Merker's Outpost

by I. Christie

  Captain Zohra pushed her plate away. She had work to do before her sisters arrived. She needed to study the planet and the cities so she had something to contribute when they arrived.

  "You have eaten very well, Captain Zohra." Her companion nodded with approval. "Some cannot eat after the operation. You must not over-exert yourself for a day. The cut is not the only thing that needs to heal. Your pathways need to reassert their old ways."

  "Just what can I not do?" Captain Zohra asked impatiently.

  "Physical exercise and worry."

  "Just what is there left to do…lay around and do what?"

  "Dream."

  "What?"

  "Within your dreams is where the healing will occur enhanced with the subliminal that will be played for you when you sleep. It will counteract any deep programming we may have missed."

  "How will I know if there is any deep programming remaining?" she asked dismayed.

  "You will have nightmares."

  "Ah. Good thing I sleep alone," she muttered, though a sexual release with a responsive partner would be nice. She sighed. Some of the habits she practiced as a Black Rose were going to take some effort to get rid of.

  "We will have someone nearby to monitor you, Captain."

  Her companion led her towards the elevator. "This is where I leave you. I believe you know your way from here. Sleep and heal, Captain."

  When Zohra arrived in her room both Harriet and Takenya, who now called herself Carol, were not in the area. She rinsed herself and went into the tub to soak and think. She let the bot massage her sore shoulders and back. She was relaxed but restless so she decided to see if her sisters had arrived.

  "Computer."

  "Yes, Major Zohra."

  "Major?" Zohra's eyebrows rose toward her hairline.

  "Major General Aglauros has promoted you to lead the security forces that will be stationed in the Lair and to protect the portal until her arrival."

  "Oh. I have major brain surgery and look what I wake up to. Are you sure this is not something you are making up, JG? Hell, I haven't even gotten use to being called Captain. It's not everyday a gal can remember that only in less than a week, she was Sgt. Major, a Captain and now a Major…not to mention a Lady. She sighed and then a smirk appeared on her face. And Lady Alexandra's superior...sorta… until she is reassigned to a ship and that won't be for a while. Hmmm. I wonder…would she make a good staff Lieutenant? Perhaps I can order her to remove my boots…naked …eeeeeahhh…

  The image of Lady Harriet Montran straddling one of her booted legs to remove the first boot caused Zohra's breathing to quicken with the start of a throb between her legs. The image was so clear!

  Lady Harriet's long knee-length orange hair spilt over her shoulders and tickled Zohra's legs as she straddled one of her booted feet. Before her were white globes of flesh, and as she bent over, bright orange pubic hairs peeked through strong thighs. Zohra lifted a booted foot to assist, placing it on the white muscled cheek to give a push. Zohra flicked her whip over the exposed flesh to encourage Lady Harriet to pull harder at the stubborn boot. Boot and sock were removed and Lady Harriet moved to the other foot. Zohra's breathing became heavier as Lady Harriet picked up her other booted foot. Zohra lifted her bared foot onto the red stripped cheek, feeling the moisture from the orange haired woman's yoni dripping on the leg she held between her legs.

  Zohra shook her head as if to rid herself of the image. They were not new. Since the Dance, Zohra had many erotic dreams of Lady Harriet, usually working them off with others.

  "Have my sisters from the House of Athena arrived yet?" she asked thickly, trying to dispel the sensual energy. She had to get her mind off Lady Harriet. This was not the time to start a relationship.

  When, then? How long has it been since you last saw her? Are you willing to wait another expanse of time? No. I know I will not.

  "Three have arrived in a Phantom Sprint ship, the Spearhead. They have left messages for you to call after you rested. They and some of Naboths Vine were sent to assist the Brothers and Sisters that are arriving through the portal."

  "Ahh. I believe I know who they are. Tell them to present themselves to my quarters! Computer, off." She laughed. She was sure they were calling every ten minutes to see what was keeping her.

  Her door dinged in a matter of minutes.

  "Enter!" she shouted happily.

  "You lazy moufin of a sister and a poor representative of good manners!" Clea shouted as she rushed in and grabbed Zohra, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around. She hugged her fiercely as two others that were equally as happy to see their sister followed her in, thumping her on her arm and back.

  "Galdin, they let you out of the House of Pleasure? I am sure business at Aphrodite's has dropped, though by the glow around Clea, I would say you are being kept even busier," Zohra laughed as she pushed playfully at the woman she had frequented often under the guise of visiting for sexual pleasure.

  "Mistress Jina Gari!" She gave her a long hug. "It is so good to see you again. Your absence is missed by those in the Cave." She turned to the others, winking at Zohra. "Her whipping techniques and spanks were well sought after by the Cave dwellers. As soon as word was out that she was in residence, attendance in the Cave filled up, male and female alike, mind you," Galdin teased. "I wonder how much was an act, dear Sister. You took to the role, soooo well...and now a Major I hear!" She whipped a smart salute accompanied by a wink.

