While Mari took the carriage she had rented with Hannah, rented in this case meaning the satisfied man was driving, Hannah entered a small salon tucked in between two larger shops.  The space was long and narrow, yet felt cosy and inviting.  The bell that rang as she opened the door had summoned a slow-moving woman who seemed surprised to have a customer.

“Well hello, miss.  Welcome,” she greeted Hannah warmly.

As she shuffled closer, Hannah could see it had less to do with her weight or age but rather some chronic joint pain.

“Thank you kindly,” Hannah replied.  “I was told you were able to do some hair regrowth.”

“Oh my, yes,” she confirmed. “I just haven't had anyone ask for any in ages.  They came for my looks and loose… morals,” she grinned, eying Hannah, and had a good feeling about the kind of woman she was. “But ever since I stopped being able to move about very well, I don't get many to come calling.”

Hannah could see she had been quite a beauty in her youth and hadn't lost as much of it as she claimed.  She liked her immediately.

“That's when you transition to being the one in charge.  Make them do all the work,” Hannah flashed a mischievous grin.  

“Oh, that worked for a bit, but really any fun at all ended up being too much for my frail joints.”

“A shame then, but perhaps we can help each other out.” Hannah pulled her hair aside to show the shaven side and scar.  “A close shave in the trenches and I find myself needing my head balanced again.”

“Oh my,” the woman gasped as she inspected the scar more closely.  “Well, I can certainly use the customer.  I think we can help each other out just fine.”

The woman sat Hannah in a chair that reclined backwards, facing her towards the storefront since she wouldn't have had the space to face the wall.  Then she took a seat behind her client and started running her hands through Hannah’s lovely red hair.

“So you are a soldier then?”

“Not if I can help it.  I just like getting myself laid.  Problem is that things keep happening around me and I can't just do nothing.”

“A lover and a fighter.”

“Very much so.  Though all things considered, at least I have a lot of fun.”

The two of them talked at length as the fingers pulled through Hannah’s hair, slowly pulling longer strands out of the shaved patch.  When it was finally done, she crowned Hannah in a pair of braids that ran down her shoulders.  Hannah sat up and looked at the mirror to appreciate the work done to her hair, and noticed the woman massaging her own sore hands.

“Such masterful hands shouldn't be so sore from doing such fine work,” Hannah stated.

“Such masterful hands haven't counted enough money to fix themselves.”

Hannah pulled a stack of bills from the bag she had liberated from the brothel and placed it on the counter.  “It occurs to me I haven't the faintest idea how much such treatment would cost.”

“Oh, my goodness girl!” the old woman gasped.  “I can't ask for this.  I mean that would be enough but…”

“From one kindred spirit to another,” Hannah smiled, laying down another stack of bills.  “You deserve a break from the hardships.  Go get the treatment that you need.”

“Thank you.  I will.”

Hannah moved towards the door, and the woman followed to flip her sign before locking up.  Obviously, she didn't intend to waste any time getting herself healed.

As they passed the carriage, Hannah opened the door to see if Mari was waiting for her or if she would have to hunt her down.  The two of them stared at the sight of Mari bouncing her hips as the man under her laid back and enjoyed the penetration of the ink-covered woman.  Mari looked up and smiled at her friend and the old lady without stopping her fun.  Although the cramped carriage made sex difficult, Mari managed easily enough.

“Well then, I suppose I can drive.”  Hannah shook her head as she closed the door.

****

Easy fluttered happily through the hall as she followed the instructions on the paper given to her by the man who had graced her face with his seed.  She knew most women would think of it as degrading, and while she could have gotten his help with a smile and wink, the rest was for her own pleasure.  The book she wanted relating to magical flight that didn't involve any technology was in the possession of one of the faculty and not at the library.  So if that meant having fun finding it, then all the better for Easy.

Finally reaching the doorway indicated, she knocked softly but didn't receive a reply.  She looked about and while the others in the hall seemed to notice her, none bothered to say anything regarding if anyone was inside.  Testing the handle, she could feel the door was locked but as she pushed on it, the door opened.  It had been locked ajar and wouldn't even close properly.  Knowing that someone else might have just left well alone and been polite about it, Easy entered the room quietly.

