All That Glitters

All That Glitters - Ch 53

Unaayel moves to strengthen her case.

Unaayel attempts to force the Asocans to submit to her will.

© bigtddybr September 2022. This story 'All That Glitters - Ch 53' or the series 'All That Glitters' cannot be transferred to any other site besides Literotica.com in whole or in part without the prior authorizations in writing from the author and bigtddybr must be credited for this work.

Due to the number of abbreviations, ship listings, and list of characters, in this story, I include a glossary that is now in a stand-alone chapter called

'All That Glitters: Notes'

. Any and all information that you want or need to know about the series is included in Notes. It will be updated frequently simply by re-issuing the chapter to Literotica.

There is little attempt to explain the back story, so it is necessary to read previous chapters to fully understand where we are.

As before, I claim sole responsibility for the story line. This story is a fantasy, with no basis in reality. Any similarity that you may perceive to current events, people, or situations real or imaginary is completely unintended. Look no further than the story line for its intent and purpose.

A big shout out to SaddleRider and my other editors, who wish to remain anonymous, for all their help.. With their guidance, I'm making fewer and fewer errors. If you find any errors still left in this chapter, they are mine, as I have ignored sage advise to make a silly point.

Please rate and comment. But keep your comments respectful. If you rant and rave or are disrespectful in your commentary, it will be deleted.

'Nuff said...enjoy.

Hospital, Lima Deck, Liramor-23, 109 The Piscium System, 106 Light Years from Terra

The Asoc had been called to the hospital with a short and rather cryptic message. She walked into the room she was directed to with her mate the Asost, her aide and with War Dragon Senior Ambassador Alvoie Mutt Semt.

In front of her was Dr. Heyya, Dr. Maya, an unknown Asocan medical person, Drane Mutt Hoylle, and Verned Mutt Shumett, the couple that she had held a mating ceremony for at Denders Resort. The pair avoided her eyes.

"What has happened?" the Asoc demanded.

"The snake has entered the tunnel, Asoc," replied the unknown Asocan.

"And you are?" the Asoc asked.

">Gorlat Mutt Inett, Medical Surgeon First Class," the stranger replied. "I have accepted the role of Medic to the Asocan Embassy here." The Asoc blinked twice, a sign of surprise with Asocans.

"You are rather overqualified for such a post, are you not >Gorlat?" the Asost noted.

"I am, however, my purpose here is to qualify on other species. This is the one place in the known universe that provides for such," >Gorlat answered.

"So noted," the Asoc stated. "Did you not recognize the signs of impending heat, Drane?"

"There were none, Asoc," Drane replied. "The first I knew of it, I was pregnant."

"This is a rare but not an unknown occurrence, Asoc," >Gorlat interjected. "It usually happens in times of severe stress. Needless to say, recent events have been stressful on many of us."

The Asoc nodded her understanding. "How rare is this?"

"First, this is her first heat and pregnancy. That she took immediately during her first heat is very rare. That is attributed to her mate, Verned, whose sperm count is off the charts. When others learn of this, Drane's mate will be much in demand. Drane will hold all of the rights to barter in her claws." >Gorlat stated with much amusement in her voice, while clicking her claws for emphasis.

"Second, while rare for a female to go into heat unexpectedly during severe stress, it is even rarer for the female not to be aware of it.

"Third, while we Asocan do have recreational sex, it is usually intended to help in the pair bonding, especially early in the relationship just after the mating ceremony, which means that all of the factors were in place for this to happen to our lucky couple.

"But that is not the issue, Asoc," >Gorlat finished.

"I understand," the Asoc nodded.

"What are your wishes?" the Asoc asked of the couple.

"If it can be arranged, we would like to keep the clutch, Asoc," Drane spoke for the pair.

"You are aware of the difficulties in this?" the Asost inquired.

"Yes, Asost," Verned replied.

"Have you called for Director Marsh?" the Asoc's aide demanded.

"We have, she should be here soon," Dr. Heyya replied.

A couple of minutes later, Fiona arrived with her aide-de-camp, Captain Émilia Pétillante, and her Executive Assistant, Grace Holloway. She noted who was in the examining room, including the new Asocan couple. She raised an eyebrow to Heyya.

