Nobody tried to stop Foxy when she entered the viewers' gallery high above the auditorium. Either because she didn't have a collar and was free to do so, or because she had her rifle slung over her shoulder. It was strange, the stage was set in the middle with seating all around it with no clear path to reach it. Furthermore, although she could see Liddy, she had a hard time listening to her talk with the men seated around her. The acoustics in the whole room seemed to mute the viewers but amplify the stage, she could hear the servant pouring water into a glass on the podium clearly. Slowly she walked around the gallery, twitching her ears to try and pick up what Liddy was saying. The whole process was made more difficult by the talking crowd but also how little Liddy was able to get a word in. She had lost track of her in the mix and leant over the railing to find her when she caught an earful of Liddy laughing at some lame joke. The voice didn't seem to come from the same direction of Liddy once she laid eyes on her again but it didn't matter.

“Here?” Hannah asked, admiring Foxy from the rear as she bent over.

“Yes, but only if I lean forward. If I stand back up.” Foxy did so. “I get nothing.”

“Well then, I’ll keep the hands off you while you work.” Hannah waved at Inky who directed the rest to hang out at the door closest to their perch without entering the gallery.

“What about yours?”

“No promises. Your fur is so soft.”

****

Liddy decided against stabbing the presumptuous hand on her thigh with her hairpin. A screaming man flailing around with blood everywhere would be noticed. What bothered her was that she had been pleasantly flirting with the man on her left when the one on the right got jealous. Ignoring him, she scanned the gallery and quickly spotted Foxy leaning over the railing, showing off some furry cleavage. She cocked a quizzical eyebrow at her and received a shrug in reply before noticing Hannah behind her, who was shamelessly checking her out.

The gallery darkened and Liddy lost sight of Hannah but could still make our Foxy as the murmur died down. The man who had been setting up and pouring water on stage suddenly lowered into the floor. When the floor rose again, the Lord Captain himself rose with it in a fine suit.

“Welcome everyone!” His voice carried throughout the seating.

“Finally! The waiter has arrived!” Someone shouted from the lower seats.

Laughter flowed from the rest of the attendees and not least of all the Lord Captain himself.

“How many times do I have to tell you, uncle?” The Lord Captain asked. “Just because I fetched you drinks at all hours of the day as a boy, does not mean I’m a waiter.” More laughter, followed by a call for silence with his outstretched arms. “Now that we have established that I am not here to serve drinks, I would like to officially announce the start of the meeting we have all come here for. Last year, we spoke on many things, yet a great deal has happened since then. Far more than usually happens in a year. The escalating conflict of war and the rise in war material manufacturing, the disruption and sometimes outright banning of the slave trade. The ember shortage, and even monsters threatening every level of the populous. Now, there are of course general matters of business to discuss alongside these issues, but they will be saved for later. The first topic to be discussed is the war. For that, I turn the floor over to Sir Modar Clat.”

The Lord Captain nodded to the man he introduced as the light fell upon his seat. He stood and bowed to the Lord Captain. Liddy was certain she had seen him earlier, watching her girls walk by. Liddy listened to the man drone on about specific battle lines and so on but, without a map, it was tough to follow. The only thing she clearly understood was that almost every city was involved in the conflict across the whole of the old empire. For as much as he talked about military matters, he was clearly not a soldier. His clinical detachment, while he talked about casualties, gave it away.

“He was eyeing us earlier, tap whoever thinks he was staring at them the most,” Liddy muttered, she saw Foxy nod and stand up to whisper to Hannah who was presumably still behind her before coming back over the railing.

****

Inky hadn't much care for the man behind her but appreciated that he was doing his share of the work thrusting into her as she rocked backwards in rhythm. Holding her by the hair, he laughed as she squealed at each thrust that yanked harder on it. She would have enjoyed the mirror facing her more if he had been more attractive, but it was a pleasing enough sight to see herself with anyone bringing her pleasure.

“Like that soldier girl?” he grunted the words out.

