Starlight Gleaming Ch. 21 Pt. 01

I put my hands on Izel's shoulders. "Lady Izel Ocotépan, before the gods, from this moment forward, I, Ranji Kandikan, formally offer you sanctuary within House Kandikan. You entered my home freely and you are free to come and go at your pleasure. While you are my guest, you are welcome at my hearth and table, and I will provide a safe place for you to lay your head. I also pledge to provide such accommodations for your servants and retinue suitable to your noble rank as I am able -- although current space considerations may require they abide elsewhere for the time being. I promise we'll work something out, Izel. In any event, I also pledge to protect you to the best of my ability against any and all who intend harm to you or attempt to compel you against your will or best interests, even against members of your own kith and kin. Thus before the gods do I swear."

Her eyes blinked a few times, then she exhaled as more of the tension left. "I... Thank you, Lord Kandikan. That is most generous. I, Izel Ocotépan of the Nahua, immediately accept your offer of Sanctuary without reservation and swear before the gods, I do so without coercion or duplicitous intent in my heart to you or any who reside within your House. I will abide by your instructions to me while receiving Sanctuary, knowing you have my best interests at heart. Thank you, my lord."

I nodded to Janetta and Calia.

"So witnessed," they said.

"Computer, cease recording. Copy to the commanding officer, 602 Air Security Regiment; copy to Imperial Air Service, Personnel Division; copy to General Rikoletsi, Commandant, High Guard War Base; copy to Captain Bilan Monaycote, 716th Mobile Infantry; and copy to my mother, Shanti Kandikan."

"Recording stopped, Commander. Copies made... and sent."

Janetta snickered at me, shaking her head. "I'm the only one in that recording with a stitch of clothing on in that official recording going to all sorts of official people. You are a shitload of complications, Kandikan."

I blushed as I realized she was right. Nudity wasn't a big deal, but legal video recordings were usually done clothed. Ah well.

Calia also shook her head at me. "This will not go over well with your mother, my lord. She's going to call as soon as she gets this. Your father and your brother, too, will want to know more details. What shall I tell them?"

"Tell them the truth, Calia, but be diplomatic about it. I will do my best to keep Izel here and to protect her. My mother and Bilan both complain I don't keep them informed. Well, if things get complicated, at least they will know who Izel is. If nothing else, I will explain and answer questions during this coming weekend's video call. If I need to send Izel to my parents to keep her safe, I will do so."

Izel looked puzzled. "You have a brother? I thought you were an only child."

"Bilan is my blood-brother," I explained. "Now, there are some rules and expectations you need to be aware of, Izel. There are five women here who are my lovers. Janetta, Calia, Zinja, Cholan, and Ixma. You will become my wedded wife, but I will not put aside any of them, for each of them has a special place in my heart. It's my hope that you and I will become friends. Perhaps we may even come to love each other. Janetta Tlacotli is Mistress of House Kandikan and will remain so after our marriage. Your status will be second after Janetta. Calia is our House Manager. She's good at that job. She is also my friend and my lover. Besides her healing skill, you will find that she gives very good advice. I ask that you please work with her. I love my daughters dearly, and you should be introduced to them as a new aunty. Zinja, Cholan, and Ixma are Janetta's ground crew.

"Now for us. Izel, once we are wed, you become mine. When someone becomes mine, I do my best to protect and take care of them. You have my promise that I will treat you with respect. I do not believe in hitting within my house, and that includes servants. If that has been your relationship with your own servants, it ends now. The exception to the hitting is when we practice martial arts. If you do not know any and wish to learn, you will be welcome to join us. Calia, for example, doesn't fight, but she does the katas for the exercise. Another important item. I will never force you to have sex against your will. However, I believe proof of insemination is required to legally bind the marriage. I don't think we can get around that requirement. But after that, we'll talk. I'm sure there's more, but I think those are the most important parts. The rest we can work out later. Do you have any questions?"

"Many," she answered, "but I think you are preparing to leave, aren't you. I can wait."

"You're right, I have to go to work and I'm running late. Maybe the others here can help answer some of those questions. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Gods of North and South, Kandikan!" Janetta exclaimed. "She's your intended wife, not one of your recruits. Before you take off, at least hug the woman!"

I held out my arms.

Izel gave me a shy look, then embraced me.

Calia put her hand on Izel's shoulder. Leaning in close, she murmured, "It will be all right, Izel."

