“Gawd almighty, save me!” Guns barely kept from falling to the ground as he doubled over with laughter. Jimmy was laughing so hard he couldn’t breathe.
“As my companions seem too incapacitated to answer, I will have to vouch for myself, I guess. If anything is found in a potted plant, that would be his doing, not mine,” Short Blade calmly answered, nodding toward Guns. Guns fell over, unable to speak and barely able to breathe from laughing so hard.
“Damn! You talk! Where you from there, Shorty?” the old man asked in amazement.
“That’s Short Blade, if you please. I am the commander of the ship in orbit around your planet. These are the two escorts from your world assigned to show me a good time, or I will destroy this world. I will pay for our accommodations.” Short Blade tossed a heavy coin onto the desktop. “The intergalactic exchange rate for that is fifty thousand dollars. I will set up a tab for me and my entourage. If I were you, I’d find a coin collector, since Earth is not a popular attraction.” The old man stared at Short Blade a while longer and then picked up the coin. The face of the coin showed a rocket ship, and undecipherable symbols were etched on both sides. He slid the coin into his pocket.
“I’ll have this checked out. In the meantime, welcome to the Satellite Inn, uh, gentlemen. Would you like someone to take you to your room?”
“We should be fine. Three room passes, please. We will need no room service unless we call down for it.” Short Blade held out his paw and the old man passed down three key cards for the room.
“Come along, gentlemen,” Short Blade said, cupping his paws together twice for emphasis.
“Yes sir, Commander Short Blade,” the chiefs chorused, going along with the game.
“What did you give that guy, Short Blade?” Guns asked as they walked away.
“When I was with the old crew, the Libra, they had a tradition of carrying a coin as a member of the crew. I have a box of them and give them out as trinkets.” Each man sobered a little as they reached into their wallets to be sure they had their old unit coin from a different war from a long time ago that they referred to as a round metal object.
“Whew! We have arrived!” Jimmy looked about the suite. It was old and run-down, but still well-maintained and clean. He walked to the bar and pulled out a miniature bottle of tequila, then proceeded to pour three shots as he thought back to another war and another set of comrades.
“Absent comrades!” The three clinked their shot glasses and downed their drinks solemnly.
“It’s eighteen hundred. What’s say we take a nap and then head out at twenty hundred for dinner? And then we find some entertainment!” Guns suggested. The others concurred, and they all dragged their bags to their rooms.
Short Blade woke slightly early. He pulled out his uniform and found an iron to remove the wrinkles, then pinned his ribbons on it. His black shoes needed only a light wiping to make them shine.
Guns came out of his room refreshed and dressed like a cowboy. When he saw Short Blade bedecked in his uniform, he slipped back into his room and donned his own uniform without a wrinkle on it. Then he lightly knocked on Jimmy’s door. Jimmy opened the door, naked.
“Aw, geez, man! Put some clothes on! I was hungry until you opened the door,” Guns teased.
Jimmy laughed and took note of the way Guns was dressed. He went back into his room, lightly splashed himself with cologne, and put on his uniform. As he joined the others, he said, “Let’s eat! I know just the place, and it’s in walking distance.”
Guns took a look at the rows of ribbons on Jimmy’s chest. He recognized the Distinguished Service Cross with devices on it, and the Silver Star, as well as the Purple Heart with four devices. He stopped reading Jimmy’s chest, impressed.
“I caught you, man! You were checking out my rack! Okay, let’s see yours.” Jimmy looked at Guns’s ribbons. “Aw, shit. You got the same crap as me, in the navy version. Okay, hero. Let’s go eat.”
Observing the little ceremony between the two ancient warriors, Short Blade felt very young.
The red paint on the outside of the restaurant was faded and chipped, the awnings torn and bleached from the sun. Inside, the place was dark and the furnishings had seen better days.
Jimmy told the host who he was, and they were led to a side room. When the curtain was pulled back, Short Blade and Guns were surprised to see all the members of the Dart Flight. None of the other ships’ officers had been able to come.
