Starlight Gleaming Ch. 20

Seeking to diffuse the situation, I said, "Please, cover yourself, Leetsi. Your offer is generous, but I think there's a misunderstanding. Your living here does not oblige you to me or to Lady Tlacotli. We truly came here because we feared for your safety, and I am greatly pleased that you chose to resist the temptation the drugs presented."

Cupping her breasts, Leetsi arched her back, and turned her focus to me. "Do you not find me comely, my lord? Will you not take your pleasure with my pussy? I'm young and tight. I'm sure I can make you cum."

Janetta shoved by me. Grabbing Leetsi's hair, she yanked the girl's head back, forcing her to look up at the snarling warrior glaring inches from her face.

"I don't think you understand who I am, nor do you understand your place in all this. I am Mistress of Lord Kandikan's House. This uniform isn't for show. I am a Warrior and every one who has challenged me is dead! Test me and I will wipe the floor with your ass. I am Lady Janetta Tlacotli, Captain in the Imperial Air Service. That makes me a noblewoman, girlie. That is Lord Ranji Kandikan, Field Commander in the Imperial Air Service. He is a nobleman. Setting aside the fact that he already told you he wasn't interested, you need to know he is my man. Mine! I am the Queen Bitch around here, and I decide who else gets his cock, and that's. Not. You. You want him, you talk to me first. Do. You. Understand?"

For emphasis, she pulled the girl's head further back, baring her neck. Janetta inched closer, literally growling at her.

Leetsi squeaked out, "Yes!"

Her arm flailed, trying to push away, but Janetta snagged her wrist, holding it fast. "What was that again?"

"Yes, Mistress!"

Ramilla gasped, and Daydo took a step forward, then remembering their status, he dropped to his knees. "Please, Lady! If you are angry with her, I beg you, punish me!"

Janetta glared at Daydo. "I don't punish the innocent, old man. She knew exactly what she was doing, so stay out of it! She offered her body like a whore. It would be one thing if she offered her body because she really cared for him. With most men, she'd be right to be so callous," and she turned her fury back to Leetsi. "However, that's not true with Lord Kandikan. He's a good man who treats women like we're part of the human race. Your offer disrespected us both. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Sorry, sorry, sorry! I won't do it again! I swear it!"

She released Leetsi, and the young woman fell hard to the ground, then she scrambled away, looking afraid. Her sister went to her, helping her stand. They clung together, keeping wary eyes on Janetta.

For her part, Janetta calmly checked her uniform, making minor adjustments. "Now that we understand each other, here's your reality check -- for both of you. Lord Kandikan saved your lives by bringing you here. The men who made you and your mother into whores and destroyed your family also tried to kill your father rather than let him walk away free. They did that after Lord Kandikan paid off your father's debt. You are alive right now and not lying dead in some alley because your brother asked Lord Kandikan to bring you here to High Guard, and Lord Kandikan graciously agreed to do so.

"Make no mistake. The same men who hurt your family just killed two of Lord Kandikan's friends today. Kidnapped them and murdered them -- and they did it just to hurt him, because Lord Kandikan saved you and freed a score of other citizens wrongfully enslaved when he was in Copán. He has fed you, clothed you, given you a place to live, and spirited you more than a thousand rads from the men who once had easy access to kill you. Thank your good sense that you didn't do the drugs. Chances are the drugs are poisoned. You think on that awhile."

Keeping her face averted, Leetsi sniffed, then clearly said, "Please, Mistress, I... humbly beg you to forgive me."

"Down!" her father hissed. "On your knees to a noble when you apologize, girl!"

"No!" Janetta replied forcefully. "She should remain standing. She and I have an understanding now, don't we." Leetsi nodded vigorously. "I don't need to grind her down and humiliate her. Leetsi, look at me. Ramilla, you, too."

They did, unsure of Janetta's intentions.

"Lord Kandikan is taking care of you because he wants to. I am not your enemy. I get you are still adjusting, but eventually you should think about what you want to do with the rest of your lives. I can't imagine why, but if you want to remain a whore, that's your choice. This is your chance to start over. If you want to learn a trade, find a husband, or whatever, speak to your brother or to your father, or even to Lord Kandikan. You should know by now that Lord Kandikan has made it so no one here on this war base has to have sex if they don't want to. That means you can say no, and no one will hurt you because you told them so. Fuck when you want to -- not because you are hungry or because someone demanded that you service them. This is High Guard, not Copán. Here, a woman is a human being, and Lord Kandikan made that happen. When you stepped off that aircraft, your life changed for the better. What you do now is up to you."

