Please arrange for reports of damage from the fleet. I need a preliminary damage report before I leave for the planet.” Elevated Admiral Bilulus Gel...x ordered.“Sir, we have missiles incoming and the battleships Makra and Pekondo have been hit by a beam weapon. Sir, we have also been hit, our shield is down but we are weaving. We can jump in sixty-seconds. The Battleships Belem and Nosra are also hit. We have had a near miss. There is an imminent single missile strike,” the XO shouted. There was. The hotel was a conversion of one of those large country houses that the flourishing Victorian businessman would build to demonstrate his success. The twentieth century with its high taxes and minimum wage demands made running such houses impossible and they were sold off, some to become asylums, others to be turned into corporate headquarters and many as in this case as a hotel. The reception was a large square area with settees around the perimeter and old paintings in ornate frames hung on. Healready heard that his priest was in line for the new Bishop positionthat was opening soon. No, Rich had no one to pray for him. He was lostand he knew it. It would all depend on his best friend Rob now. Hislook told Rob everything.+++"Oh Honey, do you know what this means? You are one step from the top,Precious. Now I know you really don't like to be made up, Sweetheart,but this time it is a must and you have to remember all the lessons Ihave taught you on being feminine. You remember the. " --- he paused, as it was hard for him to say it --- "rape."--- "It's very progressive of you uncle, but the reality is that men will always be men. And a real men like you don't whine about things, but just take what is theirs by the rights of nature."--- "I ..."--- "Let's eat breakfast." --- she said putting some fried potatoes and sausage on the table --- "I believe that you, as a man, and my host, had the full right to do what you did. And if I didn't want it to happen, I should have not.