A Big Shiny Blue Marble Ch. 23

I told them that what you did ceased to be my concern as soon as you were behind walls at least.

It shut them up when I showed them the security files and told them that you had far more value to the service than they did, and if they wished to file proper complaints, then I would be pleased to have their assignments changed to one of the prison worlds. We are always short of guards there, I told them, and there are plenty of males there to warm their beds -- before they were murdered in them. It happens fairly often."

Shaevre and Selena walked to the town and the rogue coached the Xer on how to be polite and how not to be. They were stared at quite a bit, but neither of them minded all that much. The only bit of trouble that they had was when Selena insisted that they go to the inn for a pint.

"The inn in any village or town is a place full of information for ones like us," she said, "It will likely cause a bit of a stir, but while you are being looked at, I would be getting information. We won't do this today. We are only going for a little drink so that you can see what it is like there."

They got about halfway through their pints when the largest of the layabouts in the place swallowed enough of the courage in his tankard to wander over. "What the fuck are you?" he asked as though he'd just seen her.

"Thirsty," Shaevre said quietly, "I am thirsty, friend."

He snorted, "You're no friend of mine, you flea-bitten mu-"

He stared at Shaevre as she held him by the throat, not believing the speed with which she stood up or how she needed only one hand to do it.

"Well since we are not friends as you say," she pulled back her lips to grin at him coldly, "then stay the hell away from me and bother someone who fears you. You'll feel better, I'm sure. I know that you'll live longer."

He stared at her from where he'd landed on the floor.

Selena pulled her dagger from its sheath and laid it on the table as Shaevre sat back down. They weren't bothered after that.

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Far away, on a slowly freezing world, the contracted head of the Xer operations on that world looked out of the window of his office, watching another Xer assault craft come in carrying the new refugees. It was full of the many relations of one of the many lowland kings.

He held up his hand toward a Merren idol on his desk, indicating that he wished for them to wait a little before he carried on with his report. There was a chirp from a screen in front of him, indicating that there was an incoming call and he waved his hand toward the screen to accept the call.

"Your highness," he smiled warmly at the now-displaced king as he spoke in the lowland tongue, "welcome. You look harried. It must be difficult to leave your palace under the circumstances so prevalent in these troubled times. We will make you and your family feel at ease very shortly."

"It was awful," the king said, "I have never seen anything like it. The throngs at my very gates, all bent on the unjust murder in their hearts, all clamoring that I be killed. As your craft rose to bring us here, I saw thousands of people rioting. There is no order anymore."

"Calm yourself, your highness," the commander smiled, "We will restore order for you soon and then you and your fine family will not require this temporary asylum any longer. For now, please accept our hospitality. I will come to welcome you personally very shortly, but first, I must attend to a minor problem on my command craft, but it will not delay me long. Rest and eat."

When the screen clicked off, the idol spoke, "He is the last?"

The Xer nodded, "Yes. They are all alike, these soft ones, much used to living in ignorance and their own sense of empty importance.

Offering your suggestion that they kill off the wild ones was a stroke of genius. It allowed them to suffer the losses and weaken their primitive armies at no cost to my budget. We do not understand it, but you were correct. With the demons in the mountains gone, the winter spreads while the world grows colder.

They worry about rioting and are too stupid to think that they caused it themselves, now that their populations are starving for the food which cannot be grown to feed them all."

"What is your next step, Commander?" the idol whirred at him.

The Xer shrugged, "I have four hundred miners in twenty crews already beginning the preliminary drilling for the magnetite ore in those very same mountains. None of these fools would ever think to go there to look. We are a little premature, but from where we are now, I can proceed in two ways and either one will allow me to deliver ahead of timeline.

I have twenty-three thousand troops here on the ground. I could kill off the royal families, all of them, since they all live under house arrest in the compounds that they were all so eager to run to in order to elude the desperate rage of their subjects. Once that is done, I can call for sweeps to exterminate the rest wherever they are found. The benefit to you is that this way allows for the searching of everything to gather whatever gold and riches are here.

