Project A-Ko Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Honeymoon Hentai ❯ Floating Harem... ( Chapter 4 )

Nabiki 1/2

Honeymoon Hentai

(A Very Scary Thought)

Written by Jim Robert Bader

Proofread by Shiva Barnwell

Based Upon the Altered Destinies Storyline

Inspired by the works of such fans as

Wade Tritshler

Richard Lawson

James Jones

And Many Others

Standard Disclaimer: This is inspired by the work of Takahashi Rumiko and is not my original creation. All characters belong to her. This is only a fanfictional work, and is not intended to compromise the rights of the original owners, distributors and publishers of the Ranma series. I have no money to spare and would very much appreciate if no one tries to sue me.

Nabiki fluttered her eyelashes and slowly came to an awareness of herself laying on a bed with the sheet covers removed. The fact that she was naked was the next thing that occurred to her slowly awakening mind…the third thing she took notice of was that she was having difficulty moving, which by her lights was certainly NOT a good thing!

That brought her to full and abrupt awareness of herself, at which point she found that she was in a lushly furnished room, adorned with tasteful and sumptuous examples of wealth and property, and that the reason she could hardly move a muscle was because her wrists and ankles were being restrained, and there were chains criss-crossing over her body.

A second more of reflection, and the scent of a familiar perfume, drew one unmistakable conclusion in Nabiki's mind, which caused her face to crease with a frown as she tested the strength of her bonds and snarled, "Laaaoooo…!!!"

"Ah, I see that you are awake."

Nabiki moved her head to gaze past the length of her naked form, and there-framed between the valley formed by her breasts-was the familiar smiling face of the sea-green haired lady pirate. Nabiki tensed her body but found her bonds were unyielding, leaving her to snarl impotently at the leering Slaver, "What the hell did you do to me and the others?"

"By others I take it to mean that you are referring to your loved ones, your husband and my two nieces, and your mutual bride, Kuonji?" Lao replied, "They are quite safe, I assure you, and so is your darling infant daughter."

"What's the meaning of this, Lao?" Nabiki demanded, "Did you kidnap us off our ship? What did you do with the crew and the rest of the passengers? What the hell are you doing with us…?"

The soft chuckling of the expatriot Amazon brought a halt to her demands, forcing Nabiki to eye her arch nemesis with something on the level of impotent fury.

"I just knew you would be waking up in such a poor state of humor," Lao shook her head as if having expected such an outburst, "That's why I decided to insure that you would be immobile when you woke up, the better to insure that you did not get too much out of line before I had a chance to explain to you the truth of your position."

"What truth of my position?" Nabiki frowned, "I thought you swore you'd never come after us again…"

"I did indeed," Lao replied, "But circumstances have…shall we say…altered the situation. And-considering how far along you have progressed in your training under my great-grandmother-I thought you might resort to hasty and imprudent action before hearing all of the facts."

"What facts?" Nabiki frowned, struggling once again against her restraints.

"I am not the villain this time around," Lao answered, "In fact I saved your life…and the lives of those you hold closest to you."

"Explain that one," Nabiki growled.

"Gladly," Lao replied, taking a slow, leisurely stride around the bed, all the while admiring the profile of the helpless girl before her, "It may surprise you to learn that I am not always prone to misbehaving on the high seas…in fact I can be quite benevolent, when the mood suits me. It just so happens that I have been watching you and your family from a distance for quite some time now…and that was how I learned about your finally tying the knot with your husband…congratulations on that by the way, and well matched indeed the both of you."

"Thanks," said Nabiki without much warmth in her expression.

"You are welcome," the lady Pirate leered, "And I suppose it also does not surprise you very much to know that I was watching your little performance in the bed chamber when your husband experienced a certain…surprise, shall we say? I was-to say the least-most impressed at the way he adjusted to your sudden transformation."

Nabiki's eyes widened, "It was YOU who did that to me, wasn't it? You splashed me to turn me into my guy form…"

"Guilty," Lao raised her hand, "I yielded to temptation, I will admit…I wanted to see if his regard for you was as strong as it was when he was performing with your female half. Imagine my surprise when he not only accepted your change but even made a valiant attempt to mount you in your masculine ass."

Nabiki had a brief flash of memory, of being surprised by Ranma while she-or rather Kaneda-was busy plunging his manhood deep into Shampoo's love canal. The shock of realizing that Ranma was attempting to perform anal sex with her masculine half was momentary as she found herself-um-himself adjusting to accommodate the presence of his male organ. It was astonishing that Ranma would even attempt such a thing in the light of his previously stated unease on the subject of yaoi behavior, but once the shock wore off Kaneda had experienced a rare and unexpected flood of warmth and unanticipated pleasure…

Nabiki hastily closed off on that memory, trying to compose her face into a studied mask of stoical indifference (the rosy flush of her cheeks did rather spoil the effect though, as Lao's knowing smirk gave ample testament). With a growl of renewed fury she said, "You had no right to spy on us like that…"

"You're probably right about that," Lao shrugged, "But I've always been a bit of a voyeur at heart, so sue me."

"So you saw us making out and decided to kidnap us…" Nabiki began to declare, only to see Lao wave a hand of dismissal.

"Are you telling this story or am I?" Lao said indulgently, "I'm telling you what I did that was-by your standards-of morally questionable behavior so you can believe me when I say that I am not at fault for interrupting your party. The one you should blame instead is…this…" she held up a naval officer's cap that she balanced on one finger.

"What's…that?" Nabiki frowned, "I don't…"

"This," Lao said dramatically, "Is all that is left of a former associate of mine…a mercenary who used to be in the employ of the East German Intelligence Services who went by the name of Captain Helgar. He and I…well…I won't speak ill of the dead, but let's just say that we had radically different views on the subject of White Slavery, among other assorted subjects. Apparently he gained possession of a former Korean submarine and attempted to use it on my ship while the POJ was sailing near to your own cruise liner. I was not intending to directly approach nor involve you in any of my private affairs, but the late Captain apparently had other ideas, such as firing the torpedo that struck your vessel."

"A torpedo?" Nabiki blinked, "You've got to be kidding!"

"I'm afraid not," Lao said with surprising sobriety in her expression, "Helgar was a great fool who obviously did not know what he was about, or he would have known that my ship produces a very different kind of oceanic signature than the sort of vessel that a North Korean supplied torpedo was designed to intercept. It homed in on the propeller noises of the liner and detonated very low astern, beneath the water line. It was by some minor miracle that it did not break the ship's keel, which would have sunk it much, much quicker than the hole that was created. Needless to say, the Captain and crew of your ship were taken aback by what had happened and were hard-pressed to cope with the emergency that resulted."

"Emergency?" Nabiki fought to recall her last memories before losing consciousness, having been very much in a clench with the rest of her loved ones when the room had seemed to shake beneath their writhing bodies, a fact barely registered in the midst of so much frantic activity on their part, though she did dimly recall hitting her head against a table moments later…

"You were unconscious when my people found you and the others," Lao explained, "They brought you here, as per my instructions, while the rest of my crew did what they could for the others…"

"And what happened to this Helgar creep?" Nabiki frowned, "Or do I need to ask?"