Ranji! She... her brother! He hurt her, and... he did it several times a day, trying to breed his own sister! Ugh! He reminds me of Tonca, Ranji! These are her memories, but even so, there's that same level of cruelty and arrogance about him. She's afraid she might be pregnant and is ashamed to bring it up. She's not, thank the gods. Oh, Ranji! The man her brother picked for her is Garan Bayloks'mec, brother to the man that Yalcamara shot!

I just gave Izel an extra squeeze to reassure her.

Zinja snuck in, taking her turn at the toilet. A somber Calia moved behind me and retrieved supplies for the tall Oexecan mechanic. Zinja quietly thanked her.

Holding me close, Izel seemed content to remain where she was.

Leaning down, I murmured, "It's all right, I know what your brother did to you. It makes no difference. You will become my wife and I will protect you, Izel, and I will do everything in my power to keep you safe."

She suddenly burst into sobs, shivering as she clutched me tightly. I kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back. Calia worked her way into the embrace and took over, murmuring soothing words.

"Stay here, Izel, and stay inside until I return." I gave Janetta a glance and headed into the bedroom.

Janetta followed me. "What did you say to her?"

"That I knew what her brother had done to her. He took her against her will, Janetta. Over and over. He tried to put his child in her."

She scowled. "His own sister? By the gods, if he tries to come here, I'll cut off his balls. If he crosses the street and I see him, I'll cut off his balls. What a fucking loser!"

I got into fresh gym clothes. "It happens, Janetta. It happens a lot more than people are willing to admit. You... no, not right now."

"What? Talk to me, Kandikan. Don't shut me out."

I stopped what I was doing and faced her.

"It reminded me of Deedee. Last month, Lieutenant Sisi Beytindl, her friend from Paxilman Hospital, finally visited Deedee's grave. Then she wrote a nice, long email thanking me for arranging for the trip, and for giving Deedee such a wonderful grave marker. Then she told me some things that Deedee had kept from me.

"Deedee's father didn't believe in birth control. As a result, their slave woman became pregnant several times, and each time the child was born, her father killed it. Then Deedee became pregnant. Despite her pleas, her father punched her in the abdomen several times, trying to get her body to abort. It didn't work. When the baby was born, she pleaded for him to let her baby live. While she watched, he drowned her child. On her sixteenth birthday, she ran away from home and enlisted. To her father, she was a female to be used. His property. It never occurred to them that because she was their child, they were supposed to protect and love her. Did you know, when her father was notified of her death, his response was literally that she should be tossed out with the rest of the garbage?"

She gave me a hard stare. "What do you want me to say, Ranji?"

"I guess I don't need you to say anything, Janetta. I just wanted you to know the Protection Order is for all of you. I just wanted you to know that."

Her face softened. "I know, Ranji. That's a big reason why I love you. If I could, I'd marry you in an instant, but I can't. But I can be Mistress of your House, and am proud of that role." She took a deep breath and shrugged. "Since we're still grounded, I think I will call my CO, explain what's going on and take a personal day. I'll talk to my team about Izel and we'll help her get settled. See if we can figure out where we're going to put her, her servants, her guards, and all the many bags of luggage I'm sure she owns."

I smiled. "You are the most beautiful woman in the world, Janetta Tlacotli."

She leaned against our shared desk. "What are you going to do, besides working out and finding a chaplain?"

"Put alerts on her brother and Bayloks'mec. Too many variables to really plan things out. However, I will make some contingency plans. High Guard War Base is not the same place that it was last year. If either one of them tries anything, they will be in for a very rude surprise."

Janetta grinned, but I also noticed her eyes had a predatory gleam to them. "I think it's long past time I serviced my pistols and my knives. I want to look my best at your wedding."

Glancing at my watch, I said, "I need to go. I'll be back as soon as I can."

I moved toward her, but she put her hands up. "You can kiss me, but don't touch the goods! My nipples hurt like little pieces of sharp glass, and my tits aren't much better. I don't want to even talk about the bloody mess going on down below."

Cupping her face, I kissed her slow and gentle, rubbing her cheeks and edges of eyebrows. "My beautiful, wonderful, fierce warrior."

Janetta hummed with satisfaction after our lips parted. "That was real nice, Kandikan. And, hey! You aren't those men. You aren't. You're what stands up for what's right and good about our country. You also have good, decent men working with you. Keep in touch, will you?"

And like that, she made me feel better.

