Kya

"Which evil men? What happened?"

Kya's eyes took on a far-off focus as she struggled to remember.

"I remember coming back to meself when I opened my eyes and heard noise. A loud chopping noise that was all around me. I was bare, kneeling on a hard metal grate floor. My wrists and ankles were chained to the floor. In my field of vision were three men. One of them was doing up his pants, and I had the taste of him in my mouth, and I could also feel residue in my sheath. I turned my head slowly, and more men were around me. It was a smallish room, and the entire floor vibrated. The chopping noise seemed to come from above and behind me.

The men were talking, but I dinna know what they were saying, I did not know the language. I could see two of them laughing as they poured glittery stones into a pouch. The stones glittered in the light and they laughed as they poured them in. One of them looked over at me, and then smiled. I dinna like his smile.

I felt hands on my hips, then the chains around my wrists and ankles were undone, and I was roughly turned over, my vision was now able to see a number of men, mostly naked, or nearly so, all ready to use me. As one of the men grabbed me wrist to rechain it, I reacted. I lashed out, sending a man against the wall as my foot connected with his parts, his hand hit a handle and the wall slid open, revealing a grey cloud outside the room. Freedom.

I got to my feet, and noticed one of the men had pulled out a weapon of some type. I dove for the door, but my hand reached for and grabbed the pouch they had been pouring the beads into as I went, then I was outside of the room, and falling.

Next thing I knew, the coldest water I had ever felt was all around me, then you were there, helping me out of the water, Natanial. You saved me."

Nate had pulled up a chair and was sitting on it, intently watching her as she recalled the tale.

"You don't remember anything before then? Like where you're from, your family or anything else?"

Kya slowly shook her head. "I know me name, Kya Kilvanysa Desinlo. But not much else. I know that I am lost, Natanial. But, you've found me, am I safe with ye?"

Something about the name tickled the back of Nate's memory, but he had to find out more. If his suspicions were right, then whoever had been keeping Kya would be looking for her. Those diamonds were not just normal rocks, this was big, like Human Trafficking big, Drug Cartel big, or even corrupt government big. He was going to need help to keep both Kya and himself safe.

He nodded at her, then went to pick up the phone, and fished out a card that he had not looked at or used in more than a decade. However, the Old Man wasn't dead, there would have been a state funeral with all the trimmings if that had happened. No matter where he was, they'd get the message to him.

"Hello? This is Captain Briggs. I need to speak to the Admiral." He waited for what seemed like an eternity, then a familiar voice came on the line.

"Captain, what in blazes are you doing calling me?"

"Sir, you told me when I mustered out that if I hit a situation that was over my head to call you. I've hit that now."

"This isn't about a girl, is it? I'm a bit old to give relationship advice, son." The voice said, a bit of the gruffness toned down.

"Well, it is about a girl, but not in that way, Admiral. May I explain?"

Nate gave a quick and succinct recap of the past 24 hours, passing over the passionate lovemaking, a detail the Admiral didn't need to know. He waited as the Old Man digested the information.

"She dropped out of the sky, over the bay, right into the water? You heard no aircraft, but all your electronics failed? Tell me what she looks like again?"

Nate described her in detail to the Admiral, then he heard the Old Man catch his breath.

"Captain, you keep that girl safe, at all costs. Where are you? Still at that bar of yours?"

"Yes, Sir. I live above it." Nate replied.

"I'm assigning a team to your location. They'll be there, front and back within about twenty minutes. We'll meet tomorrow and I'll exchange that pouch of stupidity you have for something that will be a lot more handy for you. I'll call you at oh nine hundred hours tomorrow, Captain. We'll meet at twelve hundred. Out." The Admiral hung up, leaving Nate a bit more perplexed, but also reassured. Something about this story got him interested, and a navy team assigned to the bar? That was real security, which meant Kya was in some kind of danger that the Admiral knew about.

It still didn't explain who she was, and now she was sitting there, looking at him with a very worried expression on her pretty face. Nate walked over and pulled her into a hug, then kissed her.

"I'm getting some help to keep you safe. So evil men don't get you again. We'll figure this all out." He said, getting her long arms wrapping around his neck and a passionate kiss in return.

