I knew I couldn?t pull back from her.?I don?t feel I could refuse to your offer then.?.With a victorious, flaunting smirk she stuck out her hand to se...l our pact.I took it and was surprised by her firm grip."So we have a deal." she stated confidently while her hand still kept gripping mine. Her blue eyes looked directly into mine."But why have you made this offer to me and not to commander Maerzen - I'm just his deputy, so he has even more influence?" I prefer to work with young and pretty. "As the waiter cleared away the plates, he asked, "Four specials, Mark?" Four extra-specials, Mario."As they sipped, Jan said, "This tastes alcoholic." A touch of brandy," said Mark.Three-quarters brandy, thought Greg."But you promised..." started Sandy."And you shall get no more martinis," broke in Mark.They all laughed.They paid their individual bills and the ladies insisted on leaving the tip. Struggling college kids and all.As they stood to leave, the gals had to grab the backs of their. Now that she could really look at them, she realized that some were taller than any she had ever seen in videos at home, and still farther up, was the huge and terrifyingly alien-appearing thing that was Ship hanging just above the tallest of the monster trees, the battleship so big that her presence left the area in deep shade.“Oh, my. I came in that?” she whispered, awed.Seeing Aiko’s distress, the Clan Queen spoke up. “She is, indeed, a daunting spectacle, but Jeff is her Prime and in. The Queen's slave-girl lived in the Queen's quarters, sleeping at the foot of her bed. She ate well, could take regular baths, could wear more than the tiny loin flaps the other girls wore, and had the privilege of being Anira's personal attendant. All she had to do in return was to please the Queen any way the Queen wanted to be pleased. It was an easy trade.To win such a privilege, though, she must win a fighting tournament and beat out the other three girls the Queen had chosen to battle for.