Chapter 9

The humans in the crew of the Roshaa soon learned the Maa were happy and pleasant companions in any activity they did together. When there was work to be done the Maa were quick to learn and untiring in their desire to complete any task they were given. And in more casual settings the Maa proved to be just as pleasant a companion.

It was toward the High Lords however that the Maa directed their special attention and almost worship, the the Maa held the High Lords to be almost as gods. The slightest word or gesture by Mev or one of the other High Lords was studied with rapt awe and attention by any Maa newby. This only grew as the Maa learned more about the High Lords and the nature and extent of their powers. The fact that the Maa knew no scientific basis for the powers of the High Lords only increased the awe the Maa had of them even further.

Work was also carried out on the Maa warship to repair all the battle damage it had received and to restore it to a fully operational condition. Destroyed structural members were replaced, the holes blasted in the hull were filled, and the engines and other equipment were repaired or replaced. After about a month of work the Maa warship was restored completely to an almost new state.

During this time the affection the Maa held for the human crew members of the Roshaa grew with every day that passed and their greatest fear was they would not be allowed to stay on the Roshaa. This insecurity was only enhanced when several times Mev asked Ta-na of the Maa wished to return to their own people. Each time Ta-na refused vehemently, stating the Maa belonged to Mev and could not leave unless Mev cast them out. The fact that Mev asked Ta-na several times added greatly to the insecurity of the Maa on this subject.

Without exception every last single one of the Maa wished to stay on board the Roshaa, their affection for the humans and their awe of the High Lords had grown to exceed what they felt for their own kind. The insecurity and anxiety among the Maa grew until it reached the point where Ta-na felt it was necessary to take action to secure their place on board the Roshaa. A sacrifice to the Gos was needed.

The youngest, most beautiful, and most intelligent of the Maa females was selected for the sacrificial role. The young Maa girl, Sher-ra, was carefully instructed in her role in the task at hand, she was to give herself as completely to whatever the gods desired, without limit or hesitation. No effort was spared to make Sher-ra as physically and mentally attractive to the gods as possible. Sher-ra was told it was upon her efforts to please the gods that the fate of all the Maa would depend.

The gods in this case being the High Lords of Venda and Mev especially.

A number of the other Maa females were mobilized to ask discreetly what did human males find most attractive in the opposite sex. In a couple of cases the Maa were even daring enough to see what they could find out by asking Shina and a couple of the other female High Lords for ideas. In the meantime the training of Sher-ra continued for her role in the affair.

Soon after the Maa felt confident enough to make their sacrifice to the god. Sher-ra was carefully washed and perfumed by a small group of the other Maa women. The hair on the young girl's head and tail was carefully brushed and styled, and red ribbons were tied int it. Otherwise the girl was unclothed her exquisite little body exposed and on display. In terms of beauty Sher-ra was almost at the same level of the High Lord women themselves with her own mysterious alien appeal. Nervously the Maa then conducted their sacrifice to their god's home.

In this case the control platform atop the control tower where Mev was wont to spend much of his time and where he now was.

When the elevator reached the top of the tower Sher-ra hesitated for a moment when the door opened but Ta-na silently and gently pushed the girl forward. Nervously Sher-ra walked out onto the control platform. The Maa girl relaxed a little when no one seemed to be paying any special attention to her. Sher-ra could see Mev was facing away from her but somehow she felt he was still aware she was there. She slowly walked closer to Mev, the other Maa following out of the elevator but remaining near it.

Sensing Sher-ra's approach Mev turned his chair toward the girl somewhat curious to see what she wanted. For Mev people coming to see him in this way was a common occurrence so he thought nothing special of Sher-ra coming to see him. Mev looked at her curiously as Sher-ra came to a stop a couple of feet away from him.

As soon as she stopped Sher-ra launched into the speech she had been instructed to give:

"O dread Lord, upon which our lives depend, accept my unworthy self as my people's sacrifice to you. If you feel anger toward my people then upon my body expend your wrath in full measure. Take whatever pleasure you wish from me to lighten your heart toward my people," Sher-ra intoned in a somewhat solemn voice.

Mev had no ill intent toward the Maa at all, on the contrary he found them to be, each and every one, soem of the nicest and most beautiful people he had ever met. So Sher-ra's little speech was somewhat a surprise but he could sense the formality of her words was an indicator of the insecurity the Maa felt. While Mev had no intentions at all of forcing the Maa to leave the Roshaa he felt the need to reassure them.

"Girl, your sacrifice is accepted. Come to me!" Mev ordered.

Feeling glad for her people but dreading the consequences for herself Sher-ra slowly and quietly took the few steps needed to reach Mev. As soon as the girl reached him Mev suddenly reached out, grabbed Sher-ra, and pulled her onto his lap. Surprised the girl fell stiffly onto Mev but relaxed after a moment when nothing bad happened to her. Sher-ra relaxed further when Mev began to stroke her fur in the same exact way she had seen human do to others of her kind. The Maa girl was surprised at how pleasant and relaxing this felt and she relaxed even further.

"Commander Mori can you come here for a moment. Ta-na you and those with you please come here too," Mev ordered.

Mori, who had just happened to be on the control platform came over curiously. Ta-na and the two female Maa with him approached Mev hesitantly and with some trepidation.

"Commander Mori, this is an official order," Mev began, appearing a little incongruous being so formal with the nude Maa girl on his lap. "If the Maa who have recently come to the Roshaa should wish to return to their homes then all aid shall be given to them."

The Maa, understanding Mev's words because of the translator devices they had all been given soon after arriving, were dismayed by these words.

"However," Mev continued, "If the Maa should wish to stay with us then on the same token all possible welcome and sanctuary shall be given to them for as long as they wish to stay with us. This is my official order as captain of the Roshaa."

The faces of the Maa brightened when they heard the second part of Mev's words. Mori smiled and nodded acknowledgement but did not bother to say anything since it had been decided long before to allow the Maa to stay.

"And you girl, what do you want?" Mev asked the naked Maa girl still sitting on his lap.

"It is as I said, whatever you want of me, I want that too." Sher-ra answered.

From that point on Sher-ra followed Mev around like a puppy, spending as much time with him as possible. Mev found the Maa girl to be a pleasant companion and Sher-ra simply accepted as the normal thing whatever strange or unusual thing Mev got into. Even when Mev or another of the High Lords changed their body to the robotic form she took this in stride.

A few days later Kathleen Chen made a momentous announcement, she was pregnant.

Just as their lives were much longer than those of humans their other biological functions were changes. When Kathleen became a High Lord her reproductive system changed also. For a High Lord woman to wait decades or even a century before the first child was a normal thing, so her becoming pregnant now was unexpected. This was especially true because Zira had not yet shared with the other High Lord women the fact that it was possible for them to control the process.

The gestation period for a pregnant High Lord female was normally about 3 years and four months as the fetus inside them grew very slowly. Because of this there would be little visible evidence of Kathleen's pregnancy for nearly a standard year. Despite this Kathleen found herself suddenly at the center of attention with the Maa females especially interested and excited by her pregnancy.