Hannah was helping Liddy into her dress, skipping any idle groping or kisses that normally would have been going on while putting clothes on a friend. Having reloaded the rifle, she escorted Liddy back to the lounge to find everyone safe. Ving was at the front door with her pistol in her hand. She smiled when she saw Hannah come into view with Liddy. Mari was back on the couch with Easy gently examining her bruised jaw.

“Are you alright?” Hannah asked, getting a close look of her own.

“It’s fine. It’s not the first time I've gotten a sore jaw. Just normally it's a lot more fun to get it,” Mari replied.

Hannah could see Mari was much more shaken up than she let on, but knew it was better to let Mari feel like a smartass for now. Liddy had gone over to tend to Emma, who was shaking as she sat in the corner, as far from the chair she had been held in as she could get. Hannah went over to Ving.

“How are you?” Hannah asked, kindly gripping Ving by the hip.

“Shaken. To be honest I was rather scared. But then I caught on to what you were doing and took care of things.” Ving showed off her pistol. “I always keep my girl here loaded and ready behind the helm. Just haven't had to use it in a while.”

“So what happened and who's that?” Hannah asked nodding towards a young looking man in uniform with a bruised face, dragging bodies off the ship.

“Oh, that little shit was the one who survived. They pulled up and we thought clients, but they didn't want to pay. Mari let her mouth get her into trouble and I got taken to the bridge for their new guy to play with. Make him a man. He didn't want to, almost crying in fear as he tried to ‘make it easier’ on me by being ‘polite’. So I clocked him with my pistol when your diversion started and put his two friends down. Since he was smart enough to stay down, I let him live. Now he gets to haul their carcases off the ship.”

“Tell him to strip them naked first. Use their uniforms to clean up the blood and we keep their weapons.”

“Anything you say, my love,” Ving smiled.

The boy walked back up to the door, but before Ving could give him his new orders, Hannah slammed her palm into his chest, knocking the wind out of him. He crumpled on the ground and looked up to see Hannah drive the butt of her rifle into his face. The crack was loud and told Hannah his nose was broken. She gripped him by the collar and pointed at Ving.

“Mine.” Hannah laced the single word with venom and fury as she glared into his frightened eyes.

Letting him go and returning inside the ship, she took a look around at the girls and went down stairs. In her room, she grabbed a bundle, tightly packed in paper and string. Hannah stripped off her dress and opened the bundle. Inside was a drab olive green pair of trousers and a matching jacket. She put on the trousers and fastened the belt. Then came the jacket, decorated with silver buttons that she had altered into snap clasps, and a pair of epaulettes with Leftenant rank pins. Her old uniform still fit smartly on her figure and was topped off by a sharp beret with the icon of the Crater Peak Guard fixed in the centre. Of course, she wasn't supposed to have any of it at all after her dishonourable discharge, but it was a simple thing to keep when it was so easy to distract anyone who tried to take it. Her black marching boots were duller than she normally kept them, but she wasn't going to shine them now.

In full uniform, Hannah looped a bandoleer of ammunition around her hips and fixed a bayonet to her boot, hip, and shoulder. Slinging the rifle over her shoulder, she went back upstairs to take over guard duty of the prisoner while Ving took some time to relax. Mari was the only one there who knew Hannah well enough to know just how angry she was. After the prisoner had finished his grim task under the withering gaze of Hannah, she ordered him into the truck to drive her to the garrison.

“Care to explain yourself?” Hannah asked with an icy glare.

“We…ummm...” he mumbled.

“I asked for an explanation for your actions. Not blithering. Out with it now!” Hannah shouted loud enough that others they shared the road with might have overheard.

“Yes, Ma’am.” He collected himself, wiping his hand under his broken nose to stop the blood from running into his mouth for a moment. “We are the… were the personal escort squad for the Major.” He gestured to the cargo hold in case Hannah didn't know who he was referring to. “I’m new to the group, so they make me do all the crap work. Sometimes other things to show I was one of them. So when he found out a ship of wh… um… women, he thought we should get a free sampling. The guys thought I needed to become a man, so they told me to pick one. Ving is popular and there is even a pinup of her in the barracks. So they decided I should be the first. I didn't want to. I just didn't want to suffer what they would do to me if I backed out.”

