ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE

STAR BLAZERS---REORGANIZATION

Being the tenth and final part of THE NEW COMET--- BY: Frederick P. Kopetz


This Act is being completed with the Cooperation and Assistance of Derek A.C. Wakefield (as usual)---Freddo

Thanks to Ami Meitsu for some artwork and her input and inspiration in several scenes in this chapter!

Note-Chapter contains some content intended for mature audiences. (Even though the writer is sometimes not terribly confident of his own maturity…)


ACT THREE: LOVE, PAIN, AND FUN IN THE FALL OF 2207


 

I. A CRUISE TO REMEMBER

The Pacific Ocean, Somewhere Off Mexico

The Lady Katrina

Saturday, October 17, 2207

1030 Hours Local Time

 


 

Katrina could not believe where she was.

 

She was on a beautiful yacht with Foxy that was much bigger and far more elegant than she had ever expected.

 

Foxy and a pilot had picked her and her bags of summer clothes up earlier that morning, and she had been flown to the yacht with Michelle in a smallish civilian jet recon boat.

 

It turned out that the white yacht Lady Katrina was bigger than Invida had thought it would be; at about 72 meters in length (or around 210 feet long), it was about the same size as an old-type Gamilon destroyer, for crying out loud! In fact, it was a bit more than a quarter of the size of the Argo, which was 265.8 meters long (or around 880 feet long).

 

The yacht had a helicopter pad on its fantail that, as Katrina noticed in shock, was occupied by a second jet recon boat as she made her landing. She got a little nervous. This second boat had an EDF military look to it; as a matter of fact, it had the Star Force arrow emblem painted on it.

 

“Who flew in the second craft?” said Katrina.

 

“Derek and Nova Wildstar and their children. They will be the only other guests with us this weekend. It is just us, them, and my crew of ten,” said Foxy. “Although Derek and Nova have made some noises about wanting to take the wheel. I think Derek wants to buy a yacht like this one of these days.”

 

“It might take a long time,” Michelle said. “I bet this yacht is expensive!” The teenage girl then ran across the deck to the rail, her sandals slapping on the deck as she ran in her shorts and halter top. “How much does it cost, Foxy?”

 

 “As this vessel’s Captain, I think it cost about fifteen million credits. You see I renamed her after you already,” Kazuo Foxworth said as he adjusted the yachting blazer he always seemed to wear. No wonder he dresses like that, thought Katrina as she came up behind him in a black sundress with a white hat and black sandals that Nova had helped her buy. He must take a lot of pride in being a Captain, even if it is only the skipper of a big pleasure boat.

 

“I noticed that when we flew in; that was very sweet,” said Katrina as she cuddled up to Foxy for a moment. Then, before he could kiss her, she smiled and stepped back.

 

“Why are you doing that?” teased Foxy.

 

“You don’t want to corrupt Michelle, do you?” Katrina teased back.

 

“Oh, come on, I don’t care if you two kiss,” said Michelle as she twirled on her toes in a ballet move (easy because she had flat sandals on).

 

“You didn’t put us in the same cabin, did you?” said Katrina as she looked nervously at Foxy.

 

Foxy shook his head. “No. The master cabin is for a couple. Derek and Nova and their babies are going to be in there this weekend. They need the privacy.”

 

“Yes, we sure could use it,” said an alto voice behind Katrina.

 

 

Artwork; “Katrina” © 2008 by Ami Meitsu

 

Katrina whipped around in enough time to recognize Nova coming up, carrying little Ariel in her arms. Ariel had on a baby girl’s version of a bikini and plenty of sunscreen with a little bonnet. Nova wore a dark blue bikini, with a batik-patterned coverup around her hips for decoration, with sunglasses on her forehead and blue sandals on her feet.

 

“Ah, you look charming,” said Foxy as he took Nova’s hand and kissed it. “Where’s the Commodore?”

 

“On the bridge with Alex, Jonathan, and your First Mate Hale MacKenna. Mister MacKenna is such a nice old man! He sort of reminds me of Captain Avatar,” Nova said as she gave Katrina a hug around her waist.

 

“Who’s Hale MacKenna?” said Katrina.

 

“Just the real master of this boat,” said Foxy. “Old EDF man. He commanded several spaceships and a terrestrial aircraft carrier in his younger days. He sort of came with the yacht when I bought her. Even though I’m the skipper, I could not run this ship without him.”

 

“He’s a good old chap. He has Derek wanting to spend some of our money someday to buy a boat. Even though I think we’d like something smaller,” Nova said. “We’d want to run her ourselves. Run the engine ourselves, steer her ourselves, navigate her on our own…”

 

“You’d want something bigger than a runabout but smaller than a breadbox,” said Foxy. “Now, I know of this boatwright’s place off Kyushu Island. This guy is named Morimoto, and he has a selection of everything you could possibly desire should you and the husband want to become boat owners. I’ll have to remember to race you someday.”

 

“Don’t bet you’d win,” Nova laughed. “Derek’s a great pilot and I’m a mean navigator.”

 

Katrina rolled up her eyes at this. “You people and your toys…”

 

Nova smiled slowly at Katrina. “You said you liked cooking. This yacht has a wonderful galley and it’s still early enough to make pancakes! Let’s go!” Nova said as she pulled at Katrina’s wrists.

 

“Bye, bye, don’t get lost down there in the galley, I’ll never see you again, Katrina, boo hoo hoo,” said Foxy with a weird smile on his face.

 

“You are weird!” said Katrina.

 

“We know he’s weird,” said Nova as she pulled Katrina along. “Now, our job is to keep Derek out of the galley.”

 

“Why?” said Katrina.

 

“He has a horrible habit of burning things,” said Nova. “And on a ship, a fire can be deadly. Trust me.”

 

“I think I know that,” said Katrina.

 


 

A few minutes later, in the galley, Nova threw on an apron over her barely-dressed form after she put Ariel down in a baby seat. There was no one else in there, but it looked as if Nova had been busy. Katrina noticed some of the ingredients for making pancakes already out. In her prior life as Invidia, Katrina had sometimes cooked, and she had a secret for making pancake batter that not even her father had ever picked up.

 

It looked like Nova needed little help making up a batter on her own with just the right ingredients. Katrina took a taste of Nova’s own secret recipe and found that some Earthlings (very few, she would admit, being conceited) knew how to cook almost as well as she did, and Nova seemed to be one of them, although it seemed Nova put a little more buttermilk in her recipe than Katrina was used to using.

 

The galley had a range, and Nova and Katrina soon had a number of pancakes going, while Katrina spread out some meat.

 

“This is like valnik?” Katrina said, referring to a dish made from the flesh of a Pellian animal that had been imported to the Cometine Empire in her lifetime.

 

“No, actually, it’s an Earth animal that is a similar kind of hoofed scavenger called a pig,” Nova said. “This is called bacon. It’s smoked. My cousin Jane actually raises some pigs. I think she cured this herself and sent it to Foxy.”

 

“Jane is Foxy’s ex-wife?” Katrina said as she turned the bacon strips.

 

“Uh-huh,” Nova said as she flipped the pancakes. “They’re still friends, even though they had a divorce.”

 

“Oh,” said Katrina.

 

“Relax, they’ll never get back together, not if Jane has anything to say about it,” Nova said. “My cousin Jane’s a little crazy,” Nova whispered. “She’s a rancher who shoots at varmints and personally butchers pigs and cows. I helped her slaughter a pig once. It gets kind of messy.”

 

“You helped kill an animal?” Katrina said.

 

“I’m not big on killing things, but preparing and dressing meat isn’t that bad,” Nova said. “I dissected some preserved fetal pigs in college biology classes before they became too scarce to use. The internal structure of a pig is not that different from that of a human,” Nova said as she removed the pancakes from the griddle. Nova then stepped back and pulled off her apron, showing her bare stomach in her bikini to Katrina with a casual air that surprised her a little. Invidia looked on at Nova’s exposed shoulder at close range and saw the little dimple where her knife had gone in. It looked to be a very minor mark above her collarbone now. Nova then pointed at her chest, which, in its bikini top, didn’t have very much on it. “The structure of the heart is very similar to that of the pig, and the liver and gall bladder are situated in similar spots,” Nova said as she pointed out the right spots on her body. “Of course, my legs are somewhat nicer than a pig’s, and I don’t have hooves,” Nova teased as she wiggled her toes up. Nova then threw back on her apron and went back to cooking as she looked at Katrina and said, “I think you’d look very cute in a bikini.”

 

“I…uh..,” Invidia stammered. “I do not like showing off that much flesh. I…”

 

“I didn’t used to, either, until Derek coaxed me into a nice suit like this…and I saw his eyes light up,” Nova said dreamily. “That’s after we got married, of course. He never saw me naked until our wedding night. Ever since then, we’ve had a very fun relationship…”

 

“Except that he burns down the kitchen?” Katrina said.

 

Nova laughed. “He has a bad habit of overcooking food,” she said. Nova then said to Katrina. “The water’s nice. I took Jonathan in for a swim before. You need to get into a swimsuit after we eat.”

 

“Why?”

 

“To swim in,” Nova said. “Unless you want to just skinny-dip.”

 

“Skinny-dip?”

 

“Go in the water naked,” Nova said. “Better to do that when it’s dark and the crew can’t see that much if you like that sort of thing. Even better if you slip off in a dinghy for just you two to do it.”

 

“You and Derek…”

 

“Uh-huh,” Nova said as she blushed. “He looks nice like that. And in the warm water…maybe you and Foxy will do that someday. Or now? If you do, we won’t look,” said Nova with a little smile and a wink.

 

“Am I expected to…?”

 

“If not now, maybe someday,” Nova said. “After all, I think you and Foxy make a very, very cute couple.”

 

“We do?”

 

Nova nodded. “Uh-huh. And he loves you a lot. I get on the phone to him, you are all he goes on about. He is crazy about you. Haven’t you noticed yet? Good catch,” Nova said as she nudged Katrina conspiratorially in the elbow and winked. “I think you two are just made for each other…”

 

Katrina smiled and nodded at that.

 


 

All the guests assembled for their breakfast in the dining area outside the galley maybe forty minutes later. Katrina sat near Foxy, but not too close to him. She noticed (with some surprise) that he had taken off his jacket, ascot, shirt and shoes, and sat there eating breakfast bare-chested and barefoot with his pants legs rolled up to his knees.

 

He smiled at her as they began eating. She was seeing him bare-chested for the first time, and she saw that he had a somewhat thin build without a shirt on, but that he looked tanned and rather boyish, and had some of his hair hanging in his eyes as he ate.

 

She was shocked at the amount of syrup and butter he put on his pancakes, and at the sheer amount of bacon he was shoveling down. There was plenty to go around, but Katrina finally said, “Foxy, you’ll get fat if you eat so much!”

 

“Nah, I always burn it off,” he said. He looked at Katrina’s plate. “Dry pancakes? Fruit? On a strict diet?”

 

“I don’t like syrup or anything fattening,” she said. She looked over across the table to Nova’s plate; Nova was not eating as much as Foxy, but she had syrup on her pancakes and had taken some bacon and sausage. “You’ll get fat eating that!” she said.

 

Nova shook her head. “Do I look fat? I work it off, too.”

 

“You should see the way Her Nibs runs hither and yon every day,” said Derek Wildstar. Katrina noticed that his hair was wet and he looked rather boyish yet strong with his sculpted build clad in only a pair of dark blue swim trunks with an anchor on them. He was also eating a healthy portion of food while Nova mussed up his hair; the two of them had their seats so close that they were almost sitting in each other’s laps. “And she makes sure she either runs, rides a bike, swims, dances, does gymnastics, or martial arts practice every day.”

 

“Derek, I’m not that crazy,” said Nova with a blush.

 

“You are almost as wacky as your cousin,” said Foxy. “But far, far smarter. That makes you dangerous. First Mate McKenna, watch this lady. She might try to sabotage the ship.”

 

“With sweet eyes like that?” said a seafaring-looking man with a black beard and striped shirt and jeans. “Considering that she is playing with her baby son, that would be a bit hard to manage…”

 

Foxy smiled at Nova. Alex and Ariel were near them in their little baby carriers on the table, and Nova was busy playing with little Alex’s toes as he giggled. The baby boy wore only a somewhat loose diaper with blue-tipped safety pins as he squirmed and kicked impishly in his carrier. “Actually, I’d watch him.”

 

“Who?” said Katrina.

 

“That baby. He is a Wildstar. His father must already be training him for the military. He has a killer look in those eyes!”

 

Little Alex looked right at Katrina and squealed, “Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba boo ba bee!” In the meantime, his little sister Ariel slept peacefully next to him in her carrier, now also stripped down to her diaper.

 

Katrina smiled at Baby Alex and then looked at Foxy. “Dear, that child is totally innocent. I think he’s plotting playing with his fingers, that’s all. Nova, why is his diaper sort of loose?”

 

“Diaper rash,” said Nova. “I’m trying to sort of air him out. If it gets any worse, it might be bye-bye diaper for a little while,” Nova said as she got up and looked at his waist and peered into his diaper.

 

“How is he, Mom?” asked Jonathan. Katrina also smiled at him, thinking, I’m surrounded by cute children, and I don’t mind! My heart and mind must be undergoing some changes. Should I have even talked to Radnar that day, or should I have let well enough alone? Katrina thought, feeling a little guilty about her quiet, subdued plotting to come back to some power someday by way of the Black Nebulan remnant and the weird deal that she had made with her former enemy Radnar. As she smiled at Jonathan, slender, skinny and cute in just his swim briefs, she thought again that maybe it was better just to let the past be the past, and to enjoy her new, diminished, but certainly sweeter life.

