Last Exile Fan Fiction ❯ Soft Options ❯ Reunions and Partings ( Chapter 5 )

Soft Options

 

Rating: NC17/X

 

By: AZ

 

Chapter 5: Reunions and Partings

-

Lavie woke to the comforting sensation of Claus under her, his arms around her small frame. It had been two days since Sophia left the ship, and though the ship felt very different from when Sophia had been aboard, Lavie was sure that it would balance itself back out eventually. After all, her life experience so far had taught her that.

Absently brushing her short hair back from her face, the girl considered Claus's sleeping countenance. He sleeps so peacefully, reflected the girl. It never really occurred to her that she had a similar look on her face and that Claus also enjoyed watching her sleep; at least, on the rare occasions that he managed to be awake when she was asleep. Leaning in closer, she pressed her lips to his gently. After several moments, she eased back and nimbly crawled off him, years of practice keeping her from disturbing his rest, though - in truth - she really wasn't that concerned about waking him.

“He sleeps deep.” She murmured, reaching for her panties. Across from her, she saw a bit of wheat-blonde hair peeking out from under the sheet and blankets on the bunk across from the bed that she and Claus shared. Tugging the black panties to settle them comfortably, she stepped across to Alvis's bunk, snagging her well-worn top as she crossed the narrow space, pulling it over her head as she stooped to check on her young charge.

“Lavie?” asked the girl, rubbing her eyes as she felt her covers being carefully eased back and cool breath caressing her bare skin.

“Morning, Al.” confirmed Lavie, straightening as the girl sat up, stretching her arms. Lavie smiled as she saw the toy ram that she had given the girl tucked securely to the side of the girl. As she always did, Al looked over to see Claus, sound asleep, in his bunk. Reassured, she smiled at Lavie.

“What are we doing today, Lavie?” she asked the girl, her tone eager. Lavie laughed softly, ruffling the girl's hair, which was unconfined by her normal `mushroom' hair ornaments. As she stroked Al's hair, Lavie's stomach rumbled. A giggle escaped Al.

“Well, I think that breakfast is in order, don't you, Al?” chuckled Lavie. Al nodded, kicking off the bunk and wiggling into her dress before grabbing her loose under shorts and stepping into them. Once they were settled, she stepped into her sturdy boots and collected her two hair ornaments, beginning to quickly twine her hair into the buns that the ornaments secured. Meanwhile, Lavie wiggled into her work suit, which was an oversized pair of Silvana coveralls. Zipping the one-piece suit up to just above her breasts, she turned her attention to helping Al with her hair.

With their preparations complete, the two exited the cabin, closing the door behind them. Lavie usually ate breakfast, grabbed some food for Claus, and then returned to wake her partner, lover and family for the day's work. As the two got their morning meal from the cook and sat to eat in the mess hall, Lavie asked Al what she planned to do. Usually, the girl spent some time with Sophia, but with the Vice Captain gone, Lavie was curious about what Al planned to do. “Are you going to visit the bridge?” she asked the young blonde.

Al shook her head, frowning. “No. Sophia isn't there, and I don't like being around Alex when she isn't there.” said the girl. She had never once managed to call any of the crew by their rank or title - something that most of them liked about the cute, loveable girl. Lavie considered the Captain of the ship.

“He is kind of moody.” she agreed. There was no love lost between the two of them, but she didn't really have much opinion of him either way. On the one hand, he had fired on them when they had first come to check on Al, and he showed a callus disregard for their well-being. But countering that was the fact that he had made available to them a cabin, work area, food, clothing and pretty much allowed them to do as they pleased, which happened to suit her goals right now.

“He's angry a lot.” shrugged Al.

“Angry?” wondered Lavie. He was certainly driven, but he never really seemed angry to her. Al nodded emphatically.

“Angry.” she repeated, biting into her toast.

“Who's he angry with, Al?” asked Lavie curiously. Al frowned.

“I'm not sure who it is, but they aren't on the ship.” she said. “He keeps staring out the window, and his eyes are kind of sad and angry at the same time.” she explained. “Maybe he hates the sky.” she suggested. It was Lavie's turn to shake her head.

“No. His eyes…they are the kind of eyes that belong in the sky.” she murmured softly, recalling something that Claus had once said about him. There have been a few times that Claus's eyes looked like that, too, she recalled uneasily. The idea that her Claus and Alex Row had anything in common was unsettling to her.

“Claus's eyes are like that too.” said Al happily, smiling as she dug into her sausage and eggs. Lavie blinked at her diminutive tablemate.

“Huh?” was her intellectual reply.

“Claus's eyes. They sometimes look like Alex's eyes. The times when he isn't brooding.” she clarified. “His eyes are pretty.” she added, another forkful of eggs meeting their demise.

“Alex has pretty eyes?” asked Lavie, her mind still on the ramifications of Claus's eyes sometimes looking like Alex's eyes. Al shook her head, swallowing before she answered.

“No. Claus has pretty eyes.” smiled Al. Lavie turned to look at Al squarely.

“You've been watching him closely, haven't you, Al?” she asked the girl levelly. Al nodded.

“Yes.” A moment later, another thought occurred to the young girl. “Is that ok with you, Lavie?” she thought to ask. Blinking away her errant thoughts, Lavie smiled at Al.

“Of course it's ok with me, Al.” she assured the girl. “God knows he needs both of us to keep him out of trouble!” she snickered. Al giggled with her, the two falling to eating as the conversation faded away.

-

“Miss Tatiana?” came a voice from behind the captain of the van ship squadron stationed on the Silvana. Her thoughts disturbed by the intrusion, Tatiana turned to see Mullin approaching her. Not Claus, damn it. she thought fleetingly. While she didn't dislike the young former musketeer any more than anyone else aboard the ship, she didn't see any need to seek out his company, either.

“What is it, Mullin?” she asked, her voice clipped and precise. I still have to figure out what to do about Sophia's recommendation for me to assume her duties. she left unsaid.

“Um, I was just wondering if you were planning to change ship assignments. I mean, now that the Vice Captain has gone back to the Capital and all, you really don't have much cause to stay aboard this ship, right?” he reasoned, nervously scratching the back of his head.

“What would make you think that?” wondered Tatiana, vaguely annoyed at his presumptiveness in assuming that he knew anything about her.

“Well, I heard that you looked up the Vice Captain and were following her example, and with her having transferred, it just seemed kind of logical that you would, too.” he explained. Tatiana's stormy grey eyes narrowed slightly.

“If you want to leave, feel free to.” she said tightly. “I have a job to do.” she added, turning back to the rail. And Claus is here. she omitted from her verbal reply. Mullin made his way to the rail next to her.

“I see.” he sighed. “Actually, I was hoping that you would want to leave the ship with me.” he admitted candidly. Tatiana's eyes widened slightly.

“You were hoping that I would leave the ship with you?” she asked, her unintentional emphasis on the last word speaking volumes. Mullin winced slightly as he heard the tone and wording of her reply.

