She spent almost an hour talking with the woman's children about how nice it was to be in the Navy and they were the ones who brought it up. Of course, they were leaning towards being Space Marines since the marines had special "N" units.
***
Susan reported in for training instruction and spotted Allen also sporting body paint. He looked quite handsome, despite being naked where every wart and blemish was visible. Amazingly, he really didn't have much in the way of blemishes, Susan could see. She liked what she was seeing up close even better than the image she had of him.
Susan walked into the classroom and stood at the front of the class. She looked around and noticed that she was the only person naked in the room. She shrugged it off and began her instruction of the men and women, soon to be officers, with a quick briefing on what they might expect to take place within the next few weeks.
***
The next day of classes, Susan stood in front of a class that was as naked as herself. Each of the men and women had been issued body paint for their rank in case they were chosen to go to one of the temporary bases where they would have to live under Echo laws. The jokes and giggling ended as soon as Susan reached the front of the room. The class went on without anymore thought about them all being naked.
***
Susan looked at the temporary base she was in charge of. She hadn't expected that much authority. It was little more than one building housing simulators and a classroom and a second building housing the dispensary and emergency crews. Everyone was being fed at a local restaurant and housed by some citizen who lived nearby. Most of the effort into making the base went into construction of the landing field. Not more than a hundred kilometers away, Allen was in charge of a similar base. Each of them had a single wing of fighters.
***
Susan walked into the restaurant where she and Allen agreed to meet at. He was already there and she walked over to greet him. She said, "Sorry I'm late. Couldn't be avoided."
"That's okay. I almost didn't get away at all," he replied.
"Something go wrong?" she asked.
He replied, "Nothing serious. Just took a little convincing to persuade a local townsman that we weren't giving free rides in fighters to anyone who showed up."
Susan chuckled. Then she asked, "How'd you persuade him?"
Allen said, "Told him that he'd have to take a whole battery of immunizations first. He was willing to do that. Then I told him he would have to order a suit to fit him. He backed off when he learned that he'd be required to have a suit to wear in space for any possible emergencies."
Susan laughed some more when she thought about how quick Allen had been in coming up with a solution which would turn off most Echoans in a hurry. They valued their right to be nude too much to give it up for anything like a free fighter ride, even though there weren't any.
Susan said, "I guess he didn't stop to think that he only had to have a suit with him and not on him."
"I didn't let on that he only had to have it and didn't have to wear it," Allen responded.
Susan laughed a little more. Then she and Allen gave their attention to the waiter who came over with the menus. Later, they had an unplanned dessert before they each returned to their own bases.
Chapter 12
Edun was retaken by the Malakins with an even larger force as they prepared for another strike against the Union. Though Malak had control of the planet, they didn't own the entire surface as the Space Marines could easily prove. Their units on Edun were still in operation, wiping out the enemy robots as quickly as they could find them.
The Malakin robots were faster on Edun than on Leuion. Just about everyone in the Navy agreed that the robots functioned better on low gravity planets. The marines were sometimes hard-pressed to get to the robots after they landed and before they could disperse themselves to threaten the countryside.
***
Admiral Oden planned the retaking of Edun with the three squadrons he now had available and the 23rd Space Marines (N) to assist the marines still on the surface of the planet. One thing he had plenty of was transports. In the weeks past, most had been modified to add more weapons to them so that they could go in shooting. With six carriers and the fighters on board them, he figured to punch into the Malakins in a lightning attack which would scatter them and render them unable to respond in strength.
He could only hope that any plans the Malakins revealed by placing them into action were countered by what he and other admirals had already planned against. Two squadrons were still at Echo and two each moved to Beulah and Gabrielle. Fully three squadrons worth of ships had been lost in fighting or given away at Beulah, Leuion, Gabrielle, and Edun. The remaining squadrons were scattered about where they could respond to any attempt by the enemy to circle Union territorial limits and attack from the rear or flanks. Echo's two squadrons had been stripped of their carriers and were relying on fighters that would launch from the planet's surface at scattered bases.
Dave looked at the space charts and mused at the move by the Malakins before speaking to the other admirals gathered around in the planning session.
"It still doesn't make sense for them to retake Edun," Dave said. "They know we'll respond and liberate it again. There has to be a reason for this move."
Admiral Jim Picken looked at the maps and nodded. "I'm with you on this one, Dave. They've already learned that we can and will retake it. It gains them nothing. It's got to be a diversion."
Admiral Bill Owen asked, "From what, though?"
"Jim's right. It's got to be a diversion. They're after something and they've already demanded Edun, Gabrielle, and Beulah before the war started. They even offered peace when they only had Edun, Gabrielle, and Leuion. I don't think they really want Beulah. I think it's bargaining material to give up during negotiations," said Dave.
Bill remarked, "You mean maybe they don't really want it because of its gravity? I know that the prisoners we hold there are very uncomfortable. Why'd they attack it then?"
