Hi Guys! This is the first part of what will go onto be a much longer story. Although it will be predominately story driven, this work is really just a bit of fun, and to alleviate the tedium of having to read exposition frequent sex scenes are included. This chapter just introduces some major characters, with a reward at the end for those looking for something raunchier.
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Alexis Munro pushed her way through the raging torrent of the crowd, putting her slim spacer frame on the line. Ithaca was a world right at the edge of comfortable habitation. Its gravity was just over that of Earth norm and it's atmosphere always thick and oppressive. As a result, the natives were stout, solidly built and scantily clad. Today also happened to be a celebration of some of humanity's less noble impulses so Alexis' pale, graceful body was jammed among several dozen tons of reeking, sweaty almost-orgy.
The musical voice of an Ithacan man leapt into Alexis' ear as oppressively as the humid air around them. "Such gorgeous hair! By the First Mother I must have you!" Ithacans were very liberated, and him running a hand through Alexis' bright red hair was quite acceptable but she was well within her rights to refuse.
She did so traditionally "Alas, lust has not taken me friend, pity me."
He gave a roar, half frustration and half amusement "Well spoken and beautiful! A shame! I would have given my cock to see you with my wife!" He gestured at a voluptuous woman pouring a sugary local delicacy over her impressive breasts to the ecstatic cheers of a group of Ithacans. Alexis gave the man a genuine laugh and bade him farewell. Frankly, Ithacan men were too short, hairy and oily to appeal to her but the women were a genuine temptation. Curvaceous and domineering in manner she would gladly have let one of them teach this innocent Angel about a "real" woman's body. As she was thinking this, a sultry black-haired Ithacan dancing ahead of her fixed her with a ravenous look. Alexis sighed inwardly, unfortunately Sara would never understand. The Ithacan pouted unhappily as Alexis slipped past her with not even a grab of her ample buttocks.
As Alexis jumped, slid and pushed her way through the ever-nuder crowd of Ithacans she thought of Sara. She was probably practicing up in orbit right now. Sara was an avid star dancer, who performed gorgeous acrobatics away from the shackles of gravity. Of course she wasn't good enough to be a professional, hence she became a trader like Alexis. For a second, as Alexis pictured Sara's lithe little body silhouetted against a blue giant, smooth, strong legs stretching for what seemed to be light-years, she forgot about the chaos around her. In this daze, she came to the edge of the crowd just metres from a slim alleyway.
Reality slammed back into focus as a familiar face hit her like a ton of bricks. Aleksandar Belic, with a beaming smile on his face. "Lexi! I love what you've done with your hair" he said, marvelling at his own wit. The local humidity had not been kind to it.
"I'm busy Ranger Belic." She tried to move past the Terran.
He blocked her by pressing up against her, "Actually I'm not with Ramsay's Rangers anymore, the old man went into retirement. Look it's good to see you and I don't think I've done anything to warrant you calling me anything besides Aleks."
Alexis looked away, hearing about David Ramsay retiring had softened her up a bit. That crazy old bastard didn't belong anywhere but commanding soldiers but maybe his health had finally got to him. She returned her gaze to her one-time lover and many-time annoyance. "I guess not," she paused awkwardly "Is David okay?"
Aleks laugh caught her off guard "The son of a bitch's married and expecting not dying Ro Ro." Alexis' relief and disbelief prevented her from killing him for using his old pet name for her. Alek himself seemed a little surprised that he had used it but continued after a quick pause. "Yeah I didn't think he could still get the little fella up either, but you shoulda seen him when he saw this girl." Aleks gave an all too familiar smile.
"Wait, was this in the field?"
Aleks snorted "Do you think Old Man Ramsay would meet the woman of his dreams anywhere else? It was on Fornost, we were billeted in a town with the HQ of Beauregard's Guardians and this crazy local punched Marshal Beauregard right in the face when he told her to make room for his staff and in a rare feat of diplomacy from the old man he smoothed things over, found a nice place for his old friend the Marshal and got himself laid."
Alexis felt a little smirk rise on her face "A shame that Aleksandar Belic will never match the conquests of his mentor, military or otherwise."
"No need to rub it in, but besides I think I'm the only man in history who you will call Master." Aleks had a smirk of his own on, and Alexis rapidly felt her sense of play dissapear and her sense of anger appear.
"Why are you here Aleks?"
"Business, here to see a man with a suit and a big bank account, followed by an Ithacan girl without any clothes and a big ass."
Aleks was just as classy as ever, Alexis thought. A strange sensation made her back tingle, "You wouldn't happen to be meeting a Joseph Gabron in the Ithaca lounge at 1 o'clock would you?"
"Partners again Lexi! I can't wait." he turned and pointed to a sleazy looking establishment not far into the alley.
"I haven't taken the job yet." She strode ahead of him, towards a flickering neon sign, away from the furious rhythms of the crowd behind.
As she stepped inside, her senses were assaulted by a cascade of smells. There was a hint of thick, woody smoke beneath the mouth-watering aroma of an animal cooking. Mixing among this, strong hints of beer, urine and sweat lept out. Aleks probably thought he was in heaven.
"We're both early, what do ya say we grab a drink, you're buying." He gave her a little shove towards the bar.
Alexis sighed, she might at least be able to hear about some old friends. Moving towards the bar, she became absorbed in her own thoughts. If they wanted someone like Aleks in on this job, it was probably dangerous, not really something she wanted to get Sara involved in, she was young and fairly new at the trading game.
When she reached the bar, she found the bartender occupied with a group of Martian businessmen down the other end. The ochre markings on their bodies were visible even through the haze of the bar. They would take no part in the activities in the streets, such acts were beneath them. Hence, here they were in this tacky bar tailored to cater to outsiders. The food was local, but an Ithacan joint would never be so closed off from the sky.
The only other person at the bar was a young Anatolian dressed casually but smartly. His traditional beard was trimmed neatly, and his deep black jacket blended with the low light o f the bar. Alexis was fond of Anatolia and her people. She had pleasant memories of nights in the Belgrad forest with a group of young locals in awe of her brilliant red hair and long, exposed thighs. Back in the present, she pointed to the man's drink, "Is that anything on an Anatolian sour?"
He gave a small, slightly sad smile "No but how I wish it were so spacer." The man turned slightly to focus amber eyes on her "Have you been to Anatolia often?"
Looking down at him, the much taller Alexis shook her head "Only once, I'm afraid, but I'd love to go back and see the western continent."
"I'm not buying you a drink, I'm afraid" he finished his with a gulp.
Alexis recoiled a bit "Wasn't planning on it."
The Anatolian chuckled a little bit "My sincere apologies spacer, but those of us from Bursa find it difficult to believe that one would travel light-years to gaze upon the empty plains of Izmir."
Finally, the bartender began to move towards Alexis. "I'm a history buff, the oldest settlements on your world are there I hear, the name's Alexis Munro, by the way." The bartender murmured a greeting at her. "Two of that thanks." Alexis told him, gesturing towards the poor substitute for an Anatolian sour.
As the bartender poured, Alexis turned back to her new acquaintance who offered his name with a shake of her hand. "Firat Batuk."
Before she could ask him his business here, Aleks came up to the pair "What are you doing with this Anatolian cunt, Lexi?"
Firat tensed a little, visibly scared, but Aleks roared with laughter "Relax, I may be a Terran but I've been around and I've found assholes to be evenly distributed, Aleksandar Belic." The two shook and Alexis gestured at Aleks "He's discovered the distribution is one in three, I'll leave you to figure out who the one is in this case." Firat gave that same small smile again. Alexis handed Aleks his drink, who downed it without blinking an eye.
