Rise of the Star Ch. 07

Instead, she saw cities with skyscrapers, she saw towns with working amenities, she saw farms and factory complexes, mechanized mining areas, and overall she might have assumed this to just be how planets were LIKE, as there was only a distinction in architecture from the cities of her now extinct empire. If she did not check that fact and saw what else was in the empire, she might think that the title of prison planet was a lie. But it was. Here was where the people who did bad things in this place went, those who wanted to redeem themselves. Here they could pursue jobs to give back to the rest, they could get paid for them and slowly let that misfortune score drip out of them.

While prisoners could not lead this place, they could certainly help. Such a strange notion, to just... let them be people. But it was important. One might have that redemption not come at all if they suffered too hard. The challenge had to exist, but not be too strong. And she was not among those who would be a danger to people... those that were unredeeming and judged as such were simply killed off. No resources wasted if someone thought "a few years there and then back to murdering people" whenever they were caught. You only came to this planet once.

And she was even more impressed by what she could get here. An apartment... not too great, but it was certainly decent enough. They had started them on level two of misfortune, which meant that level three was the highest they could reach in fortune. Perhaps a harsh treatment to automatically assume them as criminals, but it had results. No more people coming in to just get all your luxuries. Some left as soon as they were told this was where they would go rather than one of their utopian worlds. What do you mean a refugee can't come and live like a king?

But, this was favorable. Her people had a home. She had a home. The apartment was decent and she was now sitting on her sofa, watching the news of the greater events in the galaxy. Over the last month, three more empires fell. That left only six other than the empire. The Zynn were too big to take quickly, the Azaan were showing their military might, as were the OCS and the Ix. Yant were on their last legs and the Nex were giving a good defense. No word of any of her people making it elsewhere. Seemed she was the first and last.

A knock on her door took her out of the consideration of the galaxy at large. There was still an expectation that she should be decent or that guards might search her room at random, and yet they treated this space with sanctity unless one might do something unpleasant. Most of the time, knocks meant that some neighbors reached out, or maybe her own people, or others who found her general caretaker job to require overtime. Seemed that Tan were just better at it.

It took more than a moment to recognize the woman on the other side of the door. Both of them were dressed in these smart fabric outfits, shaped into decently pleasing fashions, both were in their late fifties and yet looked good for it, the curves on their bodies properly accented by their clothing. Once, they had seen each other in a much more important place, and now they were here. Not by accident. Jessica looked at the other woman with a smile.

"Ali'sha. How small the galaxy is."

"Counsel. I... go by a different name now."

"Yes, you do. Made it harder to confirm that rumor that one of the Tan diplomats was leading the refugees. I didn't think it was THE Tan diplomat."

With others, she might expect gloating or some other posturing, but there was no ill feeling in the woman for La'rana to notice. Still, she was unsure where to go from here.

"My actions did lead to a change in profession. A drastic one. Might I ask why you are here? I do not think that we have any position to require a diplomatic envoy."

"They fired you for that, huh? And I'm not here because of work. Just wanted to... see who it was. But now I'm tempted to ask if we can talk a bit."

A social visit. It would be a bit rude to tell the woman to go away after she came such a distance with no ill thoughts. Though La'rana considered that her home was certainly nothing fitting for a delegate of the empire. Still, she stepped aside and waved the woman in.

"I feel as if I should hire a catering service to welcome you. Here stand the last of the Tan and I can only offer tea and biscuits to such an important person."

"Oh, no need for that. We'd have made arrangements through assistants if such a visit was to happen." That was sass. The Tan could smirk. Okay, none of that. "Tea is fine. Bit more sugar in mine." She went to make herself comfortable on the sofa, a glance toward the news. "Keeping yourself appraised of the big scene?"

It was looking more and more like there was not even a well-hidden intent in this woman. This felt more like the Tan was entertaining an old friend. One might call them that, if they never had any good interactions in the years she served as a delegate.

