John slept for a few hours, until a slight movement next to his body woke him up. He quickly shook off his initial drowsiness, and looked down to see that Rachel was stirring from her long sleep. Alyssa had woken up as well, and she climbed out of bed, then glided silently over to the water dispenser that was built into the wall.

"Hey, sleeping beauty, how are you feeling?" John asked the tousled haired brunette who was lying in his arms.

"Thirsty..." Rachel replied groggily as she began to awaken.

Alyssa appeared a moment later with a big glass of chilled water, and the brunette sat up, gratefully accepting the glass, and drinking it down as though parched. After handing back the glass to Alyssa, who took it with a smile, Rachel lay down again to stare up at John.

"We've taken care of thirsty, so how do you feel now?" he asked her playfully.

Rachel smiled up at his caring face, and she put on an exaggerated expression of being thoughtful. "Well, in all honesty, I feel like I've just woken up after a one night stand. A little disorientated to be in an unusual bedroom, self conscious at you seeing me naked when I don't know you all that well, excited to be experiencing something new, and yet deliciously relaxed after such a wonderful orgasm last night," she replied, glancing affectionately at the redhead on her right hand side.

Dana had now woken up too, and she smiled back at the brunette warmly. "I hope you plan on staying for much longer than one night!" the redhead said cheerfully.

Rachel laughed and noticed that Alyssa was sitting up behind Dana, watching them chatting together. She couldn't help her eyes drifting down to admire the pert breasts that sat proudly on the blonde girl's chest.

"I hope you slept well," Alyssa said gently, noting Rachel's appreciative glance, and arching her back slightly to improve her view. "We kept an eye on you while you were resting, and you seemed very peaceful."

"Who's 'we'?" Rachel asked perceptively.

"Mostly Jade and Dana," John explained. "The rest of us needed to make some repairs to our equipment after the battles with the Kintark."

"Hey, nice to see you awake," Jade grinned at her exuberantly.

"Hey to you too," Rachel said, starting to feel more self-conscious at being nude in front of so many people, and feeling a rising urge to hide under the covers.

"It's alright, just relax," John said soothingly. "Everyone just wants to see you settle in okay."

"You have a very comforting voice. You would have made a good doctor," Rachel said, looking impressed as she watched his face. She noticed that Calara was awake now too, and watching them chatting with interest.

"I guess you're all curious to see the new girl," Rachel announced pre-emptively, as she sat up boldly, untangling herself from her covers.

The other girls got out of the covers too, and they fanned out into a semi-circle sitting around John, with Rachel at his side. The tawny haired girl looked to her right at Dana, and then took her time admiring each of the nude girls sitting around the bed. Impressed by her confidence, the girls posed for her with welcoming smiles on their faces as she checked them out.

"You're all so beautiful," Rachel sighed wistfully as she worked her way around to Calara, who grinned at her happily.

"So are you," John told her honestly, and the girls chorused their agreement.

"Actually, you're in far better shape than most of us were when we joined the team," Alyssa said self-deprecatingly. "I'm guessing the transformation to look like we do will probably be much faster for you, than it was for us. Well, Jade being the obvious exception of course."

"I cheated," Jade laughed, shimmering briefly as she changed into a copy of Alyssa, and then again as she reverted to her Nymph shape.

"You've developed in many other wonderful ways since then, though," John told her proudly. "And I'm not just talking about the Tiger!"

The Nymph gazed at him adoringly, and when he smiled at her and winked, her face lit up with a beaming smile.

"Tiger?" Rachel asked curiously.

"It's one of Jade's more exotic talents. She'll show you when we have a little more time," he explained carefully.

"Are we in a rush?" Rachel asked him, sounding puzzled.

"Well not exactly, but we'll be arriving at the Olympus shipyard in..." he glanced over at the ship's chronometer, and saw that it was eleven fifteen in the evening. "... About forty five minutes, and I've got an important meeting to attend. I'll need Alyssa and Calara with me too."

The blonde and the brunette nodded immediately, while Jade and Dana looked at him expectantly.

"Shall we stay with the ship?" Dana asked him curiously.

"Yes. Partly to look after Rachel, but also because I'm worried about everyone's safety at the shipyard," he confirmed.

"We should be totally safe at Olympus, shouldn't we?" Rachel asked him with a bemused expression on her face.

"Calara, now would be a good time to explain your findings," he said to the Latina.

The gorgeous brunette calmly went over the results of her analysis. She explained that she couldn't confirm it for them yet, at least until she had access to more data, but her initial conclusion was that there were one or more traitors high up within Terran Federation's Chain of Command. The girls were deathly silent at this announcement.