“Yeah! Our heroes!” Applause erupted for the team that had kept the ship flying. The tables, now filled with empty bottles, had been pushed together. Several of the pilots noticed the racks on the old chiefs as more rounds of drinks were ordered.
“Why did you invite the kids?” Guns whispered to Jimmy.
“Hell, we won’t pay a penny tonight with these kids here.” Jimmy whispered back.
“Damn … I never saw more beautiful lieutenants in my life!” Guns said as his eyes settled on the four women of the flight. They had decided to put in an appearance before going out and getting wild. All were showing plenty of leg and inviting cleavage, and the chiefs had a hard time not gawking.
As Matt Andrews surveyed the group, he realized that he was senior ranking and would be the one who would catch flak for any trouble that might take place. He realized almost as quickly that it would happen no matter what he did, so he stood up.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we few, we know what we have done and the cost.” He raised his glass and waited for the others to get filled glasses. “To the Beater, her crew, and victory!” The group all downed their drinks.
“Victory! Victory! Victory!” Thomas “Tiny” Shaw chanted as he slammed his right foot down in rhythm to the chant. The entire group picked up the chant. The owner came in and apologetically asked that they either quiet down or leave.
The group stood as one and went outside. Guns made a decision at that point.
“Sweep! Sweep! We got a dozen bars and a room all in walking distance. Sweep, unless yer a pussy!” His face turned red when he realized what he’d said in the present company.
“Ain’t no pussies here, Chief. You lead the sweep!” Suzy Hagen hollered out, and the group was on the move.
Jimmy led them to a place a couple of blocks away, and as he walked up to the front door, he said, “Here we are. This used to be my home away from home. Welcome to the Cowboy Bar.” Just inside the door he pushed aside a heavy curtain and caught sight of twenty or thirty men slow dancing as a semi-naked male dancer did a bump-and-grind on stage. Jimmy stopped cold and then pressed backwards toward the door as the others turned around to avoid him stepping on them.
“What’s the matter, Chief?” Guns asked innocently.
“Under new management. Let’s just move on.”
“That place sounds like fun!” Matilda squealed as she ran for the club across the street, where electronic music resonated through the walls.
Stepping inside, Matilda shouted, “This is it!” She grabbed her sister Mary’s hand. They tossed their purses to Jimmy and headed for the dance floor. Embarrassed, Jimmy led the group to a huge corner booth that had just opened up. As they piled in, a group of college students objected.
“Hey, Gramps,” one of the students piped up. “We’ve been waiting all night for that booth to open. Why don’t you all find another spot, before I become unhappy?” Jimmy looked over at Guns, who just closed his eyes slightly in acknowledgment.
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for I am the baddest motherfucker in the goddamn valley,” Jimmy responded, smiling broadly at the confused looks from the kids before him.
“That some type of prayer, old man?” The kid got into Jimmy’s face, waiting for an answer.
“Son, there is no excuse for poor dental hygiene. Besides the risk of losing your teeth, you have bad breath. Now move along,” Jimmy said as he turned away. The kid’s face went red at the insult, and he prepared to insult the old man back.
“Hey! I know this song!” Suzy hollered.
“May I have the privilege of this dance?” Jimmy shouted back to her. Turning around and seeing the young tough still there, he said, “Sorry, kid, I want to dance, and not with you.” He dealt a quick chop to the young tough’s throat, and the boy went down hard. Stunned, the other kids just stared. “Pick your bitch there up off the floor and find another club. I own this one now,” Jimmy advised them. Indecision was still evident on their faces as Suzy got up from the booth.
“I wouldn’t if I were you, boys. Those ribbons on his chest are for killing people,” she said, smiling sweetly as she guided Jimmy to the floor, where they joined Mary and Matilda.
The young toughs looked at Guns, debating whether to try and take the table as they picked up their friend from the floor.
Guns stood and went nose to nose with the next tough.
“What are you still doing here, boy? Get the hell out of my zone before I get pissed. You don’t want to see me pissed.”