 

Katrina put her head on Foxy’s shoulder, shut her eyes, accepted his hug, and thought, This is a time and place where palace politics no longer matters. I see the way Foxy looks at me even though he teases me. My friends at my job are polite and don’t know me well, but they like me and I get to work on my own as a writer. No one bothers me much. I get to be in peace. I need never see Desslok again. Never. Nova and Derek Wildstar like me. And they’re nice. They’re actually nice, and they could care less about the past, even if they suspect anything. No generals. No fleets. No tortures or need to prove to the colonies, governors, or generals how hard I am….

 

“Foxy?” asked Katrina.

 

“Yes?” he said.

 

“Would you excuse me? Nova, the pancakes were great, but I’m not hungry any more,” she said as she pushed aside her half-eaten plate. “I’m going to go aft to the fantail and look at the ocean.”

 

“Are you okay?” asked Derek.

 

“Are you seasick?” Nova asked. “If you are, I have something for that in my cabin…”

 

“Thanks, but I’m fine,” said Invidia as she tried to blink tears out of her eyes. “I just…need to be alone for a while…”

 

Invidia smiled at Foxy, and shocked him by giving him their first kiss, a decorous peck on the cheek, in front of everyone. Then, she ran aft.

 


 

Trying to keep from sobbing, Katrina quietly went to the yacht’s fantail and went down a small flight of steep stairs. Below, near the water, there was a bench that was intended for swimmers and divers to grab hold to; they could use railings to get back on the yacht if they decided to go swimming while the yacht was stopped and anchored. The yacht was moving slowly now, at maybe eight knots, but it has been at anchor before, and Derek and Jonathan had gone into the warm Pacific Ocean from this little seat.

 

Katrina sat down, took off her sandals, and let her feet lazily bob in the water as she opened her handbag. She pulled out her scarlet Royal Pin and held it in her hands, along with the data unit that held her remaining credits from her days as a Princess of the Empire.

 

I could just throw these in the ocean, she thought. This pin is all I have of Father and Mother and my time in both Imperial Cities; the Gatlantis that is is ruins, and the Eritz Gatlantis that is no more. And I do not need this money, anymore, either.  I could let Invidia die…forever, now…

 

“Trelaina,” she said softly. “I…want to retreat and let the past die. I am so sorry that I did all of this evil in my quest…to be someone. I want to let it be. Please take away my ability to change my form and keep me in this form until I breathe my last breath, and protect me from Ekogaru and let me live and die a quiet life on Earth. I want to forget everything.”

 

“Even the chance to redeem yourself?” said a soft voice near her.

 

Invidia turned around in shock, to find Trelaina sitting on the bench beside her! She also looked diminished, and she wore her blue dress again, but no shoes; indeed, she was letting her bare feet dangle in the water too! She was also gleaming softly.

 

“You’re not dead! You’re alive?” gasped Katrina. “Uh…people will see you, and…”

 

“No one can see or hear me for the moment except for you,” said Trelaina softly as she put a hand over Katrina’s. “Congratulations, Invidia. You are passing the first tests.”

 

“Then you know what I am thinking,” said Invidia, who was shocked as she looked in the ocean and saw her old reflection gazing back at her. “By Arishna! They’ll see me!”

 

“No one can see your true form right now except us,” said Trelaina gently. “No one can hear you now, either. Also, I am not alive.”

 

“You feel like a very warm and lively ghost,” said Invidia, shocked that she was holding hands with Trelaina, the mistress of antimatter…the…the..freak…

 

“I am alive and not alive,” said Trelaina. “It would take too much time to explain. And time I do not have. I can only remain corporeal for a few minutes, until the day comes when I am to return to corporeal life and to Mark.”

 

“Mark Venture is married,” said Invidia.

 

“Not forever, sadly. In years to come, I see his poor wife Holly lying in flowers in state. She will give her life for the love of him, as I gave my life for the love of him when I destroyed Telezart. With the balance leveled, Holly’s life for mine, it will be mandated that I return to Mark and marry him. And, if you give up being who you are now, you will disturb that balance.”

 

“What do you mean?” Invidia said softly.

 

“I foresaw what would happen when you finally decided to let Michelle and her planet live and turned your back on the evil of Gorse and his generals and walked away from your throne on the Eritz Gatlantis and slapped Ekogaru in the face and abandoned him. We foresaw what you would do with Radnar. We also know how much you hate and fear Ekogaru. He is still out there. Do you want him to devour the ones you care for and your friends?” At that, Trelaina made Foxy’s face appear in the water, along with Michelle’s face, followed by the faces of Derek and Nova and their babies.

 

“no,” said Invidia.

 

“Then, someday, we will need you to occupy a throne again, even in exile,” said Trelaina as she closed her fingers over Invidia’s pin and credit data unit. “Invidia cannot die. Not yet. Neither can Katrina. Both sides of you must live on, to redeem your people and save your adopted home from the Dark Lord. Before all of this ends, I foresee Cometines, Earthlings, Gamilons, and other former enemies shaking hands and deciding to forget their differences and remember that all of you share a joint humanity and must join hands to stop Ekogaru and his legions. Natural life versus mechanical, unholy life. The war is not yet ended, although Invidia must sleep for many years.”

 

“Then I can tell no one who I am,” said Katrina as she saw her face as Invidia fade and Katrina’s face reappear as her reflection.

 

“Except Kazuo,” said Trelaina.

“Foxy will turn me in. I can’t do that,” said Katrina. “Even though…I…I think I am falling in love with him!”

“He will understand. If need be, I will help you. And a day will come when she will also share your secret and you will be surprised; I foresee her standing by you as you wear the face of Invidia again and she will defend you in public as you make your case openly before all of Earth.”

 “And?”

 

“If you do not blight your new growth, you shall be one of those rejoicing when Ekogaru is sent to the Pit he is destined for at last. His crystal globe. I foresee someday a kindred spirit of yours who is a Wildstar will help you shatter his crystal globe at last.”

 

“Ariel? Their baby daughter? Or their son Alex?”

 

Trelaina shook her head. “No. A child still in Derek and Nova’s loins at this moment. And her name and fate are linked with your return.”

 

“What is her name?”

 

“Anastasia. Russian for “she who rises” or “resurrection”.” Trelaina made a face appear in the sea for a moment; it looked shockingly like a female version of Derek, with a fiery, crazy, look in her eyes and dark brown crazy hair. “You two will end up being very close. And now, my time passes. We will meet again, Invidia Katrina Savela. Be at peace!”

 

At that, Trelaina faded away like a daydream.

 

Katrina stood up and stared at the water for a while.

 

Then, she put on her sandals again, stretched, and put away her pin and data unit. She grasped the rails and boosted herself back up onto the Lady Katrina’s deck, feeling her face to make sure that she was really Katrina again.

 

Then, with a small smile, she walked off, knowing what she had to do now, filled at last with hope and a new resolve.

 


 

II. AFTERNOON OF DELIGHT

The Pacific Ocean, Somewhere Off Baja California Norte

The Lady Katrina

Saturday, October 17, 2207

1222 Hours Local Time

 


 

Michelle had gotten into a yellow bikini, and she had found her brother Jonathan sunning himself on a deck chair in just his bright red swim briefs. At the moment, the girl was kneeling on her haunches on the deck, engaging in the time-honored art of teasing her brother.

 

She was not being subtle.

 

“You’ve got a boner, you’ve got a boner,” she sang. “My little brother’s got a boner!”

 

“I do not,” he protested. Then, he looked down at his swim briefs and blushed as he realized that not only was a certain part of his anatomy awake, it was also very prominent in his light racing briefs. He flipped over onto his stomach and said, “stop teasing me.”

 

“Do you have a girlfriend?” Michelle teased.

 

“Uh-huh,” said Jonathan.

 

“Thinking about her?”

 

“None of your business!” said Jonathan.

 

“What’s her name?”

 

“Felicia,” said Jonathan. “I met her on the beach one day in San Diego.”

 

“What did you have on?”

 

“These,” he said with a blush.

 

“No wonder you have a girlfriend now. You look very cute in those. For a fourteen-year old,” added Michelle.

 

“How did you end up with Katrina?” said Jonathan.

 

“Long story,” sighed Michelle. “I don’t care to get into it, except to say that we were prisoners together.”

 

“Sorry. How did the Comet Empire treat you?”

 

“Better than the Rikashans did,” she said.

 

“You can say that again,” said Michelle. “Oh. Your new mom is so cute.”

 

“She’s cool, too. She let me pick out my own clothes when we went shopping.” Jonathan sniffed a little, still impressed by the fact that when his new mom took him out of the orphanage, she had literally given him some of the clothes from off her own back when the orphanage had made him strip before leaving. In fact, the brown unisex-looking sandals Nova had put on his feet that day were by his deck chair at the moment; they were comfortable, and they were the only shoes Jonathan had packed for this trip. 

 

“Actually, that’s kinda neat, for you,” said Michelle. “Hey. You’re growing up. Even I have to admit that, twerp.”

 

Jonathan smiled at his sister.

 


 

In the meantime, Katrina walked around the boat, finally finding a charming scene that made her smile.

 

Nova was lying on a deck chair in the sun, cuddled up against Derek, who was tenderly bathing little Ariel as she lay on her mother nursing. Both she and little Alex were naked now; Katrina could see why easily when she saw just a little bit of pink diaper rash on the tousle-haired little boy’s bottom as he lay on his mother’s bare tummy sucking away at her now innocently topless breast.

 

Katrina smiled at Nova, who looked utterly angelic with her babies on her. When she moved her leg slightly, Katrina smiled when she saw that Nova herself also went totally naked in the sun, just like young peasant mothers and slave wet nurses sometimes did with their babies in Cometine society. Katrina found out why when she picked up the young mother’s discarded swimsuit bottom and batik wrap, which lay near Nova’s top and her sandals. The wrap and bikini bottoms were soaking wet…with baby wee. “Awww,” Katrina said. “Did one of them…go…on you, Nova?”

 

“Both of them did,” Nova said with a blush as she opened her sleepy eyes as Derek kissed her. “Daddy’s giving us all a little bath as a result. I love to feed them at bathtime. They feel adorable against me like this.”

 

Katrina smiled at them. Up to now, she had never thought of herself as wanting a child; she had been very afraid of and very sickened by the idea of being pregnant and of giving birth. Remembering what the doctors on the Eritz Gatlantis had told her about her body after Ekogaru had brought her back to life…namely that she could never have children of her own, Katrina felt sadness, envy, and anger at her circumstances, and envy at Nova, until she realized that Nova was exactly the way a new mother should be with her children; happy and in love with them. I want to say mean things, Invidia thought as she wiped her eyes. But what is the point? Our new parents are happy, and they should be…having their joy at last after all of the suffering I made them endure in my war. If I say anything foul about them and their cute little family, I would be a monster. I have turned my back on that now. I want to rule someday, but why seek revenge against these two? I see all they were doing was defending their planet. I am changing so much…I need to talk to Foxy about some of my feelings later…without letting him know everything..yet… 

 

“I hope Mommy doesn’t get diaper rash,” said Derek as he kissed Nova on the cheek. “Nova told me to keep all of them out in the sun to air out for a while.”

 

Nova looked at Katrina and softly said, “Katrina, you look so sad. Is there anything wrong?”

 

“I…in one of the things that happened to me in the Comet Empire, I lost the ability to have children of my own,” Katrina blurted out.

 

“I’m so sorry,” Nova said softly. “You could adopt someday if you want one. Due to the Gamilon, Cometine, and Rikashan wars, there are a lot of orphans on Earth now who need someone’s love. You might make a nice mother someday,” Nova said. “Aren’t they beautiful?” she said as she kissed her daughter. “They love being out in the sun like this…”

 

“No…nothing wrong with that,” said Katrina as she smiled, without a mocking thought on her mind as she tickled little Alex’s foot. He lifted his head up from Nova’s breast to giggle, and then he kissed his mother. Katrina just smiled as she admired Alex from head to toe. He looked so perfectly formed, and as Derek lay next to Nova in only his swim trunks, Katrina thought that she could see a hint of his young father’s strong, lanky build in him already. Katrina smiled, struck again by how youthful…and…cute…her former foe was, and for his deep, obvious affection for his wife. They are so attracted to each other, Wildstar and Nova, and it is so sweet, she thought. I think it is safe to guess there will be more children from them in the next few years. They look very intelligent. And very much in love and very peaceful.  

 

“Yes, Mommy loves you, too,” Nova said as she kissed her little son back before latching him on again. Derek reached over and began to wash his son’s bottom with a cute smile on his face, pausing to wash Nova’s belly button as his son kicked a little leg. Nova then put her head over and kissed her husband on the cheek while Katrina played with Ariel’s hair. “Her hair is so soft,” she said softly. “How do you do it?”

 

“Lots of baby shampoo and love,” said Derek. “Both of us wash them; we’re around them so much that they recognize us both now. They’re starting to recognize Jonathan, too.”

 

“Sometimes, he takes his little brother in the bath with him,” Nova said. “It’s so cute.”

 

Ariel went off Nova’s breast a minute later and gurgled, just playing with her mother’s firm breast as she lay there skin-to-skin with her mommy. Nova brought her up to her shoulder and began rubbing her back to burp her. Nova then laughed softly as the little burp came. Then, she said, “Katrina, like to take her for a minute?”

 

“Uhh…why?”

 

Katrina noticed Derek whispering in Nova’s ear, and Nova nodded and kissed him. “Derek wants to carry Alex and I into our cabin together. Our son’s getting to be a sleepyhead, and

Derek likes to tuck us in for naptime when we both get sleepy while he dresses Ariel and plays with her. Like to follow us?”

