ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE

STAR BLAZERS—THE ENTROPY WARS

By: Frederick P. Kopetz

 

 

CHAPTER NINETEEN: SONGS OF DEATH AND REBIRTH

 

I.  ORGANIZATION…

 

On Planet Pellias

 

Saturday, October 1, 2231

 

1629 Hours: Local Time

________________________________________________________________

 

Balthazar Mellknap was an official in the Resources and Public Works Department in the city of Beltane on Pellias.

 

He was at work with one of his crews in dirty brown coveralls working on repairing a water main on Confederation Street, one of the city’s main streets.

 

“So, you’re sure this needs a new valve, Varsa?” he asked.

 

“I’ll bet you every damn bit of my fur that this needs a new valve, Balthazar,” said the strong Ralkhen with short grey fur who worked on a connection. “It has a slow leak.”

 

“Noran, get us a B-325 from the truck, wouldja?” said Mellknap.

 

“Roger-Dodger, Chief,” said Noran. Noran was actually a Gamilon (from one of the Empire’s second-level races) who had joined the logistics effort. He had Caucasian skin and dark green hair.

 

He came back down the hole a moment later with the valve, a porta-welder, and a nervous look on his face.

 

“Chief, we got a problem,” said Noran.

 

“What the hell is it?”

 

“Some Royal Official from the Palace has a warrant for you. You’d better go up and see him at once.”

 

“Varsa, take over for me with the guys while I see what’s going on here.”

 

Varsa nodded while Balthazar saw the Royal Official, a young man in a wine-colored uniform with black boots.

 

“A warrant from Her Majesty to you,” said the Official.

 

“From the Ruling Queen?”

 

“Astrena has not resumed the Scepter yet,” he said. “This is from the High Queen herself.”

 

Balthazar bowed his head in reverence, and then he unsealed the envelope, which had been closed with an archaic wax seal.

 

A letter inside, written on parchment, was calligraphed in both Pellian and in Terran Standard English. It read:

 

“A Warrant: from Her Majesty, Nova Wildstar III, High Queen and Ruling Queen of the Pellian Commonwealth, President and Incipient Empress of Terra, Empress of the R’Khell’evan Union, etc.

 

To: Foreman and Section Chief Balthazar Mellknap;

 

Greetings.

 

I, Nova Wildstar, humbly request that you enter my Palace and Presence at 11 AM local time today for a meeting with myself prior to the formal surrender ceremony with the R’Khells and Bolars on Wednesday. Come as you are; you need not change into Court dress or clean up excessively. I do not stand on ceremony. Your presence is most important and desired.

 

Best, in the Name of He Who Rules Forever,

 

Nova W. (signed and sealed with my own hand)”

 

The signature was in a feminine style that differed greatly from the formal black-letter that the warrant was written in.

 

 

A while later, Derek and the three guards ushered Balthazar into Nova’s audience room. The Sun which both Terra and Pellias now shared was low in the Pellian sky on this part of the planet, but Earth was rising over the horizon; its white clouds, blue water, and brown continents reflected a good deal of light. When it was a full Earth out in the night, the night was nowhere near as dark as it had been.

 

To Balthazar’s surprise, he saw only a desk, some chairs, a couch, and a single carven white chair with red cushions in the middle of the white carpet in the high-windowed room.

 

On it, gleaming softly, sat a slender young pregnant woman with honey-blonde hair. A soft gleam covered her body, which was clothed in only a diaphanous white garment that hid very little of the slender form beneath it. Her eyes were large, soft, and dark brown, and on her breast, she had the mark of the High Queen, and the Imperishable Crown burned at the top of her head like a blazing star above her mithril circlet.

 

He bowed deeply, refusing to look at anything of the powerful High Queen about whom he had heard so much about except her bare toes.

 

Derek smiled at Nova, and sent to her, you look like an image of the fictional Elf Queen Galadriel in that gown, my love. But you are more beautiful.

 

Thank you, darling, Nova sent back as she blushed.

 

“Rise, Balthazar, and sit here, near me. Derek, please sit over there to my right. Attendants, you may leave us,” Nova said in a soft voice.

 

“Majesty, how old are you?” said Balthazar.

 

“In my late fifties, yet I read your mind and you think, ‘she looks nineteen or twenty; how can this be?’ I was dead, but restored to life by the Highest in this form as a gift, and I have been assured I shall live on in the bloom of youth and strength until the evil of Ekogaru and Promecium exists no more.”

 

“Are you aware of the territory the Commonwealth controls?”

 

“I am,” Nova said. “We are an Empire, but a strange one, as we command largely through treaties and free associations and agreements, and not through force as with other Empires we have recently fought or am now allied with. The Commonwealth comprises sixty-six worlds, based at the edge of two of the spiral arms of the Galaxy, with tendrils reaching to the Small Magellenic Cloud and to the Andromeda Galaxy. We are a multi-racial and multi-ethnic union; owing to the results of the recent war, we have R’Khells, Bolars, Ralkhens, Bogomirs, Terrans, some Free and Accepted Cometines, various cyborg races, Orcs, Varenoids, surviving Loyal Technomugar, and even some of the races of the Thunderan System Frontier worlds associated with us in our Commonwealth. We do not conquer for the sake of conquest. We uplift and guide those we have associated with in fraternal bonds of friendship and love. Or, so I hope and pray. I don’t know how good I am at this yet. I’m…not used to being a ruler. Leader Desslok and I need to have a good talk soon.”

 

“You have learned well, O Majesty,” said Balthazar. “The growth of our nation has astounded us all. Your genius…”

 

Nova raised her hand. “We are not here to speak of me, today. We are here to speak of you. I am aware of your hand work with your crews and your work in maintenance, engineering, and construction. I am forming a Council to advise me and to be the additional hands, arms, legs and feet that you see that I do not have, indeed, one reason I am barely covered or unclothed is to remind all I am but mortal. I have need of an engineer who can and will take on logistics and public works projects to aid in the reconstruction of my homeland of Terra; while it is above us as a blue jewel, it is a blue jewel that the Technomugar have scarred very badly. Therefore, would you be willing to accept an appointment to the Commonwealth Council as Councilor of Logistics and Public Works?”

 

“I do, Majesty,” said Balthazar.”

 

“Derek, please assist me,” Nova said as she stood.

 

Derek kissed her,,.and he helped her kneel.

 

Another servant brought a Bible into the room, and she opened it and laid it on the floor in front of Nova as she knelt before it.

 

Balthazar almost wanted to cry as he watched Nova; she looked much like his wife Bernice had twelve years ago as she had been pregnant with their son; like many of Pellian ancestry, Bernice had gone naked the last two months of her pregnancy, and for the two years of nursing their son afterwards; she had even borne the same rose love-mark on her thigh; this was before a raid from the Technomugar one night had killed Bernice while she tried to defend their home and five-year old son Simon from the vicious killers.

 

“Balthazar, remove your boots, for this is like unto holy ground,” Nova said. After he did so, he knelt before her, and she led him through a short but very binding oath that bound him to service to the Council, the Pellian Parliament, the Ruling Queen, and the High Queen.

 

He then rose as Nova shook his hand and the others applauded.

 

“Report back here at 10 AM the next morning. I will take the needed action to remove you from your previous position.”

 

He nodded, and then said, “Majesty, I think you need rest. How soon is your time?”

 

“Possibly any day, now. I could go into labor in the next hour. Who knows?” Nova said as she clasped her stomach and grimaced at a kick so shocking it made her breasts bounce slightly. “The boy…he’s getting mad at me…and he wants OUT of there!”

 

The others laughed as Derek led Nova away. She was still blushing slightly, due to her enlarged tummy. Derek smiled at this; most of the time now, the kicks of the soon to be born babies were quite obvious under Nova’s bare stomach. Soon, she teleported them to their bedroom.

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

In their bedroom, Nova kissed Derek and whispered, “I want you…NOW…in the worst way. Please strip? And start with me, even though I don’t have much to take off?”

 

“Okay, your wish is my command,” he said softly as he sat on the bed kissing Nova and tenderly undressing her and stroking her hair as he stripped, and Nova also helped him out of his clothes.