"What do you think happened?" Lao said coldly, "A man who tries to destroy my ship risks the lives of my crew and family, to say nothing of my cargo, which is why I do not take such a thing lightly and respond in kind…but that is not what you really want to ask, is it? You're wondering how I came to be entertaining you aboard my ship, yes?"

"Don't tell me you rescued us?" Nabiki asked skeptically.

"I most certainly did," Lao replied, "My crew and I are well skilled and trained in such things as fishing refugees out of the ocean…and the captain of your vessel was in something of a spot, trying to get as many panicky passengers as he could to the lifeboats. When my ship pulled up alongside his it was like a virtual godsend, and so I graciously agreed to take aboard as many refugees as I could hold-- which you already know would amount to the entire passenger roster, with plenty of room to host many more, had I so chosen."

"You kidnapped an entire ship full of people?" Nabiki was dismayed at the prospect.

"Nothing of the sort," Lao replied, "I am an honorable pirate, no matter what else you may think of me, and besides, taking on that many prisoners at once would be far too taxing. Rather they are my guests and will be treated with great respect and attention to their every need until I can find some accommodating harbor that will offer them shelter. Approximately seventeen hundred extra people now reside upon the POJ, most of them tourists with their families, hardly suitable material for induction into the arts of pleasure."

"Why don't I believe you?" Nabiki growled.

"Because you are a cynic," Lao replied, "And trusting people doesn't come easy for you in even the best of circumstances. When it comes to me, well…your confidence is not exactly overflowing."

"So why should I believe you?" Nabiki asked, "Out of a whole shipload of people, you couldn't find anyone who you thought might make a likely candidate for your form of treatment?"

"Weeeellll…" Lao hesitated before conceding, "I did run a few…tests…just to determine for my own curiosity…and fifty-three potential candidates did turn up in my survey…and what is fifty three out of seventeen hundred? If my people had not acted, as much as half that number would have drowned at sea, so what would be the problem?"

"If you have to ask," Nabiki replied, "Then you'll never understand."

"Fair enough," Lao conceded, "I won't argue the particulars with you, but I will expect you to mind your manners while you're a guest on board my ship. I won't abide having any trouble from either you or your loved ones, or else I'll reconsider your parole and do something you'll probably regret later."

"Parole?" Nabiki blurted, "What do you mean parole?"

"I mean that you're not really my prisoner on this trip," Lao replied, looming over Nabiki with undisguised interest in her expression, her eyes roving over the younger girl's naked body with an unmistakably hungry expression, "You're a guest, nothing more nor less, but that could change if you give me any reason to change my mind on the subject. Now…are you ready to pay a visit to your loved ones?"

"Ready?" Nabiki repeated, "Of course I'm ready, but…"

The pirate queen snapped her fingers and all at once the chains binding Nabiki to the bed dissolved into water. Much to Nabiki's surprise this water rolled off of her skin without actually getting her wet, and so her curse was not triggered, much to her own astonishment.

"Oh, and before you think to test out your new abilities against me," Lao smiled, "Keep in mind that I trained under the same instructor that you've had for the past few months, only I've about ten years more practice in such arts as the Shadowskills, and you wouldn't last two minutes against me."

"Oh, you think so?" Nabiki asked as she sat upright, never taking her eyes off her prospective opponent, "Funny…I seem to remember it was your furry ass that got kicked (among other things) the last time we went up against each other…"

"And I seem to remember that it was the combination of my underestimating you while you reverted to the Nekoken, then employing the Hiryu Shoten Ha when I let my guard down," Lao countered, "I assure you that I will neither underestimate you nor lower my guard should you decide to challenge me within the very center of my own power. On board this ship I am the next best thing to invincible, and you would do well to remember this as long as you are within range of my Storm skills. Do I make myself clear enough with you, young lady?"

"Clear enough…old timer," Nabiki glared as she got to her feet and stared at her own nudity, then said, "Would it be asking too much if you gave me something to wear?"

"What's wrong with what you have now?" Lao smiled, "It's what you had on when my Undines rescued you and the others. Besides, you're going to pay a visit to my Harem, and there the dress code is strictly nude-only, no exceptions."

"Terrific," Nabiki growled, "So I'm a guest in a Nudist colony with you as the headmaster, only you're not exactly dressed down to the skins yourself. Double-standard?"

"Not really," Lao smiled and turned her palms upward, all at once her clothing falling away like a shower rolling off the back of a duck, leaving only the woman herself smiling down at Nabiki, "I just thought a small illusion might set you at ease. If I'd appeared to you first as I am now, how would you have reacted?"

Nabiki frowned but replied, "Good point. So…why are we going to your Harem anyway?"

"That's where your family is," Lao smiled, "Including your husband."

Nabiki's eyes got very round, "You left Ranma in a room full of naked women?"

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with that," Lao replied, "Shampoo and Perfume are with him, helping him to attend to Ukyo."

"Attend to Ukyo?" Nabiki said, "What's wrong with her?"

"Nothing is wrong with her," Lao replied, "She's a splendid girl a real tribute to your country, worthy of being an Amazon herself, if you want my rather biased opinion on the subject. It's just that…well…with all the excitement that she's been experiencing in the day, she has kind of…gone into labor and is having her baby."

"WHAT???" Nabiki blurted out, "Since when?"

"Since about fifteen minutes ago, right before I decided to wake you," Lao replied, "Nothing to be worried about, I have the best midwives around, and plenty of successfully delivered children to assure you that the best is being done for her, and I foresee no complications nor problems."

"I want to see her right away!" Nabiki glared up at the taller woman, "Now."

"But of course," Lao moved to the side and indicated the door to the chamber, "I wouldn't think to detain you. Of course you also might have trouble finding your way without my assistance, so…"

Nabiki made a rude noise and rolled her eyes as she stormed on past the lady Pirate, heading towards the corridor while silently wondering what crime against the fates she had performed to be trapped up in such an impossible situation. The fact that Lao was not disguising the way that she eyed Nabiki's sleek form in no way improved her mood, nor put to rest the alarm bells that were sounding in the back of her head as the lady walked at the side of the Tiger, dreading to think over the possible implications…

"I see," Keiko remarked, "All right, I understand. Have her call me as soon as she has the time, will you, Natalia-chan?"

She paused before saying her good-byes, then hung up the phone and said to her waiting companions, "They're all right, they've been rescued, along with nearly all of the passengers and they're now on board the POJ as guests of Mistress Lao, who assures me that they will be well treated and cared for."

"Well treated and cared for?" Akane replied, "She's a Pirate, for Kami-sakes! What's to keep her from taking the whole crew and selling them someplace to the highest bidder, Nabiki and the others with them?"

"Madam Lao is many things, but she has her own code of honor and tends to do what she believes is right in most circumstances," Kodachi assured them, "If she says that they will be well treated, then they will be well treated. I have never seen her act in a manner that was truly dishonorable, even when presented with temptations to misbehave."