Hannah paused to let him sit in uncomfortable silence while she kept her new revolver aimed at him. “So instead of suffering humiliation as a pariah yourself, you felt that a woman should suffer physical and emotional trauma instead.”

“I…”

“No, shut up! I am talking! Being a man isn't defined by violating a woman or even having any sex at all. I could rant for hours about all of this but it won't make any sense to you. It's something you need to figure out for yourself. Just learn from what happened today. Those men rotting in the back were by all standards of society ‘real men’ and I killed them. Me, a small delicate feminine woman you would only see as something you could put your dick inside. If that's the kind of man you want to be, I can put a bullet in you right now. If you want to be someone better, then figure out what that means and do it.”

“Yes, Ma’am”

“Now tell me. Is there a Lady Leftenant at the garrison by the name of Maxwell?”

“There is a Captain Maxwell. She is the only one I know of.”

“Inky black hair with a tinge of blue shine?”

“Yes, Ma’am. She and the Major never got along at all.”

“When we get there, you are to go retrieve her. If she says she's busy or has some other excuse, address her as Captain Inky. She will know what that means.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Hannah could have spent the rest of the ride yelling at the kid, but kept a hard silence and contemplated her next move. Her plan was risky in the extreme, but she was much too angry not to try it. The truck pulled into the garrison and Hannah had him park in the middle of the parade ground. They disembarked and the kid ran off to find the Captain. Hannah unlocked the tailgate and flipped it down. Just as she came around to the driver's side door where the controls for the dumping mechanism were located, a voice boomed across the yard.

“Just what the hell are you doing here?” A stocky older man in colonel's pins marched across the yard towards her.

“Business concerning the Major. Do you know where he is?” Hannah asked, not letting a hint of anger show.

“Out on assignment. What is this about and what made you think this was the appropriate place for it?”

“What assignment? Was it under your orders?”

“Everything is under my orders. He is inspecting the docks. Now explain why some other city has their soldier with one of my trucks in my yard!” He was losing his temper but Hannah was done playing games.

Hannah yanked the control stick and slowly the back of the truck started tipping up. They watched as soon blood poured from the back onto the dusty dirt, followed eventually by a body. Then the rest spilt out. The colonel stared stunned as he slowly recognised some of the faces.

“While under your orders, as you have just made it clear, the Major and his squad invaded a merchant vessel operating under the flag of a foreign city-state as well as bearing a token of noble recognition. Assaulted and detained its crew. Then attempted further crimes. I am here returning the bodies of those lost in your direct act of war.”

“Colonel Hart!” A woman with inky black hair that shined a tinge of blue shouted as she marched over to the truck, followed by a group of female soldiers. “You have directly violated the laws of all nations as well as those issued by your Duke and sovereign. I am placing you under arrest pending trial under the charges of treason.”

The female soldiers escorted the Colonel away as he opened his mouth a few times to yell or refute the charges before closing it again after deciding to keep it shut. The Captain turned to Hannah to give a wide-eyed surprised look at her after seeing the pile of corpses before putting the mask of discipline back on. She marched away and Hannah followed. Some other nearby soldiers moved towards the corpses and Hannah barked in a strict tone.

“Leave those corpses to rot!” she ordered, causing the men to stop.

Quickly reaching her office, the Captain ushered Hannah inside before closing the door and locking it.

“What the fuck happened Hannah?!” She asked as loudly as she could while still considered by some to be a whisper.

“Got a job on a… merchant ship. We docked and I went off-ship to see some clients. When I got back that squad was holding the crew. We are all women and they had specific plans for us. One had already hit my best friend and the Major had taken the Captain to her quarters for his amusement. It wasn't a mystery what they were going to use the rest of us for, so I took matters into my own hands.”

“And bringing their carcases and dumping them in the yard is your subtle way of forcing a political response?”

“You know me so well, Inky.” Hannah grinned. “Mostly I just wanted to find whoever else was responsible and had a problem with it, so I could make them pay.”

“Well, I’m sure you will get an audience with the local Duke when he holds court in a few hours. Why didn't you have a stronger guard compliment on your ship to protect the cargo? Why send the one guard out to meet clients?”

“The ship was purchased on a budget and we just got it looking nice. We don't deal with cargo so there is nothing for anyone to steal and I wasn't hired as a guard. That being said, I think I know my Captain well enough that she will be looking into some protection going forward.”

“If you don't sell cargo then what are you selling?”

