Copyright: This story is copyrighted to the author Ó 1999 by T.Novan. Do not use any part of this story without my written permission. I may be contacted at TNOVAN@aol.com

Sex: This story contains scenes of two women making love. <smile> If this offends you, please don’t read my story. There are plenty of other wonderful stories out there.

Violence: There are scene of violence in this piece. If that offends please move on.

Comments: As always welcomed at TNOVAN@aol.com

By T.Novan

LOG THIRTY

Lord Hadrin entered the Chancellor’s private chamber. He took a deep breath as the tall man turned to face him. "You lied to me!" Hadrin growled.

"Did I?" The Chancellor moved away from the window, taking a seat behind his desk. "How did I lie to you Hadrin?"

"You told me that Leandra was dead!"

"She is."

"No she’s not. She’s in the hands of Ford Kurrathian."

"Trust me, Leandra is dead. The woman that Ford has is not your daughter. Your daughter was kidnapped by Trella’s people and killed."

"You lying magdan!" Hadrin charged across the room, throwing a picture of his daughter and Ford on the desk. "That is my Leandra with The Butcher of Velros Seven!"

"It may look like Leandra." The Chancellor looked at the image briefly then tossed it to the side. "But let me assure you, that by the time Trella’s people were done with your daughter and reprogramming her mind, nothing of your daughter remained."

"But she is alive! I want her back. I demand that the council help me get my daughter back."

The Chancellor leaned back in his chair, looking to the upset father. "And if I can convince the council to help you get Leandra back, will I have the full support of your House?"

"Yes." Hadrin recognized the request for what it really was, pure extortion.

***

Ford moved slowly around the practice facility. She needed to work off some stress and she had a lot to work off. That’s why her three opponents circled her slowly. They were in no hurry to have their senses knocked into the next quadrant. They had already been at it for more than an hour and they had the bruises to prove it. Ford, however only now appeared to be breaking a sweat.

"Are we going to fight or dance?" Ford growled, twirling her staff in her hands.

As a woman moved forward, a young man attempted an attack from the back. He raised his staff and prepared to deliver a blow to the back of Ford’s head. She tossed her staff back to block the blow. Stepping back, without turning around, she dropped her own staff. She grabbed the one her attacker still held and used it to send him flying over her head. She jerked the staff free as the young man went crashing into the young woman who was advancing. Ford turned quickly on the third opponent and swept his feet out from under him. She advanced, delivering one blow after another from side to side, forcing him to push away from her using his hands and feet while rolling from side to side.

Deciding that this man had probably had enough she turned to the other two, who were picking themselves up, she didn’t give either of them time to get up before she started beating them back down with the end of the staff. She halted suddenly when she heard the door to the room open and close. She turned to see who was disturbing her exercise. She smiled a little, breathing heavily, watching as Marra leaned against the wall.

"Please, continue." She gestured. "I didn’t mean to interrupt."

Ford ran a hand across her soaked forehead, looking at the moisture collected on her palm, then to her exercise partners, who remained on the floor, groaning and holding various bruised and beaten part of their bodies. "Nah, I think we’re done here. I’m pretty sure I’ve done all the damage I can without killing them."

Marra chuckled a bit, moving across the room and offering a hand to the young woman, who was holding her shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, Lady Kurrathian. It’s an honor to train with Lord Kurrathian. I’ll take great delight in this pain for a few days."

"Go see a doctor, just in case." She smiled, offering her hand to the other young man.

Ford assisted the last man to his feet. "You’re all right?"

"I’m fine Lord Kurrathian. Thank you for this chance to spar with you."

"It was my pleasure. Thank you all for being willing to spar with me. You’re dismissed."

The trio left the room, comparing injuries as they did. Marra just shook her head laughing softly as she looked to Ford. "You should be ashamed. Beating those children like that."

"They are not children." Ford picked up a few pieces of gear, hanging them back on the wall. "They are Guards of the Second House and perfectly suited for that sparring session."

"If you say so."

Ford cocked a brow. She took a cloth from a bench and began drying her face neck and arms. "And you, dear wife, what have you been up to today?"

"I’ve been finding a diplomatic staff to go with us and taking the time to get a check up by your private doctor."

"Marra," She dropped the cloth, turning immediately to her spouse. "Are you all right? Is there something wrong?" She embraced the little woman, gently running her hands over her body, as if she could tell if there was something wrong.

"Ford, relax I’m fine. I just wanted a check up. Everything is okay, I swear to you."

She tightened her hold on the smaller body. "Thank Capri for that. I’m afraid I wouldn’t do well if something happened to you."

Marra sighed, sinking into the body next to her. "I feel the same way." She looked up with an evil glint in her eye. "I wouldn’t do well if something happened to me either." She teased before placing a little kiss to the base of Ford’s throat. "Ewww you need a bath."

"That bad huh?"

"You have no idea. You smell like you’ve been in the stables all day."

"Oh now it’s not that bad!" Ford pouted a bit, releasing Marra, continuing to wipe the sweat from her face with her sleeve.

"Yes, yes it is. Come on, tall dark and stinky. I’ll give you a hand, or two."

"Oh, well now, how can I refuse an offer like that?"

"It would be a very silly move on your part."

"Yeah," Ford nodded, wrapping an arm around Marra’s waist. "I think it would."

***

Ford stretched a bit. It did indeed feel good to be sleeping in a real house, in a real bed again. She rolled on her side to watch Marra sleep. "I wish we could stay here forever my love. Things could be so different for us here." She sighed, then began running her fingers through Marra’s hair. "But duty calls."