"I'm still struggling to believe it," Rachel said quietly, interrupting the silence. "Why would someone want to betray their own species like that?"

"We've seen it before," John replied sombrely, "Terran pirates selling slaves to the Kirrix."

"That's appalling!" Rachel gasped, with a look of revulsion on her pretty face. "Didn't they know what the Kirrix do to people?"

"Oh, they knew alright, but they just didn't care as long as they got paid," John said grimly, shaking his head.

"They started to care when we stepped in and wiped them out," Calara said fiercely.

"Good!" Rachel agreed vehemently. "People that sick don't deserve any mercy."

"I'm liking her even more now," Calara said with a feral grin.

"We're getting a bit sidetracked," John intervened with a fond smile at the Latina. "But basically, until I know for sure who I can and can't trust, I want to minimise everyone's exposure to danger. I need Alyssa for her psychic abilities, and I want Calara there for the debrief because of her perceptiveness, otherwise I'd go alone."

This was met by a storm of heated protest from the girls, until he raised his hands to restore order. "Okay, I'd want to go alone, but you girls wouldn't let me," he corrected himself with a grin.

Rachel watched with wide eyes, as the girls all nodded their agreement, mollified by his admission.

John turned to the smaller brunette at his side, and she looked up into his eyes. He could see there was something she desperately wanted to talk to him about, but he had a hunch it was something that she didn't want the girls to overhear.

"As we'll be arriving at Olympus Shipyard in about thirty minutes, this would be a perfect opportunity for you to depart our company if you're having second thoughts," John said to Rachel gently. "I'd love for you to stay, and I'm guessing the girls would too..."

"Oh you must stay, I've been loving getting to know you!" Dana interjected.

"We've had a few close calls recently, and we could really use your services as a doctor. Just as importantly, I think you'd fit in with the team perfectly," Calara said, with a friendly smile.

"I think you're lovely," Jade said openly. "And I'm looking forward to showing you what I can do."

"I wouldn't have asked you to join us if I didn't think you were an ideal candidate," Alyssa said honestly.

"Okay, it's unanimous then. We all like you and want you to stay, but it is your decision. There'll be no hard feelings if you turn us down, I'd only ask that you keep what we've revealed to you a secret," he requested reasonably.

Rachel looked around at each of them in turn. "I think you're all amazing people, and it's obvious you've already achieved great things in such a short space of time. Although I can't quite believe you've picked me, I'm still very eager to join you," she said, and the girls all grinned at her happily.

"If you've decided you're definitely staying, then you're going to need another full tummy to continue the change," Alyssa said to Rachel gently.

Rachel looked up at John coyly, then a confused look crossed her face. "I remember most of what happened last night, but it all turned into a bit of a blur after I started going down on you," she said with a frown as she tried to remember.

"That happened to all of us. Don't worry, it's totally expected," Alyssa said reassuringly.

"I cum a lot, and the results can be a little shocking the first time," John explained carefully. "The memory loss is probably to stop girls from realising I'm so different on a one night stand, but that's just a guess. I don't know why for sure."

"How often does this memory loss happen?" Rachel asked them curiously. "I'm assuming it wears off eventually?"

"By the third time. That's basically the point of no return," Alyssa said in an ominous voice, before flashing the other girl a disarming grin.

"Well I better do another round of tests before we start, to make sure we track everything as it happens!" Rachel said excitedly.

"Would you like me to keep you company?" John asked her, checking to see if his hunch was correct.

"That would be lovely, thank you," Rachel said gratefully.

"Okay ladies, if you can get us ready for the arrival at the shipyard, I'll look after Rachel then join you afterwards," John requested decisively.

The girls moved immediately to follow his orders, and Rachel watched them get dressed quickly and efficiently, before waving her goodbye as they headed out of the quarters.

"Have fun!" Dana winked at her cheekily as she departed.

Rachel laughed, and then looked up at John curiously. "How did you know I wanted to talk to you alone?" she asked him, obviously impressed.

"I'm living with four young women. I guess I've just got better at reading female body language," John shrugged with a laugh. "Come on, let's get dressed, and we can get started on those tests."

Rachel nodded and had a quick hunt around for her clothes. John found her bra discarded on the floor, and handed it over.

"Thanks," she said wryly, taking it from his outstretched hand.

John watched brazenly as she covered her lovely breasts with the material, and fastened it behind her back. "You're very welcome," he said with a smile.

"Well, living with four girls has certainly made you confident," Rachel said with a chuckle.

"Five girls," John said, looking at her pointedly with a flirtatious smile on his face.

