Nights and Days in Hive Acropolis Ch. 04

On one pass, Rebeck doesn't quite get her roll right. She ends up flat on her back.

Vaia feels nervous.

Rebeck just laughs. "You got me. Under some systems, that's a point."

She shoots back to her feet.

"Little change this time," she says. "You're going to start off standing normally. When I start to charge, you drop into your stance, then step, then trip. Okay?"

"Okay."

Rebeck roars, and starts her charge, lumbering forward.

Vaia adopts her stance. Rebeck's already too close. She's not quick enough. She looks down at her feet. The second she does it, taking her eye off her partner, she realises her mistake. Way too slow. Rebeck's going to hit her.

At the last moment, Rebeck takes a big step to the side and darts round Vaia. She steps up behind her, chuckling and ruffling her hair.

"Often there's no time for clever stances when a fight starts. Sorry for the little trick. Same again, but no stance. Just get out of the way any old how. Try and trip if you can, but keep it simple and just move."

Vaia nods. She didn't expect this to go so well! She knows she's hardly learnt anything -- nothing usable at all, Rebeck said -- but she's really feeling more confident, for sure.

Another roar. Not worrying about a stance, Vaia can wait... and jump aside when Rebeck gets close. She doesn't manage to go for the trip.

Rebeck nods. "Nice. You stayed really calm. I thought you'd move too early."

"I know you're so quick that you won't crash into me unless you want to now," says Vaia.

"Well, one more step before we call it. This time, you start with your back to me. What you do, is up to you. Start moving when you hear the roar."

They get back to their positions and Vaia turns away.

Vaia plans what she'll do and waits to hear the roar. She waits. And waits. Suddenly she hears light steps coming up on her fast. She starts to move...

And is scooped up in strong arms as Rebeck hugs her from behind.

"Got you!"

"Hey! She didn't roar! No fair!" Sash calls out.

"All's fair in love and war," murmurs Vaia as she turns her head.

Her mistress claims a kiss as her prize.

***

"This is so lame," grumbles Sash.

"You only say that because you don't have a cute girl in your lap," says Rebeck.

Rebeck's choice was beers and vid shows. Specifically, a catch-up on episodes of Gangs of Necromunda.

They are in Sash and Rebeck's sitting room. Rebeck sprawls on the couch with Vaia squirming happily in her lap. Sash sits in an armchair to one side.

Gangs of Necromunda -- or just Gangs -- began as an investigative documentary on gang life in the Imperium's most notorious hive world, shortly after the creation of IBN, the Imperial Broadcasting Network. That was well over a century ago now. Quickly, as those being documented played up to the cameras, it became a reality show. From there, it transformed into its regular form, of a soap opera with plenty of action, and as much sex as the Ministorum censors would let them get away with. (Now, in the time of the Republic, that last had liberalised a lot.) By now, it was hailed as the longest-running show in human history, and it still managed to take detours into other genres and the strangest arcs from time to time.

In this episode of Gangs, the gladiators of Necromunda (why gladiators had become part of the plot would take too long to explain) have been recruited into a gang war, and their actions are being narrated by a voice-over imitating the style of anthropological documentaries. A run-of-the-mill episode, really.

"Yeah, colour me jealous," says Sash, swigging from her bottle. "But couldn't we watch something else?"

"No," says Rebeck. "Hard as you try, even you aren't so contrary as to dislike Gangs." She plants a kiss on top of the dark head of the girl in her lap.

"I don't dislike it," says Sash, mildly. "It's an institution. No denying it. Always there. Always fresh. Respect due. And the rest. It's just there's other shows I prefer."

"Like what?" asks Rebeck.

"Well, there's some live racing on right now."

"Trikes?"

"Of course."

Squat trike-racing has become very fashionable lately. They are vehicles well-suited to the ash that makes up the surface of much of Necromunda. Tracks have sprung up around most major hives. Apparently, it is one of the short, broad exiled abhumans' ways of raising money for their campaign to relieve their Homeworlds.

The Squat diaspora remains uniformly insistent that their people are just under siege by the Tyranids, and have not all been eaten.

The races draw big crowds, with people from all levels of the hive making their ways by their different means out to the tracks to watch live. Most recently, Necromundan channels have started broadcasting live races.

Rebeck turns her head and gives Sash a suspecting look. "You're following it now with your cogitator, aren't you? And betting."

"Maaaybe," replies Sash.

Rebeck grunts. "Tell you what, we'll make tomorrow a race day. Just promise me you'll stick to your limits, okay?"

"Pfft. Killjoy. I'm rolling in thalers. I do what I want."