"Reflex, I suppose. And I'm trying to see if others made it out. None did. And even if they made it to other empires..."

"Yeah, they are getting it hard. Still trying to demand things even now. I get them... they're trying for their people, but no way we're answering that after they tried to do to us what the robots are doing to them. Justice, I guess."

As the Tan went to her kitchen to pour out some tea for this guest, she could start to see how her actions had brought her here. She might have found no refuge for her people if she agreed at that moment. She could have enjoyed twenty years in luxury as the delegate or maybe faced the same as the empire did them in. But there was no time to think about the what-ifs... and if she would have faced that choice with this knowledge, selling twenty years of her pleasure for her kind to still EXIST is a low cost, and anyone who makes the opposite deserves to be shot.

"Except for those who have not raised arms against you. But I can say that even they would want to. Still, this is not justice."

The mug was brought over and Jess took it with a show of thanks. A nod and frown and those words. Yeah, didn't fit.

"Okay, no. This is... something just deciding everyone has to die. You know, I don't think we would think any less if other empires survived and let us be. But, let's leave that behind. The war is still a bit depressing. Let's talk good things. I see your people are settling in well. NO incidents whatsoever, as far as I heard. That's gotta be a lie because you never get an 'if everyone would just' scenario. Everyone does not just anything."

"That is because we can anticipate such acts by sensing the feelings of such people and address it before it becomes action. And we have kept close watch on our people. We have a long experience in suppressing dissent. We have used it on our kind."

Jess was unsure how to treat that. Sounded like they were being nightmare police state to their people, but one might consider it worth even a short time to not erupt into anything.

"Just don't get used to doing that constantly. Sometimes people need defiance. Both those doing it and having it done on them."

"It has certainly been less than what we would usually do. And I know. We have taken wholly to your way. As we should." Sip. "I know that it was our way to follow a religion as a matter of course when those above us preach it, but after finding your way we cannot help but like it. The freedom is... exhilarating."

"Welcome to the empire." The delegate raised her mug before giving another sip.

The two of them sat on that couch looking like old girlfriends, but there was just a bit of awkward air that was slowly going away. Smiles came coming out, especially as La'rana saw that it was increasingly unnecessary to guard her emotions... and actually unhelpful.

"It was often so difficult before. There were many rules. Sexuality was to be shunned. It was with reason. If one Tan'a gets horny thoughts, it just mirrors through the others. Without that restriction, every time one of us gets rather feisty... all of those there do." A smirk. "There have been many spontaneous orgies."

"Oh, you are gonna fit in so damn well! About the Tan'a... I see that it is the 'correct' way to say it, but I see that most call you Tan. I hope that doesn't offend you. I'd hate it if someone called me a 'Hum' or something like that."

"On the contrary, it is a bit flattering." A smirk from the woman. "You might not know enough of our language... which impresses me since you had the official job as it..."

"Been twenty years since I had to speak to you guys. Rusty."

"Good point. But, the difference between Tan'a and Tan, is the difference between 'the blessed' and 'the blessing'." A wider smile. "As you can see, it can be rather endearing."

"I did not know that about you guys." Beat. "Girls. Damn, it's just a new era of things being awkward. But, yep. That sounds very pleasant. And we don't even have some special mention of human or astorian."

Well, since the root of Astoria would be Aster, which means star, one might equal their name as "the people of the stars" which is quite the title. Subjects flowed between them as there came big and small foci. It really started being like two friends coming together. Their mugs drained and another round came up. Jessica finally approached that subject again.

"So, how did you guys take to the sex thing... other than the whole hive mind horny thing?"

"It was certainly unusual. Our people took it as an obligation. That we had to offer ourselves. It was particularly endearing to be told that we did not have to unless we wanted to."

"Yeah, we don't do that 'allow everyone to fuck you or get penalized' like the Voor." Beat. "Actually, now that I put it like that, I'm surprised the fuckers didn't do something terrible before. Might as well legalize rape. Eugh."