Rachel giggled and blushed, before getting a hold of herself. "This is ridiculous! I'm behaving like a pre-teen with an adolescent crush," she exclaimed, shaking her head as she continued to get dressed.

"It probably isn't just down to you, I've seen Dana react a similar way," John said, remembering the redhead in her early days aboard the ship. "Although she described herself as a 'giddy schoolgirl'." he added as his lips twitched into a wicked grin.

"Let me guess, you had fun with that a bit later, didn't you?" Rachel laughed wickedly.

"Seeing her squeezed into her naughty schoolgirl outfit was an incredible sight, I'll freely admit," John grinned in reply, before studying the brunette appraisingly. "Of course, that outfit will fit you very soon, too."

Rachel flushed excitedly, before averting her eyes and looking down shyly. Eventually she looked up to study his face once more. "Whether this is natural or not, you have a brazen masculinity about you that's quite intoxicating," she observed, watching him closely.

"Thanks for the compliment... I think," John said with a laugh, as he finished getting changed. He held out his hand for her, and when she had eased on her last errant shoe, she slipped her hand through his.

They walked along quietly, with Rachel stealing glances at him from time to time as they progressed down the corridor, and stepped into the grav-tube.

"These grav-tubes are amazing," she grinned as she floated down in the soft red glow. "I never realised just how annoying it was, having to wait for a lift to arrive!"

"Another of Dana's upgrades to the ship," John explained with an affectionate smile on his face.

"She really is quite brilliant," Rachel remarked. "What she's accomplished at such a young age is astounding."

"People will be saying the same about you, too," John said seriously, as he glanced at the young woman. "I can already see you have a sharp and agile mind. I can't wait to see what you'll be like in a few weeks' time."

"Thanks, you're very kind," Rachel said quietly. She looked up at him with a myriad of questions in her smoky grey eyes, as they stepped out of the grav-tube on Deck Seven.

"Let's talk in the Medical Bay. It's nice and private in there, so you can be as open and honest with me as you'd like," he said putting her at ease.

Rachel nodded, and they walked down the corridor to Medical, where he hit the button to open the door. It swished open quietly, and he politely gestured for her to enter ahead of him. He watched her stride inside, and then followed after her, before closing the door behind him.

"So, what's on your mind, Doctor?" he asked her playfully.

"The girls are totally devoted to you, aren't they?" she asked him bluntly. "You really weren't kidding when you said there were mental changes too. They practically worship you!"

"Yes, that's correct," John admitted honestly. "I feel exactly the same way about them too."

Rachel shook her head in amazement. "Your setup here goes against everything I was taught was healthy in a relationship, but it seems to work for all of you. Flawlessly in fact. You play the role of Alpha male to perfection, and the girls act as a team, centred around you."

"We weren't aware of the subtle personality changes the girls underwent until fairly recently," John explained. "Now that we are though, I'm absolutely determined to make sure that you won't feel like we're tricking you into joining us in any way."

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Rachel said gratefully as she looked up at him, before she hesitated, trying to pick her next words with care. "Do you think any of the girls might have regretted joining you, if they weren't... conditioned... to be so dedicated to you?"

John stopped and paused for a moment, thinking long and hard about each of the girls before he answered seriously, "Honestly, no, I don't think so. I worried about it a lot when we first found out, and as you said, if they've been 'modified' to love being with me, then their opinion is compromised. However, they've all sworn blind that they would make the same decision again in a heartbeat, and they've been extremely convincing in their arguments."

"How much of a personality change do you think I'm going to go through?" Rachel asked him curiously, as she took a blood sample from her left arm, before continuing with her next test.

"Honestly, I don't know you well enough to be able to say for sure; but from what I've seen, I don't think much at all. You're already sexually and socially confident, slightly submissive and openly bisexual," he said with a smile. "I already find myself very strongly attracted to you."

"Thank you," she smiled back at him coyly. "As we're being completely open here, I feel the same," she added flirtatiously.

"That's good to know," John said with a grin.

"Is there anything else you can think of, that you haven't mentioned before?" the brunette asked him as she walked over to the full-body scanner.

John offered her his hand, and she hopped up lightly to sit on the table, before lying down and carefully positioning her head between the sensors at the end of the scanner.

"I think we've covered everything," he said, pausing to think. "Oh! There's one other thing," he added suddenly.

"What's that?" Rachel asked him, as she watched his face, intrigued to find out what other surprises were in store.

"How do you feel about having children?" he asked her gently.

"I'd like some eventually," Rachel said without hesitation. "Why do you ask?"