 

“Sure,” said Katrina. She kissed Ariel and took her from her mother’s arms. The blond-haired baby girl squealed softly and let Katrina nuzzle her cheek while the Princess felt her skin. It was soft, warm and exquisite, and the little baby had a very sweet freshly-bathed baby smell to her. Then, she smiled as Derek picked Nova and Alex up; Alex was in his mother’s arms, and the slender young mother was being carried naked in her husband’s arms like a new bride coming over the threshold.

 

Soon, Katrina came into their bedroom, and she watched as Derek powdered and diapered Alex, who was still in his mother’s arms at her breast. Then, he tucked in both of them under a light sheet in bed as Nova kissed her husband again. A moment later, Derek helped Katrina powder little Ariel’s bottom and then both of them diapered the baby girl and laid her in her little baby carrier, while had a little pink mobile of angels and stars hanging over it. Derek played with his daughter’s little hands for a bit while she kicked at her mobile, which went around her head playing a little tinkly lullaby. Katrina noticed with no irony that the lullaby was a tiny, tinkly, baby-like version of the Star Force’s haunting march, which she had heard on the day of the signing of the Armistice with the Comet Empire. The baby smiled at the pretty, haunting music and then smiled at her father.

 

“I like the music,” Nova said softly through her closed eyes. “Keep it going.”

 

“Would you like me to bring in your clothes, Nova?” Katrina asked.

 

“Yes, but try to be quiet, I’m falling asleep,” Nova said in a drowsy voice. “Then, Derek and I want to be all alone for a while after the babies go to sleep.”

 

Derek came over to Nova and began stroking her hair as he sat next to her on the bed. Immediately, the thought came to Katrina that they would probably take a nap together and then make love after they woke up if their little ones were asleep. Katrina knew that new parents could often be affectionate at odd times of the day if they had nothing else to do and the babies weren’t quite sleeping through the night yet. “I’ll get your things, Nova, and then I’ll go find Foxy. I think I’ll want to cuddle with him, too,” she blurted.

 

“That’s a good thing,” Nova said in a sleepy voice. “Have fun…”

 

“Just make sure Jonathan keeps away for maybe the next two hours,” said Derek.

 

“Sure,” said Katrina.

 


 

Katrina gathered up Nova’s swimwear, wrap and sandals a moment later, and she popped into their stateroom just long enough to put the swimsuit and wrap in a laundry hamper and to put Nova’s shoes on the carpeted deck as Nova turned on the ceiling fan in the room to help cool it down. Katrina blew the young lovers a kiss as she found that Derek had gotten under the covers with Nova and was cuddling her and their little son while whispering to them. Her guess was confirmed right when she saw that Commodore Wildstar’s swim trunks were off, tossed over a chair back. Katrina tiptoed out and closed the door softly to let Derek and Nova be alone with each other.

 

Then, after Katrina found Jonathan and told him “Your parents and the little ones are taking a nap,” the boy replied, “That’s okay. Mister MacKenna is going to be giving us a tour of the Lady Katrina’s bridge and engine room soon and showing us how everything works. Like to come along?”

 

“No, I’m looking for Foxy. Where is he?”

 

“He was wondering where you were,” said Michelle as she came up. “He’s waiting for you in the library. It’s down on the second deck towards the bow.”

 

“Thank you,” said Katrina.

 


 

Katrina did not have a hard time finding Foxy. He was sitting on a small love seat in the library, wearing a fresh pair of jeans, black sandals, and a plain blue men’s shirt that was halfway open. Soft classical music was playing on speakers in the luxurious but small library, which had bookshelves built into the walls, two computer terminals, a table with two chairs, and several easy chairs and other seats, along with a Plexiglas globe of the Earth and several large plants in pots. The lights were turned low, and the room was as peaceful as a monastery. “Ah, Katrina,” he said. “I wondered when you would find me here. Shut the door and lock it, please. We need to talk. I usually have my crew meetings in here.”

 

Katrina did so, while noticing that Foxy looked far more serious than he usually did, and his young face looked very authoritative. “I’m sorry I couldn’t find you earlier, Katrina. I fell asleep in the sun on one of the deck chairs and I had a very bad dream. I came here to clear my head. The dream was really weird.”

 

“You look disturbed,” said Katrina as she sat beside him on the love seat. “What is the matter?”

 

“Did you ever contact the Dark Lord Ekogaru while you were in space?”

 

Katrina’s face dropped as she said, not ready to reveal all of the truth yet. “Yes. He endangered Pellias, brought us here, and he hurt us and the Royal House very badly. He even bothered the Comet Empire. I heard rumors that…he forced Princess Invidia to enter into some pact with him that she later tried to break. If all of us had a common enemy in the war that just ended, I think it was him.”

 

“What do you think of him?” said Foxy.

 

“I hate him and I fear him,” said Katrina as she gave the unvarnished truth. “I heard he tempted Invidia but she finally refused him. Unfortunately, he cast her to the wolves.”

 

“As he did you,” said Foxy.

 

“How would you know that?” asked Katrina. Too late, she thought. Part of it is out, she said as tears ran down her cheeks.

 

“Simple. He told me,” said Foxy. “He said in the dream that you were his property and I had better best keep away and let you languish to death alone.”

 

“What did you tell him?” said Katrina.

 

“Go to hell,” he said in a husky voice as he suddenly held Katrina. “I am not letting some three-thousand year old Funky Phantom maniac get between me and you. I’ll kill him to protect you, Katrina…I…”

 

“How would you do that to a ghost?” asked Katrina.

 

“Go to a Shinto Shrine, a church, something…get holy water, throw it in his rotten damned face. I also have garlic down below in the galley. Garlic is supposed to be very good against vampires and things like that. If Ekogaru is not a vampire, then what the hell is he?”

 

“Sure not a friendly ghost,” said Katrina with a nervous laugh. “What else do…do you want?”

 

“I wanted to surprise you with this over dinner, but…somehow…that dream…only made this more urgent,” said Foxy. “I feel I have to do this before it gets dark. I’m sorry…just a gut feeling I have.”

 

Foxy then rooted for something in his pants pockets and finally found it. A small box.

 

Then, he got out of the love seat and went down on his knees before Katrina. He opened the box, and Katrina’s eyes went wide when she saw a pure white diamond glittering in the dimly lit room. It was set in a fine, white-gold ring. Then, Foxy whispered, “I, Kazuo Foxworth, do hereby formally ask you, Katrina Savela, if you would please consider marrying…me…”

 

Katrina got all choked up and tears ran down her cheeks. “I…I..”

 

“Katrina?” said Foxy.

 

“You’ll never leave me, no matter what happens to us?” she said in a small voice. “I mean..if I say yes?”

 

“I will never leave you, “ said Foxy. “Nor shall I forsake you.”

 

“Yes,” said Katrina.

 

“Yes?”

 

“I accept…your proposal. Please marry me. Put that ring on me now,” she said.

 

Foxy sat down beside Katrina and he put the ring on her finger. Then, he kissed her hand. He would remember this moment for the rest of his life; Katrina’s dark purple hair, her black sundress and black sandals, her polished pink fingernails and toenails, and the way the room looked, right down to the pale yellow walls, the silver-trimmed porthole, the lacquer-framed artwork from Great Island that read “Nihon” (Japan) in Kanji, and his old parchment map behind his head that read “Mare Placidum” (The Placid Sea) and had charts of the Atlantic and Pacific on it.

 

“I want you to kiss more of me,” she said as she pulled him close, right into her lap.

 

“I…”

 

“I love you,” she said in a gentle, deep voice.

 

Artwork: “Katrina’s Happiness” © 2008 by Freddo

 

Then, their lips met, and they shared their first truly deep kiss. When they were done, Katrina said, “What Jane Forrester did to you…that still hurts, doesn’t it?”

 

“Yes,” he said. “It does.”

 

“I’ll never do that to you,” said Katrina. “I want to die with you. On our wedding night, I want you to make wild, passionate love to me. Then I never want to leave your side. Swear to me you will never leave mine.”

 

“I…I swear it,” said Foxy.

 

Then, they kissed again.

 

Then, he asked, “What about Michelle? Where will she go when we get married?”

 

“Let’s adopt her,” said Katrina. “She is an orphan and has no one but her brother Jonathan.”

 

“Shouldn’t she stay with Nova and Derek and her brother then?” said Foxy.

 

“No. It would tear her apart to leave me,” said Katrina. “I saved her from slavery on the Comet. I love her and never want her to leave my side. I am twenty-four; she is seventeen..but she needs someone. Us. She loves me like Jonathan loves Nova. I never want her to quite go away.”

 

“Then it seems you come with a daughter,” said Foxy with a little smile. “All, right, I’ll accept two for the price of one. The house is big enough for a kid.”

 

“When do we tell her?” said Katrina.

 

“We’ll tell everyone at dinner tonight,” said Foxy.

 

“Good,” said Katrina as she kissed him again.  It was a magical time that Katrina wished would never end. She just shut her eyes, let the happy tears run, and let Foxy hold her.

 

It was one of the happiest days of Invidia’s life.

 

It would soon become very bittersweet; but none of it would be Foxy’s fault….

 


 

III. AFTERNOON DELIGHT, A STORM AT SEA, A SUDDEN RESOLVE

The Pacific Ocean, Somewhere Off Mexico

The Lady Katrina

Saturday, October 17, 2207

1509 Hours Local Time

 


 

The Lady Katrina rolled very softly on the waves while Alex and Ariel slept.

 

Their parents were making tender love under the sheets with the ceiling fan on.

 

“I love you so much,” Derek whispered in Nova’s ear.

 

“You’re such a dear, good husband to me,” Nova whispered back as her back arched in her passion as Derek held and loved her. “My God!” she gasped.

 

Derek kissed Nova, breathing hard as she put her legs around him, went up on her toes, and then she exploded under him as fireworks went off.

 

“OH, GOD!” Nova cried as, in the midst of her pleasure, she felt Derek also exploding into her, putting his love, his life, his fire into her eagerly accepting, hungry young body.

 

They collapsed together a moment later and snuggled in peace.

 

Then, they fell asleep in each other’s arms for a bit, waking when they heard a rumble of distant thunder outside. Through the porthole in their cabin, the stateroom seemed to grow a little darker.

 

“I didn’t think a storm was predicted,” said Derek.

 

Nova kissed him, and flew up from their blue and white bedclothes like a naked sprite, standing on tiptoes to look out the porthole. “There’s a nasty front blowing in from the East, from Mexico proper,” Nova said. “We’re almost in tropical waters now, so the weather can be a bit weird this time of year, Derek.” Nova felt a cold breeze blowing in through the slightly open porthole as she dogged it. The light seemed to turn grey and strange, and the room suddenly went cold.

 

As a wind blew outside, Alex awoke, fussing.

 

“What’s wrong?” asked Derek as he pulled on a pair of shorts after washing up with a baby wipe. He ran to his son and passed Nova the baby wipes to clean herself up.

 

Nova did likewise and she pulled on a fresh past blue sundress over her nakedness as she said, “Derek, I think I know what that cold is,” as her heart began to thud.

 

Artwork: “Loving Each Other and Earth Too” © 2008 by Freddo

 

“What?” said Derek as he tried to comfort his crying son, who was suddenly shivering pitiably in just his diaper.

 

Nova picked up a fussing Ariel, wrapped her in a baby blanket, and held her close. “It’s him.”

 

“Ekogaru?” said Derek.

 

“He must still be alive,” Nova said. “He’s followed us here,” Nova said as she pulled on panties and her sandals. “Derek, can you take Ariel? I have to run to the bridge.”


“Then?” Derek said.

 

“I have to warn Foxy and Katrina. He might have some sick business with them…”

 

“Nova, I…”

 

Nova opened a drawer and grabbed two objects (Derek could not see what they were) and she quickly threw them into her handbag. “I’ll be back soon!”

 

Nova then ran out as fast as her legs would take her.

 

“Nova!” yelled Derek. “COME BACK!”

 


 

But, Nova had her own agenda. While she was not psychic, her experience with the Cosmo-DNA and the times she had been touched by Starsha, Trelaina, and Aliscea (especially when she had briefly carried the Pellian Matrix for Aliscea) had left her just a little more sensitive to the Dark Lord than any other member of the human race. She was not quite aware of it, but she was the only pure human on Earth who had enough spiritual purity to face down Ekogaru and to order him to depart with any sense of Authority.

 

Thus, Nova ran heedless through the wind and the sudden needles of rain as she ran onto the Lady Katrina’s bridge.

 

“Mom!” yelled Jonathan as soon as he saw his mother running in, with her purse over her bare shoulders in her dress and a huge fire ax in her right hand.

 

“Mister MacKenna, what’s going on?” Nova snapped.

 

“Big storm cell just appeared outta nowhere and came up on us like crazy!” yelled MacKenna as Nova ran past him. Ignoring the men at the helm and navigation, she pushed aside the sailor at the radar and began flicking switches and studying it herself, reading the weather and atmospheric conditions as quickly as she could.

 

“Mister MacKenna, go eighty degrees about flank speed south!” she cried. “There’s a pocket of colder air there, and the storm will have a harder time remaining coherent in that!” Nova cried. “Jonathan! You go stay with your father and the little ones in our stateroom! Tell him I have to face down you-know-who to protect us and tell him I love him!”

 

“Yes, mom,” said Jonathan with misty eyes as he took off, not all surprised that his mother had just effectively taken command of the yacht and their defense.

 

“You can’t go!” cried Michelle.

 

“I have to. Mister MacKenna, where are Foxy and Katrina?”

 

“The library,” he said. “Foxy was waiting for here there, and…”

 

“Lead me there,” said Nova. “It’s Katrina he wants. But I’m gonna give him a fight.”

 


 

Katrina and Foxy clung to each other, frightened by the horrid cold in the library as the ship pitched and rolled.