“Yes sir!” she answered firmly but with a touch of grateful begging.

With that, he couldn't take it anymore and started to mutter like he was trying to calm a horse as he pulled out and deposited his seed all over her back. Inky smiled and he mistook it for something other than her satisfaction at manipulating him. She lost the pool; she had bet she would have been the second woman to take a speaker after Hannah, not the first.

****

When Sir Modar was finished, the lights dimmed on him and the focus was once again on the Lord Captain.

“Thank you, sir, that was most informative.” He might not have been lying, but Liddy knew a patronizing smile when she saw one. “It is interesting to note how you speculated that some cities are forming alliances. Anyone have any comments to add?”

The lights moved to a man the Lord Captain pointed out who had raised his hand. “I've been finding that cities that either already share resources or are simply strong trading partners have avoided conflict, despite the proximity, only to engage more distant foes. I could see cities, in this case, formalising an alliance.”

The lights moved to another. “Not to suggest that what was just said is false, I have witnessed the exact opposite. However, in such cases, it seems that the cities have shared strong rivalries in the past. If we are to plot potential alliances, we must consider how the people perceive their neighbours and not just the nobility.”

There was some noise of agreement as well as resentment that the opinions of commoners be taken into account, but they were soon silenced.

“All so true.” The Lord Captain took back control of the room. “However, these wars all sparked from the idea that there is a shortage of ember. To speak with us on that, I present Clerk Michal Roads. One of the most senior bureaucrats from the capital, who thankfully survived recent events. Since the capital has avoided conflict and shows no signs of getting involved, he will tell us why.”

Liddy saw the man in a simple grey suit, nervously standing and struggling to speak.

“Hello everyone, I know I’m not the usual type you hear from.” He took a nervous pause until a friendly smile from the Lord Captain urged him on. “Well, as far as I can tell, production from the capital mines as well as other cities we keep track of is not suffering. If anything, rates are higher since everyone is in a scramble to collect it. Simply put, there is no shortage to speak of.”

Some confused murmurs interrupted him. Liddy took advantage of the pause.

“Whoever wants him,” she said quietly. “Probably knows more than he's letting on or will be allowed to say. Either way, I think he needs some stress relief. A man that young shouldn't look like he's about to have a heart attack.”

****

Easy rocked her hips back and forth as she gently massaged the part of the man inside her. He seemed torn between watching her breasts move in front of him as he touched them and her fluttering wings.

“You were so brave, talking in front of so many people. I'd have squeaked something and frozen right up.” Easy kissed him and gave him a soft smile.

“Lots going on today I'm not used to,” he mumbled. “I can't imagine what drew you to me. Talking in front of people isn't brave considering what others can do.”

“Bravery isn't doing dangerous things, it's doing things you are afraid of. You had the most trouble of anyone speaking today and you did it. That's why I knew I had to meet you. Then you had to go and be friendly to me, an Emberborn, and I knew you were something special.”

“Well, it just seemed proper, to be kind I mean, I just…” he stopped the moment he lost control.

Easy felt his seed inside her, flowing through the grip she had on his shaft. She kept her face pleasant, but inwardly she chided herself for finishing too quickly. He did grip more firmly onto her breasts and she took a moment to just enjoy herself until he was ready to talk again. She would need to be more careful going forward.

****

Liddy watched the man sit back down as the room turned to shouted questions all asking various questions until the Lord Captain called for quiet and pointed someone out.

“I can vouch for production being as high as ever. I have four mines, and the only one that's exhausted its ember was because it ran into a major gold vein. So, not a loss really for me, but it made me check. The number of closed mines this year is actually lower than the previous years. Maybe we are all just trying to explore them more but production is higher, even if you don't count new mines built this year outside the yearly average.”

Liddy sighed as he launched into some statistics before sitting back down. The next few speakers that were given the floor made similar statements. The current speaker talked about the production of weapons and made some comments about the new vehicles being used on the front lines. Maybe it was the look on his face as he described their killing power, or the fact that he failed to stop himself from drooling at their increased use, that Liddy knew what to do.