"Hey, we may not always be this lucky! The boss recruits cheap, promotes fast, and moves people on the moment they're feeling irreplaceable. Right now, we're benefiting from that, but it won't last."

"Yeah, yeah. Fine. I'll keep to my limits. You're saving enough for both of us though. Hey Vaia! The only thing she blows money on is more sex toys!"

Vaia soaks up the information in the by-play while enjoying Gangs.

Then, something registers. "Mmm, Mistress?"

"Yes?"

"A race day? You mean we go down to the track and watch it in-person?"

"Yeah, of course."

Vaia sits up excited. "Really? They never let me watch the races! Not even on vids!"

"What, really?" asks Sash. "Your House is the worst. Bigger killjoys than Ms Purse-strings over there."

"They said the racing was a waste of resources. And that we should just donate some money to the Squat war-chest directly instead. So we do that. And no races."

"Good thing we don't care about their rules, ain't it?" Rebeck puts her arms around Vaia, pulls her firmly back down into her lap and grabs her tits.

"It's not just about the crazy crusade they keep claiming's going to happen," says Sash. "I've met some of the racers. They don't give a shit. They just love racing."

"Sash, I swear, if you start going on again about how hot you think Squats are now..."

Sash giggles and sticks her tongue out at Rebeck.

On Gangs, the gladiators of Necromunda are gunned down in brutal fashion. One of them has their torso blown apart in a spectacular slo-mo shot with a bolt shell.

"Bet that was real," opines Rebeck.

"Nah," says Sash.

One persistent rumour about Gangs has always been that there is one genuine on-screen death per episode.

"That wasn't a real bolt shell," says Vaia. "The explosion pattern was all wrong. Probably a charge shaped specially for the shot."

Rebeck and Sash look at each other. "Okay," says Rebeck, "Van Saars know their bolts. But it could still have been a real death."

"Do you think they really got a guy to let them put an explosive on him to die on-screen like that?" asks Sash.

"Maybe they said it was a squib and he got a nasty shock?"

"You think he bought that when they had to put it inside him? It was a dummy body!"

"I still think..."

The episode has ended. And the sun has gone down.

"Night falls," Sash hisses melodramatically.

"And our true natures emerge," Rebeck purrs into Vaia's ear.

"Wha...?"

"Shush now," says Rebeck firmly. "Permission to speak rescinded." She pulls Vaia's arms behind her back, painfully.

"Oh!" Vaia exclaims, thrilling at how quickly her excitement's building.

Sash crawls across the floor to the other two, weaving sinuously. When she comes up the couch, she tears off Vaia's t-shirt.

Vaia bites her lip, watching Sash.

Sash produces a tube of lipstick. "Now we induct you into our secret cult," she intones, starting to draw something with it on Vaia's stomach.

Rebeck knocks her hand. "Don't draw that damn symbol. It's not safe."

"Oh come on!"

"Weird things happened that time you did that!"

"That was from all the drugs we were on! Not some silly symbol! Fine..."

Sash settled for writing 'SLUT' on Vaia's belly instead. And then something longer above her breasts... 'Van Saars suck'.

The mood has changed so fast. They are showing her, Vaia realises. They can be her friends by day... and her lovers and tormentors by night. She lets herself melt into Rebeck's unyielding grip. She feels like she's ascended to heaven, not just a Spire.

Sash tosses away the lipstick. She reaches between Vaia's legs and pops out the small butt plug. Two probing fingers soon replace it. Vaia wriggles down against Sash's hand.

"You've been taking it easy all day, baby," says Sash. "You ready to take something big in here again?"

Vaia nods.

"Answer her out loud," Rebeck instructs.

"I'm ready," she gasps out.

Sash smirks. "You really like taking it in the ass, don't you?"

Vaia nods frantically. "I love it!"

"Always the same with Van Saars," gloats Sash, her fingers exploring Vaia and warming her up. "Get them to open up and in no time at all it turns out they're as kinky as anything."

"I've certainly opened her up," Rebeck concurs.

"What do you say, big girl?" Sash asks. "Really go to work on her tonight? Want to suit her up and take turns railing her cute ass?"

"That sounds like a good way to start," says Rebeck. "Got to start her oral training for real after that."

"Oh, she'll be drooling for that!" Sash predicts, laughing. "Once she starts, you'll never get that mouth of hers off your dick!"

"Good thing it's detachable then, isn't it?"

Rebeck stands up, and easily puts Vaia over her shoulder, carrying her back to her bedroom. Sash skips ahead of them, cackling.