We spent two days and a night in our respective abodes resting our weary bones, soaking in hot baths, loading up on carbohydrates, hydrating, stretching, massaging out the cramps and sore spots, and sleeping.
On the day of the fight, Cherish, Ravish, Buster, myself, and Jack gathered on the rooftop of my building. A smiling, whistling Tem flew us to the Trakennad Dor.
Well-wishers in shuttles all along the route had rigged up lighted messages and moving cartoons on their ship hulls, creating a fan-filled, color-lighted gauntlet all the way.
Tem landed the Maiden Faire quickly but gently. The air cycled, the hatches opened, and fighters and ship personnel streamed into the dock.
What a bizarre thing to be surrounded by such a huge, unrestrained crush of creatures, and scary, too! For a moment, fear seized me. Creatures touched us, and claws flashed all around. Alien lips, if they had them, stretched over sharp teeth, which most possessed, and everyone was grinning and trying to talk to us.
Nok took point and Kek made like a caboose as we plowed slowly through the mass of alien flesh. The humidity and heat from the bodies seemed excessive, almost unbearable. The ventilation had to be working hard, but I couldn’t hear it, or much of anything else for all the loud noise.
The corridors seemed to go on and on. I knew we were headed to the medical unit, which was in the same place it had always been. I trusted Nok to lead the way. Though he couldn’t see where he was going, he’d lived on this ship for many decades. Still, almost everyone was taller than he.
I started to wonder if we’d ever reach our destination. Every few moments, one or the other of the gals would catch my eyes and make a face. At first, they panicked, as I did. Later, less so, and even later, our moods crawled into frustrated anxiety.
I could feel the flesh of my arm bruising in a hand-shape where Jack gripped me. I hadn’t realized he was that strong. It was a revelation of how gentle he’d always been with me.
Liquid welled in my eyes; I blinked rapidly. I hadn’t realized how emotional this experience would be for me, and wished someone had prepared me, but who could have? It was a unique experience. I ducked my head and rubbed my eyes, trying to make my actions seem like the glare of the lights bothered me. I wondered if anyone even noticed.
We struggled through, getting slowly closer to the med unit. People continuously touched me, reaching forward through the crowd as far as their arms and whatevers would extend. This was oddly sensual. I tried not to react, but I wanted the touching to stop. The exasperation on Buster’s, Cherish’s, and Ravish’s faces told me their story was the same as mine. If we ever did this again, different arrangements would have to be made.
I could see the closed entrance to the clinic. Deep phalanxes of guards stood before the doors. I yelled to Nok that we’d almost made it. No one heard me. I shut my eyes and stopped my brain, thinking of darkness and silence, letting Jack drag me through the guards to the hatch. The door opened to receive us and closed out the noise behind. The silence hit us like a brick.
“Jesus Christ!” Buster gasped.
“That was fucking awful,” Cherish said.
“Why didn’t they warn us, God damn it?” Ravish demanded. I found it funny that they had all reverted to Earth cuss words.
I sat on the nearest metal exam table. I was suddenly cold, but sweating hard.
Jack’s grip loosened but he put both of his hands on my shoulders and stood in front of me, bracing me. His broad chest, blue buttons, and light blue Faire cotton shirt blocked my view. Several grey chest hairs curled out of his very straight gig line. Even so, he was looking sharp tonight.
I guess the touching had gotten to me. I studied his face. He seemed concerned, which puzzled me. He wiped the sweat off my face with his right hand, still holding one of my shoulders with his left.
I sat up straight and shook myself. Nok and Kek had apparently herded Buster, Cherish, and Ravish onto other exam tables. The alien medics were closing in on us. Strangely, I began to remember all the times I’d been attended to by them, not too unkindly, but efficiently, and I flinched. Jack moved in closer to me and waved them off. I spotted Doc.
I took a deep breath. “It’s okay, Jack, I’m okay,” I said. He stared at me like he didn’t believe a word of it, but he backed off a foot and let a medic squeeze through. The same kind of creature that had treated me so long ago took my pulse and blood pressure, told me to breathe slowly and deeply, peered into my eyes with a lighted instrument, made me open my mouth, prodded my ribs, spine, head, manipulated the large joints, nodded, and moved away.
Doc stepped forward. “Gina, you’re sweating like you been in a sauna,” he stated, grabbing my wrist. He watched his old fashioned timepiece.
“I didn’t expect a gauntlet.”
“They love you. Did anyone hurt you?”
“No.” Only Jack.
“You seem okay. Are you okay?”
‘Yeah. I’m fine, Doc, thanks.”
He moved over to Ravish and proceeded to examine and question each of them quickly when the medics were finished.
A burst of noise assailed us when Lukan entered, which ended when a guard used the biosenspad to slam shut the door. Lukan queried the head medic and nodded. “Okay, fighters, I’m going to take you out the rear exit and down to a pen, er, room, where you can rest for a few moments. Gliton is revving up the crowd. Are you all ready for this?”