Other than that, I would order strikes laying down the thermobaric weapons. It will hasten the climate change, but Xer can take that easily. I have provided you with my cost estimates so that you all may decide."

One of the many voices spoke up then, "Why not lower the cost by exterminating them all faster for the search by calling for these Death hounds which we have heard of?"

"It is not easily done," the commander said, "First of all, those units are not allowed to be a part of any private enterprise such as our efforts here. They are an arm of the Xer military and their use must he sanctioned by the government of Xer."

"It would be of little consequence if it were the Xer government who was at work here and not us," one of the voices said, "we see little difference."

"The difference is that you are paying for our services," the commander replied, "If you really wish to use them, then make your request through the normal diplomatic channels, but I must caution you - the Death hound units come at a cost that would make you feel faint."

"Why?"the voice asked.

"Because with them, I can guarantee success. They will take and win whatever objective is asked for," he said, "but you cannot use Death hounds as exterminators. They are trained from the first day to a code of honor. They live by it and it is what allows them to perform far beyond the yield which might be expected. They take care of their own. They even extend some of that honor to their enemies so that the wounded and dead of each side may be removed from the field.

But they must have an enemy to fight. Ordering them to attack unarmed or barely armed people only causes them to stop, refusing to advance.

They set up their own perimeters then and their commanders begin to call in asking for extraction. They'll fight anyone for the pay -- even other Death hound units, but there must be a proper foe to kill or they do not fight. Their mission statement precludes what you wish to do. And the cost, ...

I have all the troops that I need to wipe the lands clean of these idiots. You only have to decide on the expected return of the search.

I would lean toward the bombers. All of the Xer but me are out of the critical areas, and once it is done, I can begin mining on a wider scale for the other resources here and I will replace the fighters with workers then.

This planet will tumble out of its orbit at some point, but by then, it will be little more than a rapidly cooling core and an empty skin around that. Our operations would be complete within five years, from the date that the population has been eradicated. It is your choice."

He listened absently for a moment as they discussed it, but it didn't take long. He knew that it wouldn't. There was too much in the way to mineral resources here to dawdle around looking for baubles.

"Very well, Commander," the voices in the idol shimmered, "Order the strikes."

"A wise choice as always," he nodded. "I will report in a month. I am on my way now to my main craft to begin."

Twenty minutes later, he was being briefed on the plan, but he insisted on one change. "The first craft into each sector is to locate the building and compound where the local royal family is kept. I want those flattened on a molecular level first. The rest of the sector afterwards. Change your flight plans accordingly and we will convene again. With success, I will want to send in seeker craft to find and remove pockets of survivors.

Time is of the essence. The longer that this takes, the less bonus for us all."

When he was satisfied with the plans," he nodded to the aircrews tasked with the removal of the compounds, "There is little wind, so this will be like the practice range. Good hunting."

As the first of the bombers left the bellies of his heavy cruisers, the commander watched as the close air support craft pounded the compound housing the new refugees to get through the normal defenses which the Xer built into all of their off-world structures. They peeled away climbing to make room for the bomber approaching from twelve miles out and slowing slightly.

Two slanted pods slid down into place under its belly and twenty-four rockets, each over ten inches in diameter began to race from the pods, two at at time. Four of them were directed at the compound, each one of them dispersing a mixture of ethylene oxide and very fine aluminum microflakes.

At the right instant, a small charge detonated in each silvery cloud, and the rolling fireball from the whole salvo obliterated and area of almost sixty-two square miles.

The Xer commander turned away from the display in his quarters and thought of his bonus for being this far ahead of his timeline.

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The day was a pleasant and warm one for the middle of December and the two walked up the long and overgrown pathway toward the serpentine roadway up the mountain.

"Thank you for this," Shaevre said, "for allowing me to come along. I know that you didn't need much more than the rope and such few things that you bought."

"It was important," Selena said, "not so much for now, but for later. I wanted you to see how things are done out here a little bit, buying supplies and just enjoying a quiet bit of ale as well."