Dave answered, "Easy. It houses the academy and shipyards. Destroy those and cripple our Navy for up to four years. In four years, they could easily have lots of planetary defenses put into place wherever they decide they do want to stay. They might even give Beulah back by not reinforcing it and letting us retake it before both sides declared an end to hostilities. That would be a face-saving gesture for the losers, namely us."
"Face-saving gesture?" asked Bill. "You think they really care about how we feel?"
Dave said, "No, but they'd be more likely to negotiate a peace with the politicians if our side won back something. All of us would likely see it as the only way for us to retire gracefully by then after losing a war we didn't start and weren't prepared for."
"We weren't prepared, Dave?" asked Bill.
Dave answered, "We were, but if we lose, everyone will state that we weren't. They'd be right, too, despite our efforts at preparation. We're getting away from what this attack is a diversion for. It's too far from Gabrielle to support it. It's too far away to be a stepping stone to Beulah. I don't believe they want Beulah, other than to destroy the academy and the shipyards there. Other than Leuion and Echo, there's not much that they could want. They haven't made any attempts on Bragh. If anything, I consider the Ape-oids on Bragh to be in on the attack with them. I think they'll leave the Ape-oids alone to keep us tied up in that sector."
Bill said, "Then it has to be Leuion!"
Dave shook his head. "Too damn easy for them and no real need for a diversion. It's Echo. Look at it this way. They couldn't take Beulah and neutralize the shipyards or the academy. But, take Echo and all traffic has to either be diverted far around or Beulah is cut off."
"Then what do we do? We can't retake Edun and reinforce Echo at the same time," said Jim.
"Who said we have to do both?" asked Dave. "Or even that we figured it out? Let them think that we haven't figured it out and then trap them. My guess is that they won't move until we mak
e our move on Edun. I think they'll even let us retake it deliberately."
The discussion continued on for several hours with each admiral putting in ideas for the plan to thwart the Malakins' latest attacks.
***
Emily looked at her team as they boarded their new artytank onto the transport. They left Leuion almost a week after the squadron left when there were but a few robots still roaming around. The Blues asked to be allowed to finish the job so they could become more knowledgeable and proficient with the artytanks left for their use. Now her marines were moving to Edun where they would be more than welcome and link up with the other two 'N' designated space marine units to rid the planet of the Malakin robots.
***
Susan watched as the new fighter crews arrived and her old ones left. It was time to start on another batch and get them ready. Already, she missed the thrill of combat. If it wasn't for Allen's presence on Echo, she would have been nearly heartbroken. As it was, he was the only other thing she cared so much about. Enough anyway that she had given him her body more than once on evenings when they could get off duty and meet midway between their bases.
If nothing else, Echo's culture was also insensitive to some other things, unlike the rest of the planets of the Union, save possibly Gabrielle. Echo didn't have a red light district and probably never would have unless one considered the entire planet to be a huge red light district. After all, Echo was sexually liberated to the extreme in allowing its citizens to engage in sexual intercourse just about anywhere they wanted as long as they weren't trespassing on someone's private property. It was virtually the only real difference between Echo and Edun as far as their individual cultures went. Echo was, more or less, a nude swinger's paradise. Edun was quite conservative in that sexual affairs went on in private or they didn't happen.
Susan and Allen had each seen countless couples on the hoods or sometimes in the back seats of their hovers with the hover on autodrive going down the marked public access ways or roads, though it was kind of hard to call marked lanes in open fields as roads. The only real paved roads were in the cities. There was little doubt about what the couples were doing, especially when they were on the hood.
Susan dared to do something that many people on other worlds of the Union only dreamed of doing and usually turned into a familiar joke with the punch line of being refused later entry to their favorite restaurant. Susan laid down on the supper table inside the restaurant and presented herself to Allen, letting him take her in full public view. The waiters even hurried over to clear the dishes out of their way so that she and Allen could fully enjoy the evening. Because it was allowed under Echo's laws, nothing was said about her performance to her later, except by Allen who made his appreciation of her offer quite clear to her. Nor did he suffer later for taking up her offer in the restaurant.
The military knew better than to bother about individual lifestyles as long as the members went about their jobs correctly and in a timely manner. That much had been in vogue within the military for over half a century. It eased dramatically the disciplinary actions that used to take up more time and effort than they were worth. The military even allowed lifestyles, when possible, to stay with the members in order to foster morale and efficiency. Many useless rules went out the hatches and were never seen or heard of again while the military continued to prosper in its image and efficiency.
If you asked her later, she would have told you how that night was … She looked at him across the table. He was luscious looking, as delectable appearing as the meal he just bought her. Though she could only see his bare chest and he hers, she knew then that she wanted him. The waiter came over, asking, "I trust you meal was satisfactory. May I serve you desert now?"
Allen had looked at her for an answer and she nodded. He replied to the waiter, "The meal was excellent. Susan, what would you care to have for desert?"
She replied, "You," as she slowly got up from the chair opposite him, exposing more of her naked charms for him to view.
"Are you sure?" he asked as the waiter quickly began to collect dishes so Susan could use the table anyway she saw fit.