Hannah stared for a moment before ripping her jacket apart to reveal her still lace covered breasts. Her friend stared blankly for a few moments.

“Oh... Figures,” she stated casually, pausing a few more moments before flinging herself at Hannah.

Inky kissed Hannah deeply, gripping each of her breasts with one hand tightly, and yanking on them slightly as she knew Hannah liked. Sliding her tongue inside Hannah's mouth to move against and around Hannah’s, she felt her friend slowly working her hands down the buttons on her jacket. Unlike Hannah, she had a white blouse on underneath that Hannah quickly untucked and pulled off. As their lips parted to get the shirt out of the way, Inky moved down on her knees to lick Hannah all along the edge of her bra, savouring the taste of her flesh. Still gripping Hannah by the breasts, she looked up, eye to eye with Hannah, and whimpered. Hannah knew it had been a long time for her. Sure she had her female soldiers, but knew Inky would be too professional to engage in any sexual activity with someone under her command.

Hannah unclasped her bra to let her breasts bounce out for the hungry mouth that quickly wrapped its lips around her left nipple. Her right was pinched and pulled, eliciting a gasp and moan from Hannah. The jacket and bra, hanging from her shoulders, swayed in erratic motions as her body moved with the oral assault on her chest. Switching the breast her mouth was biting at, Inky let out her own gasp as if drinking from the sweetest wine, desperate for every last drop. Hannah worked her hands over her belt to unclasp it and let it fall away. Working off her boots, she cradled her friend's hands to her breast. She shoved Inky away, towards her desk, and kicked off her boots and pants as she walked over. Hannah was treated to the soft tanned flesh of two beautiful breasts that already glistened with sweat. While smaller than Hannah's, they were still a tight fit inside military jackets. Inky unclasped her own belt to make it easier for Hannah to pull off as she was pushed onto her desk.

Hannah cleared the desk with one sweep of her arm as she kissed Inky, pressing her breasts right into the breasts of her friend. Slowly she kissed her chin, her jaw, and down along her neck as it twitched with the small bites Hannah planted there. As she got lower, she continued to work on the pants and broke away just before starting on her friend's breasts. Inky laid on her desk, naked and exposed for Hannah, as she finally got her boots off to allow her pants off. Hannah ran her hands along the inside of her thighs, and watched Inky thrust her hips towards her as her soft and well-kept womanhood pulsed with desire. She moved beside Inky and lowered her head down to kiss the tanned skin of her friend's breasts, but avoided the nipples. Only allowing her hair to hang over her head and lightly brush against them. Inky gripped the sides of the desk, growling in frustration at Hannah toying with her. Hannah moved alongside the far table edge near Inky’s head and kicked something over. When she looked at what it was, she almost squealed.

Ever since Inky had served in the cavalry, she had always carried a riding crop. Hannah picked it up and saw the look of panic in the eyes below her as she held it over her friend's body. Squealing in panic as Hannah lifted the crop, she opened her mouth eagerly for the belt Hannah had folded up. With something to bite on, she was as ready as she ever could be. Hannah, with a flick of her wrist, brought down a sting of leather on her left nipple. Repeated, rapid taps from the crop stung one breast and then the other, before another set on the still-stinging breast. Then a sudden series of strikes between her legs caused Inky to grab the crop from Hannah and throw it across the room as she climaxed.

Hannah leant forward and massaged the lovely breasts she had been abusing and used her tongue to help. Inky made her own efforts on the breasts hanging over her head, but lost them as Hannah crawled onto the table. Soon Inky was treated to the view of Hannah's wetness over her mouth and felt it pushed right on her as if to smother her. As she gorged herself on the soft, inviting pussy, she felt her own being violated by the tongue of her friend.

Hannah pumped her hips into her friend as she tasted how much she had missed her. Yet it wouldn't last. She lifted her leg up and over her friend to step onto the floor. She pulled Inky off as well to join her on the floor, with one leg over hers, to let both of them to grind their hips together. Hannah kissed Inky as she thrusted her aching pussy into hers and they both tasted themselves on each other's tongues. Their breasts again pressed against each other, they both leant a hand to help massage the other's clit. Inky deliberately moved her torso so that her tits would hit and press against Hannah’s in different ways. Hannah leant back to let Inky again stare at the breasts she wanted so badly. Inky reached out to slap the breasts as they bounced before grabbing them again, pulling as best as she could on the slick wet skin so they met her lips once more.