“All yours Hannah. Payback.”

****

Hannah had to resist the urge to bite as she was slapped in the face repeatedly by his manhood as he laughed like a maniac. Just as she was about to try and ask him something, her mouth was filled when she opened it to speak and felt him push all the way down her throat. She hadn't been quite ready and choked a bit, and more tempted to bite down hard. He laughed at her sputtered coughing when he finally let her go and Hannah realised she had to win the game before she could ask him anything.

“Having trouble, little bitch?” He almost sang his words.

“I don't get to enjoy it like this often,” she replied, grinning as he pushed back in, showing her teeth on him.

His eye twitched, and Hannah knew she had him.

****

“Next item up on our agenda is the slave trade and the changes that have been taken.” The Lord Captain announced, with a short glance at Liddy. “Here are the facts, such as we know them. A slave farm made the mistake of collecting freed slaves to fill out its numbers. Those slaves triggered a rebellion and claimed the farm. Then, taking advantage of the chaos, the whole slave market in the city was shut down and confiscated. This was likely perpetrated by then Sir and now Lord Ravon Dex -- who took control of the farm, its land, and all the liberated slaves from the market and the farm. Then, quite separately, some freed slaves in the capital ended up between the Duke and some kind of monsters, saving his life. This induced him to not only free slaves but outright ban slavery in general. Now, while I may have had some drinks upon hearing this news,” he paused to listen to some laughter, “I invited any farm owners to speak here, one has come forth.”

When the lights were on the new speaker he stood up. “As many of you know, farm owners like myself are a secretive group. Even from each other. Simply put, you look down on us for breeding Emberborn animals like cattle farmers do. Just because they can talk to us does not mean they are any more than cattle that do not. You all make use of them. We feed your factories, your farms, your homes. If I may say, we do it better than the clockwork constructs of our host.” He softened his barb with a smile that the Lord Captain took in stride. “I can understand, developing attachments to animals, but even a dog, that can be trained to understand some words, is still an animal to be owned. The production of our cities are growing, and the supply of labour must grow with it. These beasts of burden are simply that. Let’s not get to legitimizing them as anything more. When was the last time a dog offered any solid advice beyond what shoes seemed the most dangerous?

He sat down after some laughter. Liddy stood up and waited until the light was on her.

“I once saw a dog, as friendly as any, growl and snarl at a man. So surprised we were, that the man was told to leave. Bothered by this, they mentioned it to the authorities. When they found the man, he was in his home with the bodies of his victims. My point, before you interrupt, is that even though a human may be smarter than a dog, they know a monster when they see it. Of course, I don't need one today to tell me who the monster is. Cattle are born from other cattle, dogs born from other dogs. However, Emberborn are born from humans so it should be simple enough to know how to treat them.” The venom in her voice wasn't hidden in the slightest, and the room was dead silent.

She had stared at the slave farm owner, and only him during her speech, then turned away in disgust when she sat back down. When the light was back on the Lord Captain, he had to take a moment to compose himself.

“Catherine, but only if she can stomach it.”

****

Cat had to lay the sympathy on thick to convince the man to get out of his impotent rage and into a private booth to have some drinks. She had ordered a bottle that was already half gone before she had even touched her own glass. He angrily emptied his glass again, only now really noticing Cat as a woman, finally staring at her breasts instead of at the bottle.

“I was wondering how long it would take you to notice me,” she said, smiling while puffing out her chest.

“I’ve never been so humiliated. That bitch, why did she have to say anything at all!”

“Stupid stories don't mean anything. You are going to go back to work making more money than she will ever have. What’s wrong with that?”

“She likes them so much, maybe I should just hook her up to a machine and breed her myself until she's begging me to stop. Until she forgets what it's like to be free. Until I throw her broken carcass down the mountainside.”

“You could restrain me if you like. It's been a while since a man has shown me my place. Maybe not quite like she deserves, but I’m sure there is a middle ground for me until you get ahold of her.”