It was an office for an aide that led to another, finer door leading to another room where she could hear hushed voices.  Opening the next door that hadn't even been locked at all, Easy saw a man on his knees, stroking his manhood while taking the manhood of an older man in his mouth.

Both men regarded her the instant the door opened and made to cover themselves up.  However, instead of the embarrassment of being caught in the act like most would have, these men both wore expressions of terror and heartbreak.  They knew their lives together would end as cataclysmically as their careers.

Before Easy could say anything that would put them at ease, a voice shouted in the hall.  She recognised the name as that of the man she had been looking for.  Putting two and one together, Easy dashed over to take the place of the man who had been on his knees.  Pushing the older man back onto the desk, she took him in her mouth while bending over and lifting her skirt.  Then, snapping her fingers while she wiggled her bum, the younger man got the hint and slid himself inside her and began to thrust.  Just as Easy had pulled her breasts free from her clothing, the door burst open and a group of men barged in.

“Got you now, you queer piece of…” his shouted accusation trailed off as Easy withdrew her mouth to regard the intruders.

Everyone but Easy stood in confused uncertainty.  Obviously, the group had intended to catch the two men together and not sharing a woman.  The two men weren't sure at all if the ruse would work, but the possibility of a successful deception kept their wits together.

“Do you mind!?”  Easy demanded in a huff.  “I am working.  If you want your turns then you can hire me after I am finished.  Wait outside now!”

The men, their plan in tatters, shuffled out of the room, and the aide went to lock both doors behind them.

“Are you alright?”  Easy asked the older man, as he suddenly had time to breathe.  

“I... thought it was all over…”

“I hope I was able to help.  Seemed to me that hiring an Emberborn would be less scandalous than the two of you together.  Sorry if I forced anything on you.”

“Quite forgiven, my dear.  You may have saved everything.  I just don't know what to say to them now.”

“If I may suggest?” Easy asked, eying the aide who rejoined them.

“Please do.”

“Confess to a fascination of Emberborn.  Claim that all other liaisons the two of you had involved Emberborn women, and that this case was an exception because I approached you looking for a book.  Since that is the case, which others can now verify, it should be accepted.  Promise to be more discreet in the future, and just be more careful.  I am a professional harlot working from a ship brothel and can have a receipt made for you if you so desire.  If people suggest anything else then just look at them like they are idiots.”

“That could work,” the aide spoke.  “Yet there is a hallway of people who are still ready to accuse us.”

“Well, can either of you fake a fancy for ladyfolk enough to fill that hallway with my voice?” Easy suggested with a grin.

“Wouldn't be the first time,” they both replied in unison.  

Now while neither man may have particularly been interested in women, it didn't seem that way to Easy, who was enthusiastically penetrated again.  Back in their original positions, each sharing an end of Easy, they held hands while doing so.  However, occupying her mouth was not the best way to spread her voice.  She got up and sat her bum down on the lap of the man on his desk, and felt him push inside her tight opening while his lover pushed back inside her womanhood.  Easy got to moan and began to play with her breasts as the two men kissed over her shoulder.  She could feel both men inside her almost touching the other, and let loose her most depraved howl of pleasure.  Either they were lost in their own passion or Easy was more appealing to them than she thought, but both soon expressed their pleasure by delivering their seed inside her body.  

After a quick cleanup, Easy was handed the book she had been looking for, and given a deep but silent thanks from the man whose career she had just saved.  She was let out of the offices where she faced the men who had barged in earlier.

“Well then, since you are still around, then I assume you also wish to contract my services.  Who’s first?”  Easy asked, before launching into an explanation of pricing.

“That sounds expensive,” one said flatly.

“So was the book I was given.  However, since I was seeking the book for personal use, I didn't charge my full rates.  Now, if I am more than any of you can afford, then I will be on my way.”

