by Jessie Wolf
I think mama felt a little guilty for not asking. She wrapped Alice up in a monster hug and let her cry it out. “Shhh little one, I’m sorry. Yes I should have asked you first, but when the maintenance chief told me that they couldn’t repair your Puss I thought about this beautiful Panther sitting here with no one to pilot it. I figured that you could handle her, after all you already pilot one cat.”
“Uh?”
“Each one of the feline APS units all has one thing in common. Do you know what that is, child?”
“No ma’am.”
“Only the best of pilots can control them. The Wild Cat, Hell Cat, Puma, Panther, Tiger, and the Mountain Lion are piloted by the best pilots in the known universe.” I tell her. When she looks at me like I was crazy I proceed to give her a few examples. As I name off the top ten ace APS pilots in the last two hundred years and their APS models I see her eyes light up. “Oh and by the way, why didn’t you tell me you’re a three time ace working on your fourth ace?”
“Well, to be honest I never thought about it. Sure I have beaten nineteen APS pilots, but I have always figured that it was part of the teams win. Not my own individual wins.” She has the good grace to blush.
I see mama waving over the leas technician. He comes over she asks him about the time line for the swap over. “Well, ma’am, barring any unseen problems we should be done no later than fourteen hundred this afternoon. Will that be good?”
“Oh yes. That’ll be just fine. I believe that will give everyone enough time to get over last night and be ready to make a practice run on the range.” Mama says. Looking over at me “I believe that we should try and get your sisters and Allison used to working together. Do you agree, Maiha?”
“Yes, I do, mama. Speaking of which we need to have a talk in private, mama. Shall we return to the House and your rooms? I believe that what we have to discuss is best done in the privacy of our rooms.” I say to her.
“Very well, gentlemen, Allison, we’ll see you at lunch time.” And with that she turns and heads back to the main house.
Alice grabs my hand and stops me for a second. “Maiha, please keep your temper. I don’t know what you’re going to say, but I know what it’s about. Please remember she has never had a true daughter before you came along.”
Smiling at her “Yes I know and I’ll remember it, but she has to understand that when I give her an order on the battle field she needs to obey it. I and I alone am the Supreme Commander on Hades. If something goes wrong I get blamed and I won’t put her, you or anyone else in a no win situation without me being there. I have to make her understand that. And every time she disobeys my orders, she undermines my authority. I can’t let that happen. I barley have control over have half of these units as is.”
“Ok, love. I believe you. Just remember what I told you. She gives me a quick kiss and a swat on the butt. “You better hurry and catch up. I’m going to stay here and see if they need a hand.”
“Love, I hate to tell you this, but you’re not exactly dressed for this type of work.” Pointing to her kimono. “Why don’t you come with me and help explain things to mama?”
When she looks down at how she’s dresses she realizes what I’m saying. Looking back up at me she nods her head yes, and the two of us head back to the main house. As we pass the people that live inside of the House compound we are greeted as Lady Maiha and Lady Allison. I have gotten used to the way people treat me as the Head of House, but for Alice it was a new experience. “Honey, you need to quit blushing whenever someone calls you Lady Allison.”
“But I hate that name. It’s not me. I’m Alice, not Allison.”
“Ok love, truth time. Why do you hate being called Allison?”
Sighing heavily she begins to tell me. “That was my mother’s name. When she died everyone from her family told me I could never live up to her name. Some of them went so far as to disown me, because they blamed me for her death.”
“To hell with them. You were not responsible for her death. Did you point a gun at her and pull the trigger? No. did you put poison in her food? No. nothing that you did caused her death. I don’t care what they say. So hold your head up high, you are now a High Families Lady and the spouse to be for the Head of House for one of the most powerful Family’s in the universe. And as far as everyone else goes to Hell with them.”
“Do you always know what to say?” she asked me with a little giggle.
“No, not always, but most of the time. It comes from a having a long and varied life, my dear.”
“You know most of the time all I see is the cute, spunky, fiery teenager, but then you go and say something like that. It is like a bolt of lightning out of the blue that reminds me behind that cute exterior is a very old and cynical man.”
Hearing that I try to look offended, but the giggle that escapes me ruins it. “Hey, I resemble that remark.”
Goddess bless her, she joins in with me as I laugh over the situation. Yes she knows there is the mind of a ninety-seven year old behind my eyes, but she just accepts it as the way things are. I know that with anyone else this might be a messed up situation, but not with her. It just doesn’t matter to her. “Thank you, Allison.” And I give a quick kiss on the check.
“Not that I am complaining, but what was that for?”
“For you being you. No questions, no accusations, just acceptance.”
“You’re welcome, love.” She says with a smile. “Come on we have kept your mama waiting long enough.”
“You mean our mama. Don’t you realize she has already taken to you like a daughter?”
“Love, I highly doubt that.”
“No love, as far as she is concerned we are already married.”
Alice’s eyes bug out in her head as she realizes that what I just said was true. “Oh sugar!” I can tell she really wants to use something stronger, but she’s doing her best to watch what she says. The fight to behave like a Lady is driving her crazy.
