The Homecoming - [B,C]

That evening, only Ishlass, Darcina, and Bauer sat at the dining table of the palace. All others were down on the planet's surface. The High Advisor was not his normal congenial-host self, but had remained quiet during most of dinner, giving only one-word answers to his daughter's attempts at conversation.

As the Butler was serving coffee, Darcina asked, "Father, what's wrong? You've been sitting there all sullen, as if you had lost an election. And I know there has not been an election."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ishlass answered, toying with his coffee cup and saucer but not drinking any of it. "First it was the rebellion and now . . ." Glancing quickly over at Bauer, he said, "I know none of it is your fault, young man." Then he turned back to his daughter, "But that damned ship with its damned Captain. That man is trying to ruin our society. Destroy our culture. Wipe out our heritage." He took a couple of deep breaths before continuing with, "I wish that piece of junk, that miniscule missile masquerading as a ship, that over-grown pie-plate, had never landed."

"Oh, really, Sir?" Bauer asked. His five-years of training/service (a.k.a. brainwashing) were kicking in. One does not insult a spacer's ship. "Really?"

The second 'really' caused Ishlass to look away from his daughter and lock eyes with Bauer, who asked, "Did it ever cross your mind where you would be right now if that over-grown pie-plate wasn't around?" Ishlass's eyes flickered. He knew what the man was getting at. And he knew that what Eric was going to say was right. But in the midst of all the events swirling around him these past two days, Ishlass had not had a chance to mentally proccess it all.

"You would be in a deserted mine tunnel. In chains. Or dead," Bauer glared at Ishlass. "It wasn't the Palace Guard that saved your life. It was Ramesh. Who just happened to be outside his room. Who just happened to be wearing his blaster. That saved you."

The young Solar Guard Officer knew that he was out of line, but in for a penny, in for a pound. Turning towards Darcina, he said, "And Lavella didn't desert you. She ran away because she was afraid of being tortured."

"Tortured?" Darcina jerked her head from Bauer to her Father and back to Bauer.

"The Palace Guard was subjecting all servants to the Agonizer," Bauer answered. "I've heard of its effects, but have never seen it in use. Have you?"

Darcina lowered her eyes and answered in a low voice, "I saw it the night before for the first time." Lifting her eyes, now filled with tears, she stared at Ishlass, "Father, how could you? How could you even think of using it on Lavella?"

"The effects aren't permanent," Ishlass answered, unable to meet his daughter's gaze.

"Maybe not physically," Darcina bellowed, tears flowing down her cheeks. "But I saw what it does to the Trogs. I saw!"

"But she could be one of them," Ishlass tried to defend his actions. "For all we know, she has run off and joined up with now. She might have been part of the plot."

"She is not with the Distruptors," Bauer said solemnly. When the other two stared at him, he explained, "She's been onboard my ship ever since she fled."

"Your ship!" they both said at once. Darcina happily, Ishlass . . . not so much.

"Ramesh smuggled her down," Bauer stared at Ishlass. "The same Ramesh who saved your life."

Rising, he dabbed the linen napkin to his lips, folded it, and re-inserted it into the silver ring next to his plate. "I know I am being impertinent and discourteous. I will pack and leave immediately."

The other two sat stunned as Bauer exited the large dining room.

The Ensign had only brought up one change of uniform, three sets of underwear and socks, and his toilet articles. He was ready to leave in five minutes. But he did not, figuring he would wait in his room for an hour in case Darcina showed up to say goodbye.

He did not have to wait that long.

Twenty minutes later, there was a knock on his door. But when he opened it, Ishlass was standing there, his daughter off to his right and behind him.

"I was wrong," the High Advisor said in a low voice. "Wrong to have been willing to subject that poor child to ****. Wrong to have even suspected her. I was acting out of fear. Acting like a coward. If . . . if she could possibly find it in her heart to forgive me, I would welcome her back into my household with open arms."

"I'll go and try to fetch her now, Sir," Bauer answered.

"I'll go with you," Darcina said.

"No, you won't" Bauer replied.

"No?" Darcina asked, not being used to anyone saying 'no' to her.

"No?" Ishlass asked, not being used to hearing anyone saying 'no' to her. Including himself.