****

Vile looked at the tally on the sheet as Emma laid the bills down on the counter.  She had carried the purse with their money in it, but that was because nobody was going to try and steal from her.  Emma had the sense to actually count it all out.  She was going to need to ask someone help her learn to count with bigger numbers than what she could do with her hands.  

The clerk was baffled that the two of them, when they had brought the books, could afford to buy them.  It wasn't until Easy walked in that the clerk looked up from Emma, who had offered him some cleavage while she counted.  Once Vile looked up, she knew why.  She hissed at Easy while grasping her own breasts.  Easy looked down to realise she had forgotten to put hers away and giggled as she did so.

“Oops!  Suppose that's why I was getting more looks on the way back than I did earlier.”

Vile shook her head, “Have fun?”

“For as taboo as it is to fuck us, you would think it would be rarer than it is.  Those men craved me like they couldn't ever get enough of any woman.”

“Did you get your book?”

“Yup.  You two?”

“Yup, and I think I need to learn more math to find out how expensive these things actually are.”

“The plus side about this is that they stay the same price when we sell them back after we are finished with them,”  Emma added, still a little angry over what happened before.

“If you are still feeling annoyed, I can walk around with my breasts out and get everyone looking at me.”

“Thanks, Easy, but you don't need to do that.”

“Honestly, I apparently won't even notice.”

Emma looked at Easy, who shrugged and blushed a bit.

“I forgot I pulled them out!  It happens.”

Emma snorted a laugh before chuckling to herself and smiling at Easy who had lifted her mood.

****

Cat was relieved to see Hannah and Mari pull up in a carriage.  The client who was already putting his hands up her dress was more than ready to take her into a room.  With Liddy in hers and Ving in another, Cat hadn't wanted to leave the lounge unattended.  She waved a greeting and goodbye to Hannah the moment she was back on the ship, and left with the client.

Hannah was disappointed she didn't have the immediate chance to show off her new hair for Ving, but smiled at the approving look she had gotten from Cat in that brief moment.  Kilty was guarding the door so Hannah asked to be brought up to speed.

“Liddy in her room with one, Cat with one, Ving with two, and Juno is with three.  Poor thing is going to be so sore,” Kilty smiled.  “Only the bath is available, but no clients are currently waiting.  We had nobody for a while and thensuddenly a full house.  Well, full for who was here.  Glad you got back though, I…”

Kilty shut up when she saw another person arrive.  Hannah turned to see a pale-skinned beauty wearing a beautiful lace dress and corset.  She bit her lip at the soft breasts pressing tightly against the corset's efforts to keep them contained.

“Hello and welcome.  Please, make yourself comfortable.  May I get you a drink?”  Hannah swooned over the woman who gracefully stepped into the lounge.  

“I prefer a drink after my pleasure,” she explained as she looked about the room.  “I must admit, I had expected my choice to be less obvious.  You are most… divine.”

Hannah thrilled at the compliment and felt her body shake with anticipation of enjoying a perfectly formed woman -- such as the one who eyed her up like a predator looking to feast.

“I work hard to be ready to satisfy the highest standards.  If you enjoy a hot bath as much as I do, we have one available this way.”  Hannah bowed coyly while showing the woman the direction of the bath.

As they walked down the hall, Hannah could hear the sound of Ving being roughly taken by her clients and begging for more.  While that normally thrilled her, she couldn't bother to think of anything but the satisfaction of the flawless woman before her.  She opened the door to admit the woman and followed her in.  

“Strip for me quickly,” she instructed after entering, only to turn around and see Hannah already stripped out of her clothing.  “Eager to serve, are we?”

“Well practised at serving, Mistress,”  Hannah replied.

“You may undress me now.”

Hannah quickly but carefully unbound the dress and let it slide down to the floor where, after the woman stepped out of it, she picked it up to hang on the wall.  Then, slowly stripping off her undergarments and placing them on the stool, she guided the woman into the warm water.  With a few adjustments to the dials, the water frothed and turned with currents.

“Perfect,” the woman soothed.  “Present yourself for me.”

