“A spectacle? I do not have to wear glasses yet, Foxy one,” said Katrina.

“No, no, no, Katrina. I mean, why do you have to cause trouble?”

“Trouble?” she said with a mock-innocent voice. “Vat sort of trouble did I cause?”

“You danced a little bit too long with Commodore Wildstar. And you clung to him. In front of his wife, no less. Nova is the guest of honor here tonight. Congratulations. You just made your ostensible liege-lord look like an idiot!”

“She looked funny dancing with the cat-person general in her…what do you call that thin ceremonial thing she has on? Her nightgown? Being the near-naked fairy Princess suits her well,” giggled Katrina. “All she needs is magic wand and wings growing out of her back.”

“You’re being silly,” said Foxy. “And you’re on that Council. Isn’t that what they all wear?”

“Yes, because they are all ancient and exotic meeting in nighties like slumber party,” said Katrina. “Pellias always had freaky customs.”

“But you’re on their turf now,” said Foxy.

“Turf, what turf?” Katrina said as she moved her sandaled feet around. “Nothing out here but stone floor.”

“Katrina, dear,” Foxy sighed. “I mean the place they are on …we are on….oh….I’m getting jealous!”

“Vhy?” said Katrina.

“We’re married. And what did you do? Flirted with Gamilon General Talan. Then you flirted with their General Fraken. Then, you danced with Troughton, then with Pellian Admiral Hallas, and then you had to go off with Derek.”

“Nova had Puss in Boots,” said Katrina. “And I had to share information vid those men. I was not about to dance with Desslok. I know him. He barely lets go of a woman when he dances with her. Nova had a dance with him and turned very, very, very blushy…”

“You had one dance with me. One!”

“Okay then, let’s dance right now,” said Katrina as she hugged Foxy.

“Out here?”

“Best place for you to let hands wander, no one will see,” said Katrina as she hugged Foxy tightly and they began to cuddle while they danced in the warm night under the stars.

________________________________________________________________

“What a lovely thought,” he said to Astrena. “You and I both have domains in the stars now. My Empire, and your Commonwealth….”

“I know…it is a beautiful thought that you are helping me rebuild our Commonwealth…”

“I had sympathy for you from the day we met,” said Desslok. “You had lost your home to war; so had I. The difference being that I lost my own Empire partly to my pride and folly, while you…”

“I also lost our war with Ekogaru to my own pride and folly,” said Astrena. “I depended upon my fleets…that lost battle after battle after our High Queen and Ruling Queen were killed, and I depended too much upon Aliscea. Aliscea. I thought that since she had received the Matrix, she would be our next High Queen. She kept me from giving up…”

“You need not give up, Highness,” said Desslok as he came over to Astrena, who was holding the Pellian Scepter in her hand. It gleamed in the night with a white light, matched by the splendor of the blue jewel that burned in her headdress.

“No, you and the Terrans taught me that,” said Astrena. “Fascinating, is it not, that the hope came from Terra for Aliscea’s perfection, and when that failed, Destiny brought us a new High Queen from Terra. Yet, when she comes into her own, I will not be her Ruling Queen for long.”

“Why not?” said Desslok as a cold note of fear came into his voice. Is she going to die? Desslok thought.

“Aisha will be of age when our adoptive daughter passes through the Fire. If Nova wins through successfully, I will then eventually step down to become Queen Mother of Pellias for the rest of my days, and your Empress over your Empire. I sense that the Commonwealth we are building will be for Aisha and their heirs of her body to reign over in a long rule of peace, while Aisha’s High Queen keeps watch…”

“Keeps watch?” said Desslok.

“When Ekogaru finally…dies…” said Astrena. “I sense that his Shadow, and the evil of his Empire, race, and bizarre religious movement…will not die, even though he dies at last and falls into a deep and horrible perdition. The quest of men to turn themselves into machines and become petty gods will only live on in another form for a long time. If we win, Aisha’s High Queen, who is hazy to me, will keep a vigil, perhaps for centuries, working behind the scenes, until the evil of Ekogaru, of humans who become machines in a twisted bid to gain eternal life…passes away at last into foolishness…”

Astrena smiled at Desslok and gently undid her gown.

“Why this?” he said.

“I sense Aisha’s hunger from here,” said Astrena softly as Desslok tenderly kissed her breast and gave her now-bare womanhood a gentle stroke. “She needs us…and I must have her against me to begin the ritual where Nova will anoint her as my heir-apparent, subject to the wishes of the people, of course. Come…let us go forth from this balcony…from night…into day…”

Desslok held Astrena as they left.

________________________________________________________________

In the meantime, Nova danced with Derek as a pair of green-skinned Bolar Federation agents, disguised pretty effectively as Cometine Observers from House Gatlantis invited by Desslok and Astrena to observe the rebirth of the Pellian Commonwealth (and to hopefully report back to Radnar on its power and growth), stood nearby listening to the music (which happened to be Strauss’ Waltz of the Blue Danube) and they smiled and said, “Should we make a grab now?”

“His Lordship wants one of these female nobles kidnapped for a bargaining chip,” said the other one, a blond agent known as Vekel.

“You can try and take of the Majesties, and see how far you get,” said Polatz. “Let’s see? Would you prefer that Desslok kills you, or that that crazy long-haired Wildstar does it? Or that the magical women do it themselves?”

“How do you know Wildstar’s reputation?” said Polatz.

“Fought the Argo some months back. Barely escaped with life,” whispered Vekel. “He’s a killer. They even say his frail-looking little High Queen there is a killer, too,” said Vekel. “She’s supposed to have taken on His Lordship himself. And won a few times. His Lordship…with his supernatural powers…he gives me the creeps. He makes most women’s blood freeze. Except hers. They say that crazy woman almost regards him with contempt.”

“Don’t talk too loud, idiot,” said Polatz as he watched Nova and Derek twirling and dancing in their waltz to Strauss. “Have a good idea. Try for the Cometine bitch.”

“Cometine bitch?” whispered Vekel.

“Did you see the girl with the purple hair dancing with the stupid-looking long-haired Terran with the black tuxedo? That is really Princess Invidia,” said Polatz.

“I like the idea,” said Vekel. “How do we grab her?”

“Between the balls. This celebration is running out…and then, the other one will begin. We can get her then…” said Polatz.

“I think I like this idea,” said Vekel with a big grin.

Both evil men laughed at that.

___________________________________________________________________

After the waltz ended, (and after Foxy had danced with Katrina and had slipped a hand or two up her dress a few times), Foxy was left alone while Katrina said she wanted to sit outside and watch the stars for a while.

He came back in by himself, figuring that she would come back in at some point…or he’d go and find her. He guessed she would not get far.

In the meantime, Astrena came in with Aisha in her arms, accompanied by a smiling Desslok, who held hands with her brother Dellar, who was the heir-apparent of the Gamilon Empire.

Astrena came in, with the naked baby girl at her breast. Her gown was now open, and it was clear that the Ruling Queen of Pellias was naked under her black, filmy gown. Astrena walked more quietly now, since she was now barefoot.

She stood in front of the group and said, “You see that Dellar here, who stands here with my mate, Leader Desslok, is heir-apparent of the Gamilon-Garuman Empire. As we have declared a New Pellian Commonwealth, I would now like to present the heir-apparent of my realm, your probable next Ruling Queen, my little Aisha. Aisha is part Gamilon, as you can see, and part Pellian. Wave to the crowd, little one…” said Astrena.

The people smiled and applauded as Aisha waved at the crowd, and then squealed, “Hiyas!!!”

“She talks?” whispered Danek to Nova.

“Of course she does,” Nova whispered back. “She said her first words a few weeks ago, and now…”

“…well, now, she’s refusing to shut up,” whispered back Derek.

“As you see, as a symbol of innocence to those not familiar with our customs, Aisha has no clothes,” said Astrena as she whispered to Desslok, who then stripped the Ruling Queen of everything but her headdress.

Astrena then came up to Nova, bowed to her, and went down before her on one knee, stating, “I ask you to take her in your arms and anoint her, Majesty.”

“Me?” Nova said.

“Yes, you,” said Pellian Admiral Hallas. “It is part of your job, as you wear the Crown Incorruptible..”

“Okay,” said Nova as she shut her eyes, blushed as she caught the will of the Matrix, and then opened her gown so that Aisha would be against her bare chest to begin the little ceremony. She sent to Derek, Please undress me?

Are you serious, Nova? Derek sent back.

Nova giggled and said, I already have my breasts out…and...everything below my waist, Nova sent back. Makes sense, since I’m supposed to rub oil into a squiggly, naked baby’s skin in about a minute…

Derek kissed Nova and said, “This sure is exotic,” as he began to undo her sandals while some attendants set up her throne.

“This sure is different,” said Nova.

$Description: Description: Description: Description: C:\Users\Honey Bunny\Documents\My Documents\Bunny Nest of Documents\STORIES\Star Blazers\FREDDO'S VISIONS PROJECT\The New Comet\10. Reorganization\Deepwater5c_files\image021.png$ Everyone watched with smiles as, per her wishes, Derek very tenderly stripped Nova of all of her garments, sandals, gown, even the White Orchid in her hair, until she matched Astrena in her lovely nakedness . Her only decoration was the wonder of the Incorruptible Crown on her brow, as some in the group said, “How lovely…she looks almost like Her Majesty, Queen Pellas…or the paintings of her…”

“No, I remember her…she is a living portrait of Queen Pellas…with shorter hair!” said Miarahl. “Nova, there need be no shame in your body at all. In the last two years of her life, Queen Pellas took a vow, and with the consent of her husband, gave away all of her clothes except for her ceremonial gown. She either wore her gown or went naked, and when she fought Ekogaru and died…he was in a massive suit of armor, with weapons, a black cloak, and metal boots. She was barefoot and naked except for the Incorruptible Crown when she confronted him, and that was the way she died…”

Nova shivered a little at that as Aisha was placed in her lap. She smiled as she played with Desslok and Astrena’s little naked blue-skinned child, stroking her little bottom and playing with her nose and then her toes with tenderness as Nova raised a long, slender leg and let the baby sit on her thigh, skin to skin, as she often did with Alex and Ariel.

A servant bowed to Nova as she brought a small plain pottery cup that Nova found had a sweet-smelling oil in it.

Nova then kissed Aisha and said, “Are you ready?”

“Yes, I am ready,” Aisha said in a small voice as Derek stroked Nova’s shoulders, surprised at the first complete sentence he had heard from the little Pellian/Gamilon Princess. “You have a pretty light above your eyes like what I see from Mommy at times…”

“I know,” Nova said sweetly as she kissed Aisha’s nose. “You’re so smart! What’s your name?”

“Princess Aisha D’Shal Dess’say Iroze, Princess Googleplex o’ New Pellias and…and…Nummer Two Princess of Gamilon after my brother, who goes fart in the bed…”

“I DO NOT!” said Dellar as he struggled free from his father, making the crowd laugh.

“Do too,” said Aisha, who stuck her tongue out at him.

“How long has she been talking?” said Derek.

“Several weeks,” said Astrena. “She learned that silly word from Ariel,” laughed Astrena.

“What word?” said Derek.

“GOOOOOOGLPLEX!!!!!!” said Aisha. “Ariel says it means the biggest, bestest, baddest, bravest, stickiest thing in the entire universe! Ariel says so inna bath with Mommy and Pwetty Nova here!”

Then, smiling, and blushing just a little, Nova sat there, dipped her fingers in the oil, and said, “I understand that the People of Pellias desire you to be the next Ruling Queen when your mother steps down…”

“I think so,” said Aisha gently as she looked at Nova, smiled, and gently began to bounce her bare breast around in her little hand.

Astrena smiled and said, “She wants your milk….she can sense you have plenty.”

“Is it all right to let her have some right now?” Nova said, laughing as Aisha said, “YES!” Then, she latched on and began to suckle at Nova’s breast.

Nova then said, “By the Matrix’s Will, I anoint thee, little one, as Crown Princess of Pellias, the next Ruling Queen upon your election…”

Nova then put her fingers in the cup of oil, and gently anointed little Aisha’s hair and face with the sweet oil. Then, Nova got more, and while Aisha raised her head to take a breath, Nova began to anoint her with a tender massage from her shoulders down, just like she did when she gave Alex or Ariel a baby massage. All of Aisha’s pretty blue skin, from her arms, hands and chest was anointed by Nova, who then gently went down to her tummy to anoint her, followed by, with a nod from Astrena, her little bottom, the area between her legs (Nova noticed she was very clean there, an advantage of her lack of diapers, she guessed), her little thighs, and her legs, down to her little toes, each of which was anointed with a kiss by Nova.

“She must be a very sweet mother with your little ones,” said Danek as he came up behind Derek and smiled at Nova, who was unselfconsciously allowing Aisha to climb up her body to explore her collarbone with her hands, followed by both breasts, and then, the tiny Princess’ hands explored Nova’s belly button as Derek smiled.