“Actually, yes.” he answered, his voice pained. Well, I really stepped in it this time. he thought, resigned to his status as a dork.

“Humph.” snorted Tatiana. “Have you been drinking with Godwin?” she muttered.

“No.” replied Mullin. “But I have been practicing.” he added quietly. Tatiana frowned.

“What kind of practice?” she wondered. All she had seen so far from him had been sweeping the floor of the mechanic deck and getting ragged on by the mechanics. Taking a quick breath, Mullin turned to her and took her shoulders in his hands.

“This kind of practice.” he breathed, ducking his head in to press a kiss to her lips. Tatiana's eyes snapped open in shock. For a few quick heartbeats, she was frozen in shock at the unexpected move by the young man, but then, her reflexes took over. Jerking her arms up, she forcefully knocked him back from her.

“What the hell do you think you're doing, conscript?!” she snarled, wiping her lips with the back of her hand. Mullin blinked at her.

“But you asked what I had been practicing…” he began.

“I didn't ask for a demonstration, jack ass!” spat Tatiana. Now, if that had been Claus… a part of her mind contemplated. Mullin sighed.

“Right.” he said, turning to trudge away from the angry young woman. Tatiana cooled off for a few minutes before she went in search of some answers.

-

Alister panted, her back pressed to the wall of her cabin, her arms around Claus's head as the young man eagerly assaulted her breasts, her uniform top precariously hanging from her arms. Claus's hands were busy with the thin uniform pants that the girl was wearing, untying the drawstring and tucking his fingers under the waistband, cupping her toned ass as he pulled her to him hungrily. Feeling his hard length press against her thighs, Alister Agrew felt her already-hot sex erupt with hormone-driven lust.

“B…bed!” she managed with great effort. Claus forced himself away from her drool-slick breasts only with great effort, his hands stripping her pants off as he eased back from her, leaving the girl in her damp black panties. As Alis stepped past him, he hooked the garment at the crests of her hips and peeled them off her, leaving the navigator completely naked to his gaze. Unable to resist, he briefly cupped her wet sex, feeling her slick fluid rapidly coat his hand.

Whining in need, Alis reached back to grab his hard length through his coveralls. Her legs were trembling and she knew that if she didn't get Claus over to her bed, she would likely collapse. Tugging on his covered dick, she managed to get to her bed and sink down to sit on the edge. Claus paused to swiftly remove his own clothes, his erect member pointing at her as he pushed his shorts off.

Licking her lips in anticipation, Alis lay back on her bed as Claus joined her, moving on top of her and between her spread legs. Kissing her, he settled his length at her entrance, shivering at the heavenly feel of her hot, slick juice instantly covering his wide, spongy tip. Her lower lips were already puffy and engorged with blood due to her arousal, and when she felt his warm tip butt against her opening, she felt a tiny orgasm roll through her. Wrapping her arms around him once more, she easily hooked her ankles behind his hips, tucking her knees higher so she was spread open a bit more.

Feeling that she was settled, Claus pushed forward, splitting her lips and wedging into her passage. Even with the copious lubrication of her excitement, Alis remained nearly as tight as Lavie, though the older girl was larger than his partner. Pushing his tongue into her mouth, he mimicked the movement with his dick, forcing it deeper into her willing sex. Alister moaned into his throat, her tongue wrestling with his.

Pushing harder, Claus managed to drive himself all the way into her on the next stroke, her cervix hugging his tip tightly as her inner muscles clenched happily around his shaft. Breaking the kiss, Claus smiled at the unfocused eyes of his current partner. “Feel good, Alis?” he teased her.

“God, yes!” she breathed, beginning to hump her hips against his, causing his hard length to move inside her sheath without having to withdraw his tip from where it was mated to the entrance to her womb. “I love the way you feel in me!” she panted, her hips jerking harder. Claus began to match her thrusts with his own, his lips once more silencing her as his fingers found her hard, puffy nipples.

The two rapidly gained speed, Alis feeling an ever-growing string of orgasms roll though her as Claus neared his own release. Eventually, their shared needs forced him to straighten up for the added leverage and angle to fulfill their needs. “Almost there!” grunted the young man, feeling his balls begin to tighten. Alister unhooked her legs from his hips, seeking greater contact with his pleasure-causing invader. Claus immediately grabbed the backs of her knees in his hands, spreading them as wide as he could as he pushed them up as far as he could, the results of that being that she was opened to his thrusts completely and the tension tightened her nest.

“Claus!” cried out the girl, a massive orgasm making her shake like a palsy victim. Her cry triggered his own release, Claus driving into her as deeply as he could, then holding still as spurt after spurt of cum shot into her womb. “Oh, god yes!!” screamed the girl, her vision going dim as she nearly passed out. Claus felt the last of his cum slip into the girl, his strength fading a little as he relaxed his grip on her knees. Catching himself on his elbows, Claus rested against Alis's chest, luxuriating in the feeling of her soft breasts and warm, soft skin.

Minutes went by before he felt her shaky arms close around him, a soft sigh of contentment coming from the girl. At their joined sexes, he felt her vaginal muscles randomly clenching on his semi-soft member. “That feels good.” he mumbled.

“Hmm? What feels good, Claus?” wondered Alister, her voice soft and slightly tired.

“Your pussy. It's clenching my dick.” he replied candidly. “Lavie's does the same thing. It feels really good.” he repeated. Alister giggled softly, leering at him.

“Well, your dick feels pretty damn good in my pussy.” she replied naughtily. “And your cum feels so warm when you shoot it inside me.” she added dreamily. “Does Lavie like that, too?” she asked him. Claus nodded.

“She prefers for me to cum in her.” he confirmed. He gave a rueful laugh. “Of course, it's probably because it's easier for her to clean up that way.” he added. Alister considered that.

“Possibly.” allowed the dirty-blonde-haired woman. “But, she might just like the feel of your cum in her belly.” she suggested. Claus shrugged.

“I suppose she could; she never really went into detail about why she liked it so much inside.” Alister could relate to that.

“Claus, how long have you and Lavie been having sex?” she asked. It had never really come up before, and she was a bit curious. Claus shrugged.

“I don't know, really.” he replied thoughtfully. “We kind of drifted into it. I would say that it got started shortly after mom and our dads dies.” Alister blinked at that.

“You mean…when you were younger than Al?” she gaped. Claus nodded.

“Well, yeah.” he replied. “But as far as fucking, we have only been doing that since we moved to Norkia, which would make it about five years ago.” he shrugged. Alister's eyes were wide. They…when they were…?! His voice interrupted her musings.

“What's that expression for, Alis?” he wondered. Alister gathered her thoughts.

“Um, nothing. It's just a bit surprising that you two started so young.” she covered. Claus frowned.

“Young? What do you mean?” he wondered.

The next half hour was enlightening for Alister.