"Very sure. Come to me," Susan said softly, "Take me here and now."
Allen got up from the table, his manhood exposed with an erection that only made Susan shudder in anticipation of what she would soon be enjoying. He moved in front of her. Her back was to the table. He held her and she moved her hands to his manhood, pausing for a moment to caress him before she placed him at the entry to her delights. She moved her hands to his ass and suddenly pulled on him, forcing him within her before she wrapped her long, luscious legs around him. She laid back on the nearly clear table and allowed him to take her.
She said, "This should have been the main course."
He replied like a true gentleman, "The other was but an appetizer."
Around them, some guests of the restaurant watched with approval. Other guests merely ate their meal, having seen such displays too often and being more hungry than in need of entertainment. The waiters hardly paid any attention, having seen such displays many times before in their establishment. Even if there had been more than Susan and Allen involved, the waiters would have hardly noticed for even groups having sex on a dinner table were commonplace.
Allen finally came. Susan sat back up and hugged him tightly. "Carry me to the hover like this," she said.
Allen held onto Susan, putting his hands on her ass to support her, then lifted her, his manhood still firmly inside her, throbbing as his warm semen continued to spurt. He walked away from the table, out the door of the restaurant, and to the hover.
Susan said, "Set it for automatic and let's get on the hood."
Allen did as she asked, then reached over from the hood when they were in place to engage the hover into motion. The hover lifted gently, then began to trace the route programmed into it for automatic driving. Susan aroused Allen to further action so that they could each come again … That was how she remembered and treasured the moment.
***
Dave watched as his double boarded the shuttle to be taken on board the flagship of the task force going to Edun for its liberation. A short while later, he was escorted along a protected route well out of sight of anyone. He covertly boarded a shuttle and flew back to the commercial shipyards where he boarded a commercial passenger ship owned by Pennyweight Shipping Company. Soon he was enroute to Echo. Inside a private stateroom, Dave removed his clothes and applied a tanning solution to his body to disguise himself as an ordinary person returning home from a visit. He would be on Echo long before the liberation squadrons attacked the Malakin forces holding Edun.
***
Susan scheduled the fifth scramble for her new wing of crews and appeared to be completely calm as she went about her normal duties. Even though she knew when the scramble would occur, she made no attempt to be any nearer her own fighter. That was in order to keep the rookie crews from gaining an advantage in guessing when the next scramble would happen.
She was surprised when the scramble call came early. Susan then realized that it was for real. Susan ran even harder than before for her fighter as the crews of the fighters soon flanked her in their efforts to reach the craft. "This isn't a drill!" she hollered out.
Spurred on by what she said, some of the others ran in front of her for the fighters to get them ready to take off as soon as they were all on board.
She leaped into her fighter, slammed her body into her chair, and watched as the last crew member climbed in and hit the switch to shut the hatch. Immediately, the engines of the tiny fighter roared to life among the sounds of other fighter engines doing the same thing. Susan had her headset on and was already picking up instructions from headquarters.
"Unauthorized shuttle in restricted military airspace. Escort shuttle out of restricted area or force to land for apprehension and interrogation."
"Roger," she replied and then braced herself as her fighter took off. A moment later, she gave instru
ctions to the rest of the wing.
Within a few minutes, her wing surrounded the lone shuttle. Susan watched as the pilot signaled with his hands that he couldn't hear their radio calls, but would land when they signaled back for him to do so.
"Well, at least he's human," thought Susan as she looked at the well-tanned skin of the man and watched his craft stay within the formation of fighters as they neared the permanent naval base. He landed and was surrounded by military police before her fighter wing returned to her temporary base.
***
On the ground, the pilot of the shuttle was whisked away by the military police in a hover to the headquarters building. The man was taken inside to the admiral's office.
"Nicky, good to see you!"
"Dave, any problems getting here undetected?" Admiral Nick asked.
"Not at all. Now let's get to business. Pretty good scramble. Did the fighters have any advance warning?" asked Dave.
"None, but I'm sure they were surprised. Lieutenant Thompson coordinated a scramble drill this morning for a half-hour from now."
Dave said, "I thought I recognized that fighter. Couldn't pay too much attention so they wouldn't see my face, but I was sure I saw a butterfly on the nose. Good for her, then."
"You want a uniform?" asked Admiral Nick.
Dave replied, "No, I don't want anyone to know there's another admiral around here right now. If the enemy has any sympathizers, spies, or devices in place, I want them ignorant of my presence. I'll continue to go native for now. No body paint rank, either."
***
Susan cancelled the scramble drill since her wing just had a real one. She didn't feel like pushing her crews needlessly. Instead, she accepted Admiral Nick's later comments on her wing's excellent performance and shared them with the crews, still believing that they had intercepted a civilian interloper.
***
"The squadrons start their attack tomorrow. We should expect an attack anytime after that. Now, I do need one thing. I need to get onto the bridge of a cruiser so that I can see more of what's happening," said Dave.
Attack Butterfly (Rust Bucket Universe) Page 17