 

When they were both nude, Derek began to kiss Nova’s breasts and bounce them around.

 

She kissed him back, guiding his hands between her legs after a few minutes while she tenderly played with his manhood.

 

“I love how tan you’re getting, Derek,” Nova whispered between kisses as she drank in the sight of her lovemate’s naked body. He had been spending his off hours on the nearby beach or in the Royal Gardens, swimming and sunbathing in the nude along with his spouse. One day on the Yamato, which was docked near the Capitol on Pellias, after completing some work Nova teleported them to the Captain’s Quarters where she undressed Derek and got him a towel; then, she teleported both of them onto the weather deck below, where they had only flip-flops on as they settled down to sunbathe nude under the shadow of the main guns on Gun Turret Number One.

 

But now, in their bedroom, they had no sun nor gawking crew members or Space Marines to worry about (not that this bothered them much anymore; Nova would usually just wave at or wink at a Space Marine who was looking at her naked form) and they went to town.

 

Soon, before long Nova was ready for more intimacy.

 

She got on top of her husband and let him have his way with her as they gasped joyfully with pleasure.

 

Derek thought he would go mad as Nova’s wetness surrounded him.

 

Well before he was ready, Nova cried out in her first climax, trembling with joy as her body responded to her husband’s ministrations.

 

“Nova, you’re…you’re just…”

 

“KEEP GOING, DAMNIT!,” she cried in joy and sheer carnal pleasure. Something was occurring to Nova as she gasped with joy while Derek shook under her.

 

Ten minutes later, with a beautiful sunset outside in the French windows of the bedroom they were using, Nova climaxed a second time, and Derek came the first time.

 

Their minds joined and bonded as strongly as their bodies as a sudden realization hit Derek…

 

…just as Nova pulled herself off her husband and her toes gripped the blanket, as a moment later her water burst all over the bed and all over her husband with a terrible wave of mixed pain and pleasure, as the last contraction of her orgasm and the first contraction of her labor melted together in a shivering wave of joy and awe that swept them both.

 

Derek sat up and grabbed Nova as she shivered and gasped through the end of her contraction, and said, “I need to clean you up and get you to the hospital!”

 

“NO!” Nova screamed. “Starsha is coming out of me first! In order to succeed Sasha, she must be born on Iscandar! We’ve already discussed this!”

 

“How the hell am I gonna get you to Iscandar right after, you’ll pardon me, your friggin’ water just burst!??”

 

“I’m still like…you know… but I can get us cleaned up and teleport us to the villa on Iscandar. She and Theodore will be born there, and we can get any help that’s needed…although you forget that I’m a doctor? I’m more than able to handle most of this myself!”

 

“When you’re the one in labor?”

 

“I handled being crucified a few weeks ago, damnit!! This will be a walk in the park by comparison! Get me a nice place to lie, hold my hand, and, voila, I’ve got this! You’ve never done this, Derek, you know damn well I’ve done this several times!”

 

“And all this without a stich on...”

 

“I get hot when I’m in labor, you know that! Besides, we have an animal side to our nature, and animals have no problem giving birth naked! Neither do I!”

 

“Nova, you’re not a Goddamn cat!”

 

“I’ve communicated mentally with Fluffy when she’s been having kittens, and she doesn’t exactly care where she is, what she has on, or how she looks!”

 

An exasperated Nova ran to the bathroom and came back with a basin of hot water and several towels. She cleaned them up and then crouched over her small desk to write a note.

 

“Hi. In case you look for us, we’re on Iscandar, at our villa near the Royal Beach. The kids are on the way; have some EMT’s stand by on Iscandar in case I have any trouble.

 

Love and kisses,

 

Nova.

 

PS-Derek is more scared than I am. Right now, he’s TOTALLY USELESS!”

 

Derek saw the note and yelled “NOVA!” as she pulled him up and grabbed his hands, right after she had another contraction.

 

“Well, it’s the truth!” she snapped back. “Excuse me while I get us there. This may make you nauseous!”

 

Nova kissed Derek, and touched toes with him as they hugged.

 

The room spun, and they felt as if they were in a space warp.

 

A moment later, a bedroom in their villa on Iscandar appeared around them.

 

“Why did I have to get us in the guest room?” Nova snapped.

 

“Not bad aim for about 120,000 lightyears,” Derek said.

 

“I need the bed we put in our room,” Nova said. She grabbed his hands and walked him down the hall to their bedroom. “Get that ready; you know what to do.”

 

“Are you going to be okay?” he said.

 

“I’ll sit in this recliner and put my feet up…YIKES! That’s a big one. Remember, fear is the mid-killer…blunt the pain…blunt the pain,” she said to herself as she shut her eyes.

 

Derek stripped the bed and took off the mattress pad and outer mattress. The bed, arranged for a few weeks ago, was a hospital bed that converted to a birthing bed with stirrups.

 

Soon, the bed was almost ready, and Derek worked a control to bring up the upper part of the bed.

 

Nova had already planned to give birth sitting up.

 

A moment later, with a loud popping noise, Miarahl, Sasha, and two Iscandarian EMT’s appeared in the room from out of nowhere.

 

“I didn’t call for the whole lot of you!” Nova said. “What is this? GRAND CENTRAL STATION???”

 

“No, the Matrix did,” said Miarahl. “It knows better what to do than you do right now,” she said. “You’re a wee bit...huffy, shall we say?”

 

“Auntie, please chill out,” said Sasha.

 

“What I’ve been telling her the past few weeks since our victory,” said Derek. “Half the time she wants to cuddle with me, the rest of the time, she wants to eat weird things and murder me!”

 

“YAAARRRGHHHHH!” Nova yelled as she grabbed a pumice stone and threw it at Derek’s head.

 

“Missed me,” he taunted back.

 

“Oh, SHUT UP!” she yelled as she raised her hand and shot a bolt of electric energy at Derek.

 

“YAAAAAH! That burned!” he yelled as it hit him in the chest.

 

“You’re getting crazy now, dear!” growled Miarahl. “Do that again, and I’ll put you under! Remember your disciplines!”

 

“Right,” Nova said as she puffed her way through another contraction and let Derek and Sasha walk her to the bed.

 

Then, the video phone rang.

 

Derek answered it, forgetting to snap the video off. “Yeah?”

“Is the next Queen of Iscandar being born now?” Desslok purred over the connection from Gamilon.

 

“No, Desslok, I’m rolling around naked on my bed right now with you LOOKING as a brand-new form of exercise!” Nova snapped back. “Of course, she’s being born now! What do you think, Your Highness?”

 

“My, my, Derek,” said Desslok. “Do all Terran women go berserk like that when birthing? I pity you now, my friend!”

 

“What are you doing now, Desslok?” Nova asked.

 

“I’m in my bath with Astrena. I called because she told me you were in a slight…fix…shall we say? I’ll come to Iscandar and visit you later if you are in the mood…”

 

“Give it a few hours, please,” Nova said. “This is the only downside of being killed and resurrected and made like I’m twenty years old again…my body thinks this is my first-time giving birth again!”

 

“Déjà vu’ all over again?” Derek said while kissing his wife’s sweaty locks.

 

“You’re not funny right now, dear,” Nova said as she kissed his hand. “If I didn’t love you so much, you’d be on fire right now.”

 

“SOOO…temper, temper,” Derek said.

 

NINE HOURS LATER…

 

The birthing process continued as the sun came up on Iscandar and October the second, 2231, began.

 

Nova was dilated to eight centimeters now, and she was flagging; the labor had gone one for ten and a half hours now, and she was getting very tired.

 

“Are we almost there?” Sasha asked as she stroked one of her Aunt’s hands in the semi-darkened room as Dawn just began to touch the planet; Derek stroked the other one.

 

“Almost……” Nova then screamed and gasped in something of a combined cry of pleasure and pain as she felt herself dilating with an almost inhuman speed.

 

When Derek came to her with fresh sheets and towels, Nova was crying with pleasure and pain, her tears glistening as Derek and Sasha beheld Starsha crowning between his wife’s legs in the sun that came in through the window while Nova touched her nipples to stimulate the birthing process.

Then, Derek came to her with the sheets and he got them into place, and he tenderly touched her womanhood again with a little oil to prevent her from tearing.