"Are you sure about that?" Ryoga asked, "There are over a thousand people on that cruise liner, and if Lao thinks she can get away with enslaving even a few of them, Nabiki included…"

"I suspect that she would very much have her hands full if she tried anything on a wooden ship so long as Saotome remains the master of the Honosenken," Beatrice remarked as she stroked her chin in a thoughtful manner, "But if she is as formidable as you seem to suggest, then there is no telling what she might do with temptation so near to her grasp. In her place I know that I might find it difficult to restrain myself, let alone refrain from giving vent to my baser reflexes…"

"We know," Alison said dryly, patting her belly as she added, "If anybody ought to know that about you, Beiko, then she's standing right next to you carrying your baby."

"Ah…yes…of course, my love," Beatrice said with a somewhat sheepish expression, "That was rather my point…after a fashion…"

"What are we going to do?" Akane asked, "The guys were on that round-trip tour and were supposed to reach Sydney, Australia by the end of two weeks, but somehow I don't think Lao is going to let them go that easy, no matter what assurances she gives us…no offense, Kei-chan."

"I don't take offense that easy, Akane-chan," Keiko replied, "But I do have faith in the Mistress."

"As do I," Kodachi said simply, "I owe her my sanity and a great deal besides that…"

"Well I don't trust her," Ryonami declared, "She's a pirate after all, and sempai told me that she doesn't trust her either, so I say we have to do something about this and right away before we lose track of that ghost-ship she controls…"

"We won't lose it," Beatrice assured, "My probes have successfully crossed over onto the ship's deck and are relaying a location finder. True I can't quite get any solid readings through whatever kind of protective screen she seems to have surrounding her ship, but I'm rather certain that I will at least be able to track her location…for as long as the battery charges hold up."

"And something else to consider," Keiko added, "None of us is in any shape to mount any kind of a rescue mission, even if I did believe the Mistress of intending that sort of mischief."

"Yeah," Akane agreed, "I hate to admit this, but Alison here's the only one of us who could actually stand up to her in a fight, and she's too far pregnant to risk it anyway…"

"Oh, you think so, huh?" Alison smiled, "Well, maybe I can't do anything at the moment, but I know someone else who could get right on it in a flash."

"You mean your father and mother?" Beatrice asked.

"Better than that," Alison smiled, reaching out a hand and said, "Give me the phone, will you? I need to make a call to somebody I haven't talked to in a while now."

"And who is that?" Kodachi asked as she passed the phone into the palm of the redhead.

"You'll see soon enough," Alison replied as she began dialing a number, then paused a moment before saying in English, "{Hey there, recognize me, Big Sis? Look, you doing anything at the moment, because I need a really big favor and I was hoping you could come pay me a visit…yeah…that's right, I'm in the Nerima Ward on the outskirts of Tokyo. How soon can you get here? Great, see you when you get here, bye!}"

"Big sister?" Keiko translated into Japanese.

"You have a sister?" Ryoga marveled.

"Half-sister," Alison corrected, "From Dad's previous marriage to a lady named Lois. She'll be here pretty quick, so don't be too surprised when she shows up and…Bei? Let's try not to be too overt about this marriage thing. She's kind of old-fashioned in a slightly Judeo-Christian kind of way."

"What is she, a Fundamentalist?" Beatrice asked.

"Close," Alison replied, "She's definitely on the conservative side of the spectrum, in fact…I think that must be her now."

"Eh?" Kodachi cocked and ear as she heard what sounded like an object streaking through the air at supersonic speeds, even as Alison was already moving to the back window of the apartment, opening it wide as Beatrice cocked a silvery eyebrow.

"Your sister is here already?" Akane marveled, "Where was she when she took your call?"

"America," Alison replied, "She runs her own business in the States, but she's the type who'll drop everything if she knows I really need a favor, and unlike me she has full Kryptonian powers."

"Full Kryptonian…?" Keiko paused to glance down at herself, then at the others, "Um…A-chan…I think you may have overlooked one teeny, tiny little thing…"

Before she could finish her statement a womanly shape appeared at the edge of the window sill, and a moment later that figure stepped into the room itself, dressed in a surprisingly action oriented costume that bore the family emblem of the House of El, a Kryptonian symbol recognized the world over, which brought more than a few raised eyebrows from everyone present who had ever even glanced at a newspaper.

"Here I am…what the heck?" said the brown haired woman as she scanned the room with an astonished expression, "Ally-chan…what have you been up to?"

"Er…" Alison belatedly realized that she and her friends were still as naked as Jaybirds, having only recently interrupted their sexual activities in light of the ship-borne crisis.

"Ally-chan," the brown haired woman said crossly, "What have you been up to…and…when did you become pregnant? Where's your husband, and why didn't you send me invitations to your wedding…?"

"Oneechan," Alison replied awkwardly, then paused as she fought for the right words to say to defuse the situation.

Fortunately for her Beatrice took that moment to step forward and say, "You must be her older sister, Martha, about whom I've heard so much…"

"Martha?" the older woman blinked, "There must be some mistake. I'm…"

"Please don't insult my intelligence," Beatrice replied, "Your other identity is of only marginal importance to us at the moment. You are here at Aiko's request because we have an emergency at sea…a ship carrying very dear friends of ours has met with a calamity and we are concerned about their welfare…"

"It's an emergency?" the brown haired woman replied, "Why didn't you say so in the first place? And what's going on here…is this some kind of kinky slumber party you people are throwing on? I know you do things differently in Japan than in the States, but…"

"Please Sis," Alison spoke up, "Spare me the lecture for once, will you? It really is an emergency, and you're the next best thing to Dad I know to call on to help out…"

"All right," Martha raised her hands in a reassuring manner, "I'll wait for an explanation later. Just give me the details and I'll see what I can do about finding your friends. Now, which ocean are they on at the moment?"

"Here," Beatrice indicated the computer monitor screen showing the satellite photograph, "Do you recognize this part of the South Pacific where our friends were last located?"

"Sure I know that spot," Martha replied, "I went there on my honeymoon with…um…never mind! So you say it's a ship…what type and model?"

"A luxury cruise liner," Akane spoke up, " Please, my sister and her husband are on that ship, along with her wife and child and…um…well, my family, okay?"

"Wife?" Martha blinked, then shook her head and said, "Never mind…I'll be right on it. Should take me a couple of minutes to wing out there."

"A couple of minutes?" Kodachi blinked, "You are serious?"

"As serious as a kick to the head," Martha smiled, "After all, I'm Super."

And with that the woman became a blur as her body all but flowed out through the same window through which she had come, stirring up a heavy breeze in passage that whipped everyone's hair, including Ryoga's.

"Wow," Ryoga remarked, "Now that is fast…"

"She is everything you said that she would be…and more," Beatrice remarked, "Which means we should come up with a plausible reason for why we were all stark naked when she arrived here, Aiko-chan."

"Yeah…no fooling," Alison gulped, "Um…Beiko…do you think you could…?"