-

Lavie rolled her head around to loosen her neck muscles as she entered her cabin. The Silvana had been lying low at a small smuggler's hideout for the last three days, effecting repairs on the ship and resting the crew. The kitchen was in the middle of being restocked, and Al was currently under the watchful eyes of the cook as he arranged for food for the ship's larder. Al had expressed an interest in the provisioning, and the cook had been happy to let her tag along. Lavie had satisfied herself that he wouldn't let anything happen to the girl before going for a shower and bed.

Claus was flying a scouting mission with Tatiana, and Alister was on the bridge, reviewing the maps of the area where they were, in case she needed to navigate beyond patrol distance. So, for the moment, she was alone. Lavie didn't exactly care for that situation, but she was tired from an eighteen-hour day of working on the Silvana and their personal van ship. Mostly satisfied at the progress on both, she had decided to get some rest. Tossing off her grimy work togs, she grabbed the plain towel and her bar of soap and headed for the shower area. Passing a couple of crewmembers, she smiled and nodded at them, her towel around her from her breasts to just below her hips.

Entering the shower area, she hung up her towel and started a shower, seeing that the next one over was in use by the ship's sonar operator, Wina. Ducking under the spray, she made sure that she was completely soaked before she began to lather up with the bar of soap. While the soap was simple military issue, it was actually more refined than the soap that she and Claus had been using since they moved to Norkia. Unlike most of the girls in Norkia, Lavie didn't spend what little money she could spare on fancy soap and lotions and pretty dresses; no, her heart lay with Claus and flying their ship, so every last penny went into their ship. Having gotten used to a better grade of soap, Lavie had lately been toying with the idea of spending the extra money for better soap when they got back to Norkia. It's not really that much more for better soap, and we were doing well enough before the race that we should be able to afford it, mused the girl.

By far the more outgoing of the pair, Lavie had made friends in Norkia, and while some of them were girls, most of her friends were men because her passion for van ships led her into a world where most of the players were men. Admittedly, there were women pilots and navigators; an example of that was Piggy Bird. But for the most part, girls weren't involved with van ship piloting, so Lavie found it somewhat difficult to relate to the girls she was friends with who weren't into van ships. They spent a lot of time on activities that she had no interest in like lotions and soaps and dresses and talking about men.

All of her non-flying friends in Norkia were in the Hurricane Hawk fan girl club, and they obsessed over him to an insane degree. It was one of the few common areas where Lavie could join in their conversation, but even then, it was apparent that her view of him was vastly different from the other girls' views. She saw him as a worthy competitor in van ship piloting and racing, while they saw him as a dashing, handsome bachelor - which made him a desirable target for them. Lavie just wanted to win the Norkia cup flying against him.

“Not all wasted, though.” murmured the girl, washing the suds off her face. From those girls, she had learned what she knew of sewing and fitting clothes, as well as learning some cooking and picking up a few feminine traits. Claus had once observed that she would look pretty good in a dress. Lavie had immediately scoffed at that and told him that she was happy the way that she was.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice from beside her. “Sorry, what was that?” asked Wina, shaking her head to clear the water from her ears. Lavie blinked at her.

“Oh, I was just talking to myself.” mumbled the girl, slightly embarrassed to be caught talking to herself when another girl was standing next to her.

“Oh. Ok.” replied Wina. Of all the people on the ship, she had the best idea of what was going on in everyone else's lives, since her ears were so sharp that she could hear whispered conversations decks away from her. She could also hear the consistent sounds of Claus satisfying his lovers, and it was making her curious; as well as horny.

Now, she had the perfect excuse to pry into their business. “Do you mind if I ask you something, Lavie?” asked the sonar girl. Lavie turned to look at Wina. With a modified Guild Claudia unit powering the ship's systems, there was plenty of hot water, so Lavie mentally shrugged, figuring that it couldn't hurt to talk to the other girl.

“Sure.” she said, tilting her head back to rinse her hair.

“What's it like? To have a boyfriend like Claus, I mean?” asked the girl. Lavie frowned.

“Claus isn't my boyfriend, Wina. He's my partner.” she corrected the girl.

“Partner?” asked Wina, sounding confused and suspicious. “Aren't you and he…you know?” she hinted.

“Aren't we what, Wina?” asked Lavie directly. Wina felt her cheeks heat up. Fortunately, the warm water masked it to some degree.

“You…sleep together, don't you?” whispered the girl, glancing around to make sure that no one else was in earshot. Lavie nodded.

“Yeah. We have since we were kids.” she confirmed. “What does that have to do with him being a boyfriend?” wondered the girl. Wina tried again.

“But, you do boyfriend stuff with him, right?” Lavie's expression made clear her lack of understanding of the topic at hand. “You two do it!” For an instant, Wina worried that she would have to come out and say it, but then, Lavie understood.

“You mean have sex? Yeah, we do. Why?” she replied casually. Wina exhaled in relief.

“I was wondering what it's like.” Wina asked. Lavie felt her lips twitch into a smile.

“It feels incredible.” she replied. “Even better than flying in our van ship.” she extolled the act. “But more importantly, it feels like being together.” she added, confusing the girl again.

“Together?” echoed Wina. Lavie blinked, realizing that she was speaking her thoughts. Easy habit to get into with Claus, but I don't want to be sharing my thoughts with just anyone. she thought to herself.

“Nothing.” she waved it away. “Why so curious, Wina?” wondered the girl. Wina sucked in a breath in surprise. “You've had a lover before, right?” prompted Lavie. Slowly, Wina shook her head. “Really?” pressed Lavie. “You're certainly pretty enough, so why not?” she asked.

“I…just haven't.” answered Wina meekly. Lavie shook her head.

“That's too bad.” she commiserated. “You really should find one; it is the best thing in the world.” Wina was hardly able to contain her astonishment. Here was the perfect opening, and Lavie had given it to her.

-

Rubbing her eyes, Lavie exited the shower room, her semi-dry hair disarrayed and her towel once more wrapped around her. Looking ahead, she saw Mullin leaning against the bulkhead by her cabin door. Sighing softly, she maintained course. Mullin was staring at the wall opposite him, but as she got closer, he turned to look at her. “There you are, Lavie!” he said, sounding relieved. “I was beginning to think that you had abandoned ship.” he joked.

“Without Al and Claus? Don't be stupid.” Lavie rejected his attempt at levity. “Besides, our ship still isn't repaired enough for that.” she added.

“Um, yeah, about that stupid bit…” he said, embarrassed.

“What is it this time, Mullin?” asked Lavie, tired, but knowing that she would have to deal with whatever imagined emergency Mullin had brought upon himself before she could get some rest. Open the door to her cabin, she stepped in, unsurprised to hear Mullin step in behind her. Closing the door, she glanced at Al's bed, seeing a lump beneath the sheets. On the foot of her bed, the girl's dress and shorts were laid out, and on the floor were her boots.

“Well, I was…” began Mullin. Lavie's fingertip pressed to his lips silenced him mid-sentence.