 Nova then gasped with pleasure and two little streams of milk sprayed from her nipples, and her milk continued to spray a little as she got herself into position for a final push.

“It’s good,” said Miarahl, holding back the EMTs with her staff. “She is almost done.”

Then, Nova pushed and Starsha’s little head emerged. Derek adjusted the sheets under her just in time as Nova pushed little Starsha out of her naked loins into the world. Both lovers washed her and then gently laid her on her mother’s breast after she took her first breath and began to cry.

Nova said, “I am in accord with her, darling. She is telling me, “I cannot yet speak…but I am crying because I am outside of you and alive again in the world, and this is the third time this has happened to me! Mommy…please keep me warm. I need your milk…I am so hungry!”

Nova and Derek tied off the umbilical cord and carefully cut it as Star Wakefield, who had arrived after her mother Sasha, came running up.

“Highness!” she cried. “You need to be in a hospital!”

“I am fine, but please call the ambulance, nonetheless! Behold your next Queen!” Nova cried as she held Starsha up as she kicked her legs and cried in her wet nakedness.

Other Iscandarian and Pellian guards ran up, and they genuflected as soon as they saw that Nova was holding up a baby girl.

Nova then let Starsha take her breast as the afterbirth came. Derek and two medics helped her with it, and then, Theodore, who had the same strawberry blonde hair as his sister, crowned and came into the world. Starsha had not had an accident, but both Nova and Derek laughed as they bathed their baby son and a little stream of wee came from his penis as he wet both of his parents before joining his sister at his Mommy’s breast.

They let Nova lie on her bed as the other placenta came, and then Derek helped Star and two medics lift Nova and the babies onto clean sheets in a stretcher cocoon. Nova kissed Derek before the cocoon closed, and then they ran with her to a waiting medical shuttle from the Yamato (which had arrived during the night on Iscandar) that had just landed in the grass nearby.

The shuttle took off and roared south towards Mother Town, joined by an escorting squadron of Terran, Pellian, and Gamilon fighter planes as word spread of the joyful Royal Birth. Fireworks began to go off on Iscandar, Gamilon, Pellias, and Terra as, in his Palace on Gamilon, Desslok raised a goblet of wine towards Iscandar, which was rising bright in Gamilon’s night sky as Desslok called out, “Empress Astrena…Talan…my staff! It is time for us to rejoice! The High Queen has had her children, and Queen Starsha lives again! All hail the Queens of Pellias and Iscandar!”

Astrena embraced Desslok and kissed him, but then he saw she was crying.

“Why do you weep, my love?” he said.

“There is no reason,” Astrena lied, as she had a vivid flash of an assailant stabbing her in the back on Pellias, and then of her own funeral, and then…a wedding for Desslok…to the new Queen Starsha…

This will happen within a year and a half, Astrena thought as she sent Nova the news of her premonition.

Then, we must triple your guard! Nova shot back.

No, Highness, Astrena thought. It must be this way, because my passing saves you from a premature death; the knife that is coming is meant for your heart.

Nova shut her eyes as she lay in her hospital bed in the infirmary wing of Sasha’s Palace in Mother Town, and said, “I see, Astrena. So mote it be….I love you…you are like a mother to me…unlike the woman I killed a few weeks ago…”

 

II.  SOMETHING LIKE NORMALITY…

 

Planet Earth

 

Monday, October 18, 2231

 

0900 Hours: Earth Time

 

 

After she arrived on Iscandar to pick up the Wildstar family and after about four days on Gamilon for a state visit with Desslok, the Yamato arrived on Pellias on the tenth of October.

 

After a meeting with the Pellian Council, the Yamato headed home to Terra at dawn on the eighteenth of October.

 

Now, at long last, after many journeys and many battles (including her last battle of the war with some remnants of the R’Khell forces on October the ninth, the Yamato finally was about to make dock in the Tokyo Megalopolis for the first time in many months.

 

The first order of business was a request of Derek and Nova’s.

 

A communication came into Homer’s headset at exactly 0900 Hours, which he stood and read to the Bridge Crew.

 

“From: The Pro Tem Earth Defense Council, to; the Acting President of the Earth Federation and the Acting Commander of the Earth Defense Forces.

 

Your requests of October 17th, made from Pellias, have been granted, given the recorded approval of the Pellian Council and the High Queen of Pellias.

 

1)    Admiral Derek Wildstar is hereby removed as Acting Commander of the Earth Defense Forces and appointed as Commander of the Earth Defense Forces, effective 0900 Hours, October 18th, 2231.

2)    The Space Battleship Yamato, SBB-01 is hereby transferred from the Pellian Naval and Fleet Registry back to the Earth Federation Fleet Registry, and she is re-entered on the Earth Naval Registry as SBB-01, Special, ESS Yamato. This change is also effective 0900 Hours, October 18, 2231

 

A meeting of the Earth Defense Council and Pro Tem Cabinet and Council will take place on October 19th, 2231, to consider the appointment of a Pro Tem Parliament and to begin consideration of the Pellian Government’s request for Terra to, in some form, join the Pellian Commonwealth on a permanent basis.

 

3)    In Pursuance of this Goal, the Government affirms Admiral Nova Wildstar’s emergency appointment as the President and Prime Minister of Earth permanently effective up until a Pro Tem Parliament can choose a new Prime Minister. President Wildstar in her dual roles as High Queen and President is also affirmed as the Terran Head of State.

 

This is effective as of 0900 Hours.

 

Regards,

 

The Pro Tem Earth Defense Council

Meeting in the Supreme Court Building

Tokyo Megalopolis, Earth.”

 

“What do we send back?” said Homer.

 

“Our thanks,” said Nova softly.

 

Nova stood for a moment from her post at the Yamato’s radar.

 

She was clothed in regular clothing for her work earlier in Sickbay treating the sick and injured of the Star Force and also treating some critically ill Earth refugees who had been evacuated to the Yamato earlier in the morning to be treated in temporary hospital spaces which had been set up in some empty munitions storage compartments throughout the huge ship.

 

She now wore a simple black minidress (which could be zipped down quickly to expose her otherwise nude body if either Starsha or Theodore needed a quick feeding), a lab coat, and black sandals, along with a small pair of glasses for close work.

 

“Derek, I never thought we’d be coming home quite like this. It almost seems normal again,” she said.

 

“It does until you look over there and see the brighter star and Pellias over there to the right, above Earth,” Derek said. “It’s October and it’s what, ninety-five degrees down there in Tokyo?”

 

“Earth is now closer to Pellias’ star than it was to Sol,” Sandor said. “It’s going to be like the Sun Crisis again on Earth for a while…good for those who aren’t really adequately dressed.”

 

“Actually, with shortages, I have the feeling that people will be preserving their good clothes, and for play or relaxation, they’ll have little or nothing on like so many of the Pellians and all of the Ralkhen,” Nova said. “There’s even Ralkhen settling on Earth now, if you believe it, along with some of the Gamilons, Pellians, and even refugee R’Khells and Bolars. That’s why I asked the remaining heads of state of the Bolar Federation and R’Khell’eva to sign treaties of peace with us. Those negotiations are over with. They’ll be on Pellias at the end of the month to sign treaties with the High Queen…who’d better work on her all-over suntan, by the way,” said Nova as she looked down at her bare legs.

 

Derek chuckled at that. So did Sasha, who had come back with them to Terra for a while to serve at the Yamato’s Analysis board. Not far away, Jefferson Hardy was sitting near Sasha. He looked depressed.

 

There was a good reason. Dawn had been killed on Pellias a few days ago by a Technomugar rebel that she and Nova had been interrogating. The rebel had blown himself up, and Dawn had thrown herself over him on his interrogation chair to shield Nova from the blast. Despite Nova and Dr. Bixley working together to piece Dawn back together, their operation failed, and Dawn had died at sunset that evening, on the eleventh and she had been buried on Pellias the next day as Jefferson wept over her grave.

 

“It was so senseless,” Jefferson said. “So damn senseless…”

 

“She earned a Sunburst of Honor and the Pellian Legion Medal saving Nova,” said Sasha.