Turning to me, she grumbled out, "I'm done here."

Speaking quietly, I said, "Janetta?"

Suddenly scowling at me, she grated out, "Are you my man or not?"

"I am your man, Lady Tlacotli."

Folding her arms, she ground out, "You are such a shitload of complications. You best be real careful what you say to me, Kandikan."

"I love you," I told her, with as much love as I could put into my voice. "You are the most beautiful woman in the world, my perfect warrior. Mighty eagle and fierce jaguar. You are the one I want fighting beside me in battle. I am yours and you are mine. I am honored you are Mistress of my House. I love you, Janetta Tlacotli."

Pursing her lips, she gave a sharp nod, then relaxed.

I turned to the young women. "Leetsi and Ramilla, if you need anything, anything at all, tell your father or your brother. Or, you can contact Air Security and ask to speak to Sergeant Chita. If anyone bothers you or makes you afraid, I want to know about it, and we'll deal with it." Taking a long breath, I finished with, "I guess that's all."

Daydo rose, collecting Leetsi's clothing, trying to hand them to her, but she ignored him. Concerned, he asked them, "Do you wish me to stay?"

"No, Father. Just... please leave." Refusing to look at any of us, Leetsi hugged her sister, and Ramilla hugged her back.

I held the door open for Janetta, and then motioned for Daydo to hurry through as well. Making sure the door would lock behind me, I pulled the front door tight until I heard it latch.

Out in the cruiser, I put the drugs into the boot. Once in the driver's seat, I backed out of the driveway and turned us around for home.

After a few moments, Daydo spoke up. "Lady Tlacotli, may I speak?"

She narrowed her eyes, but didn't turn around. "You may."

"They're good girls, my lady. They didn't choose what happened to them, and I am ashamed for what Leetsi did. Being forced into becoming whores has hardened them. The changes... they've had some trouble adjusting. Thank you for your mercy, Lady."

She turned in the seat to face him. "The Air Service is full of men and women from all sorts of backgrounds, and their reasons for joining are irrelevant. What matters is what they do after they enlist. What happened to you and your family was a tragedy, but what matters is what they do going forward. The next noble might not be so understanding, and things might happen before they understand they under Lord Kandikan's protection. Your daughters have an opportunity here. I am well aware that if either of them express the slightest interest in something, Lord Kandikan will do his level best to make it happen. When you next visit them, talk to them about these things. And if they are having trouble, there are counselors at the health clinic they can talk to. If they aren't having any success there, they should come in the afternoon and talk to Calia. By the gods, if anyone can help them, it'll be her."

"Yes, my lady," Daydo replied. "You have my heartfelt thanks. My daughter is a commoner. You could have killed her for what she did."

Janetta snorted. "I could have -- if I were an unthinking, heartless bitch. I am a queen bitch, Daydo, but I am not heartless nor am I unthinking. I like your son a great deal. He's a brave and loyal man, valued for his service to his officer, and Lord Kandikan has become quite fond of him. As for your daughter, being used to working as a whore, she offered up her body like a whore. I knew what she was thinking because I have thought those same words myself -- go ahead and use my body because I have no choice and you demand it from me, and when you are done, I will despise you for it. Like I told your daughter, if she had been sincere in her offer because she was grateful, I wouldn't have been so angry. At worst, I would have given her a bloody nose. But I figured that having been a whore, she has had plenty of beatings already. I got her attention. She knows who I am and she knows how I feel. If I did it right, four people were enlightened by my lecture."

I just grinned as I drove.

"Don't act so smug, Kandikan," she warned me. "If your complications were constipation, I think I'd never shit again."

"Can't help it. Janetta Tlacotli loves me."

She snorted. "We still have a mess to sort out when we get home, so you mind yourself."

"Yes, Mistress."

"Do not test my patience, Kandikan," she growled.

* * * * *

Part 8 -- A Private Moment

* * * * *

Arriving a few minutes later, I parked the cruiser, making sure there was room for the ChoCac wagon in the garage to exit the next morning.

