Queen of Their Colony (Kindred Tales)

“It really did,” Iyanna said, smiling. “But my point is, you’ll be going to a planet where women are superior to men. So you should be perfectly safe—especially with your three guys, er, I mean, Rive and V’rone and Tem—to protect you.”

“She is correct, you know,” Rive said gravely. “V’rone and Tem and I will do everything in our power to keep you from harm, Terra.”

“Oh, well…” Terra bit her lip. “So…I just have to go with you and get this device and then we’ll come right back home? And you think we can get it all done before my ex’s wedding?”

“I do not foresee any difficulties.” Rive nodded confidently.

“Well…” Terra lifted her hands helplessly. “I, uh, suppose I already agreed to go.”

“Yes, you did,” the big Monstrum said calmly. “You even suggested clasping hands in order to seal our bargain—which we did.”

“Well then…” Terra took a deep breath. “I guess I’m going. She looked at Iyanna. “I hope that won’t be a problem?”

“Not a bit—you do you, girl. And have fun on your trip to Yonnie Six. In fact…” Iyanna snapped her fingers. “I think I know somebody who can help you get ready to go in style. It’s the same woman who got me ready for my mission to Lix’dor Prime.”

“You do?” Terra asked hopefully. “I guess we’d better get in contact with her.”

“Her name is Kat and she’s on the Kindred Mother Ship. I’ll give her a call on the think-me right away,” Iyanna promised.

“And I will go and inform the rest of my colony of our bargain.” Rive rose and looked down at Terra. “We should get started quickly in order to be back with the Heart-finder in time for your ex-mate’s Joining Ceremony.”

“Oh, er, okay.” Terra nodded. “I guess I’ll see you soon.”

“Very soon,” Rive promised and then he left, the door to the suite swishing shut behind him.

TEN

“Well, I gotta say, doll, you’re kind of jumping into the deep end, going to Yonnie Six.”

Iyanna’s friend, Kat, was a curvy redhead with lovely blue eyes. She had already set up a large light screen and a complicated looking piece of machinery that looked rather like a 3-D printer. She was scanning the screen as she spoke, apparently looking for clothing patterns that Terra could wear on her mission.

“Why is that?” Terra asked, feeling suddenly nervous. “What do you mean about the ‘deep end?’” She turned to Iyanna. “I thought you said it was safe because women were superior there?”

“Oh, you should be safe enough,” Kat said before Iyanna could answer. “But you’d better be prepared to meet some of the cattiest, most insufferable snobs in the known universe. The Yonnie Six Mistresses don’t play around and if you’re going to pass as one of them, you’re going to have to look the part. That’s where I come in.” Glancing over her shoulder, she flashed Terra a smile. “Don’t worry—I’ll make sure you look fabulous.”

“Kat got me ready for my mission to Lix’dor Prime and her fashion choices were spot-on,” Iyanna said helpfully.

“Absolutely.” Kat nodded. “Now let’s have a look at the Outernet and see what’s in style this season on Yonnie Six…” She hummed to herself for a moment, manipulating the images with a pair of haptic gloves she was wearing, as Terra and Iyanna looked on.

“Oh wait—what’s that?” Iyanna asked, pointing at the screen.

Kat froze the image and then picked it up in one gloved hand. Using the other hand, she rotated it so they could see it from all angles.

“A flower dress,” she said, frowning. “Apparently very much in style right now. But it has living elements in it so I’m not sure my duplicator could make it. And there’s no way we could make it naturally—it would take ages to get the flowers to grow into that flexible pattern.”

“No it wouldn’t.” Iyanna smiled. “Or did you forget I’m a Viridi Femma?”

“Oh, that’s right—I forgot your secret superpower!” Kat grinned. “All right, I’ll print the pattern for the dress frame and you grow the flowers.”

“It’s a deal.” Iyanna smiled excitedly at Terra. “This is going to be beautiful—just wait and see!”

“It does look gorgeous,” Terra admitted, looking at Kat’s palm, where the 3-D image of the flower dress was highlighted. It was made of many tiny pink and purple blossoms, all about the size of her thumbnail, woven tightly together over a flexible framework.

“But don’t you think it might be a bit, er, revealing?” she asked, motioning to the way the dress was split so far up the model’s front it actually showed her panties—which were also covered in flowers.

And in fact, the top wasn’t much better. It came up in a kind of flowery bustier but it only cupped the bottom portion of the model’s breasts, leaving her nipples and most of her breasts bare.