Starlight Gleaming Ch. 14

"I'd like that, sir. I still feel pretty weak, but it would be good to move around and to see our people."

"I think they'd like to see you. Several have asked after you." Then I yawned. "Sowitwee, you can come with me on the visit to the hospital tomorrow afternoon. Say hello to your wife."

He smiled happily. "I'd like that, sir. Thank you."

"All right. I'm fading here. See you both in the morning."

After a quick shower and a fresh tee-shirt and shorts, I climbed into bed. Ixma pulled my arms around her. I never even felt Calia get in behind me.

* * * * *

The pressure building in my balls had awakened me.

Round buttocks rubbed vigorously against my groin. My shorts were inexplicably open and with a backward push, my hard shaft entered Ixma's wet heat. Struggling to remain quiet, she held her breath for long stretches as she rocked her hips, then she gasped into her pillow.

Moving my hands, I gripped her hips, moving more firmly and deeper into her slick tunnel. At the increased contact, Ixma arched her back, whimpering, giving me yet deeper access to her pleasure center. With each thrust, her wet nether lips swallowed my length. Ixma pressed backward to meet me, to envelope me within her warm, slick, loving heat. Sawing in and out, harder and harder.

Ixma grunted a couple of times, then she made a long, muted whine. I felt her clamping around my cock, her sensuous inner sheath rippling along my length. A few, firm strokes later, the coiling in my balls suddenly released. I made my own quiet sounds as I erupted into her hot, pulsing core, coating her walls. She stiffened, then shook, letting out another muted cry into her pillow, one hand reaching back to my hip, clutching at my hand on her hip, urging me deeper.

As the ejaculations from my cock faded, Ixma muttered, "Oh, gods, Ranji. I love you so much."

Almost immediately, I was squeezed out. Ixma reached for a hand towel, put it between her legs, then settled, sighing. Then she pulled my arm around her waist, settling it onto her breast. I felt another hand reach around from behind and helped me back into my shorts.

"Please, don't be upset," Calia whispered, snuggling up behind me, slipping her own arm across my own chest. "She needed you."

"Not upset," I mumbled.

In answer, I gave Ixma's hip a squeeze, and pulled her butt until it was snug once again against my groin, then slipped my palm back up to cup her small globe. Ixma made a pleased noise, then her breathing faded to the deeper, slower rhythm of sleep. I closed my eyes and once again drifted away.

* * * * *

The next morning went quickly. Doyya was happily greeted by everyone at the unit. Sergeant Chita made sure that no one bothered her too much while Doyya caught up with reading and signing reports.

More kinks in the busing system were worked out, and by mid-morning, I went with Sergeant Yalcamara to inspect the emergency shelters for the 917th Logistics and Supply. Sergeant Matiwatli showed their progress. He also had initial reports on three more shelters to show. I was pleased with the work and I let him and his team know it.

Doyya and I reviewed training schedules that Chita had worked out, including a suggested one for Doyya. She was surprised to see a three month block of time on her calendar marked Tikún War College, and that she was signed up to take six courses.

"Tikún, sir?"

I nodded. "You need that training. And if you aren't up on book learning, I suggest you become familiar with it. The more education, the better, Doyya. All these classes will also help during the Review Board a year from now. I will do everything I can to help you to you pass your Review, and I believe you will do just fine. However, in three years, you will need to have the skills to pass the tests to become a full Lieutenant."

"I'm still getting used to having rank as an officer, and you're already talking about me moving up."

"You have a problem with that, Sublieutenant?"

"No, sir. I'm grateful for your trust and belief in me."

"I've only known you for a short while, but you've impressed me, Doyya Lovyanchiti, and that's no exaggeration. I want you to be able to advance in rank, even if I'm not around to help foster your career. Besides, I won't give you anything. I intend to make you work for what you get."

"That I am sure of, sir," she grinned. "Your corporal and I watched you for a bit last night. As an officer, will I be expected to know one of the martial arts? I've had some training in basic, but nothing in years."

"It's not required," I told her. "However, knowing how to defend yourself is expected of an officer. It would be counted favorably at the officer's review next year. Talk to Sergeant Yalcamara. She knows some Eagle school I think. I don't think there's an Air Service equivalent here, but reach out to the Ground Service Training and Development for class times. Encourage Yalcamara to go with you. In fact, talk to Chita and make it known that I encourage and will sign off on anyone in the unit who wants that kind of training."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

Despite her enthusiastic response, I could see she was tired. As it was near lunch time, I took Sergeant Chita to lunch with Doyya and Sowitwee, and picked up the order of food that Calia had called in. We left Chita eating her meal, and headed off to the hangar.