“My ship is leaving within the hour, I'd rather take my time.”

“Well, I'd be happy to convince my captain to drop me off somewhere in a few days. If you like.”

****

The discussion about the monsters proved to be rather anti-climactic, due to the drama of the last speaker -- but also because Liddy had been there and knew more than what was being said.

****

Emma had pounced on the guard as he approached the girls gathered at the door. She led with a simple apology for getting in his way, followed by a comment about how human men were so big compared to her. He couldn't have helped but stare down her dress at the exposed cleavage as he towered over her. She wasn't sure he would have gotten in the way of what the girls were doing, but decided she didn't quite mind running interference with him.

“Please forgive me for getting in your way. I’m happy to make it up to you. Is there anything you want from me?”

Emma didn't need to do anything magical to make him any more aroused, aside from the normal magic breasts possess. He pulled her into an alcove and pulled the curtains closed. She had him out and in her mouth before he realised it. Emma knew he probably would have cut right to the chase but wanted a moment to wet his skin. He pulled her up and lifted her dress, putting his hand over her mouth as he pushed inside. Emma moaned hard, not faking a bit of it. His thrusting was hard and she was pinned to the wall by his armour vest. It didn't last long before he pulled out and let her drop down to take it back in her mouth in time to swallow. It relieved Emma that she wouldn't have to clean herself out while in a public place. She felt the hot salty seed fill her mouth and slide down her throat.

He had a hard time putting himself back in his trousers while watching her smile at him. As he left, he continued on his patrol, forgetting about the group of women huddled around the door to the gallery.

****

Liddy was done with the meeting hours before it actually ended. As she left, the girls went to see their marks and she went to get a hard drink. She avoided the bar she saw Cat entering with the slave farmer, and went to another.

A soft voice addressed her after she gulped down a double with no problems.

“Excuse me, I… wow, I can never drink that much at once. Even when I want to.”

Liddy turned to see the woman. “Job-related talent. What can I do for you?”

“I have an Emberborn son. Only a few years old. I was wondering. Someone as opposed as yourself about the slave trade. Is the rumour true? About that farm being a safe place for them?”

“Maybe, I’d say you would run the greater risk. Being human and all.”

“I handled his father when my son was just born. Handled raising him alone. I think I can handle myself as long as he is safe.”

“The church is protecting it. Try them. No matter what people say about what they think of the Emberborn.”

“Thank you, I hadn't considered them. You are so kind.”

“I try, but to be honest, I love a woman who can handle so much. I'd love to see if you could handle me.”

Liddy let her comment hang. The woman was confused at first, then, as she saw Liddy’s smile, became very surprised. She took a moment to work things through her mind before she started to blush.

“I might need instruction…” she muttered, her face fully flushed.

****

Ving felt she was being a bit on the nose, then giggled like an idiot at the pun. She had just painted ‘The Easy Lay’ on the nose of her racer. It was the final touch after fixing and tuning it all day, waiting for the meeting to end so she could compete. Normally she needed an engineer to work the engine during the race, but after years of being in both slots, she knew some tricks. Rigging up wires to control the engine from the cockpit was the first, it helped eliminate the weight of the engineer as well as the unpredictable shift in ballast they were.

“Test flights authorised!” came the call from the dock.

Grounded during the meeting like everyone else, Ving hadn't yet had the chance to actually test anything in action. She took off and started with a few easy manoeuvres, slowly working her way up to the harder turns and twists. Controlling the engine valves was difficult when you had the gauges to look at and weren't distracted by flying. Ving was intentionally unbalancing the engine so she could hear the sounds it made. It felt good to her to finally be doing the thing she was trained for. Being alone in her racer, it was the only way she had ever felt safe for so much of her life. Figuring out how to fly alone was more about actually being alone than any of the mechanical advantages.

After landing, she heard a voice behind her, “I'd love to get inside an easy lay.”