  "Yeah, well, it's been a whirlwind promotion for me. Hmm. I do believe my Mistress of the Cave days are behind me, though," Zohra returned, giving Clea a wink. Clea was Galdin's lover since they were children.

  "TeaSdak, look at you!" Zohra continued. "You have put on more weight since I last saw you!"

  "And it's all muscle, Major." TeaSdak laughed as she laid a hand on Zohra's shoulder. "And look at you! You've lost weight since I last saw you and what is this I see? You are taller too! What have you been eating?"

  "It wasn't anyone in the Cave. They were sucking her dry. You would think she was saving herself for someone special," Galdin told her sisters laughing with the others at the expression JG gave her. "Jeeze. All she wanted to do was sleep, soak in the tub, get a massage then go back to sleep, but her slaves were lining up outside the damn door, waiting for her to take her position as Mistress of the Cave. Duty calls, you know. I am happy to see the scars that you wore like badges of honor have been removed, Mistress Jina Gari." She moved her hand to brush Zohra's forehead where a scar had been. "You did not want your old face back, huh?" that said softly so only the two heard.

  Major Zohra flinched at the touch, but let her touch her. The sisters touched a lot…something she did not allow while an operative, which fit with her persona as a Black Rose member and the dominatrix roll in the Cave.

  "No, not yet," she mumbled.

  "Ooohhh, once a dominatrix, always a dominatrix. My dear, I know there will be a lot of sisters lining up to be taken by you. It will not matter whether you feel it is a discarded role you played. Everyone in the sisterhood knows of your reputation in the Cave and with the dial-a-mood in the suites provided here, you will be the target of every submissive and wanna-be dom," TeaSdak teased.

  "Careful there!" Clea warned. "You are talking to our commanding officer."

  "Well, I'll try to keep the Mistress Jina Gari image separate from the Major Zohra image. Just don't wear anything black," Galdin cautioned. "But…." suddenly she became serious, "be very careful, JG, because there are some sisters that are not too good with boundaries. They have had visions of you in your black garb, cracking a whip across their exposed buttocks and everywhere else and jumped at the chance to join this skirmish because you are here."

  "After my experiences as a cadet with…"

  "Cadet Jaymai!" the others jeered in unison.

  "You know, she's a liaison to a Commander at Prime VI. Married a male, has no children, and keeps her mate on a very short leash."

  "And she is v
ery round and happy," Clea added. "We saw her…at a distance, on our way here. We didn't want to restart anything so we did not stop to say hello."

  "I would have thought she would want a woman. Well, time does change people. I will be careful to not walk the corridors alone," Zohra laughed and then sighed. "In some things, it is no different than in the Black Rose. I think every damn new soldier in our group thought it was part of the initiation to have a sexual romp with me, or to watch me do someone else. Lucky me that the Cave was by-invitation-only. I have to admit, I enjoyed beating the crap out of them when they thought gang raping me was okay."

  "Megan told us about the skirmishes after she joined the group. What a dung-hole of a group to think that was the proper way to initiate a woman into their group!"

  "The guys got it too. They got over it eventually that I would not participate in either of their rituals. They just needed better leadership. Captain Miller redirected those energies into other things when he took over the troop. But, regardless of the moral code he instilled in the group - they still killed for a price," she ended with a grim note.

  "Well, about those that may give you trouble…we'll keep an eye on them…that way you can concentrate on the command without too much distraction."

  Right. I have enough distraction with Lady Harriet. I wonder if Clea remembers her from the academy.

  "So, is it JG or Delorita, Major Zohra?" Galdin asked.

  "I feel more comfortable with Jina Gari than Delorita," Zohra sighed, shrugging her shoulders, embarrassed at the discomfort a name gave her.

  "Yeah, I remember those fights you got in when someone would call you Delorita. You were easy pickings for those that wanted to fight you," Clea nodded.

  "Goddess. I remember. Idiots…the good part is I learned to make my battle skirmishes short so the teachers wouldn't have a chance to see what all the noise was about."

  "Indeed!" TeaSdak poked at her rib. "Well, with the names Major Delorita Jina Gari Zohra of the House of Athena, a lot of people will want to shorten it."

  "That is a mouthful," Galdin giggled. "Well, Jina Gari or JG it is among friends and Major Zohra officially. We will tell the others."

  "So, enough! What has been happening? How goes it with sister Megan and the others?" JG shifted the conversation off her.

  For the next few hours they caught up on news, and when Zohra tried to discuss military matters she was redirected to more pleasant subjects. Clea informed her that she needed at least one more day of rest. When JG's yawns were too frequent, her visitors took their leave reluctantly.

  Sleep came quickly, to JG. Her dreams were many and mixed from a restlessness in her subconscious that seemed to have a lot of business to take care of. In one dream she was frantically trying to find Lady Harriet Montran. It was very important to find her. She had to tell her something. She wanted to explain to her about the Dragon Dance. Perhaps her Watcher did not know that she had become bonded with her by linking with her during the Dance. Then there were the terrifying dreams of being under someone's power. Doing things she did not want to do. She was dimly aware of Carol holding her and stoking her forehead. Each time she woke Carol encouraged her to return to the dream and work it out. JG shuddered but returned each time. Carol was there to walk the dark shadows with her.