"I'm already at work crafting a suitable explanation," Beatrice smiled, "Now that I have some idea of what I am working with, I am certain that I will find something plausible that will defuse this situation."

"Thanks," Alison's shoulders slumped, "She's my sister and I love her and all that, but there are times when she can be a real pain. Good thing she's one of the toughest people on the whole damned planet and so damned fast that when she really gets started she can circle the globe eight times in one second…"

"Fascinating," Kodachi mused, "But I am curious about how it is that she can fly while you, my dear friend, are most notably earth-bound."

"You're wondering about that?" Alison remarked, "I've been wondering my whole damned life why I take more after Mom than Dad in most respects. I think it has something to do with the God part of my family tree…full blooded Kryptonians are pretty much invulnerable to everything except Kryptonite and Magic, unless you count Red Sun radiation, and having divine blood must somehow dilute the alien part of my heritage, or something like that…right Beiko?"

"That is one theory that I have been working upon for quite some time now," Beatrice replied, "You have many hidden gifts and talents that are no doubt latent within you, but it would seem that you did not inherit the full fledged Kryptonian gene that is so manifest within your sister. Of course without further tests this is only speculation on my part…"

"Ah…one question," Ryonami spoke up, "You say that Magic can affect Kryptonians, right?"

"Yeah, so?" Alison replied with a lifted eyebrow.

"Lao's ship!" Akane suddenly reacted, "It's chock full of magic! And Lao herself is virtually a wizard when she's inside it…"

"Meaning that she may be vulnerable to this Slaver's attacks?" Beatrice raised an eyebrow, "Oh dear…I never even thought of that…"

"Huh?" Alison blinked, "Oneechan…vulnerable? But-I gotta warn her! She doesn't know what she's getting herself into-!"

"That seems to happen a lot with the Mistress," Keiko remarked with a faint sigh, "I just hope your sister has enough good sense not to antagonize Madam Lao or…"

"Or the rescuer is going to need to be rescued?" Ryoga concluded, having finally figured it out, "Uh oh…"

"Something tells me there is going to be trouble on the high seas of one type or another," Kodachi grimly predicted, "And the gods alone know what the Madam will think about a Kryptonian half-breed coming to pay her a visit…especially one was beautiful and bountiful as that one."

"Hey!" Alison protested, "She's my sister, dammit…"

"And we have to get the word to her to be cautious," Beatrice replied, then sighed, "I only hope that Nabiki and the others are managing to keep cool heads wherever they are at the moment. It would not do for them to risk provoking this particular Madam regardless of whatever stressful situations they may be undergoing at this particular moment…"

"Breathe, Ucchan…breathe!" Ranma urged, all but hyperventilating as he tried to make an example with his own breaths.

"I'M TRYING!!!" Ukyo screeched between clenched teeth, "You think it's so easy, you should try it!"

"No try too hard," Shampoo counseled, "Wear self out if do that. Better let body do what come natural for Amazon…"

"Natural?" Perfume asked shrilly, "She's having my BABY, for the sake of the Goddess! How is any of this natural or normal?

"Easy now," said a blue-skinned handmaiden from where the five of them were floating in a Jacuzzi-like pool together, "Take things slow and don't try to rush. Let your body do what it naturally needs doing and put yourself in our hands. There shouldn't be any further complications at this point…"

"Complications?" Perfume asked anxiously, her face a mask of concern that she did not even bother to hide this time around.

"Just try and relax," the handmaiden assured them, "We do this sort of thing all the time within the Harem of our Mistress. After all, you're hardly the first mortal who has given birth in this exact same manner…"

"Really?" Ranma asked uneasily, "Are you sure?"

"Positive," said one of the various naked concubines who were gathered around to offer their encouragement, "Many of us have given birth in just such a manner. It's the Mistress's preferred way to ease the process of childbirthing, using water as the medium to accommodate the mother and baby as they make their physical separation."

"The problem here is that your pregnancy has been accelerated by magic," said another naked concubine reclined on a nearby divan, "Everything from your development to your contractions are taking place in less than half the usual time, which is why you've completed your third trimester in only the few months since you were last here among us."

"And that means your body has to adjust to twice as many physical changes as you normally would face with a pregnancy this advanced," the attendant said, "Which is why we need to ease the rate of your contractions by a bit. If only the Mistress would hurry back to take charge of this operation. My skills are no where near as great as her own, though my body be made of water itself…"

"So nice to have a vote of confidence from a trusted servant," said Madam Lao herself as she strode into the chamber with Nabiki at her side, "Have no fear, I'm here to help complete what I helped get started. I trust she has not gone too far along in her pains as yet?"

"There is still some time before the baby makes its way into the world, Mistress," the blue skinned attendant, "Time enough for you to take charge of these affairs."

"Well done then, Sethui," Lao complimented as she stepped up to the pool then set a bare foot into the waters, "You have made these waters pure for the delivery of the child, now I will ease the mother's pain and help bring new life and joy to both of the parents."

"What are you gonna do?" Ranma asked warily.

"Watch and see, Little Dragon," Lao replied, moving to the spot between Ukyo's legs that was vacated by the former attendant, who melted into the waters and became as one with the pool itself, forming a ripple before vanishing altogether.

"What is this?" Nabiki asked as she stared down at her loved ones, all gathered about Ukyo as Lao laid hands on her waist and steadied the younger girl's hips beneath the surface of the water.

"I'm going to help her, of course," Lao replied, "The human body is mostly composed of water with a few pounds of other raw elements gathered together for packaging. My servants are able to dissolve and reform themselves by manipulating these elements within their own bodies. Likewise I can help by manipulating the elements within the mother's own body and thus clear the way for her baby to move from her womb into the world. The muscles that cause her contractions, which push the child out of her uterus, can be used to channel the baby more smoothly, and thus give birth to a child of the future."

"A child of the future?" Shampoo repeated, "What you say, Cousin? Is Ukyo baby…?"

"One of several bright stars meant to guide the future destiny of her generation, of course," Lao replied, "The first and most important was your child by Nabiki, the future Nexus who will follow in your place, young Dragon, in the fullness of time…"

"Huh?" Ranma said, "My place? What do you mean? And…what's happening with Ucchan?"

"That's what I want to know," Perfume said as she cradled Ukyo in her lap, her wife having calmed down a great deal from the moment Lao had touched her, "Is Ukyo all right…?"

"Your wife is doing just fine," Lao replied, "In fact…she is almost…ah, there…we are successful. Your baby is delivered, see?"

Ukyo heaved a sigh as Ranma's eyes got very round, Shampoo going so far as to gasp as Lao drew up a tiny form from the warm pool waters, a ruddy shape barely a foot in length and connected by an umbilical cord to Ukyo herself, upon whose belly the child was set as Lao lifted her hips to support her partially above the level of the water.

Nabiki gasped in amazement, seeing the tiny shape move as if in its sleep, and then Lao severed the umbilical cord with her fingers and promptly tied the end to the baby's small belly, then did something with the rest of the cord to make it disappear from view altogether.