Hannah leant back on the edge of the bath and let her body float up to show off her spread legs.  The woman took each thigh in an arm and leant in to nuzzle between her legs.  Hannah moaned in a premature climax at her very touch and whimpered when she stopped.

“A man has already satisfied himself on you today, I can smell it.  So deeply do you crave satisfaction.  Again.”

Hannah clenched again and felt her body climax at the mere command to do so.  Only after the spasm stopped did the woman return to grace Hannah with her tongue.  It reached deep inside her and Hannah wondered if her tongue was like Easy’s but it stopped well short.  That being said, it was far deeper than every other tongue she had between her legs.  As the woman did so, her nose pressed against her clit and teased it until again Hannah screamed in pleasure.

Letting Hannah’s hips fall below the water, the woman embraced her and kissed deeply.  Letting her head be roughly pushed into the kiss by the hand gripping her skull, Hannah took hold of the woman's breasts as they pressed into her own.  This time it was the woman's chance to moan in pleasure as Hannah matched the roughness shown to herself.

“I’m going to enjoy you,” she whispered into Hannah’s ear during a brief break from the kiss before nipping at her neck.

****

Foxy reluctantly got off the lap of the man who had been inside her the whole trip home.  The bumps in the road had made for an interesting sensation while penetrated.  His hands were equally reluctant to let go of her fur-covered breasts.  

“Oh hell…” she muttered, sitting back down and working her hips hard to get him off.

He resumed his grip on her breasts and yanked on them hard to help get himself deeper in the fox.  She moaned in satisfaction before he did, but kept up the pace until he was finished.

“Now will you get back to work?”  Inky asked, smirking during the reprimand.

Foxy sighed and successfully parted with the man on her second try.  Redressing as she stood next to the truck, she looked up when she heard Kilty call her a whore from her post at the door.  She stuck out her tongue in reply.  Astra was with her and smiled at the exchange.  She and Hope had beaten them back to the ship.  

As the men got to work unloading the ammunition, Inky signalled to swap shifts.  Foxy and the others snatched up their weapons and reported to the deck while the guard shift came down to show the men where everything went.  As Inky was not specific as to what that meant, Kilty and Astra decided to come up with their own ideas of where the men could put things.

As she reached the lounge, Foxy caught a faint whiff of a strange scent.  A sickly-sweet, cloying smell that faintly resembled something rotten.  She quickly felt pity for whoever had the misfortune of having the man who carried the smell on top of them, sweating it out.  

Mari was in the lounge with a client on the couch, topless, on top of him as he, ‘admired’ her ink up close.  Liddy was fetching a drink for her absent client who was still redressing in her room.  They nodded and smiled at things going well.

Foxy relaxed against the wall and enjoyed the sight of Mari showing off.

****

Hannah was let up for a much-needed breath as she'd been held under the water to please the woman.  Any longer would have been too much, and her deep breaths caused her chest to pleasingly draw in air.  

Watching her chest heave, the woman held Hannah's hand between her legs, feeling four fingers deep inside her.  

“Talented little harlot, are you not?”

“I am glad you think so.  What am I to do next for you?”

“Get below me, as is your place, and bring me to my full.”

Hannah nodded and sank into the water to sit on the bench at the tub's edge to let the woman climb over her.  The woman kissed her while sliding her hand between Hannah's legs and returning the favour of four fingers.  They took turns pulling on the other, letting the rhythm build as Hannah sucked on the breasts that were hanging over her.  So perfect, so pale, she bit down hard on one of them, unable to contain herself.  The woman screamed at the bite and Hannah felt her hand trapped between the woman's legs.  She felt the whole body shake and let her teeth release from the breast as soon as she heard the strange sound of a bone-like crunch.  She looked up to see the woman’s face, in ecstasy, with her mouth hanging open, and the fangs that filled it.  Hannah couldn't react before they were clamped on her neck, and suddenly, despite the heat of the room, she felt herself getting cold.

****

Foxy heard a strange noise that sounded like either a joint cracking or teeth grinding.  There was a lot of noise on the ship but  she was reasonably confident that, had anyone broken something, she would have heard the screams of agony over it.

