Galaxy Under Siege

by Tristan Vick

  “You go on and get yourself cleaned up for tonight. Your people are anxious to see you back on your feet and in good form, so a victory speech from the empress would give their morale a much-needed boost right now.”

  Jegra nodded in agreement and then took her leave. As she turned to go, she reached out and caught Brei’Alas by her wrist and towed her behind her. “Come on, Lieutenant, we need to make ourselves presentable for this evening’s festivities.”

  “Uh, right,” Brei said, looking back at Grendok as Jegra led her away by the arm. With her free hand she waved at him and he smiled and waved in return.

  As their hands clasped together, Brei looked down at their interlocked fingers and wanted desperately to ask Jegra about the other night. She wanted to know why, of all the people Jegra could have chosen to be with that evening, she had chosen her.

  But she quickly put such silly ponderings out of her mind. Who was she to question the empress or her choices?

  A medical team teleported down from the Shard to assist with collecting the dead and wounded just about the same time Jegra and Brei walked into the nearest prefab unit. Once inside, Brei’Alas noted it was only a storage room.

  “I think maybe we’re in the wrong...” she trailed off when Jegra collapsed against a pile of boxes, prompting her to rush forward and catch Jegra around her waist. “Empress, are you all right?”

  Jegra sank to her knees and began sobbing. Brei’Alas, her arms still clinging to Jegra’s mid-section, sank down with her.

  It dawned on Brei that seeing the entity that had stolen her baby from her had left Jegra emotionally drained and vulnerable. At a time like this, all she could do was try to comfort the empress. She leaned across Jegra’s back, wrapped her blue arms around her and squeezed tight. Resting her face on the back of Jegra’s neck, she placed her lips next to her ear, and whispered, “I have you.”

  Jegra continued to cry, nestled in Brei’s arms. And Brei did her best to soothe her empress, stroking her hair and repeating that, “Everything will be alright.”

  She didn’t know if it helped any, but she knew that Jegra, although strong on the outside, was clearly hurting on the inside. The worst thing Brei could imagine was having to suffer being alone in one’s great anguish.

  Although she’d never experienced the loss of a child, Brei understood that it must be the most harrowing event in a parent’s lifetime. Even Dagon women, who prided themselves in their stoicism and emotional restraint were known to break down in tears over the loss of a child.

  After a long cry, Jegra sniffled and wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand and then looked into Brei’s amber eyes. Brei smiled at her and gently stroked her cheek.

  “Come, let’s get you cleaned up, Your Majesty,” Brei said, using all of her strength to hoist Jegra back to her feet.

  Jegra nodded and then followed after Brei who, this time, was the one who reached back and took the empress’s hand. She led the way to a separate installation, an outdoor sign reading: “Unisex Showers” and they went inside.

  Six shower stalls, all currently unoccupied, lined the walls in a spacious, communal bathing area. There weren’t any dividers or curtains, but there were a series of wall hooks for hanging your towel and shampoo kit. Entering the stall, Brei reached out and turned on the tap and checked the water with her hand, making sure it would get nice and hot. Once steam started to fill the small shower stall, she turned the water off again and let out a sigh of relief.

  “At least the water filtration is still working.”

  “Thank you,” Jegra said, placing a hand on Brei’s shoulder. Brei looked back at her and smiled. “Thank you for comforting me. And, also, thank you for being here for me now like you were for me the other night. I just needed someone to...you know...keep me company.”

  “Oh, you remember that?” Brei asked, acting surprised.

  “Of course, I remember. And I know I have a reputation of sleeping with whomever my heart desires, but in that moment I desired you.”

  “You did?” Brei asked. She gave Jegra a puzzled look. “Why?”

  “Why?” Jegra laughed, echoing the girls question. “Why wouldn’t I?”

  Brei blushed and looked away. “I guess I’ve always felt I wasn’t good enough or important enough for you to take notice of me. I mean, not like that, anyway. We’re not exactly close friends or anything.”

  “Who says?” Jegra asked, guiding Brei’s face back toward her with a gentle nudge of her chin.