The line was obvious, but Ving didn't even register it as anything other than what it was. She spun around in a defensive stance, her pistol out and trained on the man's head. However, it wasn't the pistol in her hands that scared him, rather the feral fear in her eyes. He backed away slowly before running the opposite direction. Ving went back inside her racer and locked the door. She cried as she began to hyperventilate, rocking herself back and forth while gripping her gun tightly.

****

Liddy tried to ignore the new sign on her door as she led her new friend into her bedroom. She bristled at the name, regretting ever letting it slip. If the woman noticed, she didn't say anything. Holding her by the hand, she guided her to sit on the bed. Liddy was a bit nervous, being another woman's first -- but the woman in question was a great deal more apprehensive about the whole thing.

“Please, take deep breaths,” Liddy soothed.

“Right.” The woman did so. “I do need to calm myself.”

“Actually,” Liddy leaned in closer to whisper, “It pushes out your breasts when you do, and I love it.”

The woman gasped softly and shuddered a bit as she exhaled, but took another deep breath afterwards. Liddy smiled as she watched her breasts strain against her dress, knowing that if she was having second thoughts, she'd have done something else. She put her hand on her opposing hip to pull her close for a kiss. The tentative touch of their lips slowly evolved into a tight press before it softened and their mouths opened. Another breath shuddered from the woman as she felt Liddy’s tongue press against her own. She had never tasted such passion from any kiss before in her life.

“Now that we have been properly introduced, my name is Liddy.”

“Oh, that's not what the sign said.”

“That's my given name, which I regretfully uttered within earshot of my crew.”

“Oh, I liked it. Mine is Beth, rather plain.”

“You can call me whatever you like.”

“Kiss me, Trixy, kiss me again.”

Liddy leaned in for another kiss, her hand moving up from the hip to the side of her chest so her arm was across the woman's breasts. Slowly, she pulled her arm back until her hand held Beth by her breast and gently squeezed it through the dress. Liddy felt another shudder in the woman as the grip tightened and smiled, still kissing as Beth lifted her leg over hers.

Beth lowered herself so that she was almost sitting on Liddy’s leg, facing her, kissing harder to push Liddy onto her back. Liddy was thrilled as Beth pushed herself on top of her, slightly pushing her away with both hands firmly on her breasts. The kiss was only broken when Beth began to kiss her cheek and then nip at her neck. Liddy could feel the unshackled desire from her, as though finally being able to make love like she wanted. Beth moved lower as Liddy gasped at the soft bites moving down from her neck and along her exposed skin to her breasts. When they were pulled free Beth shuddered again, looking at Liddy for permission before putting her tongue to them. Liddy felt the strong muscle running along her breasts, covering them with saliva and teasing her skin. Beth closed her mouth over one of the nipples, biting it slightly before pressing on it with the tongue. She felt her suck on them hard before flicking them with the tip of her tongue.

“You thought you needed instruction. You were wrong.” Liddy gasped, running her hands through Beth's hair.

“I’m just doing what I’ve always wanted for myself,” Beth replied, switching her attention to the other breast, while still teasing the slick wet one with her fingers.

“Show me everything you have ever wanted.”

****

Ving heard knocking on the side of her racer. “Go away!”

“I never was good at taking orders,” she heard Hannah reply.

Ving unlocked the door and shoved it open to admit Hannah, who locked it closed after getting inside. Hannah pulled her to sit between her legs, leaning her back against her chest. There, Hannah just held her until she was ready to speak.

“What have you been drinking?” Ving asked, after sniffing the strong liquor on Hannah's breath.

“Bartender suggested it, something about killing taste buds. Though probably for different reasons than what I needed it for.”

“You didn't ask about the man at the bar. Or about why I’m locked in here.”

“I don't need to ask anything to know you are protecting yourself. I’m just here to back you up. Doesn't matter if it means drawing a weapon or holding you tight. If you want to say something or nothing, I’ll listen to both.”

“I thought I was better at dealing with this.”

“You are. Doesn't mean you are done dealing with it. That's why people make friends. To help us deal with the things we haven't figured out yet. Though, I will suggest that you only shoot people who deserve it. Not just anyone in general.”