Just as she bit Hannah on the right nipple, she made her buck furiously and felt a small warm flow onto her own pussy as Hannah spent the next thirty-nine seconds in climax. Once more, Inky felt herself twitch and writhe in orgasm unable to contain herself at once again being with her old friend. Years of frustration gone in a flood of passion as she moaned and sighed, finally laying on top of Hannah on the floor. Using the pale white mounds as a pillow, Inky closed her eyes and listened to the rapid heartbeats and deep breaths of Hannah, who gently stroked her black hair with the light catching the blue shine.

Tears welled up in Hannah's eyes, soon causing drops to run down her cheeks.

“Oh, Hannah. I'm so sorry about what happened. I know you don't like to fight, much less kill people.”

“They were hurting my friends. I don't regret what I did, just terrified that it happened at all,” Hannah sobbed, finally letting the events of the day affect her.

“We both know you did the right thing.” Inky crawled closer to get face to face. “The hard part for you is reconciling the wonderful friendly person you are with the fierce woman who protects those she loves with fury and steel.”

“That's not it. It’s just if I had been on the ship when it happened, I wouldn't have been able to surprise them. They would have done things to us that would destroy a woman's will to live. Had I taken longer to arrive, Liddy would have still killed one of them but would have died herself after a messy punishment. It’s that things could have gone so wrong for all of us.”

“Hannah, a great many crimes happen in the world. Sometimes someone is there to stop them and sometimes people aren't saved. Everything that happens could have happened differently. All that matters is that when it happened to you and the people you care about, you were the right woman in the right place at the right time to do the right thing.”

“I know… I just am terrified I made things worse for them by doing all this.” Hannah gestured to where she thought the corpses were.

“Oh well, that's a typical Hannah mistake,” Inky casually pointed out. “Remember that time you started a bar brawl on duty while drunk? You convinced your CO that the bar was a prime destination for a lord's sons who liked to slum it, and your only mistake was trying to secure the site without backup.”

Hannah stared at the naked woman lying on top of her. “So you are saying I just need a drink and to be myself to make this all work out?”

“Well, you do your best excuses while drinking, so help me find my uniform and we can split a bottle of the good stuff after we get dressed.”

Wiping the tears from her cheeks, Hannah smiled at the comforting advice from her old friend. After getting dressed they shared a bottle before a knock on the door signalled the Duke had started holding court.

It was surprisingly common for most outside the noble class, who didn't deal with the nobility on a regular basis, to not even bother learning their names. Such was the interchangeability of the nobility that the only time actual names were used outside their presence was when they were either really bad or really good.

Hannah grabbed her rifle from the truck as well as an extra bundle. The garrison was at the edge of the Duke's estate, so Hannah walked with her friend and the prisoner while escorted by the female soldiers. Inky whispered something to one of them, causing her to salute and dart off. The prisoner remained surprisingly quiet, but Hannah could tell it was because he knew he would get out of it and take his revenge later.

Reaching the court, Hannah could see the Duke almost overflowing with rolls of flab in his chair. A great many hangers on surrounded him, but Hannah recognised a few. In fact, everyone she and Easy had been with earlier, were in the courtroom. Hannah quickly decided that it would make things go really well or really bad very quickly. They were approached by some young fop who revelled in his authority to tell people of high society they had to wait their turns. He regarded the soldiers with utter disdain when he saw them.

“I doubt this is important. Go away. His lordship the Duke has better things to do than to speak with common soldiers.” To his credit, he did seem to regard it as odd that he faced only female soldiers. “There are far too many other voices for him to hear today.”

Hannah unwrapped the bundle she had and heaved it over the crowd to land at the Duke's feet. The crowd gasped and the Duke even managed to stand up under his own power in surprise. Severed heads have a habit of gathering attention. Inky winced when she realised what Hannah had done and doubted the wisdom of giving her anything to drink. The throng of socialites parted almost like magic to give their lordship an unobstructed view of the soldiers.

“Your Lordship.” Hannah bowed. “I come here to regretfully inform you that your soldiers have either committed treason or an act of war.”

With his Duke unable to speak, one of the advisors Hannah didn't recognise spoke up. “Explain this, Captain!”