“Fuc—.” The tough didn’t see the roundhouse until it connected with his nose, and he went down, unconscious.
“Next? Now pick that trash up and get the fuck out of my zone.” The kids left as Guns sat back down.
“No you don’t, Chief! You get moving toward that dance floor!” Bronia bumped him with her hip, almost knocking him out of the booth and to the floor.
“Damned if I’m going to sit here any longer!” Guns looked at the girl with new admiration. “Ma’am, may I have this dance?” he recovered as he felt himself being pulled toward the dance floor. They joined the others and began to gyrate with the fast-paced music.
The song ended and a slow one came on. Jimmy and Guns started heading for the booth, but the girls wanted to keep dancing.
Suzy hollered, “Attention! About face! Forward, dance!” The men smiled and turned back around. The girls melted into them and slowly moved to the music. Guns felt the crush of Bronia’s ample breasts against his chest as the smell of flowers wafted up to him. He inhaled the scent from her hair, and as he closed his eyes he was once again with his wife. He clamped his hand against the small of her back and guided her in a special rhythm.
Bronia was surprised that the old chief allowed her to press into him. She had meant it as a joke, to shock him, but she felt at ease and protected as he guided her. As they danced, she thought of Scotty and how she had let him go. She breathed in Guns’s cologne and nestled her head into his chest.
Too soon, the group headed back to the booth. Dozens of beer bottles awaited them. Bronia’s two brothers eyed Guns as she pushed them over to slide into the booth, laughing at their protectiveness. Guns looked down at her and saw that her skirt had risen as she scooted across the seat. He caught a flash of panty before he turned away from the table and started toward the head.
The group at the table was enjoying the attention whenever someone noticed Short Blade among the group. Initially, the waitress was going to refuse to serve him, but he had spoken up.
“Ma’am, I have pledged my life in the defense of your planet, and you won’t even let me buy a drink because I’m hairier than any of you? I could be dead tomorrow.” Feeling chastised, the waitress took his order. The group at the next table overheard the exchange and bought the round.
Get back out there, coward, Guns told himself. Quit hiding in the head. The weight of the wedding band hanging with his dog tags felt heavier than ever before.
“I’m a new man now!” Guns said with a laugh as he rejoined the group. He was relieved to see that Suzy was sitting next to Bronia, which meant he could sit at the end of the booth.
“Here, Chief!” Suzy jumped up right as he was ready to sit and shoved him playfully into the booth next to Bronia before squeezing in beside him. The scent of both girls and all the direct contact with them, along with the view, was driving him crazy. The girls appeared not to notice.
Hours later, as the group staggered from the club, Short Blade invited everyone back to the suite for drinks. No one wanted the party to end, so they made their way to the hotel.
Once inside, the girls shrieked with excitement when they saw the huge spa. They stripped to their panties and rushed to get into the water. Sinking to their necks in the bubbling water, they let out a collective sigh
“Oh, get over it, guys! You’ve all seen us in the showers and the head. Nothing new here. Now bring us some drinks!” Suzy playfully ordered.
Guns spied a bottle of champagne on ice next to a basket of fruit. As he uncorked it, the juice bubbled out and he grabbed four flutes. Handing each of the girls a glass, he smiled as they complimented him on serving them. Looking around the room, he saw that folks were dropping fast. Only he and Jimmy were left awake with the girls. He picked up Short Blade, carried him to his room, and stripped him naked before tucking his little buddy into the king-sized bed.
Back out in the main room, Guns repositioned and covered the bodies strewn on the floor and furniture so they wouldn’t get stiff or stepped on.
“G’night, all,” Jimmy said with a wave as he disappeared into his room. The girls began climbing out of the tub and Guns enjoyed the view without blushing.
“Ladies,” Guns said, motioning to Mary and Matilda, “if you will follow me.” He opened the door to Short Blade’s room and pointed out all the room in the massive bed. Pressing their wet bodies against the chief, the girls each kissed a cheek and then crawled into the bed, one on either side of Short Blade.