 

Suddenly, the music system flicked by itself to a beautiful but somewhat ominous piece that Foxy didn’t play often; J.S. Bach’s Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor.

 

“Oh, no,” said Katrina. “He…he likes that music! It’s…”

 

Then, Foxy was shocked to the core as an ominous, gaseous cloud appeared in the room, and something that looked like green, venomous eyes lit up above his potted fichus plant. A weird laugh came from the apparition, and then, there came a deep voice from the apparition.

 

“Kazuo Foxworth. Hands off my property. I have claimed this woman long ago for my own plaything. She has been twisted, beaten, and slammed about and she is not a very nice girl at all. Tell him everything, Katrina dear.”

 

“Who are you?” yelled Foxy as he held Katrina close to him. She was so scared that she could not even talk.

 

“I am Ekogaru De’Shal D’Charif of Rikasha, now Lord of the Technomugar Race and god of this world. I am older than you think. I laughed and laughed in the streets of Dallas when Jack Kennedy was shot. I chortled when the planet bombs fell on Earth. I rode in the Blitzkrieg in the first rank and I was one of Adolf Hitler’s night time friends. I was in St Petersburg and saw to it that the Tsar and his ministers were killed. I was there smirking when Buddha gained enlightenment and I was smirking beside my Master when Christ had His moment of doubt and pain right before He was arrested. Pleased to meetcha, hope you guessed my name! I rode the stars in the night and have been to more galaxies than you have dreamed of. Trillions of people worship me and make sacrifices of children to my name. My face makes the sky turn black and rain turn to ice. It makes babies scream and poop themselves. Now, be so kind to get away from her before I disembowel you, Foxy. Katrina, I am taking you with me down to Hell.”

 

“No…you’re NOT!” she screamed.

 

Foxy just held Katrina more tightly. “Back off! Oh. Ekogaru. You owe the estate of Mick Jagger lots of money for a copyright violation for quoting half of Sympathy for the Devil. Are you not very original?”

 

“Shove your copyright violations up your rear end, Foxy! I’m a god. I quote who I wish and pay no one royalties! As for Katrina, I intend to take her. I will not leave her alone. Are you going to make me leave her alone? If so, how? Throw a law book at me?” purred Ekogaru.

 

Then, the locked door was burst open from the outside with a fire ax. Two or three hits, and then a kick from a woman’s sandal-clad foot, and the door smashed in and Nova Wildstar ran in clutching her purse and her ax, breathing hard as she said, “No. I’m going to make you leave, Ekogaru! You are not wanted on this yacht!”

 

The Dark Lord laughed like an utter maniac. “You stupid moo-cow! I am over three thousand! You are only twenty-nine. Do you think I’m going to roll over and play dead for you, you rotten little dog who loves to be suckled by your babies like an animal?”

 

“First, I do not like your music!” yelled Nova as she smashed the stereo system with her ax and the music stopped. “Second, I do not like YOU!”

 

Nova then flung her purse open and grabbed one object and pulled out something that made the Dark Lord blanch and scream when he saw it; it was a simple silver cross.

 

“ARRRGHHH!” yelled the Dark Lord as he shut his unholy eyes against the gleaming cross. It suddenly lit up with a blue fire and dispelled the darkness in the room in a fashion that in itself scared Katrina. Suddenly, Nova looked much taller, and she looked remorseless and powerful in the Light as she held up a opened vial. “Do you know what this is, Ekogaru?”


“I smell it!” he roared. “I hate that scent! Get it out of here!”

 

“Name it,” Nova demanded in a voice that sounded deeper than usual and almost harsh. So harsh that Katrina was scared by it for a moment. “By my command, NAME IT, DAMN YOU!”

 

“Oil from your rotten Vatican City consecrated by your Pope! It was given to you to bless you for your birth!”

 

“Correct,” Nova said. “Derek put this on my body in labor and it helped with the pain somehow. It gave me strength and life. You don’t like those things, do you?”

 

“NO! Get it out of here! It burns! It stinks!” yelled Ekogaru.

 

“Then have some on me,” Nova said as she threw the oil all over the apparition.

 

The oil hit the Ghost and began to smoke. Ekogaru’s phantom screamed once, twice, and then it said, “Someday, Kazuo, someday, I will be back! Nova, you have earned yourself a place in Hell for this outrage!”

 

The Dark Lord roared, and then he vanished. The rough surf, storm, and clouds went with him. A suddenly placid sun shined through the porthole as Nova stood breathing heavily, and then stoppered the bottle. Nova then turned to Foxy and said, “What religion are you?”


“Sort of a Buddhist,” he said.

 

“Well, keep this,” Nova said as she handed the bottle of what remained of the blessed oil to Kazuo. “Keep it by you at all times.” Nova then looked at the ring. “Katrina, you two are engaged now?”

 

Katrina nodded.

 

“Foxy, never let her leave your side,” said Nova. “It is your job to protect her from this day forth. I think you can see why.”

 

“Yes, of course,” said Foxy. “But, we’re just engaged…and we’re on a ship…”

 

“You need to cover Katrina under the bond of matrimony as soon as possible,” Nova stammered. “It’ll serve as protection…I…oh, sometimes I’m so stupid! A ship captain can marry you two, but this is your ship and you’re the only Captain on board!”

 

“Not necessarily,” said Derek as he strode in wearing jeans, a turtleneck sweater, and thongs.

 

“Derek!” cried Nova as she hugged him.

 

“What happened?” said Derek. “Was it you-know-who?”

 

“Big bad and ugly himself,” said Nova. “I got a sudden wild inspiration from vampire lore and I took a cross and the oil from the Pope this time. It made him run like a professional Catholic or Shinto priest was on his tail!”

 

“I thought he died with Stovall,” said Derek.

 

“He must have found a new body to inhabit somewhere,” Nova said. “Katrina, you were on the Comet…right? Did you hear if Invidia ever saw him again after Deke killed Stovall?”

 

“I heard that she might have seen him…maybe once or twice,” said Katrina. “It even scared the Cometines.”

 

“So what do we do, Sherlock?” said Foxy.

 

“I have the feeling you two need to get married ASAP,” said Nova.

 

“I…I wanted a bigger wedding,” Katrina said.

 

“You can have one later,” Nova said.

 

“But who is going to marry us?” said Foxy.

 

“I will,” said Derek as he nodded at Nova.

 

You?” said Katrina in disbelief. “Uh, I had no idea you were a priest of some kind, too.”

 

“No. But I am a ship captain,” Derek said. “In space or at sea, I can perform marriages. It usually has to be aboard my command, but…there is a part of the Earth Defense Compact that allows the EDF to requisition civilian vessels on an “as-needed” basis. Any flag officer has the authority to do so. I am a flag officer. Therefore, Foxy, I am requisitioning your vessel as an auxiliary vessel of Task Force 2.0 until midnight of this day and assuming command here as my flagship. Command and free title to your yacht will be returned back to you at 12:01 midnight tomorrow morning a few hours from now, by which time you two should be safely having your wedding night. I do not know what the Dark Lord wants from Katrina, but if Nova has a hunch that marrying Foxy will protect you, Katrina, I’d listen to it. She seems to have a good head for this stuff.”

 

Katrina nodded. “I have no objections to that. I guess we can have a bigger wedding and reception later.”

 

“Won’t we need rings and a license?” said Kazuo.

 

“The license, I can procure by e-mail from Earth Defense Command,” Nova said. “We’ll talk about the rings in a bit. Do you have a secure cipher comm set?”

 

“I do, for business purposes,” said Foxy.

 

“That should suffice,” Derek said. “Nova, go and call Earth Command and tell them the situation and get a license made up under Regulation 452(B).”

 

“Yessir,” Nova said as she saluted.

 

“Nova, wait,” said Foxy. “I might have rings around. What about a dress for you, Katrina?”

 

“I brought one for dinner,” she said. “It…well, it’s a gown. It is red and black. I have sandals that match it.”

 

“Good,” said Foxy as he kissed her. “Go and put it on, and don’t come out of your stateroom until Nova calls you.”  He handed her the oil. “If Ugly dares to show his face again, throw this on him like Nova did.”

 

“I do not have guts like you do,” Katrina said, trembling. She grabbed Nova’s arm before she left the room. “Nova, please stay with me.”

 

“All right…I need to get us pretty, anyhow,” Nova said. “Looks like I’m your Maid of Honor at your wedding. Isn’t that cute?”

 

It’s weird, given my life in the past few weeks, Invidia thought, scared as heck as Nova gathered up her things and walked her out of there after kissing Derek.

 


 

IV. A PEACEFUL EVENING

The Pacific Ocean, Somewhere Off Mexico

The Lady Katrina

Saturday, October 17, 2207

1840 Hours Local Time

 


 

The sun was beginning to go down in the West as the Lady Katrina now faced East.

 

Foxy had again gotten fully dressed in his ascot, jacket, shoes, and a fresh pair of slacks while he stood on the Lady Katrina’s poop deck with Mister MacKenna, who would be his Best Man. MacKenna wore a jacket over his striped shirt. Jonathan stood beside MacKenna in sandals, shorts, and a polo shirt. He had a camera on around his neck; he was prepared to take pictures.

 

“When are they coming?” whispered Foxy, who was very nervous because he had not seen Katrina in a few hours.

 

“Soon,” said Michelle as she stood there in a light yellow sundress, sandals, and a hat. She would be one of the bridesmaids; Nova would be the other.

 

“I think the delay might be because Nova has to tuck in the babies,” said Derek Wildstar as he stood there in his full uniform and peacoat with a small blue book in his hand ready to officiate. “But it is happening, Kazuo. She did sign off on the marriage license after you did.”

 

Kazuo nodded, praying that Katrina had not changed her mind at the last minute.

 

The Lady Katrina herself was drifting slowly on auto-pilot; all of the rest of the crew had gathered on the fantail with MacKenna’s permission to watch the impending ceremony.

 

Finally, an intership phone rang softly. A crewman answered it, nodded, and put on the stereo system.

 

J.S. Bach’s Little Fugue in G Minor flowed over the guests as a door opened in the yacht’s superstructure.

 

Everyone stood quietly enraptured as Nova emerged first in a pastel blue sundress and sandals with flowers in her hair, leading someone out by the arm.

 

Foxy’s eyes filled with happy tears when he saw that Katrina was coming up slowly on Nova’s arm.

 

Katrina wore a dark red gown trimmed in black, with black sandals. A few red roses were in her hair, which was otherwise unadorned as she held a bouquet of red roses.

 

Nova walked Katrina up to Foxy, and she helped them put their hands together as they faced each other. As the music ended, Nova nodded to Derek, and Jonathan began taking pictures of the soon-to-be-wed couple as they stood holding hands while Derek opened his book and read, “Dearly beloved, I stand here invested with authority by the Earth Government to join this man, Kazuo Foxworth, and this woman, Katrina Savela, in the bond of matrimony. If there be any person here this day who objects to this union, let him or her speak now or forever hold his peace.”

 

A silent moment came over the group. No one said anything. Finally, Derek said, “I now ask, do you, Kazuo Foxworth, agree to take this woman, Katrina Savela, as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to honor, love, and cherish, and to wed in union, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, in happiness and in pain, until death do you both part?”

 

Kazuo looked in Katrina’s eyes, held her hands, and said, “I do.” Then, he took a ring out of his pocket; a small silver ring, and he slid it onto Katrina’s finger.

 

Then, Katrina’s heart sped up as she realized she was about to be legally bonded to a man for the first time in her twenty-four years as Derek Wildstar, her own former worst enemy, said, “Likewise, I now ask, do you, Katrina Savela, agree to take this man, Kazuo Foxworth, as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to honor, love, and cherish, and to wed in union, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, in happiness and in pain, until death do you both part?”

 

Katrina looked in Kazuo’s eyes, thought to herself Please, dear, never leave me, not even after I reveal who I am to you later tonight, and then she said, “I do.” Then, she paused as Foxy took a gold ring out of his pocket and she slid it onto his finger.

 

Derek then said, “Under which name shall you be married to him?”

 

“We are both sharing a new name,” said Katrina. “Our last names here on Earth shall henceforth be Foxworth-Savela. Nova, did you record that on the marriage license?”

 

“I did,” she said.

 

“Then,” said Derek. “By the power vested in me, I pronounce you two wedded from this moment forth and husband and wife. Mister Foxworth-Savela, you may now kiss your bride.”

 

Foxy held Katrina close and gently kissed her as everyone applauded and Katrina’s heart sped up.

 

“A bigger wedding later on?” she whispered.

 

“Yes, dear,” said Foxy. “Just as we have agreed. But we are married now. You will come home to Foxworth Manor with me when the cruise ends?”

 

“Yes, as soon as Derek and Nova help me move my things out of my apartment,” she replied. “I didn’t use that place for long…”

 

Foxy and Katrina then just cuddled as Jonathan took pictures.

 


 

Later on, all of them sat together in the Lady Katrina’s galley sharing a dinner while Derek held baby Alex on his lap and played with him and Nova cuddled little Ariel.

 

“The thing is,” said Foxy. “I like this wedding better than I did the one to Jane years ago. This was more fun.”

 

“You sound very romantic,” said Katrina. “Now, you will keep me safe?”

 

“I moved our things out of the master suite,” said Derek. “Nova and I will be sleeping together in the big guest stateroom down the passage from you...in case we are needed for some reason….”

 

“I…well, I doubt you shall be,” said Katrina. “Did you have anyone with your for your wedding night?”

 

“No,” said Nova with a blush. “Derek and I were all alone on a beach. All I wore that night was a sarong. Well…after about fifteen minutes…”

 

“I think we can figure that out,” laughed Foxy.