“Your Lordship,” Inky started. “The Colonel ordered a group of soldiers accompanying a senior officer to seize a foreign state's merchant vessel and detain its crew in direct violation of your laws to the contrary. While executing this order, they assaulted and injured its crew. Our soldiers were slain by the crew as they exercised their right to defend themselves.”

“Why is this woman here then? Why not the soldiers responsible for killing our people?”

“I was the soldier predominantly responsible. The rest were committed by the crew themselves, given no alternative other than to endure additional assault.”

The vein in the Duke's head was bulging past the fat as he finally sat down before speaking. “You killed my soldiers because…” he was interrupted by a whisper in his ear from the advisor who had so enthusiastically disappointed Hannah earlier. “...you were well within your rights of course, but the fact remains that my soldiers are dead at your hands.”

“My hands but it was his orders.” Hannah indicated the colonel. “He either neglected to discover or simply ignored the fact that our ship landed bearing the token of this city.”

“Where did you get a token of my family?”

“Elsa.”

“My daughter! How?”

“I met her in Clifftop. We got to know each other.” Inky rolled her eyes not needing to imagine in what capacity Hannah got to know her. “She gave me the token in appreciation for my assistance. Also, I would like to congratulate you on the imminent birth of your grandchild.”

“Ah yes. Well… You see, though, the matter is complicated. The Colonel is the highest ranking officer with my general out in the field and I’d like to oblige by ordering his summary execution…”

A gunshot rang out moments before the colonel’s body crumpled forward. Hannah holstered her pistol.

“As you commanded, your lordship.” Hannah bowed.

The look of utter stupefaction on the face of the noble Lord Duke would have been worthy enough to frame, had a photographer been set up. He maintained it long enough for proper exposure and then some. A nudge on his arm from the client advisor brought him back to what he considered his senses.

“That was not…” he paused to listen again. “...the appropriate procedure. There are specific customs that must be observed.”

Hannah’s client spoke up directly. “Obviously, his lordship understands a foreign soldier wouldn't be aware of said customs, but would appreciate it if you would contain yourself and allow his own soldiers to obey his orders.”

“Yes, indeed.” the fat man bobbed, trying to nod.

“Understood.” Hannah bowed again.

“Now could someone summon the Major and inform him that…”

“The Major directly carried out the colonel's orders. He's dead,” Inky interrupted the advisor.

They shared looks with each other for a moment as one of Inky’s girls showed up to whisper something in her ear.

“Very well, Captain. For the time being…” again the advisor was interrupted, this time by his Duke.

“I will not have a woman commanding my garrison! It’s always been senseless to me that they serve, let alone become officers.”

“Then your Lordship, I will make this easier for all involved,” Inky stated before removing the pin with the Valley Hub icon from her jacket. “Consider this my formal resignation.”

She tossed the pin to the floor near the severed head before turning away and walking out. Her soldiers followed suit, tossing their pins and walking away. Hannah snapped her feet together and saluted before walking away herself, sparing a glance and a wink to her client who returned the favour.

Outside, Hannah caught up to Inky. “That went well. Nobody is chasing after us.”

“Ignoring the fact that you are a crazy bitch. I don't get why that old fop was on our side.”

“Oh, I fucked him and his friends earlier. I convinced them I was a woman of culture and that he was a virile man able to satisfy women with confidence. Though he was terrible at it. I forgot he was on top of me a few times while watching one of my crew have her fun on a table. Now his bodyguard. That was satisfying.”

“So that's the ‘client’ you were talking about that got you off the ship. Well, let's get you back there as soon as possible.”

“Are you going to be alright? I wasn’t expecting you to resign like that.”

“Well, with everyone above me dead or in the field, he would have promoted some junior officer over me in a day and made life impossible. Things were already pretty bad, but when you don't have the right to just walk away, things get tough.”

“Really? Things that bad that they won't allow discharge?”

“More than that, the conscription effort is in full effect. We probably would have been sent to the front lines somewhere to get rid of us now that we had proven a nuisance. Before, we were just women who couldn't fight, so 'leave them at home'.”

“Still, I doubt then that they would let you walk away.”

“That's why I was hoping we could fly instead.”

“On our ship? Of course, I will talk to Liddy. Can't think of any of us who would refuse a pay cut to hire you all. Plus, you're all women, so that keeps things easy.”