Once we arrived, Doyya retired to her bed. Anton ate his lunch at the table. With Sowitwee, I collected Calia, Ixma, and the girls, and we six headed to the Naval hospital.

The visit went too fast, of course. Janetta and the others were happy with the food delivery, as the hospital food was pretty bland and while cooked well, it was not exactly well cooked. Sometimes it was cooked too well.

I sat next to Janetta on her bed, and she surprised me by helping herself to food from my plate. When I looked at her, she said, "Better get used to it, Kandikan. What's yours is mine."

"And yours is mine?"

"Not hardly. What's mine is mine, too." Then she grinned. "But I'll make sure you get plenty of pussy so you won't care. You rock my world, and I intend to rock yours."

"You already do that, my Queen," I laughed. Offering her another bite, she took it, pleased with my adoration.

I talked with them about the houses we'd seen, and let them know that we were going to see more that evening.

Janetta nodded, giving me a thin smile. "You look a little better today. Make sure you are taking care of yourself, Ranji. You are my ground support. When my thoughts aren't flying in the clouds, they are focused on you – when you will be here next, and how much I want to feel your arms holding me tight while I taste those sweet lips of yours."

Well, after such a declaration, I just had to hold her tight and give her a long and thorough kiss. Setting aside my food, I did just exactly that. Janetta looked pleased with my efforts when we broke apart.

I took our finished plates and put them into the return bag. When I went back to Janetta, I picked up her brush and did her hair. She sighed contentedly, closing her eyes while I worked. When I was done, she relaxed against my chest, drawing my arms around her. Across the room, Sowitwee talked in quiet tones with Nariya. Sisi giggled and Mina laughed with Ixma and Zinja. Calia whispered to Cholan.

"What do you think?" I asked her, nuzzling her.

"About what?"

Leaning close, I rested my cheek next to hers. "This is our family."

"Yeah."

"I love you, Janetta Tlacotli."

She narrowed her eyes, looking at me sideways. "You'd better, Ranji Kandikan. I sure put up with a lot for you."

"And you like it."

"Your point?"

I chuckled. "You are such a prickly pear sometimes."

"That's what my name means in Huestican." Then, she paused. "Now I'm curious. What does Ranji mean?"

"Strong defender."

She snorted. "Of course it does. All right, Ranji. Calia can stay if you want her to."

I noticed that Calia gave us a slight glance as her eyes lit up, and that she caught me looking, all the while still talking with Cholan. Ixma wasn't so subtle. She's heard it, too, and beamed from ear to ear, almost bouncing on her feet as she glanced back and forth from Calia to her captain.

"Are you sure? I mean, I'm happy with your decision, but you were pretty resistant to the notion at first."

"Ixma goes on about her almost non-stop. And, she's like you said she was," she admitted. "Visiting with Ixma and your kids. Bringing us good food and treats. Besides, I'm learning about your past from her. We all are."

"Oh, my. I think I should be terrified."

Janetta shifted in my arms so she could see me better. "There is no should about it. Surrender and give in to the terror. Just like I'm terrified by how much you know about me and how much you mean to me. Before all the gods, I love you, Ranji Kandikan."

I had to kiss her. The softness of her lips, her hot breath, and big black eyes full of intelligence and emotion demanded it. And she drew me in, demanding in return. Touching, tasting, enjoying the contact. So we spent long minutes lost in each other.

It was with great reluctance that we had to pack up and leave. For their part, Zinja and Cholan gave me heated kisses of their own, sighing and running their hands over me as I held them. I was surprised when Ixma insisted that she get one, too. Sisi and Mina got chaste kisses and long hugs, and at Ixma's prodding, Calia got her own time. Then we gathered up our things and headed out.

"Find us a home, Ranji," Janetta called out.

"Yes, my Queen," I promised.

* * * * *

I dropped Calia, Ixma, and my daughters at the hangar. Doyya was still asleep when we left.