 

“Here’s to the bride and groom!” called out MacKenna. “A hundred years of happiness!”

 

“A hundred years of happiness!” called out Derek as he, MacKenna, and the crew prepared to drink a toast in wine. Jonathan, Michelle, and Nova (because she was still breastfeeding) drank along with the others in plain grape juice. Nova then gave a little grape juice to Ariel and to Alex off the tip of her finger as the group smiled.

 

Michelle then looked at Katrina and Foxy, and said, “Will you two still need…my services?”

 

“Yes,” said Katrina.

 

“Actually, because Katrina cannot have children due to her war injuries…,”said Foxy. “Well, we were going to ask you, Michelle, if you would mind staying on with us…and if we adopted you?”

 

“Yes!” she cried. “Yes!”

 

The group applauded and Nova said, “That sounds so sweet. Foxy, I know you are a lawyer but you can’t represent yourself in this kind of action, right?”

 

“Right,” said Foxy.

 

“I’ll ask my father to represent you,” Nova said.

 

“That’s great!” said Michelle as she hugged Katrina.

 

The group talked for a while longer, and then, gradually, members of the crew returned to their posts, and, then Jonathan and Michelle said good night. Then, MacKenna said good night, and then Nova and Derek said good night, taking Alex and Ariel with them.

 

Finally, Katrina and Foxy were all alone. It was dark out, and it was about 2200 Hours. They sat next to each other, kissed, and then Katrina said, “There is something I have to tell you, Foxy…before...before we…you know…”

 

“Yes?” said Foxy as he picked Katrina up in his arms.

 

“Let it wait until we get into bed,” said Katrina. She was close to tears, but trying to hide it as she thought, What if he rejects me when I show him my secret? What if he not only rejects me but has me arrested, too?

 

Finally, she said, “Please…put me down…I’ll meet you in the bedroom…”

 

“Okay,” said Foxy, puzzled at what was going on.

 


 

“The dice say six,” said Jonathan as he moved his little metal dog on the Monopoly board.

 

Michelle looked at Jonathan with annoyance as she said, “You just missed Marvin Gardens,” she said glumly, smiling as she and her brother had reverted to their old childhood habit of playing Monopoly together, with their board stretched out on Michelle’s bunk. It was something they had not done since the night that the spaceliner Westhampton Beach had been attacked back in 2202 and their birth parents had been killed and they had been separated for over five years as separate Rikashan units had taken them prisoner at the beginning of that terrible war. Now, Earth was at peace with both Rikasha and the Comet Empire, and there were no more potential enemies except the R’Khells, the Black Nebulans, and…Ekogaru. However, even the Dark Lord was in the shadows tonight, gone but not forgotten….

 

“Yeah, I know…Free Parking,” said Jonathan. “Now pay up what’s in the pot.”

 

Michelle handed over the taxes collected at this point; their habit was to put the monies into a pile in the middle of the board. “Six hundred dollars so far…”

 

“I wish Nova and Derek would have played, too,” said Michelle.

 

“They had to do things with the babies, and they wanted to be alone later, too,” said Jonathan.

 

“Yeah, we all know what they do alone,” said Michelle. “Did you catch them in the act yet?”

 

“Came close once,” said Jonathan with a blush. “Mom seems to have this knowledge of when someone’s coming, so she cuddles up against Dad and stops and covers up…even if she has no clothes on.”

 

“You’ve seen her like that?” said Michelle.

 

“She breastfeeds two babies and it’s hot in that townhouse in San Diego and in their house on Great Island with this weird endless summer; can’t be helped,” said Jonathan. “I’ve seen her in the bath with them…she takes them into the tub with her. They all look so cute together…playing naked in the water. She even lets me help with the baby pictures at times. There’s this one where she has nothing on and baby Alex pees right on her other breast…the funny look on her face was priceless!”

 

“Awww,” said Michelle. “I bet you’ve got a happy family there…”

 

“We do,” said Jonathan as a tap came at the door.

 

Michelle got the door and found Katrina standing there. “Michelle,” said Katrina. “May...may I talk to you alone?”

 

“Sure…you look upset,” said Michelle. “Jonathan, can you leave me alone with…with my new Mom for a minute?”

 

“Okay,” said Jonathan. “I’ll go out on deck. Come get me when you’re done.”

 

“I will, short stuff,” said Michelle as she gave her brother a kiss on the forehead.

 

Jonathan left and Michelle let Katrina in. Michelle knew something was wrong when Katrina dropped her guise and stood there as Invidia once the door closed.

 

“You’re…you,” whispered Michelle.

 

“And therein lies the problem,” said Invidia as tears ran down her cheeks as Michelle held her. “I have to expose myself to him tonight…”

 

“Invidia…” whispered Michelle. “Most people make love with no clothes on…”

 

“It is not just that,” said Invidia. “I have to show him who I really am tonight. I can’t have any pretenses. Not with him.”

 

“So?” said Michelle. “He loves you.”

 

“Will he still love me when he sees who I really am?” sobbed Invidia. “When he realizes how I lied?”

 

“You had to,” said Michelle. “And most people can’t know. Derek and Nova will never know. I’ve never even told Jonathan. It’s hard hiding this from my own brother. Why don’t you hide it from Foxy?”

 

“I can’t,” said Invidia. “I…well...I have plans and hopes for relations between our worlds. For those to work, Foxy has to know who I am. I just wanted to say goodbye…in case he gets outraged and asks for an annulment…or turns me in. If he is about to do so…I…I may have to run again. I can fly that jet boat. Or I can throw myself in the sea and drown myself…”

 

“Don’t think about those things!” said Michelle. “Okay, if your secret ever comes out, stand firm. Let them know who you are and stand trial.”

 

“Stand trial?” said Invidia. “They’ll kill me!”

 

“They don’t do that to people here on Earth,” said Michelle. “They’d give you a trial first. That means you would give your side, and you could tell them how you tried to stop this…but they wouldn’t let you, and how you ran from Ekogaru and Gorse. They’d take that into account…”

 

“I see,” said Invidia. She hugged Michelle and said, “I’d better go now…before Foxy comes looking for me. I love you,” she said.

 

“I love you, too…Mom,” said Michelle as she hugged her soon-to-be adoptive mother.

 

That broke Invidia’s heart. She wept as she held Michelle and slowly transformed back into Katrina.

 

Then, she kissed her and left.

 


 

Katrina stood near Foxy a few minutes later in their bedroom. It was close to ten-thirty, and they had just embraced and kissed a few times. Katrina still had her gown on, and she had even continued to wear her sandals. Now, she stood back from Foxy and said, “Before we…before we…begin our wedding night, Foxy, dearest...I have something to show you. Make sure the door is locked.”

 

“Okay,” he said as he tiptoed over barefoot to the door. He had been stripped of his shoes, socks, ascot, and coat by Katrina, but she had stopped undressing him there. She had taken nothing off herself except for the flowers in her hair. “It’s closed.”

 

“I…I have something I have to show you…about myself,” said Katrina as she unbuckled her sandals one by one while standing there and took them off. Then, with some effort, she took off her wedding gown and slipped out of it, leaving herself clad in only her bra and panties as she turned her back on Foxy. “Please don’t look yet,” she said in a soft voice. “I have three things left to take off.”

 

“And they are?” said Foxy.

 

“My bra,” she said as she slipped out of that and let her breasts go free. Foxy came up to her and kissed her with his eyes closed, and Katrina smiled through her tears as Foxy, keeping his eyes closed, played with her naked breasts for the first time.

 

“You feel nice,” he said as he ran his hand over her chest.

 

“Slowly,” she said as her heartbeat sped up. Oh, Arishna, don’t let him reject me…not now…. “Please…let me remove my panties…you can touch my stomach…my hips,” she said as she slipped her panties down off her hips and let them fall down to her bare feet. She stepped out of them and stood almost naked in Foxy’s arms…naked as far as clothing, but not as far as her pretense…which would be the last thing she would take off. “Now, stand back and open your eyes,” whispered Katrina.

 

“You’re already naked,” said Foxy. “And you are so cute. Rrrowllll! What else do you have to take off?”

 

“This,” said Katrina as she shut her eyes, and with tears running down her cheeks, she made the Change right before him with her back turned, up on her toes with tension, nude, and exposed.

 

Foxy took in his breath as he saw her shimmering slightly. She seemed to grow a little bit shorter, and her skin became paler and she looked just a little thinner. Finally, her hair color changed from dark purple to black as she slipped her wedding band and engagement ring off.

 

Then, with her long-lashed eyes closed, Invidia turned around and let Foxy see her from the front as she truly was, with nothing on at all, not even her royal pin.

 

“I…I saw your picture on the video once…from the Melezart Peace Conference…they showed us what you looked like on TV…” gasped Foxy. “You’re…you’re…”

 

“Princess Invidia Monica Savela, Princess of the Comet Empire,” she said in a low voice. “I am who Katrina really is. You are married to your enemy,” she said.

 

Foxy stood in silence as he ran his hands through her hair, putting her loose bangs in her widows’ peak. “Somehow, I knew,” he whispered. “I…always knew.”

 

“You did?” she whispered.

 

“Why are you hiding from them?” he asked tenderly as he caressed her cheeks, looking at her fine features and her carved nose.

 

“I had to run from General Gorse. He tried to kill me. That is why I crashed on the Argo with Michelle. I tried to stop the war several times,” she said. “But he made me go on. And so did Ekogaru. I…”

 

“Ekogaru?” he said.

 

The room seemed to turn cold at the mention of his name, and the nude Princess shivered in Foxy’s arms. “He came to me,” said Invidia. “He…used me. I just wanted to conquer Earth, bring it under the control of the Comet Empire, get some revenge for what was done to my father Zordar,” she said as she ran Foxy’s hand down her cheeks, down her bare shoulders, and down over her naked breast to her chest. “This dimple,” said Invidia. “At the Melezart peace conference, I tried to kill Desslok by throwing a dagger at him. Nova got in the way to try to protect him. The poor, brave, gallant, sweet fool of a pregnant girl. She didn’t have to do that for the likes of him! She caught that poisoned dagger right in her shoulder where she has that dimple. It almost killed her. Then, she pulled it out of herself, and I found out how strong she was when she threw it back at me. I hold no hate against her for that. It was an honorable act of war that I started, but she finished, as an honorable enemy. The dagger hit me here…in my heart. I was operated on. It almost killed me. I actually began to die, but Ekogaru pulled me out of Death’s grasp and resurrected me…but I had to serve as his lackey. I could no longer have children after that. I went a bit mad. Eventually, I wanted out. They had beaten us right there, but I had to fight on. I tried to surrender twice and stop it. But he did not let me. And now, tonight, Nova, my former enemy, protected me from him. She put us together. I could not hide anymore…do with me as you wish…”

 

Invidia then shut her eyes and cried as Foxy said, “Do with me as you wish?”

 

Invidia nodded. “Derek and Nova are here. I had to hide. Trelaina of Telezart gave me the power to change my outward form so that I looked like a prisoner named Katrina Savela. My half-sister, whom I wanted alive and had captured, but they killed her against my wishes. I have a Pellian mother and Prince Zordar was my father. That is why I am not green. Trelaina wants me to remain disguised because she says I have a role someday to stop Ekogaru, and she says someday Derek and Nova will know who I am, and that Nova will even defend me…would she..?”

 

“I think she would,” said Foxy softly. “Do you want to tell them tonight?”

 

Invidia shook her head. “Arishna, no. Arishna…she is the Goddess we worship in the Comet Empire. I…”

 

“What does she look like?” said Foxy.

 

Invidia was shocked at his question. “Beautiful, but foreboding; she always wears a mask….I….why do you ask?”

 

“If you’re gonna live with me at Foxworth Manor we have to put her on the kami shelf with the Buddha, don’t we? So we can burn incense to her?”

 

“You’re not…sending me…away?”

 

“Sending you away?” laughed Foxy. “Come on! Just because you are really Invidia?” Foxy then found her wedding band and slipped it back on her finger. “I married you, with all of your secrets. Although this will be interesting. Do you want some kind of reconciliation between our races?”

 

“Yes,” whispered Invidia as Foxy held her hand and then slipped a hand down her flank, down to her bottom.

 

“Princess Invidia,” he whispered. “You have a very cute bottom.”

 

“You’re…foxy,” she whispered as she slipped his shirt off of him. Then, she pulled down his pants and underwear in one almost violent motion and said, “Be naked with me!”

 

“Is this good enough?” said Foxy. “I’m skinny…don’t work out much. I don’t have those champion swimmer muscles like Wildstar…”

 

“Wildstar’s a nice boy, but he is already married,” hissed Invidia as Foxy touched her bottom, and then, he found her center. She was hot, dewy, and she obviously wanted him. Invidia moaned softly in a low voice and stood on her toes as she let Foxy touch her there for the first time. “I want you, Foxy Kazuo…”

 

“I want you, Princess Invidia,” he said in a low, sexy voice as Invidia found his exposed assets and began to tease him. “By heaven….you…”

 

“You are the best man I have ever touched like this,” said Invidia as she held him close, his eagerness pressing against her stomach as Foxy took in the rest of her; her flat stomach, her hips, the way she looked there, her thighs, her long legs, her toes as she stroked the top of his foot with them.

 

“I can’t wait to have you,” whispered Foxy. “I…”

 

“Then do so,” said Invidia as she coaxed him towards their bed.

 

They stumbled and fell into bed laughing together, the tension and fear gone.

 

Then, Invidia said, as she threw herself onto her back and let Foxy climb on top of her. “How do you want to make love to me? As me, or as Katrina?”