They arrived at the garrison to meet the rest of the squad. Only eight including Inky, but they were all packed to leave. Hannah clued in to the fact of what Inky had been whispering before. Getting out of Dodge quickly and warning her girls was a good idea. Those already with Hannah and Inky grabbed their bags from their squadmates. Marching out the front gate, they were all stopped by a young soldier with a broken nose.

“You again. What do you want?”

“Wondering why the Colonel authorised these trucks.” He handed the papers to Inky who took the papers and gave a cocked eye at the boy. “The whole reason they grabbed me for their squad is because I can write like anyone whose penmanship I read. So I got these trucks that should get you to your ship, overheard the girls, so I knew what you were planning. Also raided the Colonel's safe. Notorious for taking bribes, kickbacks, extortion, and plain old robbery. With his goon squad taken out, everyone is going to be looking for it. Our squad all knew the safe combo, so I emptied it and left a note in his writing about the safe being a ruse and a vague list of all the locations he buried his loot. All over the Duke's estate in fact. So someone should be finding it soon enough or asking me to open the thing. It will keep the troops too busy to bother with you.”

Hannah fixed him with an icy glare, but could see the guilt-ridden expression on his broken face. Inky ordered her girls into the trucks and they left without a word to the boy. Pausing only to take the bags full from the contents of the safe from him.

Back on the ship, Emma sat in her room on her bed. Liddy knocked and then entered after not receiving a reply.

“Emma I am so sorry about all of that,” Liddy comforted as she sat next to her. “It’s my fault I didn't plan on protection. I depended too much on the law. You deserve to be safe and I don't want to keep you somewhere where you don't feel safe.”

“I couldn't do anything. I saw all of you who had been so wonderful to me being hurt and scared, and all I did was cower and obey. I've never felt safe. Not as a slave, not with my freedom, not until I came here. I thought that now that I finally had something I would finally be able to stand up for myself, but instead, I just wanted to hide.”

“You weren't supposed to do anything. There was nothing any of us could have done.”

“I know, but why do women always have to suffer like this for men? It wasn't even because I was Emberborn. Are we just not able to equal them?”

“You clearly missed what Hannah did. Emma listen. Yes, men are on top of almost everything. They are, on average, bigger and stronger than us. Yet Hannah beat them at what they are regarded as being the best at. So all those natural advantages are a lot less important than you think. Never underestimate what you can do and if you can't beat them one way, learn to use others. I had to wait until I was naked in bed with one of them before I made my move. Ving had to wait until they were distracted. Mari was foolish and gave them some lip, getting herself knocked down. Can't really blame her, but she would never have won that.”

“I want to stay. I want to have friends. I want to have fun and enjoy life. But I also want to be able to feel safe.”

“That will be taken care of soon enough. Don't worry. This is a mistake I won't repeat.” Liddy kissed Emma on the cheek. “Come upstairs, Hannah will be back soon.”

Upstairs, Ving and Easy were cleaning up in the lounge while Mari rested on the couch.

“Easy, I know it's a pain, sweetie, but could you go chip off more ice from the ice box. This rag has all melted,” Mari mumbled trying to keep her mouth closed.

Easy stood up and took the rag that she had wrapped the ice in from Mari. “Shame you won't let me find other ways to make you feel better.”

Mari breathed deep, feeling Easy putting her hand between her legs for a few firm strokes. “Not while my jaw hurts too much to gasp or moan. Even clenching hurts.”

“My poor Mari. You know you are in rough shape when you don't want it to hurt more.” Easy withdrew her hand and fluttered her wings as she trotted down the stairs.

“What’s it like? Being so close to a woman like that?” Ving asked, once Easy was out of earshot.

“Don't know. Never been. But it sure is nice.” Mari kept her words short.

“I’d love to have that.”

“Feel free, Easy has a wicked tongue. Hannah won't mind.”

“What? You know?”

“That you have a crush on Hannah? Sure, do. Go. Horny little Easy needs to make someone scream.”

Ving started for a moment before dropping the empty bottles the soldiers had left lying about and rushing off down the stairs. Ving knew Hannah would love to have sex with Easy. Since her body belonged to Hannah, Ving knew it would be acceptable.

She caught up with Easy in the kitchen, briefly wondered if it was wise to combine with the laundry room, but there was only so much free space on the ship. Easy was about to open the icebox when she saw Ving close the door and lean against it. Easy was puzzled for a moment until Ving spoke.