“She is,” said Derek. “She does something with them at home on a hot day which is really cute.”

“And that is?” said Danek.

Nova picked up Derek’s thought, smiled, and said, “I let them play mud pies with me in the yard.”

“Mud pies?” laughed Danek.

“Yeah, mud pies, stupid Earth game,” said Dellar, whose father shushed him.

“It’s a game on Earth where you crawl around in the mud and make pretend pies. You get messy while you do it. Some mothers put old clothes on their toddlers when they do that, but I undress them first. I usually always undress myself, too. One time, Derek almost laughed himself into a coronary when he saw me with Alex, naked and covered from head to toe with mud like he was,” Nova said. “Aisha, here’s my foot,” she said as she put up a bare foot after a servant took away the oil while Nova stroked Aisha all over to work the oil into her skin. “Aisha, would you like to count my toes?”

“Okay,” said Aisha, who made everyone smile as she began to count the High Queen’s toes, out loud. “One…Two…Three…”

The group applauded and laughed as Nova then handed Aisha back to Astrena. Nova looked at Astrena and asked, “Uhhh…when does this ball end?”

“When you leave,” said Astrena.

“Good…I’m blushing,” Nova said as Derek picked her up off her feet. Nova squealed, and Derek then romantically carried her off and down a hallway. They were followed by a pair of servants carrying Nova’s light garments.

At that, the first ball ended.

It was about 9:30 PM local time when it ended.

The partygoers were then herded off by Pellian and Rigelandian soldiers and servants into an even bigger ballroom in King Roland’s palace where the second ball would begin, one hour later, at 10:30PM local time.

___________________________________________________

Followed by the servants, who left, Derek and Nova headed off into the side room where they had left Nova’s EDF Mess White uniform earlier to change.

Or rather, Derek would have changed if Nova had not been busy pulling off his EDF Mess White uniform. The jacket, the cummerbund, his shirt, pants, boots…everything went as Nova held him and kissed him. It went on until Derek was holding Nova skin-to-skin, just as naked as she was. She then sat on the couch and pulled him down, smiling at him in her simple nakedness. The light above her brow faded as the Crown Incorruptible faded back into the spiritual realm again, although Derek still knew it was there, being able to sense its presence on Nova’s spirit through the Matrix.

“We have an hour before that ball, dear…and we’re all alone in a hot little room, and why are you looking for your Astro-Automatic, Derek?”

“Good reason! I have a feeling there’s going to be trouble of some sort at the second ball, Nova. After all, they said the Bolars would be there. Those bastards. I wouldn’t put it past them to try something, and…well…I might need this to protect you…and I want to make sure you have your own, too, when you get dressed again….okay?”

Nova smiled at Derek. She was tired, and her feet hurt a little from the dancing as she rubbed her foot. She had been glad that she had gone through the ritual of anointing Aisha, because her feet had hurt from dancing in her sandals, and her breasts had been becoming engorged. Nova had been gratefully relieved of the need for wearing any shoes by being stripped for the anointing, and Aisha had taken care of her engorged breasts. Nova said, “My feet are hurting a little again…I wish I didn’t have to wear any shoes to that second ball…”

“Let’s see how they are in an hour,” Derek said gently as he kissed her. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it…but I’d rather…cross another bridge right now…”

“Which one?” Nova asked.

Derek kissed Nova, kissing his way down her nude body from her shoulders to her naked rosette.

Nova began moaning at this, and then she began sighing when Derek played with her breasts.

Her moans turned to screams of pleasure when Derek kissed her neck, and then, he slid between his legs and took her on the couch.

Nova rested her foot on her husband’s bare foot as she threw back her head and yelled happily, enjoying herself very much in her skin at this point.

Nova kissed the nape of her husband’s nape, and moaned more as Derek went at her, kissing her, touching her breasts, giving her his body….

…and making her feel wonderful as he showered her with his love through their bond.

They began to laugh and cry together as their dance went on and on and on….

It felt so good.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Outside, Nova’s yell was heard by two Pellian guards, who said, “My God! Listen to that!”

“Do you think the Lady is in danger?” said the other. “Should we burst in and check on her?”

Then, Marshal Danek came in and laughed. “The only danger she’s in is of getting her hair mussed up by her husband. I would say the other danger was her getting pregnant, but she’s already expecting, so she’s exempt from that!”

“Should we check on them?”

“Hell no,” laughed Danek. “Not unless you want to see how well she throws knives. She’s just with the Commodore, and she’s perfectly safe…”

“Safe?” said one of the guards.

Danek smiled, and heard Nova saying, through the locked door, “Yes…yes…yes…yes…YES! YES, Derek! Ooooo…I like that…GOD!”

“I think you get the point,” said Danek with a smile. “It’s best to leave her to her own business for now…”

“Uhhh….yes..” said the guard.

__________________________________________________________________________

They went at it like that for a while, before Nova stood up and held Derek close as they kissed, and then, she encouraged him to lie on one of the thick grey carpet in the room.

There, they kissed each other and made some more rather passionate love for a while.

It was warm in the room, both lovers were naked, and there was no shame as Nova lay on top of Derek, letting him guide her until he entered her again, and then, she kissed him again and again as she went up and down on him on the balls of her feet, skin to skin, touch to touch, while Derek lay back.

Then, a sweet vision hit him, of Nova, who was naked except for the light at her brow, sitting on a crystal throne on a white blanket on what he sensed was Iscandar while a beautiful little naked baby girl who looked like little Sasha as a baby nursed gently at Nova’s bare breast while he looked on and stroked Nova’s hair, and his brother Alex stood nearby, playing with the tiny baby’s hair and kissing her on the nose as he looked with love at their child…their daughter….

I wonder what this means? Derek thought as his lovemaking session with Nova went on and on as they lay on the rug.

Finally, they hit their climax together.

Crying softly, they fell into each other’s arms, and held each other before stepping into the shower to cleanse each other and then to get ready to again dress for the second ball.

Wondering what else she would face tonight, Nova kissed Derek and went into the shower with him, shutting the door as their time of gentleness and cleansing continued….

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The guards were looking for Katrina in a desultory fashion as Polatz and Vekel found her on the balcony.

“Vat are you doing here, you two?” said Katrina as she was shocked to see two Cometine men approaching her.

“We know who you are, Invidia,” said Polatz.

“What? Are you two mad? Princess Invidia is dead…she…”

“She’s not dead,” said Vekel as he grabbed Katrina from behind.

With a flash of power, she put up a hand, and Polatz was grabbed by her psi force and he flew over the balcony, screaming, to his death.

However, Vekel got a rag soaked with some smelly substance out from his cloak.

He shoved it over Katrina’s mouth, ignoring her frenzied bites at his gloved and her own lip that soon had both of them cut and bleeding.

The drug in the rag took hold of Katrina, making her gasp and wretch as she slid into blackness.

Then, Vekel kicked the unconscious Princess quite hard as three grappling hooks clinked onto the balcony railing and ropes were pulled taut.

She moaned a little as she was shoved into a bag by Vekel and three Bolar guards who rappelled up the ropes to the balcony as soon as Vekel called them by radio.

Then, carrying their burden, the Bolars slid down the ropes and shoved the bag with Katrina in it into the back seat of a stolen car left on a lawn near the palace.

They turned around and roared out a side entrance to the city, heading back out to the hills in the suburbs, to the same country where Derek and Nova had been that day, to meet up with a Black Nebulan shuttlecraft left there in the woods.

The shuttle roared up and off New Pellias a few minutes later, as the second ball began.

Foxy began to look for Katrina, but he would not find her, thinking she was angry at him.

She was unconscious, and would be very hard for Nova to detect mentally with her new-found but very much untrained psi-abilities, and was not able to cry out for help psychically.

Like it or not, Katrina Savela was now the Dark Lord’s captive, recaptured by Ekogaru’s goon squad at last.

__________________________________________________________________________

V. THE SECOND CELEBRATION…AND CHAOS

Planet New Pellias

The Union of Rigelandia

The City of Beltane

King Roland’s Palace

Wednesday, May 10, 2209

0610 Hours: Earth Space-Time (2203 Hours Local Time)

__________________________________________________________________________

Nova and Derek ended up going down a hallway in the Palace as the bells above began to chime ten o’ clock.

Both of them now wore their full EDF Dress White uniforms.

$Description: Description: Description: Description: C:\Users\Honey Bunny\Documents\My Documents\Bunny Nest of Documents\STORIES\Star Blazers\FREDDO'S VISIONS PROJECT\The New Comet\10. Reorganization\Deepwater5c_files\image025.png$ Those uniforms were the most elaborate dress uniforms a member of the Earth Defense Forces was authorized to wear.

They consisted of long white satin pea coats, trimmed with red and gold, worn for officers with a blue ceremonial cord, gold shoulder boards, and braids worn at the shoulder for officers at the rank of Commander or above, as well as the most important medals the service member had earned. For Naval Officers, they were always worn with white gloves, Naval caps and side arms.

The dress uniforms were worn with EDF dress blue slacks for men, and with a knee-length skirt for women. Service members who had been in combat had th privilege of wearing the EDF Blood stripe down the sides of their slacks or skirt. The shoes were black; and they were boots for men, and dressy open-toe pumps for women.

Nova and Derek were greeted at the door of the ballroom by a woman in a black Naval uniform that resembled those worn by sailors of ancient Earth. She bowed to them and said, “I bid you a welcome, even though we have not yet visited each other’s ships yet.”

“What is your command?” Derek asked.

“The aircraft carrier King Bartram IV,” she said. “My name is Captain Mena Velez, Rigelandian Union Royal Navy.”

“I am Commodore Derek Wildstar,” Derek said. “I am the commander of the Terran Space Battleship Argo, which was once known as the Japanese Imperial Navy Battleship Yamato in her previous incarnation centuries ago.”

“And I am Commander Nova Wildstar, Life Sciences Leader and Third Officer of the Argo, married to the Commodore, Captain,” Nova said as she saluted the skipper of the King Bartram IV.

“I’ve heard tales of the mighty Desslok of Gamilon and his mate, the new Pellian Ruling Queen Astrena,” said Captain Velez. “What is she like?”

“She is a very interesting woman,” Nova said. “She’s hard to describe, but I know her, and I’ll make sure that you are in the reception line with us.”

“That will be an honor,” said Captain Velez. She looked around and whispered, “Will the Pellian High Queen be there?”

“The High Queen,” said Derek as Nova looked at him, “Revealed herself only to the Pellian nobility and a few other nobles tonight. She will not make herself visible at this ball, I am told, although she will, in some sense, be present.”

“I hear that you would not recognize her if you were looking right at her,” Nova said. “It is said that she has the ability to veil herself as she goes abroad among men and can wear a very crafty disguise. For all I know, you may be her…”

“Don’t be silly! I’m not!” laughed Captain Velez as this bit of knowledge struck her. It seemed right, somehow, for a figure who, they said, battled the mysterious Nameless One himself (someone she had not heard of until a few days ago) to go about incognito, hidden like a beggar or sage from everyone except those who needed to know who she was.

Captain Velez would learn the truth of this years later when, during a great moment of crisis in the history of her world, she would be summoned into the High Council and nearly faint when she would look above Astrena and see who the true occupant of the Crystal Throne actually was.

Soon, as something that sounded like ancient Terran Big Band Ensemble music played, many other members of the Star Force appeared at the Ball. Mark Venture came in with Holly, who was in her own dress whites and looked stunning. Stephen Sandor showed up with Diane, who looked gorgeous and sexy in her own Dress Whites.

Other alien officers swept in as the lights went down for dancing. Many Gamilons showed up, along with Pellians in the brown uniforms, with some in Dress White uniforms of their own.

Derek gritted his teeth as some Cometine officers came in, laughing and hitting themselves in the arm.

Then, Nova tapped Derek on the arm and whispered, “LOOK!” as a group of Bolars came in.

The Bolar officers looked as if they were laughing at something.

$Description: Description: Description: Description: C:\Users\Honey Bunny\Documents\My Documents\Bunny Nest of Documents\STORIES\Star Blazers\FREDDO'S VISIONS PROJECT\The New Comet\10. Reorganization\Deepwater5c_files\image026.png$ One of the Bolar officers, a man with a heavy beard, turned to a Vilani officer, and they pointed at Captain Velez and laughed.

Then, watched by the Bolars, the Vilani officer came up to Captain Velez and said, “I am Colonel Tarinov. May I dance with you, mishka?”

The Bolars laughed at Mena, who stared them down. The heavily bearded Bolar officer then asked, “My name is Commodore Medev. May I dance with you?”

“No,” said Mena.

Tarinov then said, “What if I make my offer again?”

Then, Mena replied, “Absolutely not. Our forces are under a flag of truce for all of this. A truce, only. I will not bother to romance anyone who wears your uniform ever again, and…”

“Why not?” said one of the Bolars, who came up with another Vilani officer. This Vilani officer had an ugly, scarred face, and his uniform was all black.