 

“The first time, as you. Show me what you look like as Katrina later. You’re cute. And…”

 

“Yes?” said Invidia as Foxy gently opened the little bit of holy oil, and then, with infinite tenderness, he anointed her with a little of it…right there with his fingers…as she opened herself to him.

 

“You look beautiful naked as a Princess…and your secret is safe with me…no one will ever, ever know…”


“Foxy,” whispered Invidia as she anointed him with some of the oil. Then, she made a very sexy, but sweet suggestion in his ear.

 

“Gladly, Princess,” said Foxy as he threw his arms around her, and they kissed, and then, he took her with gentle tenderness.

 

Invidia shut her eyes, and wept in a good way as Foxy and she melted together, and made hot, urgent love on the bedclothes without even bothering to turn them down.

 

Many minutes of Heaven followed. Invidia moaned in a low, sexy way that drove Foxy mad, and he found that she loved being affectionate in this way a great, great deal as her sable hair flew all over his shoulders like warm summer’s rain as thunder went off outside. They shivered together at the sound of the thunder, but they did not stop as the Lady Katrina sailed on through a normal early-autumn Tropical squall, and ordinary hot rain fell against the porthole as the two lovers drove each other tenderly mad, joined together in their first act of love as Foxy finally exploded eagerly into Invidia’s waiting body as she tensed happily, gasped, and cried as she had the first climax she had experienced in several weeks, since the last night she had been with Captain Jena.

 

This was more intense than ever as she whispered “Foxy, Foxy, Foxy, FOXY!” in his ear over and over and over again.

 

Foxy found her exposed ear, kissed it, and whispered, “I love you, Princess Invidia Katrina Monica Foxworth-Savela. Did I get it right?”


“You did just fine,” whispered Invidia as she cuddled in his arms.

 

“Was I good?” said Foxy.

 

“You were the best lover I have ever had,” whispered Invidia in soft, gentle tones that few ever heard. “I love you, Foxy.”

 

“I love you too.”

 

They held each other, and as they snuggled, Invidia shut her eyes, and in an act of trust and love, she Changed herself back into Katrina right in his arms with a warm shimmer that Foxy was growing to love.

 

“How do I look?” Katrina whispered as she showed her naked, disguised form to Foxy’s gaze for the first time.

 

“You look good like this, and very beautiful, but I think you’re just a little cuter as you really are,” he whispered.

 

“I’m glad to hear that,” said Katrina as she kissed Foxy and took the lead as Foxy then made love to her as Katrina for the first time.

 

And, as Saturday passed into Sunday and the rain came down outside, they had a wonderful wedding night.

 


 

Later, as Foxy slept, around midnight, Katrina threw a black robe on around her naked body, stepped into a pair of flip-flops, and she padded down the hall, stopping to smile for a moment near Derek and Nova’s door as she vaguely heard their voices joining in happy sounds as they made love in the night; the room was so well soundproofed that you could hear them only if you stood right by the door. Katrina smiled and winked at the door as she thought, Have fun, you two…you earned it. My wedding night is far from over, but I have to tell her it worked out…

 

Katrina then padded down the hall, hoping she was at the right room as she tapped at the door. A moment later, Michelle, clad in only a light baby-doll nightgown, opened the door and said, “Mom!”

 

“Just want to stick my head in for a minute,” said Katrina as she smiled and then kissed Michelle. She shut the door and then said, “He knows now.”

 

“He does?”

 

Katrina smiled and said, “He knows. He accepted me as I really am.” She made the Change happen again as she showed Michelle her messy hair and flushed face as Invidia. “We made love for the first time like this. He knows everything, and he accepts me, and he LOVES me!”

 

“I’m so happy for you!” cried Michelle as she hugged and kissed her mother. “Now we’re a family?”

 

“You will move right into Foxworth Manor with us on Monday. I think Derek and Nova will help us.”

 

“Did you tell them yet?”

 

Invidia shook her head as she made the Change again. “No. I do not know if it is safe yet. Although Trelaina told me that someday they will find me out.”

 

“I’m scared,” said Michelle. “And then?”

 

“She said they’d accept me…and that Nova would stand before me with all of Earth and plead my case. But then?”

 

“I think it will work out,” said Michelle. “Trelaina wouldn’t tell you all of that if it wouldn’t work out? Would she?”

 

“I…guess not,” said Katrina as she kissed her daughter. “Stand by me?”

 

“You are my mother now,” said Michelle. “Of course I will…”

 

“I know I can’t have children,” said Katrina.

 

“But?” said Michelle.

 

“I would kill to have a daughter as kind and as loyal as you. You will be my heir, Michelle. Do you know you will be a Princess someday, too?”

 

“awesome,” whispered Michelle as she held her mother.

 

“Just let it be our secret, with me, you, and your father,” said Katrina.

 

“Mom, your secret is safe with me…”

 

They held each other and cried softly.

 

Katrina’s secret was out now, to the only two people that it had to be revealed to, for the moment.

 

And, she was safe.

 

She was safe.

 


 

Invidia barely slept. Like a famished person, she was with Foxy three more times that night, exhausting herself and him very happily.


Then, Invidia fell asleep again in Foxy’s arms.

 

When she woke up, it was around 4 AM. It was still dark out, but it felt warm.

 

Invidia slid away from Foxy, kissed him, and she slipped into a white one-piece swimsuit. She felt too warm, and despite the late hour, she wanted to go out on deck for a few minutes. First, she made sure she was in her form as Katrina before she left the room. Then, deciding to go barefoot, she went out on the deck, breathing in the warm, humid air in the night as the Lady Katrina cruised slowly towards a shoreline that Katrina could just about make out in the night.

 

The sky had cleared up, and a thousand stars were out as Katrina walked down the deck towards the yacht’s fantail. Katrina stepped down, entranced by the luminescence in the yacht’s wake as she noticed a young figure sitting on the step where she had spoken with Trelaina yesterday.

 

Katrina then heard a young, low voice saying, “He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not,” as she noticed Nova sitting there on the fantail in a scanty knit bikini and a small cross necklace as she dangled her bare feet in the warm water and plucked petals off a daisy. Nova paused, and smiled as she plucked off the last petal and said, “he loves me,” in a low, cute voice.

 

Then, Nova turned and jumped a little as she said, “Katrina, dear! How are you?”

 

“Happy,” she said. “He loves me.”

 

“I knew he would,” said Nova. Then, she winked, “he loves me, too.” Nova smiled and said, “I hope this does not upset you, but…well…he wants to try again for another baby someday. I agreed. It would be nice to get pregnant again with no war. And, getting that way would be…fun…”

 

“Foxy is lots of fun,” sighed Katrina. “Foxy...is…foxy…”

 

“Cousin Jane told me once,” said Nova with a wink. “Derek is foxy, too. Rrrowwl!”

 

Both women laughed. Then, Katrina said, “I am out here because I could not sleep. And you?”

 

“I couldn’t sleep either, Ariel was hungry, ooochh,” said Nova as she bounced her breasts. “Hurts a little to have this top on…”

 

“Just take it off,” said Katrina. “No one is looking to you, silly! I mean no one is looking at you….”

 

Nova smiled and slid out of her top. “mmm…that’s better,” she said as she let her breasts go free. “I need to give the twins some milk in a while or I’ll just explode….”

 

“You have pretty breasts,” said Katrina.

 

“Thank you,” said Nova with a happy smile. “Derek and I are making plans to go to the beach tomorrow with the kids and leave the yacht to you and Foxy until the late afternoon. What kind of swimsuit should I wear?”

 

“You’re taking the babies with you?”

 

“Of course, silly!” laughed Nova.

 

“Well, don’t wear a top, at least,” said Katrina. “It is supposed to be near a hundred degrees in your old measure tomorrow. Be comfortable. For your bottoms, wear those, or just your wrap, or just go naked, like nursing mothers often do where I come from. It is not illegal here. I researched that beach. If I wanted to…skinny-dip with Foxy, it might be there.”

 

“Ooo…tell us where you’ll be so we don’t look,” said Nova. “Should we watch Michelle for you?”

 

“Yes, so we can be…”

 

Nova laughed. “I can guess. I will have Michelle with us so she can watch Jonathan and the others…in case…uh….”

 

“In case you two want to run away, get alone, and then spread out a beach towel and play in the sun?”

 

“How did you guess?” laughed Nova.

 

“Not hard.”

 

Then, Nova turned serious. “I also had a very weird dream. Another war is coming. I dreamed about you fighting with us. I also dreamed about you having…well…some kind of secret. And of me being a lawyer as well as a doctor, and about defending you, in Court?”

 

“What?” gasped Katrina. “What did my face look like in the dream?”

 

“Funny, I couldn’t see your face, Katrina. But I knew it was you. I had this girly suit on in Court, and round glasses; I was a little older, and the kids were grown. I had on a corduroy jacket, silk blouse, tie, pleated short skirt, bare legs that still looked very nice, fine with me because I hate stockings most of the time…and cranberry colored sandals. You had on a red and black gown of some kind. A lot of the dream made no sense. Then, you were exonerated, and I hugged you in front of all of Earth. Now what have you done?” Nova teased. “Any parking tickets I should know about?”

 

“No, no,” said Katrina. For a moment, just a moment, she wanted to tell this slender, near naked young woman her secret. And, as she clearly could see Nova’s bare shoulder and the little dimple above her collarbone, where the dagger had gone in, she wanted to plead Nova for forgiveness.

 

But, then, Nova said, “I think we have shared enough secrets for one night,” she said. “I want to go back to Derek. Good night.”

 

“Good night,” said Katrina as the two women embraced and shared a hug before Nova got up and ran off, flying like a young angel in the night as she ran confidently down the deck.

 

Katrina walked back into the ship, going back into the room and hugging Foxy as she fell asleep…

 


 

Katrina dreamed a very strange dream.

 

To her shock, she found herself on Earth, a few years older, but sitting on a bench in some kind of noisy room

 

“What is this place?” she said to Foxy. Foxy had on his blazer and bellbottoms and these ridiculous-looking red and blue shoes. He picked a big shiny black ball off a rack.

 

She recognized little except the wooden lanes. Some kind of Terran practice field? She thought.

 

Katrina looked at herself in a mirror. To her shock, she openly had the black hair of Invidia in a widows’ peak, and she also saw that she had on her Royal pin. She wore a knee-length black skirt, dark red blouse, and had a large pink ball. And the same oddball looking shoes.

 

Nova ran down a lane. She wore glasses, and a denim skirt and white blouse. She threw a large blue ball, which promptly went into the gutter. “Darn it, Invidia! DARN it!”

 

“Looks as if I am beating you,” said Invidia, who suddenly realized that she was openly known as Invidia. She wondered what she was doing in a bowling alley with Foxy, Derek and Nova.

 

“I’m feeling weird,” she said. “Where’s Michelle?”

 

“Sitting on the dock of the bay, watching the tides roll in,” said Derek as he drank a beer. “C’mon, Princess, you’re holding up the game!”

 

Nova smiled at her and said, “Don’t worry now. We know everything…and we love you…and accept you, and forgive you…ohh…in the first draft of this dream, we were all dying, but the writer got cold feet. Wonder what sort of stuff he’s coming up with next? Hello?”

 

Invidia felt very strange as the dream went on….

 


 

Morning came at last.

 

The Lady Katrina docked in a cove near an island that Foxy decided would be a fun retreat for everyone. The island had lots of trees, lots of warm beaches, and not a soul lived on it.

 

Foxy got up, and then he came back to Katrina and he soon let the word out to her that the island was definitely clothing-optional.

 

“Nice,” she whispered.

 

Then, Katrina and Foxy undressed and made love again. Then, they cuddled, and went back to sleep for a bit. Katrina got up and she slipped away from Foxy not long after the sun had come up to find Nova, Derek, and Jonathan back in the galley with Alex and Ariel. Katrina put on a fresh dark blue robe and her thongs before going out. She wiggled her toes in her thongs, thinking, For what I thought were barbarian shoes, these feel good on you when it is really hot out!

 

In the kitchen, Katrina noticed than Jonathan and Derek wore only swim briefs; Ariel had on just a diaper and Alex was lying on his back on a blanket naked playing with his toes and gurgling happily while his father tickled him. From the pinkness around his diaper area, it looked as if his diaper rash had come back, and Katrina could easily see why the baby’s diaper was gone.

 

In the meantime, Nova worked at making breakfast in a yukata covered with calligraphy and held closed with a sash; she went barefoot and paused every now and then to dry her hair with a towel near a doorway, which was thrown wide open to let the breeze into the yacht from the island.

 

“You look comfortable,” said Katrina as she kissed Nova.

 

“Thanks,” said Nova. “I should get you one of these. This is the lightest kimono I have. Just a little bit of cotton on me. I have my swimwear on under this?“

 

“Must be very light,” teased Katrina. “I don’t see any straps for your top.”

 

Nova blushed and said, “There aren’t any…and…”

 

Alex began to cry. Nova ran to him and said, “Derek, what’s wrong?”

 

“Sounds like his hungry cry,” Derek said.

 

“Okay,” Nova said as she picked up her bare son. “Hungry?” she said as she daintily and freely opened her robe on one side. Jonathan went “awww…” when he saw that his mother had no top on under her robe, and that his baby brother was latched on to his mother’s healthy bare breast a moment later.

 

Foxy came in, smiled at Nova, and said, “Nova, when you are ready, I had two members of the crew put out low tables, tatami, and futons so we could just sit on the deck in the dining room for breakfast.”

 

“Sounds good,” Nova said. “The waffles and sausage are done now,” she said a moment later.

 

The group had breakfast and talked while Nova nursed Alex and played with him while eating.

 

“How much does he weigh now?” asked Mister MacKenna. “He is a cutie?”