"Was it not ... shaming a little to be with me?" the Xer asked, "Everywhere we went, the people stared at me. I suppose it was to be expected. It would be much the same on Xer -- in one of the smaller places. Only the other way around."

Selena walked on without looking up, "Would it have shamed you to be seen with me there?"

"No, of course not," Shaevre replied.

Selena turned, "That they stared was one thing, and expected," she smiled, "but there were a few who wondered if we were a couple. I quite enjoyed it as I watched the tiny wheels spin in their little heads. Bzzzzzz."

Shaevre stared, "But --"

Selena put her arm around Shaevre's waist, "Stop it, alright? I don't wish to hear the way that you look down on yourself just because you're a little unusual here. I'm sure the on Xer, you're considered lovely and that's the way that you look to me. I was proud to be seen with you, Shaevre. Please don't take that away from me.

I don't care what they think. I don't care what anyone thinks. I've never had a friend who felt so good to be near." She smirked, "As far as that goes, I've never slept with my arms around someone who felt so good to hold. I was asleep in no time, wrapped in the arms of my friend, Shaevre. I never fall asleep easily, I never have, and ever since my family was killed, it's been even harder to fall asleep. Last night, I just drifted off."

She stopped suddenly, "I think I know why."

"Why?" Shaevre asked.

Selena stood looking off into nothing for a moment and then she smiled and looked up, "It's because I felt safe."

She began to walk again. "Please tell me that you liked sleeping like that, Shaevre. We might even have to become what we're pretending to be after this is over," she laughed, "That way, we won't have to buy you a bed when we go back to my farm and I'll always feel that way."

"I did, Selena," Shaevre said looking down, "I liked it."

"Why do you say that as though it embarrasses you?"

"It doesn't embarrass me -- well not much, and not with you," the Xer said quietly, "I was listening. Do not look back. The large fool from the inn follows us and he has brought others with him. They are maybe thirty paces behind us, or a little more. There are four of them."

"What should we do?" Selena asked a little nervously.

"Nothing," Shaevre smiled, "only walk just a little quicker. Arrax cautioned me not to cause too much of a scene wherever we went today. He said that the appearance of one of us would cause enough of a stir all by itself. Unless they begin something in the next few minutes, we will not have to do anything." She pulled Selena along and they began up the serpentine road at a trot.

They were four rows up with another twelve to go when the men came out of the undergrowth. "There they are! The large man yelled, "Come on lads, I'll wager they've got a bit of gold on them!"

Two more rows, and Shaevre stopped.

"What are you doing?" Selena asked.

"They have no bows," Shaevre smiled, "We may walk from here. By coming here, their lives are forfeit." She pointed to the stone men, "The way is guarded."

Selena looked and saw that the rock figures below the men were already moving. She was surprised at how quickly they could move -- and how silently.

"I'm a little disappointed," she said as they began to walk again, "I was going to ask if we ought to give them a show as well to bring them closer. But no matter," she smiled as they walked and the first of the men began to realize their peril. Shaevre looked down as Selena took her hand and they walked to the top.

As they sat watching Selena's mare graze behind the stables, Shaevre looked troubled.

"You know," Selena said with a smirk, "I'm surprised at everything, but about the only thing that bothers me is when you get that look on your face. What's the matter now?"

Shaevre sighed, "There is another thing."

"Just tell me," the thief groaned, "is this the other thing from last night that you said there wasn't one of, or is this ANOTHER other thing? I hope I get this out of you just a little easier. This is hard on my nerves."

"Just be patient with me," Shaevre smiled over hopefully, "I begin to pity you for having to listen to my troubles, but I am thankful."

"It's alright," Selena smiled, "I don't mind as much as I make out. The times when you smile at me are worth it."

They went back to reviewing what needed to be done.

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When Nahl'een had gone to bed, they ate a light evening meal in the kitchen and walked past the large fire where Ny'Zeille sat with Arrax, complaining to him about Dahlgren. Selena was careful to reach for Shaevre's hand so that the demon could see it as they walked.