"And you did not have to sense how they looked to everything as if that was the case. I always felt like I needed a shower after dealing with their delegates. But... your people are much more pleasant. And we have learned to like it."

"Good! You know, with how similar we look, I always did think it a shame that we had no chance to bang or even see porn of you guys."

As an answer, La'rana reached for her chest and made the smart fabric come apart to unveil her mature breasts. They were hefty and full, if only because of the treatments here. Something to make her look better... something to please others when they asked for this. Jess did not hesitate to look at the two cyan orbs with those dark blue nipples.

"No more time for shame." She just let her tits stay out.

Jessica reached halfway and gestured to them as a request to touch, one that received a nod. Strange skin texture, but those were tits. Soft, warm, full, with a point. They did not give blue milk, despite the memes. A grasping, appraising touch to feel the other woman's tits out. They might be old, but they were not without taste.

"Hm. Would bang. But, a bit unfair for just you to be like that." She also pulled her clothes apart to unveil her two mammaries, hand waving toward them as if inviting the other woman to get a feel as well. "Ah, I bet the Forum would be a nicer place if we all followed family."

La'rana reached out to squish those fluffy meat sacks, part of her amazed at where she was now, just casually groping each other's tits when once they stood in that place of intrigue with no good thoughts toward each other.

"You would have liked to have such interactions with all of them. Even though some were not... as pleasing in looks. But I have learned why. This is almost a ritual of trust. It would have been better. I am sorry for the many things I have done there to your displeasure."

"It was your job and you were doing it for your people. I get it. Don't hate you. Especially since you grew a spine." Beat. "Why did you not go to war with us?"

An odd memory to summon as now both of them were with their chests exposed.

"I remember that at the time I could feel how you, despite the many forces against the empire... you had little fear. I could swear that your god was there and telling you to fight. I could feel faith, but also I could tell that there were some logistical issues. Others might go on pride, but I could not throw away my people on pride. Yes, there were consequences. But one of those consequences is that we are here now, alive... rather than dead."

"Outsider wasn't there, but... I heard that the first time he did go to the meetup with the delegate. So much ENVY for that girl. Why didn't he pay me a visit?"

"We have records of that moment. We didn't know. But his rage was so great that it impressed upon our delegate. To think that we saw a god then and had no idea."

"Hey, that's just how he's like." A pause. "Any chance you're getting horny? 'Cause I am and if what you said earlier is true..."

A smile before the other woman decided between unveiling only that part or all of herself... and she chose all. La'rana pulled the outfit away to let her mature body show, with that cock standing stiff between her legs, just behind that nutsack a pussy getting wet. That smirk was flirty and by now she would not say no to such things. Jess gave that smirk back and mirrored her action, showing her form to the other woman. Mature, but still in good, fuckable shape.

No more words were needed as the two assumed the position to do this. Jess slid forward on the couch to offer her pussy as the other woman moved to eat her out, a much-needed warm-up for women, one that prompted the delegate who still had a job as such to propose they move to a bed and get into a sixty-nine. And now she finally had a taste of this blue penis that the woman did have a craving for. A lot of people were coming to Threadway just to get some Tan dick and/or pussy. Nothing unusual. They'd just become the boring local blue space herms in fifty years... give or take. Happened to the rest, and will happen to them.

It was such a delight that Tan and humans... and most of anything else... couldn't make babies together. Zox and Gull still had their universal thing, but you could cum in that pussy or have a blue girl creampie you with no worry, though by this point, everyone had a contraceptive implant. The two went at it with increasing desire, despite their more advanced age. Jess could still suck a cock damn well and her counterpart had enough experience by now to work in a whorehouse. As the temptation of orgasm approached, they would move toward proper fucking, with the human on her back and the other taking the missionary position, a smirk between them as hands went to each other's boobs. They really were fucking like friends. La'rana learned the other use of sex... so the others could get a mere glimpse into what the Tan could feel constantly, a moment of feeling their emotions and cares... and to them there was an added benefit as this moment was particularly disarming and no amount of mental exercise could keep one able to hide any emotions during it.