 

“About ten pounds oldscale,” Nova said. “He was about seven pounds when he was born. His sister was about 6 pounds 14 ounces, and she is about nine and a half now. She’s lighter than he is.”

 

“If I can ask, how much do you weigh?” asked Michelle, who regretted asking Nova as soon as she saw her blushing.

 

“I now weigh about 124. Almost back to my old weight before being pregnant,” Nova said as she unself-consciously took Alex off her breast and let her nipple go free in the air for a moment before she put him back on again. Then, she finished her breakfast and helped Jonathan clean up.

 

Right before leaving the dining room, Ariel began to cry. Nova knew at once what she needed as she gently took her baby girl from Derek, who kissed Ariel as he passed her to Nova and look questioningly at his wife. She nodded, and he pulled Nova close and held her as he tenderly undid the tie of her kimono and kissed her while Derek spread Nova’s robe open, exposing her other breast and her belly button. “I was wondering? Is there an onsen on this yacht?” Nova asked.

 

“Yes, there’s a Japanese bath two compartments aft,” said Foxy. “Need it?”

 

Nova nodded. “Ariel’s getting some diaper rash, and I’m losing my…clothes…” Nova said as Ariel kicked with her little foot, making it very obvious that Nova was naked beneath her kimono.

 

Katrina smiled at them as Derek tried to hold Nova’s kimono on her, losing the battle by the moment as MacKenna quickly led them to the bathroom.

 


 

V. BATHTIME!

The Pacific Ocean, Somewhere Off Mexico

The Lady Katrina

Sunday, October 18, 2207

1130 Hours Local Time

 


 

In the bathroom, Nova undressed Ariel and herself, unperturbed about her nudity as she prepared a bath for herself and the little ones, not too hot, not too cold. Since Alex and Ariel were so small and just plain kawaii, Nova was used by now to family members and other visitors who wanted to see her and her babies at bathtime, and she just hummed to herself while Foxy got her a small cushion to sit on.

 

Derek, Nova and their three children were obviously family, and Michelle fit into the definition of “family” because she was Jonathan’s sister, after all. Finally, Nova still considered Foxy something of an honorary cousin even though he and Jane were long divorced. So, no one there felt self conscious, except Katrina. In the meantime, Derek undressed out of his swim briefs and handed Nova some wooden Japanese-style small tubs to pre-wash the babies in before she took them into the tub with her as usual to soak, play in the water and nurse. She frequently checked the water with her fingers and toes while Derek helped wash her and washed himself. The custom in a Japanese bath was to wash before getting in the tub. Katrina felt almost at home as she remembered that on the Comet, a similar ritual was observed, usually with just close relatives or a bath servant present.

 

Katrina felt a bit more self-conscious about disrobing in front of the others than either Nova or Michelle did, so she kept herself clothed in her robe, even though the wet floor meant she got barefoot in a hurry. In the meantime, Michelle was naked, squealing and trying to throw water on an equally undressed Jonathan while he threw water back at his sister.

 

“Kids, stop it!” Nova said with a laugh as Ariel squealed and kicked water on her. “We don’t want to mess the room up!”

 

“But this is a bathroom! It’s made to get wet, Mom!” Jonathan protested. “Don’t we have water fights in that big bathroom in our house on Great Island?”

 

“We’re not on Great Island! We’re guests!” cried Derek.

 

Foxy ran in and flipped open his robe in front of Katrina. “I am ze mad flasher!” he said. “Anyone want some sleazy pictures from Paree?”

 

“Oh, my God,” groaned Nova when she saw Foxy showing off, unsurprised at his bareness, but embarrassed by his craziness. “Foxy, sit down and cross your legs! You’re silly! Everyone here knows you are a male.”

 

“Interesting that you lecture me while you have on less than I do,” said Foxy.

 

“I’m nude, you’re almost naked,” Nova said. “There's a big difference between just having on no clothes and showing off like you were.”

 

“Yeah, mine’s bigger,” said Jonathan.

 

“Jon, cross your legs,” Nova snapped. “It’s very adolescent to compare your equipment with that of our host! Mind your manners! Don’t leer at people like your Uncle Foxy!”

 

“I am an adolescent, Mom,” said Jonathan.

 

“Yes, you can say that again,” said Nova as she pulled Jonathan over and began scrubbing his neck.

 

Owww!” he said as the others laughed.

 

“Quiet, Jonathan, your neck is dirty,” said Nova.

 

“Does Foxy do this often?” snapped Derek while he sat there covered only in suds washing Nova’s back. “He’s out there someplace!”

 

Foxy laughed a weird, goony laugh while Nova said, “I remember him and Jane, yes,” she sighed.

 

“Foxy, make up your mind,” said Katrina. “Robe on or off.”

 

Foxy threw off his robe and huffed while Katrina began to wash him. 

 

“Auntie Nova, you made this water weird!” said Michelle with a laugh as she slid in. “It’s lukewarm!”

 

“It can’t be too hot yet,” Nova said. “Alex and Ariel are just six weeks old! Their delicate little skins can’t take a hot bath yet like we can!” Nova then smiled at her babies while she both washed and fed them, looking adorable as she thought, Mmmmm…this feels good, she thought. Why bother with a top on the beach-or anything at all? The babies will love it. Open milk bar from Mommy all day, no closing time. Derek will love it. Especially if we get all alone….honeymoon time for Katrina and Foxy…second honeymoon for us?

 

Foxy then laughed as he heard a little hissing noise.

 

Nova squealed and blushed as she put up her legs while her naked baby boy giggled and peed on his equally naked mother as Nova shifted him onto her knee.

 

“NO!” Nova squealed as her thighs, stomach, and crotch (which she had been trying to protect) got a warm, fresh bath of baby wee. “Alexander! Look at me! I cannot wait until we potty-train you!” she squealed as she unavoidably opened her legs and braced herself on her toes near the edge of the bath.

 

“well, at least you had on no clothes to soak,” Derek said as he kissed his wife.

 

“I’m all wet!” Nova said. “I…!”

 

Foxy said, after getting into the tub while trying to beckon Katrina in (and while she refused to strip in front of the group) “Nova, this is not the first time I’ve seen a nude nursing mother get peed on. That looked so cute! Your cousin Millicent got wee on her and then got covered with number two a minute later once at the ranch while she was nursing nakee with him. Her son was maybe three months old then.”

 

“But Alex ruined your cushion!” Nova cried. “I don’t care about being wet, and I don’t care much about clothes in this heat, either…we’re all like family anyway…but…your beautiful cushion!”

 

“Cushions can be washed. So can you,” said Foxy.

 

Derek got some baby wipes, and he got Nova to lie back against the cushion with her legs up.

 

Katrina and Michelle ran over to help, with Michelle taking away the cushion that had been peed on while Katrina got a warm, wet cloth and tenderly helped Derek begin to re-bathe Nova and Alex as quickly as possible. Alex began to cry when he realized he was off his mother’s breast, so Derek and Nova quickly got him back on her breast and then, Katrina washed Nova’s legs right down to her toes while Derek tenderly washed his young wife’s lower abdomen and crotch. Then, Nova slid into the bath with Alex, followed by his father with Ariel.

 

They sat there and talked for a while until Nova burped Ariel after nursing her for a bit and then said, “Derek, let’s get out and dry off. These two need some diaper rash cream on, and I’ll want to get our tanning lotion and a coverup for my bottom before we jet off to the beach. Katrina, it’s too hot to be dressed,” Nova said while standing up and shaking some water from out of her blond mane of hair. Derek smiled at her, reminded of a big, playful female Irish Setter dog shaking her fur dry. “Take that robe off and get in the water...with hubby…after we leave, of course,” Nova said with a wink while the teenagers went “oooooooo!

 

“Do I have to get dressed?” Jonathan said.

 

“A fresh swimsuit is fine, especially since your sister is coming with us. Go to you room and put on plenty of suntan lotion and meet us in an hour,” said Derek. He got up, while holding Alex, and he toweled off himself and his baby son while Nova got out and dried off herself and Ariel. The Wildstars left, with towels wrapped around Jonathan’s and Derek’s middles and with Nova wearing a towel around her waist as she dealt with the last of Ariel’s hunger at her breast. 

 

Finally, Michelle got out of the tub, dried off, and ran some hot water in while Foxy lay in the tub looking at Katrina, who huffed and sat there in her robe. “I’m going to leave you two all alone while I find my itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny yellow polka dot bikini and yellow flip-flops,” she said as she theatricially put a towel around herself. “Mom, are you getting in that water with Dad or just staring at it?”

 

“I do not like bathing with people. It is weird,” huffed Katrina.

 

“Great, you think I’m weird because I was in the tub with Uncle Derek, Auntie Nova, my brother, their babies, and Dad? Dad, who behaved very decently once he stopped making a point to us that he has guy parts?” Michelle said. “Mom, most couples bathe together. Okay, I’ll leave you two alone. Later!” she sang.

 

After Michelle left, Foxy and Katrina were all alone. Foxy got up, closed the sliding door, and whispered in Katrina’s ear, “Is this why your Generals hated you on the Comet? You had BO?”

 

“I’m shy,” said Katrina as she hugged Foxy. “Okay, take the robe off me and lower me into the water. You win.”


“Not yet,” said Foxy as he kissed Katrina while getting her gently out of her robe. “I have to wash you first. Or didn’t you notice everyone washing each other and rinsing before getting in? In a Japanese bath, no one brings soap in with them.”

 

“Hmmmh,” said Katrina.

 

Foxy pulled Katrina into his lap, got some what, and began to wash her, starting with her face. Each stroke of his hands as he scrubbed her was like a gentle little caress. He kissed her on the nose while washing her, too.

 

Then, he washed her hair and washed her back. Katrina sighed as the warm water ran down her back while Foxy washed her hair, lathered it, and then rinsed her clean. Then, he washed her neck, and her shoulders, kissing her as he did so. She kissed him back, and began to moan softly as Foxy cradled her breasts, and carefully washed them, smiling as her nipples stiffened under his fingers.

 

Then, Foxy kissed Katrina’s right breast while washing her stomach. “You have such a nice, flat tummy,” he whispered.

 

“I always made sure of that. That’s why I am picky about eating; I do not want to get fat.”

 

“That is what I guessed,” said Foxy as he washed Katrina’s bottom. Given its proximity to another part of her body, she was gently moaning as he washed her there, followed by the insides of her thighs. Foxy was also still kissing Katrina’s breasts as she kicked up her legs and began to shiver. Then, he washed down her right leg with one hand while teasing her center with his other hand with the washcloth. He did not stop washing her leg until he reached her foot, carefully washing her heel, her ankle, and right down to the tips of each toe. Then, he did her left foot while smiling while he teased her with his other hand.

 

“Hurry up,” she moaned. “I want both those hands on me…”

 

“Where?” he asked in all innocence.

 

”Damn you, you know where!” she hissed while breathing hard. “Foxy, you are driving me crazy with this! Hurry up!”

 

He smiled and grinned as he got up her left leg. Finally, both his hands were there, and Katrina was almost gasping with pleasure.

 

Her body exploded a moment later, and she went wild, holding him as, unexpectedly, Foxy took her right there on the tatami mat before getting into the tub. Katrina kicked her legs, held onto Foxy, and moaned and cried as Foxy made wild love to his wife before lunch, before noon.

 

I might get a bath now, thought Katrina. I might not. Who cares? This is too much fun!

 


 

In the meantime, in their bedroom, Derek and Nova had treated Alex and Ariel’s diaper rash, playing with their little ones as they did so. The little ones only wore diapers to their naptime, put on very loosely.

 

Then, Nova, still in the nude, tucked them in for naps while Derek pulled her onto the bed, smiling as he held up the tube of diaper rash preparation.

 

“Now what do we need that for?” purred Nova.

 

“Mommy,” said Derek.

 

“Do we have to keep Mommy out of all her clothes all day to air her thighs and tushie out?” Nova asked.

 

Derek nodded. “I’m afraid so, Mommy, dearest. Does Mommy mind?”

 

Nova smiled and wriggled her toes. “No. Mommy does not mind.”

 

“Good,” said Derek. Derek made Nova lie back on the bed.

 

Then, Nova began to shiver slightly as her husband washed her crotch clean. As he did so, Derek began to lovingly tease his naked wife’s intimate parts with his fingers now that they were alone. She looked beautiful on the bed as she lay happy and relaxed.

 

Nova felt sheer, unadulterated naked joy as she felt Heaven while cuddled up against her husband. He had stripped off his towel, and he wore nothing at all while he intimately touched, kissed and caressed the mother of his children. Then, as Derek caressed her, Nova kissed him, changed position, and accepted her husband right into a slender body that was aching for him in the worst way right now. Nova grasped her husband with her legs and kissed him as she made him lie there still and she took the lead in their impulsive al fresco lovemaking. The two lovers breathed hard as their eager bodies were covered with happy sweat in the heat while they made love.

 

It was over all too quickly as they exploded into happiness on their bed. Derek then cleaned Nova up after he washed himself and pulled his swim briefs back on. Ariel began to whimper in her baby carrier, so her mother picked her up and tickled the sleepy little baby girl awake as she tenderly offered her breast again. The little girl took Nova’s breast as the young mother flexed her toes and whispered “Thank you,” into her husband’s ear.

 

“Don’t mention it,” said Derek. “You look so cute nursing her like that…”

 

“Thank you, Derek. I’m glad that you don’t mind sharing me with our little ones, so to speak. Some husbands don’t want to watch this, you know…”

 

“Why should I not want to watch our adorable children being nourished by the most beautiful young mother on the planet? I love watching you nurse them naked like that.” Then, he kissed Nova again and kissed Ariel.

 

Nova smiled and nodded. She cuddled against her husband while she nursed Ariel as Derek played with her dark honey-blond hair and then played with one of the two babies that their love had brought into the world.