Zinja came into the room, giving us a questioning look.

"Relax, Zinja. We're staying in today." Janetta walked around the desk and fired up her laptop.

The Oexecan woman watched me as I approached her.

I cupped her face, and gave her a nice, slow kiss, too. Then slowly kissed around her face before giving her another one on the lips.

She sighed while giving me an arch look. "As much as I enjoyed that, Commander, I haven't even brushed my teeth yet, and a girl likes to be at her best when her man kisses her."

"As if I needed more incentive to practice farming with you. Tilling your furrow, breaking up the soil, and mixing in my seed. Taking my time to make sure it's been worked over really well."

Zinja licked her lips and blushed.

Janetta snickered, then set to typing.

Calia and Izel entered the room, and at Izel's direction, Calia opened one of the suitcases.

As I gathered up my things, Janetta called out to me. "Not so fast, Kandikan. You gave each of us a kiss, and I know you bonked Calia, but you know what? I don't think a hug is enough. Izel's going to be your wife! Before you give her engine a going over with your poke stick and squirt her full of your man juice, I think she should at least get a nice kiss. Not a polite one. The kind she would tell her girlfriends about."

Izel blushed, and I felt the heat rising up my own face.

Calia raised her eyebrows at Janetta. "How do you know we 'bonked'?"

"Because you pretty much glow and get all smiley and bouncy afterward. Are you going to deny it?"

She shook her head and Janetta grinned in triumph.

Izel looked at me. "It's all right. You gave me a good hug. I know you have to go."

However, when I reached for her, her face brightened and she slid into my arms again, snuggling close and lifting her face to me. Gentle at first, she shyly responded. When my tongue pushed at her lips, she blushed as she opened her mouth to let me in.

When we broke apart, she was breathing heavily, her eyes dilated. She licked her lips and murmured thoughtfully, "You taste good."

"I haven't presumed too much?"

Izel shook her head. "No, I like this. You give good hugs, my lord."

"My name is Ranji. I expect you to use it. Unless you have another name you prefer, I will call you by your given name."

"All right," she replied. "Ranji. Names are important. What does yours mean?"

"Defender," echoed all three women. They looked at each other and then grinned at me.

I shrugged. "My parents picked it. At the time, I was too young to provide any input."

Izel giggled.

Janetta smirked. "You may not know it, Izel, but Ranji is considered the hottest single male officer at High Guard War Base. Everyone will forget about your buggering late husband, and will wonder what charms you used to land him."

Surprised, I asked Janetta, "You know about the contest?"

My prickly pear rolled her eyes. "Puh-lease! Cholan is the best e-man I've ever seen, and she's a bonafide early warning system when it comes to scuttlebutt. Zinja and Ixma aren't layabouts either. They keep their ears open and their mouths closed. Well, Ixma isn't so quiet anymore, but it's all weird stuff about animals mating and having babies."

Zinja looked at her officer with amusement.

Gently pushing on Izel's shoulders, she reluctantly let me go. "I'm going to be late. Call me if you need anything."

"Bye!" they called out.

I headed downstairs where I met up with my bodyguards, Corporals Laylandi and Menali.

Sowitwee was putting on his jacket, but I told him, "No. You stay here. Lady Izel's brother could be here anytime between now and over the next few days. You have the shotgun here still? Plenty of cartridges, too? Good. I want you here to provide a little extra firepower here in case he tries to come here directly. In the meantime, spend time with your wife and get to know your son. You'll start back up again next week."

"Yes, sir," he replied, taking his jacket back off. Nariya, nursing her child, looked pleased he was staying home. When he stood next to her, she wrapped her arm around his, leaning against him.

"Oh, and Wit?"

"Sir?"

"Zinja used that stunner and she saved them all. If you hadn't given her that, it would have been a lot worse." Moving over to him, I held out my hand. He took it and we shook hands. "Thank you and well done, Sergeant. Well done, indeed. Please see that her device is fully recharged, will you?"

"I will, my lord."

Laylandi headed out to start up the cruiser. Menali let the other two troopers know we were departing.

After taking a couple of bottles of water from the fridge and tossing them into the gym bag, I headed out.

* * * * *

Part 3 -- Details and More Details

* * * * *

As we drove, starlight gleamed all the more brightly in the moonless night sky. The eastern horizon began to lighten as dawn approached. The Vedans believed Ushas, goddess of the dawn pulled back the great glittering mantle of the heavens so as to allow Surya, the god of the sun, to begin his daily ride across the heavens. The day's weather report predicted it would be on the warmer side but with a slight breeze.