 

“Yeah, that was nice, but I want her back. Nova, you got all those powers! Why couldn’t you and Trelaina heal and resurrect her?”

 

“I tried with my healing power after her heart stopped on the table,” Nova said. “I also called to Trelaina and she joined with me. Even with what we tried, she still passed on. Sometimes, Jefferson, some things happen as they do for a reason.”

 

“They do,” said Sasha as she took Jeff’s hands.

 

He looked at her for the first time. He always knew Sasha had been beautiful, but he had never looked at her in that way before; she had always been Deke’s Princess, his little spiritual brother’s lady, his dear friend’s Bond mate. He had always had Dawn, and she had always had him.

 

Now? Deke had died in battle, on Iscandar, right before Sasha’s eyes, trying to protect her.

 

Dawn had also died, in battle, on this ship, trying to protect Nova.

 

Sasha’s burgundy-brown eyes filled with tears as Jeff looked into them.

 

There was a flash of spirits joining, and Nova knew at that moment that Jeff and Sasha had Bonded.

 

They sobbed in each other’s arms as Ariel quietly ushered them off the first bridge, so they could be alone.

 

“What just happened?” asked Eager.

 

“They’ve just Bonded,” Nova said. “And it looks like we might have a double wedding, soon. Jeff and Sasha, and Ariel and Jordy.”

 

“There’s Steve, too,” Derek said.

 

“Oh, yes,” Nova said as she blushed.

 

Steven also had a love interest of his own; an Iscandarian Duchess named Astra who had come with them from Iscandar. She was one of Sasha’s ladies-in-waiting, and she was very pretty; in fact, to Derek, she looked strikingly like Astra of Iscandar, Starsha’s sister, come to life again.

 

She also had her own secret, but no one knew it yet, not even Nova.

 

However, little Starsha knew.

 

Other than her mother, she was most comfortable in Astra’s arms when being carried around.

 

Starsha knew exactly why she liked this Astra so much; but she would tell her Mommy and the others a bit later, she thought.

 

 

III.  WALLS AND BRIDGES…

 

Planet Earth

 

Thursday, October 21, 2231

 

0800 Hours: Earth Time

 

 

 

In their home in Philadelphia, the Wildstars had Mark and Trelaina over as house guests and babysitters for what they thought would be about a two-day trip.

 

Nova had bottled some of her milk for the babies and instructed Trelaina on how to care for the kids.

 

Then, as Dawn approached, the Wildstars drove to Willow Grove Space Naval Air Station, where Derek’s Cosmo-Zero sat waiting on the tarmac, fueled and ready for a quick flight to Great Island, aka Honshu.

 

Not far away sat another Cosmo-Zero; this one was for Nova. She would be flying formation with Derek because she really needed to get some flight hours in to keep her flight certification.

 

Both of them had their Star Force uniforms, flight gear, boots, gloves, and helmets on.

 

“I think this is the first time I will have flown a fighter since, well, I died,” Nova said as she filed her flight plan on her portable PADD computer.

 

“You’ve flown a recon ship since you were killed,” Derek said.

 

“Yes, but not a fighter. I hope I’ve still got it,” Nova said as she looked at her plane with some trepidation after she stowed her two bags in a storage pod while doing her walkaround of the bird. “When I’ve been doing Fleet stuff, I’ve been more of a doctor than a pilot lately.”

 

Derek raised Nova’s helmet visor and kissed her. “You’ll be fine. It’s like riding a bike. You never forget this stuff. And didn’t I see you flying one of those Pellian warp planes a few days ago? I could barely keep up with you! You warped to the edge of the Galaxy and back, just for fun. And since you left Pellias, well, you were flying in your birthday suit.”

 

“And you remember I landed on a planet with a beach and ran down the beach and took a swim before we headed back?” Nova said.

 

“Yeah…that Perlana Twelve is an interesting place in the Commonwealth, just four hundred lightyears away from Rahlkendar. If we had more time, I would have made you dig for clams. It was so much like Earth.”

 

“I had a funny feeling about that place. Like I had been there before…or will be, someday,” Nova said.

 

“Maybe you were,” Derek said. “That planet we were on with those cat people some years back when you commanded the North Carolina…was that around there?”

 

“No, it was an alternate Earth…maybe a future Earth,” Nova said as she climbed into her plane. “You’re taking off first?” she said over her radio.

 

“Affirmative,” Derek said.

 

Soon, he taxied away and went along the taxiways waiting for takeoff clearance.

 

Nova had taken off her helmet to watch Derek’s departure. She put it back on a moment later and closed her own cockpit.

 

She pulled on her gloves and waited for taxi clearance.

 

She got it a moment later.

 

“Zero Yamato-01-02, you are cleared to taxi. You’ll be taking off from 24 West.”

 

“Roger,’ Nova said.

 

Her heart sped up a little as she released her brakes and began to taxi, following the blue directional signs.

 

She saw Derek roaring down the runway in the distance, and saw his takeoff.

 

Soon, she found herself behind a cargo ship headed for Europe. The cargo bird took off, and then Nova heard, “Zero Yamato Zero One Zero Two, you are cleared for takeoff. Acknowledge.”

 

“Roger,” she said as she turned towards the runway.

 

She adjusted her controls and smiled as she went to full military power. Soon, she was roaring down the runway, and she shed the surly bonds of Earth a moment later, following Derek’s heading as she roared away from the suburbs of Philadelphia into the indigo heights of the sky.

 

“Zero Yamato Zero One, Zero One, on your six, roger that,” Nova said.

 

“Acknowledged, Yamato Zero One Zero Two,” said Derek in her headset as she drew up alongside him as they began to take a ballistic trajectory across North America. They guessed they would hit the edge of space over San Diego, be across the Pacific in twelve minutes, and landing on Honshu five minutes later.

 

“It’s like riding a bike,” Nova said. “Affirmative,” she smiled.

 

“Affirmative,” said Derek.

 

AN HOUR LATER…

 

The Wildstars were out of their flight suits and in suitable summer clothes in an EDF Staff Car as Derek roared away from the base where they had landed.

 

It was very warm, and the warmth even crept inside their car as Derek drove in a t-shirt, cutoffs, and thongs. Nova had on only a bikini top, shorts, and her exercise sandals.

 

“This is probably a futile effort,” Derek sighed as he drove through the outskirts of the Tokyo Megalopolis. Maybe half their buildings they knew were there, in various states of damage. Others were gone or reduced to ruins by Technomugar and Bolar bombing raids. “Look at this. Our old house is not going to be there.”

 

“I think it will be,” Nova said.

 

“Why are you so certain?”

 

“A dream I had,” Nova said as they took a left turn, took another turn, and with the shoreline drawing closer, they headed down their old street, unsure of what they’d find.

 

They passed the Savela mansion as their neared the location of their old house in the Akana District on Sands Point Peninsula. It was half-demolished, but a work crew was there rebuilding it.

 

They were surprised that their old gate was still there near the high hedge.

 

Derek punched in the combination, and they drove up the once-familiar driveway, passing a grove of trees.

 

Then, they saw it.

 

Their old house was still there, and it looked almost intact, save for some obscene graffiti spray painted near the front door, and a broken window up on the third floor.

 

The Wildstars parked, got their bags, and held hands.

 

Derek punched in the combination on the frosted glass doors.

 

They slid open, and the Wildstars walked into their foyer.

 

The air conditioning was on low, there was some mail all over the place, and the lights were dimmed, but their old house was still there!

 

“Hello? Anyone there?” Nova said as she kicked her sandals off.

 

There was no answer. “I don’t believe this,” Derek said as he walked barefoot into their living room. The curved couch and other furnishings were just as they had left them several months ago.

 

“We’re going to have to get rid of that graffiti,” Nova said. “I don’t like the look of it outside. She untied her bikini top and shed it.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“We need to turn the air up. It’s stifling in here,” Nova said as she sat on the love seat and took off her shorts and panties. Naked, she stretched her legs and flexed her toes.

 

“C’mon, Derek. Strip. I know you’re hot,” Nova said.

 

“Not hot enough to trot, if you take my meaning,” he said as he undressed. “So, what are we doing for lunch?”