"All the girls have been eager to start a family, which I can only guess is being artificially triggered in them somehow. Talking about me knocking them up is a sure-fire way to get them turned on," he said with a wry smile.

"Do you think I'll feel the same way in a few days?" Rachel asked him in a quiet voice.

"I'm not sure, but I suspect you might. How do you feel about that?" he asked her delicately.

"I don't think that would be so bad," she said softly with a tentative smile.

John reached over and stroked her slim stomach, and she stared up at him with big doe-eyes. Rachel gave him a warm smile, and placed her hand over his, holding it in place over her belly. She shivered with excitement, as she thrilled to his touch.

"I think my ovaries just jumped for joy," Rachel joked as she gazed up at him, before the look on her face suddenly turned incredulous. "This is crazy! I've only been with you less than a day, and now we're talking about having kids together."

"Exactly. These are the kind of changes I've been talking about, and I can fully understand if you want to back out. It must be a scary thing to think of your personality being changed," he said sympathetically.

"You say the other girls are like this too?" Rachel asked him quietly, feeling the reassuring weight of his hand where it still rested on her slim tummy.

"They've all been pushing to start a family as soon as possible, but I've been holding back," he admitted, as he looked down, studying her face.

"Why? If you don't mind me asking? You've been with them for a while now. They're all beautiful, lovely girls, and I think you'd make a good father," Rachel told him with a smile, as she gently squeezed his hand.

"I'm not sure, but it feels like I have unfinished business that I need to attend to first," he replied, his brow furrowing as he frowned.

He removed his hand as the scan began, and Rachel was bathed in a soft blue glow as the machine took a detailed scan of her whole body. A holographic image appeared above the console to the left of the machine, showing her body in detail. With a quiet beep, the full body scan let them know that it had completed its task, and the blue glow faded away.

Now that the scan was completed, she sat up, and looked down at him from her perch on the table. "This really is a life changing decision isn't it?" she asked softly as she stared into his eyes.

"Yes, and I don't want you to go further with it unless you're absolutely certain. Can I be completely blunt with you?" he asked her seriously.

"Please do, I really appreciate your honesty. It's a good sign of the kind of person you are," she replied.

John smiled and stepped close to the table, so that Rachel was forced to part her legs to allow him to stand by the edge. The symbolism of her spreading her legs for him wasn't lost on her, and she flushed with excitement as she stared into his eyes. John placed his hands on her thighs, causing her to let out a little gasp.

"What I'm offering you seems like a wonderful gift. You'll go through some dramatic physical changes, becoming stronger, faster, and more agile, and even experience some minor healing. Any scars or blemishes you have will be completely gone by the time the transformation is complete. You'll be greatly enhanced mentally, and for a clever girl like you, 'genius' will seem like a bland term to describe your intellect. You'll be able to help the girls and I achieve some great things together, probably saving many more people from harm than you would otherwise, even as a doctor in a busy hospital," he said in a steady, even tone.

"That all sounds wonderful, like a dream in fact," Rachel sighed longingly.

"Then there's the flipside," John continued, his strong voice taking on a more dangerous edge. "I expect I'll be able to take you whenever I like. The other four girls are obedient, and eager to please, and I have no doubt you'll be that way too. I'll enjoy seeing you be intimate with all the other girls here, and any more I choose to add to the group, pleasuring each other as you'll pleasure me. I expect we'll be able to give you more intensely satisfying sex than you've ever experienced up until now, and it won't be too long before I see the same look of adoration in your eyes, that I enjoy seeing from the other girls."

The brunette shivered, and continued to stare into his eyes, her own a stormy grey, as they flashed with arousal. "That all sounds wonderful, like a dream in fact," she repeated, but this time in a throaty purr.

John laughed, the dark edge to his voice disappearing. "Well I've tried to scare you off, and that didn't seem to work. Either that first load of cum already did a number on you, or you're ideally suited to join our little family," he told her light heartedly.

Rachel smiled at him warmly. "Thank you. I really do appreciate your dedication to ensuring I'm making an informed choice," she said gratefully.

"There's one last thing, and it's important for you to know," he said to her seriously.

"Please tell me," she said, studying his face intently.

"If you do join us, I also promise I'll care for you and protect you, just as I do for all the other women I love aboard this ship," he told her tenderly.

The young woman stared at him with wide eyes, her pupils heavily dilated. "The broodiness is kicking in again," she said with a lusty smile, as she gazed at him.

"Good," John said simply, brushing the backs of his fingers across her slender stomach, causing her to let out a quiet moan. "Are you finished with your tests? If so, I'd like to see you on your knees please, Doctor."