Velez said, “Because thanks to your Vilani friends, there, my husband….no…I will not discuss this with you!”

“Look, we have an alliance with them…” said the scar-faced Vilani officer. Nova noticed, with some distaste, that one of the call girls she’d examined the other day was leaning on his arm.

“You’re allied with Pellias, right?” said Derek. “You’re part of the alliance with Rigelandia?”

“Yes, but that’s just because the new Premier is an old drunk,” hissed the scar-faced Vilani officer. “We have plans for him, the peace monger who wishes to betray the Revolution and run with your capitalist running dogs and bemedaled men and women such as your sort who live in expensive villas, dance all the night, and kiss the cheek of Kings.”

“That is not why I am here,” Nova snapped. Nova looked at distaste with the scar-faced Vilani officer and at the call girl, whom, she noticed, was clad in what looked like a parody of a Star Force uniform; but one that exposed her panties, and in shocking pink. “Why are you mocking our uniform like that?” Nova asked.

“Bambi what?” Nova said.

“Bambi Shavirov!” snapped the call girl in a nasal voice. “And the boss made up this uniform because she said it’d be pretty and popular-like!” said Bambi as she twirled on her toes; the thigh-high parody of the Star Force boots she had on above her panties fitted her like pink vinyl stockings.

“Oh, enough,” Nova said, exasperated with Bambi, who turned up her nose at Nova and said, “Ya don’t haveta be so snooty, y’know!”

Nova looked hard at Medev and asked, “Why are YOU here, Commodore?”

“To midwife a new alliance, what you think, you stupid woman?” hissed the Bolar. “Damn you, you’re as brainless as General Skarsha’s toy here!” he yelled while the others laughed.

“You don’t talk to my Third Officer or wife like that,” said Derek. “Get out of here and away from us. Desslok and Astrena may have let you attend, but you’re trouble in my book!”

“Earthling scum!” said Medev as he spat at Derek and Nova’s feet. Then, he walked off, laughing.

“Vilani bastards,” said Velez as she sat down at a table and began to sob. ”Them and their damned Bolar allies and their whores…”

“What’s wrong?” Nova asked gently as she wiped Derek’s spit-shined shoes clean and then dried off her own toes, which were still bare in her open dress pumps.

“You sweet thing…my husband is alive, but he is on light duty for all time on my carrier because of them,” sniffed Mena.

“What happened?” said Derek.

“He was a pilot,” Mena said. “He was a fighter-bomber pilot who was the chief pilot on my carrier. He went up against some Vilani bombers that intruded into our airspace a year ago as a test. He did the usual; buzzed them and snapped on the radio for them to leave our airspace. They started to leave, but the tail gunner on one of the bombers gave him a parting gift in the way of many bullets. The bullets shot up his plane, and Wilfred, my laughing husband, had slugs going through his stomach and his knee. He made an emergency landing but never walked again on what was left of that leg. They had to take off his right leg above his knee due to the damage. Now, he has an artificial leg. And a cane. He walks; but very slowly and deliberately, and he used to run marathons. He is often in pain, and he wishes that the attack had killed him. Commander Velez. Made a wounded veteran…by those Vilani bastards…”

“We can repair him, if you’d bring him to the Argo,” Nova said softly.

“Repair him?” said Mena.

“Do you see that man over there with the crew-cut next to the red-headed woman?” Derek said in a low voice as he pointed to Sandor. “He’s my Second Officer. He has no arms or legs, but he gets along very well, because we have bionic arms and legs that we put on him; you would never know they weren’t real unless you hold his hand for a long time and see that it is not quite as warm as usual. His arms and legs work so well that he still flies fighters off our ship on recon missions.”

“We can fit your husband with a new leg just like his if you’d like,” said Nova.

“I will have to talk to him, and thank you,” said Captain Velez.

The ball continued. More aliens showed up, and the sixty-six Nations of the Meccaner people from across the planet showed up; with representatives, plenipotentiaries, and Ambassadors wearing all sorts of clothing, from the Lord Ambassador Hin Kalela of Rigelandia’s Ally, Great Honford, who wore a black tuxedo with medals and a sash and sword, down to Princess Mikani of the tropical Island Kingdom of Hanalei, who wore only a very bare grass skirt that showed her hips, with some floral leis, necklaces, and bracelets, that set off her otherwise naked golden-mahogany skin and her flowing dark hair. Nova caught Derek looking at the bare-breasted and barefoot Princess and had to give him a good-natured dig with her shoe. Derek gave Nova a kiss after that and whispered, “I’d like to see you in a getup like that…”

“You’re so sweet,” Nova said as she drank some fruit juice.

“Champagne?” said a waiter.

“No thank you; I’m expecting,” Nova said softly.

A moment later, Derek looked up.

Two Bolar officers, and two enlisted men were leaning on their table just as Mark and Holly Venture showed up and sat down.

“Well, well, well,” said one of the Bolar officers, who had a sharp beard and a wicked smile. He whispered to Medev, who then left in a hurry. “My name is Naval Lieutenant Pushkin.”

“You people are going to be in for it,” said another bald, scarred officer who sat next to him.

“What do you mean?” Derek hissed, as he saw Pushkin making a motion with his hand. Four more Bolar troops showed up, along with eight Vilani troops.

“You just wait, and you’ll see a lot of fun, soon,” said Pushkin. “Oh. This quarrel has to do with the Vilani and the people from Pellias trying to occupy this planet, which we have already claimed. My commanding officer, Commodore Medev, commands me to give you a message, Wildstar. You have six hours to get your ship, your officers, your civilians, including your children, and even some of your furry Ralkhen friends off this planet before we commence an invasion in the Vilani Union first. You have no part in this, so my command, he is merciful, and he says run back to Earth. So that you can give us a better fight when we come for your planet in the next few months after we take this one.”

Astrena and Desslok came over, and Astrena snapped, “What is this?”

“Surrender,” said one of the Vilani. “I am Major Harnick. We have just assassinated the Premier who signed the peace treaty with you, and we intend to destroy the capital of Vilanshika in the next few hours. We’d like to kill the kitty cats first…stupid Ralkhens! Can we murder them, Pushkin?”

“Who is behind this?” Nova snapped.

“My understanding was,” said Flagg as he appeared. “That you already knew, Nova.”

“Say his name!” Nova hissed.

Derek stood up and got between Flagg and Nova.

Flagg grinned as Pushkin came up to Desslok, took off his glove, and threw it at his booted feet. “This is a declaration of war from the Bolar Federation, to the Gamilon Empire, Pellian Commonwealth, so-called, and the Earth Federation! We, along with our allies the R’Khell and the Cometine House of Dezarium, also known as the Black Nebulans, are determined to beat you in a war of nerves. It starts here!”

“What do you say to that, Desslok?” snarled Lieutenant Hamdi, who was Pushkin’s exec.

Desslok smiled, drew his weapon, and fired through Hamdi’s gut. “I’m very glad you declared war on us, so that we can kill you,” said Desslok. Then, he snapped, in a commanding voice, “All Gamilon officers, to me! We are under attack!”

Flagg levitated a chair and threw it at Nova. She screamed, raised a hand, and used her power to deflect it. Then, Derek dragged her down behind the table and hissed, “Draw your sidearm…enemy blaster fire’s coming in! But teleport back to the ship when you have your first chance…”

Nova nodded and drew her weapon. Soon, she was returning Bolar fire along with Derek, Mark, and Holly.

Flagg and Astrena circled each other in the meantime, each looking for an opening to attack the other.

And, not far away, Hegen and Marshal Danek were taking action to defend Fela.

“I’ve got your back, Derek,” Nova said.

“Good. I’d hate to not have you around. Especially when we’re being shot at!”

“You got a plan in mind, Derek?”

“No, Do you?”

“Maybe we should get out of here and try to get back to the ship?” Nova suggested.

“Fine…why don’t’cha just zap us out of here, then?”

“I can’t,” Nova replied.

“And why not?” Derek snapped.

“I just dropped a chandelier on Flagg with my mind. I have a royal headache.”

“Okay, that’s a good reason,” said Derek as three Vilani troopers circled them with submachine guns.

“Why don’t you two just surrender?” one of them hissed.

“I have a headache, too,” said Holly Venture as she backed up near Nova.

“Where’s yours from?” Nova asked.

“Because a Bolar kicked me in the head,” said Holly. “Mark helped me up.”

“Why don’t you all surrender?” hissed one of the Vilani troops.

“Why don’t you two just shut the hell up?” Derek snapped as he started firing.

One of the Vilani shot at Nova. She screeched, jumped up, and fired back at him.

Her shot splattered the Vilani’s head. Bone, brain matter, teeth, and gristle went all over the place.

“Sorry about the carpet,” quipped Derek.

“Derek, stop playing around!” Mark snapped as he grabbed him by the arm.

“Oh, yeah. I’m fighting for our lives, and this is playing around,” said Derek.

“There’s a way out, over here!” Nova said. “Let’s go!”

The four of them took off, firing as they ran out.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

THIRTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER….

They made it back to the Argo safely.

Derek and Nova changed into their regular uniforms in their cabin, after checking on Alex and Ariel, who were both just fine. Fela took over for Wendy on babysitting duty as Hegen ran into the cabin with General Danek.

“What’s wrong?” Derek snapped.

“This attack was a diversion,” said Danek. “Talan reported to us that the Bolars are landing several companies near the Vilani capital of Vilanshika! They’re trying to invade the planet from the north!”

“Those sneaks!” Nova cried as she pulled on one of her too-tight boots. “They were just trying to pin us down in the city!”

“How many are left in the city?” demanded Derek.

Foxy ran into the cabin a moment later.

“What’s wrong?” Nova asked.

“I can’t find Katrina around!” he cried. “She’s missing!”

“Missing?” said Derek. He and Nova looked at each other with concern. Nova shut her eyes. “I…I can’t feel her nearby, Derek. She really is missing!”

“You’ve got to find her!” yelled Foxy.

“Foxy, we’ll look for her…as part of our other operations…we have a whole battle to fight!”

The radio suddenly came up in the Captain’s cabin. “This is Miyagawa!”

“Lieutenant, what’s going on?” demanded Commodore Wildstar.

“I’m near the brig…and we just got boarded! We…”

“Release Knox and the other Marines we’re holding; we can deal with them later. Arm them and tell them to help repel the boarders!” snapped Derek.

“Yessir,” said Lieutenant Miyagawa.

Teri Forrester ran into the cabin a moment later, dragging an embarrassed, pajama-clad David behind her.

“I heard shooting!” she cried. “The babies are going to be hurt! What sort of mission is this, Derek?” she snapped. “Nova! It’s dangerous here on this ship!”

“I know it is,” Nova said as she knelt on the deck and cocked her Astro-Automatic.

“Mom, let go o’ my ear!” cried David.

“We came here to make an alliance,” Nova said. “But if we have to fight, oh, yes, we’ll fight!”

“Stay up here with David, Fela and the others, Mrs. Forrester,” snapped Derek. “Nova, to the First Bridge!”

“Right!” she said.

They ran off.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Five minutes later, on the First Bridge, Derek took command from Venture, who reported that the remaining Marines and some of the Black Tigers were fighting a group of enemy troops near the brig.

“How is the battle going?” asked Derek.

“They say they have most of them repelled,” replied Mark.

“We have power, and can take off when you order us to,” said Diane Sandor from Engineering.

“Venture, pull us back from the dock, get us out to sea, and then we’ll take stock of the situation from there!” ordered Commodore Wildstar as he nodded to Sandor to bring up a red alert.

As the Argo began to weigh anchor, Nova looked at the radar and said, “A small Bolar fleet is approaching from 50,000 meters altitude and five hundred kilometers out!”

Derek sat behind the Captain’s desk and figured out his options. “Dash!” he ordered. “Open main guns! We’ll have to engage them as soon as we’re airborne!”

“Yessir,” said Dash from Combat.

Soon, the Argo pulled back from the dock, and before long, she reached the open sea.

The space battleship began to lift off about three minutes later as she gained speed in the night under the light of one of New Pellias’ three moons.

$Description: Description: Description: Description: C:\Users\Honey Bunny\Documents\My Documents\Bunny Nest of Documents\STORIES\Star Blazers\FREDDO'S VISIONS PROJECT\The New Comet\10. Reorganization\Deepwater5c_files\image031.png$ “Range to enemy fleet; 20,000 meters altitude, and a hundred kilometers out to sea!” Nova said.

“Take off, Venture!” snapped Derek.

A minute later, missiles streaked in from the Bolar fleet.

“Main guns locked on,” said Dash.

“FIRE!” snapped Derek.

The Argo returned fire as she roared up into the night sky.

“Three Bolar ships hit!” Nova said.

“Hold onto your hats…this is gonna be a rough ride!” said Mark from his post.

“Second wave of missiles approachin!” said Eager from his post.