 

“I have frozen stuff in the fridge,’ Nova said. “I’ll check the status screen. If power stayed on during those weeks, the food will be good.”

 

Then, they heard laughter and splashing outside.

 

“The pool,” they said.

 

They ran to the back, opened up the kitchen door, and saw two naked teenagers, a boy and a girl, splashing and yelling in their pool. Remarkably, the water looked filtered and clean.

 

“I’ll get those kids out of here,” Derek growled.

 

“Let me handle this,” Nova said. “I can see they have ragged clothes thrown there, and they obviously don’t know anyone lived here. Or lives here,” she added.

 

Nova simply ran out to the pool and said, “Do you kids know where you are?”

 

They look startled and swam over. “No…ma’am…you look a lot like the High Queen. Or are you the President?”

 

“I’m both,” Nova said. “Derek and I used to live here. We still own the place. “

 

“We’re sorry, ma’am!” said the redheaded girl. “We’ll leave.”

 

“You can stay for a while if you can answer some questions. Aren’t you two some of the Moroboshi kids?”

 

“We are,” said the boy. “I’m Antonio the Fourth. This is my girlfriend Michiko. We’re sorry we skinny-dipped in your pool.”

 

“It’s hot; that’s not a problem. I almost never wear a swimsuit in this pool since it’s private,” Nova said. “Why isn’t our house trashed?”

 

“The Resistance folks took up residence in a house two doors down; the old Kashima place,” said Michiko. “They sort of guarded this place while you were away-they even did some maintenance. They thought if you two were alive, you’d be back. We admit we were living in your pool house. Our place is gone, along with our parents.”

 

 “Sorry to hear that,’ Derek said as Nova jumped into the water. “Anyone up for a game of water volleyball?” she said as she swam in her skin, looking as graceful as a fast-moving fish. Nova paused near the middle of the pool, where she undid a net from a stanchion as Derek jumped in with the ball. Nova pulled out the net, swam to the other side of the pool, and locked it, submerging to emerge with wet hair beside Derek, who smiled at her before giving her a kiss.

 

Derek served, and the four of them had an hours’ worth of fun, splashing and laughing in the warm water, all graceful in their shared nakedness in the sun and the warm water.

 

Then, when they were done, they dried off, and Nova threw on an apron and made them lunch.

 

As they spoke, Derek said, “Nova, you were discussing your father’s estate and the properties you inherited from him. Couldn’t you see that these kids are put up in Parkside Manor? That’s not far from here.”

 

“No, it’s not,” Nova said as she knelt on the ground in her apron looking at the pool.

 

“What’s Parkside Manor?” asked Antonio.

 

“It’s an apartment complex I inherited from my father. Well, one of ten of them. I checked with my lawyer and there’s some vacancies there but we don’t have a property manager. Would you two like to be the property manager? I’ll pay well, and as a perk, you’ll get a rent-free apartment there.”

 

“Ma’am, are you serious?’ said Michiko.

 

“I sure am,” Nova said.

 

“It’s better than you guys squatting in our pool house,” Derek said.

 

“Thank you…thank you so much!” said Antonio.

 

They all shared a hug, and then they began to make plans.

 

 ______________________________________________________________________________

 

 

FIVE DAYS LATER…

 

“I’d like to welcome all of you to Good Morning Terra and Pellias,” said Nova as she sat with her legs crossed on a stool. “As you can see, I’m modeling one of the latest Pellian chapeaux and gowns, with matching sandals in white,” she said as she sat on her stool talking into her mike. She looked very pretty in her chapeau and thongs, and her glittering violet gown.

 

Derek’s breath was taken away; except for Nova’s shoes, glasses, and hat, her outfit made her look eerily like the late Princess Astra of Iscandar, who had crashed and died on Mars thirty-two years ago now.  

 

Over the past few years, the Pellian chapeau had become a popular item of beachwear for Terran as well as Pellian women. Recently, there was even a bridal chapeau set, with a white chapeau, garter, white veil, and white sandals, and nothing else; intended to show off the bride’s natural beauty at a beach wedding.

 

Nova continued with, “As guest host today, I have some guests; the first one I’d like to introduce is my husband, Grand Admiral Derek Wildstar, and the two newest members of our family, Starsha and Theodore.”

 

A lot of applause greeted Derek as the orchestra played the Yamato march as Derek came out in a T-shirt, white swim trunks and thongs, bare-chested, carrying little Starsha and Theodore, who had on only swim diapers.

 

“And where are we going today, dressed for the beach?” Nova quipped.

 

“Imperial Water Park, after the show,” said Derek. “Then, we’re going to Q-Mart to try and buy some toilet paper. Why the heck, of all things, are we having a shortage of toilet paper?” Derek said.

 

“I don’t know,” said Nova. “Same place where we’re getting a shortage of clothing?” she said as she looked down at herself. The audience laughed.

 

The audience laughed again as Nova said, “In a while, when these kids get hungry, I’ll be demonstrating the basics of breastfeeding again for those new mothers who may be having trouble with it.”

 

After the commercial break, the couple came back on the air.

 

After the show ended, an hour later, they were at the water park. Derek had worn his swimsuit to drive there; Nova now wore a matching white bikini.

 

They spent a good two hours with the babies in shallow swimming pools, and going down slides.

 

Nova gave lunch to the babies in the grass as they enjoyed a picnic lunch and while Derek cuddled her and teased her while she nursed the two babies in the sun with her top off.

 

It was an afternoon of sweetness and fun.

Lots of both.

___________________________

 

IV.  OF A BLAZE UNLEASHED…

 

Planet Earth

 

Wednesday, October 26, 2231

 

1424 Hours: Earth Time

 

 

 

Later that day, the warm breeze blew through Nova’s hair as she stood there putting Starsha and Theodore in a stroller attached to a cart. They had stopped at home; Derek had added a t-shirt to his swim trunks and flip-flops; Nova had put on cutoff shorts, a blue bikini top, and a pair of exercise sandals she had fallen in love with.

 

Derek stopped; since approaching them was a red-headed Pellian girl in only a string bikini, chapeau, and sandals.

 

“Emmmm…hmmm…hmmm”

 

“Your Majesty,” the girl said as she genuflected towards Nova. “Your outfit is cute, if a bit informal.”

 

“So is yours,” said Nova.

 

“Your husband appears to fancy me,” said the Pellian girl with a giggle. “Behold, his mouth is wide open!”

 

“maaa…maaa…maa..” said Derek as Nova kicked off her shoe and ran her bare toes over his sandaled toes.

 

“STOP LOOKING!” Nova snapped as she tweaked his nose. “If you’re going to stare at some girl today, stare at me, for crying out loud!”

 

“I want to do more than stare at you, Nova dearest,” he said as the Pellian girl bowed and left them.

 

Nova giggled. “I can see that…hey…why are you picking me up?”

 

“If you’re gonna run around like that, I’m going to tickle you!” Derek said as he tickled her tummy and the bottom of one of her feet.

 

“Help! Tickle! Police! Fire! Help!” Nova cried as she laughed and kicked in his arms.

 

A few minutes later, they were inside the store. Derek walked along beside Nova, letting her cuddle against his shoulder as she pushed a stroller cart with the twins in it.

 

Theodore whimpered for his mother, so Derek gently picked him up and put him in Nova’s arms as he began to nurse unimpeded at his mother’s breast after Nova loosened her top.

 

“Look at him; that’s so sweet,” Nova said. “He’s growing fast; look at him.”

 

“He’s growing almost like his sister,” Derek said. “He needs his milk often,” he added.

 

“So does Starsha,” Nova said as she picked up a large packet of toilet paper. “I was wondering…it may only be a few weeks until they’re weaned at the rate they’re going.” Nova sighed, curled her toes and said, “It’s so warm, and I’m always giving them my breasts now. It’s cute, but it’s crazy, isn’t it?”

 

Derek nodded as Nova felt the toilet paper slipping from her hands. “Hey…I know there’s not many toilet paper packages…what are you doing?”

 

“I SAW IT FIRST, BITCH!” yelled an evil female voice nearby that made Nova’s blood freeze. She sounded just like her late Aunt Yvona.