"Thank ye, Natanial." she said, then rested her head on his shoulder again. Kya was just about the same height as him, maybe an inch or two shorter than his 6' even, but she always seemed so small. Yet, even with her in his arms, she seemed to fill the room with life, and his entire being was convinced, he had to protect her and make sure she didn't come to any harm.

...

Nate awoke from the memories and dreams the next morning to find Kate in his room, quietly putting some things away. It was much later than he normally slept, but he was not surprised to find his sister helping out as she always did.

Kate, his twin sister, born just minutes ahead of him, but with a mild disability that kept her from achieving the same goals he had achieved. He had always protected her, never more so than when their parents had been killed in the tragic car accident.

He sat up, and Kate smiled, then with a soft huff that was about the only sound she allowed herself to make, took him a hot cup of steaming coffee, just the way he always liked it in the mornings. She was dressed just in a flimsy spaghetti-strap top and very short shorts, so virtually her entire body was on display, as she had always liked to dress. For her, it was always comfort over substance.

Kya had taught Kate to dress as she liked to, not for other people. Kya had worked tirelessly with Kate to bring her out of the shell she had withdrawn into for more than a decade. Doing more with her in five months than he and Charlene, plus a small army of counsellors had been able to do in ten years.

Kya had also been intimate with his sister, and that never bothered Nate. He knew that, after her first and almost only male experience with Joey Grimes, back in high school. An experience that left Kate a woman, but in tears, and Joey with two broken arms, courtesy of her angry twin brother, Kate had sworn off boys and had fallen into the arms of her girlfriends. She had never looked back, much enjoying the comfort of women to the roughness of men.

She had always had a thing for Nate, and on more than one occasion, he had been firm with her to stop her advances towards him as she tried to make him feel better after his own romantic disasters, by offering to help him sexually when his urges got too strong. But, he almost never crossed that line with her. It didn't stop him getting serious cases of blue balls when she would then deliberately prance around in front of him topless, or wearing one of his sweatshirts and nothing else, then flop on his bed alluringly.

The one time they had crossed the line into incest had been after the death of their parents. Nobody else knew, and neither him, nor Kate would ever tell of their affair that had helped them to both cope with the loss of the two people who for Kate, had been her entire world while her brother was off defending the planet with the United Nations Naval Forces.

She flopped onto the bed, wrapping herself around him, and he could smell the soft baby powder smell of her deoderant, plus the gentle scent of Kate herself. Kate knew how to talk, but she refused to speak. Ever since the car accident, she had just begun to become quiet. Eventually, she just stopped speaking altogether.

Nate recalled her last spoken words to him "I'll never forget them, Nate. Never forget me either."

She was aggressive, she was sexual, she was his sister, and Kate enjoyed getting both a rise out of her brother, and the resultant short spanking that he gave her. As he felt himself getting hard, he tried to dislodge her, but this was a game she played most mornings when she was at home, and she would not be denied, not until he flipped her face-down across his lap, and her panties were pulled down to her knees, with her help as she lifted her hips.

A few firm hard slaps across her bottom was all she needed, but she waited, until Nate released her, before rising to her knees and kissing him on both cheeks, then his forehead, then she slipped off the bed and wriggled as she pulled her panties up, then was gone out of the room.

This was a ritual that had been established back when they were about eight or nine. Nate didn't remember exactly when. She had been always getting into trouble, and bare spankings were the norm at home. She always seemed to be getting them from Mom or Dad. It took Nate until sixteen to realize that Kate enjoyed getting spanked, and she didn't care who did it, as long as they loved her. Mom and Dad knew that she got her bottom smacked by her brother, but they didn't interfere with that either, because that was as far as it went, so they didn't see the need to cause a problem or make a fuss. Kate was never upset, so it must be fine.

As Nate got out of bed and did his morning routine in the bathroom, Kate came back in, hugged him from behind, then waited until he turned and hugged her back, then she was gone again, downstairs to begin setting up the bar for the new day.

What would seem unusual to most was just a part of her being. Nate had always defended his sister, against everybody and everything. It had been a terrible break for him to enlist and go off to the Navy at eighteen, but he had done so. Due to her disability, Kate was unable to enlist, even though she wanted to, just as badly. One good thing had been Nate meeting the Admiral on his first tour, and proving his mettle during the East China Sea conflict.