Back and forth she went, feeling the inside of the woman she had considered a rival, now able to consider her a friend... and a good fuck. La'rana might be tempted to think of how her younger self would look upon this moment, how her 20-year-old self would believe she had fallen hard and lost it all. But she knew better now. She had gained everything and lost only pain. This was the way. This was how her people survived and did better than before. The release was more than just physical as she fired those white jets inside the other woman, as their orgasm was simultaneous because the release of one could help the other. Yeah, Tan orgies ended as soon as the first orgasm came, everyone just blasting at once. Made for some amazing porn once they'd start making some.

And once it was done, the two would walk toward her balcony naked to enjoy a smoke together in the gentle summer heat, a smile between them that showed this was not the last time they would see each other, nor the last time they might fuck. No, they would not get married, but be good friends that fucked. But soon enough would some of the Tan marry other species, with this open sex allowing them to hit up one of their own to have a baby. Perhaps not the best way, but it would take a LONG time to get these species able to interbreed without some weird mutations happening... or worse.

But the Tan now had a future because of this woman. This woman that might as well deserve a monument, but would have only a small memorial one day to tell of her deeds. She would be remembered, and her choice honored. The Tan would not throw away her efforts or those of the Outsider. Maybe they weren't saved from their homeworld exploding without a means to get off it, but they were saved. In more ways than one.

Others were not so lucky.

*

It was time. There was a fervent energy throughout the fleet. This was certainly the fleet to face against a god... though it could still not do anything beyond their dimension. All their titans at the head of large groups of battleships, each ship kilometres-long and armed with enough ordnance to convince a SUN to blow up. Okay, not exactly. Maybe an idea for later. With a final farewell, the ludicrous mass of warships waved Xirak system goodbye as they jumped away.

Okay, they didn't QUITE need to carve a path to the hubs, but they would tell it as if they did. Jumping from one system to another to land right there and wage war with barely a couple of engagements before the first hub was anticlimactic... but that's war. You don't care about making a cool story, you care about doing the job. One's saga need not rhyme, or else they might not be honest in its telling or live in a way that compels them to rhyme.

By now, everyone was gone. Everyone. Everyone. The Nex gave it good, but they were bombed into inexistence. One could not even check yet if that backup thing was real or if they were just giving the Empire hope. The Azaan lasted an impressive amount of time, but still went away in a last, glorious battle. They did manage to set off some mega-nukes to fling some middle fingers at the robots and Astoria could respect that. But everyone else was just... gone. It was just them and the machine hub, its efforts focused on them, or at least it SHOULD be. It had slowed down. WHY DID IT SLOW DOWN?! Such were the thoughts of He Who Is Everything, as that thing was a divine force manifesting as this unstoppable horde, which the empire was stopping only because they were an extension of James's existence. But the Nex also were that, and all the other empires... why they acted how they acted, the way he expected, the way he thought. If he wanted and thought that they should all get along, it might face some disruption, but the forum could have been one nonstop orgy.

The Nex had managed to infiltrate that signal, if only able to disrupt things where the hub was not directing them actively. It was enough. That direction was precious and the builders made it choose between its ships doing anything or those production hubs actually managing to vomit fleets without the need for an industrial complex. But it was still not easy. The fleet parked in the system that had the planetary construction hub, that giant shipyard... still not as big as the hyperstructural assembly yard, but it did the job... it was a keystone for this army. Blow those up and go home. Never been simpler. But it was not easy.

Mina braced for an instant conflict as soon as they left the blink, and she knew what to expect. They were facing a lot of numbers, way over ten thousand ships, though most were smaller corvettes, a mixed bunch while they technically had thrown more naval capacity at them. A fuckton of battleships and the titans at the center of these groupings of gigantic engines of war. The first salvo would launch with so much light blowing through the system one could go blind watching it without protection. They weren't even measured, just running these things ragged in a full overclocked push to show their utter defiance.