 

Nova turned around. So did Derek.

 

What they saw was a woman with dark hair wearing a sackcloth smock that left her withered body bare at the sides; the smock was held on by a piece of rope.

 

She wore sandals made of old tire treads tied to her dirty feet, and she looked like she was possessed.

 

“I SAID, GIVE ME YOUR TOILET PAPER, YOU HALF-NAKED SLUT!” yelled the woman.

 

“I beg your pardon,” Nova snapped. “I’m married to this man with several children! There’s more toilet paper over there. You can grab one of those twelve-packs. I need the thirty-six pack because, as you see, we have two babies!”

 

“Babies with Satan in them, especially that little girl! Look how she looks at me! She is possessed!”

 

“You’re scaring her!” Nova said. “And who are you?”

 

“A Prophetess of Saint Yvona the Holy, about to proclaim her Second Advent. She will appear from the sky on a white steed to fight the naked whore seen in the sky days ago!”

 

“Do you see the marking on my breast?” Nova snapped. “I am the person you speak of. And if you have a shred of psionic sense, you must know who I am and what I bear!” Nova said as the Imperishable Crown flashed angrily visible on her brow, clothing her forehead in Light. Nova stood up on her toes, looking suddenly beautiful beyond human imagination and terrible at the same time. “And you know who I am the Emissary of!”

 

The crowd that had gathered began to murmur.

 

“Don’t mess with her, old lady,” someone yelled. “I saw her in the sky! She saved us!”

 

Someone else crossed herself, and some Ralkhens and Pellians stopped what they were doing to kneel.

 

Nova’s whole body began to shimmer with Light as Derek looked at her and whispered, “Be careful.”

 

“I will be,” Nova said. “I think I can influence her…carefully…”

 

“This has gone far enough,” Nova said. “Miss Bertha…”

 

“HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?” snapped the Josiahite.

 

“Just look around, calm down, and you can see I am nothing to fear,” Nova said in a soft but commanding voice. “I can help you. I will even pay for your order myself…”

 

“Saint Yvona commands that you should be disgraced!” yelled the Josiahite as some store employees called the authorities. “And, to do so, I will not lay a hand on you, whore…but your girl-child shall be sacrificed!”

 

Then, she grabbed at Starsha’s leg.

 

The baby screamed.

 

Nova snarled and grabbed Bertha’s hands. “Derek, watch the babies! This one will need a trip to Abraxas!”

 

Nova and Bertha vanished in a flash of light.

 

They reappeared standing in the sand on a desolate world in the deep cold near the shores of a lake.

 

“Abraxas! I have need of your aid!” Nova called as a whirlpool appeared in the lake.

 

The whirlpool sped up as a shrouded, terrible Angel rose from the depths.

 

“Bertha Cavanaugh, I foresaw your coming here,” said the Angel as Bertha wet herself and fell shivering to her knees.

 

“Why am I here?” she cried.

 

“Nova, do I read your mind aright, O Necromancer? You would have me bring up Yvona?”

 

Nova nodded once, closing her eyes.

 

“It shall be done,” said the Angel of Death. “Bertha, behold your Saint Yvona! Mark well where she is now, or you shall join her there!”

 

Nova yelled, “Sprits of Hell, release Yvona Josiah for a moment unto my keeping!”

“We do as we are ordered, High Queen and Necromancer,” hissed fifteen deadly voices at once as Bertha was forced to stand by Nova and stare her Eternally Damned Prophetess Yvona Josiah in the face.

“Yvona!” yelled Bertha.

Yvona’s Ghost looked like the naked remains of a cancer victim; the face was almost a skull covered with sallow white skin. The naked breasts sagged like shriveled bags, and ribs showed in the chest; the skin of the horrid apparition was dead white, and blue flames still crackled over the skin.

Yvona cackled and looked at Nova. “Why do you pull me into the world of the living? To torment me more, bitch?”

“No, to teach this deluded one,” Nova said.

Bertha was now crying and screaming, “Nova, please, take me from this horrid place!”

“Oh, you, Bertha? You useful fucking idiot?” said Yvona. “Die, you deluded bitch! Die, die, DIE and then come down here to be with me and my sister Teri! Nova, do you want to see your mother? I can drag her up, too, whore!”

“I do not want to see my mother,” Nova said. “Knowing where she is now is torment enough for me!”

“I thought you’d like the thought of her in Hell!” cackled Yvona.

“I do not like the thought of her there, or of you being there,” Nova said. “Yet, the decision is not mine. For I am not the one you blasphemed over and over again.”

“Please take me away from here!” cried Bertha. “God, I was wrong! Yvona is no saint! I disown her and her order!”

“Are you sorry for hurting my child?” Nova snapped.

“I am,” cried Bertha. “MERCY!”

“You shall see mercy, for I will not leave you here with Them. Abraxas, that is enough. Take Yvona back where she belongs!”

Abraxas bowed and dragged a screaming Yvona back into the infernal depths. Then, the whirlpool steamed, and it was gone.

Nova reappeared back in the Q-Mart with Bertha in the midst of several police officers.

Nova heard Derek talk and she said, “I gladly corroborate his charges, and will sign any statement. Please take this woman away to face justice.” Nova then went to Starsha and picked her up and cuddled her as the officers cuffed Bertha and read her a statement of her legal rights.

______________________________________

THREE HOURS LATER…

 

A while later, Nova was at Doctor Bixley’s office for a post-natal appointment.

 

Doctor Bixley checked Nova’s vitals and blood pressure, all normal. Ariel, assisting as his nurse, smiled at the results, happy that her mother was in good shape.

 

Next, he palpated her abdomen gently as he said, “Well, your uterus is pretty much back to your pre-pregnancy form.” He had Nova raise a leg and lie back as he gently checked her womanhood. “I assume you and the Admiral have resumed intimacy?”

 

“Yes,” said both Derek and Nova together. Nova blushed, aware that maybe ninety minutes ago, she had been in their house, nude, on Derek’s lap feeding the babies as they made nice, slow love.

 

Doctor Bixley looked at Nova’s womanhood, externally and then internally with the proper instruments. “You’ve healed up very nicely, and there’s no internal irritation to speak of, but there’s a very small bit of external irritation right there. Let me show you in this mirror.”

 

Nova looked at herself in Bixley’s mirror and said, “Heat rash? It’s been so hot lately.”

 

“Are you wearing tight undergarments?”

 

“Except for when I go out in a bikini bottom, not really,” Nova said. “I don’t wear that much with this humidity.”

 

“Which is not a bad idea in this heat,” chuckled Bixley. “Still, I’d like to have you make sure you get air down there, especially in this humidity.” He checked her breasts. “Same for those breasts, especially those nipples, so they don’t get cracked.”

 

He then checked her feet. “Little damp between your toes….not as bad as it could be. What sort of footwear do you wear?”

 

“It’s simple. I wear sandals all the time, or I go barefoot. Of course, on Pellias, I’m almost always barefoot. Here on Earth, with this sticky heat, it’s been the same way lately. I like being barefoot. I’ve even gone to my Presidential office in my bare feet at times.”

 

“Well, it’s good that you’re letting air get to your feet all the time.”

 

There was more discussion, some of which made the young parents blush.  

 

A moment later, Derek got Starsha and Theodore out of their carriers as the babies slowly woke up. He took away their blankies, and sat them in their mother’s lap as they fussed a little while having their diapers (all they had on) taken off to be examined.

 

The little strawberry blond Queen-to-be of Iscandar passed muster, crying out only when she got her usual shots in her little bottom. Theodore did likewise.

 

Soon, both babies were comforted as they found their mother’s very conveniently bare breasts and began to suckle.

 

Then, when the exam was done, he picked up his pretty, naked wife in his arms and cuddled her as she cuddled their little ones skin to skin before he helped her dress and then dressed the little ones

 

Ariel smiled at them as they left.

 

AN HOUR LATER…

 

The Wildstars were back home. Derek undressed and got his camera.

 

“Did you say you needed some more pictures of you nude for your new edition of your baby book?”

 

“I sure did,” Nova said as she knelt on the floor in their sunroom.

 

Soon, she was again enjoying the sun alone as the sun set while Derek photographed his beautiful subject.