“Are more people out there,” Cherish asked nervously, almost aggressively, nodding at the rear hatch.
“No. We kept them out in the main corridors.”
We all exhaled, glanced at each other, and laughed a bit.
We followed Lucan toward the exit. He turned around before opening the hatch. “Gentlemen, this is as far as you go. The guards out front will take you to Klon’s box.”
Jack kissed me soundly on the lips and turned away before I even registered the kiss. His back muscles were all bunched up. I was suddenly very hot for him. What the hell?
Kek and Nok caught my eye. They stood together at the first door, not exactly smiling. How odd. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they seemed anxious. All my boys were worried for me, which made me suddenly angry.
Damn them! At a time like this, too, they couldn’t just be happy and relaxed and supportive? This was only another fight, for cryin’ in the soup, and not exactly a death match, like every other one I’d ever had. Come on already!
While I thought such thoughts, we followed Lukan down a narrow corridor, single file. I led from behind him. I turned my profile to the gals behind me and asked, “Are any of you feeling emotional?”
“Yeah. I thought it was just me,” Ravish said.
“Me, too.” Cherish agreed. “Knowing you’re freaking out makes me feel better.”
That made me laugh.
“I didn’t like the touching,” Buster said, “At all.”
“No, me neither,” I agreed.
“I haven’t been touched in decades,” Buster declared.
“We may be sexers, but we don’t get touched,” Ravish snarled.
“Well, I liked that part,” Cherish lied.
We chuckled at that, releasing some tension. Even Lukan turned back and laughed. He came to a hatch, which he opened and stepped through. “You’ll all be fine. There’s nobody dangerous in the crowd, just adoring, well-behaved fans. I will leave you here now. There’s some water and the toilets, and mats on the floor. Stretch, warm up, do whatever you need to do. I’ll be back in about twenty minutes, ship time.”
We jumped, stretched, air boxed, and ran in place to get the anxiety out and limber up.
Lukan took more like forty minutes to come back and say, “Come, I’ll take you ringside.”
We left the small mat room and took several narrow back corridors to a kind of staging area where the big holding pens used to be, up close to the arena. The area had been completely remodeled, and I was grateful. I’d spent decades in those rancid holding pens in the bad old days. Kl
on and his buddies had done a good job.
We could see the crowd through a mirrored wall. They waited for us, standing room only. I wondered if Klon was breaking some laws by letting them pack themselves in like that. Then again, what laws? Aliens wet-mopped the enormous mat, then ran dry mops over the surface. The process took only five minutes because there were so many of them. The restless crowd, once the cleanup crew left, settled down. Quiet descended. Everyone waited.
“You each will enter from different sides of the arena. Ghee, you stay here. The rest of you follow me.” The huge, furry, white bat led Buster, Cherish, and Ravish out yet another door.
The rear door clicked open and I turned. I was the only one in the big room when Klon came in.
“Ready?” he grumbled.
“Yes, Klon,” I smiled.
“You promised me a good show,” he growled.
“Would I give you anything less?”
“If you do, then next it will be you and me out there.”
I wasn’t sure if he was kidding, but I winked at him, walked over, and gave him a big hug.
Gliton, the Ringmaster, paced in the arena, singing my praises. He then introduced Buster, Cherish, and Ravish one-by-one. They entered from different parts of the ring as their names were called, preening and cavorting gymnastically for the crowd, causing an immediate roar. The crowd sustained the cheering. Gliton had to yell his effusive praise at the overhead pickups.
He shouted, “GHEEEEE-NYYYYYE!” and swung his arm around in my direction.
Klon said quietly, for Klon, “Show time.”
The hatch clanged open, making the same sound the gates had always made. My cells vibrated madly. Every atom of my being pulsed. Glands ejaculated. My pits and crotch dampened as sweat rolled down my scalp. I ran out into the ring, right out to the center. The roar of the crowd was so loud I could hear nothing, not even my own breathing.
Just like old times.
I showed myself to the world, many worlds, actually. The show was being beamed out to paying audiences far and wide.
I raised my arms and made a slow, tight circle in the middle of all that color and light and sound while the others circled near the walls and slowly closed in on me. The PA system repeated over and over, “Please do not stomp.” Unfortunately, the announcements created a rhythm the audience liked, but the stomping slowly tapered off. Instead, the spectators started to clap. Voices here and there yelled, “Fight!”
Cherish, Ravish, Buster and circled closer. I continued to preen like I didn’t care.
”Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!”
Closer.
“Fight! Fight! Fight!”
Closer.
“Kill! Fight! Kill! Kill!