“Dash!” snapped Derek as the Argo roared up into space over New Pellias.

“Change turret aberration, plus two,” snapped Dash as the main turrets turned and locked while two Pellian escort ships came up in formation alongside the Argo.

“Astrena signals that she sent the escorts!” said Homer from his post.

“Send our thanks, Homer,” said Derek. “Dash?”

“Ready to fire,” said Dash. “I have a nice broadside set up!”

“Open fire!” snapped Derek.

The Argo fired at the Bolar fleet, backed up by the Pellian destroyers not far away.

“Who’s defending the city?” asked Derek.

Homer changed channels. A moment later, he said, “Captain Velez reports that she managed to get her aircraft carrier free to sortie; she ordered fighters to launch to protect the capital; the Bolar and Vilani planes that were attacking have pulled back!”

“What’s the status of the invasion forces in the Vilani capital?” asked Derek.

“Signal coming in from Desslok!” Homer said a moment later.

Desslok’s image came up a moment later. He said, “I note that you managed to sortie after that chaos in the city, Wildstar. Most effective work on your part.”

“Thank you, Desslok,” said Derek. “Send our regards to Astrena; the escorts were most appreciated. What do you wish to report?”

“I wish to report that a landing operation has begun to liberate the Vilani nation from these accursed Bolar interlopers and their equally accursed allies,” said Desslok. “Astrena and the Pellians are requesting assistance.”

“And, m’ lord, assistance you will have, from my people,” said the Ralkhen General Danek as he appeared on the Argo’s bridge and saluted Desslok. Then, the huge Ralkhen bowed to Derek and said, “I ask that you release your Lady to lead us in this fight.”

Derek’s eyebrows shot up and he said, “You’re requesting…?”

Nova turned in her seat and nodded. “It’s dangerous, I know, but I believe…I’m being asked for,” she said. Then, she looked at Derek and Danek and said, “But…we are already weary…”

“WE?” said Dash.

“Both myself…and that Power that Astrena and the others entrusted to me,” Nova sighed. She looked at Derek and sent to him, Derek, I’m tired. Fighting Flagg and those other goons was one heck of a mental effort. I’d love to stay on the ship, but…

Derek nodded and sighed, sending back, in his thoughts, it’s telling you that you have to go, right…?

Nova just nodded as she got up.

Derek looked at her and said, “Call Sasha. She’ll take your place up here. Desslok, provide us all of the intelligence you can about the landing spot. I’ll commit the Cosmo Hound to the landing. Nova, you and Mister Wakefield will pilot her down. All hands…we’ll be meeting in twenty minutes in the Central Strategy Room after Desslok sends us maps of the area.”

Desslok said, “We’ll provide the information. Talan will be leading our troop contingent. Wildstar?”

Derek saluted, and the screen went dark.

____________________________________________________________________

VI. THE INVASION OF VILANSHIKA

Planet New Pellias

Over the Vilani Nation

Space Battleship Argo

King Roland’s Palace

Wednesday, May 10, 2209

0825 Hours: Earth Space-Time (1100 Hours Local Time)

____________________________________________________________________

New Pellias, like Earth, had different time zones.

The Nation of the Vilani was on the same great northern continent as Rigelandia, but it was ten time zones away, to the East, on the other side of a vast mountain range that split the Great Northern Continent. The age of New Pellias as a younger world than Earth was betrayed by the relative age of the Great Northern mountains, which were higher and more jagged than the Terran Himalayas.

The Vilani Nation was north of the nation of Rigelandia, and a part of its borders were close to the northern pole of the planet. The weather report picked up colder temperatures, snow, and sleet in the forbidding country.

$Description: Description: Description: Description: C:\Users\Honey Bunny\Documents\My Documents\Bunny Nest of Documents\STORIES\Star Blazers\FREDDO'S VISIONS PROJECT\The New Comet\10. Reorganization\Deepwater5c_files\image035.png$ The Argo’s Cosmo Hound was heading down towards a landing zone about four kilometers away from the city’s edge.

A moment later, Wakefield received a call from the Argo. “This is Homer. How are you guys doing?”

“No resistance at our end; I don’t think they’ve picked us up yet. And you guys?” said Deke.

“Four more Bolar destroyers attacked us, but we fought them off,” said Homer as Nova nodded and smiled.

Then, she turned to Miyagawa. “You have all of your men ready for a search and rescue operation? Knox and his band included?”

“We do, ma’am,” said Miyagawa. “Where’s our first landing point?”

“Right at the edge of the city,” said Nova.

“I want to break into that prison complex in the center of government,” said Danek. “They’re holding quite a few Ralkhens as slaves in there. Including…my own daughter.”

“Your daughter?” said Nova.

Danek nodded. “They’re holding her in Ploetsk, which is the Inner City of Vilanshika. She was captured in a raid two years ago after my mate was killed, and none of us have been able to get to her. Her name is Shasta. Her fur is white all over, except for that on her head, which is a sort of blonde color. I almost got to her once in a raid months ago, so I know she lives. She called to me. But now, Shasta, we are BACK!” he roared.

Nova said “Deke, set us down near that bog. We’ll slip into the city from there…”

“Right,” Deke said.

The Cosmo Hound began to land; the Vilani Army troops did not spot her until she was almost on top of them. Some fire from the ship took care of the small guard contingent near the bog.

“Lieutenant Thomasson; you have command of the medics,” said Nova to a young man with medical gear who saluted her when they landed. “Stay close to the contingent of cadets; you’ll be under Lieutenant Oshima’s command.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Thomasson.

Nova shouldered her pack and supplies, threw on her AK-01 Carbine, and, as she put her helmet back on, she said, “Danek, try to stay close to me; you’ll show me where they’re holding Shasta and the other Ralkhens.”

“Of course,” he said. “And?”

“We’re going to try to find the real Vilani Premier in the Government Center Complex…that’s the reformer,” Nova said. “I have a hunch that they didn’t execute him yet. I want to let him go and get him and his men busy helping us fight the Bolars. We can do a lot here, but, ultimately, the Vilani people are going to have to free themselves.”

“Of course,” said Danek. “As long as we free my daughter.”

“We will do that,” said Nova.

“And I will do my best to guard you, Majesty, as if you were her,” said Danek in a low voice. “Long have we waited for our liberation to begin…we will not lose it now…”

“Of course,” Nova said.

___________________________________________

Inside the Inner City of Ploetsk, Bambi Shavirov had her boots off, and she was sitting on the floor in a room that was filled with Bolar troops.

She was smiling, and trying to keep a brave face in spite of all of the cries and moans of pain in the room, which was filled with about twenty prisoners, male and female, Vilani, Ralkhen, and Rigelandian, all in various states of undress because they were being used by the Bolars before having their throats cut.

$Description: Description: Description: Description: C:\Users\Honey Bunny\Documents\My Documents\Bunny Nest of Documents\STORIES\Star Blazers\FREDDO'S VISIONS PROJECT\The New Comet\10. Reorganization\Deepwater5c_files\image037.png$ A man named Naval Lieutenant Igor Pushkin (whom we met before back in Rigelandia) was in command of this group of Bolars, who were known as the 212^th Company. He and his XO Hamdi had this Company of one hundred and twenty men busy in and around Ploetsk and Vilanshika, raping, killing, pillaging, and destroying with the aid of about five hundred or so rogue Vilani who had joined their side. With the other Vilani troops scattered, right now, Pushkin and his sick band controlled the city as they got drunk on a local Vilani drink like Vodka and went mad,

“Bambi,” said Pushkin as he smiled at her. “I’ve had enough of Shasta there. She’s due to have her throat cut soon.”

“Why?” said Bambi in a trembling voice.

“Because she’s used up,” said Pushkin, who yelled at his men, “Start beating her! YES! Get to it now! I want her to suffer in her chains before I cut her damned throat! You lay there, and strip…I want $Description: Description: Description: Description: C:\Users\Honey Bunny\Documents\My Documents\Bunny Nest of Documents\STORIES\Star Blazers\FREDDO'S VISIONS PROJECT\The New Comet\10. Reorganization\Deepwater5c_files\image038.png$ you, mishka…”

Bambi saw them beginning to beat Shasta, so, with trembling hands, she took off her clothes and lay naked on her coat, waiting for Pushkin to come for her.

There were shouts and yelling outside the old sandstone building as some explosions came.

“What?” said Pushkin as Bambi smiled at him.

Then, she grabbed a dropped weapon from off the floor and hid it until Pushkin came closer.

Then, when he began to embrace her, she fired at his foot.

He threw her down in rage. A shot rang out from her weapon, hitting one of the other men who was coming for her with a knife.

She was grabbed, but Premier Igor Trovotsky, who had only his pants on, grabbed a weapon and shot down four of the Bolars with it.

Pushkin snarled at Trovotsky, who slapped him and said, “You’d better run, alien! RUN! Your men are being routed, monster!”

Ten Vilani with white armbands on their sleeves men ran into the room, saluted Trovotsky, and began shooting at the Bolars and their own men who had joined up with them.

Soon, Pushkin was running, firing as he ran, screaming, “You have not seen the last of us, scum! I guarantee it!”

In the meantime, as Bambi again dressed, Trovotsky grabbed Shasta by her chains and said, “You’ll be safe now.” He looked out the window and said, “There are Gamilons and Terrans coming! As soon as they fight through that ring of troops…”

$Description: Description: Description: Description: C:\Users\Honey Bunny\Documents\My Documents\Bunny Nest of Documents\STORIES\Star Blazers\FREDDO'S VISIONS PROJECT\The New Comet\10. Reorganization\Deepwater5c_files\image039.png$ “How do I know you’re decent?” said Shasta in a shaky voice as she covered her private parts with her tail. The Ralkhen girl wore only her collar, fur, and chains, as usual. “You used to laugh at me like the others, Premier…you made me get drinks for you…”

“He is different at heart, Shasta,” said Talishta, a thin but strong Leptil who was also one of the captives. She now had a sword in her hand that she had just used to behead a Bolar trooper.

“How do you know he’s different?” said Shasta.

“I’ve worked with him, and he is, indeed, different,” said Talishta.

A moment later, there was an explosion outside, and a door blew open in the room they were in. Some of the captives screamed, but, a moment later, some Space Marines ran in, led by Knox and by Miyagawa.

Lieutenant Miyagawa then nodded to his men, who captured some of the Bolar troops.

A few of the Bolars snarled at them and fired back, but then, a sudden bright light appeared in the doorway, and some of the Bolars found themselves on fire.

The light faded, and a rather-tired looking young woman in gold came into the room, backed up by the immense form of Danek.

“Father!” cried Shasta as she ran for Danek.

Trovotsky looked on in awe, and he said, to Nova…”Are you…?”

Nova nodded. “We have to get out of here…and quickly…”

“I’m not going into exile,” said Trovotsky. “This is my country, and by rights, I am the legitimate ruler here…”

“But your city is in chaos,” Nova said. “Come with us, and you’ll at least be safe for a time…”

“Do you swear I can return to serve under Astrena once these aliens are driven out of the city?”

“You were not in league with them, right?” Nova asked.

“No, I was not…” said Trovotsky. Nova could see then that he was bleeding from a head wound.

“You’re in need of medical treatment and food,” Nova said. “The medical treatment, I can begin to give you now, and I can give you some combat rations to eat. For what else you might need, I recommend you come to my ship…”

“We have a bargain, young lady,” gasped Trovotsky.

Nova hugged him, and then she began to bind up his head wound.

____________________________________________________________

Katrina came to in a suite on the Black Nebulan flagship.

She was confused, and, as she looked at herself in the mirror, she realized, in shock, that she had been Changed into Invidia.

As she looked around, wondering why she was here, Admiral Jigan came into the room.

“Wha…Vat are you doing here?” Invidia demanded.

Admiral Jigan actually bowed to Invidia and said, “This has been a terrible mistake, all of this. I no longer serve Ekogaru now. We are on the same side,” he lied. “

“Is that true?” asked Invidia.

“It is,” said Jigan. “You have a suite here, Princess. Remain in that suite until we summon your husband through the Pellians, and then, a Pellian ship, under flag of truce, will land here so he can be with you and then take you home.”

“Thank you, Admiral,” said Invidia. “I am very glad to hear that you have seen the light about Ekogaru…and have joined our side. Perhaps I can even tell the Terrans everything now.”

“I wager you can,” smiled Jigan. “Wait here for your dear Foxy…is that what you call him?”

“It is,” said Invidia. “I’m glad you learned this…”

Jigan bowed and left.

Soon, two very polite Black Nebulans took Invidia to a large suite, where they left her.

A young Black Nebulan girl (Invidia had never seen one before), who was naked except for a denim shift came into the room and bowed. The denim was dark, and it contrasted oddly with her light blue skin. Invidia noticed she had blond hair.

“What do you have?” said Invidia.

“Food,” she said. “Then, Jigan will be back later, with some officers, so that you can talk.”