“Keep your voice down, Mullin. Al's asleep.” said the girl softly, withdrawing her hand and turning back her bed. Stripping off her towel, she carefully arranged it over the bunk above her own so it would dry before sitting on the edge of her bed and combing her fingers through her hair, helping it to dry. Ease of maintenance was what had first caused her to cut her hair short, after all. Mullin was staring at her naked body. “You were saying, Mullin?” prompted Lavie. The older man blinked.

“Uh, right.” he said, struggling to remember what he had been about to tell her. “I talked to Tatiana earlier today, and…” he related the incident to Lavie, his eyes constantly straying to her naked body as he talked. His pants grew uncomfortably tight.

“I see.” mused Lavie. “Mullin, your main problem is that you rush things too much.” said the girl. “You don't just walk up to some girl and say `let's run off together'.” lectured Lavie. “You need to start easy and work up to that. Come to think of it, that is your main problem with sex, too.” she noted calmly.

“With…sex?” Mullin parroted dumbly. Lavie nodded, inclining her head toward his tented pants.

“Yes. You want to just stick it in, don't you?” she accused. Mullin nervously licked his lips.

“Well…it feels good.” he offered to her.

“For you, maybe.” retorted Lavie. “For the girl, it's different.” she went on. “I told you that you needed to be calm and take your time, and this is a good example of how you keep getting into these situations.” A pause, then she went on. “Frankly, I'm surprised that Tatiana didn't kick your ass.” she admitted.

“Well, what should I have done?!” hissed the frustrated man. Lavie stifled a yawn. Maybe not have this talk with me after a long day, maybe? she wanted to say.

“Like I said, start small and move up to something like asking her to run off with you.” repeated Lavie. “It's like foreplay, really.” she added, remembering her analogy. Seeing his blank look, she smothered a groan. God, Mullin, you are dense!! she thought despairingly. Well, I was meaning to get around to this eventually. she thought in resignation. “Mullin, so far, every time you have come to me, you have just jumped right in, wanting to cum in me; or on me, most often.” she added darkly. “That's not really the right thing to do, you know? You need to learn how to warm a girl up. That is usually called foreplay.” she instructed.

Turning to lay back on the bed, she got comfortable. Looking at Mullin, she saw that he was already wrestling with his pants. Figuring that it would be quicker to let him deal with that now, she watched him strip and start to me onto her bed. “Not so fast, minuteman.” she said, pushing her hand against his chest when he tried to lie on top of her. “Foreplay. Does that ring any bells?” she reminded him.

“Ok. What do I do?” he asked, his dick throbbing against her thighs.

“Usually, you would have already been kissing and holding her before now, but we'll skip it this time; it's late and I'm tired.” Lavie replied. “So, next, you need to show some appreciation for her body. You've never really touched me before, Mullin. Usually you are too busy trying to put it in before you blow.” The sardonic tilt to her tone could be forgiven, considering the circumstances. “So, how about you do that now?” suggested the girl.

Swallowing hastily, Mullin carefully reached down and cupped her small breasts. Mullin was shocked at how soft, yet firm they were. Lavie's nipples were soft, unlike when she was around Claus, but as he carefully kneaded the modest breasts, they begin to slowly harden. “You could kiss them.” Lavie suggested, arching her back a little. Her groin was beginning to warm up from the attention. Lowering his head, Mullin carefully kissed her breasts. Against her thighs, she felt a warm, wet drop. Hope he doesn't blow right now. she thought sourly.

“Suck on them, Mullin.” the girl directed. Eagerly, Mullin did so. “Ouch! Damn it, be gentle!” hissed Lavie, smacking him on the side of the head when he accidentally sucked too hard on her nipple.

“S…sorry, Lavie.” he wheezed, his dick demanding to be inside her, but his rational mind desperately telling him that he had made enough mistakes already that day and to follow Lavie's directions. With greater caution, he lowered his lips back to her breasts, finding that the hardened nipples were easy to tease with his tongue. Gradually, Lavie began to breathe faster, soft moans coming from her.

“Lavie?” begged Mullin. Please be ready! he silently begged whatever deity might be listening.

“Not yet.” whispered Lavie. “Touch my pussy.” she directed him. Breathing faster, Mullin shuffled down, allowing her to part her legs, revealing her hairless sex to him. Reaching down, he touched her sex, finding it to be warm and damp. “Like this.” came the soft voice of Lavie, her hand catching his own as she guided his fingertips along her dampening slit. He's no Claus, but still…it feels pretty good, realized Lavie.

Mentally focusing on her times with Claus, she soon forgot that it wasn't Claus touching her. With practiced ease, she guided Mullin's hand though the intricacies of touching a girl, and before she realized it, Lavie was shivering though an orgasm, her thighs wet with her juice. “Ah! Claus!” squeaked Lavie. Mullin froze at her words.

“Claus?” he asked, suddenly realizing that his voice had an echo. Turning to look over at Al's bed, he saw the girl sitting up, rubbing her eyes.

Great!! thought Mullin desperately. Here I am, naked, crouched over Lavie - who's also naked! - with my hand on her pussy and my dick about to explode! Why me?! he silently complained. Looking back at Lavie, he saw that her eyes were half closed, a small smile on her face, her hands touching her breasts. It occurred to him that she had never looked sexier than she did right then. His dick - already covered in pre-cum - twitched, a small gob of cum shooting from the tip.

“Lavie? Is Claus back yet?” asked Al, looking at the two naked people. “Why is Mullin here?” she asked. Lavie turned to Al.

“Claus isn't back from his patrol yet, Al.” she said, her body and tone relaxed. “Mullin just dropped by for some help, that's all.” said the girl. Al stretched.

“Ok.” she said amicably, laying back down and pulling her sheets back up. “See you in the morning, then, Lavie. Mullin.” said the young girl.

“Night, Al.” returned Lavie. Mullin remained frozen. Sitting up slightly, Lavie reached down and touched Mullin's throbbing, slick member. “Not bad, Mullin.” purred Lavie. “But now, let's take care of you.” said the girl, pumping his dick slowly. Mullin shuddered at the feeling of her hand on his shaft. “Can you control yourself long enough to cum inside me, or should I just jerk you off?” asked the girl. Mullin tried to speak, but couldn't get his mouth to work right. So, he settled for non-verbal communication.

Pushing forward, he moved over Lavie, who just tucked her knees back against his sides, still holding his dick in her hand. Feeling her warm, soft body beneath him, Mullin tried to find the right angle, his tip poking her in the thighs, belly and rear as he strained to contain himself. Lavie tried to guide him into place, but his impatient attempts to do it himself were hindering her efforts. “Hold still a minute!” hissed the girl. Mulling tried to obey, and Lavie managed to get his tip at her entrance. “Ok, go easy.” she said, holding his dick as he began to press forward. “Ugh!” she grunted, feeling herself open to accommodate his shaft.