Ukyo gasped, then stared in wonder at what was slowly stirring to life upon her abdomen, then with instinctive tenderness she reached out to cup the baby in her arms as it drew its first short breath. Perfume and Ranma steadied her as Ukyo got into a sitting position, holding the baby above the water with as much care as if she were as fragile as porcelain. Despite obviously having been exhausted by her ordeal, Ukyo seemed to glow with a radiant happiness that made those about her bask in the warmth that surrounded her, Ranma no less than Perfume, with Shampoo smiling as though a miracle had just transpired before them.

Nabiki was stunned as she stood on the sidelines taking in the whole thing, but then Lao smiled at her and said, "Won't you come in and join the others? After all, you're as much a part of this as anyone…and don't worry…I'm circulating the water to remove excess impurities, so I assure you that it will be quite sanitary."

"That isn't what I…" Nabiki started to say, then growled, "Oh hell…" and waded into the pool, not even bothering to follow the custom of washing herself off first. To her relief she remained female as the temperature of the water was adequate enough not to trigger her curse, and soon she was joining the others gathered around the triumphant Ukyo, while Lao stepped back and smiled, obviously satisfied with her part in the resolution of this crisis.

"I'll leave you now to attend to your own group needs," Lao smiled as she stepped out of the pool, "Feel free to ask my women for anything you need, but be mindful that you are my guests and should not stray beyond certain areas. I have to attend to some other concerns…some of my new passengers are wanting to make contact with their families, and I have to explain to them that we will not be reaching port for another forty-eight hours, after which they will be released into their own custody…"

"Minus the ones you decide on keeping?" Nabiki asked with a glance over her shoulder.

"I'm still deciding about that," Lao replied with a frank expression, "But fifty-three out of seventeen hundred is only a mere three percent of the lives I've rescued. I rather think those are favorable odds for me to make this trip worth my while, don't you agree? At any rate, there are the injured to care for and there will be plenty of time for you to think up some convincing arguments that you may use to dissuade me. I'll be back to tend to you as soon as other matters are resolved to my satisfaction."

"Th-thank you," Ukyo said in a weak but appreciative voice.

Lao paused as she began to turn away, glancing back at the Okonomiyaki chef, them smiling as she replied, "Don't mention it…it was an honor and a sincere pleasure. Let me know what you decide to name your daughter, my new niece."

And with that the Pirate Queen raised her hands and caused the moisture on her body to evaporate, then she casually strode out of the room without a backward glance. Nabiki watched her go with an uncertain expression of her own, then she heard Ranma say, "You know…I just can't figure that lady out."

"What you mean, Ranma?" Shampoo asked.

"There are times when I think that lady is one of the most dangerous enemies we could have," Ranma replied, "And I don't like the fact that she's obviously got us at her mercy…but…you know…there are other times when I could almost get to like her…"

"I know what you mean…Ranchan," Ukyo said softly, glancing down at the tiny infant nuzzling experimentally at her chest, "But…I guess I owe her for this…big time…"

"We owe her very much, Airen," Perfume agreed, "But that doesn't mean we should lower our guard any time too soon around our aunt."

"I follow you totally on that, Per-chan," Nabiki nodded, "I can't let it out of my mind how she treated us during our last visit on this tub, and that benevolent act of hers doesn't fool me into forgetting that the lady is a walking…ah…"

"Tiger?" Ranma concluded for her, only to hear Nabiki's soft shudder, to which he added, "Sorry."

"Don't apologize," Nabiki turned to regard her marriage partners, "I've got to get over that damned phobia of mine one of these days. How have the rest of you been treated?"

"Well…no problems so far," Ranma said, holding up his right arm, upon which they could see the flowing tattoos that marked his mastery of the Honosenken, "She had a few questions about this…but she seems to already know a lot about what we've been doing lately. She called me a young Wizard in the making, and then she started with the Dragon stuff, it's uncanny…"

"Aunt Lao is very wise, almost like Elder," Shampoo cautioned, "She almost as dangerous as great-grandmother when crossed…is good thing she seem no want to impose will on us or we at very bad disadvantage."

"Not necessarily," Perfume noted, "I think even Cousin Lao is understandably concerned about your links to a major-league Fire Elemental, Ranma. Magic or not, this is still a wooden ship, and Water is the natural enemy of Fire…"

"Could be," Ranma said, "On the other hand, I guess she knows that I won't exactly set fire to everything while you guys are on board, not to mention the rest of these women. I can't say for sure if Latisha feels the same way, but she seems to be willing to keep things calm for now, just as long as Lao doesn't push things."

"So, I guess the same thing for now would be to do nothing," Nabiki frowned, "Doesn't suit me at all…I don't exactly trust her, but as long as she's willing to play the munificent hostess…"

Soft laughter from the women all around them caused the companions to turn quizzical looks their way, then one reclining beauty made a point of flexing a leg, showing off the elegant golden chains that linked two ankle manacles together.

"You do not trust the Mistress?" she asked, "But she is everything to us, and we know that it is futile to resist her."

"Why would you want to fight with her anyway?" another bejeweled concubine asked, "Submitting to her will brings you so much greater pleasure."

"The Mistress loves women of strong character and a firm body," a third remarked with a blissful expression, "She also loves those of us with alert minds and ready wits, but a challenge is the thing she prizes most of all, and if you defy her, you will only draw her interest."

"It's not so bad to have the Mistress turn her attention upon you," a fourth remarked with a kittenish expression, "True, she can be cruel as well as kind, but she is never more harsh than is necessary."

"And that's where the fun really begins," a fifth concurred, causing several other women to laugh merrily as if sharing a private humor.

"Fun?" Ranma spoke up, "You people slaves, for Kami-sakes! How can you possibly enjoy that?"

"Little man, don't you know?" said one concubine in amusement, "We're all slaves in one sense or another…very few people are really free, when you come down to it, and for most of us, Freedom is a highly overrated virtue."

"Freedom for some of us brings back many less than pleasant memories, when our lives were much less fulfilling than they are now," another concubine related, "Take me, for example…I used to be an office worker in a secretarial pool, hounded and abused by my boss, unable to find a man to satisfy me or who wanted to commit to a permanent relationship in my private life…and now I'm a mother and a valued researcher on the staff of my lady, pampered and pleasured at the whims of our loving Mistress, who never leaves us feeling sad or unfulfilled and only punishes us when we get too far out of line or misbehave in some particularly naughty manner."

"Lucky you," another girl remarked, "My folks were smuggling me out of China when we were attacked by other pirates who killed our parents and did terrible things to me and my sisters. Fortunately the Mistress found and rescued us in time, and now we're living much better than we were in China. I don't know that my sainted parents would approve of everything that I do under the dominion of my Mistress, but I'm sure that they would be smiling down from Heaven knowing that my sisters and I are at least happy…after a fashion."

"Happy," Nabiki repeated, "After a fashion."

"You don't really understand," yet another concubine remarked, "And you're not really trying, but suit yourself. We don't pass judgement on you, you don't pass judgement on our lifestyle either."

"Pass judgement?" Ranma said, "What would you be passing judgement on us for?"