Janetta put her hand on my arm, saying, "Go on inside, Daydo. We'll be along shortly."

"Yes, Lady." Getting out, he wasted no time hurrying into the house.

Unbuckling, I turned in my seat to face her. "What's up, Janetta? If this is just a chance for us to kiss in private, I'm all for it."

"That sounds nice, actually. But it's not why I wanted a few moments of privacy. What's going on with Calia?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean yesterday, when I got home, I could barely move my hip, even with six pain blockers. She took one look at me, got up from the kitchen table where she was teaching the girls, and she put her hand right where it hurt. I nearly jumped out of my skin, it was so bad. She says, 'Let me try something.' I felt intense heat coming from her hand going right into my hip joint, and I nearly passed out. But after a moment, the pain was suddenly bearable. Then she insists on rubbing in some of that stinky ointment, and even though I still hurt last night, I could move. I'm grateful for what she did, but nobody can do what she's able to do."

"I'm glad she helped you. I didn't know you were in such pain yesterday."

"That's not all of it, Kandikan, and you know it. I heard Nariya talking to Sowitwee. He was asking her why she was doing something and she told him that Calia said she should, and that was it. He just nodded and the subject was closed. Calia sees ghosts. She knows when you are hurt, even when you are halfway across the Empire. She knows when people are hiding something or lying. Now she can heal other people?"

I blinked. The healing was new, but I realized that her astral-walk had been to heal the poison within me, and I hadn't made that leap that she could heal others, too. "She's Pano, Janetta."

"By the gods, Ranji! What the fuck does that have to do with anything?"

"If you'll listen, I'll try to explain." Then I explained to her what my father had said about what the researchers at Tohingo had discovered -- about the Falling Sickness that hit worldwide just before the aliens arrived, and that the disease wasn't a random plague, but rather designed specifically to target those with psychic abilities.

"So? I don't see the relevance."

"At the time of the Falling Sickness, the Pano were among a handful of groups around the world working on harnessing psychic skills. Seeing ghosts. Predicting the future. Diagnosing illness by sight or touch. There were rumors the Pano were beginning to have success with telepathy and other, more physical abilities as well. Like healing."

"Telepathy. You mean talking directly inside someone's head? Without actually speaking aloud?"

I nodded. "My father became curious about Calia because she always seemed to know things. She was terribly good at guessing, for example. While I was at the academy, he had her tested. He didn't tell me until last year but he said she scored exceptionally high. He gave her a copy of some classified documents found at one of the abandoned Pano research sites, writings about mental exercises and the like. He also gave her a few injections."

"What sort of injections? You mean like nano-tech?"

"Yes. He wanted to see if they could enhance her abilities."

She glanced away, then pursed her lips. "So, her knowing you were hurt when you were so far away -- that's because of these shots your father gave her?"

"Not entirely. Within a year or so after she first came to live with us, she seemed to know if I had hurt myself, and she'd seek me out to make sure I was okay. I think the shots just made whatever she already had stronger. There's more you should know, too."

"Gods of North and South, Kandikan!," she growled. "You know how I feel about you keeping things from me."

"These are recent. Things that have happened or that I've become aware of since we've been back at High Guard. Besides, I'm telling you now, aren't I? I'm not trying to hide things from you, Janetta. Honestly, I'm not. But you should know that even Calia doesn't know all of what to expect with her abilities."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?"

"Not what I meant," I protested. "Just hear me out, okay?"

At her nod, I continued. "When I was at Sparantzlo, the night after Deedee died, I dreamt she came to say goodbye. I felt another presence arrive, a female one, and by her presence alone, I felt comforted. I never asked her, but I believe that other presence was Calia. Two weeks later, when I was in the mountains in Chuman State, I had another dream. In this one -- well, Calia was with you. Or rather, you were both on a bed, naked, and she was on top of you, working her hips into you from behind. You were moaning and then you started to shake like you do when you orgasm. When Calia got off, she told you to rest, and she would be back momentarily. Calia was wearing what looked like a cock affixed by some straps..."

Janetta paled as I spoke.

"It woke me up, and I was so hard, I had to do something about it."

Not looking at me, she snorted. "Of course, you did."

"Did that happen, Janetta?"

"I'm not saying!" She glared at me. "And don't change the subject!"