Mullin teetered precariously on the very edge of release, fighting as hard as he could to maintain control. But when he felt her furnace-like heat, and the slick, slippery grip of her passage, he knew he would never make it. Abandoning all restraint, he lunged up and shoved hard with his dick, trying to get as deep into her as he could before he blew his load. Unfortunately for him, Lavie reacted to his sudden thrust by clamping down with her muscles, retarding his penetration. So, with a third of his length in her, Mullin grunted, blowing his before he even reached full penetration. Feeling his cum splash into her pussy, Lavie sighed.

Well, at least I got one good orgasm out of this. rationalized the girl. Her fatigue was coming back strong on the heels of her orgasm, and Mullin was - as usual - already falling asleep. Wiggling around, Lavie managed to get out from under him before he could pin her in place. With the last of her strength, she pushed him against the wall, freeing up a small amount of space for herself before drifting off to sleep, his cum slowly seeping out of her pussy.

-

“Ready?” came Tatiana's voice. Turning, Claus saw Tatiana and Alister approaching him, the van ship captain in her military flight suit, her navigator in her exercise clothes. Claus adjusted his own military flight suit as he nodded.

“Ready Tatiana.” he confirmed. “Are you sure that you don't mind, Alister?” he asked the girl standing just behind Tatiana's shoulder. The partner of Tatiana shook her head.

“I'm sure. After all, the Captain specifically asked for you, and since Lavie won't fly combat with you, the only real choice was between me and Tatiana.” the girl paused, grinning at Tatiana as the short-haired girl's cheeks colored. “So, we flipped a coin for it and she won the toss.” snickered Alis. Claus blinked.

“Are you done, Alis?” came Tatiana's pained voice. Her navigator just hummed innocently.

“You really tossed a coin to see who would back-seat with me?” wondered a curious Claus. No one had ever done that before. Of course, Lavie would never have let anyone else sit in our ship, either! he reminded himself.

“She's all tuned up, Claus!” came the voice of the girl he had just been thinking about. “I pumped up the ratio and removed a set of reducer lines, so she's gonna scream when you drop the hammer on her.” grinned his partner, who was also his chief mechanic. That she had done that amount of work on van ship One - Tatiana's personal ship - spoke volumes to the young man. “The Resonance Chambers purr like kittens, and roar like lions.” she boasted, her eyes alight with unholy glee.

“I'll take you word for it, Lavie.” smiled Claus, absently reaching out and wiping a smudge of grease from her cheek with his gloved fingertip. “Thanks for checking it over.” he added softly. He always felt a lot better when he knew that Lavie had gone over the ship he was flying. She smiled back at him.

“Don't hold back, Claus.” she said. “Show those other van ship pilots what a real pilot can do with a twin-engine van ship.” she ordered him.

“Ok, Lavie.” he said easily. The ship clock chimed over the PA. “That's our cue.” he said to Tatiana, who nodded, slipping her flight mask on.

“Roger that. Let's get going.” she said, climbing into the back seat of her red ship. Touching Lavie's cheek once more, Claus climbed into the pilot's seat. On the next lift, Dio and Lucciola were in a standard green combat van ship. The two ships were Alex Row's salute to the new Queen of Anatory, his former Vice Captain, Sophia Forrester. During the last week and a half, the Disith had taken the capital of Anatory, but been beaten back by the Scolipendra cannon and a surprise ambush by the Navy and Duke Mad Thane's fleet. In the fighting, the Prime Minister and the King had killed each other in a duel, and Sophia had seized the throne.

Today was her coronation. Not three days before, she had managed to forge an alliance with the Disith, whose lands had been abandoned due to permanent winter and exhausted resources. Once she was formally inaugurated as Queen, she would formally indoctrinate the alliance of the two against the Guild. With her wounds mostly healed, the Silvana was moving to Walker's for a refit, and since they would be close enough to the site of the ceremony to reach it by van ship, Alex had ordered Claus to take a ship and give Sophia his congratulations. Dio had invited himself, and since Alex showed no interest in what he did, the crew had just shown him which ship he could use and stood back.

On the flight deck, Claus checked the instruments, then glanced back at Tatiana, who gave him a simple thumbs-up to confirm readiness. Looking to the side of the launch pad, he saw Lavie and Al standing there, Al waving with her stuffed ram, Lavie standing just behind the girl, her arms draped comfortably over Al's small form. Nodding to them, Claus cracked the throttle, the van ship leaping into the sky. A moment later, the second van ship rose after it. Rolling onto their course, the two swiftly vanished into the distance.

-

So, that's what a Guild battleship looks like. thought Claus, his face illuminated by the dash instrumentation. He had been flying the requested patterns with the other van ships when a massive form had descended from the clouds and began to drop crimson flower petals on the ceremony. For some reason, Dio had flipped out and began to fly like a crazed cat. He had almost run into a dozen other ships as well as the hills around the sacred shrine where Sophia had taken her Oat of Office as Queen of Anatory.

Claus reflected that the robes had look incredible on her, and he had thought that she actually smiled at him as he made a pass, but he couldn't be sure. Tatiana had made some remarks along similar lines, so he knew that his opinion had been shared by her, at least. Knowing what he did of the situation between them and the Guild, he was surprised that Sophia had made no move to hide from the warship dropping flowers all over her and the assembled nobles and Disith officers. If he had thought that she needed a way out, he had been prepared to dive down and retrieve her, but she had just watched, emotionlessly, as the petals fell.

With the disruption to their mission, it was now well past the time they should have been back on the Silvana, and their tanks were getting low. Looking up at the faint stars, he wondered how far the ship had gone. Tatiana was currently trying to locate the ship's new position. Claus was aware that Tatiana was not the navigator that Lavie or Alis were, but it should just be a simple recalculation of interception point, so he wasn't overly worried. Besides, if they crashed, it wouldn't be the first time.

“Change heading to eleven o'clock relative.” came Tatiana's voice in his intercom. “The Silvana should be just beyond that row of hills.” said the girl, turning off the small lamp that she had used to illuminate the map and notes she had taken before they took off. She had checked it over with Alis in their cabin to make sure that she had what she needed to navigate. Alister had given her a refresher course on navigation, seeming to enjoy herself immensely as she did so.

“Got it, Tatiana.” he replied, moving the stick and delicately touching the pedals to bring the ship onto the new course. In the back seat, Tatiana marveled at his deft handling of the ship. Compared to his flying, her own piloting was raw and violent. And yet, Lavie still redded out that first time. I wonder how hard Claus was flying to make her do that? mused the girl.

Glancing to the side, she saw that there was still no sign of the second van ship with Dio and Lucciola aboard. The two of them had last seen it fleeing the area at an insanely reckless pace. They had looked for it, but had to abort when they ran low on fuel. Now, it was just them hurtling through the darkness toward where they hoped their home was. “No sign of the other ship, Claus.” she said.