“Love, when we go into battle I want you to take all this frustration out on those who are in your crosshairs. If you can do that for me no one will stand a chance against you.”
“Trust me, the first time I get out there on the range with the new Puss-in-Boots I plan to set a course record.”
Looking up I see that we are almost back to the main house. “Well, we’re almost there. Do me a favor please?”
“Sure love, what is it?”
“Help me keep my temper in check. I have known mama for a very long time. If there is one thing she knows it is how to push my buttons.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“That is all I can ask for.”
Removing our sandals at the backdoor, we are met by our Lady’s maids. The look on my face lets them know that right now is not the time to correct me on anything concerning my appearance. We head straight for mama’s room. Once there I knock and wait for her to answer. When I don’t hear anything after a few seconds I knock again. When I still don’t hear an answer I look over at Gin. “Is my mother here?”
“Yes, my Lady, I believe so.”
When I knock a third time and still don’t get an answer I begin to panic. When I try the doors handle I find it locked. Now I really panic. Turning to my maids. “Go get Col. Fujiyama and the House body guard. Now!” turning back to the door I put all my strength into it and break the door down.
For the second time in a week I fear that someone has tried to kill mama. What I find instead is not someone holding a gun to her head, but just as shocking. First Sergeant Bailey has mama over his knee delivering a very sound spanking. At seeing this I quickly close the door. When Alice sees the shocked look on my face she gives me a questioning look. When I shake my head no to let her know not to ask right now she gets a real look of curiosity on her face. Thankfully I’m saved from answering her questions at that point in time by the arrival of the on duty House guard. “Thank you gentleman but it seems that I um… um… I jumped to conclusions. My mother is perfectly saf
e she is just… um… preoccupied. You can go back to your duty.”
“Are you sure ma’ Lady?”
Blushing “I’m very sure, gentlemen” seeing the look on my face they bow and head back to their duties. Kina gives me a ‘What the Hell?’ look. “Oh and gentlemen please contact the Col. and let him know that he doesn’t have to come.”
“Yes, ma’am. We’ll take care of it and calling off the alarm.”
“Thank you so much gentlemen.” Once they were out of ear shot I look over at Kina and Nia. “I need you two to go find Gin and when you do find mama’s maids as well. Once you have done that, you are to take everyone to the staff dining hall and wait until we call for you. Do you understand?” they both nod their heads yes then bow to me and Alice then head off to fulfill their task.
Once we are alone in the hallway Alice asks me what is going on. Giggling I tell her. “Mama is getting her backside lighted up by Top Bailey.” At her shocked look I continue. “When I opened the door I saw her bent over his knee, with her kimono skits up around her waist and her panties around her feet. From the looks of it Top was just getting going.” Before I can say more mama opens the door blushing something fierce. “Um… can we come in now mama? Trust me mama, no one saw what I did. I also made sure we won’t be interrupted by anyone short of a full blown emergency.” At the nod of her head we step inside her room. Once inside I set a chair against the door seeing as how I broke the lock when in forced my way in just a few moments ago.
Top looked up at the two of us with some embarrassment. Being the smart ass that I am I just can’t let this chance go. “So Top, staking your claim?” the blush that comes to both of their faces is bright enough to light the way for a star cruiser across the Milky Way. I start to giggle at this. “Hey, what you do in the privacy behind closed doors is your business. So long as it is consensual by both parties.”
“Speaking of closed doors young lady.” Mama begins. “Just what do you think you’re doing breaking in on us like that?”
Now it is my turn to be embarrassed. “Well… um… I… um… thought that you were in trouble when you didn’t answer the door when I knocked.”
“So you panicked and just charged in?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Instead of getting mad at me and yelling mama just starts laughing. “I’m sorry for worrying you children. I should have answered when you first knocked, but well I was a little tied up at the time.”
Now of all the things she could have said at that time she had to say she was tied up. When I heard this I couldn’t help it; I started to laugh. The fact that mama just got her ass tanned was priceless. “Mama what I saw was more than just a ‘little tied up’. That was a full on spanking. What I would like to know was what brought it on?”
Top Bailey answered this one. “I figured that your mama needed to understand that there are consequences for disobeying orders. I figured that, that was what you wanted to discuss with her. Am I wrong, my Lady Maiha?”
“No, Top. You’re right on the money. Mama I need you to understand something. Just like here in the House, out on the battle field I’m the one in charge. When I give an order you need to follow it.”
“I know, Maiha, I know.” She says.
“Then, explain to me please. Why don’t you do it?” I ask.
Looking down at the floor mama answers me in a very, quiet voice. “I can’t stand the thought of you or your sisters getting hurt. I have waited so, oh so; long to have a family that I’m not thinking clearly. I know that it is your job to handle these matters, I just don’t want you to fall is all.”
Sighing I walk over and give her a hug. I can understand exactly where she is coming from. “Oh mama. I know that you mean well, but you have to follow orders just like everyone else on the battle field. I can’t have you disobeying me like you have been. I know that it is hard to watch those you care about put themselves in harm’s way, but you have to do it. That is what a soldier does. We put ourselves in harm’s way so others don’t have to.”