Rachel darted an excited look at him, and she smiled knowingly. "Of course, Commander," she replied obediently, slipping off the table and on to the floor in front of him. She sank to her knees, and moaned with arousal as he began to unbuckle his trousers.

"Prove you deserve a place serving me," he told her boldly, as she panted with lust.

When he pulled out his heavy cock, she groaned at the sight, and took it in both her hands, moving them up and down, and feeling the heat from his shaft.

"You're so big, I can't believe this will fit inside me," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"You're going to love it," he said confidently. "Enough talking now, though. My balls are full and I'm eager to see you swallow it all down."

Rachel quivered as she gazed up at him, and opened her mouth submissively. She guided his swollen, throbbing head inside, and although it was a tight fit, she soon had her lips around his shaft as she engulfed the head.

"Good girl," he praised her. "You're eager for it, aren't you?"

The brunette nodded slightly, finding it difficult to move with so much of his cock in her mouth, and she began to suck insistently. Sensing a compliant young woman desperate for their seed, his quad flexed and began to send long spurts of pre-cum up his shaft, filling the young doctor's mouth. Rachel stared into his eyes and then took a long, deliberate swallow, letting the mouthful of pre-cum slide down her throat and into her stomach. Her eyes immediately began to glaze over, her eyelids growing heavy, and he felt a small sense of disappointment as she began to move as though on autopilot, working to take his length into her throat.

*You really like her, don't you?* Alyssa's gentle voice appeared in his mind.

*She's a wonderful girl. My XO excelled herself with her latest bit of recruitment,* John replied gratefully.

*I'm delighted you approve,* Alyssa said with amusement. *Don't worry, you only have to feed her once more, and then she'll be an active participant,* she added kindly.

*I'm looking forward to it,* John agreed, as he cupped the brunette's head in his hands. She swallowed repeatedly, and then gulped his cock down into her throat.

*Don't hold back,* Alyssa urged him. *The sooner you feed Rachel, the sooner you'll be able to hear her crying out your name as you fuck her senseless.*

*Oh God, you're amazing,* John replied, as he groaned with lust. Rachel slid more of his cock down her throat and soon she was gliding back and forth, deep-throating him smoothly.

*It won't be long until you can do as you please with her body. Knowing you, you'll probably have Dana licking her clit as you fill her womb for the first time. I'm looking forward to going down on her too, so maybe I can do that when you decide to slide your cock up her ass. I've been there while you've buggered the rest of the crew, so it seems only right.* Alyssa's voice told him eagerly.

Suddenly the blonde appeared at his side, her slender hands massaging his shoulders.

"You look so powerful with a girl on her knees in front of you," she panted in his ear. "It just looks so fitting, somehow," she added with a delighted sigh.

John watched Rachel intently, and after she pulled back and took a deep breath, she slid down all the way to his base, and just sucked on him eagerly. He began to rock his hips forward slightly, pushing carefully into her snug throat, and he felt it gripping him wonderfully.

"Show me you approve of my latest choice of ripe teenager, and fill her belly with your cum," Alyssa whispered lovingly in his ear.

John cried out and thrust forward as his balls convulsed powerfully. Long streams of cum raced down his shaft and into the compliant girl's tummy, rapidly blowing it up as her stomach quickly filled to capacity.

"Good boy," Alyssa told him excitedly. "You remember what happens next? She'll wake up in a few hours and find she's still got a big belly full of your sperm. I can't wait to see how she's going to react."

John's cock lurched as his cum raced down his length, and he rapidly emptied his balls down Rachel's throat, groaning with pleasure all the while. She sucked and swallowed hungrily, milking his quad with her vibrating throat. Finally he was done, and he gingerly pulled out his cock, being careful not to jerk it out too suddenly. After heaving a contented sigh of relief, he squatted down by the young woman who was now carrying his load to check she was alright. Rachel just smiled dreamily, still in a blissful daze as she cradled her bloated belly.

"She looks fine," Alyssa said confidently. "One step closer to joining us permanently," she added happily.

John did up his trousers, and then scooped up the comatose young brunette in his strong arms. "Let's get her back to bed," he said quietly as he smiled down at her.

Alyssa leaned over and brushed a strand of hair from Rachel's face, before moving her hand down to gently stroke the girl's engorged stomach. "I heard everything you said, of course," she told him when she eventually looked up into his eyes once more.

"And did you agree with everything I said?" he asked her curiously. "Still no regrets?"

"Oh, of course not, don't be silly," Alyssa said as she rolled her eyes, waving a hand dismissively. "I was just going to say that I was impressed by how much effort you're putting into making sure she's certain about her decision."