  After nearly three hours of fighting her unnamed terrors JG finally relaxed in Carol's arms. After Carol left, JG's dreams turned towards a different subject. In her dream she was carefully preparing for the Dance. The ritual consisted of a food fast, burning a specific incense, praying to the right guardian and wearing the right color of clothing to heighten the right type of energy.

  The sacred grove had the right atmosphere with the sun rising above the treetops appearing to set their tips on fire. The mere thought of the Dance opened up the thinker to its energy and influence. Each time the Dance was practiced mentally or physically, it sent vibrations out, calling for the Watcher to be present on some level. The spirit of the Dance blessed her…and her lifemate…by drawing them both together for the Dance of Attraction, the second Dance in the series. But this time, in her dream, as she lit the candles and made the offerings, she had Lady Harriet's image in clear focus. She saw her standing before her in the sacred grove also dressed in the ritual clothing. She held two candles. When she was done with her part of the Dance, the candles would be burnt halfway down. Lady Harriet would then plant them into the ground, and they both would complete the Dance, the Dance of Commitment. Eyes darkened by the night light, glittered in the candlelight, as they watched her began her part.

  She leaped and spun around in the movements to build up the qi to merge her energy with Lady Harriet. At the final leap she felt the same light feeling she had when she had inadvertently danced for Cadet Montran.

  The final stand after the leap was not the end of the Dance, for as she stood still letting the energy that was radiating all around her body drain into the ground Lady Harriet began her part.

  As her lifemate stood close to JG, stretching slowly into the salute to the guardian of the Dance, JG could feel their energies commingle, sending a sexual rush through both of them. Lady Harriet moved through the ritual steps that would seal their union, dancing erotically and sensually to further stimulate the qi that was to lead to the consummation of their vows as bonded lifemates.

  The strength it took to resist the urge to reach out and touch Lady Harriet left her body shaking with the strain. The light cloth clung to the athletic body of her lifemate, igniting a fire of desire so fervent that her insides were trembling more than her legs. She breathed in the smell from the herbs and trees to keep focused, hoping the end the Dance was near and they could finally consummate their bond in the sacred grove, among the wildflowers and guardians of the forest, and the tall redwoods of ancient Earth.

  ***

  When Major Zohra awoke, she felt tired but her mind felt clearer than it had been for a long time. Perhaps being so focused on staying alive had its side effects. Someone was buzzing for entrance. Slipping on a robe, she entered the sitting room.

  "Enter."

  "Sister, Major! You lazy soul! You are still in bed when your sister tribe is waiting for your appearance to celebrate your promotion?"

  Malchi and a group of her sisters swarmed through the door to grab their long absent member, and dragged her out of her quarters to where they had a party going on. Major Zohra was dumped into a hot tub along with an already soaking wet Megan Vanster in a welcome back celebration, and from the banner across one of the walls, her promotion. There was fun and frolicking as everyone became drenched and if anyone was left dry, it was not for long. Chants and outrageous songs were filling the air as JG's name was tossed back and forth with teasing and a joyous affirmation that her presence amongst them had been missed for those nine years of covert work.

  While JG was drying off, she looked over the group. They were in various stages of dressing while some remained undressed getting a massage or tending bruises. Oddly enough she did not get the same thrill she use to get at being conscious of this intimate connection they shared. JG glanced in the nearby mirror, studying her reflection. She was too thin, she thought. But it was all muscle. The scars she needed to give her status in the Black Rose group were gone along with the tattoos, with the exception of one that covered her back. It had been hidden under a fake skin that was like a blanket of tattoos the Black Rose liked to cover their bodies with. The large owl across her back was from her Sister House. The talons rested on the curve of her rump with wings lifted spreading across her muscled shoulders.

  The one thing being in the Spartan's did was keep her in top physical and mental form. Her eyes caught Clea's worried ones in the mirror looking at her.

  "I had not seen this side of the Lair," JG remarked as she finished dressing in the uniform they had supplied her. It was from the sisterhood, the dark green with the usual ribbons and gold corn husk for her collar, marking her new rank.

  "It is the second hallway
from the elevator. Quite a large city, this Lair. The rooms on this side are more like luxury barracks. There are eleven levels with five being residences, which shall be filled within three days. Those who were not bonded reside on this level. The are quite a few large eating areas that also serve as meeting halls and or gaming rooms. Quite nice," Clea explained. "I don't ever remember staying in a barracks this comfortable. I think I'll put in a request to the Sister House." She smirked at the picture of seeing the expression of Mother M'dwa at the request.

  "Three people to a room, three rooms to one sitting area. We are in the public bathing area, and as you can see, a very big tub and swimming pool do it justice."

  "Next door is the dojo with the latest and greatest in warrior training with holographic instructors, mind you," Megan Vanster added as she fastened her sash of the sisterhood around her slim waist. "Beats our quarters in the other city, no?"