"You remember how we learned that the Kumaraie was pregnant?" Heyya asked of her.

"She didn't go into heat?" Fiona guessed.

"Quite. Drane is pregnant. She was not aware of going into heat," Heyya explained.

"I thought that Asocans didn't do recreational sex?" a confused Fiona questioned.

"Yes and no. They do sometimes do recreational sex, especially with pair bonding of a new couple. On top of that, Asocan females can ovulate without going into heat under conditions of extreme stress, of which we have all been under lately," Heyya clarified.

"Ah, the perfect storm," Fiona stated, catching on.

"So why all of the high power political elite?" she asked.

"A clutch must imprint on its nursery swamp within sixty days of conception," >Gorlat answered. "As best as we can tell, Drane has been pregnant for approximately ten days."

"I thought imprinting occurred at birth?" Fiona said, confused.

"For some species this is true," >Gorlat started in a tone that was indicative of all teachers..."However, for Asocans, the clutch imprints during early gestation. Most females return to their ancestral nursery swamps for this. That is not possible at this time as Drane is from the region of Asoc Shall, on AsocAR

"If the clutch does not imprint within the first sixty days, the female will lose the clutch," >Gorlat elucidated.

"Does the female, damn it, does Drane's clutch have to imprint on her ancestral swamp?" Fiona demanded.

"No, but the female must remain within the nursery swamp for a minimum of five days for the imprint to take effect, then return regularly during the gestation period. The Clutch will remain in or around the swamp until they reach the Shamot stage, four to five years after birth," >Gorlat told Fiona.

"So, we need to find a suitable swamp for Drane's clutch and if it is on a Union planet, that planet will need to understand that they are in for a four to five year commitment with the family," Fiona encapsulated. "On top of that, Drane and Verned will need employment and support for their family. That points to only one place, if the swamp at Denders is suitable?" Fiona demanded, getting a nod of agreement from both the Asoc and the Asost.

"What is it you to do for work?" Fiona asked of the couple.

"I am a computer engineer and programmer, Director," Verned answered. "I have been learning human based computer systems since I have arrived here at Liramor-23 with the intent of using my knowledge to bridge between our two systems. We were debating whether to become members of the new Asocan Navy but this has now placed a hold on that issue."

"I am a scientist, Director," Drane explained. "I study Cosmology, what your scientists refer to as Astrophysics. Specifically, I study the solar winds and my specialty is how solar winds effect the ionosphere of planets and the causal relationships that occur from such effects," Drane stated.

"Wow, that is a rather useful trade, Drane," Fiona told them. "So we have two Asocans with useful skills that need a place for their future family.

"You must understand that I cannot guarantee that Terra will accept your plea," Fiona conveyed. "I can ask. If they accept, that will put you at Denders. I can ask Hanalei when she is planning to ask for more people to work at the Johal Consulate. That will assure you of steady work, though maybe not in your fields. I will make the request of Terra, but it may be rejected."

"Let me make that request for you, Director," Grace intervened. "This is one of those times when being a family member to Father might influence what is happening."

"Right, we will ask our Ambassador to help us draft a petition for the family, while my EA does the backdoor bid to Daddy," Fiona explained. "We will give it our best shot, Asoc, Asost, Drane, Verned," Fiona gave them all a small bow.

"Thank-you, Director," Drane gushed. "We did not think we would be able to keep this clutch. Now, we at least have a chance."

"The snake is in the tunnel?" Katanya asked quietly of >Gorlat.

"What do humans say?" >Gorlat returned, just as quietly.

"We killed the bunny," Silliya explained.

"Bunny?" >Gorlat was looking perplexed.

"A bunny is a rabbit. The test shows two lines when you are pregnant. Rabbits have two long ears," Katanya showed her a bunny from her comp and the two lines on the test chart for humans. "If the two lines come up, we say that we killed the bunny because all that are left is the ears."

(Historical note: the phrase 'The Rabbit Died' originates from an early test for pregnancy in which a female rabbit was injected with urine from a pregnant woman. The hormonal difference resulted in notable changes to the rabbit's ovaries but this could only be decerned by post-mortem inspection of the rabbit's ovaries. Although this type of testing was always fatal to the rabbit, no matter what the results were, the public got the misconception that only positive results caused the rabbit's death. A tidbit of information from my lovely editor SaddleRider. However, this far into 2482, the actual medical origins of the term have been lost, thus the rabbit's ears...)