“I know. I think that they are ok, though. Dio is a good pilot.” said Claus. Even if he is insane, he qualified the thought. “What do you think that visit was all about, anyway?” he asked the girl. Tatiana considered that.

“I'm not sure, really.” she admitted. “But the Guild has to know that something is up. It was probably meant to intimidate the Vic…I mean, the Queen.” she corrected herself.

“Sophia didn't look all that intimidated.” noted Claus.

“She isn't the kind to react to something like that.” agreed Tatiana. “And as Queen, she has a duty to the people of Anatory, as well as having to show the Disith that she was willing and able to lead the alliance.”

“What kind of alliance do you think she made with the Disith?” wondered Claus. He wasn't really up on all the political stuff, and had only a vague sort of notion what an alliance between nations might be. Even though his father - and therefore, himself - was noble, he had never learned anything about that aspect of himself. For him and Lavie, all that mattered was flying in the blue sky that their fathers had promised them. Everything else was of secondary importance; if it was of any importance at all.

“Most likely, she formed an alliance of marriage. I suspect that she will marry the leader of the Disith - or his heir - upon completion of her crowning.” replied Tatiana. “It's likely the most expedient way to force a bond with the Disith, as well as uniting the various factions under her leadership.” decided the girl. “The Queen is young and single, after all. Not to mention beautiful.” she murmured.

“Oh.” was all Claus had to say on that topic. Marriage was just a word to him, after all, that he associated with his parents. The basic concept was clear to him, but he didn't see what it had to do with anything. Tatiana found herself both happy and worried about the possibility that Sophia would marry a Disith as a matter of state. She was glad because it meant that one more competitor for Claus was removed from play, but worried because she didn't know how Claus would react; and besides, she had hoped that Sophia would be able to marry for love, rather than for the good of her people.

The thoughts of the two were interrupted by a winking light on the horizon. They had found the Silvana.

-

Sophia sighed as she stepped out of the heavy transport with King Scheer of Disith. It had been a long day, and she was tired. But, there were things to do. Chief among them was setting in motion the plan that she had been working on for the last few months. Also of immediate concern was the situation with Disith. Two of her guards and two of his followed them into the palace. Sophia led the Disith King to a council room. As they stepped inside, her guards and his guards assumed their posts just outside the door.

Closing the doors, Sophia turned to face the old man who lead the Disith. “King Scheer, I hope you are feeling up to a brief discussion of our next move.” she said gracious. “Please, let us sit.” she motioned to the over-stuffed chairs at the table. The old man nodded.

“I am able to do so, Queen Forrester.” he replied gravely. Sophia sat opposite him. “I have been reviewing the plan you suggest, and I believe that it can be made to work.” he said without preamble. “If this `Exile' you speak of is indeed the keystone to the Guild's strength, it must be captured or destroyed at all costs, or we will have generations of war ahead of us.”

“It is the belief of…one I trust, confirmed by former Guild members, that to take control of Exile is to defeat the Guild.” Sophia said levelly. “To that ends, we will have to find Exile. It is within the Grand Stream, and moves about restlessly, riding the brutal winds of that passage.”

“I believe that we may have a solution for that, Queen Forrester.” said the old man. “We have a map of the Grand Stream's currents and form. And though it is by no means complete, it is sufficient for our ships to navigate the Grand Stream. Were we to supply this to you, along with a recording of Exile's engines, would you have ships capable of locating and securing the goal without alerting the Guild?” he asked.

Sophia nodded. “I have given thought to that, and I believe that we have the perfect ships for the mission.” she paused, then went on. “We also have the mysterions which are the keys to Exile, as well as Alvis Hamilton, who is the Reciter that will allow us to use the keys to take Exile from the Guild.” said the woman. King Scheer raised an eyebrow.

“Truly?” he asked. Sophia nodded. “Then, I believe that our chances have increased.” he smiled at her.

“I believe so as well, King Scheer.” said the woman. “It will take me a few days to get the ships in the right place, and Duke Mad Thane has his secret weapon practicing at Horizon Cave. I think we should use that as a staging point.” she suggested. The Disith king nodded.

“One place is as good as another.” he agreed. “I must re-organize the fleet as well, so the delay works in our favor, rather than the reverse.” he noted. Sophia nodded.

“Fortunate, indeed.” she murmured. Taking a breath, she moved to the next topic that had to be addressed as soon as possible. “When should we have the wedding?” she asked the old man. King Scheer slowly exhaled.

“For the sake of our alliance, it should be soon, as there are those within both our forces that distrust the other from long animosity between our two people. And yet, I cannot say that I am impatient to wed you.” he smiled at her. “Though you are truly a woman of uncommon beauty, I am old enough to be your grandfather. Also, the blizzards of Disith have ravaged this body. I have no illusions of how I appear to you, young Queen of Anatory. There is nothing for you in this marriage but political stability - and for that, I apologize.” he said sincerely.

Sophia shook her head. “No, King Scheer, there is no need to apologize. This is for the good of both our peoples, and that is more than enough for me.” she assured him. The king chuckled lightly.

“I still say that you should choose a young officer of my clan to marry; one who is more capable of fulfilling his husbandly duties.” he once more suggested. Sophia smiled at that.

“You sell yourself short, my King.” she said. “Besides that, doing so would not seal the alliance as well as a state marriage to yourself.” she pointed out. The old man inclined his head.

“Your point is well taken.” he conceded. “Do you know, Queen Forrester, that you remind me very much of my first wife?” he asked her, a twinkle in his eyes.

“I hope that is good, and not the reverse.” replied Sophia. She had found that the old leader of the Disith was surprisingly easy to like, and he reminded her of her great-uncle from her childhood.

“It is good.” the king answered her. “I wonder what my granddaughter would think of you?” he wondered. Sophia's smile almost faltered, but she caught it before her expression could change.

“She will have the chance, my King.” said the woman resolutely. “To return to the topic at hand, when do you think we should hold the ceremony?” she asked again.

-

“Horizon Cave.” breathed Lavie, standing beside Claus as the Silvana slowed and began to line up with a temporary docking berth. The ship had received orders from the Admiralty to proceed immediately to Horizon Cave and await further orders while refitting and repairing as they were able. Since Walker's station hadn't been where it was supposed to be, there was little choice in the matter, and the ship had done as ordered.

“It seems so long ago that we won the Cave Eight.” mused Claus. It was only a month or so, but it seems so distant now. Between the two, Al looked on as the ship carefully descended to the berth. All around them, they saw the sleek, slim Disith ships, Duke Mad Thane's blunt, slab-sided ships, and the angular Anatory ships. Looking below the ship, the three saw platoons of Musketeers practicing marksmanship and formation marching. Most were either the blue-jacketed Anatory forces, or red-coated Disith units, but some smaller groups were mixes, with blue and red intermingled. Farther back into the cave, Claus saw a warship of the Guild similar to the one that had flower-petal bombed the coronation ceremony.

