Tyra finds a way to forget about Ketrick — for the moment. A royal wedding. A close friend dies, but leaves a great gift behind. A old face leads a new investigation, as Tyra prepares for the greatest shock of her female life.

A meeting with Lady Katrina where men are discussed. Ann's final confrontation, and a new beginning. New demands on the consort. A terrible secret revealed.

Escaped from Prince Fallan on Darson, Sascha finds himself struggling to understand and survive in the universe into which he has been thrust. It will take all of his skills, both those of a Sylph and those of a Shootist, to overcome the challenges in his path.

This story was originally posted to Sapphires Place. It didn't seem to get a lot of attention, so I thought I'd go ahead and post it here as well.

Lieutenant Ivar Bandle daily regretted the contract that lured Dawson's Bunch to the planet of Darson. Now his platoon finally had a mission to be something other than a glorified security guards. However, all is not as it seems and soon he, his men and a sylph named Sascha are on the run. All that is left for them is to march or die.

Note: Story has not changed since it was posted during the Stardust Anniversary Science Fiction Contest.

The High Priest is shown a long-lost edict. The right to a consort is tested. Ketrick's time in Batuk begins to show results. Thermin and Tyra come to uneasy alliance.

Lady Gina meets her just reward. A test of loyalty for Captain Malchor, and Tyra learns a lesson about being a woman. A sick Librarian may be more than he looks. A new plot is formed, and a warrior must die.

A chilly reception in the Great Hall leads to a bloody challenge. The fight for the palace commences, and Tyra faces the King in a final showdown. Could there possibly be a second queen in Tulem? Could a serum girl queen ever be confirmed by the nobility? And would she have the power to stop the war?

Lady Dana requires Ketrick's services and seals her fate. Tyra is forced to betray a friend who never was. Another Lord is killed and the valley teeters on the edge as the plot unfolds.

Chapter 9

A girl is unhappy, or Angel turns jealous. A meeting with Marco and Drago Giovanni in the tavern. Wanda uncovers a secret. Drago takes a girl home to Paolo's castle. An unpleasant encounter with Alanna Borodin. Drago sends Tyra to the guards, or a spear is bent. Plans are made, or hanging cats by the tails. A lesson on Batuk for the new aristocracy.

The ruse is successful, but at what cost? A difficult night wrapped in pelts. Tyra is finally free to reveal herself. A meeting with Angel and Wanda, or welcome to the stable. A girl learns the attitudes and positions. They arrive in Tulem, but all is not well. A struggle to clear Ketrick's name becomes a test to prove her warrior's heart.

Tyra confides in her sister. Tyra learns a few lessons about herself during her stay at the slave camp for serum girls. Tyra learns a dance. When a girl goes too far and must be rebuked. Tisa's plan for Tyra, or a brand from a woman's hand makes all the difference. What could happen when a 300 year-old man brols a virgin. A bitter lesson learned.

Chapter 5

Moroth 17th Juwar

Tyra meets her former love-slave and makes a decision. Frightened at her changes, and appalled at her sister's plans for her, Tyra forms a daring strategy to stay free at the cost of part of herself. Tyra's changes become complete, and she discovers what a being a sister means. Still, can a woman with the slave gene ever truly adjust to the world around her?

Zhor is a planet where the mysterious Overlords rule, where men and women live for centuries and are permitted to be themselves. There, a young warrior's love and dreams are shattered when he wakes up one morning as a serum girl, a beautiful woman with the DNA of one of Zhor's finest slaves. Her old life destroyed, she must not only fight to hold onto her identity as she is forced to make a new life as a woman, but also to keep her freedom, not easy when her body insists that she would be happiest branded and collared.

For all those lovers of the original The Making of Nibs, here the latest and very definetly the best edit so far. I think most of you will agree this is tighter and the world truly lives.

Enjoy.

Chapter 1

Sitting in the living room of Damien Cameron’s home in Suraban, were Timaus, Damien and K Dog.
Timaus placed his mug of coffee down asking, “Do you think I should put Nicholas Calton forward for selection to the Academy?”

Thick enough to spread...

 
There's something surreal about traveling at night on the freeway. The bubble of light around you, the white lights come toward you and red lights convoy alongside. The multicolor lights of cities and towns pass quickly with the hot yellow roadlights of exits and overpasses standing like sentries.

Hospital

by shalimar

I went to the hospital because I’m a diabetic and my toe had an infection. They admitted me to a double bed room and told me they would need to remove the toe. Charles, my roommate, was in for pain in the abdomen. Although he had been in the hospital for a week the doctors still didn’t know its cause.

“Maybe you’re pregnant,” I kidded.

He gave me a chuckle before we talked on other subjects.

Just before I had my operation the next day chuck came back from another test.

“How did you know?” he asked. “Somehow I AM pregnant.”

Joanie's farm project resumes, with changes. She learns more about Miki and why the mongoose may be attracted to her. The trip to take the Smith twins to their mom in hospital is finalized. Pinky and Joanie discuss the Alphas. The Sabers learn of Joanie and BET. Joanie has a series of revealations reguarding Eric and her that are frightening. And someone faints and it's NOT Joanie.

Andy Warhol said,"In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." What if your 15 minutes came late in life, and fame decided to never let you go? Could you survive the circus your life would become?

My hair streamed behind me and my gossamer wings fluttered in the slipstream as I hitched a flight from Bahadur Azi Dahaka, dragon warrior of the Mountains of the Summer Snows.

Aliens make contact and, well… Note the date.