The other two girls, still wet and near naked, were waiting when he returned to the main room. “Come on, ladies,” he said, giving them the ‘follow me’ signal. He opened the door to Jimmy’s room. A loud snore confirmed his condition, “I think you can sleep safely in there,” he told them, motioning for them to go on in. Suzy gave him a peck on the cheek and disappeared under the covers.
“Forget someone, Chief?” Bronia asked as she reached around his neck and pulled herself up on tiptoes so she could give him a kiss. “Let’s go to bed,” she said as she slid back down and led him into the third bedroom. Guns felt the urge, but he couldn’t help thinking that the girl could be his great-granddaughter. He turned off the light and stripped naked as he went under the covers. Bronia rested her knee over his midsection as she laid her arm over his chest and rested her head on his chest. Her warmth and softness began to affect him. He put his arm over her shoulder and once again drew in the scent of flowers. He felt her breasts move in rhythm with her deep breaths, which gradually progressed to a soft mewing sound as she drifted off. With mixed feelings, Guns held her with both arms and let sleep overtake him.
Short Blade was the first one awake, finding the two naked girls cuddling with him in their sleep. He raised the covers to see that he was as naked as they were. One of the girls was holding onto his member, and he felt the warmth and constriction. He liked humans, but he did not have any thoughts at all of doing anything with the homely creatures that women were. When he tried to move, the girl’s grip tightened, and he felt pleasure. He glanced over at her and saw that her eyes were open. He shook his head no and then rose to use the toilet. Looking down as he stood over the toilet, he saw that he had done the unspeakable during the night. He’d thrown up.
Jimmy moved Suzy’s head from his chest as he got up to answer the call of nature. “Was it good for you, too?” he teased.
“You wish, old man.” Suzy looked down and realized that she was totally nude, with no memory of how she’d gotten there. She jumped from the bed and grabbed a shirt out of the open bag. Standing in front of the mirror, she admired herself in the black shirt with a skull on the front and the words Death from Above.
Guns had been awake several minutes when he felt Bronia begin to stir next to him. “Did you sleep good?” he asked.
“Mmm hmm. I just had one problem,” she said as she rolled over so that she was lying flat atop him. He tried to gently move her off him, but she wouldn’t budge as she looked him in the eyes.
&
nbsp; “It’s going to happen, Billy, so lay back and enjoy.” She spread her legs as she slid down, holding his face with both hands.
Jimmy strolled into the main room wearing only a pair of boxers. “Good morning, happy campers,” he said, looking at everyone spread about the room. “Who’s hungry?” He picked up the phone and requested a breakfast buffet for twelve.
Everyone ate in silence, forcing the food into bellies that rebelled against even the thought of food. They glanced at one another and waited to hear stories they couldn’t remember from the night before. Matt and Tiny were the first to depart, with plans to play tennis. The rest started to slowly break up into groups as they got ready to leave. Bronia and Suzy promised to return the shirts they had borrowed.
“Well, that was a nice start for a liberty. What’s next?” Jimmy asked, rubbing his sore knuckles and remembering the punks from the night before.
“I was just thinking I’d lay out by the pool and get a little sun,” Guns answered.
“Little is right. It’s November!” Jimmy said, stating the obvious.
“In Arizona. Have you been cold yet since we started our liberty?”
Short Blade listened to the two men argue as he lay back in a stuffed chair by a window the sun was lighting up. He was soon out cold.
New Mississippi, planet Dixie
11 November 2128
Staff Sergeant Coyle was looking down on the street from the school’s roof. The streetlights were on and civilians had returned to their homes. They waved to him as they worked in their yards before dusk. Everything was quiet, and it seemed like peacetime. The other two shuttles had been reassigned, now that the school was no longer a holding facility.
Coyle saw Tanaka in front of the school talking with locals who had never seen an Asian before. Garcia was doing a walk-through of the interior of the school. The rest of the squad had already called it a night until they had to report for their guard shift.
Gray Panthers: Dixie Page 14