“Yeah, I know. Kind of bothersome just how frequently it still happens.”

“Thankfully, it would be bad if it wasn't bothersome.”

“True, I don't think anyone should enjoy killing anyone else, even if they deserve it.”

“Sometimes I think I do, but it always feels bitter. Actually, it feels great if you just beat them senseless and let them live. Killing is too final, I like it when they learn they were wrong to cross you. Or in your case, race against you. Though I suppose there's the thrill of the race, I guess that's what makes it a sport.”

“Did you just segue from my problems to my passion?”

“Yes, your race starts soon and I want to see my bitch win.”

“Stop staring at my chest and get out.”

Hannah pulled Ving's head back for a kiss while she gripped her breasts tightly before getting out of the racer and letting her take off.

****

“Harder, Trixy! Please!” Beth called out.

Liddy knew better than to actually go harder, but picked up the pace instead. She didn't want to get as enthusiastic as she would with Mari or someone more experienced as she worked her fingers inside the woman. Beth had already climaxed twice, but Liddy wanted a third to match the number she had received. She rubbed herself on Beth’s thigh while working her hand between the bare legs. Liddy had her other hand gripped to her breast with Beth holding it in place with hers, while the other grabbed the headboard.

“Trixy!” Beth screamed as she finally let loose her third climax.

Liddy slowed her pace down to tease and extend the climax until Beth was finally ready to relax. They took their time to catch their breath. Liddy rested on top of Beth, off to the side, with her ear on her chest to listen to the strong heartbeat.

They said their goodbyes as Liddy walked her off the ship, happy and content. It didn't last.

“Trixy!” Hannah screamed, moaning in pleasure with her legs spread while sitting on the floor in front of her room where she had obviously been waiting for some time.

“I’d ask how long you have been there, but I think I’d rather tell you to shut up.”

“I’ll answer the question instead,” Hannah replied as she got to her feet. “Only a few minutes. Just saw Ving getting ready to race and came to invite you to the deck pool to watch. Got you some swimwear.”

Liddy caught the bundle Hannah tossed her and took the sign off her door to toss back. Hannah held onto it as she watched Liddy strip back out of the dress she had just put on and slip on the swimwear.

“It’s missing pieces,” Liddy stated, looking at herself in the mirror. “There are no leggings or sleeves.”

The tight yellow fabric hugged her figure pleasingly but Liddy knew that wasn't normal either. Not that she or any of the other girls would have minded, but it would get a scandalous amount of attention from everyone who saw her.

“What's wrong with that? I always hated all the extra crap we have to wear. Mari… um… ‘talked’ the tailor into taking off any unnecessary bits. By the end, there was just the one piece under everything, so that's what we are going with.”

****

Ving knew the time trial was important, but to her the time didn't matter so much as learning the course. Each racer got one lap before the race and she took her time to get it right. Noting when she had to burn hard and when to set up more complex manoeuvres. The track was a series of floating rings that she and the other racers would have to pass through. Missing one added time and hitting one would cause serious damage. Of course, the rules worked with this fact, and any destroyed rings got taken out of the track and forced everyone to adapt. The worst race for that, that she herself had been in, saw a quarter of the rings taken out before the end. Ving was flying through a pair of rings kept close to the ship to force a flyover when she lost control for a moment before recovering and almost hitting the second ring.

****

“Yup,” Hannah stated. “She saw us.”

“Holy fuck!” Leira blurted out. “I didn't think she'd almost crash!”

Hannah shook her head. The vibrant green swimsuit she was wearing, the same colour as Ving's hair, had definitely caught her eye. Of course, she also wondered if it had been any of the others. Leira wore one that sparkled like her scales, Easy had a hot shade of pink, and Vile wore pure white to match Inky. None of the other guests had notice Ving’s mistake at all, busy as they were watching the harlots.