****

Hannah felt light-headed as the woman broke her bite to kiss her blue lips.  The wicked smile flashed before it went lower, to bite hard into her breasts where she was drained further still.  Bite after bite into the soft mounts floating in the water, but Hannah couldn't muster the strength to whisper, let alone call for help.  Soon, she realised the biting had stopped and the woman stood before her in the water.  The formerly pale flesh now the colour of healthy skin as new blood flowed under it.

“I must thank you greatly for this fun.  Normally things are over before I get a chance to be satisfied, but you have talent.  A shame I won't be able to see you again.”  She stepped out of the bath and dried herself with a towel.  Hannah watched her redress, sparing a glance down to see a few drops of her blood in the water.

As she left, Hannah felt a weight lift from her chest, as though simply seeing the woman sapped her will to act.  A few failed breaths kept her from speaking over the sound of the water.  She was fading fast.

****

Foxy smelled the rotten smell again from the hall on the other side of the ship, and was surprised to see it came from a finely dressed woman.  It puzzled her as to how such a woman would have ever picked up a rotting scent with her status.  Had she not just been satisfied so recently, Foxy felt she would have wanted to get closer to the woman, despite the smell.  Then she heard a hard gasp, distant down the hall.  Focused on the troublesome noise, she strained to hear as the woman made her way to the door.

“Vampire…” she heard Hannah gasp softly.

Foxy felt her blood run cold as she fixed her eyes back on the woman who was eying Mari who, in turn, had stopped teasing the man she was on top of to look at her.  With practised speed, Foxy ripped the magazine out of her rifle and dropped it to pull out the fire-type ember round magazine and slam it into place.  As she worked the action, she noticed the woman looking at her curiously.

Foxy shouldered her rifle and aimed at the woman.  “Load fire!” she shouted… and fired.

The shot burst into flames as it impacted with the woman’s face, setting half of it ablaze, as Foxy called out again.  “Vampire!”

Mari grabbed her client and rolled him onto the floor, off the couch -- right before the Vampiress flung it at Foxy.  Foxy ducked, but her next shot went wide and the creature snarled with its half-burnt face.  It started to move towards her when Ving, half-naked from being on the bridge with a new client, fired Hannah's trench gun.  While not the fire rounds, the focused shot made a mess of the perfect breasts and clothing.  This distracted her enough to allow Foxy a third shot that clipped her in the arm.  She could already see the burnt face starting to heal before it jumped through the window and down onto the docks.

“Ving!  Bath, find Hannah!” Foxy shouted as she rushed to the window, ready to fire.


****

She snarled in pain as she focused on repairing the damage done to her flesh.  Suddenly, more shots tore into her from a doorway on the lower decks of the ship.  The shots chased her as she resumed her escape, some catching her with fire or passing through her.  She ducked behind some crates for a moment to rest and gather her strength.  Then, upon hearing an unusual sound, she stifled the desire to inspect it visually and offer the living another shot at her.  She didn't have to wait long as suddenly the boxes that protected her started to crumble as a loud series of chattering booms turned them into charred splinters.  She didn't understand the weapon they were using, but that didn't stop her from knowing she wasn't safe.  As her cover crumbled under the onslaught, she dashed away from the ship to the service road that lead to the city.  The impacts chased her as she ran.


****

While Laurel fed the ammo belt, Conna tracked the target with the machine gun, and grinned wickedly at the destruction she was allowed to unleash almost as much as she was for simply being allowed to do it.  The others were up on deck, adding their rifles to the onslaught.  

****

Distance wasn't helping her escape much.  The shots were well placed, and each hit burnt her body more and more.  A carriage was coming down the road but stopped too far away to be helpful.  So she dashed into the warehouse that ran parallel to the road so it would provide cover to the carriage.  The shots stopped as she kicked open the wooden door and got inside.  The Vampiress weighed her options.  She could wait to see if was someone foolish enough to chase her would give her an easy meal to help heal her wounds, or she could run for it.  Had she not been recently fed it would have been a harder choice, but with a few moments rest she was well enough to be on the move again.