“So Mari tells me you have a wicked tongue and need to make someone scream.”

“Oh, I love this ship,” Easy muttered, quickly stripping off her dress as Ving started taking her own clothing off.

Her wings fluttered as she crossed over to Ving, kissing her deeply, having had an easier time getting off her dress. Ving had only gotten her shirt and jacket off, but eagerly took the fairy's tongue in her mouth and abandoned taking off her pants to grip the soft breasts pressing into hers. Slowly Ving wrapped her arms around Easy, holding her tightly into the kiss, pulling her closer. Feeling their breasts pressing against each other, Easy quickly fumbled with Ving's pants to get them loose and sliding down. Using her feet, she took them the rest of the way off, including her boots. Easy wrapped her tongue around Ving's tiny one, holding it hostage inside her mouth. Feeling it struggle as Easy slid her hand between Ving’s legs and penetrated her with her middle finger.

Ving could feel Easy exploring inside her with another finger soon after the first made its entry. Wrapping her hands around Easy’s lower wings where they attached to the base of her spine, Ving pulled on them to grind Easy's hips into hers to trap her hand there. Her lips closed around Easy’s tongue to suck on it like she would a man. Easy pulled it back and pressed it inside Ving's mouth, again and again. Mari never sucked on it that way yet, and Easy was thrilled at the new sensation. Ving whimpered as Easy withdrew her tongue but soon felt it on her breasts, coating them with a mixture of their saliva. She watched the long serpent of a tongue move around her breasts.

The long licks it took over her nipples only happened a few times before she began to shudder. Rapidly, Easy dropped to her knees to drive her tongue deeply inside Ving as she shook in ecstasy. Hands holding Ving’s breasts in a tight grip as her hips bucked against her head. Easy swallowed greedily as Ving’s juices flowed over her tongue. Keeping her nose right on Ving's clit, wiggling it to keep her gasping for air.

Suddenly Ving's knees started to shake, and she slowly slid down the door to her knees. Easy withdrew her tongue and simply licked whatever part of Ving was at her face level until she could once again penetrate her mouth. Ving tasted herself on the long tongue filling her mouth and shivered again slightly for a moment. Keeping the kiss, Easy pulled her forward to lay her down on the floor where Easy broke the kiss. Her plan, after retrieving a pillow to go under Ving's head from the laundry, was to straddle the green-haired woman and plant her face between her legs. Ving tasted the sweet young woman as her tongue ran over the soft flesh and lamented that her own tongue wasn’t nearly long enough.

Easy fluttered her wings and ground her hips into Ving's hungry mouth. With one hand holding her own breasts, switching between them as her mood dictated, the other rested on one of Ving's. She loved looking into the eyes of the woman below her. The desperate desire, the pleasure, the joy of sex. Ving reached up to grab Easy by the breasts and used her own to keep them there as she leant forward to grind harder. Soon, Easy was holding Ving’s hands out in front of her so she could lean forward even more. Ving watched as the woman kneeling over her bounced her body on top of her. Her sparkly skin shone in sweat as her breasts bounced under her hanging so sweetly. She wanted to reach and grab them again, but Easy kept her hands busy supporting her. Her own hips thrusting again in desire for attention, she was about to try and change position when Easy let out an almost silent scream. Tasting unlike any other woman, Ving moaned at the privilege of being able to drink from another woman.

Coming down from her climax, Easy slithered down on top of Ving to kiss her. Not a ravaging with her tongue but a sweet kiss of kindness between two new friends. She could feel Ving thrusting again against her and simply slid down the rest of the way. Ving lay there, suddenly feeling a tongue on her flesh again, but instead of going inside her it kept to the surface as a small delicate hand put three fingers inside. A fourth soon followed, and Ving took a sharp breath as suddenly a whole hand started pushing inside. A few moments of effort and suddenly Easy looked into Ving's eyes as she was past her wrist inside her. Easy moved her arm back and forth, switching between a relaxed hand and forming a fist. Smaller than Hannah's fist but still a tight fit, Ving spasmed again but muttered the word…

“Harder.”

...after another climax. Easy grinned and kept her hand in a fist as she pumped it back and forth, as roughly as Mari liked it when Easy fit it inside her. Ving’s back arched in the air, with only her head and hands touching the ground aside from her widely spread legs. Again she cried as suddenly her final climax struck her, and she collapsed to the floor in a dizzy fit. Easy was tapping her cheek before she could realise what was going on.