  Brei smiled and then threw herself into Jegra’s arms, embracing her with a big hug. “Thank you for thinking of me,” she said.

  Jegra smiled and hugged the lieutenant in return. She was an odd duck, but Jegra had grown quite fond of her.

  Once they’d finished undressing, they climbed into piping hot streams of water in their individual stalls and finally began to relax. Almost as soon as they’d gotten their hair wet and began to lather up with soap, they heard a melodic whistling drawing near. The doors to the shower room abruptly slid open and appearing in the doorway was Grendok, a light blue towel wrapped around his waist and a shower cap with two holes cut in it to allow his horns to jut out.

  He whistled a merry little ditty as he went over to his preferred stall and turned on the water. He disrobed right in front of them, allowing them time to take a gander at his satyric anatomy, almost seeming to pose for them, and then he turned on the shower and stepped in.

  “Ahhh,” he sighed, letting the warm water run down his furry back. “That’s much better.”

  The two women shared a glance of mutual astonishment and then had to choke down a fit of giggles.

  “Care to help and old goat lather up, ladies?” Jegra and Brei’Alas leaned into one another and began laughing even harder. Grendok raised an eyebrow and asked, “Did I say something amusing?”

  “No,” Brei replied. She looked over at Jegra with large worried eyes that almost pleaded for Jegra to rescue her from this situation.

  “Don’t get any ideas, old man,” Jegra said with a laugh and pointed a finger at him to let him know she was serious.

  “I promise you, the thought has never crossed my mind. This one, on the other hand,” he said turning around and pinching Brei’s right butt cheek.

  She yelped and then slapped his hand away as she sashayed back to her stall. As she scurried off, he looked over at Jegra with a lecherous grin which exposed his yellow teeth.

  “As fun as this has been, my dears,” he informed them, sensing he’d overstayed his welcome. “I must get back to my duties.”

  As he rinsed off, he began to whistle the same tune as when he’d first come in. Once he’d finished rinsing off, he hopped over to his towel, wrapped himself up, and glanced over his shoulder and winked at them both. Continuing his little ditty, he skipped out of the showers and ducked into the changing rooms.

  Soon after that, the song faded until, finally, neither Brei nor Jegra could make it out anymore and it became abundantly clear that they were, once again, allotted a modicum of privacy.

  “Finally,” Jegra said, letting out a sigh of relief. “I thought we’d never get back our privacy.” While she spoke, she filled her hand with a large glob of bodywash. Reaching up, she ran her hands across Brei’s back. The coolness of gel and Jegra’s unexpected touch caused Brei to startle and she reflexively pulled away.

  “What are you doing?” Brei squeaked, surprised by Jegra’s unexpected touch.

  Jegra laughed at her overreaction to her touch. “What do you think? I’m going to wash you.”

  “I’m good, thank you,” Brei answered.

  Jegra squinted at her suspiciously. “Are you telling me you want to be a filthy girl?”

  “I don’t think I’m necessarily the filthy one here,” she fired back, teasing the empress with a cockeyed look.

  “Oh, is that so?” Jegra parried. “Well, if I’m so filthy, maybe you can do my back for me, then?” She turned her back to Brei and the young wo
man drew closer. Lathering up Jegra’s skin with bodywash, she ran her hands in small circles all across Jegra’s tight back, her fingers tracing out the creases in Jegra’s musculature and her thumbs pressing hard into the empress’s flesh. In no time, what had begun as a simple lathering became a full body massage.

  Brei’s hands worked like magic and prompted the empress to let out a long, drawn out sigh as the tension drained from her body. Jegra closed her eyes and focused on Brei’s sensual touch. How her fingers effortlessly glided across her skin. How they caressed every crest and valley of her anatomy with a tender touch that sent a thousand shivers of pleasure down her spine.

  Jegra raised her arms, crossing them over her head, and rested her forehead on them as she let a satisfied sigh pass from her lips. “Don’t stop,” she said, water pouring down her face.

  Brei nodded in silence, and even though Jegra couldn’t see her reply, her continued touch was answer enough. As water rained down both their bodies, Brei put her weight into her kneading touch, forcing a release of tension from Jegra’s lips in the form of a moan.