"Oh come on now," one of the previously outspoken women made a leering expression, "One guy to four women? You really have to ask that question?"

"Not that we would be accusing you of holding to a double standard," the woman next to her replied before turning and giving the first girl a nuzzling kiss along her earlobe, then continuing with a sultry, "But you won't find any of us feeling like victims because we won the favor of the Mistress."

"That's right," another agreed, "We get as much sex as we want and we enjoy ourselves in complete luxury and contentment. There's no shame between us, and all of us are sisters of one flesh. It's like being a part of one large extended family, and we have our children to care for. So…what else are we missing?"

"Freedom?" Perfume asked.

"A very abstract concept, and I doubt any of you really have all that much of it yourselves," said yet another concubine as she stretched her languorously nude body to full display as if to urge the group to admire her flawless body, "Me, I used to be a beauty queen…won all sorts of awards, but I wasn't really free or happy. You're an Amazon, you're bound by rules that most of us would find pretty constricting, and as for the rest of you Japanese…"

"All right," Nabiki said, "So maybe we're not here to criticize you people. If you like your lives so much, so be it, just…don't expect any of us to suddenly up and agree that you've got it better here than we do in the world outside this cozy little seraglio of yours. Now…what about MY daughter?"

"You looking for this little one?" another concubine who had not been seen before said as she got up off of a chair and approached the bathing pool with a sleeping baby nuzzling near to her chest, "She's been like an angel the whole time…hardly even knows that she now has a little sister, isn't she sweet?"

Shampoo detached herself from Ukyo's side and waded out to the pool edge so that she could accept her baby as the concubine passed her along into her arms. The tiny child seemed to stir in recognition of her mother's presence, and Shampoo began to sing a soft lullaby to soothe her baby back to sleep, her voice as warmly musical as the look of adoration on her face, and-seeing that her wife and child were both safe and in good order-Nabiki heaved a sigh of her own in suppressed relief. Sensing no immediate danger, she started to think more rationally and analytically about their present situation.

"Okay," she said, "Putting aside that what you people are saying is of your own free will and not just a reflection of Lao's own thinking, what exactly are we supposed to do with ourselves on this visit?

"Why, that should be obvious," one concubine replied with a broad grin, "You can do whatever you like, just as long as you obey the restrictions of the Mistress."

"Don't wander too far, don't go anyplace where you've been forbidden to trespass, and don't interfere with the ship's crew in the performance of their duties," another clarified, "Outside of that, you can indulge yourself to your heart's content as guests of the Mistress."

"What could be more easy to understand?" remarked a third sultry beauty, "You can even hang with us and learn the finer points of how to have fun in an entirely domestic setting."

"Yeah," a fourth grinned broadly, "And what's more, if you feel like sharing with any of us, the Mistress has already given us permission…and since Boychick over there is the first piece of real male meat that we've even been permitted to look at in a long while…"

"NO!" said Nabiki, Shampoo, Ukyo and even Perfume in the same decisive tones as all four women formed a circle around a much-surprised Ranma, making it very clear about what they collectively all though about the concept of such "sharing."

"No need to be in such a fuss," one of the concubines remarked, "Circling the wagons like that, as if we were a bunch of hostile natives who needed to be defended against. Just imagine that, girls."

There were some collective tittering from all around the chamber, but the predatory looks that the Tendo Posse Marriage Circle were receiving in no way, shape or form reassured the reluctant "guests" enough to make Nabiki and the others want to drop their collective guard anytime soon around these women. After all, Ranma was not the only one being eyed in a speculative manner, and there was no telling just what the actual boundary lines would be within this seraglio, ESPECIALLY around women who were the self-admitted "property" of one Madam Lao, Esquire.

All at once the blue skinned woman of before reformed from the water and appeared alongside Nabiki, her expression one of puzzlement as she eyed the wary ex-Tendo girl and said, "Excuse me…you are the one with the Jusenkyo curse that turns you into a man, correct?"

"Yeah?" Nabiki asked, "What about it?"

"It is just…there are some odd hormonal differences in you that I have just now detected," the Undine replied, "Please wait here, I must inform the Mistress."

And with that the elemental servant dissolved herself again and once again merged with the warm waters of the wading pool. Ranma paused a moment before looking at Nabiki, "Hormonal difference? What's that all about?"

"I've got no idea, Ranchan," Nabiki shrugged, "But somehow…I've got a feeling that it may mean trouble with a capital T."

"So what else is new?" Ukyo asked, now able to support herself once again, "Weird…I was feeling so tired a minute ago…but now…I feel better…"

"Are you sure of that, Airen?" Perfume asked, remaining firmly at her wife's side as if expecting her to succumb to another moment of weakness.

"I guess," Ukyo replied, "I just feel…really hungry all of a sudden…and…I guess I'm not the only one," she smiled as she stared at the tiny baby in her arms, who was even now stirring to fix her tiny lips around her mother's nipple, as if instinctively knowing where to go for the nutrients that she needed.

"Is very strong girl-child," Shampoo agreed as she held up her own suckling infant for comparison, "Almost full term, as Shampoo mother would say. But what you call you new baby, Cousin?"

"Ah…well…that's a really good question," Perfume replied, "Ucchan and I have suggested many ideas but…but…baby…that's my baby?" her expression suddenly underwent a comical transformation, "I'm a FATHER??? Oooohhh…"

"Per-chan?" Ukyo asked in alarm, finding her wife had suddenly collapsed into the water with her eyes rolled up into the back of her head, "PERCHAN???"

"She'll be all right," one of the concubines assured them, "With a chest like that, I doubt she'll drown in the birthing pool."

"Kind of handy having your own built-in flotation devices," another concubine noted wryly.

"Must have been a delayed effect of coming to the realization that she's just had a baby by another woman," mused a third concubine.

"Happens all the time around here," another concubine chuckled, "You should have seen Tammy's face when I had her baby…it was priceless!"

"Say what?" Nabiki looked sharply at the one who had spoken, "Are you saying you've had a baby by another woman?"

"Sure, same way you did," the concubine in question replied, "Jusenkyo-assisted pregnancy. Did you think you were the only girl who ever fathered a Fusion?"

"A Fusion?" Ranma asked.

"A child born of two parents of the same sex, both women," another concubine clarified, "The Mistress uses a kind of magic that makes it possible to have a baby without needing to resort to the use of a man. Temporary Male-curse by means of powdered Jusenkyo water. Only works one time, but once is all it takes around here. I'm Tammy, by the way, the fama of Odine's baby."

"Fama?" Nabiki again repeated, "Powdered Jusenkyo water?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo spoke up, "Instant Nanniichuan…Shampoo hear they market it in China. Is ordered from Jusenkyo Products Catalogue…"

"Jusenkyo Products Catalogue?" Nabiki turned back to her wife, "How come this is the first I've ever heard of it?"

"You never ask, Airen," Shampoo said with a coy expression, "Is many things in catalogue even more interesting than Instant Jusenkyo powder…"

"Instant Jusenkyo powder," Ukyo repeated with a thoughtful expression, eyeing Perfume, whom she was attempting to revive with her otherwise free-hand, "You don't say?"