My first call was to Dispatch, putting out a BOLO for Kirfan Tenochtitl, Lord of Nahua State, and for Garan Bayloks'mec of Chinze State. "I don't want them arrested, but I do want to be notified if they or their agents enter High Guard War Base, no matter what time it is. Oh, and this is important. Please make sure they are informed of the Base Protection Order."

"BOLO and Protection Order notification confirmed by the main gate and by Ground Security, Commander."

"I also want everyone who enters High Guard War Base to be examined by the NCO Scout helmets. I don't care if they are personal bodyguards, priests, children, everyone. No exceptions."

"Swing shift Watch Commander was furious that someone with a bomb made it to your home, sir. She has already issued the same directive, and it was countersigned at nineteen-hundred-twenty hours yesterday by the War Base Commandant. Gate Security Protocols revised and in place."

"Thank you, Dispatch."

"Anything else, Commander?"

"No, that's all. Kandikan clear."

"We're all glad you and your family were unhurt, sir. Llam nuqan. Dispatch clear."

"Llam nuqan," echoed both troopers from the front seat. Menali watched me in the rearview mirror.

"We work together," I replied. "Indeed, we do."

I pulled out my phone and gave Jay a call. He was already at the gym. "I'd heard you had some activity last night. Is this a last-minute cancellation?"

"You aren't going to get out of it that easy, Jay."

He laughed. "Since you're so weak and frail and needed extra time to get here this morning, I'll just have to content myself with some stretching and exercises."

"Katas or sparring?"

"Half and half?"

"You're on, Jay. I'll try not to hurt you too badly."

He laughed again as he hung up.

The troopers drove me there, and once I was in the gym locker itself, they stayed close, keeping out a watchful eye.

Gym time was fun, and after exchanging a few bruises and breaking out a sweat, it was over too soon. Because he was still recovering, Pen was unable to join us. Jay and I worked on teaching refresher basics as well as a few new moves to some field troopers.

When Mack and Akama relieved Laylandi and Menali, the latter two went to the lockers and dressed down, joining a class on basic hand-to-hand skills.

After some hot showers, Jay headed home while I got dressed and headed to work. When I arrived, I checked in with Pen and I spent the next hour getting an update from him on the most urgent reports, delegating tasks, and general updates.

Then, unexpectedly, Pen got up and closed the door to his office. "Ranji? Can I ask a really personal question? I mean, it's really personal."

I grinned at him. "Well, you can ask--"

"But you don't promise to answer. Yeah, yeah. This is serious. It's... well, there's no easy way to say this." He took a deep breath and then exhaled. "Breena said on the way back from Copán, she watched you and Cholan being intimate. She said you used your mouth on her pussy? Is that true? You really did that?"

I grinned at him, trying my best not to bust out laughing. "By the gods, Pen, yes, it's true. Cholan loved it, and I tell you I enjoyed making her come on my face. She's a small woman, so I like to get her really wet before I enter her. If a woman enjoys herself when you have sex together, she's more likely to initiate it herself. More important, I do it because she likes it. It's personal and intimate, and I get to focus totally on her enjoyment, and she loves the attention as well as the pleasure. Why do you ask?"

"Breena, uh... well, she wanted me to do that to her. I told her I had to think about it."

"I know what the priests say, Pen, and you know what? It's total shit. Has she sucked your cock?"

"Yes, she has."

Raising my eyebrows, I looked at him. "Pretty intense, isn't it."

He flushed a little as he nodded. "Breena swallowed my seed, then she smiled at me and said she liked how I tasted. Tanti told me she wants to try it, too, and asked if I minded if Breena was there to give her pointers."

"Here's some things to consider, Pen. When a woman sucks your cock, she's making you the focus of her attention, and all her attention is on making you feel good. She's immersing herself in your smell and your taste. It's also a bit of a control trip. Everything she does makes you lose your mind a little with how good it feels. As she learns your body, learns how you respond when something feels really good and others not so much, she gains more control of how much pleasure you receive. Think about that. While she's giving you pleasure, she's also in control, and you've given that to her. Part of the pleasure, Pen, is from the trust given and returned by your partner. And, most women are geared to taking care of others. It's part of that maternal instinct. She gets satisfaction just from making you feel good. When she sucks your cock, it's a gift, from her to you.