“Are you sure about this food?” said a confused Invidia. She reached out with her senses. Something was not right about this, but she could not put her finger on it.

“Oh, no, Princess,” said the servant girl. “This food is good.”

Going carefully, skeptically, and slowly, Invidia began to eat.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The problem, it turned out, for the Earth forces, was not getting into the Vilani capital, but getting out of it!

The chaos in the suburbs of Vilanshika was really extreme as they tried to get back to the Cosmo Hound with their liberated captives.

Commander Wildstar’s, Miyagawa’s, Thomasson’s, and Danek’s platoons were pinned down in a wide, sweeping arc by a huge burst of fire from a devil’s array of laser weapons and machine guns fired by the Vilani troops who had gone over to the Bolars and their Bolar “advisors” and masters.

A burst of machine gun fire came in, and two troopers beside Nova were hit. A third bullet dinged off Nova’s helmet and knocked it off.

“Well, that’s another one lost,” she muttered to herself as she hit the dirt and crawled over to Corporal Brodsky, one of the men beside her that was hit. She could see the other guy, a Private Pertwee, was dead. He had stopped some heavy ordinance with his gut and he was now torn in half.

“They got my arm!” Brodsky gasped, biting his tongue to keep from screaming. “Ma’am…they…”

“I’m not “ma’am” here, remember? Calling me ma’am would give me away as an officer,” Nova said as she tried to hold a trembling Shasta as the young Ralkhen girl looked at her and said, “I’m so scared…”

“I’ve been through this before, we’re OK,” Nova said as she began to tape Brodsky’s arm while she grabbed his weapon and occasionally fired bursts towards the general direction of the enemy machine-gun nest.

Her walkie-talkie buzzed a moment later. “This is Shuri Castle, over!”

“Castle, this here’s Knox! They got the chief!”

“Miyagawa? Wounded?”

“He just breathed his last a minute ago,” said Knox. “They’re hittin’ us here wid’ everythin’ but the kitchen sink, chief!”

“Where’s Danek?” Nova said.

“How would I know that?” said Knox.

“You’re in direct command of Bravo Platoon now with Miyagawa dead. You call the shots there and buzz in to me, Knox, and if you do well enough, I will recommend to Derek to give you a battlefield commission if we live,” said Nova. “Where’s Danek? Those cats were supposed to be on your right flank from what I can see up here on the high ground on Hill 256.”

“They’re tryin’ to infiltrate the enemy headquarters….they…shit…more stuff comin’ in…”

Knox’s circuit went dead as Nova’s comm. Device buzzed again. She thumbed the button while shooting and then said, “Knox, that you?”

“Negative,” gasped a youngish-sounding voice on the circuit. “This is Junior Cadet Wildstar-Iii…”

“Jonathan, this is Shuri,” said Nova. “Where’s Doc Charlie?”

“Thomasson’s…torn…in half…” said Jonathan. “They got the Sarge…I’m trying to rally the troops…I had some time as a cadet commander, so…”

“Good. Get some control there and get corpsmen in there after you stabilize that situation on the Ridge. Get some Bopper Gun ordinance in there. You should be able to hit them with those RPG’s.”

“Roger that. Then?”

“If no one else is there, retain command of Charlie Platoon, Cadet. If the situation does not stabilize soon, I’m calling soon, I’m calling Desslok and yelling for reinforcements. Damnit!”

Nova dropped the communications unit as more fire whizzed in.

A slug then hit her in the arm.

She bit her tongue and just held back a scream as the sleeve of her uniform was shredded.

Along with her arm.

Nova looked down. Her right arm hung limp and there was blood everywhere. Her radius bone had stopped the bullet…and shattered in a spot. Nova knew it was shattered because part of the bone was now sticking out through a bloody hole in her arm.

“Well, if this doesn’t suck,” she muttered through gritted teeth.

$Description: Description: Description: Description: C:\Users\Honey Bunny\Documents\My Documents\Bunny Nest of Documents\STORIES\Star Blazers\FREDDO'S VISIONS PROJECT\The New Comet\10. Reorganization\Deepwater5c_files\image041.png$ “Shuri?” yelled Jonathan on the communications unit. “Are you all right?”

“I’m hit,” Nova mumbled. “And it hurts like hell….but I think I’ve got just enough energy to…to…heal myself…GOD THIS HURTS!”

“Young lady,” said Premier Trovotsky as he looked at Nova sitting there in agony with her radius bone sticking out through her arm, “You’re going to need to be hospitalized for…”

Nova screamed and cried as she grabbed her ruined arm with her good hand. “Pour some water over it!” she screamed at Trovotsky.

The Vilani Premier did that.

A moment later, screaming like a banshee, because the pain was horrible, Nova did what she could to reset the bones, without anesthetic, and then, she directed her share of the Matrix energy into the wound as she gasped in the mud.

Her good hand gleamed like fire, and the fire spread up her maimed arm, which again took its proper shape as the bones knitted and her muscles and skin grew back over the wound.

Gasping, Nova then moved her formerly-broken arm.

It was whole, albeit covered with blood, and it worked.

“You’re…?” gasped Trovotsky.

“I’m fine,” Nova said. She got up, walked a few steps, and cursed as her booted foot slid down into a muddy hole. “If this doesn’t stink…” she said as she struggled…caught.

She finally pulled her leg out of the hole…but the boot remained there as she found herself barefoot.

Nova took off her other boot, and, shivering a little, she ran barefoot through the mud towards Trovotsky.

More laser fire came in from the Bolars, and Nova threw herself and Trovotsky onto the ground.

Then, two Bolar troops came running up, saying, “We want the cat-girl, bitch!”

Shasta, who had just recently been freed from her chains, had had enough of this.

She howled, unsheathed her claws, and pounced on the nearest Bolar, ripping open his stomach with a kick from her foot with her claws extended from her toes, and tearing out his throat with her hands as she bit at his carotid artery in his neck. Then, before Nova or Trovotsky could react, she did the same to the other Bolar and then kicked at his corpse.

More machine gun fire came in, and Nova pulled both the Vilani and the Ralkhen girl down as she screamed and returned fire with her carbine. A round shattered near a tree, and the shrapnel shredded Nova’s uniform in a few places, but she barely noticed as the Matrix helped fill her with enough rage to defend both herself and those who depended upon her.

When they were killed, a tired Nova and her compatriots walked on.

____________________________________________________________

The walk through the village was one Nova would always remember.

She felt saddened and enraged as she saw what the Bolars had done to the village.

They had looted, pillaged, and raped.

Nova and her medics treated at least four women that the Bolars and the rogue Vilani had raped.

Near a hut, Nova and Trovotsky found a sight that saddened them.

A naked woman, without her head, was lying on the ground.

Her baby, who did not understand that she was dead, was trying to suck milk from her breasts.

“Oh, my God, the poor baby,” Nova said as she picked the child up. She stripped the baby of his soiled diaper, and smiled as Jonathan came up and helped her wash him. Then, in a moment of tenderness in this battle, since Nova’s right breast was sticking out through the tatters of her uniform, she comforted the naked little boy and let him nurse from her for a while.

Then, a Ralkhen female came up and said, “I’ll take him, ma’am.”

“He’s hungry,” Nova said. “I was trying to feed him, and…”

The Ralkhen smiled, and took him from Nova and put him to her own furry breast. “They like our milk. I have my own young kits back at home, dear.”

Another Ralkhen brought up a brown horse.

“Thank you,” Nova said as she got up onto the horse and rode along, hoping for a cup of coffee and a fresh uniform back on the Cosmo Hound.

Her communicator beeped. She answered it and said, “Yes?”

“Hi, This is Derek. How is it going down there?”

“We encountered a lot of resistance coming out of town, but I have the Vilani Premier and some captives that the Vilani who went over to the Bolars were holding. A lot of the Bolars are dead.”

“Good work,” replied Derek. “We ran into another Bolar battleship squadron, but we defeated them successfully. When do you think you’ll be back on the ship?”

“In an hour or two,” Nova replied. “Make sure Doc Sane has Sickbay ready. I have a lot of wounded and refugees.”

“We’ll be waiting for you,” said Derek. “Over and out.”

“Thanks,” Nova said.

“Well?” said Danek as he ran along beside Nova.

“A few more minutes, and we should be back at our ship.”

“Good. I just hope we don’t run into any more of those Bolar bastards.”

“Same here,” Nova said. “Same here.”

She took a drink from a canteen that Danek gave her, and gasped.

She was tired, very tired.

And she had seen too much of the Bolars and what they could do.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

VII. A HARROWING ESCAPE

Planet New Pellias

In the Vilani Nation

Wednesday, May 10, 2209

1005 Hours: Earth Space-Time (1232 Hours Local Time)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

They finally got back to the Cosmo-Hound some time later.

As she knelt there, shivering a little in her bare feet nursing Miyake from the Navigation Group, she had only a glance or two at her appearance.

Nova had, of course, lost her boots a while back in the thick mud and cold rain outside of Vilanshika. She was also covered with both fresh and dried blood, some of it her own, some of it belonging to those she had cared for. Due to shrapnel dings and from other near-misses, Nova’s uniform now hung in tatters on her slender body. Her left hip and buttock were bare, and her left breast hung out, almost as bare as what had been her wounded left arm. She was cold. She wanted to get a coat ASAP, for both covering and warmth.

The Ralkhen commander, Danek, came up to her, saluted, and said, “The third flank was cleared, thanks to Talishta.”

“She is a very brave Leptil, and a worthy successor to Shaleeda,” Nova said, yawning and tired after the energy she had had to exert to heal her wounds, some of the wounds of the others, and to blow apart part of the Bolar and Vilani ranks. “I’m going to recommend that she be inducted into the Blue Council.”

“That sounds like a fine idea, ma’am,” said Danek. “I..”

Then, he turned, growled, and snarled, pushing Nova down….

….just as eight Bolar troops ran up the ramp of the Cosmo Hound.

Nova dodged a laser bolt or two before Danek rose up and roared at the Bolars.

One of them just ran, but one dared to shoot at Danek as Nova tried to tend to her patient while pulling out her weapon.

Nova fired at one of the Bolars, killing one with her weapon while she used her powers to tumble one of them back down the ramp.

Another one got behind her and tried to stab her, but she shot fire into his face while yelling, “Damn you, I’m trying to protect my patient!”

That move exhausted her mentally again. Her head spun with the pain and tiredness. She tried to draw upon the Matrix for energy, but she realized that even It could only keep her on her feet for just so long.

But, what happened next made her wish to and beyond her dying day that she would have had eyes in the back of her head…and would have been able to teleport out of there.

Another Bolar got behind Nova and grabbed her under his arm at her throat while another laughing one grabbed her bare breast and mumbled something slurred like “D’ya, pashta! Wy ty mał’dziewczyna; Wy miał nie jest w ragska analogicznie na polu walki, shayyyyyyyaaaa!”

The others laughed while Nova struggled and tried to kick him away while holding on to her weapon while they grabbed her dying patient and tossed him to the side like garbage. Danek grabbed one of them, and Nova heard something snap in the Bolar soldier’s back as Danek broke him like a matchstick.

Another one was shot by a wounded Marine named Jackson who was waiting his turn for treatment, but, instead, had to fight.

Sergeant Traci Schulman, one of the Nurse-Medics working with the Group, screamed as four more Bolars ran in and got a hold of her. She tried to fight, but even though she fought one, she found herself surrounded, where the men stripped her completely nude and then began to rape her and to force her to service them with her mouth as she screamed and cried.

Nova pivoted her head. She yelled “Traci!” and fired a shot at that enemy group as she tried to come to her subordinate’s rescue.

Nova ran up and grabbed a combat knife dropped by one of the Bolars. A moment later, with all of her strength, Nova flew in and rammed the knife between the shoulder blades of the vile, black-cloaked Bolar troop who was forcing himself between poor Traci’s naked thighs. Traci screamed in shock as she was splattered with his blood, and then she smiled as she saw her commanding officer grabbing the Bolar enlisted man and shooting him between the eyes.

“Yes, ma’am!” cried Traci. On the beach just a while ago, she had stripped to sunbathe naked with Nova, who had bought her a chapeaux similar to hers (and thought she looked adorable in it). Now, she said, “Nova! Please free me from these bastards!”

“Let us have her!” roared the one at her shoulders. “And, murdering whore, you will have some fun of your own soon enough!”

“What do you mean?” Nova hissed as she covered her exposed breast with her hand and tried to look tough and brave in her tattered uniform.

But, then, two more Bolars ran up the ramp. Then, four others surrounded Danek as he struggled with them while they tried to put him in chains so they could drag him off to the slave ship with the others, Terran, Ralkhen, Leptil, and New Pellian/Mecanner that they had captured and enslaved.

Nova managed to shoot another one of them, but he was replaced by two more. One of them grabbed her, but she smashed him in the face with a med-kit and half-ran, half-crawled back to Schulman’s aid.