Everyone, aside from Foxy and Astra who requested to be the ones to guard the ship, was on the deck or in the pool. Mari sat at the bar she had swum up to in the pool and chatted up a man who was buying her a drink. It was weird for her hair to be slicked back like it was from the water instead of the elaborate displays she tried to make with it. Emma was having fun splashing water at Easy, who had her wings folded to make swimming easier, with her spectral hand from random directions. The soldier girls seemed to be having a lot of fun being able to swim freely, and the men watching them certainly didn't mind the activity.

“I’ve seen all these women naked,” Liddy spoke up. “Why are they so damned desirable in clothing?”

“Because we are lustful harlots and would be turned on even if they wore full ball gowns. Also, being close to something we want and not quite having it is the whole point of teasing. We like being teased.”

“I know, but damn, Hope in that sky blue... “ she trailed off, staring at Hope float on her back.

Hannah had to agree with Liddy as she joined her in watching Hope relax on the water, relaxing despite the others around her splashing. She looked up again as another racer passed over, this one missing the second ring entirely. “I want to say I planned this, but I think we just gave Ving an edge in this race.”

****

Ving almost didn't make it back in time. After her time trial, she had landed at the Lucky Harlot and taken off quickly after getting what she needed. Now, while waiting for the last few racers to get into position, she furiously worked the vibrating tool between her legs until she forced out a climax as quickly as she could.

“Ready!” she called out when the announcer called for ‘The Easy Lay’.

On the deck, Hannah shook her head when she heard her response, knowing Ving's post-climax voice and hearing the buzzing in the background that certainly didn't sound like normal static.

Ving switched it off and got herself ready to race, her focus back on task, determined not to look at the deck pool when she flew by it. Her time had been poor during the trial, but not as bad as some who had gained extra time for missing the second ship ring and being thrown off for the rest of the track. She tested her wires and watched the first, ring intently focused on keeping her engine primed for a quick burn.

The first ring, its passage blocked by a fabric seal with a coat of arms on it, was blocking the two dozen racers until the seal went up in flames. The fast burning material was ash in the few moments it took for the first racer to pass through it. Ving jumped three positions before passing through it herself as some of the other racers were just too slow to start. This was the moment her time trial had paid for. She knew what angles to take each ring with to lead to the next. Those behind her got bogged down, the first ring being mandatory to fly through during every lap and so many trying to get through at once. She had bumped someone on her way through, but she had put a steel plate on the bottom of her hull for exactly that purpose.

The first few rings were easy, to give everyone a false sense of confidence before a sudden twist downwards towards the water. She was already starting her turn when she passed through the ring. Others went by her as she braked -- but that meant they had a harder time shifting their momentum towards the water. She went down, slightly away from the next ring, hovering over the water, until she flipped her racer and pulled up hard. It was a slower turn, almost needlessly so, but it meant she would pass through the ring without having to skim the water after, slowing her even more. Ving tore through the ring and accelerated past all those who thought they had left her behind.

When it came to flying over the ship again, she grinned as the racer in front of her had fumbled while trying to angle his ship to get a good view rather than get through the ring properly. She passed him where she knew he wasn't looking, and got through before he tore off a wing trying not to miss it. Her own wings were doing fine, though she already had a lever to pull if she lost one. The mirrors in her cockpit she had spent hours setting up just right were helpful in spotting anyone approaching her from behind so she could cut them off when she could.

What really had tricked her during the time trial was the pair of rings that appeared like a figure-eight as you approached. She had missed the one, like everyone else, but this time she took the high angle and approached inverted. In an odd quirk of the rules, it didn't matter what direction you passed through any ring but the lap ring. So sliding through the far edge of the top ring, then pulling up hard to make it through the bottom ring, and trying not to hit anything, counted. Again, she was thankful for the steel plate on her hull that she had put there, only this time it hadn't been a planned use. Twisting her racer again, she righted herself to get the next ring, taking longer than others, but without the added time, she came out further ahead.