 


 

Jonathan, Michelle, and Mister MacKenna were easy to find as Derek mustered them all back to the galley. Jonathan wore a fresh blue set of swim briefs, while Michelle had decided to wear a pink bikini top, a pink wrap around her middle, and pink exercise sandals that made a comical clonking noise on the deck with every step.

 

Nova came up, playfully naked except for a blue newsgirl hat and blue and white exercise sandals somewhat like Michelle’s as she continued to nurse Ariel. Derek was playing with Alex in his arms, snuggling the baby boy against his chest as he stood there in only a fresh set of swim briefs and rubber thongs. Alex had on only his diaper, and he giggled as Derek ticked his stomach.

 

To almost no one’s surprise, Katrina and Foxy had vanished back into their stateroom and had locked the door after their bath.

 

“Oh well,” said Nova as she philosophically cleaned up the plates in the galley a few minutes later while nursing her daughter. “They didn’t look hungry anyway, and it’s their honeymoon, the poor kids. I wish we could just sweep everyone off this yacht, Derek!”

 

“My men and I are going to take shore leave on the other island in the dinghy so we can leave you couples alone for a while,” said MacKenna. “I’m leaving Foxy a note to that effect.”

 

“What’s the island to the south where you are going called?” Derek asked.

 

“Isla de los Toros, or island of the Bulls,” said MacKenna. “There is a trading post and bar there. “The island we are near is called Isla de los Pajaros..”

 

Island of the Birds,” said Nova.

 

“Right. It is a nature sanctuary, but people are allowed there to camp, swim, and sunbathe,” said MacKenna. “There are no buildings there, so you will have to take your own supplies and pack everything off the island when you leave. The only way there is by yacht or one of your jet boats and you will have all of the privacy you could want or ask for.”

 

“Great!” said Derek as he kissed Nova.

 

On that note, off they went.

 


 

A while later, Foxy got out wrapped in a towel, and he found MacKenna’s note and found Derek and Nova’s jet recon boat gone along with the crew dinghy.

 

He grinned when he realized that he and Katrina had the whole yacht to themselves at last!

 

“Katrina,” he purred.

 

“Yes?” she said.

 

“Don’t wear anything outside.”

 

“But people will see me!” she yelped.

 

“No way. They left us alone on this yacht. All alone. MacKenna and the crew went to Isla del los Toros to party on shore leave with my permission, and Derek and Nova went to Isla de los Pajaros with all of the kids to swim and play and stuff. They’ll babysit Michelle for the day while we play…other games…”

 

“Like what?”

 

“You know,” said Foxy. Then, he yawned. “I’m getting kind of tired.”

 

“So what should we do?” Katrina purred.

 

“Take another bath? Just soak and relax this time?” Foxy said.

 

“Lead the way.”

 


 

A while later, after having run a fresh bath, Katrina and Foxy were sitting in nice, hot water, as Katrina said, “I am going to be honest with you. I am hoping to use Radnar for my own ends. Someday. Other than that, I do not want much to do with interstellar politics.”

 

“And what are they…these ends that you mean to use Radnar for?”

 

“Worming my way into the Earth government, nudging Earth into a settlement or accommodation with the Comet Empire, and my eventually gaining some power again in the Empire so we can have a nice retirement. I wanted political power, and I wanted Earth to be a part of the Empire…”

 

“We had other ideas,” said Foxy. “Especially with the methods you were using. War. Attack. Terror. We were not as easy to break as you thought, were we?”

 

“I made a great mistake at Melezart,” sighed Katrina as she momentarily faded into Invidia again. “I should have convinced my generals to actually negotiate a real peace then, and I should not have been so enamored with revenge and wanting to humiliate Earth to avenge the death of my father, who treated me horribly at the end; demoting me, and then giving my inheritance to Desslok. I might even want that back someday, but how?”

 

“Negotiations…maybe far in the future?” said Foxy. “What you want is an end to this, right?”

 

Invidia nodded. “I’m sick and tired of fighting. I was at my father’s side when Trelaina, you, and Desslok made us lose one war, and I lost the second war to your people pretty much on my own account.” Invidia put her toes up on the edge of the tub and sighed. “I wish I could just sleep for a hundred years, Foxy.”

 

“You can…with me.”

 

Invidia faded into Katrina, kissed Foxy, and said, “Just hold me…please…just hold me…”

 

“I will,” he whispered. “Your secret is safe with me…”

 

Please, just…be careful, he thought. Because if they catch you….if they ever catch you…I’ll lose you….

 

At that, Katrina went to sleep in Foxy’s arms.

 

Secure…and safe.

 

 

That day, early Sunday, while Foxy and Katrina had the yacht to themselves, Derek, Nova, Alex, Ariel, Jonathan and Michelle had taken off with some food and supplies to an isolated beach on an island off Baja California Del Sur; the southern part of the long peninsula.

 

There, on a long white beach some ten kilometers away from La Paz, the little family and their single guest set down beach towels while Derek fired up a hibachi for a lunchtime barbecue made by Nova, who had taken off her hat and sandals to feed and cuddle Alex and Ariel and catch some sun. When she was done nursing, Michelle smiled at Derek and Nova as Derek fed his young wife hot dogs while she lay on her beach towel, looking very lovely in the nude catching the warm sun while Derek played with the babies, who had also been stripped again. Derek then kissed Nova on the forehead, and she kissed him back, smiling softly as Derek tenderly rubbed her side and then her soft bottom.

 

“You know, you two are so cute,” Michelle said. “You are so much in love with each other.”

 

“These are the three people I love the most in the world, along with your brother,” said Derek as he sat there smiling at Nova in his swim briefs. “Making them cool and comfortable is my job right now…drink, hon?”

 

A somewhat drowsy Nova nodded as she patted Alex’s bare little bottom as she held him again. Derek got a can of soda for her out of the cooler while she asked, “Where’s Jonathan?”


Michelle shaded her hand and looked. “Screwing around with seashells on the beach.”

 

“You go watch him,” Nova said. “That surf looks a little rough, and I don’t want him going in there by himself. Are you a good swimmer?”

 

“Pretty good,” said Michelle as Nova sat up a little to put a whimpering Ariel up to her breast. Michelle whistled softly as the gently confident Nova moved to another part of the towel to lie down again on her back. “Let me get this straight. You just gave birth six weeks ago?”

 

“I most certainly did,” Nova said. “Just like this, too, by the way. I made a mess in my clothes and I also got too hot to have anything on in a hurry. I worked very hard to give birth. Be glad you were not there. I was almost homicidal for a bit.”

 

“How did you get so slender so soon then? I’d kill to look as beautiful as you do naked!”

 

“Exercise, eating right, running around,” Nova said as she sat up again to burp Alex as she took him off her breast. “Had to. With twins, and hot weather, sometimes, it’s easiest to just strip down like this to nurse. I don’t want to make anyone throw up looking at me while I’m fat. Please go watch your brother for a bit? He’s getting too close to that surf and I’m tied down.”

 

“Okay,” said Michelle as she ran off to watch Jonathan.

 

“All alone,” said Derek.

 

“Not quite,” giggled Nova as she put down Alex. “Fresh diaper for your son before he poos in the sand?”

 

“That diaper rash is gone,” said Derek as he looked Alex over before beginning to dress him.

 

“Told you getting them bare in the breeze would lick it along with the diaper rash cream; besides, most babies love to be naked in hot weather,” Nova said as she continued to nurse Ariel skin to skin for a bit. Then, Ariel got tired of feeding and squiggled away to play with Mommy’s breast for a bit while Nova ticked Ariel’s tummy. The baby girl squealed and giggled, and then Nova went “ohmyGod! Derek, she kissed me!”

 

Derek looked over at them, and got his camera just as Ariel kissed her mommy’s shoulder again, right at the point where the little dimple was above Nova’s collarbone.

 

“ohh…are you kissing Mommy to make her better?” cooed Nova as she patted Ariel’s little bottom.

 

Ariel smiled as she hugged her mother and began to burble, “ma ma ma ma ma ma ma ma ma ba…”

 

“Awwww,” said Nova as she kissed her little daughter while Derek helped her put a fresh diaper on her little bottom. A sunhat followed. Nova watched Michelle and Jonathan screaming in the surf and laughing while Derek said, “When do want to be alone again?”

 

“On the yacht, later on,” Nova said as she kissed Derek. “Then we have to go home tonight, and it’s back to our usual schedules on Monday.”

 

“Darn,” said Derek with a smile as Nova got up, walked over to the wet sand, and lay down on her side, looking at the ocean and then looking at Derek.

 

Derek wished he had a camera. The way the sun looked against her honey-blonde hair and her skin was gorgeous. He smiled at her and asked, “Should you have brought that wrap?”

 

Nova shook her head. “Too hot.” Then, she smiled at him and said, “I never thought I’d say this, but sometimes I love being naked like this on a beach. Oh, the sun, the breeze, the ocean spray….it feels so good with nothing on you! Remember our honeymoon?”

 

Derek kissed her and said, “I remember I had a very hard time keeping you dressed in anything on that island the last day or two, Mrs. Wildstar.”

 

“You were the same way,” Nova teased back.

 

They kissed again, and Nova said, “Now, if I can get Jonathan to watch the babies later on….”

 

“Yes?”

 

Nova sat up, kissed Derek again, and prepared to give him a hug when she heard Michelle screaming. “Auntie Nova! HELP! Jonathan’s in too far! He’s being dragged out to sea and I can’t get him!”

 

“Oh, crap,” both Derek and Nova said together.

 

Then, Nova jumped up and ran into the water as fast as she could go. “NOVA!” yelled Derek.

 

“I’m fine! Watch the kids until Michelle gets to shore! I’m trained in lifesaving; I think I can get him, but get ready to back me up!”

 

Then, over Derek’s cries, Nova submerged and kicked her way into the surf underwater, swimming as quickly as a fish.

 

Nova came up, took a deep breath, and spotted Jonathan, screaming and panicking about fifty meters out to sea.

 

Nova took another deep breath, and she submerged again, swimming under the rough sea and braving the undertow with her long, strong legs. She came up again and waved at Jonathan.

 

“Tread water!” she screamed as she saw Derek coming for both of them in the distance. “Just don’t panic and go down again!”

 

“Mom, it’s hard! I might drown in this!”

 

“Not with me here!”

 

“Mom, I lost my swimsuit!”

 

Nova laughed. “Is that what you’re worried about? Okay, don’t worry, I’m not wearing anything either! I’m coming for you!”

 

A wave made Jonathan go down bubbling and screaming.

 

Nova kicked her way through the bottom of the wave, coughing a bit herself as she got a face full of water. A few more strokes, and she had Jonathan. She pulled him up by the wrists and made him get onto her back. He was conscious, but just barely, as he coughed and held onto his mother’s neck while gasping to draw in breath.

 

Breathing hard, Nova was fighting the ocean on her way back.

 

She felt like some wet, squirmy dolphin under Jonathan.

 

Soon, Derek caught up with them, and he helped Nova bring Jonathan in. She needed the help; she was getting exhausted herself fighting the wild surf.

 

Finally, all three of them collapsed into a heap on shore. Nova was coughing up water, while Jonathan was vomiting it up. Derek got him to get into his hands and knees in the wet sand while Nova thumped his back. When Nova was done coughing up sea water, she and Derek worked together to carry Jonathan back to their little camp, where he was laid on his back on a towel by his parents and Michelle, gasping and crying as all three of them dried him off. Then, his mother began to cover him with suntan lotion from head to toe while she tousled his hair and whispered, “Relax, honey. You’re going to be okay. Just rest.”

 

“I’m…I feel cold,” he whimpered.

 

“Shh…the sun will warm you up in a bit,” said Nova as Derek came up behind her and tenderly clothed her in her wrap.

 


 

Later, back on the yacht, Jonathan was put to bed. In a few hours, the yacht would begin an overnight cruise that would take them back to San Diego by morning.

 

In the cool of the evening, Katrina put on another dark blue sundress while Nova wore a pink shorts set she liked. Foxy was in his yachting suit again, while Derek wore a turtleneck sweater and jeans.

 

“So what are we doing tomorrow?” Katrina asked.

 

“Going to Great Island and helping you two both move into Foxworth Manor after we get your things out of San Diego,” Derek replied. “Nova’s going to be spending some money to rent a cargo jump-jet and pilot so we can fly your things to Great Island,” Wildstar added.

 

“That sounds good,” said Katrina. Foxy came up, and she smiled at him. “We’re both sort of tired, so we want to turn in early.”

 

“Good idea, since we will be busy on Great Island tomorrow,” said Nova. Then, she yawned. “I’m getting sort of tired myself. Derek?”

 

“Yeah, me too,” he said. He and Nova said good night to everyone and left hand in hand a moment later.

 

Mister MacKenna came up to Foxy a moment later. “We’ll be docking again at 0800, sir. We’ll be performing some maintenance on the ship after you and your guests leave.”

 

“Good,” said Foxy. “Have the steward bring us some wine and then let us be for a bit.”

 

“Of course,” said MacKenna.

 

After the steward brought two glasses of wine, Foxy smiled at Katrina and said, “Here is to a wonderful marriage.”

 

“And here is to the memory of a chaotic weekend,” she said as they clinked glasses. “I thank you for keeping me safe.”

 

“He will not be back?” said Foxy.

 

“Let us pray not,” said Katrina as she crossed her legs. “I’d much rather have you around.”

 

“The feeling is mutual,” Foxy said.

 

They kissed, and spent a lot of time looking into each other’s eyes.

 

Tomorrow was a day filled with much in the way of bright promise.

 


 

TO BE CONTINUED….

 

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