She dashed through the warehouse and saw the door at the end.  Her plan was to exit and make the carriage speed her away.  However, it didn't survive contact with the door that exploded inwards the moment she touched it.  Her body was hurled back through the air, where she flipped to land on her feet.  Before her stood the powerful form of a demon from the depths of hell, wreathed in fire.  The Vampiress didn't have time to contemplate where the woman had come from before the demon hurled a ball of fire her way.

****

Vile had spent most of the ride with her head poking through the small window in the roof that opened to let sunlight inside the carriage, being just being a few inches too tall to sit comfortably otherwise.  Emma and Easy had already gotten their hands busy on her to tease the giant.  She smiled at the friendly touches and felt happy with life until, as the carriage approached the docks, they heard the sound of gunfire.  It wasn't until a few moments later, when they saw a half-charred figure running down the road towards them, that she knew her friends were in danger.  The carriage halted well away from the exchange, and Vile saw the figure dart into the nearby warehouse.

“Something's wrong!” Vile shouted, ducking down to get inside the carriage before exiting through the door.  “Something is coming this way through the building!  Get this to the ship quickly where they can protect you!”

Her instructions to the driver leaving no room for argument, Vile ran towards the door to the warehouse.  Without bothering to slow down, she put her hoof to the door and kicked it in with a violent heave.  She saw the woman flip through the air and land on her feet, somehow healed since the last time she saw her.  Vile surrounded herself with fire and growled deeply, hurling a ball of fire at her.

“I liked you better when you were burning,” Vile commented as her target dodged the fireball.  “Let’s fix that.”

Vile knew she had to close the distance, and charged while lashing out with claws of fire.  The woman bared fangs and hissed at her as she backed away while throwing spears of blood at her.  Vile turned them to ash before they could get close and kept her charge.  She was close enough to smell the stench of rot off the woman as she struck her across the face.  Vile knew she was like the dead that walked in the village, yet this creature was somehow aware, intelligent, and hungry.  She could see the burning wounds close with blood that became flesh in a matter of moments.

The Vampiress struck out to knock the demon off balance, but her fist met the powerful red fist head-on and heard the shattering of her own bones.  Her arm hung limp and useless as she forced her bones to knit quickly.  She knew she would need speed more than strength.  Dodging the next several blows and suffering burns when they got too close, the Vampiress waited for the right time to strike and kicked out at the exposed belly after dodging inside her guard.  

Vile grunted in pain as she was sent into the crates against the wall and fell to her knees for a moment to recover.  Her opponent lept over to her to strike again, but she wasn't as winded as anyone else would have been.  Rising to her hooves to meet the threat, she slammed her open palm into the woman and ignited it as she pivoted and slammed the undead into the concrete floor.  Even as Vile watched as her charred body, barely a scrap of clothing on her anymore, healed her wounds quickly.  

“You are strong.  But I am faster.  Your fire hurts me, demon.  But I can heal.  You can’t kill me,”  the Vampiress hissed in taunt.  

Vile was about to respond with an eloquent fury of fire and fists when a bright blue-white light began to shine behind the monster.

“Maybe she just isn't using the right kind of fire for the likes of you,” Sister Hope stated, her plate armour covering her limbs, chainmail running down her breasts and greaves, all reflecting the light from the burning mace in her right hand.

The holy flame burned, barely contained by the blades that surrounded it on the head of the mace.  She charged in and swung at the Vampiress, striking her and leaving burnt scars along her chest.  

These didn't heal.  

Another swing and the Vampiress dodged into the reach of Vile, who grasped her by the head and threw her to the ground again, before kicking her across the warehouse, where Hope swung and slammed the mace into her belly.  Flickers of holy flame burned on the undead flesh as it flew back across the room.  Vile lashed out, the monster still as quick as before, missing but forcing The Vampiress closer to Hope who closed in and swung again.  