Before Nova knew it, she was pushed down about two meters away from Traci, and was herself spread-eagled on the deck, struggling to hold onto her weapon as one of the fresh Bolar troops grabbed what was left of the right leg of her uniform, and pulled very hard. Nova then felt very cold as she heard her ragged garment being torn, and then, in the cold, she felt herself being stripped naked below the waist and being dragged into a waiting Bolar’s lap…in front of a screaming Traci as they worked on her, too. They shouted, and had Nova on the deck as she tried to gather her powers…her head was spinning from the stench of the Bolars, the stench of their breath, and the stench of the cheap vodka-like brew they had evidently just drunk to make them drunk and insane with lust. Nova’s head also spun from the sheer shame of the situation she was in, as they continued to rip off her uniform, until, except for her gun belt, she was also stripped stark naked like Traci.

The scene looked pathetic. Traci, who had a boyfriend back on Earth, struggled to free herself from her rapists and to save her brave but evidently exhausted commanding officer. Nova, with her husband back on the Argo, was fighting like a wildcat to defend both her own virtue and Traci’s own.

One of the Bolars slashed at Traci with a combat knife, ripping an ugly gash down one of her bare legs. Then, a Bolar got on top of Traci and took her forcibly like an animal while Traci fought and screamed.

One of them said in her language, “I like you, slutty girl! I like it when those like you fight!”

Nova kicked him in the crotch and screamed again, with her strong, slender bare legs flailing as she fought them as long as she could. Then, another one kicked Nova in the head with a heavy boot, and she saw stars for a moment and felt a ringing in her head. While weeping and screaming curses, Nova felt the one who had kissed up her leg opening her legs, and going at her down there with his vile mouth as she struggled to get at her weapon, even as they tried to strip her of it. They wanted to make her as helpless as Traci, who was screaming for Nova while they continued raping her.

Nova would not allow that, and she struggled to keep her gun belt and her last shred of dignity. Nova kicked another one of them as another Bolar sucked her naked breast, and Nova became nauseated at the thought of the very breast milk that nurtured her children, and sometimes gave pleasure to Derek…going into the Bolar’s vile mouth instead. Desperate, she

then projected some mental force and made one of them fall back with his nose bleeding as he began to die from a stroke she had caused. Then, she projected another sharp blast of psychic force, and slammed one of them against the wall.

Another one punched her and yelled, “How dare you kill Dmitri, slut witch? Take your fucking medicine like a good girl, like the little brown-haired whore next to you!”

“You like it, whore, don’t you?” one of them yelled at Traci.

“FUCK YOU!” Traci screamed. “I hate you and all you represent!”

“SO DO I, BASTARD!” Nova yelled as she tried to claw out the eyes of one of the men going at her.

She succeeded, blinding one of her tormentors with her fingertips as she tried to levitate the combat knife to her hand.

Nova, we’re being shot at…what’s wrong? Derek thought back.

The Bolars…have me…and Sergeant Schulman, and they’re…they’re sexually assaulting us! I’m tired from fighting…using my powers….they raided the Cosmo Hound…and…they stripped me naked…trying to completely rape me…Oh, God, they’re raping poor Traci now….making her take two of them…one of them is kissing my breast, and …another…O God, O Merciful God…he has his mouth between my legs…he says wants to…to…do It with me…and…please…no…I’m coming…and I can’t help it, please…no!

Nova, I’ll get there…as soon as we fight these destroyers off, I will be there for you, Derek thought, wanting to be there with her right now.

But, he couldn’t be. The Argo shook from another hit as a Bolar destroyer fired missiles at them from close range. Nova heard Derek snap, “Hard turn, 120, Venture! Rosstowski, open gun turret Number two! Target, enemy ships!”

“What’s wrong?” said Venture.

“Enemy fleet approaching off the starboard bow, range, eight megameters, coming at high speed!” cried Sasha from her post.

The Argo’s guns fired again as Mark turned the ship and Venture asked, “Wildstar…what’s?”

Nova heard that in her mind, and smiled a little as she looked at her tormentors and thought, We’re going to get you, and I’m going to fight you bastards to my last breath! The only way you’re going to screw me is if you kill me and screw my corpse!

Derek heard that and he said, NO! Nova, stay alive for me! If they want it that bad…give it to them…to save your life and the lives of the babies inside you….he thought with tears of rage and pain running down his cheeks. I love you…you can never be tainted…you’ll always be mine, Nova…just stay…alive….if they take you prisoner, try to escape….

They are not going to have intercourse with me; I’m pregnant… I’ll die rather than allow that, please come for me…I love you! Nova thought, even as another one pulled her onto his lap and unzipped his fly in this phantasmagoria of horror.

Nova felt his equipment against her bottom, and she fought and screamed as he tried to enter her. Luckily, he did not get very far with his drunken attempted rape. She kicked some more and marshaled her waning powers enough to shove him back so she could pull away from the trooper. Another one came at her, punching her in the head as he tried to make her take him in his mouth, with his pants open. Nova just got her weapon out of its holster and pointed it at him.

The trooper stepped back, mumbling, “nye...nye…nye…maskhi…no…me take you…marry you…give you many babies…”

“I’m already pregnant, thanks to my husband! Shut the fuck up,” Nova said with a wicked grin as she kicked free and put the muzzle of her sidearm right on his testicles.

With a little smile, she fired her weapon.

A moment later, her tormenter had no male equipment left, and he fell back, screaming and bleeding to death through the hole where his manhood had once been.

Nova then crawled out of the other one’s lap before she shot him in the chest with a right hand that was freed for a moment.

While she crawled on all fours, escaping her tormentors for a moment, Nova then sent to Derek, I’m free, and I’m shooting at them! I’m marshaling my defenses, and I’m taking this space boat back! I’m going to expel these boarders, and then we’re gonna try to take off!

Good, but be careful, Derek sent back.

“How is Nova?” said Mark.

“She’s all right…I think…fought her way away from them after…they…had some sick fun and games with her…and she’s fighting back!”

Then, Danek ran up, and he grabbed another drunken trooper right before he got his mouth back between Nova’s legs as the drunken soldiers argued about how they could best play with their little prize after they disarmed and paralyzed her. Nova kicked another one in the crotch as she got a foot free, but she knew what would happen if she didn’t stop this; she’d be raped by these drunken bastards, and right in front of her own men!

Knox and Seabags heard the commotion, and they ran in, overhearing what was going on. Two of Knox’s men fought off and shot the remaining Bolars who were with a weeping, keening Schulman, while Knox himself ran to Nova’s rescue.

Nova again got free of her tormentors with a kick, and she shot the one who was with Traci (the third one who had taken her). Then, Nova pulled away the Bolar’s body and just held Traci skin-to-skin, cried with her, and used her energy to heal the horrid, bleeding cut on her leg. But, the enemy came back a moment later. They were relentless.

For a horrid moment, Nova was again pinned between four of them, with the first slurred, drunken-sounding Bolar feeling and playing with her breasts as a second one again roughly began pawing at her bare genitals.

Danek flew in and tackled the one between Nova’s legs, grabbed his head, twisted, and broke his neck. Nova then twisted free of the one who was lewdly at her breasts, and she got her weapon back up and shot him between the eyes just as Knox shot another one through the head with a sidearm he had picked up from a dead man.

As for the one Nova had shot; the would-be rapist’s head simply exploded. Nova at least had enough presence of mind to kick away the body even as her Jonathan (whom she was so proud of at this moment) flew up and stabbed another one in the back. He and Knox then stood back-to-back to protect Nova and Traci from any more marauders as two more tried to ran into the shuttle…and were shot dead by Knox and Jonathan.

Finally, Nova, Danek and Traci (who was finally fighting back) only had three more to deal with. Danek got a sword off the deck and decapitated one of them while Nova jumped back on her toes and then raised her right hand, gritted her teeth, and thought of murder for the last surviving one who had had his hands on her breasts. The last one was dealt with by Traci, who screamed at him and slit his throat with one of the combat knives they had left behind.

But, three more of them came at Nova. Something like purple lightning flew from her hand, smashing into the first Bolar trooper in range. The surviving pair jumped back, but Nova holstered her weapon with her left hand and then raised it to blast more lightning at the surviving Bolar troopers.

Her rage was incredible, and the Matrix kicked in and gave her a great surge of energy to act as the weird lightning skipped from Bolar trooper to Bolar trooper. Soon, five were dead, and only three of them were left.

Nova then caused her Astro-Automatic to come back to her hand.

She seemed to grow a little larger, glaring at the enemy with rage and fire in her eyes.

She snarled at them, looking dignified and deadly even in nothing but her gun belt as she moved with grace and speed, jumping up and kicking up one of her legs at an almost 90-degree angle as she leapt up and shot another one of the enemy troopers with rage written on her face while her toes were pointed up like a ballet dancer’s executing a tough move.

Nova looked at them with utter rage and contempt on her face. She looked so angry that even some of the Space Marines stepped back a little from their commander.

The remaining Bolars stepped back, too, ready to run from this blond-haired demon. They had heard whispered tales about the power of those who could shoot lightning like that.

Nova snarled at one of them, and said, “What the hell is your name?”

“I am Naval Lieutenant Pushkin!” he said proudly. “You’ve ruined our fun! My superiors ordered me to get my men drunk and let them maraud here as a reprisal force, bitch!”

Nova shot at him and grazed one of his legs with the laser bolt. “Well, you cruel, vicious madman! I am going to let you live…but go back to your commanding officer and tell him that your war crimes have been a failure! I am going to let you live for that purpose, Naval Lieutenant Pushkin! But, mark my words!” Nova snapped. “I prophesy that someday, you and I are going to meet in combat again…and when we do, I will teach you some manners and how to properly treat a lady before I slaughter you like the debased, God-damned dog that you are! Now, GO! Get out of my sight!”

Pushkin looked at her, saw that he was outnumbered, and he snapped back, “Brave words, rape-bait!” Then, he spat on Nova’s toes and ran off.

Soon, the remaining Bolars threw down their weapons, and ran screaming from the Cosmo Hound. Knox tried to waylay one of them, but the trooper ran past him screaming and took off. Knox wanted to chase him until Nova snapped, “Knox, you and Jonathan secure the ship! Ensign, shut that ramp way, and do not open it again until friendly forces show up!”

“Yes….Mom…you…you don’t have anything on!”

“I know,” Nova said as she crawled back to nurse and treat the now-dying Ensign Miyake, with the fire in her eyes somehow diminished. Nova looked smaller now, and she was shivering. She pulled him onto her knees, while she tried to quell her own shaking, and she resumed the work she had been doing before the Bolars had interrupted her.

$Description: Description: Description: Description: C:\Users\Honey Bunny\Documents\My Documents\Bunny Nest of Documents\STORIES\Star Blazers\FREDDO'S VISIONS PROJECT\The New Comet\10. Reorganization\Deepwater5c_files\image048.png$ Knox saw that his naked CO was shivering horribly. The sight looked pitiable. He took a flight jacket from the body of a dead Black Tiger pilot and put it over Nova’s shoulders, even though he could see that it was a little too short to entirely cover her; one breast and her rosette were still semi-exposed. Another Marine wrapped Traci in a blanket, and held her as she cried.

Nova smiled at him as she slipped it on, covering herself as best as she could, and said, “Thank you, Knox…”

“You’re welcome…ma’am…did they…?”

“They came close to it, but, no, they didn’t rape me, Knox,” Nova said softly. “But the bastards came close enough…”

Then, when Nova had Miyake stabilized, she went over, and looked at Traci, holding her gently as she wept in her arms.

“Ma’am, after you’re done,” said a young female medic named Annette Morton who came up and saluted. “I’d like to take you into the dispensary, check you with the rape kit, and then clean you up.”

Wakefield ran in a moment later, with his weapon at the ready. “Ma’am…I was trying to secure the cockpit and get engine power up; the ship will need some repairs but I have Bulman and Misato busy fixing the engine…we should be able to lift off in forty-five minutes to an hour from now….any intruders left?”

“Negative,” Nova said in a tired voice. “Where’s Derek?”

“Ma’am, Commodore Wildstar is on his way down with a group of eight pilots…are you all right?”

“As good as I will be, given I was fighting a mental battle and…and…trying to keep my virtue, and…”

Then, Nova collapsed on top of Miyake.

Deke looked at her, and then looked away, realizing she was naked except for the flight jacket Knox had covered her with.

“Wrap her up the best you can and pick her up,” said Morton. “Put her in Dispensary One; me and Miss Cleveland are putting the other girl in Dispensary Two, since we can see she was actually penetrated.”

“What happened to Nova?” muttered Deke.

“Those bastards molested my mother,” said Jonathan with hatred in his voice. “Those drunken Bolar bastards!”

“Did they rape her?” Deke asked softly and with pity as Knox and Morton gently put her into his arms, zipped her jacket closed, and helped Deke pick her up. As he did so, Knox’s hand went on Nova’s bare bottom. It was as warm and smooth as a baby’s, and before her leg came up, he saw a glimpse of her femaleness…and the slight bulge of her pregnancy, and he just wanted to cry.