"Huh?" Marra opened a sleep eye. "Did you say something?"

"No." Ford whispered. "I’m sorry. Go back to sleep."

Marra curled closer. "Do I have to?"

Ford grinned. "Noooo you don’t have to. What have you got in mind?"

"Who me?" Marra looked up innocently. "What makes you think I have something in mind?"

"Could be because you have your hand half way down my pants."

"Are those your pants?"

"And whose pants did you think they were?"

"Would you believe me if I said, I thought they were mine?"

"And you didn’t notice that your hand wasn’t…"

"You talk too much. This is what I get for marrying a diplomat." Marra ended Ford’s question with a long deep kiss.

Lord Kurrathian, not to be out done by her small spouse, rolled the little woman onto her back. "And you stop other things far too soon." She resumed the kiss. Then she let her hands begin an exploration of the body under her.

By mid day Ford considered letting Marra get up. Then she looked over at the very playful face of her spouse and decided that was a really bad idea.

***

"I demand to speak to Lord Kurrathian right now!" The man stormed past both Allston and Judith, pushing his way into to the house.

"Lord Ballen, Lord Kurrathian is unavailable to receive visitors at this time." Allston offered quietly, closing the door. "Perhaps tomorrow."

"Now!" Ballen growled, pulling off his gloves. "Tell Lord Kurrathian I want to see her now."

"Lord Ballen, if I may," Judith started gently. "I mean no disrespect, but you are Lord of the Third House and you have no right to demand anything of Lord Kurrathian. Lord and Lady Kurrathian are simply not available today."

"Make them available." He growled again. "If you don’t get Ford down here right now, I’ll start a room by room search until I find…"

Before his remarks were complete, there were four house guards in the foyer with them. Allston smiled, tuning back to the door and opening it. "As we said, perhaps tomorrow. If you call first I can notify Lord Kurrathian of your desire to she her."

"It’s all right Allston," Ford called from above, tying off her robe. "Show Lord Ballen to my office. I’ll be down as soon as I get dressed."

"Don’t bother to get dressed Ford and I don’t need to be shown to your office…"

"Lord Ballen, you will either go to my office and wait for me, or I will have my guards show you off my property. If you want to speak with me…"

"Fine." Ballen turned to Allston. "To Lord Kurrathian’s office it is then."

Allston looked up to Ford who nodded her consent. Ford drew a deep breath gripping the railing and watching him walk away with her assistant. She turned her head, feeling Marra’s hand come to rest on the small of her back. She smiled down at her spouse. "The plot thickens, as they used to say on Earth."

"Who was that?"

"Lord Ballen of the Third House. The man, I believe, Trella used to kill my brother."

"Be careful."

"Oh I will." Ford moved down the winding staircase. Judith passed her going up to be with Marra. Ford smiled at the woman and sighed. "Some days, it just doesn’t pay to get up."

Judith chuckled softly, nodding, continuing her walk to Marra.

***

Ford entered her office with one armed guard right behind her. She closed the door, the guard blocked it with his body making his presence very well known to Ford’s guest.

"Really Ford," Ballen smirked. "Don’t you trust me?"

"No." Ford’s reply was as dry as her throat. She moved to the replication unit and requested a glass of juice. She’d have to remember to drink more fluids now that she was married to Marra. She sighed, turning to Ballen. "What do you want?"

"You do remember how to get directly to the point, don’t you Ford?"

"That was always best with you Ballen, it goes so well with the one at the top of your head."

"And such a dry sense of humor too."

"You didn’t come here to discuss my sense of humor. What do you want?"

"Why did you agree to look for Earth?"

"Oh I don’t know, something different to break up the monotony of my day."

"You realize, if you find it. This war will then become for the control of that worthless little rock."

Ford smirked. "Actually, if I find it, I’m hoping to unite our people and prove that we all come from the same place."

"Like anyone cares after all these centuries. This will just fuel the fighting Ford!" He slammed his hand down on her desk. "You can’t do this!"

Ford let the glass drop from her hand, crashing to the floor, she crossed the room in two long strides. Before he knew it, Ballen was being lifted from the floor by the throat. "Don’t!" She growled at him. "Don’t storm into my home. Disturb my time with my wife and then try to dictate to me what I can or can not do!"

He grasped at her wrist, trying to pry her fingers from his throat. "Killing me…" He gasped. "Can’t breath…"

"Just like you killed my brother! Only you didn’t do it with your own hands did you Ballen! You had one of your little minions do it for you, so my brother’s blood wouldn’t dirty your hands!"

"Ford!" He choked again his eyes began to fade, losing focus on her.

She sneered, then tossed him to the floor. "Get out! Get out of my home!"

***

"Are you going to tell Lord Kurrathian?" Judith asked from the other side of the desk in Marra’s private office.

"Eventually I’ll have to." Marra smiled at Judith as they looked over the lists of supplies and staff that would be accompanying them on their journey. "But not for a while."

"All right." Judith looked over the list of supplies. "I’ll need to add a few things to this list."

"Okay." Marra nodded, not exactly getting Judith’s meaning.

"Lady Kurrathian, Lord Kurrathian has to okay this list before it can be loaded aboard ship."

Marra looked up, her nose crinkling just a little. "That’s bad." She drummed her fingers on the desk. "List it as my personal belongings. No details beyond that."

"As you wish Lady Kurrathian."

TBC…