The lap ring was ahead and she was lining herself up for it when two racers nudged wings and both tried to give way to the other when they slammed into the ring itself. They tore it apart and lost control. Racers were tough and Ving figured the pilots would be fine, but the lap gate was gone. Of course, it happened so often that spares were kept, usually as many spares as there were laps. Ving saw the replacement ring rising from its horizontal resting place and dove through it and the other spares before it had been made upright. Normally, racers had to wait since most lap rings were on the ground but since everything was free-floating in the air, she took advantage of the others habitual waiting.

Her second lap, she saw others attempting her own manoeuvres, though with less success than her for the most part. Again, someone clipped the second ship ring while trying to look at the deck. Ving wondered if Hannah had planned that. Ving made it through the figure-eight again but without touching it and smiled at her achievement. Most would just take the added time and not risk it. The new lap ring was in place for her second pass through it.

The third and final lap, there was no second ship ring, its lights had been doused and it had been lowered. The figure-eight gates were both broken when she approached them again, she passed through the one that still had its lights on. There were three other racers that passed the lap gate before her while the sparklers on the gate signalled the finish line. She followed them through and then went to circle the ship with the other finishing racers as the rest joined them.

Ving felt good, it had been a long time since she had finished, or even raced, and the rush of endorphins flooding her system were almost as good as after a round of fun with Hannah. She was eying her lovely redhead on deck when she heard the announcer call out first place. Ving didn't recognize the name but it wasn't a league race so it didn't surprise her.

“At only point seven seconds behind first place, Miss Ving has claimed second place!”

Ving was lucky that flying was an unconscious act for her because her conscious self was dumbstruck. She had counted fourth place, assuming those in front were the ones good enough to have done the figure-eight as well. Fourth place would have been her best finish ever, never mind being behind first by less than a second. She looked over to see Hannah jumping wildly into the air on the deck, suggesting that she hadn't been imagining the placement.

****

Vile watched Hannah holler and cheer into the sky, proud of her girl and weeping with joy. She turned to Inky who was floating next to her in the water.

“Did we have something to do with that?” Vile asked, looking at her massive breasts straining against her swimsuit.

“I think maybe. They all did seem to make a mess of their flyovers. Amateurs! My money is on the ones who didn't being either military or former,” she responded.

****

Ving exited her racer to the excited cheers of the spectators on the dock. Many shouted words welcoming her back to racing. She even gave signatures to a number of people as she tried to make her way through the crowd. Foxy and Astra pushed their way through to help her out and soon she was back on the ship.

“That looked amazing! I knew you raced, but didn't know you were at that level!” Astra shouted.

“Honestly, even I didn't know. Everything just clicked and I used every trick I ever learned,” Ving responded, shaking her head.

“That and maybe what everyone is wearing on the pool deck?” Foxy asked.

“Oh, well of course that!” Ving laughed.

“If you want to get changed for whatever formal thing winners do, do that, but put this on under it.”

Astra handed Ving a vibrant red swimsuit that matched Hannah’s hair. She stripped out of her clothing right away to try it on and twirled in front of the girls. They both nodded their approval before Ving went down to her room to put on some clothing over top.

“So…” Astra lead.

“Inky’s bed,” Foxy replied, rushing off with Astra.

****

Ving was lead up on deck to meet and greet the Lord Captain as well as the other racers -- including the first placer. He and the others seemed surprised to see her. They were even more surprised when Hannah ran up on stage to kiss her by leaping into her arms and wrapping her legs around her. When they were finally finished, the Lord Captain handed her a gold chest with her winnings and offered an approving nod, matched by his wife.

“One could argue that the display on the deck pool was an unfair distraction,” one of the other racers stated.

Hannah and Ving looked at him, a level glare until he spoke again.

“Unfair, unless you intended to introduce us? To them?” He made no attempt to hide his hopeful look.

“Racer party in the pool!” Ving shouted, almost ripping off her top as she did so.

Everyone cheered, and she was already down to her swimsuit before getting off the stage, Hannah holding her winnings and clothing as they walked off towards the pool.