Close enough. A little skirmish on the side - Buster and Cherish throwing roundhouses at each other. Ravish circled in, wrapped a leg around Buster’s long limbs and dumped her on the mat, rolled away, stood, and raised her arms to the crowd. Cherish played the crowd as well, pumping her fists in the air, and using the hand signals we’d practiced to demean Buster, who was shaking her head and standing up from the floor. She sprinted the short distance to Ravish and tackled her. They fought like alley cats, quick blows, lots of snarling and rolling around gripped together. Cherish moved away from them and came toward me. I started toward her, arms out, making myself as big as possible, and she backed off.
The crowd ate it up. I was the undefeated Queen of the Ring. No one could best me. Only fools would try.
We were no fools. We knew how to put on one hell of a show.
The big noise obscured individual screaming and clapping and I was deafened. Buster cleared herself from Ravish’s embrace by throwing her over, and glare at me. We’d decided she’d be the prime aggressor against me. She was the fittest looking among us, and was now, after all our hard work, looking even more aggressively fierce and strong. Her muscles were flat and hard, and she’d bulked up more than the rest of us, even though we were all genetically long and lean looking. Buster had had more to work with, initially.
Ravish and Cherish consoled each other with exaggerated expressions, but then got into a sissy-looking, hair-pulling squabble while Buster circled me. I ignored her. She wasn’t worth noticing. She circled closer. I looked at the crowd, pointed at her and laughed. A lot of Faire cotton was being worn out there; some of our patented dye hues caught my eye.
Buster charged. I did a series of back layouts out of her way, which I pulled of nicely. I landed the fifth one almost standing, one hand down, knees bent to lessen the jolt to my spine and knees. She changed direction quickly and came at me again. Again, I evaded her. We were super fast. She course corrected and grabbed my hair. Cherish’s and Ravish’s squabbled had escalated to volleys of punches and jabs, but they paused to watch us. All part of the act. I reached up and pulled Buster’s thumb back and her hand released my hair. She kicked at me. I released her thumb and she backed off.
Ravish ran up from behind and jumped onto Buster’s back, wrapped her long legs around Buster’s torso, trapping her left arm, and tried to throw a strangling arm around her neck. No good. Buster blocked Ravish’s arm with her free right, coming up on the inside and pushing out. They struggled.
Cherish rushed me from behind as I watched the other two. I had time to see Buster squat and leap high in to the air, pushing back enough to land on Ravish when they came down. That was gonna hurt. The already loud crowd cheered.
Cherish ran up and squared herself as I turned toward her, and she clocked me on my left cheek. Lightening explode in my face. I stumbled sideways. My vision fuzzed. She backed off and teased the crowd, her arms raised. I shook the blow off in an obvious way for the crowd’s pleasure, and then sped in like a hawk after a dove. My arms spread wide, I crushed my fists into her on either side of her rib cage. She folded as I leaped over her, putting my foot on her back and knocking her flat, face down. I landed standing and preened for the crowd.
Both Buster and I were up and milking it, while both Ravish and Cherish rolled on the ground in apparent pain and embarrassment. So I rushed Buster, but stopped on a dime and moved sideways, faking her out. She’d contracted and readied for the tackle, I laughed and pointed at her. The crowd roared. Buster appeared foolish for a second, and angry, then really angry, and she rushed me. She cocked back her right fist as she ran but at the last minute she squatted on her left leg and jumped. Her right leg whipped toward my head. I jumped up and caught it, trapping the limb against my left rib cage. Damn. That hurt every time. The shock of her blow rocked through my organs. Briefly I mused, this used to be normal.
I landed on my feet, she on her left foot. We caught each others’ eyes. I squatted and jumped into a left aerial, flipping over her trapped leg. I should have wrenched her leg out of the socket but she was ready for me. She flipped a right aerial and followed me though. We both landed in the same pose, her right leg still trapped under my left arm. We did it again. The kinetic movement in the crowd infected us. This time as we landed she bounced up off her left leg and kicked me hard in the upper right chest. I loosened my grip on her right leg; she tried to yank it back. I grabbed her ankle with both hands and held on, and got slammed from behind by Ravish.
I landed face forward on the mat. Buster had moved. Ravish straddled me and pummeled my kidneys from behind, but kept her knees loose around my thighs. I flipped over, sat up, and grabbed her by the throat.
Buster and Cherish were going at it hammer and tongs to my left. Ravish tried to break my grip. I put the sole of my left foot on the side of her head, using it and my arms to slam her to the side. Getting my feet under me, still gripping her throat, I squatted and leaned back, picked her up, and threw her a good ten feet to my left. She rolled and flopped to a stop as if unconscious. That was such a convincing performance I almost believed she was out cold, but we’d practiced it many times. She was good.
I turned to check out Buster and Cherish. I breathed deeply, getting control. Out of the corner of my
eye I noticed Klon. He had entered the arena and was leaning against the wall just inside the ring, his arms crossed. He was smiling.
I was pretty sure I’d never seen him smile quite like that before.
Chapter Sixteen
A Fine Finale