"All right," Selena said as she closed the door of her room, "You look as miserable now as you did last night." She looked at Shaevre already sitting on her bed, "What is it? We're supposed to be lovers, Shaevre, don't force me to go over there and torture you with my kisses to get it out of you."

"I do not think that it would be all that much torture anymore," the Xer smiled a little.

"Really?" Selena chuckled as she pushed Shaevre onto her back and looked down at her, reaching to stroke her ear. "I could do it, you know, I'm even in the mood. I have no idea what to do beyond that, but I thi-"

The rest was lost as the Xer reached up and pulled Selena down onto her and her kisses began. Shaevre rolled Selena onto her back and the unlikely demon girl raised her legs and wrapped them around the Xer's hard frame.

"You like this?" Shaevre asked in her accent, and Selena nodded as she ran her hand over Shaevre's shoulder and bicep. She so loved that fur.

Shaevre's cleft was far different from Selena's. When she was aroused, it looked something like the seamed half of a plum with a slightly elongated end where her clitoris sat there in a bit of a point. She found that it felt good to press it against Salena, and after some careful positioning, she pressed her clitoris under Selena's and it penetrated the half inch of its length. When she did that, Selena moaned for the way that Shaevre's very soft fur felt against her own nub.

After a few hopeful and suggestive movements of her hips against Sheavre, they were humping slowly in a minute and it felt so right to them that they went on for a long time, right through several soft orgasms from each side. When Shaevre lifted herself up a little, Selena smiled as she ran her fingers over Shaevre's breasts. Compared to her own, they were larger, but on Shaevre's body, the way that they were shaped and how firm and hard they were, just made Selena think of lying under a very strong man and she wanted to be able to get to them with her mouth. She wasn't being filled and she missed that. But the rest was Heaven to her. When they subsided long afterward, Selena was a happy sloppy mess.

"I never knew that it could be like that," she smiled over after Shaevre rolled off her.

"Nor I," the Xer blinked in a bit of wonder.

"Come on," Selena grinned, "after this, you can't feel as withdrawn as you were before. I can tell you that I hope this is as good for you as it is for me, so what was the other thing?"

The Xer looked at Selena a little blankly, "Other thing?"

"Yes," Selena chuckled, "has it left your head again? My plan has obviously failed. I'll never get that famous other thing out of you now." She smirked, "What have I got left to use to pry it out of you? You seem to have made me your bitch and everything, and all I wanted was to hear about the other thing. ... well, that's not true at all, I guess."

Selena was surprised that Shaevre still seemed to be suddenly shy about it all over again, but at last, Shaevre did make an attempt. "I do not know if you are the bitch here. I only know that I have feelings for you, and ... I guess now that I did before. The second thing is that soon, it will be the time for me to take a mate and go into my heat. I didn't think that I would find a male for me -- and I did not dare to hope for what has happened.

I don't know how I would have ever found the courage to ask you, but I had a hope that if we could become close friends -- in a hurry, I suppose, I ... " She groaned to herself.

Selena reached over and wouldn't let Shaevre withdraw. "Tell me. Look at us. Look at how we are. If I can help, then you know that I want to. What do you need in this?"

Shaevre couldn't even force herself to open her eyes much as she said it. Finally, she raised her head and she looked suddenly angry as she looked down at Selena. "I wish to ask you for your help. If you can help me when my heat is on me, and it will be difficult to do, I am afraid, ..."

She hung her head in shame and her voice came so quietly that even as quiet as they'd been before, Selena found that she had to strain to hear it.

"If you can help me, ... if you want to and would help me, I ,... I think I will be yours, "she whispered, " Not as a true mate but close. I will never leave you. We do not do this for the short term, Selena. Otherwise I will become a wild thing, seeking a male Xer where there are none who want me. If it had already happened, the ones here would withdraw from me even more, because to mate with me then is to agree to a longtime pairing -- usually for our lives. There is no quick fuck that will calm me then, and once begun, I would kill any female who even comes near to the male who mates with me."