The afternoon was more busy work; it was important but at the same time not so much. The duties of our unit were fleshing out, and after a short meeting with Captain Xotochan, my CO, and several other officers and a few sergeants, I was officially replaced by Lieutenant Branton, his new XO. Branton had arrived at High Guard War base that very day. Even though Captain Xotochan seemed happy to put more distance between us, he had apparently read some of my reports, and he supported my request to have our teams liaise with various trained inspectors from other technical units.

After the staff left, the captain kept me back. Branton, as the new XO, also stayed behind.

"Lieutenant Kandikan, I hope there's no hard feelings about you being replaced."

"None, sir. If you recall, I had suggested it, Captain."

"Good. I am beginning to see you are a force to be reckoned with. I have heard a rumor that Commander Orchid's presence here was at your behest. And you did take care of that unpleasant matter at the beach the other morning, taking it further than I would have liked perhaps, but you did settle things. I'm told you even adopted two of the orphans. Is that true?"

"Yes, sir."

Captain Xotochan looked at me like he wasn't sure what to make of me. "And then there's this bus thing that you started. That's all I've heard the women in our unit talking about. Even some of the men. Almost everyone in the company seems happy. They greet each other, and they are all working harder. I've never seen anything like it. And I've been here nearly four years."

"I'm glad to hear it," I replied, pleased.

Sergeant Chita had relayed that same evaluation at my unit's staff meeting earlier that afternoon. Morale in our own unit wasn't just high, it was positively buoyant. People were tackling their new jobs with enthusiasm, and the new squad of workers had quickly integrated into the 945. Orchid herself was still generally feared, but among the women that I knew and came into contact with, there was also awe and admiration. The reports of Doyya's actions at the Dependent's Office raid and speculation about her secret mission had unexpected results. Doyya now had a reputation as being a tough, competent officer, perhaps even a little dangerous. It certainly gave her some credibility with our Air Security unit.

Captain Xotochan continued talking. "It's been a lot more pleasant coming in to work recently, so I .. uh .. well, I wanted to say, good job, Lieutenant Kandikan."

"Thank you, sir."

"Things will probably be different when you get back. Some replacements to fill the empty billets are coming here in the next two weeks. I may or may not keep my position, depending on what the Air Service decides."

"Should I be concerned, Captain? You haven't been CO very long."

"Well, I'm only a captain, and our previous CO was a group captain. As I said, it depends on what the Air Service decides."

"Hopefully, they will take under consideration who put you in charge and leave it as it is."

His promotion and command of the 917th Logistics and Supply had been the decision of Commander Orchid of Imperial Security. Just as I'd been promoted and put in charge of the 945th Auditing and Security Oversight.

Captain Xotochan blinked, and then he openly smiled. "That's true. I've never heard of any of Commander Orchid's actions ever being altered. Thank you, Lieutenant. That's brilliant!"

Dismissed, I collected Corporal Sowitwee, grabbed some meals for Janetta and the others, and dropped him and the food off at the Naval hospital. Then I hurried over to the hangar to collect Calia, Ixma, and the girls for more house hunting.

Anton was dozing when I arrived. When I inquired, I found out that the girls had worn him out. Calia and Ixma had also spent time with the girls, practicing the alphabet and counting. Doyya had taken a pain pill after I left and had slept through the afternoon. Ixma related that Calia had also massaged Doyya's shoulder and back again, helping her sleep better.

While driving, I learned that the girls had watched the massage. Calia had asked them if they wanted one, too. Initially unsure, they had enjoyed getting their own backs rubbed. Ixma worked on Mina while Calia did Sisi, as Calia instructed them on the various muscle and bone groups, and nerve points.

We were late arriving at the house. I called ahead to Sergeant Neela, telling her to go ahead and let Kitam and his people start inside. While driving, talking, and trying to eat, a chunk of my sandwich decided to land on my shirt, leaving a splotch of sauce behind before the bit of meat and bread landed in my lap. Calia tried to clean it up, but I didn't think sucking on the spots was how one went about it. When she rubbed her nose against my crotch, hummed, and then giggled, I was sure of it.

"You are so bad," I told her, feeling myself twitch at the attention. "Besides, you know it's not safe to unbuckle when the vehicle is moving."

Calia sat up, plopped the meat into her mouth, grinning as she redid her safety belt. "There! All better."

I caught her winking at Ixma. Uh oh, I thought. Then we arrived, so I had no time to ponder further about their silent communication.