"You know I worry about that," he said as he carried Rachel out of the Medical Bay, and along the corridor to the grav-tubes.

"I know, it's very sweet," Alyssa said with an affectionate smile. "But I'm hoping that after Rachel, this will put your mind to rest about it forever."

"Really? Why's that?" John asked her curiously.

"She's a beautiful, healthy girl, with a promising career ahead of her, and a ludicrously wealthy family she could probably return to if she felt like it. She's got more than any of the rest of us had, and if someone like her is willing to join you of her own free will, I hope you'll believe the rest of us when we tell you that we never regretted the choice for a moment," Alyssa explained carefully, making sure he understood her sincerity.

"This is really important to you, isn't it?" John asked her perceptively.

"Seeing you doubt your motives and actions about us joining you was horrible. I never want you to feel that way again," she replied earnestly.

"I'd like to give you a big hug about now, but..." John paused, as he looked down pointedly at the sleeping girl in his arms.

Alyssa's musical laughter surrounded them as they stepped into the cool blue glow of the grav-tube and began to ascend up the decks. "She beat me to it?" the blonde asked, while smiling at him fondly.

"Afraid so," John replied with a grin, and they stepped out of the anti-gravity shaft and into the corridor on Deck Two.

"On another topic entirely, we've arrived at Alpha-Centauri. I plotted the course to the Olympus Shipyard, and Dana's taking us in. We should land in just a few minutes," she told him helpfully.

"What would I do without you?" John said with a dry chuckle.

"You'll never have to find out," Alyssa said with an alluring smile, as she glided ahead of him and into their bedroom.

John walked in after her, and carefully placed Rachel in the centre of the bed. He brought the covers up around her shoulders, and then stroked her hair gently, watching her sleep.

"Jade's on her way," Alyssa said to him quietly as she stood by his side, and slipped her hand into his.

"We've come a long way you and I, since you were in her position a few months ago," John said softly, keeping his voice low, so that he wouldn't disturb the sleeping girl lying peacefully on the bed.

"Do you have any regrets?" Alyssa asked him as she turned to study his face.

"A few," he replied, causing her to raise an eyebrow. "But long in the past. About you, and everything that's happened since I found you on the Fool's Gold? None whatsoever." he added, squeezing her fingers gently.

She bumped her shoulder into his, lightly and playfully, causing him to turn to look at her. "I knew that already, but it does you good to realise it too sometimes," she said, flashing him an endearing smile.

He was about to respond when Jade bounded happily into the room and immediately began to strip off.

"What are you up to?" John asked her with a bemused smile.

"I'll cuddle up with Rachel and have a nap, but I don't want her getting too hot, so I'll be nude," the Nymph replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She slipped under the covers and then blew him a kiss, before rolling over to snuggle up with the sleeping brunette.

He chuckled at her answer, and then headed into the bathroom for a quick shower. Alyssa glided in after him, and they had only been in there for a couple of minutes when a nude Calara opened the shower door and came in to join them.

"Hey, you two," she said with a wide smile, as she moved to stand with them under the warm water.

"That was a nice coincidence," John said, happy to see her, and returning her smile.

"Oh, it wasn't a coincidence, I was summoned," Calara laughed, as she glanced at Alyssa.

"I sometimes forget the special bond between you girls," John said, his sentence loaded with meaning as he glanced between them.

"Come here, gorgeous, he's been wanting to see us together since our little chat earlier," Alyssa told the brunette lovingly.

The Latina flashed him a lusty grin and then moved gracefully to stand directly in front of her blonde lover. The two girls embraced, their arms moving around to rest lightly on each other's hips, and they stared intently into each others' eyes. They slowly and deliberately came together, causing each young woman to sigh happily as their plush lips brushed ever so softly against each other. The shower room soon began to fill with their breathy moans as they kissed lovingly, their eager young tongues darting out teasingly, to lick a full lip or flicker against a playful tongue. Eventually the beautiful young women ended the kiss, and turned to look at him coyly, excitement flashing in their eyes as they waited to see his reaction.

"That was incredible," John said quietly, as though reluctant to disturb the intimate moment.

"Wait until you see us make love," Calara said tantalisingly, throwing him a lusty look.

"I'm sure you'll look spectacular, and I can't wait to watch..." John sighed.

"But, we have some other rather pressing business to attend to first?" Alyssa asked him with a smile.

"That's right. While I have you both here, we'd better have a quick chat about how we'll handle the meeting with Charles," John replied regretfully.

"Go in guns blazing, then I pull the secrets from his mind?" Alyssa asked playfully.

"Alyssa! This is serious," Calara admonished the other girl, before pausing, looking at her curiously, and saying, "You can really do that?"