Mama starts to cry on my shoulder. I can tell she doesn’t want to lose me or my sisters, now that she finally has what she has always wanted. She’s afraid of one of us getting hurt or being killed. This is a very real fear, but I can’t let her undermine my authority or get hurt doing it. “Please, mama, just do what I tell you and I’ll bring them home. I promise you.”
Mama leans back looking me in the eye. “You cannot make that promise, Maiha. I know that young men and women die in combat. No matter what you do, chance always plays a part in war, you know that.”
Sighing I nod my head. “Yes, ma’am; I know that, but I’ll do my best to make sure it happens.”
“Very well, daughter. I’ll obey your orders on the battle field and I’ll make sure your sisters do as well.” She says.
“Thank you mama. Even though I don’t know the political climate on Hades, I do know how to wage war. I have but one mission now. That is to bring down the wrath of the Goddess on those who believe that they are our betters.”
“That child is why I know you’ll do your best.”
“I’ll make sure she and your sisters follow orders, my Lady.” Top put in. “And if she don’t, I promise she won’t sit down for a week.”
When I hear that I bust out laughing as mama turns a bright red. Now that I know how much he loves her and she loves him I decide to ask a very straight forward question of them both. “So, are the two of you really going to get married?”
Mama looks over at Top, then smiles when he nods his head yes. “Yes Maiha. It was supposed to be just a way to bring them in, but after last night I know that I will marry this man. Does it upset you that he is only an enlisted man and not an officer?”
The look on my face must have confused her, along with my giggling. “Mama, if you remember right sixty-five years go Matsu married a lowly enlisted man, a corporal at that. So no, it doesn’t bother me. Besides your daughter-in-law is a dumbass buck Sergeant. OAW!”
The smack on the butt from Alice was just the thing to get everyone laughing.
“I’m not a dumbass! The next time I’ll take you over my knee you brat.” Alice says before sticking her tongue out at me. Now normally I would have retaliated but instead I took the higher ground and stuck my own out at her.
“Girls!” we both turned to look over at Top. “That is no way for two young Ladies to behave.” At our looks of contriteness he merely laughs. “Sorry, girls those looks will do you no good. I’m immune to those types of looks after so many years of dealing with young privates that have screwed up.” Now unfortunately for me I haven’t been a girl long enough to learn that most powerful of weapons in every young girls arsenals. Alice on the other hand did know it and used it to her full advantage. The dreaded ‘puppy-dog eyes’ with the words no man can resist.
“Please daddy. She started it.” She said with a little pout.
We all started to laugh at her antics. It was just too funny for words. Here is a battle hardened veteran acting like a little girl about seven or eight years old trying to get her daddy to buy her a new doll or some candy. Once we all get ourselves under control again we get back down to the business at hand. For the next hour we lay out how we will deal with each one of the Houses that are in rebellion. About half way through there was a knock on mama’s door. Getting up to answer it I wonder who it could be. I had left orders not to be disturbed unless it was a full out emergency. Opening the door I find Fuyuko, Nanase and Nanami.
“Oh I see that you three finally decided to wake-up. So, little sisters, how do you feel this morning?” all three of them look as if they had been run over by a heavy transport with a full load.
Nanami looks at me and groans, Nanase just glairs, and Fuyuko has the ‘I want to kill you’ look in her eyes. “I take it you aren’t feeling too good? How about a nice juicy steak with greasy gravy and soy sauce? That should make you feel all better.” I barely get out of their way as all three turn green and run for
mama’s bathroom. A few moments later we can all hear the sounds of regret coming from her bathroom.
“You know they’re going to kill you for that, right?” Alice asks of me.
I just shrug my shoulders. “Hey, if they want to hoot with the owls, then they need to be ready to soar with the eagles in the mornings.” I look over as first Fuyuko steps back into to be followed by the twins who are holding on to each other as if the world had turned on its side. “So little sisters, are you going to sneak alcoholic drinks again?” All three slowly shake their heads no. Taking pity on them I decide to tell them how to clear out their systems. “Ok, here what you do. Activate your anti biohazard removal system. It’ll clean out the alcohol in your blood system and deliver a high oxygen count to help with your head ack. You should start to feel better in about a half hour or so.”
The looks of gratitude the three of them gave me were worth everything in the world to me. Fuyuko was the first to say anything. “Thank you sissy. I don’t know about the twins, but it will be a long, long, long time before I ever do that again.”
Both Nanase and Nanami nodded their heads in unison. Then they started that twin speak.
“You can…”
“… Be sure”
“That we won’t”
“…be doing that again.”
Before I can say a word mama steps in. “Girls I have an announcement to make.” Walking over she takes Tops hand in hers. “Top Bailey asked me to marry him last night and I said yes. Now before you go all crazy congratulating us you need to know one other thing. Your big sister has something she needs to tell you as well.” Looking over at me. “Well Maiha, just don’t stand there say something or I will.”
Looking over at their surprised faces. “This morning I asked Alice to marry me and she said yes.” That was all I got out before both mama and I were mug hugged by the three of them. They were going a mile a minute asking us questions about everything from when we were going to do the ceremony to what can of dress and everything in between. When they heard that mama was getting married tomorrow morning they were shocked.