"No," Bauer repeated. "There are cargo loading activities going on down there. Dozens of Longshoremen, tons of ore, probably Disruptors among the workers . . . Definitely Disruptors among the workers. No. It is too dangerous."

When Darcina lowered her head and crossed her hands in front of her but said no more, Ishlass stared at Bauer. Stared at Bauer and slowly nodded his head.

"I will see you two tomorrow at Breakfast," he said, turning to head down the hall. "I'm going to retire to my room for some reading and some sleep."

An hour later and Darcina, Bauer, O'Connell, and Lavella were all in Darcina's room. There was much tearful embracing and over-lapping chatter between the women. Darcina asked about Lavella's new dress; Lavella answered that Captain Smith had told her to buy something for herself when he gave her money to go out shopping with Miss Farasha. To help her pick out suitable clothing for her meetings. That Miss Farasha was awfully smart. That Captain Smith was awfully nice. That everyone on the ship was awfully nice. Well, except maybe for the one they call 'Boat-Sun'. Darcina made jokes about Akeena trying to fill in for Lavella. Repeatedly they burst out with exclamations of how much they had missed each other. The two men just stood off to the side, feeling like book-ends without any books.

"You know what!" Darcina suddenly announced. "Let's have a party. A welcome home party."

"Alright, where?" O'Connell asked, picturing some night-club or maybe at one of Darcina's friend's homes. With all the pressure and confusion at the Palace, he doubted she would invite any of her friends over at this point in time.

A slow, sly smile spread across Darcina's face and Eric felt a sinking feelings inside his stomach.

"The Game Room," was her reply.

The Game Room

On Eric's first visit to the so-called 'Game Room', he had encountered a piece of furniture known as 'the horse'. It was patterned like a sawhorse that Carpenters use, only made of heavier wood and with a much wider beam. The beam had a strip of padding running its entire length, and red leather covered the padding. Near the bottom of each leg was an iron ring. As it turned out, there were two horses down there.

Darcina had the two young men fetch the horses and place them in the center of the room. As with the tables from their other 'party', the horses were placed parallel to each other, six feet apart. The two women watched with wide grins and twinkling eyes as the men stripped down.

When Ramesh removed his boxers, everyone could see that he was already erect, obviously excited by what was about to happen. Eric's response was less so. It was true that he had orgasmed every time Darcina had pegged him, but how much buggering was he supposed to endure? And all in the line of duty.

Nonetheless, Eric removed all of his clothing and lay face down onto one of the horses while Ramesh draped himself over the other. The women cuffed the men, wrist-cuffs up front, ankle-cuffs in the rear. Once the women were satisfied that the two men were properly bound, they stood before them. Looking into the eyes of their 'victims', the women casually and unhurriedly removed their own clothing. They took their time in spreading out their attire onto a table behind them, and once they were down to just their sandals, they reached for the shopping bags.

After inserting the pink dildo in the metal ring at the front of her harness, Darcina stepped into the loops and buckled the strap around her waist. Lavella was about to do the same, but once she had the dildo mounted, she paused. "Mistress Darcina," Lavella looked over at the tall blonde. "Would it be o.k. if . . . ?"

The dark-haired Lavella made a circular motion over her crotch and then nodded at Ramesh. Darcina smiled and answered, "Sure, go ahead. I'll wait."

Scurrying towards the horse, Lavella grabbed a handful of Ramesh's red hair and tilted his head back. From his position, he could only see part of the olive-skinned woman's face, the underside of her boobs blocking his view. When he lowered his gaze, her hairy bush was all he could see. She took a step closer, shoving her pussy into his face. Ramesh responded by beginning to lick her sex. He tried to reach up to grip her hips, the sight and aroma of her beaver causing him to temporarily forget that he was cuffed.

Lavella continued to hold Ramesh by his hair while placing her other hand behind her, just over her rear, and leaned back, pressing her rapidly moistening snatch firmer against his face.

"Oh . . . oh . . . oh . . . " the young dark-haired woman whimpered, her voice becoming louder and louder as her body started to shake. The other couple watched intensely, amazed at how quickly she was approaching her orgasm.

It was a good thing the Game Room was sound-proof. Otherwise, Lavella's ear-piercing scream would have brought the Palace Guard, still on edge from the other night, crashing in.