"Oh, you know I'm only kidding," Alyssa smiled. "I like Charles anyway, he's a nice guy. I don't for one moment think he's involved in any of this."

"You were able to hear Seb's thoughts though. Remember back on Karron when he was plotting to kill us?" John said, recalling how she had tipped him off about the mine owner's murderous plans.

"True, and I overheard that Pirate Captain as well, when he was going to kill you with that robot aboard the Stalingrad. But in both cases, I just overheard their thoughts, I wasn't actively trying to read their minds or anything," she explained with a smile.

"Well we better be careful just in case," John said cautiously. "At the very least we should keep quiet about our suspicions, until we can make certain who our friends are."

"When you and Charles get together, us girls usually let you chat and catch up anyway. We'll just keep you company, and let you do the talking," Alyssa said with a shrug.

"I'll just watch and listen. If I notice something particularly suspicious, I'll let you know," Calara agreed.

"Looks like we have our plan then. Let's get dressed, and meet back in the bedroom as soon as we're ready," John told them.

They left the shower, dried off quickly, and then split up to get ready. John and Alyssa headed into their walk-in wardrobe, while Calara scooped up her discarded clothes as she walked out of the bathroom behind them, and left to get dressed in her own quarters. John put on a smartly tailored black suit, and completed his outfit with a striking blue tie. He finished getting dressed first, and he then watched entranced, as his stunning blonde companion slowly slid a stocking up her toned thigh before clipping it onto a suspender belt. She smiled at him seductively as she stepped into a light grey pencil skirt, that accentuated her shapely figure perfectly once she pulled it up over her pert bottom. She put on the accompanying light grey jacket over her white blouse, slipped her feet into some high heels, and then posed for him alluringly.

"Do you approve of my outfit... Sir?" she asked him respectfully.

"You look amazing in everything, but there's something special about seeing you in formal-wear," John said appreciatively, shaking his head in wonder.

"Well, I did sign a strictly binding contract when I came into your employ. I believe it granted you full rights to do whatever you pleased with my body?" she prompted him teasingly, as she tilted her head, as if struggling to remember the exact wording of the contract Dana had showed her during their roleplay.

John chuckled as he admired her. "Come on, my sultry seductress, let's get our business on Olympus resolved first. You can tease me to distraction later," he said with a grin.

"Oh, you can count on it," Alyssa replied as she sashayed out of the room.

Dana was waiting for them in the bedroom, and she smiled at them happily when they joined her.

"We've landed at the shipyard," she told them eagerly. "It looks like Charles' assistant is waiting to meet you."

"Thanks Dana," John said. "You're in charge until we get back. Anything you want to ask before we head out?"

"I'm good here, but see if you can get us a new engine for the Raptor," she replied with an optimistic grin. "I could fabricate a replacement, but it would take a little while."

"I'll see what I can do," John replied fondly, giving her a quick kiss goodbye. He then strode purposefully from the room, with Alyssa gliding behind him. She turned, and gave Dana a little wave and a grin before she left.

Calara was waiting for them in the corridor wearing her military dress uniform, and she fell into step beside them.

"Looking very smart, Lieutenant," John said with an approving nod of the head.

"You too, Commander," Calara said with a smile. She glanced at Alyssa, and her eyes lingered over the blonde in her alluring outfit. "How do you do that?" she asked the girl in awe.

"Do what?" John asked Calara curiously.

"Turn what's supposed to be business attire into something that looks so sexy," the Latina said admiringly.

"Attitude and confidence," Alyssa replied in a moment of uncharacteristic seriousness. "I'd be delighted to show you, later."

Calara nodded gratefully, and then turned back to John as they stepped into the grav-tube. "I know it'll be tricky without showing your hand, but see if you can find out who the commanding officers in the Dragon March are. If we can confirm names in the command structure, trawling through the data will be a little easier," she requested solemnly.

"I'll do my best," John said, and a few moments later they stepped out of the grav-tube, before strolling down the corridor to the airlock.

John placed his hand on the DNA reader, and the airlock spiralled open in front of them.

"I'm sure Rachel will check for alterations to her DNA anyway, but we must remind her about the problem we noticed with the DNA reader," Alyssa said thoughtfully.

"Hopefully she'll be able to shed some light on a few of our recent mysteries. I'm looking forward to hearing the results of her tests," John said, as he nodded his agreement.

They stepped through the airlock, leaving the Invictus as they walked out into the Olympus Shipyard docking bay. Like all the other bays they had docked at previously, this one was vast, even managing to make the five hundred metre long assault cruiser look small. An enthusiastic young naval officer strode over to greet them, and John recognised the young man as Charles' assistant.

