I sat in the unarmed skip fighter and relived the moment from last week. I had managed to get another officer to cover for me so I could see my wife. What I walked in on was a shock that tore at my heart and ripped my world away. I had taken vid images of the orgy before stumbling out and returning to the base.

The war with the Deviants had cost the empire a lot of officers and gotten me promoted quickly. When I married a fleet admiral's daughter it had seemed to help. Of course for some reason I was always on missions away from home, I knew why now. They had a mission they said was almost guaranteed to kill those that flew it.

I had gone straight to fleet legal before going to my squadron commander to volunteer. I had been a marine captain with three years in service before I volunteered and was promoted. Now I was here with the crumpled imperial divorce completion notice at my feet. The flashing red light went green and I shoved the accelerator all the way to the stop.

Sixty of us erupted out of the strike carrier and headed into the home system of the Deviants. Unlike the other fighters that began a mad spiraling twisted path, I headed straight in and just kept skipping. Destroyers followed and began to kill the fighters and the huge fleet guarding the system closed in.

Capital ships got closer as even more of the fighters died until I was the last and they surged after me. The huge orbital shipyard and military station was suddenly right in front of me. I spun to follow along a station arm and slowed way down and slipped into the main construction area before hitting the pod release.

I was tempted to just stop and wait but something made me pull up and shove the accelerator to the stop again. A moment and I screamed as I slapped the skip button. I had not input a skip and it should not have worked but ... the wormhole opened and the fighter skipped just as the pod exploded.

I came out of skip and just leaned back and waited for one of the enemy to put a missile into me. The whole area where the station had once been was just one huge mass of destruction. Even all the capital ships and all the fleet ships that had been near had been destroyed. After awhile I pushed the accelerator to the stop and skipped towards the heliopause.

There would not be anyone coming unless it was a long range scout who would not come close. Once I reached the heliopause I shut down and leaned back. All that was left now was the memories that haunted me and tore at my soul. The system scans showed very few ships moving around. It was a day before three full fleets emerged from jump.

They began moving into the system and I flinched when a single battleship turned and headed towards me. It was an hour before I ignored the admiral that walked into the debriefing room and continued to stare at the blank screen. He sat and looked at me across the table, "your ship recorder showed us everything you did."

He leaned on the table, "major Grace I do not know what your problem is but..."

I turned to look at him, "no? Think real hard you son of a bitch. I am sure you got the court notice as a complainant in my divorce."

He straightened, "you are still in the military major."

I stood and headed for the door, "I resign my commission as of this minute."

It turns out the entire ruling council of the Deviants was on the station I destroyed. By the time I returned home the news had broke on the mission. They knew the fact that only one person survived. They even knew we had all volunteered for what was supposed to be a one way trip. What also came out was my divorce and then the vid images I had taken surfaced.

They had been submitted to the imperial court and now they were splashed across every vid and news display. I tried to slip away quietly but one of the things to happen was a imperial council recommendation for the Emperor's Star. Well I guess they call it the Empress's Star now. I headed home or to the large lodge that had once been home.

I ignored those that thought they recognized me or those that did. A month later I glanced at the door into the grav loft when it opened and two men in suits stepped in. I shook my head and turned back to the grav glider I was working on. One of the men cleared his throat, "major Grace?"

I snorted, "I believe he resigned his commission."

He cleared his throat, "you are requested at the imperial palace."

I glanced at him, "more nonsense about the medal?"

He smiled, "no."

I looked at the other man and he gestured, "please."

I sighed and moved to put the tools away, "let me change."

Several things had happened in the last month. If you listened to the news, the empress had made an official inquiry into officer conduct of the men in the vid images with my wife and the other whores. Four fleet admirals, six admirals and a dozen senior ship captains had faced a court charged with conduct unbecoming an officer.

They had resigned their commission without benefits before they could be sentenced. If the news was right the empress had not been happy but had accepted it. She had also revoked a dozen noble patents, seized their lands and returned them to the royal lists. Of course she had also given out twice as many patents of nobility and land.

