This story takes place almost two hundred years into the future. Things are quite different. Homosexual sex is a norm. So if you are under age or if explicit "abnormal" sexual activity is abhorrent to you, please read no further.
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Copyright 2015 by Macout Mann. All rights reserved.
THE THIRD EMPIRE
by Macout Mann
XV
Basic training continues. Flavius, Olafus, and Lucius enjoy weekends in London as well as Oslo, while learning the ways of the military.
After six months they are sent to specialty schools. Flavius and the prince go to the Royal School of Signals in Dorset, Lucius to the Infantry Battle School in Wales. In the states the Signals School would be called "Communication School." It deals with everything from message transmission and cryptography to computer technology.
Flavius is disappointed that the three will no longer be together, but he learns from his father that the empire has its reasons for splitting them up. Secretly Flavius thinks that the reason is that Lucius is after all a commoner. He does continue to stay in touch with Lucius via visimail.
Flavius and Olafus continue to be very close, and although there is no reason to foster unit cohesion at the Signals School, since in six months everyone will be sent their separate way, every trainee gets with as many of his fellows as he can. The atmosphere is more relaxed than before and liberty is more frequent.
At the end of five months both Flavius and Olafus receive orders to proceed and report to the ENS Dauntless, a naval frigate based at HMNB, Portsmouth, aboard which they will spend the last year of their training. They are also given the temporary rank of midshipman.
While the submarine service continues to be one of the two main deterrents in the empire's arsenal, the surface navy has largely become a ceremonial force. It has taken over the search and rescue function of the Coast Guards of the old nations, but mostly it shows the flag in far off places to demonstrate to the emperor's subjects the unchallenged power of the empire. A frigate like the Dauntless will have short-to-medium range missles as its main battery, and old fashioned 28mm/75 caliber guns to repel boarders, ward off pirates, and put down shore-based insurrections. Larger than frigates of earlier eras, it will carry a crew of six hundred men.
The newly-hatched midshipmen are given two weeks leave, which they spend in Oslo. There they are reunited with Lucius, who has been assigned to an army unit based in Tel Aviv. He has also been promoted to temporary subaltern.
Flavius' mother is concerned about his safety, when she is told that the Dauntless will be sailing on a round-the-world cruise. Quintus calms her by saying that the ship will have a secret Securitas agent among the crew, whose duty will be to protect both Flavius and Olafus.
During their leave Flavius and Lucius also have several opportunities to be with King Herald and Count Albinius, and Olafus with Quintus.
In Jordan, meanwhile, Yousef and his band of Islamists continue their plotting. He recruits more "true believers," while the original conspirators continue to plan their assault on the Norwegian monarch.
"The crown prince is hardly more than a child," they reason. "The assassination of the king will devastate them," Faruq says.
There is no rush. The scheme may take years to finalize. Meanwhile, all work and no play will make "Ahmed" a dull boy.
The proscription against homosexuality has always been as strong or stronger for Muslims as for Christians or Jews and especially Arab Muslims, but these devout Shiites can be as selective in their adherence to belief as anyone else. Hence, when the mores changed under the empire, they came to consider man on man sex permissible and participate as often as any westerner.
The conspirators decide that a mole must be sent to Norway. They settle on Rushdi. As the meeting ends, Faruq reaches for Rushi's crotch, saying, "We'll miss this, my friend."
"You still have much time left to play with it," Rushdi responds.
Like almost all Shiites, Rushdi is circumcised, and his glans is something to behold, extra-large and like a button mushroom perched on a long thick stem. Faruq removes Rushdi's izaar to reveal his fellow's equipment in all its rigid glory. Then in a gesture of hospitality Faruq invites both Yousef and Aswad to go down on Rushdi's bone, before he himself partakes. Soon, however, each is sharing his awrah with his fellow conspirators. The love of cum is not restricted to any one culture.