"Um…what…where?" Perfume asked as she came back to herself with a much-confused expression, the wondered why her Ukyo was looking at her with a smile that was almost…predatory…

"Uh…look guys," Ranma said somewhat nervously, "All this stuff is…ah…pretty interesting and all that…but don't you think it's time we got out and got dry now?"

"Well, don't let any of us stop you," said the girl named Tammy as she struck a fetching pose that left one in no doubt whatsoever of the nature of her sex (at least at the present), "Feel free to step out anytime. We'll show you to the room the Mistress has set aside for you and you can get settled in to your brand new lifestyle."

"Um….thanks," Nabiki replied warily, "But we don't plan on staying all that long…"

"Sure, you say that now," Odine chuckled, "But when you get used to life around here you'll change your mind."

"I doubt that very much," Nabiki said, leading the way as she and the others waded out of the pool and back onto the relatively dry deck, "Um…somebody got a towel we can use to dry off?"

All at once the moisture fell from her body, as well as the others, leaving them reasonably dry with even their hair fluffed out and conditioned.

"Why would you need a towel?" Tammy inquired with a leer, "The Undines can work wonders when the Mistress is otherwise busy, and they're always watching us as our protectors and companions. You'll get used to the idea before too long, it's one of the nice perks that come from being the pampered property of our Mistress."

"Er…right," Nabiki said sheepishly, realizing that there was little to be gained through argument over the finer points of the "Slave-versus-non-Slave" issue. Instead she allowed Tammy to lead the way as she and her loved ones were escorted to their new accommodations, all the while keeping a wary eye for the suspicious shadows that surrounded them, as if expecting more of the blue-skinned elementals to put in an appearance at any time.

Of course she was also making a note of the way Ranma's eyes kept straying from one area of the seraglio to the next, ESPECIALLY in light of the fact that there was acres of comely feminine flesh on display, and some of it was currently pressed up against OTHER writhing feminine bodies, as if they had stepped into a combination of Nudist colony and ongoing Pornographic Movie sound stage. To put it mildly, some of the live displays that she and the others witnessed seem more than a BIT lively by even Nabiki's jaded standards.

While she could hardly blame Ranma for having his attention wander in such an environment (Kami knew that SHE was doing a good deal of ogling, and so were Shampoo and Perfume, and Ukyo as well, for all that the majority of her attention was currently focused upon her baby), the fact that her new husband was being presented with so much 'Eye Candy' at one time did not in the least bit please her. This Seraglio that they were currently sharing was likely to prove to be as much of a trap as a gilded cage, and she would hardly put it past Madam Lao to be deliberately attempting to tempt them all into lowering their guard, which would make this Harem of hers one very diabolical snare into which they dared not grow lax for even one minute.

Well, if Lao thought that Nabiki and her loved ones would be easy prey to such temptations, then she would have to remind the "kitty" just who it was she was dealing with. If Lao wanted a challenge then a challenge was what Nabiki would give her. After all, a battle of wits was something Nabiki prided herself for being good at, and there was bound to be more than one way to skin a tiger…

Provided, of course, the tiger does not eat you first, she mentally amended, but every challenge was bound to have a few odd risks and what was life without a little danger? Boring as hell, for one thing, and would not boredom seem preferable right there and then to taking an extended all-expenses paid "vacation" care of "Madam Lao Cruise Lines?" Nabiki sincerely hoped that she would not soon be forced to learn the answer to that particular question…

To the vast majority of people living on planet Earth the word 'Kryptonian' conjured up an image of a being with vastly god-like, near-infinite abilities far beyond the ken of ordinary mortals. To some extent this public image was true, but Martha Kent II knew far too well that her abilities-while considerable indeed-were no more 'infinite' than those of her far more famous father. The powers and abilities inherent in his race bestowed on one the ability to break the bounds of gravity, to move at incredible speeds, to lift and carry objects of tremendous volumes and mass, and to laugh off kinetic forces that would do damage to a good sized mountain. Their sensory abilities alone made them into human tracking stations, able to monitor events over a great range of distance. Given all of that, if there was anything mortal in this world that could find a downed ship in the middle of the open seas, it was a Kryptonian beyond question, or so Martha had reasoned when she set out to the coordinates designated by her younger half-sister.

Situated one hundred and thirty miles above the surface of the planet, Martha scanned the area directly below her, seeing the vast Pacific as if it were laid out on a grid map and picking out significant details with a speed that would put to shame the fastest super-computer, mentally cataloguing and dismissing irrelevant points until she found one that met the criteria that she was after. Having determined her goal, she proceeded to drop back into the atmosphere, plummeting to Earth with such speed that the air around her caught fire in the parting. The flames never came near to her body, nor would they have affected her in the slightest as she accelerated her velocity to hypersonic speeds far greater than any missile. She controlled the angle of her descent to level off as she approached nearer to her target, then slowed to a more leisurely glide so that she could circle around the object of her pursuit, a crippled ocean liner miles away from the nearest shoreline.

Total elapsed time from the moment that she had left the apartment of Alison and Beatrice was scarcely more than a few minutes, and in that time Martha had managed to hold her breath during her brief near-orbital flight, but now she drew breath as her vision scanned the sagging waterline of the ship, marking out the gaping hole that had been punched into the stern, flooding the after compartments and causing the vessel to list dangerously to its starboard side, definitely down by the stern. The amazing thing--to judge by the amount of damage she was making out on a visual scan-was that the thing was even afloat at all. There was only a skeleton crew on board manning the ship, and these were busy setting about the heroic task of attempting to keep the ship going, for without their engines they were effectively dead in the water.

Martha scanned the ship until she found the captain, then descended down onto the deck, immediately calling attention to herself as it hardly every day that one saw a flying woman wearing a blue-and-red minidress.

"You?" the Captain said in Japanese, "You're…"

"I know," Martha replied, "I'm here to help you, if I can. How bad are you crippled?"

"Bad enough that we can barely work the pumps to keep the water out," the Captain replied, "If it weren't for the watertight compartments holding…"

"I understand," Martha said, "Can you steer if you had power?"

"Barely," the Captain said, "The explosion took out the propshaft and jammed the rudders. Portside rudder does work, some, but the starboard rudder is frozen. We've barely managed to keep the flooding under control, and we can't get repair parties down to assess the damage in the shaft alley…"

"You won't need the propellers," Martha replied, "You'll have me. Get to the helm and have your crew stand by at their stations. I'll get you to the nearest port soon enough, all you have to do is stay afloat long enough to get there."

"Is this true?" the Captain asked with rounded eyes, "Do you really have such power?"

"Power is my middle name," Martha smiled, "It's no more difficult for me than pushing a car across a driveway."

"If you can do this," the Captain said in awe, "Then you really are super."

"Well," Martha shrugged, "If it were my father helping you out, he'd just pick you up and fly you to the nearest port, but since I'm only half-Kryptonian…"

"Ah…yes, just so," the Captain nodded, then turned and began giving orders to his nearest subordinates, which were promptly acknowledged and obeyed.