Danek looked at Wakefield and said, ““Technically, no…only because she fought like hell, but, yes, she was molested….” Danek coughed and said, “I need a medic, too…got some cuts on me, and…”

He staggered, and two medics helped the wounded Ralkhen find help.

Knox looked at Nova being carried in Deke’s arms. He thought, They could surely see Nova’s pregnant…why did they go at her then? Those fucking bastards! They wouldn’t even leave a pregnant woman alone! They would have probably even gone at her if she had her clothes off to nurse her kids…

Knox did not know how right he was; he hadn’t seen the headless, naked mother Nova had found in the village before with her baby still trying to suckle her breasts. He thought, as he looked at Nova with pity rather than lust, How can those bastards hurt a mother like that? HOW?

_______________________________________________________________________

AN HOUR LATER….

Nova awoke in a near-swoon, naked on a small bed in the Cosmo Hound in Dispensary Room One, one of the small compartments in the craft intended for first aid.

“Either I’m dreaming, or you’re holding my hand, Derek,” Nova whispered.

“You’re not dreaming,” Derek said with tears in his eyes. “We cleaned you up after Sergeant Morton here gave you a rape test. Luckily, you have no STD’s from the blood test, and no real damage to your…you know,” Derek said as Nova threw off her sheet and felt herself between her legs. The area now felt clean.

Morton looked at her and said, “None of those bastards actually entered you, and the one who went at you with his mouth for a moment wasn’t carrying anything, fortunately, and the fluids from your arousal and orgasm actually helped to expel the germs….”

“They made you come?” said Derek.

Nova nodded, blushing in shame. “I…told you they did before…Derek…I’m sorry….but…I couldn’t help it…I…”

“The body just reacts in these cases; don’t blame her,” said Morton.

“No…I’m not blaming her,” said Derek. “I’m just pissed that they would put their hands on a pregnant woman…my pregnant wife…to try to rape her. A pregnant woman…they could see that, I’m sure,” Derek said as he looked at the slight bump in Nova’s stomach. “Nova, did they strip you…naked?”

Nova nodded. Yes they did…I’m going to still enjoy being naked when it’s warm…though…I….”

“I’m not blaming you, and I know sometimes, you like to be naked…” Derek almost cooed as he stroked her hair. “It’s just…with no clothes on you, it’s very obvious now that you’re pregnant,” Derek said, just wanting to hold Nova and cry. He looked at Morton and asked her, “Did they…hurt the children in her?”

“Not at all; I did an ultrasound while she was out cold, sir. Except for a few scratches here and there, she’s in pretty good shape physically. I have to check on the other girl now…she’s more seriously hurt.”

“Good job, Sergeant,” Nova said. “I’ll make sure I let Doctor Sane know how you did.”

“I’m going to leave you alone with her now, sir,” said the medic as the ship began to vibrate as the engines came up. “We’ll be lifting off, soon. We should be back with the Argo in about ninety minutes.”

Finally, the medic left, and Nova, wet, clean, but shivering, was alone on the bunk on the Cosmo Hound with Derek.

“The gun belt?” Derek said.

Nova nodded and smiled. “That’s all I had left of my uniform after this battle, and after they…”

“I kept this on, even during my exam, because I want you to take off it off me…and only you…without it…well…I’ll be totally naked, and…I didn’t want to feel that helpless…until you came…now…I want you to strip me…and I want to be held…”

“Shhh,” said Derek as he stroked his wife’s hair. “Let me make you naked, darling…”

“Then, I’ll do the same for you, before we make love,” Nova said as she kissed him.

Derek blushed. He said, “You want me now?”

“Yes, to take away the feel of those madmen, and because I love you,” Nova said with tears in her eyes.

Derek touched Nova’s pregnant abdomen, and he kissed her navel as he gently took off her gun belt and took it away from her. Then, as he stroked her stomach, he felt something in her stomach, above her nude, now-clean blonde tuft.

“Did you feel that?” Derek gasped.

“The baby kicked!” Nova said happily. “That…that’s Anastasia! I’m going to call her Anya for short! Derek, she’s all right! She’s growing! I’m pregnant with your children! They’re both all right! Her and little Stephen, who’s so quiet, but seems to know everything!” Nova sobbed happily. “Let me undress you, Derek…”

Derek embraced Nova on the bed, cuddling her as she quickly but tenderly stripped him of his uniform, not stopping until he was as nude as she was.

Then, she said to Derek, “Lie on the bed…I’ll…I’ll get on top of you….I’ll get over your mouth…”

“Then?”

“Then please do the same thing to me the Bolars did…while…while I do to you what they tried to make me do to them,” Nova said, half sobbing as she get herself over her husband.

Then, with deep tenderness, Derek began to nibble at Nova’s womanhood, just as she willingly took his rapidly aroused manhood in her mouth.

Derek’s kisses were intimate and gentle as he alternated between teasing and pleasure. Nova soon realized the Bolars weren’t doing this to her in their drunken travesty of the act of love that her husband was giving her as he held her, supported her, and let her sob as she joined minds and sprits with him and thought, Yes, Derek…the memories hurt…but…but…you’re replacing them with good ones…even though I’m so sorry I let my body respond to those…those...animals…I feel like I’ve been unfaithful to you…

Nova, they made you do those things..I can see the images in your mind…and I wish I could chase down the bastards who got away and slaughter them someday…because they hurt you….

Nova thought back, Me too…I know….now…let’s….

Derek smiled, tickling Nova’s most sensitive spot with his tongue and making her jump.

A few minutes later, Nova had a wonderful, melting climax.

With that done, she kissed Derek’s manhood, and drew away and said, “Take me…one of those men got his…thing in me for only a moment….and just a little…I didn’t let it go any further; I resisted to my last heartbeat….”

“Do you want to be on top?”

Nova nodded, and she got on top of Derek and let him go at her, kissing him and loving him as he slid into her like a thunderbolt. Nova knew his feel…and she would know it even if she had been struck blind.

$Description: Description: Description: Description: C:\Users\Honey Bunny\Documents\My Documents\Bunny Nest of Documents\STORIES\Star Blazers\FREDDO'S VISIONS PROJECT\The New Comet\10. Reorganization\Deepwater5c_files\image051.png$ He began to go passionately at her, touching and kissing her legs and feet again and again and again as they made love in the little dispensary room….and Nova felt the vile memories of her maybe three minutes’ worth of Hell with that Bolar squad who had captured her and stripped her while she had been tired…melting into Heaven with her beloved.

Then, there were one…two…three intense, shaking minutes.

Then, Derek exploded into an orgasm, and Nova followed up with her second climax.

Nova fell on top of Derek and cried as he held her, comforted her, and loved her.

Derek hugged her, just telling her how much he loved her, feeling inadequate that he could not have been there to rescue Nova, even though the medic’s tests of her showed no damage and no sexually transmitted diseases from the twisted Bolar assault.

Then, Nova kissed Derek, smiled, and said, “Let’s get you dressed…”

“What about you?” he said.

“They…took a uniform…fairly intact, of a dead Star Force Trooper….I’ll have combat red and white on, but at least I’ll have something to wear after they tore my things off,” Nova said.

$Description: Description: Description: Description: C:\Users\Honey Bunny\Documents\My Documents\Bunny Nest of Documents\STORIES\Star Blazers\FREDDO'S VISIONS PROJECT\The New Comet\10. Reorganization\Deepwater5c_files\image052.png$ Nova helped Derek dress, and then she pulled on the red and white Trooper’s uniform over herself, rolling up the sleeves and pants legs, which were much too big for her. She had to put in her gun belt and cinch it tight, but the whole thing worked, although Derek couldn’t help smiling at Nova’s ragamuffinish, almost tomboyish appearance in the baggy uniform. There were no gloves, so Nova’s arms stayed bare below the rolled-up sleeves, and from mid-calf down, Nova’s legs and feet were bare because there were no boots that would fit her.

Nova then sat on the bed and asked, “What are you smiling at?”

“You, Nova. I know you can’t help it, but you look like a kid playing EDF in that uniform…”

“Well, if you’d prefer I go naked,” Nova said with a wink as she began to open her shirt, letting a breast peep out to tease Derek.

He grabbed her with a laugh and then opened her shirt and attacked her belly button with tickles.

Nova kicked and screamed in his lap, going, “Don’t tickle me…don’t tickle me…”

Then, Derek grabbed her bare feet and began tickling them.

Nova kicked and squealed, but she kissed Derek because she liked this, despite her protests to the contrary.

Then, as she began to tickle him, the hatch whizzed open….

….and, in came IQ-9, who had picked a bouquet of flowers out in the drizzle.

“IQ?” said Nova.

“What are you doing in here?” snapped Derek as Nova blushed and covered up her breasts by pulling her shirt over them.

“I heard you were hurt, Nova. These flowers are for you,” he said.

“Thank you, dear,” Nova said with a smile. “Derek, would you help me make a little coronet out of these?”

“Sure,” he said gently.

And, at that, they flew back to the Argo…and safety.

_________________________________________________

VIII. STRANGE DAYS…

Space Battleship Argo

In Orbit Over New Pellias…

Wednesday, May 10, 2209

1600 Hours: Earth Space-Time (1832 Hours Local Time)

________________________________________________

Back on the Argo, after enduring another exam, to make certain that the babies were well, Nova was not in a happy mood. She had been allowed to return to her cabin after speaking a bit with Derek, Traci, and Fela.

She slept, in an uneasy, sickening sleep filled with strange dreams.

When she woke up, she was cold, shivering because she had stripped off her clothes to take her nap. After her exam, some more edema had been noticed in her legs, so Nova had been given a looser, male-patterned shirt and matching gold skirt to wear with her backless sandals, and she had been strongly advised to keep her lower legs bare from this point onwards.

She threw on a short nightgown over her naked skin, and sat on the bed, hoping she didn’t disturb her sleeping son and daughter as she took her acoustic guitar and began to strum softly on it.

Her fingers formed chords, and she began to softly play the Doors’ “People Are Strange” as she mournfully sang,

“People are Strange…when you’re a stranger….faces look ugly…when you’re alone…people look wicked…when you’re unwanted…streets are rocky…”

Then, she just strummed, and sang, “faces come out of the rain…no one remembers your name…when you’re strange…yes…when you’re strange…yes…”

Then, she just felt hot tears of rage and embarrassment running down her cheeks as she sang, “you’re strange…when people try to…use you….screw you…rape you…men seem wicked when…”

Nova just began crying. She strummed more, and then, suddenly, she was so filled with rage that she just got up…

…and starting smashing her guitar against the bulkhead.

Alex and Ariel awoke at the same time, screaming, but Nova ignored them as she just slammed her guitar against the bulkhead, smashing it to splinters as she raged and cursed the Bolars and yelled.

The hatch opened, and Derek came in, seeing her raging, and, in fact, getting hit by Nova with the broken guitar neck.

“Hey, hey, hey…” he said to her as she sobbed. “What’s wrong?”

“All the feelings came back,” Nova sobbed. “Everything, Derek…EVERYTHING! I feel so helpless…”

“I know,” said Derek as he held Nova. “I know….”

Nova crawled into Derek’s arms for comfort and said, “I want to wash some of my old uniforms before I put them away, since I can’t wear boots or anything…on my lower legs anymore….can you help me?”

“Sure,” Derek said tenderly.

He kissed her, and got Alex and Ariel from their playpen, helping Nova change their t-shirts as he decided to help her hand-wash her clothes in the head. After all, they were not on watch.

_______________________________________________________________

Back on Earth, an hour later, Yuri Tsukikage got home early that afternoon from Police Headquarters. She had been at work with someone from Forensics on a murder case, but not all of the evidence was ready yet.

After leaving Police Headquarters, Yuri received a phone call from her mother, who said she was leaving the Forensics Lab early that afternoon because she didn't feel well. Yuri said, "That's fine, Mother. Do you need any medication?"

"Just some cold remedies that you can pick up over-the-counter, dear," she replied.

"Sure, I'll pick up some Twilex," she replied. Twilex was a popular decongestant that was sold widely in 2209.

On the way out of the pharmacy, Yuri noticed a few tabloid papers. She thought, I need these for picking up leads for horse racing odds on that bribery case I'm looking into with some Generals and Admirals in the EDF, she thought. My leads have General Weiner implicated in this business, along with Admiral Shinyama, and possibly even General Stone himself. How far does this thing go? All bribing people in the racing business so they can make more money…and using the public till from their expense accounts to do it!

Yuri picked up a few of the worst tabloids; The Tokyo Star, The World Examiner, The (revived) News of the World from Britain, and The New York Post from the United States. The woman in her skirted suit and heels looked a bit out of place buying these sleazy tabloids, but Yuri knew it was for work.