 

Nova wasn’t left alone for that long, though.

 

Soon, after sunset, Derek took her into the shower, and they made love under the water.

 

Then, knowing she wanted to be photographed again, he gave Nova a massage and polished her fingernails and toenails with pink polish. He tickled her feet while polishing her toenails, and Nova struggled playfully and giggled as she then tickled her husband before taking his manhood into her mouth for some fun as they listened to the baby monitor.

 

The babies slept through all of this.

 

Then, Derek set the self-timer, and he climbed into bed with Nova.

 

After a lot of foreplay, he slowly, erotically, and gently took his naked High Queen from behind as the timer went off and took several shots of their lovemaking for the updated version of her book.

 

There were many pictures; maybe twelve as the camera had been set for.

The last one, and their favorite, was taken right after they reached a mutual climax, with Derek teasing her gently as he pulled himself in and out of her,

both of them soaked in joy while Nova moaned in her joy with Derek tenderly squeezing her breast.

 

A moment later, some of her warm milk sprayed on Derek’s hand and on the bed, just as they heard little Starsha’s cries on the baby monitor.

 

“She’s hungry, poor dear!” Nova cried as she kissed Derek, ran into the nursery, scooped up Starsha, and latched her right onto her breast as she came back into the bedroom and sat on the bed with Derek behind her as she cuddled her daughter against her.

 

Both parents listened as they heard Starsha cooing gently as she took her mother’s milk.

 

“I love it,” Derek said. “In case you haven’t noticed, I love looking at you running around the house naked.”

 

“I didn’t ask you, Daddy,” Nova giggled, blushing as Derek began playing with her again.

 

Then, Theodore cried.

 

“I’ll get him,” Derek said. “I’ll be right back.”

 

Nova kissed her husband and then smiled as she saw him carrying Theodore in. He was cuddling against his father and trying to nurse from his breast!

 

“Silly boy, only Mommy does that,” Derek laughed as he laid Theodore beside his sister on Nova’s tummy.

 

Nova helped him latch onto her other breast, and she smiled at both of her little ones as Derek undiapered them, dried off their little bottoms, and then took some pictures as the two of them nursed on their pretty naked mother.

 

_________________________

 

Four warm, cuddly weeks passed for the Wildstars, who were on back Pellias in the Palace now.

 

The babies were growing, and quite rapidly at that.

 

Derek, when he was not in uniform on either Earth or Pellias, generally went very lightly dressed or in nothing himself to adapt to the warmth on both worlds.

 

Nova, on the other hand often went bare in the warm Palace apartments when it was just them around, with no servants, ladies-in-waiting, or people wanting to see her for a thousand reasons.

 

She was very comfortable that way.

 

Her psychic senses were open as never before, and she seemed a little more connected to the Matrix, Derek, and her babies in her relaxation.

Mothering her babies with nothing on in private was very convenient and comfortable.

 

Everyone noticed how quickly Starsha and Theodore were growing, with unimpeded access to their naked mothers’ milk.

 

The two little ones even seemed to be picking up some of the rudiments of swimming; and with good reason…they were frequently in the water with their mother in warm swimming pools and even, now and then, a few steps into the ocean with their parents.

 

Derek came in, holding little Starsha in his arms. He had nothing on himself, and was slightly wet.

 

“What were you up to?” said Nova.

 

“I thought you were asleep. I tried to give her a bath.”

 

“Did you succeed?”

 

“Well, she’s clean, but the bathroom got more of the water than she did. She’s learning how to splash.”

 

Nova laughed at got up. “Starsha, wanna go outside with Mommy and Daddy on the courtyard?”

 

Starsha gave her a look as if she was saying “sure.”

 

Nova took Starsha and carried her outside.

 

There, Nova relaxed on a stone chair with cushions while she wriggled her toes up and gave Starsha her breast.

 

The naked little baby girl was hungry, and she began to cuddle against her mother to nurse.

 

Derek knelt near them and asked, “Need any help, love?”

 

“If you could play with my other breast, sweetheart…I’d love that.”

 

Derek did as Nova asked, touching and cuddling his wife’s breast as he kissed her.

 

Nova kissed Starsha and then kissed Derek.

 

“Are you happy?” Derek asked.

 

“Yes…and we’re alone. You can let that hand…wander a bit…”

 

Derek kissed her, and ran his hand down Nova’s bare tummy.

 

Then, he began to tickle her.

 

Nova yelled, “yikes!” and began to giggle as her husband tickled her lovely body.

 

Then, Starsha looked at her parents after Derek stopped and said, to their surprise, “Daddy, please make Mommy giggle again!”

 

“Oh, my God,” whispered Nova.

 

“She said her first words!” Derek said.

 

Then, Starsha blurted out, “Daddy…get on the chair with Mommy! Now!”

 

They both laughed at that.

 

“Why do you want me on the chair with Mommy?” said Derek as Nova got up.

 

Soon, Nova was cuddled up in Derek’s lap, where, with no shame whatsoever, his hands gently went between his wife’s legs.

 

“I want Daddy to make Mommy happy,” said Starsha.

 

“Well, he sure is,” Nova sighed. “He sure is.”

 

 

Some more weeks passed.

 

The Yamato had taken a cruise to Rahlkendar to test out the repairs to her systems.

 

During that time, Nova’s uniform choices varied widely.

 

Doctor Bixley was aboard ship as the second ship’s doctor, so he and Nova switched watches in Sickbay. Nova spent the rest of her time aboard ship talking care of the kids and taking watches on the First Bridge, back at her old radar again, taking curious scans of the cosmos and making new discoveries.

 

At one point, Derek got a picture of his bride at her post at the radar making a rather silly face, which ended up in a book some years later.

 

Nova also monitored Trelaina’s pregnancy on the ship as she grew larger with child.

 

They had never seen Mark happier as he walked the passages of the ship hand-in-hand with Trelaina.

 

At another point, some member of the crew got a picture of the Wildstars and the Ventures each sharing a Magellan Parfait. It was very, very cute.

 

When they got to Rahlkendar, the young Wildstars (Starsha and Theodore) were delighted with all of the Rahlkens running around their home world. For them, it was like a big jungle water park as their parents negotiated with the Rahlken Chiefs with Miarahl present as a moderator for the meetings.

 

Someone got some more pictures of the High Queen sitting on the ground in just her chapeau, holding Derek’s hand as they enjoyed a dinner that reminded the Admiral of a Hawaiian luau, complete with the Rahlken equivalent of a suckling pig.

 

Then, after some fun in the insanely humid sun, they bade Rahlkendar a farewell with a promise to return soon.

 

On the way back, they stopped of at Riga for about three days. Nova, resuming her hat as Federation President, promised that more aid would be coming soon to Riga from Pellias, and she made a few speeches.

 

 

Then, they left Riga, a week before Christmas.

 

It was the morning of December 24, 2231 when they got back home; and it was still warm on Terra, although it was raining quite a bit. And, they got back in just enough time to set up the Christmas tree in a few frenetic hours, wrap the gifts, et cetera…and they still made Midnight Mass (with the Wildstars in light but quite proper suits).

 

Then, on Boxing Day, the Wildstars got back to the docked Yamato and were greeted with a surprise 30th Anniversary party that Venture and Sandor and the rest of the crew had spent months planning. Most of their older children, including Mark from G-Force, were there. Mark was with Princess, of course, and she announced that she had a second child on the way. Jason and Keyop were at home with their toddler son Derek. Princess expressed a fear to Nova that Jason was possibly teaching their son how to make Molotov Cocktails or something even worse.

 

Luckily, Starsha and Theodore were weaned by that time, so both Derek and Nova could enjoy the bubbly and sake’ flowing very freely at that party. They had a great time at the party. Ariel and Jordy absent, being back at home with the kids.

 

Later that night, IQ-9 had to drive them home because they were royally drunk (and trying to do things to each other in the car!)

 

Derek and Nova paid the price the next morning with horrid hangovers. Ariel laughed at them, and they both dumped some water on their oldest daughter’s head in revenge.