“Wonder what that is doing here?” Claus idly wondered.

“It's the ship that the late Prime Minister of Anatory used when he escaped the Guild. It is no longer functional, but that ship is the core of how Anatory came to be.” came a voice from behind them. The three turned to see the chief engineer standing there. That he was former Guild himself was obvious, both from the clothes he wore, and from the mark on his forehead. Still, Al had developed a friendship with him; well, him and everyone else on the ship.

“The Prime Minister was from the Guild?” wondered Claus. The head engineer nodded.

“Indeed. When house Eraclea took prominence at the last Covenant Trials, many of us knew that the Guild was beyond saving, so we tried to overthrow the Maestro. When that failed, those of us that were left managed to steal a ship and escape. For whatever reason, the Maestro didn't bother to pursue us.”

“So, is the engine of the Silvana from that Guild ship?” wondered Lavie. Slowly, the man shook his head.

“No. The engine of this ship is neither Guild, nor standard. I designed it as a hybrid unit, using technologies and techniques from both to create it.” he explained. “Tell me, have you seen where Dio and Lucciola are holing up late?” he wondered, changing the topic. Claus shook his head.

“No, I haven't.” he said. “Since he got back from the coronation, he's been acting strange; even for him.” muttered the young man.

“I see. I imagine that finding his sister there was a nasty shock to him.” noted the old Guild man, moving off while Claus and Lavie tried to get a mental grip on what he had just told them. A clanging sound broke their concentration, and the two looked down again to see several gangways being made fast.

“What say we stretch our legs, Claus?” smiled Lavie, absently resting her hand on Al's shoulder. Claus returned her smile.

“Sure, Lavie.” he agreed immediately. “Sounds good.” Together, the three of them made their way toward the access port nearest to them.

-

“Hurricane Hawk!” yelled Claus in surprise. He and Al had been looking around the mass of van ships that were parked tightly in a warehouse-like area when he had seen a familiar van ship fly past the hanger. Excusing himself from the brother of Ralph - the man who had been piloting Al and Kita to the Silvana before the Guild starfish attacked it - Claus had run outside to see where the Norkia legend landed. Al hurried after him. Seeing where the golden-colored ship landed, he ran in the direction of the open area.

Seeing the man climbing down from his ship, he had yelled out his name. Turning, Hurricane Hawk had blinked, his eyes widening as he realized who he was seeing. “Claus Valca! As I live and breathe, it's good to see you, boy!” he called heartily. “We all thought that we'd seen the last of you, the way that you simply vanished the day after the Cup race!” he added, extending his hand to Claus, who shook it.

“Well, well! If it isn't sleepy-head Claus!” came a familiar voice from the nose of Hawk's ship. Turning, he saw Fat Chicken standing there, her flying cap off, revealing her shaved head. “But something's missing here. Where's that little girl who's always with you? The one that called me Piggy Bird?” she asked.

“Lavie.” smiled Claus. “It was Lavie that always called you that.” he said. “She's…” he began.

“I'll find her, Claus!” came Al's clear voice. Waving her stuffed ram doll, she scurried off. “Be right back!” she called back.

“Cute girl.” noted Hawk. “Not yours, by any chance?” he asked slyly. Claus blinked at him, not following his innuendo.

“Be serious, Hawk!” scoffed Fat Chicken. “He hasn't been gone long enough to have a kid; let alone one her age! And if it was Claus's kid, she's have red hair.” she added her own dig at the young man.

“Who has a kid?” came another familiar voice. Looking toward the tail of Hawk's van ship, he saw another Norkia van ship pilot approaching. “Hey, it is Claus!” the young man said, giving a half wave.

“Nose Hair! Piggy Bird!” came the comforting voice of Lavie. “Long time no see, Hurricane Hawk!” she added.

“Ah! That's more like it!” sighed Fat Chicken happily.

“Yep! Nothing like a little name-calling.” grinned Nose Hair. The shorter girl stopped beside Claus, Al at her side. The three Norkia pilots looked at the two who they had feared lost. The grey uniforms told them a lot.

“So, you up and joined the war, hum?” asked Hawk quietly. The two partners exchanged looks.

“Not exactly.” dismissed Claus, one hand unconsciously touching Al's shoulder. “It's a long story.” he added.

“What are you all doing here?” asked Lavie, covering for Claus instinctively. “We heard that Norkia was occupied by the Disith.” she noted. Hawk laughed.

“Like that would stop us from flying, Lavie!” he snorted. His laughter quieted. “I don't see your ship anywhere.” he noted.

“Long story.” shrugged Lavie.

“Lot of that going around.” replied Hawk. His eyes noticed the designation patch on Claus's and Lavie's grey uniforms. God! They're crewing on the Silvana?! How in the hell did they end up on the kill-`em-all Silvana? The ship had a certain reputation, after all. “What say we exchange those long stories over some first water?” he asked the party at large. “Claus, Lavie and the girl's drinks are on me.” he smiled, winking at Al, who smiled back.

“What, you're not buying my drinks?” came the hurt voice of Nose Hair. Fat Chicken mimed a swing at him.

“You aren't cute enough!” she mocked him.

“Ah! But I have this!” crowed the young man, pulling a chain out from under his flight suit. Claus and Lavie gawked at it.

“The first-place medal for the Norkia Cup?!” breathed Claus. Nose Hair smirked.

“You know damn well that the only reason you won that was because Claus and I were both knocked out of the race!” snarled Hawk. It was undoubtedly true; Nose Hair had been so far behind the two leaders that even if he had had a dozen booster rockets, he couldn't have won. Only the Guild attack ship had managed to give him the win.

“Oooh!” grimaced Fat Chicken. “He's been showing that off everywhere!” she grumbled. “Don't you just want to hit him?” she asked the three.

“And next up for the amazing pilot from Norkia is the Horizon Cave Eight!” announced the braggart.

“You'll have to defeat the reigning champs first, Nose Hair.” smirked Lavie. “And that just so happens to be us!” purred the girl. The three Norkia pilots stared at the two in shock.

“You two…the Cave Eight?!” breathed Fat Chicken. All three of them nodded.

“First place.” confirmed Lavie happily, seeing the wind sucked out of Nose Hair's sails. “And a new course record, as well.” she added. Hawk was the first to recover.

“Ha! I knew you two were going to be famous!” laughed Hawk. “But I'm still challenging you two to a rematch in the Norkia cup!” he added.

“You won't win this time!” promised Lavie. The group moved the reunion into the local watering hole, and over large glasses of first water, they slowly exchanged stories.

“So, we're all here training for a special mission that the Duke of Mad Thane is sponsoring. We're going to use our van ships to bring down the Guild warships.” explained Hurricane Hawk. “They gathered up the very best pilots from Anatory and we've been training here for five days now.” he said. “Apparently, the Duke saw a van ship attack a Disith war group in the Second Minagese Naval Battle, and got the idea to use small, agile craft to bring down larger ships.” he explained. Claus and Lavie were looking at each other, silently. “He said it is a whole new kind of warfare.” shared the legendary pilot.