  “I think you missed a spot,” teased Jegra, glancing back over her shoulder at Brei.

  “Oh, you mean down here,” Brei said, sliding her hands down the small of Jegra’s back, down through the valley of her buttocks, and then reaching up from behind to find the holy grail.

  “Yeah,” Jegra whispered, her voice barely audible as her eyes fluttered in her head and sensual shivers shot up and down her spine. “That’s the spot.”

  Brei smiled and continued to massage the empress.

  That’s when the doors slid open and Callestra walked in. Walking in on the scene of Jegra pressed up against the wall with Brei’s fingers halfway inside her, she stopped in her tracks. “I can come back if you both need some privacy.”

  “No, it’s fine,” Jegra answered, straightening up. Brei pulled her hand away and then slid to the side as Jegra quickly rinsed off, grabbed her towel and headed for the changing room. “Stall is all yours.”

  Callestra shrugged and then looked over at Brei. “So, you’re giving free massages?”

  Brei’Alas, not wanting to be a poor sport, sighed and nodded reluctantly. “I...um...”

  “Great,” Callestra said, flinging her towel over the stall and climbing into the shower Jegra had just been standing in. Glancing back the way the empress had gone, she said, “I want what she had.”

  Angry for letting herself be used like a common servant girl, Brei squirted the body wash into her hands, squeezing the bottle so hard it nearly exploded, and gave a curt reply. “Fine.”

  Surprisingly, before she could get to work on Callestra, Jegra poked her head back into the showers. “Brei, you coming or what?”

  Brei’Alas couldn’t help but grin as she got a free pass this time. “Sorry,” she apologized to Callestra. “Maybe next time.”

  Just as soon as she’d finished, the doors opened and five Dagon grunts walked in. The three men and two women all sported shaved heads and were covered in grime from the battle they’d just returned from.

  They froze when they saw Callestra showering alone. Not knowing the protocol of such a situation, since ranking officers usually had their own personal bathrooms, they all threw their towels over their shoulders and saluted.

  Callestra quickly wrapped her towel around her torso and saluted them back. “I was just finishing up here,” she informed them.

  “Yes, ma’am,” one of the male grunts shouted out.

  They all moved to the side, standing at attention, and allowed her to pass by freely. As she went, she paused and stole a glimpse of their anatomy. Even the women had righteously large cocks. All of them stiff with nervous boners. This brought a smile to her face. “At ease, men and women,” she added with a smirk just before ducking out.

  “Yes, ma’am,” the same grunt said.

  After she left, they all gave one another astonished glances, still barely able to believe they’d met the Vice Admiral of the fleet in the showers, and then burst out laughing.

  23

  Late into the evening, amidst the dining tent and the banquet tables set up outdoors, the survivors of the attack convened under the stars and the watchful protection of the Shard. The Empress of Dagon rose from her central seat at the head table and clanked her fork against her wine glass, drawing the attention of the crowd.

  “I’d like to give a toast. I want to honor all those who lost their lives today. May we celebrate their memory this fine evening.”

  A round of applause and “hear, hears” made the rounds and then Jegra raised her hand, silencing the cheers.

  “I also want to say that today’s victory, as bittersweet as it is, was but a stroke of luck on our part. The enemy is as cruel as it is cunning, and, to be sure, they will not underestimate us again. As such, we need to be ready for next time. For the next attack. The next battle. But, now...is not that time. Now, we celebrate. So, my loyal friends and subjects, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die!”

  “Here, here!” Grendok shouted, rising to his feet. He raised his own glass and saluted the empress. He waited for her to drink first then, smiling, he downed the wine in one legendary swig. Grendok wiped his purple-stained lips and then let out a loud belch.

  “Long live the Empress!” a robust voice shouted out from the crowd.

  The voice was commanding and loud, and when everyone turned to see who it was, they were astonished to find Emperor Dakroth standing across the room, his glass raised to Jegra.

  This elicited a flood of cheers and a full choir of voices that repeated the salutation. “Long live the Empress!”