I followed the men out of the flyer and into a side door. The palace was a huge complex with several dozen large buildings. We used narrow halls I thought might be for servants. They held a door for me and I glanced at them before I walked into the room. It was early evening but I was not expecting the young woman that turned to face me.

She wore a warm sweater and a long skirt. She smiled and gestured to a chair, "Mr Grace it is nice to meet you."

I cleared my throat and turned to look at the door as it closed. I bowed and crossed to the chair she had gestured to, "your majesty."

She snorted, "just Elizabeth."

I sat and looked at her and she sat in the chair beside me. She sighed and smiled sadly, "I have looked at the fighter scan recorder."

I thought she was going to ask me to accept the medal but ... She shook her head, "I did not need the mind doctor to tell me your actions were of one expecting and even wanting death."

I looked away from her and into the fire and she cleared her throat, "I need your service Mr Grace."

I looked at her, "you want me to accept the medal."

She grinned and shook her head before blushing, "no. Well I think you should but I will not ask."

She took a breath and stood and moved until she was in front of me and facing the fire, "I inherited when my parents were killed and my grandparents before them. I have fought the nobles tooth and nail to keep regents away. They have been very loud and demanding since I was crowned but more so now."

She turned to face me, "I need an heir Mr Grace."

I blinked, "I do not think I understand."

She smiled, "I need a consort and not one the bastards pick. One I can trust not to dishonor me or himself.'

I sat back, "you mean..."

She nodded, "I mean I want you as my consort."

She stepped closer, "I have had you watched. You might have thought of letting them kill you but you would not kill yourself. At the last minute you choose life."

I stood and looked down on her before I looked over her shoulder at the fire, "do you know what you ask?"

She grinned, "yes and I am not talking impersonal public only image."

I looked at her again as she bit her lip, "how many know why I was brought here?"

She shrugged, "only me."

I nodded and looked at her once more before I reached out to lift her face. I looked into her eyes and could almost see the pleading. I smiled and reached down to lift and pull the sweater off. Her eyes went wide as I knelt and unfastened the skirt and pushed it down. I stood and looked at her before turning her to remove the breast supports and then the panties.

She had a very nice body and I began to undress, "we will have to work out an agreement between you and I."

She looked up as I pushed my pants down, "what agreement?"

I pulled my shirt off and sat to remove my shoes and then pants. I reached for her and pulled her naked body onto my lap, "the first agreement is I am not to have anything to do with your job."

She wiggled as her warm pussy rested on my cock, "that is..."

I tugged on one of her pretty nipples, "I am not done."

She shivered and then smiled, "sorry."

I used a hand to spread her legs, "our ... relationship for the public will be romantic but in private you are my lover and will let me..."

She laughed and cupped my face, "fuck me how, where and when you want."

I nodded as I used a finger to start rubbing through her slit, "when you are not being the empress I will get to decide some of the things we do. Movies or places to go or things to do."

She shivered as she spread her legs more, "agreed."

I slipped a finger into her, "anything you want to add or bring up?"

She shuddered as her tight pussy squeezed my finger, "no."

I nodded and stood her and then turned to have her straddle me. I held my cock as she looked and then slowly sank down to impale her pussy. She groaned as my cock stretched her and was buried. She wiggled and settled and I held her hips and looked into her face, "the last agreement is not negotiable."

She shivered and her tight pussy squeezed, "and what is that?"

I kept watching her eyes, "I stay with you no matter where you go or are. No private meetings, no isolated conferences, no secret gatherings."

She blinked and her eyes narrowed before they widened, "I would not cheat..."

I touched her lips, "there are many things I can do to occupy myself in a corner or behind you in a chair."

She looked at me and bit her lip before shivering and starting to rub and rock, "I..."

I caressed her hips, "you have a few minutes before you have to decide."

She stopped moving and then grinned and bounced. She began to rub her pussy and closed her eyes. She shuddered a minute later as her pussy tightened and squeezed. I relaxed and watched her as she fucked my cock. She twisted and rolled her hips while shaking. Her tight pussy rippled and spasmed as it massaged my cock.