Carnifex

15/8/467 AC, Wappen von Bremen

Girls will sleep with girls. Oftentimes, even most often, sex has nothing to do with it. Instead, they seek only the comfort of a warm body nearby.

For Marta and Jaquie, however, it was about sex, at least in good part. After years of sex with altogether too many men, it wouldn't be too far off to state that neither of the girls cared for men anymore as sexual partners. That didn't eliminate the desire for sex, of course, and like many prostitutes they'd turned to women or, more specifically, turned toward each other.

In the warm aftermath, still entwined in each others arms, Marta suddenly burst out with, "I think we should do it."

Jaquie smiled and answered, "In case you weren't paying attention, love, I think we just did."

"I meant . . . "

"Shush. I know what you meant. I talked to Rodriguez about it . . . well, indirectly I talked to him about it. There's one big problem. If the Legion caught us in bed together while we were members they'd put us both against a wall and shoot us."

"They'd what? Just for making love? That's insane! Or is it because we're both girls?"

"No . . . the way Rodriguez explained it, it not only isn't insane it's the only sane policy. If we're having sex then there's a dangerously good chance we're in love . . . or will be. If we're in love with each other, personally, there's an also dangerously good chance either one of us would put the welfare of the other ahead of the Legion's or the mission's. Rodriguez said he'd never heard of a regulation against girls being with girls or boys being with boys, but there's an expansive rule against mutiny, and we'd fall under it."

"I wouldn't want to give you up," Marta sighed.

"Well . . . I've been thinking about it, too. Four years and the Legion would pay for us to go to school. We could learn business . . . or nursing . . . pretty much anything. We'd never have to sell our asses again. We could be together, free and clear."

Jaquie and Marta both went quiet at that, laying on their backs and thinking hard. After what seemed a long time, Marta rolled over and put her face between Jaquelina's breasts, careful not to press too hard where Jaquie had been wounded. As she slipped one hand down between Jaquie's legs, Marta said, "If we're going to have to stop this, for a while, let's enjoy what we can, now."