The bloodiest battle that nearly became the first all-out nuclear war in the history of the planet. Both China and Japan fighting over a patch of dirt in the middle of the water. The Senkaku/Diaoyu islands, or what was left of them now had been fought over for centuries between the two countries.

It was what had led to the forming of the United Nations Navy, because with the world becoming more unified, individual naval forces tended to overlap. The US and British navies had been the first to agree, and both had donated ships and crews to the new UN forces. Nate had been on board the USS Ronald Reagan, The Mighty 76, when it was deployed as part of the inaugural UN fleet to the East China Sea.

He'd met the Admiral, a British born half Japanese Naval officer by the name of Ryo Camelin early on, as the Old Man had the tendency to walk the decks regularly, and mingle with all of his crew. He never put himself above any of his people, and was always ready to listen and help sort out issues, even if they were about things like trash detail. To his credit, the Old Man looked like something out of a Japanese cartoon. Long mostly white beard, always walked with a cane, always wore an Admiralty Greatcoat from the 19th century. Quite archaic in a way, but boy did he control that ship, and the entire fleet with an iron fist. He never faltered.

Nate worked his way through the ranks until he reached the rank of Lieutenant, during the third year of deployment. Lots of shooting, and room for improvement, and Nate improved dramatically. He was no pilot, but he was a damn good Flight Deck officer, and on his watch, only a few times did incidents occur. He was always ready to assist, even off-duty, so he rose steadily through the ranks.

It was during a rotation, when the ship was cruising back to Frisco for a six week weapon upgrade and restocking. This was when the Admiral got to know Nate a bit better, much to Nate's surprise.

The Ship cruised into Frisco, all staff on deck to show the city the deployment forces of one of the biggest and the best. The Mighty 76 home for a short time before going back to the simmering powder keg that was the East China Sea conflict. She pulled into dock and most of the crew offloaded for some much needed shore leave. Nate was off to Pacific Heights, back to his home where his parents and sister awaited.

What he did not expect, as he walked down the gangway and onto the dock, was the bundle that flew out of the crowd and tackled him so hard he nearly fell over. He barely had time to breathe as Kate was all over him, kissing his cheeks and hugging him tightly, refusing to let him go, even as his Mom tried gently but firmly to pull her off him. The rest of the crew streaming off the ship made room around the three, as Kate refused to let go, latched onto him like a limpet mine, and would just not let him go.

Not that Nate minded. He'd dropped his duffel and had no idea where his cap was, Kate was wrapped around him like a long lost girlfriend or puppy, and she was just not letting him loose. He could feel her sobbing quietly, and the wetness of her tears was slowly making it's way through his uniform jacket. Nate kissed the top of her head, then gently tried to pry at least one of her arms loose so he could hug Mom, but Kate would have none of it, holding onto him like he was her prize, and nobody else could have him.

"Looks like a very happy reunion." Came a voice from behind him, and Nate instinctively turned, Kate still in his arms, and managed a passable salute to the Admiral, standing just a few steps behind him, Nate's cap in his hand.

The Admiral returned the salute, then bowed gently towards the ladies, and handed Nate's cap to his mother. "I rescued it before it went for a swim, ma'am. I would assume you are Lieutenant Briggs' mother?"

"Yes, thank you, Sir." Mom replied, then held out her hand to shake the Admiral's in a firm grip. "Janet Briggs, and the bundle that is currently occupying Nathaniel is his twin sister, Katarina."

Kate idly waved, not letting go and barely allowing Nate to move, until he finally gave up and sat down, letting Kate sit on his lap and make herself comfortable as she kept kissing and hugging him.

"I'd think she missed him a great deal, from the way she just won't let go. As a twin I can better understand her focus now." The Admiral said as he smiled down at Nate and his sister.

"You have a twin, sir?" Nate asked between kisses.

"Had, son. My bother died about forty years ago, but we were very close up until that happened. Might as that made me join the Navy, way back then." He looked up at the bright sunny sky. "Well, off to the Officers' club for me, then a hotel for a while as they restock the 76."

"Kate, let me up, this is important." Nate said, and Kate reluctantly got up so he could rise, but refused to let go of his arm.