________________________________________

 

V.  MORE NEGOTIATIONS

 

Planet Earth

 

December 30, 2231

 

0845 Hours: Earth Time

 

 

Some days later, Nova had to get back to work with the Government. There was a meeting with the Defense Council on the 30th.

Nova was in a simple office chair, listening to the Council buzz.

 

She had kicked off her sandals soon after getting into the room, but she was in a dark, but somewhat rumpled, business suit with a sweater vest and tie. Her white, red-striped Presidential suit coat was hanging nearby on a coat rack.

Her toes, freed from even her very light shoes, curled as she talked. “I think that we should consider Astrena’s offer for closer relations with Pellias…and probably even associate membership in the Commonwealth. Let me know what you think.”

 

“It’s something that should be considered, I think,” said Astrena, who was present in a beautiful translucent gown in violet.

 

Nova would wear a similar gown herself for a meeting on Pellias later that day.

 

Derek, who was near Nova, watched her taking notes and then chewing on her pen cap.

 

He sent to her, Nova, stop chewing on your pen cap, dear. You look like a bored kid in a Parochial High School class.

 

Derek, in Parochial School, I never got to wear a cute skirt like this, Nova sent back.

 

Okay, point taken, he sent back with a grin.

 

“Madame President, what’s your opinion on this point?” snapped a member of the Council.

 

“Oh, yes,” said Nova. “All right. Earth is growing closer to Pellias day by day…and we need their help to recover from this war. Also, I’m now of both Pellias and Earth. I’ve been reborn with Pellian genes and abilities, and after what we might call a period of adjustment, I am now living full-time as their High Queen. I’d like to cut back on my Security Detail somewhat. Derek and I have discussed this?”

 

“Why?” said a very nasty member of the Council.

 

“I’ve taken several vows of poverty, which, granted, have been modified,” Nova said. “I would like to be closer to the people.”

 

“Ma’am, how will you protect yourself from assassination attempts…like that?” asked an elderly member of the Council.

 

“Derek, hand me your weapon,” Nova said.

 

He did so with trepidation. Nova then slid the Astro-Automatic down the table, and she said, “Shoot me.”

 

“HUH?”

 

“Go ahead and shoot me,” Nova said as she thrust her chest out after straightening her tie.

 

The Council member fired, wondering what the hell would happen to him if he assassinated the President of Earth. At the moment, Nova looked rather slender, frail, and as defenseless as a baby kitten.

 

However, the appearance of her fragility was very deceiving. As quick as lightning, the charged plasma beam bounced off Nova’s chest (or was it some field that blasted from her body near it?) and to her hand, where she deflected it to the ceiling with a loud bang and lots of sparks. Then, Nova used her power and made the smoking weapon fly to her hand.

 

“As you can see, I can take care of myself,” Nova said softly. “No ordinary weapon can hurt me now. Derek, do you think they get it now?” she said as she floated the weapon to him.

 

Derek breathed a sigh of relief. They had rehearsed this the other day, but it still looked a bit upsetting and spectacular to see how Nova could now protect herself.

 

“How far does that go?” asked another Council member.

 

“I could destroy this city in a fireball of energy with a thought now,” Nova said. “I’m almost as dangerous as Trelaina now.”

 

“No, in some ways, you are more,” said Trelaina. “I was never trained as a warrior. “You are.”

 

“So, are you sayin’ that we should scrap our fleets and leave the defense of Earth to a skinny five-foot-seven girl back from the dead with weird powers who weighs maybe a hundred and twenty pounds soakin’ wet?” snapped a member of the Council.

 

“That’s a hundred and twenty-one now,” Nova said. “I weighed myself before we came in here. It’s an honest weight. Yet, I want for nothing.”

 

“So, what is your proposal, ma’am?” said another member of the Council.

 

“A minor change in the character of the Alliance,” said Astrena. “Nova as the High Queen and your President, and Astrena, as her Adviser, propose that Earth should come under the protection of the Pellian Commonwealth as an associate member.”

 

“Lady, would you explain to me how dis here crap woiks?” said a cigar-smoking member of the Council from Brooklyn, New York.

 

“The closest way we can describe the Commonwealth is that it is somewhat like your British Commonwealth of the mid-twentieth century,” said Astrena. “Earth would join as a sovereign nation allied to the High Crown, which, as it so happens, rests on the brow of your President, Nova Wildstar, our Nova the Third, already Nova the Great in our reckoning, since she defeated Ekogaru and Promethium and saved us from death. Nova, as the High Queen, would appoint a Prime Minister when your nation is ready to stand on its own two feet again. Until then, we will work with Gamilon and Iscandar in giving you aid and assistance or all sorts…food, the ability to rebuild, clothing, goods.”

 

“It is a good idea,” said General Brownfort, the Council head dealing with domestic affairs. I propose we adopt this as a temporary measure, to become permanent when and only when we have a Parliament again.”

 

Most of the Council approved.

 

Nova, as President of Earth, was handed some papers by Astrena that she signed.

 

When it was done, Earth was a pro-tem Associate Member of the Pellian Commonwealth.

 

Nova stood. “I will resign as President when a new Prime Minister is chosen, but as High Queen, I am now the Sovereign and Ceremonial Head of State of Earth, for as long as she shall remain in the Commonwealth. You will lose a President, but you have gained a Queen…and I will care for you for as long as I have breath in me. I am now, in effect, a Mother to you and the rest of the Commonwealth.”

 

 

SEVERAL WEEKS LATER….

 

It was after New Year’s on Terra in the year 2232.

 

The next day Nova gave a speech after signing several bills in a signing ceremony in a park near the Presidential Palace, which was being rebuilt. Nova was in a white EDF uniform and the grass beneath her pump-clad feet was warm.

 

Nova said, “We are now recovering from a time for us that was like a time in Hell. Many of us are still poor…destitute…homeless. Each day, though, we rebuild. I have asked the Council to have us join the Pellian Commonwealth, of which I am also High Queen.

 

We and Pellias are almost as one now. You have seen many interesting people on Earth. Ralkhens… Pellians of all races and creeds…Gamilons…Iscandarian, even Bolars who were once our enemies. We have worked together, and much has been done, but much remains to be done.”

 

Nova paused and said, “As we rebuild, we shall work hard, work together, and enter a new age…a better time. That…is my prayer…as it is the prayer of all of us.”

 

After the group applauded, Derek hugged Nova, and she kissed him back.

 

Then, Derek said, “We need to go to Headquarters, dear. As EDF Commander, I’d like to look over those fleet proposals the Pellians sent.”

 

“Sounds good to me,” said Nova as she drove their Presidential air-limo herself. “You know, this car’s okay, but I should have brought the Rolls, instead.”

 

“Why?” said Derek.

 

“Well, I stuck a new supercharger on the engine the other day.”

 

“When you were covered with grease in the garage at home?”

 

Nova nodded and blushed. “With that new supercharger I put on the Rolls, it can really move now! I teleported it to Pellias the other day, took it on an open road, and got her up to 200 MPH, you know that?”

 

“I remember that. I also remember needing a barf bag when we got home.”

 

“You’re silly,” Nova said as she nudged her husband.

 

“You’re worse, O Peppermint!”

 

“Good thing I love you, Derek, or I’d change you into a small, furry animal.”

 

He laughed at that.

 

A few minutes later, they were in a computer room at Earth Defense Headquarters.

 

 “Hello, there!” burbled IQ-9 as he came up. “I’ve just had my latest 20,000 Hour checkup, and I need to test something!”

 

“What?” said Nova.

 

“My extensor arms!” he said as he shot a hand towards Nova.

 

A moment later, the Earth President screeched as IQ nudged her short skirt up.

 

“Cute undies, dear,” grinned Derek.

 

“YOU TINWITTED PERVERT!” Nova yelled as she raised her hand.

 

A moment later, a ball of force hit IQ and knocked him into a wall where he came apart in several pieces.

 

“That hurt,” he burbled. “BUT IT WAS WORTH IT!” he burbled on the floor from his dome.

 

“Ah, life is back to normal again,” said Derek.

 

“You call this normal?” yelled Nova.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

THE ENTROPY WARS WILL CONCLUDE NEXT CHAPTER WITH CHAPTER TWENTY- “The Windmills of Your Mind.”