  Once Jegra had seated herself again, Brei placed her hand on Jegra’s thigh and leaned over and whispered into Jegra’s ear, “They honor you.”

  Jegra smiled and placed her hand over Brei’s and an inebriated smile formed on the girl’s wine stained lips.

  “I’m sure they’d honor him, too,” Brei said less enthusiastically, as she looked over at Dakroth who was mingling with the commoners and shaking hands.

  “Lieutenant,” Jegra asked in at pleasantly surprise voice, “how much have you had to drink?”

  “Only four glasses, why? *hic*”

  “Oh, nothing,” Jegra said, her smile widening. “Here,” Jegra added, taking an open wine bottle that was sitting on the table and pouring Brei another drink. “Allow me the honor, at least, of filling your glass.”

  “Thank you!” Brei gushed in her usually cheerful manner. She took a sip and then, when Jegra’s hand gently pressed down on hers, which was still on Jegra’s thigh, she blushed. “Oh,” she said, embarrassed, withdrawing her hand from the empress's leg. “So sorry. I forgot it was even there.”

  Embarrassed by her brazenness with the empress, Brei buried her face into her glass of wine which fogged up as she let out a deep breath. Then, tipping her glass bottoms up, she guzzled it all down in one go.

  “Don’t be,” Jegra whispered into Brei’s bright purple ears which were flushing pink at the tips. She reached over and took Brei’s hand and placed it back onto her thigh. “I like it there.”

  She gazed at Brei and took a moment to admire her cute button nose and the short-cropped hair she sported. She was an interesting woman and Jegra had grown quite fond of her and her many quirks over the last several weeks.

  “Let the wine flow freely!” Grendok said, manifesting over her shoulder and pouring her another glass.

  She raised her glass to him and then placed it to her lips and immediately started gulping it down. After finishing it in record time, Brei held it out and said, “More, please!”

  “A woman after my own heart,” Grendok announced and poured her another glass. He got her cup brimming and then skipped away to keep everyone’s wine glasses full as well. Such was the satyr way.

  Once Brei had downed her seventh glass just as quickly, she let out a muted burp and then announced, “It’s sooo good.”

  “Indeed it is, my dear,”
Grendok said, returning from making the rounds. He refilled her wine glass once more, adding, “It’s the finest vintage of wine from the vineyards of Galliforn’s most lush and beautiful valleys, even if I do say so myself...” he trailed off as he studied the label with sad eyes, Chateau Sybarios. It was one of the very last bottles of Galliforn wine in all the galaxy.

  Jegra thought maybe she should warn Brei to pace herself, but the girl was letting her hair down for once. A rare thing for any Dagon to do, let alone someone as mousy as Brei. Instead of coddling her like a child, she decided to let the woman have a little fun. Besides, even Jegra had to admit to herself it was kind of a kick to watch a side of Brei she’d never seen before.

  “So,” Jegra asked, leaning in close to Brei’s wine scented breath, “what does drunken Brei like to do for fun?”

  She looked over at Jegra with sunken, yet beautiful amber eyes glazed over with maudlin delight. “I collect vintage postcards,” she said, quite unexpectedly.

  Jegra, who was midway through her sip, unexpectedly spit wine out everywhere. “What?” she laughed. She fetched a tissue and began dabbing the purple juice that dribbled down her cleavage.

  “I do,” Brei said defensively. “I know it’s not cool or whatever,” she shared, waving her hands about. “But I love to see all the places I could one day visit. That’s why I joined the military, you know?”

  “To travel the galaxy?”

  “I know I’m not what most people expect. But my aptitude scores were off the charts!”

  “I’m sure,” Jegra said, resting her chin on her palm and smiling at the girl.

  “So, what do you do for fun?” Brei asked.

  “I like to read books,” Jegra answered. “Although I’ve been so busy as of late, I really haven’t had the chance.”

  “I like books too,” Brei said, gazing dreamily into Jegra’s eyes. “Do you have a favorite?”

  “Yeah,” Jegra answered, smiling back at her. “Moby Dick.”