>Gorlat snorted a laugh. "I will never understand you humans," she replied. "For us, it is an anatomical reference. The snake..."

"We understand the reference," Katanya assured her, smiling.

The Presidential Compound, Capital City, North America, Terra, The Sol System

"You have a request for a chat from your daughter, Sir," the President's personal Comms O called. That brightened up the President's morning a little. "Put it through to my sitting room, please," he ordered.

A moment later, Grace's face came up on the monitor. Grace was and wasn't surprised to see Madame Aubuchon sitting beside her father, both in Presidential bathrobes and, apparently, little else.

"Good day Father, Madame Aubuchon, I am pleased to see the pair of you getting on so well together," Grace said with a conspiratorial wink, that brought a giggle from Angelique.

"How have you been, Grace?" her father asked.

"Very well Daddy. I've been learning so much here and the instructions that your security detail have given me over the years have proved to be very useful. We are starting to get a handle on the situation with the Asocans in regard to how they will use Liramor-23 in future," Grace said, maintaining the façade of disinterest in the situation by the Union.

"Why are you fidgeting, Grace?" her Father asked. "And why are you suddenly calling me 'Daddy' instead of Father?"

"Ah, yes, well we have a bit of a situation here," Grace admitted. "Did you know that Asocans go into heat every three to five years but don't do so until after they formally mate? Did you know that a female will usually not fall gravid in the first two or three heats?

"Did you know that Asocans don't really do recreational sex, except in aiding with the pair bonding after a couple mates? And did you know that females can ovulate without going into heat under extreme stress?" Grace told her father in a blur of words.

"Can't say that I do know, Grace, but I assume that their medical staff seems to have informed you well. Who is the lucky, or perhaps unlucky couple?" the President demanded.

"The couple who mated in that beautiful ceremony at Denders, Drane Mutt Hoylle, and Verned Mut Shumett," Grace replied.

"So what's the catch?" Angelique inquired, sensing that there was an issue.

"The clutch has to imprint on its nursery swamp within sixty days of conception, Father," Grace explained. "Best guess is that Drane has been pregnant for ten days. The female must remain in the swamp for a minimum of five days for the clutch to imprint, preferably not too late in those first sixty days. If the clutch doesn't imprint, they will lose the clutch. If they cannot find a suitable swamp, they must terminate the pregnancy, something neither is very keen on doing.

"Usually, the couple goes to the female's ancestral swamp, however, Drane's home is at Asoc Shall on AsocAR and there is no guarantee that we will be in a situation to allow them to return in a convenient time frame. Nor will she or her clutch be safe on another Asocan world until Unaayel is taken down.

"Additionally, the clutch will remain in or around their nursery swamp until they reach the level of Shamot, about four to five years after birth," Grace finished.

"So, a long term commitment, then," the President mused, getting a nod from his daughter. "I assume that we are talking about the swamp at Denders?"

"Yes, Father," Grace admitted. "It is a suitable swamp for a nursery and there is support there for the family. In addition, they can be employed at the Johal Compound if they do not find work in their fields. He is a computer nerd while she is an Astrophysicist who specializes in solar winds and their effects on planets."

"Impressive. Very well, who is handling the petition?" the President asked.

"Ambassador Michelle Halten of our Interspecies Embassy here on Liramor-23," Grace informed him. "The petition will have the endorsement of the Asoc and her mate, the Asost."

"So, to recap, Drane Mutt Hoylle is pregnant at least ten days and needs a minimum of five days for the clutch to imprint, imprinting must occur within the first sixty days of pregnancy, the earlier the better, or they lose the clutch, something they wish to prevent. Additionally, the clutch will remain in or around the nursery swamp until they reach the Shamot stage, approximately four to five years after birth," the President said.

"That's it in a nutshell Father. I'm sorry to spring this on you, but I thought you might want to know about it before the petition became public," Grace stated.

"And you hoped to gain my tacit support behind the scenes," her father added.

"It's for a good cause, Father," Grace implored.