Gathering herself together, Yuri drove her aircar home to the empty Wildstar house. She used her security box to open the gate, and she drove past the empty house and pool, up the path and over the hills towards the beach. She stopped at a small lot that was the end of the road and the parking space for the apartment in the beach house she and her mother rented from Derek and Nova.

With the heels of her sandals clicking in the heat, Yuri opened the door and kicked off her shoes in the apartment, replacing the burgundy heels with her wooden house sandals.

"Mom? How are you doing?" Yuri asked.

"I'm up…having some tea," said Haruna as she hugged her daughter. She already had a yukata on, and the air conditioning was on high. "I got a voice message on the phone from Commodore Wildstar."

$Description: Description: Description: Description: C:\Users\Honey Bunny\Documents\My Documents\Bunny Nest of Documents\STORIES\Star Blazers\FREDDO'S VISIONS PROJECT\The New Comet\10. Reorganization\Deepwater5c_files\image053.png$ Artwork: Picture of Derek and Nova Wildstar in the Drive-In © 2012 by “Anonymous Reader” – All Rights Reserved

Other Graphics by Freddo

"What about?" said Yuri.

"He's still on New Pellias; they expect to be back on Earth in seven days, but they are staying a week in the New York City area when they land, so they won't be back for two weeks. He said that we can pay the rent when they get back…and…what are those?"

"Tabloids, Mom. I'm studying them for the racing odds for a case I have to…"

Yuri opened The News of the World. She opened it at random to a lurid image in black and white that shocked them.

It was an image of a naked couple (with the worst parts very badly blurred out) doing the deed in the front seat of a car at a drive-in. The headlines were just as lurid as the picture.

Haruna said, "What sort of trash are they running in this paper?"

"No…it can't be," said Yuri. "Someone faked this…"

"faked?" said Haruna. "Wait…that looks like…"

"The Wildstars? In their car?"

"Oh, kamisama," muttered Haruna.

“Well, if it is them, now we know what they wear…”

“When they screw around at a Drive-In?” said Haruna.

“I don’t know if they take pictures of themselves…in the act…and I’m not about to ask them that when they get back…” said Yuri as she looked at the couple. “I…my God, I think it is them…”

“How do you know?” said Haruna.

“I’ve seen Nova without anything on in jail that time, at the onsen once, and once when I caught her sunbathing on the beach. That’s her belly button,” Yuri said. “How did it get captured? The image is bad quality…very bad quality…spycam!” said Yuri. “The picture of her below, for her book is a lot clearer…”

“It is,” said Haruna. “Who’d spy on them like that? And why?”

“There’s people in the SS who want to ruin them,” said Yuri. “I’ve seen that sometimes they work on that Mustang of theirs, but sometimes, they take it to the mechanic like anyone else. The SS could have paid a mechanic to stick a camera in their car someplace…and….wait! I have a key to their house!”

“Where are you going?” said Haruna. “You can’t just….”

Yuri slammed the door and ran out of the apartment.

TEN MINUTES LATER….

“You’re going to get us in trouble!” cried Haruna as Yuri drove up to their parking space…driving Derek Wildstar’s 2205 Cosmo Mustang 2 + 2 coupe, which was bright red with a white interior.

Yuri screeched into the parking space, almost hitting her own car with Derek’s high-performance car as she worked the gearshift and got into neutral and then stopped the roaring fusion engine.

“It’s somewhere in the car in the passenger side…it has to be,” said Yuri as she used the key and opened Derek’s glove compartment and threw his owner’s manual and papers onto the seat. She shone a flashlight up inside the glove compartment and said, “Some jackass cut open a gap in the top of the glove compartment!”

“You’re wrecking Derek’s car!” cried Haruna.

“Someone got to it before I did,” said Yuri as she tugged hard at an object in the car’s interior. Then, she pulled out a small camera. “Black and white downloadable sneak-cam!” she said, triumphantly. “Military-grade spy stuff! LOOK!”

Haruna said, “I see. Then, who are you going to communicate this to?”

“Earth Defense Headquarters, before they find out…”

__________________________________________________________

But, the Commander was finding out.

General Stone stormed into his office before the close of business, holding a copy of The News of the World.

“Sir?” he raged. “Did you see this?”

“See what?” said Commanding General Singleton.

“This filthy, dirty picture of them caught having sex in a car in News of the World! It appears our favorite Boy Captain and his skinny little wife love to screw around at drive-in movies! They should both be severely punished for this!” roared Stone as he banged on the Commander’s desk and opened the paper for Singleton.

“How do we know it’s real?” said Singleton.

“The article says it’s real! And look at Commander Wildstar’s picture on that book she wrote…why did she…?”

Singleton sighed. “I read a bit of her book. Large parts of it are about nursing and bathing children, and with restoring intimacy with a spouse after birth,” he said. “Photos and drawings of the human body unclothed are natural in a book like that, and Commander Wildstar, her children, and Princess Sasha Wakefield and her children made, in my opinion, rather lovely models for the subject matter. Have you or either of your wives ever had children, Stone? When my wife and I had kids, she nursed them, and she sometimes did that activity naked. As I’ve seen my granddaughter Wendy with her twins. It’s not that far removed from what you see in a park or on a Preserve beach, for heavens’ sakes. And, as for the drive-in…if this is even them, the look of the picture makes me think some paparazzo invaded their privacy. I know Commodore Wildstar has blacked-out windows in the sports car in question. I’ve ridden in it with him”

“But, sir, this makes the Defense Forces look BAD!” snapped Stone.

“We can give Commodore Wildstar and Commander Wildstar an informal admonishment to be more careful with their private lives when they get home, and have them apologize for this at a press conference and then drop it. I’ve just cleared them to appear on Good Morning Terra, that television show, as guests and in a section where she discusses her book, Commander Wildstar has agreed to film a brief sequence in the nude nursing her children to encourage breastfeeding in line with the Saginar Initiative. That will help us in the long run and only make Commodore and Mrs. Wildstar appear more patriotic and willing to show they are doing their part to help repopulate Earth.”

“But, sir, the immorality of this picture…”

“I think the paparazzi who acquired it is far more immoral than the Wildstars,” said Singleton.

“But…” spluttered Stone.

Singleton glanced at the article. “That would about be right,” he said. “Oh. Commander Wildstar is now close to two months pregnant. My guess is…this is where the blessed event probably started,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s not the best picture, or the best place, but my guess is this is just them…becoming parents, and enjoying the intimacy any young couple might on a hot evening…”

“I think they should go up on charges or have Aptitude Boards launched!” snapped Stone.

“Stone, I don’t think that’s called for…and you’ll do no such thing. That’s a direct order,” said an irritated Commanding General.

“We have not heard the last of this, SIR,” said Stone as he grabbed the paper and stormed out.

Idiot, thought Singleton as his intercom went off. “Yes?” he said.

“Sir, a Detective Tsukikage from CID on the vidphone,” said the secretary.

“Is her first name Yuri?” said Singleton.

“Yessir,” said his secretary.

“Put the call through,” said the Commander as Yuri’s image came up on his screen a moment later.

After exchanging pleasantries with Singleton, Yuri told him about the Shinyama bribery case and that a shadow had fallen over General Stone.

“You think he’s involved?” said Singleton.

“Sir…three informants saw him paying large sums of cash to characters I can only call shady. One of them has yakuza connections.”

“Good God,” sighed Singleton. “How is your surveillance going?”

“It continues, sir, and…sir…we think we saw him and Weiner discussing something with an agent with…R’Khell connections…”

“He’s talking to the enemy?” sighed Singleton.

“Possibly, sir.”

“How airtight is the case?”

“Sir, the Public Prosecutor needs more evidence, but I think I’ll have enough to break this within sixty days. He is then talking about indictments for Weiner, Shinyama, and Stone, sir.”

“Continue the surveillance. Let me know when something breaks.”

“Yessir,” said Tsukikage. “Sir, I also found evidence that Commodore Wildstar’s car has had a sneak-cam installed, quite surreptitiously, and that…well…someone may have their phones wiretapped.”

“Did you see The News of the World?” snapped Singleton.

“I did, sir,” said Yuri at the other end of the videophone.

“Now we know how the picture was obtained…I’d like to know…why. And to do that, I may have to give Stone a longer leash than usual, and see where he takes us. But, mark my words. When we have him ready for indictment, the President will want that man’s head on a platter, and I plan to deliver it.”

“How, sir?”

“Simple. I will dismiss him as Chief of Staff when the indictments are ready to be unsealed, and then encourage him to “retire” from the EDF when his term of enlistment ends early next year. He was my friend, once, but I’ve had enough of him. And so have the people of Earth.”

____________________________________________________________________

Back on the Argo, Derek after playing with Alex and Ariel, saw Nova sitting in their bathroom, in her nightgown, with her clothes scattered everywhere, hanging up to dry.

“I can go on duty later, Derek,” Nova said.

“We’ll see about that,” said Derek.

“Why aren’t you on duty?” Nova asked.

“Right now, for the time being, your welfare, and that of the kids, is more important to me. I want to be sure you’re okay before you return to duty,” Derek said.

He didn’t want to say much, but Nova’s reaction before with the guitar had him scared. Given that she had just survived a near-rape, and had, in fact, been sexually assaulted on New Pellias earlier that morning, Derek wanted to give her time and space to calm herself and be there for her.

Finally, she got up. “What time is it?” she asked.

“Two Thousand Hours, Local Time. The New Pellian Government is asking us to return to Beltane.”

“After we take a shower together, let’s do that,” Nova said. “I’d like to be at the helm.”

“Okay,” Derek said. “Where’s your nail polish?”

“In our quarters. Why?”

“Well, since you are under medical orders to be barefoot or wear sandals during the rest of your pregnancy, and are under orders to bare your legs, I wanted to give your nails a fresh polish…and make you look pretty…”

“That’s sweet,” Nova said.

Derek thus spent twenty minutes clipping Nova’s toenails and giving her a fresh coat of pink polish.

When they were dry, they took a shower together after he undressed and stripped Nova of her nightgown.

The shower soon turned steamy, in more ways than one.

In the shower, Nova was driven crazy (in a nice way) by Derek’s touch, and she almost whimpered to be made love to.

Derek accepted the offer, giving her some steamy, hot, quick lovemaking in the shower with her held in his arms

When they were done, Nova shivered in Derek’s arms as she was cuddled up in a warm towel, and she whispered, “I…I love you so much, Derek.”

“No, dear, not at all…” Nova replied. “Your wanting me, after all that’s happened…it makes me feel human again, and loved again. What they did to me down there…those Bolars….was used me like a thing. Thank God, Derek, that you do not use me…I…I love you,” she said.

“Do you need any more time off duty?” Derek said.

“No,” Nova replied softly. “My mom will be up soon to watch the kids…let’s get some work done…”

“Thank you,” said Derek.

“For what?” asked Nova as they began to get dressed.

“For not giving up,” Derek said. “I appreciate your strength as much as you appreciate my taking care of you…”

“Thank you, Derek,” Nova said.

“No….thank you,” said Derek, amazed again at the woman he married, just as Nova was amazed at the kind, strong man she had married.

Mrs. Forrester came up a moment later.

The young parents kissed Alex and Ariel goodnight before they left them in the care of their grandmother for the watch that followed.

With that done, the young lovers left for the First Bridge.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

TWENTY MINUTES LATER….

“Put him on the main screen,” said Derek.

Commanding General Singleton’s image came up on the screen a moment later.

“Commodore,” said the Commander. “How is the mission going?”

“We just heard from Desslok a while ago, sir,” said Derek. “He reports that the Bolar Fleet appears to have withdrawn from the area of New Pellias after having been defeated yesterday, along with the R’Khells. However, Katrina Savela is still missing, sir.”

“I know…we received a message from Astrena a while ago,” said the Commander. “Otherwise, she reports that New Pellias appears to be secure. Nova, do you have any idea where Katrina might be…using your abilities, that is?”

Nova shut her eyes and then, she said, “Sir…I can only sense, right now, that she is still in this star system and is alive. I feel her presence, but it is very, very indistinct.”

“You are scheduled to leave the New Pellias system on Saturday,” said Singleton. “I am asking you to continue the search for her. In the meantime, Commodore, General Stone and some other parties have been involved in some disturbing activities in your absence from Earth.”

“What sort of activities, sir?” said Derek.

“I don’t want to go into detail right now,” said Singleton. “But, he has been fingered as possibly being involved in two scandals. I can confide something in you, First Star Force, that is not to be widely broadcast, but is true. His time as Chief of Staff may be short. We may have a major shake-up in the Command structure of the EDF by the end of the summer, and, Commodore Wildstar, I may need your help, as well as Nova’s. I won’t say any more at the moment,” he said.

“Of course, sir,” said Derek.

“With that, I’ll be over and out,” said the Commander.

The screen went dark, as Nova wondered what was going on.

Of course…she would soon find out…all too soon.

TO BE CONTINUED…..

______________________________________