"Admiral, Sir?" He asked, causing the Old Man to turn back and glance at him again.

"I know this isn't your home port, but if you would like, you can come with us and enjoy some home-cooked meals. That would be OK, right Mom?" He asked, getting a nod from his mother.

"Son, there is no way I can possibly intrude upon your shore leave. That just wouldn't be right." The Old Man replied.

"With respect, Admiral, it's no intrusion." The Admiral turned to see Nate's Dad walking towards them, all military bearing himself. He came up and then saluted. "Colonel Jacob Briggs, retired, Sir. It would be my great honour to have you in my home."

"Gulf War?" The Admiral asked.

"Yes, Sir. You remembered?" Dad had replied.

"You flew Prowlers?"

"Right again, Admiral. I was the pilot who spotted the Cruise Missile sortie that had been fired against the Big Stick on day 12. We relayed the inbound, and the missiles were taken out without harm. Nice to meet you, Sir." Dad said, and shook the Admiral's hand.

Thus began a friendship that extended beyond military life. The Admiral had no family left alive. He had never been married, as a career officer, the ships of the fleet were his family, but he did like to come ashore and have something to look forward to, so the Briggs' basically adopted him.

He went home with them and was put up in Nate's room, while Nate happily tossed his duffel in Kate's room as they were used to sharing anyways, and he doubted he'd sleep alone while he was home in any case. Nothing sexual, just Kate and he had always been close and when he'd gone off on trips before, she'd always spent the first few nights of his homecoming cuddled up to him, as if sleeping with him helped to ease the loneliness of him being gone.

After a fine home-cooked meal of roast beef, oven roasted potatoes, fresh cut veggies and some ice cream, they all sat around and talked until the wee hours. Dad and the Admiral traded war stories while Nate added in his own when he could, but his experience was nothing on the two warhorses sitting in the living room. Mom went off to bed first, then Nate finally realized it was very late when he shifted, and Kate's sleeping head slumped into his lap.

"I'd better get her to bed. Good Night, Admiral, Night Dad." He said.

Dad and the Admiral both stopped and rose.

"You need help, Nate?" Dad had asked.

"Nah, she's a feather." Nate replied, then lifted his sleeping sister and tossed her over his shoulder as she kept on quietly snoring. He walked up the stairs to her room as the two older men continued their conversation and into her room, all pink, but now he noted it had posters and decorations of the Navy, and specifically, of the Reagan. Kate had been following him and keeping his memory alive in her own head until he returned.

He gently knelt and tumbled Kate back onto her bed, she was dead asleep and didn't even move. Her bed, like his, was a queen mattress, as Mom and Dad had realized a long time ago, that both their twin kids tended to sleep together, so they'd better have enough room to be comfortable. He turned and closed the door to her room, then set about undressing his sleeping sister.

It was an easy matter to peel off her t-shirt, leaving her in just the thin bra, and then he unbuttoned her pants and with a quick roll born from more than a decade of practice, her pants were down her thighs and then off, leaving her in just her panties. He pulled down the covers, and lifting her, slipped her into her bed with a kiss to her cheek.

Nate then stripped himself down to just his shorts and got into the bed beside her. As he was making himself comfortable, she rolled, shifted, one eye blearily opened, and he had an armful of twin as she cuddled up to him then was asleep again.

The next six weeks were a breath of fresh air, then it was time to ship out again. Kate was, as usual, all tears and distraught, making Nate promise, even pinky swear, that he would come home. She also looked at the Admiral and made him promise to keep Nate safe. To Nate's surprise, the Admiral took Kate's hand in his and made that promise to her. They both kept the promise, but not because he was done his tour.

The 76 pulled out of Frisco and steamed back to the East China Sea, to rejoin the deployment, and it arrived just as things got really hot.

Nate sighed as he remembered the events leading up to the third nuclear explosion in wartime.

The Unusual circumstances of Orion Flight 484 had started the escalation to full conflict. Nate recalled that flight taking off on his watch and then hearing the frantic reports that the plane had vanished from Radar later on that day. Search crews out flying for days, trying to find any sign of the wreckage, or any evidence of what had happened to a fully fuelled Orion and it's 12 crewmen.