Anticipating the move, the Vampiress pushed herself out of the weapon's reach when she heard a click and saw the head of the mace continue to follow her past its previous range.  It slammed into her face and shattered it into wreckage of burnt bone and rot.  With her single working eye, she saw the head of the mace hanging from a chain connected to the shaft.  It was also a flail!  The sister started swinging around herself as she charged towards her.  The demon blocked her way out through the door, and guns were trained on her entry for certain.  She did the only thing she could do, and charged the demon.  However, her leap drew short and landed in front of Vile, her target being the small drain in the floor as she suddenly turned entirely into blood.  

Vile was confused to see the charred monster splashing into blood on the floor, then going down the drain, leaving the charred bits behind.  Hope yelled in frustration.

“Tear the drain off!” Hope yelled urgently.

Vile wasn't going to ask why, it was only a few inches wide so they couldn't follow, but she gripped it with her powerful hand and yanked it free from it's mounting.  Hope retracted the chain back into the shaft and aimed the head into the drain.  Suddenly the fire in the head stopped and a canister was fired down into the drain.  Hope took two more from her belt and tossed one into the drain before slamming the other into the mace.  It lit up with blue flames again and this time, as Hope aimed it down the drain, she fired a bright stream of fire into the small opening.  The holy fire chased after the creature, and the canisters that had been sent down ignited and shook the ground with their explosive force.

The mace expended and the fire stopped.  Hope reloaded with her final canister but didn't continue.  One way or another, the creature was gone -- but there was no way to know if it was really dead.  She let out her frustrations in a growl before getting back to her feet and running back to the ship.  Vile didn't need to be told there were other problems.

****

Cat and her client were startled from their pleasure at the sound of the gunshot.  The following shots confirming a quick end to their time together.  Without needing to be told, her client followed her lead when she quickly redressed.  When she heard shouting to check the bath for Hannah, Cat gasped and dashed out of the room.  She found Hannah, struggling to breathe and trying to stay above the water, the wounds on her body unable to bleed at all.  Cat dove into the water to lift her out as Ving burst into the room and cried out in denial before helping Cat.  

“Get her out of there, but keep her feet elevated!” shouted the man Cat had been with as he entered.

Cat and Ving complied, laying her down on the floor but propping her legs up on the steps to the bath.  The man shook his head, knowing that wasn't enough.  He turned and ran back to the lounge where he had left his bag.  He snatched up and turned to grab Juno, who hadn’t retrieved her rifle yet.

“Get on the radio, find the distress frequency, and summon an emergency crew with a U-type transfusion case!” he yelled at her, not waiting for a response before moving on.

Leira had come up the stairs and was poking her head into the room where Hannah was when the man returned.

“You, find the best bed here and put it on a slant!”

“Captains bed,” she responded, pointing in the direction of Liddy’s room before dashing off.

He let her figure out what she needed to do, and opened his bag as he entered the room.  He fished out some bandages that he passed to Cat, who immediately got to work wrapping them around her neck.

“No, do her other wounds.  I am going to need to stitch her neck in just a bit.”  His tone shifted to a professional at work.

As the gunfire outside stopped, he had pulled out a needle with a syringe and stuck it into his arm.  Slowly, he pulled back the plunger until it had drawn all the blood it could.  After making sure no air bubbles were in it, he stuck the needle directly into the wound on Hannah’s neck and injected her.

“I’m going to need to keep doing this.  Pick her up and get her into your captain's bed.  Keep her head as low as possible.”

As they followed his instructions, he began to draw another injection of his blood.  Arriving in Liddy’s bedroom, they saw Leira ripping off the left leg at the foot of the bed.  After the loud snap of the wood, Leira let go and the bed fell, resting on an angle.  They laid Hannah on the bed, where she was given another injection of the man's blood.  Juno entered the room and nodded firmly to him to indicate she had been successful.  He repeated the process of injecting Hannah with his blood several times when suddenly Hope entered the bedroom, still in full combat gear.  She dropped her weapon and withdrew a phial of holy water to pour on the wounds.  They steamed and sizzled for a moment before Hope began to lend her healing touch to close the wounds.

“Hmmm…  perhaps I should be less critical of clergy healers,” the man commented.

“We would appreciate that.  Though I haven't a spell that can do what you are doing.  Sister Hope, at your service.”