"I am not disputing that, Grace," the President replied. "You do realize that if we agree to this petition, we will have to decide who issues the passports? Us, or the Asocans?" That got a giggle from Angelique who swatted the President's arm.

"Be good, Wilford," she teased.

"Very well, Grace. I was looking forward to a call from my little girl, so you kind of bummed out my morning, however, this is an important issue. I am glad that you informed me about it," the President said.

"Well, Father, now that business if over, I can still be your little girl, for at least another year," Grace said, this time getting all out laughter from Angelique.

Office of Raddon Summate Mutt Kashtin, KashtinAR, The Paalind System, 230 Light Years from AsocAR, The Asocan Realm

Sarl Mutt Kashtin left his bosses office as the four police officers entered to speak with Raddon Summate. Summate noted the eyes of the four female officers watching Sarl closely as he left. Three gave each other grins and then turned their attention back to the fourth officer and Summate. Summate intentionally kept them all waiting as she finished some 'important' Raddon business.

When she looked up, the officer in charge of the group spoke. "Raddon Summate, I am Lead Investigator Kummel Mutt Shallet. I am here to investigate a murder."

"Attempted murder, you mean," Summate replied, eyeing the Investigator suspiciously.

"We were told that multiple murders had occurred on this premise with four dead," Kummel returned. He signalled the other three officers who spread themselves out around the room.

Just then there was a knock at the door and Sarl swiftly came in with a piece of paper on a board. He came around the desk and handed the board to Summate. Summate read the note, keeping any emotion from her face, and nodded to her aide. She swiftly wrote something on the paper, folded it and handed it to Sarl.

"Give the Gurn this reply please, Sarl," Sarl nodded and headed to the door, to be stopped by one of the officers.

"That is official Raddon business and not part of this investigation, you

WILL

allow my aide to do his assigned task," Summate snarled. The officer looked around briefly then stepped back, allowing Sarl to leave the room.

"I will thank-you to leave politics out of this investigation," Summate snarled, rather tongue-in-cheek after seeing the information that Sarl had brought to her. Summate sat back on her tail and looked to Kummel, giving the Investigator a rather relaxed appearance. "Now you were saying?"

"You murdered four members of the community, Summate Mutt Kashtin!" Kummel responded.

"Who is supposed to have been murdered, Kummel," Summate demanded of the Investigator.

Kummel named the four Asocans and stated categorically that Summate is suspected of their murders.

"I see, so I, a Raddon, supposedly someone of superior intellect, killed four Asocans in my own house/office, then called the police to investigate my own murders," Summate said. "Does there seem to be something wrong with this picture, Kummel?

"Please answer this question;" Summate continued without giving the Investigator time to reply, "how is it that you know who has been murdered without ever having been in this office?" Summate demanded.

"The Gurn of the four said that they were missing and that they had come to see you last night, Summate," Kummel replied, smiling.

"The Gurn of the four, yet you gave me four different Mutt names. So which Gurn is responsible for the four, Kummel?" Summate snapped. "That those four were or were not here last night is not sufficient justification for the suspicion of murder, especially when missing people are given two days to appear after they supposedly disappear. This is the morning after their disappearance, and yet I am already suspected in their murders?" Summate inquired. She was watching the interplay between the officers as she spoke and noted the other three casting suspicious glances at Kummel.

So, they are not privy to what Kummel knows,

she thought.

"How much did Gurn Sanate Mutt Garmain pay you to interfere in this case, Kummel?" Summate demanded, catching Kummel by surprise. She noted the other three looking questioningly at Kummel. That was all she needed.

Summate had been attacked in this very office several times over the years that she had been Raddon. She had made preparations. She pressed her foot on a button hidden by her desk and quickly brought her hands up to protect her ears.

A short, sharp blast of sound, keyed to the Asocan psych, wrent the air in the office, momentarily stunning the four officers. Summate was out from behind her desk in an instant, knocking Kummel to the ground and pulling her >Curlat from its sheath to throw it onto her desk. She turned to face the other three officers just as Sarl came running into the room. Between the two of them, they disarmed and then used the officer's own restraints on them leaving them in a group of three on one side of the room, with Kummel restrained and looking at the three from the other side.