“Ving, are you okay? You passed out.”

“Yes… I’m good. Easy, I've gone my whole life not getting the thing I craved the most, and now that I can without repercussion, I lose control.”

“I know exactly how you feel. Or at least I think so. You just need to learn how to pace yourself. That's what Mari keeps telling me. Now, let's get dressed and get back to work.”

Ving could barely move her naked body off the floor, but slowly felt her strength return as she dressed. Easy was chipping away at the ice in the icebox and smiled at Ving as she left her to her work. Returning back to the lounge, she saw Mari smirking on the unbruised side of her face.

“Glad you had fun. Told ya.”

“Yea. That tongue…”

Mari just moaned in response, thinking of the wonderful memories and the future pleasures yet to come from that tongue.

“You are sure you don't mind?”

“Not at all. This isn't the ship to form exclusive relationships on. After seeing you in the bath with Hannah I figure you gotta expand the scope of your lust so you don't focus too much on her.”

Liddy came up the stairs with Emma, and was about to make a comment about how Ving’s sex noises didn't make for very comforting background noises while she was talking with Emma. Then she spotted two trucks pulling up with Hannah hanging out of the passenger window.

Hannah jumped out of the truck and hurried up to the main door to see everyone in the lounge staring at her.

“Liddy, I’m sorry. I did it again,” Hannah apologised as eight women filed in behind her.

“Can I ever let you off this ship without bringing sexy back?” Liddy smirked.

“Well, maybe, but I have a plan.”

“I know. She had one of her girl's radio ahead to ask before they resigned.”

“Oh?” Hannah turned to Inky.

“Yes,” Inky explained. “Well, life would have been impossible after all this anyways, and leaving sooner is better than later. But not before I had a plan.”

“I see,” Hannah recalled the whispered message delivered to Inky at court. She returned her attention to everyone else, “This is a friend of mine from my time in the military. I trust her and I think it's safe to say that we need the protection she can offer.”

“Agreed. Consider yourself employed.” Liddy offered.

“Former Captain Maxwell at your service,” Inky bowed.

“Leftenant, now. I'm already captain, and former ranks don't suit officers due respect,” Liddy explained.

“Thank you. These are my girls. I’m sure we will all get along well enough. Though introductions might have to wait. Leaving as soon as possible would be a good idea.”

“Agreed. Gather anything you brought with you and we will take off. Ving, get to the helm.”

“Yes, Captain. Though I’m curious why one of them needs a gas-mask,” Ving commented.

“So am I, but it’s generally a tactless thing to simply blurt out.”

“Apologies.” Ving bowed to Liddy, then to the woman whose head was covered in thick canvas and a mask hooked up to an air filter.

“It's quite alright. I have allergies. Serious enough that this is simply the best way to ensure I…” she trailed off as Easy walked into the room with more ice for Mari.

“Sorry, this took so long.” Easy grinned at Ving before Mari, then suddenly noticed the soldiers standing with Hannah filling half the lounge. “Oh my, Hannah really does bring sexy women home with her.”

An awkward silence stood for a few moments before the woman with the gas mask reached behind her head and unfastened something. She pulled the mask off to reveal a long narrow, face covered mostly in a deep red fur and pointed ears sticking up and out from her head.

“You’re a fox!” Easy exclaimed with glee.

“Yes. I wasn’t expecting there to be Emberborn here let alone without a collar. I hope I didn't make a mistake.”

“Oh no! They are wonderful people who have treated me well. Actually, Mari wears my collar now. My name is Easy. What's yours?”

“Foxy, it's kind of a joke. Emberborn hidden in the military who can't show her face, called something that sexy women get called, but is actually a fox.”

“Alright, we have time to talk later. Get out there and haul that shit in. Lower doors if you please.” Inky ordered, receiving a round of assent from her girls.

As soon as things were loaded, the trucks were left on the docks and Ving lifted the ship into the air.

As they passed over the Duke's estate, they could see bands of soldiers digging up the grounds no doubt having fallen for the ruse laid by the boy whose life they spared. Hannah couldn't forgive him, but she could at least approve of the direction he was taking and the talent he was showing for it. She returned to Mari and held her by the hand. She looked her in the eyes and without words, let Mari know just how thankful she was that she was alright.