“Doctor Stort.  At yours.  I just hope that my blood and hers will mix.  There is a surprising difference in the types of blood.  I just don't think we had much choice so I risked it.”

“I will manage any side effects.  Just keep at it.”

Juno took over the drawing of blood from the doctor while he continued checking her vitals, until a pair of sweaty men arrived carrying cases entered, escorted by Liddy.  He lept up and got to work hooking up a long tube to a bottle of blood that slowly filled up red as the blood ran through it.  At the other end of the tube was a needle that he inserted into Hannah’s arm the moment blood started to come out of the metal opening.  Ving sat on the other side, holding Hannah by her other hand and stroking it gently as the doctor switched bottles frequently.

****

Liddy had been escorting her client down the hall to the lounge opposite the bath when she heard the first shot.  She threw the man down to the floor and she waited, she could see Foxy firing, and her blood chilled when she heard her call out what they were fighting.  She saw Foxy avoid the couch thrown at her, and kept her client down to keep him safe.  When the vampiress fled, she came out to collect all the clients and get them to the bridge, where she locked the doors after taking the trench gun from Ving -- who ran off to find Hannah.

The clients talked amongst themselves, commenting on the shooting outside the ship that they saw through the window.  Liddy was worried.  She didn't know how bad things were for Hannah or if anyone else was hurt.  On top of that concern, she wondered what all of this would mean for her business.  She knew it could all very well ruin her.  

“You have a machine gun?” One of the men asked as the quick shots followed each other with regularity.  

Liddy nodded to buy time while she thought of a response, “We take our clients' security very seriously.”

“I'd say so…”

She let Juno in to use the radio.  Liddy didn’t quite understand the context of other than she was calling for help.  She left as soon as she got an affirmative response, while Liddy re-locked the door and waited things out with the clients until she saw Vile get back on the ship and talk with Inky.  Liddy could see that the powerful woman was angry but tired.  Emma and Easy followed on board, while Vile went back down the ramp for something.  Liddy unlocked the door to let Inky onto the bridge.

“Looks like Hope and Vile pasted that thing good.  They aren't sure it's dead, but if it isn't, then it's hurt bad.  I think it's best if we saw our clients to their homes safely.”

“How can they not be sure?” a man asked, more confused than incredulous.

“It turned to blood and went down the drain,” Vile stated, having returned with a satchel from the carriage.  “We hurt it bad and burnt out the drain it went down, but there is no way to know if we got it.  Also, the carriage is available to take you all.”

The men left, not bothering to complain about how cramped they were trying to all fit in the carriage.  Liddy was about to check on everyone else when a pair of men came running towards the ship carrying cases.  They were out of breath, but Liddy didn't need to ask them anything to know why they were there.  She had seen the medical symbol of the twin serpents enough to know it when she saw it.  She lead them to her room, where she knew Hannah would be and watched as everyone did their work.

****

Everyone not needed in Liddy’s bedroom was waiting just outside her door.  Mari paced back and forth, unable to focus on any train of thought.  Leira sat in the corner, trying to get a grip on herself, wishing there was something else she could be doing.  Emma sat with Easy on the guard rail surrounding the stairs in the middle of the room, ready to leap into action, should they need her help with Hannah.  The door opened and Liddy came out and nodded for Mari to come in.  The rest of the girls hung by the open door to listen.

Mari was terrified that she might be seeing the woman who was her only real family, take her last breaths.  She took Hannah by the hand and looked at the needle in that arm, wondering if it would work.  Hannah had her eyes open and looked at her friend.

“Mari, I’m sorry,” Hannah wheezed.  

“No, don't be sorry.  I’m here for you.” Mari was in tears as she spoke.

“I know but, I am sorry.  I know how much you wanted to win our bet for the kinkiest sex ever.  But I just don't think you are ever going to top this.  Seriously, don't even try.  This may have been worth it, but I don't wanna see you actually get killed trying to top it.”

Mari stared, nonplussed for a few moments before speaking in a flat tone.  “You bitch.”