Ixma and the girls explored the house while Calia and I talked with sergeants Neela and Kitam. Six bedrooms, but it also had an indoor gym adjacent and behind the indoor two vehicle garage. Private washer and dryer against the back wall of the garage, so no more trips to the laundromat. Kitchen, dining room, living room, and two bedrooms and a full bath on first floor, with four bedrooms and two more full baths upstairs. There was a very small enclosed yard in the back. Hardly any room for the girls to play outside at all. Still, some places had no yard at all.

I spoke to Kitam, asking him to assess the feasibility of changing the roof over the garage and gym to allow for a deck, accessible through the main hallway upstairs. After inspecting the supports, he agreed to do the work, with a outline of additional cost and materials. Many of the streets had a martial quality to their name. But this house was 1210 Cirrus Drive. Somehow that appealed to me.

We checked out the other two places, but I was less impressed with their layouts, and the third place actually gave me an unsettled feeling. When I looked at Calia, I saw profound sadness in her eyes.

She saw me and shook her head, almost pleading. "Not this one, please. Too many screams."

I knew Calia had empathic abilities. "Can you see something?"

She winced, then pleaded, "I'd rather not. This place needs to be cleansed before it's fit to live in. Can we leave, please?"

It was then I noticed Ixma and the girls on the upstairs landing, looking about. There was none of the exuberance from Sisi and Mina shown in the previous two houses. Mina suddenly pointed down the hall, but Sisi grabbed her, vehemently shaking her head as she told Mina, "No!"

That was enough for me. "Wrap it up, Sergeant Neela. We're done here."

The sergeant looked surprised. "You haven't been upstairs or even seen the Master Bedroom yet. It's right over here –"

As she opened the door, trying to draw us in for a look inside, Calia suddenly paled, gasped, then fled outside.

"Calia!" I ran after her. She didn't stop until she was by the ChoCac, leaning against it, gulping down breaths of air. When I caught up to her, she turned and buried herself into my chest, trembling. "So many screams!"

Wrapping my arms around her, I kissed the top of her head and held on.

Sergeant Neela came outside, followed closely by Ixma and the girls.

"Whatever is the matter?" the sergeant inquired, looking at Calia with concern.

Ixma was already helping the girls into their seats. Even the normally chatty Sisi was silent.

"We'll pass on this one," I told the sergeant.

The sergeant started to leave, but Calia suddenly called out, "Wait!" She looked intently at Ixma. "You saw something, too."

Ixma looked at me, then nodded. "I did see a shadow move. But there was nothing there to make the shadow."

Calia gripped her shoulders. "There's more, isn't there!"

"I didn't see him," Ixma said, "But Mina and Sisi both told me they saw a small boy upstairs. At the other end of the hallway. Mina wanted to follow and go play with him, but Sisi told her he was a bad boy and stopped her."

The sergeant looked perplexed. "There's no one else in the house. I checked before you arrived."

Turning to me, Calia explained, "The father killed them in the name of Mictlantecuhtli, a god of death. In a vile rite, the children and mother are now tied to the site, unable to move on, bound and corrupted by the pain by which they lived and the manner of their death. When the bedroom door opened, I saw it all! The father was a horrible, terrible man. The house needs to be cleansed, exorcized by a priest before it becomes an anchor to real evil."

Sergeant Neela raised her eyebrows, but I shook my head. "I may be a Warrior, but House Kandikan is Priest Caste, Sergeant, and my father says that Calia has the Second Sight. You say there is no one living there and I believe you. That said, if my girls say they saw a boy, I believe them, too. I don't know anything about this sort of business, but I've heard enough. Fill out a requisition to have a Chaplain clean the house of unclean spirits, and send the bill to me."

"Yes, sir," she replied. Pulling out her tablet, she made a notation. "Well, that's it then. Do you want to let me know your decision in the morning?"

"Once I get Sergeant Kitam's report, yes, I'll let you know."

I paid Sergeant Neela in cash again, and after she locked the doors, we both drove back to the second house where Sergeant Kitam and his team were still working. Still somewhat subdued, Calia, Ixma, and the girls waited in the ChoCac.

Neela talked with her assistants, and I paid Kitam for the evening's work as well. I also notified him that I did not want an assessment of the third house.

"But you paid me for all three, sir," he protested.

"Keep it as a bonus."

"Do you mind telling me why you don't want an assessment of the third."