“That van ship he saw attack a Disith vessel wouldn't happen to have been you two, would it?” asked Nose Hair.

“That day, they took that message to Duke Mad Thane.” noted Fat Chicken. Only Lavie and Claus were crazy enough to ask for a message for a war zone delivery, after all. Al looked at the two with concern.

“What have we done, Claus?” breathed Lavie, her eyes shiny. All too well, she recalled the sights of that day: the dead musketeers, the ruin caused by cannon bombardment, the ambush of the second Disith fleet, and the lack of any response from the Guild ship.

“He…said it was a new kind of warfare.” breathed Claus, seeing his feelings mirrored in Lavie's eyes. Instinctively, the two grasped hands.

“You two took on a Disith ship with just your van ship?” wondered Nose Hair.

“We just wanted to stop the killing.” said Lavie, her tone broken.

“The Guild wouldn't do anything, so we were using our smoke to try and shield the ships, but…” Claus shook his head. Al reached out and put her small, soft hands over their clasped hands. Watching the three of them, the three older pilots wondered what had happened to the best up-and-coming van ship team in Norkia.

-

“So, you're really leaving the Silvana?” asked Lavie. It was a day later, and she, Claus and Mullin were in the same watering hole as they had been the day before; this time, it was Mullin buying them drinks. The young man nodded.

“Yes, I am.” he said somberly. “I've been thinking about it since the Dragon Fangs incident.” he admitted. “In the end, Lavie, I'm a Musketeer. And since I have seen more of the kind of action that will be necessary than most, it is for the best that I stay here.” he explained. Besides, even if I stayed, you'd never see me like you see Claus. he left unsaid. Her calling out his name in her cabin had brought several things into focus for the young man.

“If you think that is the right choice, then I'm sure you'll be fine!” Lavie returned.

“Yeah, Mullin.” seconded Claus. “Trust your instinct.” he offered the only real advice that he could. Mullin smiled at Lavie, raising his glass.

“I'll drink to that!” he said. The three clinked glasses and took a heavy swig from the mugs of water. “Lavie, I want to thank you for help him and offering me advice.” he said quietly. It felt awkward, since Lavie was sitting next to her lover, and here he was talking about her sleeping with him.

“You'll do fine, Mullin.” Lavie dismissed it easily. Mullin had to try one more time for her.

“Sure you won't reconsider?” he asked her softly, catching her eyes.

“No.” she said immediately. “Claus and Al are staying, and I am staying with them.” said the girl, her tone certain. Mullin smothered a sigh. No surprise there, Mullin. he told himself.

“I say that we make a promise to have another toast when the war is over.” said Lavie, holding up her mug. “Here's a promise to us having another toast when the Guild is defeated.” she announced. After the barest of moments of hesitation, Claus joined her. Shaking his head, Mullin raised his mug as well.

“Promise.” he agreed. The three of them took a long pull from their tankards to seal the deal.

-

“So, shoving off again?” asked Walker, standing by the gangway to the ship. Alex nodded.

“It's time to settle this thing with Maestro Delphine.” snarled the captain of the Silvana. Walker studied his friend for a long moment.

“Alex, I know it's useless to tell you to be careful. And I know that asking you to reconsider is a waste of time.” said the older man. “So, instead, I'm just asking that you do what you can to keep the collateral deaths to a minimum.” he said somberly. “Don't make your crew pay for your vendetta with their lives, eh?” he repeated.

Alex stared at him. “No one is forcing them to come along.” he pointed out darkly. Walker grunted.

“Yeah, that's true.” he admitted. “But that doesn't mean you can sacrifice them for your vengeance.” insisted the older man. Alex said nothing. Shaking his head, Walker pulled a bottle of whiskey from his coat pocket. “At least take this.” he said, sloshing the bottle. After a moment, Alex took the bottle and tucked it into his coat.

“Thanks, Walker.” said the younger man. Walker shrugged.

“The palace is footing the bill, so I'm well-paid.” said the man indifferently. Alex gave no indication that the veiled reference to Sophia meant anything.

“Send her majesty my bar tab.” he grunted, mounting the gangway. Walker nodded.

“Can do, old friend.” he said. “Good luck.” he murmured. my bar tab.” he grunted, mounting the gangway. Walker nodded.

“Can do, old friend.” he said. “Good luck.” he murmured. You'll need it. he didn't say. Within minutes of the Captain boarding the ship, the horns of the ship sounded departure, and the ship rose from the dock, gaining altitude and speed as it slipped past the ships still at anchor and sped off into the distance. Walker turned to move back into his office area, but stopped to watch the musketeers practice the seizure of the Claudia units that were at the core of each ship, be they Disith or Anatory. For the plan of the Queen to work, they would have to seize the units in the Alliance fleet. The act itself was as naked an attack as the Guild had ever seen.

“Hope this goes your way, Majesty.” muttered the old black-market privateer. His bones told him that a lot of people would die before it was said and done.

-

“Captain! Urbonis-class ship running in silent mode detected!” sang out Wina. The ship had arrived at the coordinates their orders had specified and no sooner than they had arrived, than Wina detected the flagship of the Anatory navy. “Signal flare!” called out the watch officer. “Signal reads…Imperial banner! The Queen is aboard the ship!” gasped the man.

Alex said nothing. A moment later, another signal round lit the dim sky. “Sir, they are requesting permission to land a heavy transport on our flight deck.” said the watch officer. Alex's cold, distant expression didn't change.

“Permission granted.” was all he said.

“Signaling now.” replied the signal man, touching a switch that flashed the message to the other ship. A single heavy transport lifted off and moved over to land on the deck of the Silvana. Alex rose and turned toward the stairs.

“Take the watch, second officer. I'm going to greet our…guests.” he said, closing the door behind himself. Making his way to the mechanical deck, where the heavy transport would be lowered, he made plans for what he was about to face. With the means of his revenge finally in his hands, he was loathe to let it go just because someone had other ideas.

Reaching the mechanical deck as the heavy transport opened its hatch, he saw a familiar face step out. “Hey, Alex!” grinned Vincent Alzay, captain of the Urbonis. “Surprised to see us?” he taunted his old friend and rival.

“Vincent. I must say, I am surprised to see you un-hung.” sniped Alex. The last time that they had crossed paths, he had managed to sink two of the ships that Vincent commanded, and heavily damaged the other two. “I was sure the king would have thrown you in the dungeon.”

“No such luck.” replied Vincent silkily. “Fortunately for me, I found a new patron.” he said, turning and bowing deeply to the hatch to the heavy transport. “I present her majesty, Queen of Anatory and head of the Anti-Guild Alliance, Sophia Forrester.” he intoned. A royal musketeer stepped aside, allowing the Queen to emerge from the heavy transport.

Sophia Forrester had returned to the Silvana.