CATHARSIS


  Noriko soaped herself as she sat in the woman's bath onboard the 
Eltrium. The bath was empty, most of the other pilots making final
preperations before the  battle, Noriko having the place all to
herself.
  Noriko looked out the large windows into space. The stars glittered;

there were more there at the center of the galaxy that she could see
then when she was on earth.
  Noriko splashed some water on herself as memories of Kimiko, The
School, Coachie, Kazumi...and Smith flooded back to her. Sadness
crossed Noriko's face as she remembered him. Her first love;but was
it just puppy love? She would never know, for he had been dead now 
for
over 30 years. Time had hardly touched her while Kazumi would be 
much
older now, since she decided to stay on Earth with Coachie. But 
since
he had died, Kazumi would be coming soon with the Black Hole Bomb.
  Noriko looked at herself as she stood to go to the showers. Still 
just 18, the weightlessness of space had improved her figure. While
she looked lush, there was coiled muscle under her skin. She had 
grown
 slightly and her breasts stood up straight despite their size, the 
nipples already hardened from the cold water. Noriko's long brown
hair, she having let it grown out, hung wetly about her shoulders.
Technically, she was 42,but due to her spending much of her time at
lightspeed, she was biologically 18.
  As Noriko thought more, her visage got sadder, for she knew most
of her friends were either dead or on Earth and much older. Kimiko
had a daughter, Karawessa, who was the president of her old
school, when Kazumi had married Coach Ohta. And what about her??
  Noriko never tried to find anyone else after Smith had died. And 
while she still felt attraction towards men, she just didn't want
to love someone who might die and leave her alone again. Eventually,
she stopped she had stopped looking for a lover and formed deep 
friendships instead. Life
aboard the fleet was different on Earth perhaps. People lived with
the knowledge that they would most likely die in battle. Love was
still there, but the possesiveness of a single relationship was
not,as some people having multiple partners. Like Her friend Jung.
  Noriko grinned slightly at the thought of Jung, her current
co-pilot of the Gunbuster. Marriage was rare and children were
forbidden; why bring life into a child, only to have it die 
when the ship burst into fire after having a thousand alien
lasers slammed into it?
  As Noriko went to the showers, the door opened, and Jung stepped in.
 
The Russian woman grinned when she saw Noriko. Jung was her co-pilot
of the Gunbuster while Kazumi was back on Earth. Flashing green eyes
peered out from under her bangs of firey, red hair. Jung's figure 
was
very impressive. Large breasts jutted out from her chest and muscle
rippled across her pale body. She wasn't musclebound but had the
stature of a fine Arabian stallion, strong legs and hips that spoke 
of many
hours in the gym and outer space training.
  "You look rather glum," Jung said, her voice making Noriko jerk
slightly and blush. 
  "Oh, I was just thinking" Noriko turned on the shower and stood
under it, letting the water cascade over her body.
  "Thinking about Kazumi?" Jung asked as she began to wash herself.
  "Yes. I was wondering what she'll look like now after all this
time." Noriko answered.
  "She'll look like herself, a few lines but that's all. You
shouldn't worry" Jung said.
  "I can't help it," Noriko looked out the window into space "What's 

she been doing? Has she met any new friends? Did she have a baby? I
haven't talked to her since she left"
  Jung looked over at Noriko. The water ran over her unnoticed as she 

looked out into space. Sadness and loneliness were etched on her face.

Jung dowsed herself with water and walked over to Noriko.
  "Don't let it eat away at you. This happened before with Smith..."
  Jung stopped as Noriko jerked as if stabbed.
  "But...It hurts...," Noriko sobbed "I've never gotten to live with
him in this time. Kazumi, Kimiko, they're all happy in their time. 
But
I'm all alone here..."
  Tears ran down Noriko's face and she trembled.
  Jung turned Noriko around to face her, "I'm here, Commander 
Toshiro's
here, and all of them," Jung gestured out the window where the Earth
fleet floated by. "are here, and you're here with us." Jung looked 
down
  "You're the lucky one." she added.
  "Huh?"
  "I'm jealous of you. I never had a sister like you do. I was an 
only 
child. My father wanted a son to join him in the tradition of a 
family
of soldiers. But he had to make do with me. There was never the 
praise
for me that he gave the men that served under him. That's why I left 
for
the space force" Jung explianed
  Noriko blinked in surprise at this frank admission.
  "I could have men aplenty, but I never found one that I could love. 
I 
did find one, but he was snatched away."
  "Coachie?" Asked Noriko
  "Yes," Jung said softly. Noriko noticed she was crying too.
  "You're very important to me!" Noriko said suddenly with authority 

  "You're my best friend, I don't think I would've been able to find 
the
strength to fight that time. Remember when I had the breakdown when 
you
challenged me?"
  "You always had the strength,"Jung murmured
  "I couldn't've found it without you, Coachie, and Kazumi....you're 

like a sister to me..Oneesama..."
  Jung's eyes widened and she looked up at Noriko, a burning feeling 

sweeping over her body "Sister....?"
  "Yes! I love you, Oneesama!" Noriko kissed Jung on the cheek.
  Jung stood up and looked into Noriko's eyes. Noriko was amazed at 
the 
intensity.
  "And I love you..Oneechan" Jung softly kissed Noriko on the lips. 
Noriko was startled, not knowing what to do, leaving Jung to kiss her.

Jung's lips kissed hers again and again, her tongue flicking in and 
out
and caressing Noriko's. Jung pressed up against Noriko, their bodies
moving under the shower, the water slicking their bodies. Jung's 
breasts
rubbed against Noriko's. Her nipples were rock hard and rubbed 
against
Noriko's, sending electric jolts through their bodies.
  Noriko pulled her head away, "I like men...." Noriko said in a weak 

voice as she weakly tried to move, but Jung had her pressed against 
the
wall. Jung had slid her leg in between Noriko's and Jung could feel 
a
warmth emanating from Noriko's pussy.
"I..like men too...But..I love you, Oneechan. I need you. I..hurt too.
..
There's no one I can share my pain with."
"But!"
"I've never  felt like this before."Jung whispered "Noone as told me 
that they love me. Nobody has
told me their secrets like you have." Jung lightly tickled Noriko's 
ribs.
Noriko felt the heat building in Her body. She no longer heard 
anything but the sound of their breathing
and the beating of their hearts.
"But, why like this??"
"This way, I can show you just how much I love you, theres no time 
for anything else. Billions of aliens
are getting closer. And we'll have to go out there to fight. Both of 
us could die and then we couldn't
be able to lie on the beach talking about our boyfriends, or go 
shopping, or train in the RXs. Or do the
things sisters do together. I want to give you all I am. I don't want 
to think of anything right now
but you."
 Jung grasped Noriko's hand and placed it on her own breast. Noriko 
could feel
the heat radiating from Jung. Her finger brushed a nipple and Jung 
moaned
and rolled her eyes back.
  "Lets live in our own time, for a while."Jung whispered.Noriko felt 
a warmth spreading
down her leg, she saw Jung rubbing herself on Noriko's leg, and a 
warm
sticky fluid that was washed away.
  Noriko bit her lip, her hands were shaking as she wrapped her arms
around Jung, Noriko leaned her head down and kissed Jung, Her 
tongue eased out like Jung's had and expertly slid into Jung's 
mouth. Jung hungerly devoured Noriko's mouth, her teeth lightly 
holding
Noriko's tongue as she pulled Noriko against Her.
  END PART 1