As they report for duty, Flavius is especially excited. Portsmouth is such an historic city. And the base is still much like it was "when Britannia ruled the waves." HMS Victory and two other men of war from the days of sail are still moored there, along with a couple of historic vessels from the age of steam. On the way to the base they pass the birthplace of Charles Dickens. Then they enter the base and go down Fountain Road into the dockyard where the Dauntless is tied up.
In their basic training they learned the protocol for boarding a naval ship, but both Flavius and Olafus are still nervous. They climb the gangplank, face the stern, smartly salute the empire's ensign and the officer of the deck, receive permission to come aboard, step onto the quarterdeck, and report.
"Midshipman Johnson reporting for duty, sir."
"Midshipman Oldenburg reporting for duty, sir."
"Welcome aboard, gentlemen."
So far, so good.
Although not commissioned officers, as temporary midshipmen Olafus and Flavius are accorded the privileges of subordinate naval officers. Likewise, the empire has resurrected the old British term, "subaltern," for trainees given officer status in the other branches of service. Trainees are all assigned ranks and ratings, depending on what their duties will be in their second year. Most remain in enlisted ranks, their second year assignment being largely determined by their performance in the first year.
The midshipmen are escorted to the executive officer's cabin, where the exec again welcomes them aboard, takes their orders, and summons the operations officer, who will be their department head for the next twelve months. He is a lieutenant in his mid-thirties, a swarthy and very friendly Argentinian. He gives them a tour of the parts of the ship that will be of concern to them, starting from the bridge, where the ship is steered, and ending in the wardroom, where officers dine and relax, with special emphasis on the underway operations center, where Flavius and Olafus will stand watches. After the tour they are taken to the aft junior officers' quarters, where they will be berthed.
The JOQ has eight bunks with an adjacent "head," the navy term for bathroom. They meet some of their bunkmates and begin to settle in, when a steward arrives to inform them that the captain wishes to meet them for dinner.
On frigates and larger ships the captain dines in his cabin, usually alone. The midshipmen are told that the captain always invites officers newly on board to share their first dinner with him, so they prepare for the meeting.
New ensigns coming aboard their first ship are usually terrified to meet the captain for the first time. Midshipmen should be even more so. Olafus and Flavius are nervous, as they were when they first came aboard, but after all, both have even met the emperor, so they take the captain's invitation in stride. They carefully clean their colons and make sure their uniforms are presentable.
The captain's cabin is the largest living compartment on the ship of course, but it is still a bit cramped when three dine and socialize. The food is the same being served in the wardroom, a staple of navies the world over, delicious Polynesian Curry with condiments ranging from chutney to raisins to crushed peanuts. It is apparent that the captain, Valerius Bellini, is a no-nonsense officer, but at the same time he is a charming host and seems truly interested in the newest members of his crew. An Italian, he comes by his Roman name more or less naturally. It becomes apparent to the two midshipmen that the captain has not been told who they are, and the rules dictate that they don't reveal that they are the sons of a king and a governor general. At the same time their demeanor makes the captain aware that they both must be from the upper classes.
As they have expected, after dinner there is sex. The captain removes his uniform and stacks it neatly, signaling the boys to do the same.
"You are both nicely endowed," the captain says. "I like that."
He takes a dick in each hand and the boys respond. Flavius strokes his commanding officer's thick tool, while Olafus cups his low-hanging balls.
"We all like to have fun," the captain adds. "It makes for a happy ship."
The captain's berth is half again wider than the twenty-eight inch bunks provided for the other officers, but for the three of them it is still a tight squeeze. Flavius tastes the captain's lollypop, and the captain samples Olafus'. Then they exchange places. The captain wants to experience the technique of each of his new middies. He is pleased with both.
When the lads return to quarters they are prepared to be teased. "So did you both get fucked?" they are asked.
"Weren't we supposed to?" Flavius laughingly answers. "You guys want sloppy seconds?"
"Don't mind if I do," a cheeky ensign responds.
"Me either," a lieutenant (j.g.) laughs.
"Well, we're all lubed up," Olafus says, "but we need to get off again too."