I raised my eyebrows. "I can't keep things from you, but you can?"

Fidgeting, she looked embarrassed and angry.

"Janetta?"

"What!? I'm not proud of it. Your mother and Zinja were away with your girls at Tohingo. I was lonely and got drunk because I missed your sorry ass. She seduced me, holding me from behind, kissing my neck and shoulders. Telling me over and over to imagine it was you pushing into my pussy. That thing of hers actually shoots stuff. She pounded into me with that rubber thing until I came, then that thing shot something, like a cock would, and it took me by surprise. I came again, even harder. I cried out your name, Ranji. Then... then she held me from behind and told me you loved me."

I leaned back against the door. "So that really happened. Huh."

"Only the one time!" she snapped. "Pussy and tits do nothing for me, Kandikan. Nothing at all!"

"I'm not mad, Janetta. Really, I'm not. I love you both. I was away and had been for too long. I gave her permission to be with all of you. The point is that I dreamt it, and I was a long way from all of you. And while I was asleep, you and she obviously were not."

"So she told you about it. Figures."

"No, she didn't. Not at all. If I had asked her, she would have told me, but since I didn't, she probably believed it was something you two shared in confidence. Since she had permission to be intimate with each of you, I wouldn't ask. Janetta, I said it doesn't bother me. The images I saw, they made me so hard, I had to masturbate. At the time, I was about twenty feet up in a tree hammock so the wildlife didn't make me their dinner."

She grumbled, so I asked, "Did it help? What she did with you?"

"Yes. But it ain't happening again! I let Zinja kiss and do things with me because I love her, but not because she has a pussy. I've never enjoyed it with other women. When I get horny, only a cock really satisfies me. So if I want my pussy poked, mister, you best get poking."

I grinned. "Yes, ma'am."

"Is that it? Some weird dreams?"

"Uh, no, actually. A few weeks ago, I learned that she's mastered telepathy. At least while she's touching them."

"What?" She took a long breath. "You actually heard her speaking inside your head? Holy gods. The idea of someone talking inside my head is scary as fuck, Ranji. Can she see what you're thinking while she's in your head? Is any thought private? Could she make you do something you didn't want to do? And then make you forget what you did? It's bad enough we have to deal with the draconians and their camo-tech devices that allow them to impersonate others. This could even be worse!"

"This is Calia, Janetta. You know she would never deliberately hurt any of us. Ever."

A grudging nod. "Still, if this gets out, the Empire will take her from you and they will experiment on her. Gods above, even Supay might try to get his hands on her."

"My father was afraid of exactly that, so he cautioned her to not speak about her abilities to anyone. She's sharing these changes with me because I think secrets bother her, too. And for the same reason, I'm sharing her secret with you."

"Well, I'd never betray her or you. I do my best not to see her as my rival for your love, and to treat her fairly so that she gets some time with you. Turning her in would hurt you both, and it'd be like cheating. I'm a Warrior. I could never look you in the eyes again."

"There's one more thing."

"Let me guess. She becomes Kamazotz at night and flies around eating bugs. Hmm. Would that make her Calia-zotz the bug-eater?"

"Now you're being catty."

"Wrong animal, Kandikan. Zotz means bat. And I freely admit to being a bitch, so I'm entitled to act the part. And to be precise, I am your bitch, Lord Kandikan."

"You are also a lady and a Warrior, Janetta. I love you when you are a lady and when you are a bitch, because both of you are mine. This last bit, though, I don't know how you'll take it."

"Just spill it, Kandikan. The longer you dance around it, the angrier I'll get. And it won't make it go away any faster."

"The duel with the general. When I was poisoned, I stopped breathing for a short time. I felt Calia near me just as I passed out, and I heard her voice in my head. I talked to her about it later. She said she had felt my danger, and that when my heart stopped beating, she left her body and came to me. Then she kept my heart going until the poison ran its course. That's why she was so tired afterward. She calls this leaving the body astral-walking. I've looked into it a little. Astral- or spirit-walking is a known thing, at least in tribal stories."

Her breath suddenly hitched, and she looked away. "I don't understand you, Kandikan. That woman loves you so damn much, with such utter devotion! I don't understand why you are with me at all. It's beyond comprehension." She sniffed and wiped at her eyes.