"By the way, Captain," Martha spoke up, "What exactly did you do to get a hole punched into the lower side of your ship the size of a small truck?"

"An explosion, Power-san," the Captain replied, "But what caused it, I have no idea. We were on our usual pre-chartered course when the incident occurred. There was not even another ship on radar when we heard the explosion astern. At once the propellers failed, and we lost steerage-way, and I ordered all passengers and non-essential crew to the boats and sent out an SOS. And then that other ship appeared from out of nowhere…"

"Other ship?" Martha replied, "What other ship?"

"It was the most amazing thing," the Captain replied, "One moment there was nothing, just a whiff of smoke in our bow…and then a ship appeared from out of that mist…"

"What kind of ship was it?" Martha asked.

"I…I don't remember," the Captain frowned, "It was large, though…maybe over a hundred meters in length…a tanker or some sort, I believe…but…odd, I can't seem to remember its registry number or distinctive markings…"

"You don't say," Martha said as she stepped up to the man and caught his gaze with her eyes, and for a moment the two of them locked stares, the Captain seeming to go glassy-eyed as if falling into a trance, but seconds later he blinked his eyes and seemed to come back to himself as Martha smiled and remarked, "Now…what do you remember about this mysterious vessel?'"

The captain thought a moment then his eyes widened again, "I seem to remember now…it was a sailing ship…a Chinese Junk by the look of it, but huge…it must have been one hundred and thirty meters long from bow to stern…"

"A Junk…four hundred feet in length?" Martha was amazed at this account, "Sailing in these oceans?"

"It is strange, is it not?" the Captain paused, then added, "But not as strange as the fact that they should appear at exactly the time when we most need them. Strange…I didn't think to ask about it at the time, but when they offered to give aid and shelter to my passengers and less essential crew…"

"You let your crew transfer over to a strange ship in the middle of the ocean without even knowing who was on that other vessel?" Martha asked in an incredulous tone of voice.

"It is strange…no…make that appalling," the Captain replied, "How could I have let such a thing happen? In all my years I have never acted so irresponsibly, even given the crisis situation that we were facing with people panicking and needing to be herded to the lifeboats…and then…she came along…and everything was under control again…"

"She?" Martha repeated.

"A woman…a very tall woman…" the Captain paused, "She had light blue-green hair, and eyes that glowed like a great cat in the night…does that make any sense?"

"She hypnotized you," Martha replied, "I know because I just undid that hypnotic block. It's a Kryptonian thing, runs in my half of the family."

"It's strange," the Captain frowned, "She seemed…concerned with everyone's safety…but her people…some of them were not even human…"

"Not human?" Martha replied, "How so?"

"They were blue…" the Captain paused, "And some of them were made out of…water…but that doesn't make any sense…"

"You'd be amazed at what makes sense in this business," the Martha replied, already turning away, "Get to your bridge and be ready. I'm going to begin pushing in another minute."

So saying she took off into the air and arced around behind the vessel, all the while reflecting on the information that she had absorbed in the past few seconds. Obviously something very extraordinary had happened in that moment of crisis when one ship was boarded by the occupants of another. Strange goings on indeed, and ominous beyond question, but something that she would need to tackle at a later time, after she saw to the salvaging of the crippled ocean liner.

In truth the task at hand was considerably more difficult than pushing a car across an open lot, but she was used to simplifying her explanations for those who did not understand Metahuman physics, or how a woman standing over five and a half feet tall could push a thousand foot long vessel weighing in at close to two million metric tons displacement. In effect she would be doing more than provide the propulsion that would drive the ship forward through the water, in actuality she would be merging with the vessel, the energy within her solar-powered frame flowing out through her hands and fortifying the physical structure of the immensely massive steel frame.

It was the secret behind a Kryptonian's super strength, this ability to extend a portion of her own might into whatever she touched, a reason why her father could hold up a building without it crumbling into so much useless debris. The power she extended into the ship also had the effect of lowering its inertia and kinetic resistance. It was the power that she could use to make or break the structure of whatever she touched, or to resist the damage of hostile forces extended against her, and so long as the sun was channeling new force into her frame she could continue to transfer this energy to do her bidding. The individual cells of her body were constantly renewing her vital resources, which was why she would not be too badly strained or tire too quickly in providing the force that would be needed to push the vessel.

With her heightened senses she could see the Captain assuming control over the bridge, and with his people manning the helm she knew that it was time to begin channeling some of her energy into forward propulsion. She cleared her mind and concentrated on balancing these energies so that the ship became progressively lighter, as well as losing some of its surface resistance so that the viscosity of the water would be greatly diminished. Before too long she built up enough momentum to begin driving the ship towards the nearest warm port that could accommodate such a deep-draft vessel, steadily increasing the velocity until the ship was all but hydrofoiling, rising higher and higher above its usual waterline in the process.

Her father, as Martha often complained, could have done this job in a matter of a few minutes, but being a hybrid Kryptonian meant that you had to take a few limitations, such as a less dense molecular structure, an advantage that could only have been won if she had been born on her father's home planet. It was times such as these when Martha remembered why she had semi-retired from the superheroine business. These days half-powered individuals such as herself and her two brothers were competing with the likes of newly up and coming Mystery Men who could really kick up sand on the galactic beaches. She kept her hand in the trade more from a sense of duty and family tradition than from genuine love of the superhuman trade, having long ago opted to spend more time in her civilian identity as a corporate tycoon in charge of her own News business.

Such heroics as these were for the younger types anyway…but when the lives of innocent people were at stake, Martha often found that she could not quite bring herself to hang up her metaphorical cape. Having great power meant great responsibility came with the genealogy, and when a sister called for help (even the daughter of THAT WOMAN whom her father had married years after Martha's own mother had gone on to heaven), Martha could still drop literally everything and come running. Besides, from the sound of things, something truly fishy was going on with the missing crew of the liner and that mysterious ship that had appeared after an even more mysterious explosion. Martha was not quite the detective her friend Helena was, but she knew what an explosion looked like when it was directed inward by-say-a mine or some high-explosive tipped torpedo.

She would have to investigate the blast at a much closer range once she got this ship to port, and preferably into a dry-dock if she had time. There would doubtlessly be clues aplenty to uncover from such an inspection, and if what she suspected proved to be the case, then someone would have to answer for this incident. People likely had died in the blast, and who knew how many more might have perished in the resulting panic and confusion? She would expedite her survey of the wreckage, and then retrace her steps to where the liner had been disabled. Within a few hours she would have enough data on hand to begin a real investigation, and if she found out that someone had deliberately fired on an innocent ship full of civilians…then the gloves would come off! A reckoning would be had, and heaven help the malefactors who dared cross paths with a Kryptonian outraged…

And…many nautical miles away…Lao had a moment to pause and reflect, sensing that something was in the winds and that the day's exciting events were a long way from over…which brought an oddly tigerish smile to the lips of this particular lady…

Continued

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