"The Vice Admiral sends his apologies Commander Blake, he's on a call at the moment," the young man said, with a sharp salute. His eyes inadvertently flickered to Alyssa and Calara, before he controlled himself and concentrated intently on John. "I'll take you to his office immediately."

"This is the third time we've met, and I'm afraid I still don't know your name," John said apologetically.

"Oh! I'm Lieutenant Victor Adams, Sir," the young man replied with a start.

"Well, thank you for coming to meet us, Lieutenant Adams. Please lead on," John said in a friendly tone.

The eager young assistant turned, and gestured for them to follow him. He led them out of the big hangar bay, and into the broad corridors beyond, that were bustling with activity.

"How have things been around here since we last visited?" John asked their guide blandly.

"The Vice Admiral's been extremely busy, what with the shipbuilding program going on at Olympus," Lieutenant Adams said with a smile.

"And if Charles is busy, that means you're even busier, right?" John chuckled with a wink. "He was my C.O. for several years, so I remember what it was like."

"Admiral Cartwright likes to keep us on our toes!" the young man laughed. "If it's not progress reports, it's productivity forecasts, or budget forecasts, or one of a hundred other different things."

"Oh, really? I would have thought Admiral Cartwright might have become more directly involved with the Dragon March? What with the escalating tensions over there," John asked offhandedly.

"No, he's strictly in charge of logistics and ship-building. It's Admirals Lynton, Norwood and Santini running the show over there, but they're making a right mess of things," Adams said conspiratorially, before looking abashed and darting a worried glance at John.

"I can't wait to see Charles again!" Alyssa gushed excitedly, hanging on to John's arm as she bounced along beside him.

*Use me as a distraction,* she thought to John in a heartbeat.

"Yeah, it will be great to see him and catch up on old times, but no excessive flirting this time!" John agreed with a laugh.

Alyssa giggled brainlessly. "It's not my fault, the girls like the attention!" she replied, thrusting out her chest to emphasise her impressive cleavage.

John turned to the young assistant. "Sorry Victor, please forgive my XO. You were saying?"

Victor's wide eyes were drawn like magnets to Alyssa's gravity defying figure as she bounced along at his side, and when he looked back at John he flushed with embarrassment. "Oh, err... nothing Commander!" he stammered, before he recovered quickly, and attempted to cover his earlier slip-up. "Erm... The Vice Admiral's been looking forward to seeing you again too, he's been talking of little else since yesterday."

"He probably wants to make sure I'm taking good care of his old ship," John joked to the young man.

*Nice work, honey,* his voice said, as it echoed in Alyssa's mind. She squeezed his arm in response as they strolled along together.

They went up an elevator to the top deck of the shipyard, and after strolling along a few busy corridors full of naval personnel going about their business, they eventually arrived at the Commanding Officer's Suite for the Olympus Shipyard. It was the same office they had visited a couple of months ago, but it had just been John and Alyssa that time, on their first visit here.

Lieutenant Adams ushered them in, and gestured for them to sit on some comfortable sofas in an expanded waiting area. He then went behind his desk and hit the intercom, before speaking quietly into it, letting the Vice Admiral know that his guests had arrived.

"He'll be with you shortly," Victor told them with a smile. "Would you like a drink? Tea, or coffee perhaps?"

Before they could reply, the door to the main office swung open, and Vice Admiral Charles Harris strode out. He was an older man in his late 50's, and had an impressive bushy grey moustache that twitched as he grinned. He seemed tired since they'd seen him last however, and a few more worry lines creased his brow.

"If I know my old friend, you'll be wanting a whisky to toast your resounding victory!" Charles said exuberantly.

"Charles! It's great to see you again," John said with a grin, as he stood up to greet his friend. "I must confess a whisky would be very nice about now."

Charles looked towards his assistant, who nodded immediately. "I'll bring them through, Sir," Victor said helpfully.

"We'll have vodka instead please," Alyssa said to Victor with a cheeky grin, as she hooked her arm through Calara's.

"Of course, Miss," Victor replied, trying not to stare at the beautiful young women.

Charles rolled his eyes, and beckoned them into his office, John and the girls following in his wake as they entered the other room. When John walked inside the office, he whistled appreciatively, looking around the greatly extended office space. The office had been doubled in size, the wall to the adjacent office having been knocked through. Now there were two huge windows overlooking the traffic in and out of the shipyard, and the girls stood by them to watch the massive Terran Federation ships making their ponderous way to the Nav Beacon.

"Very nice Charles! You said your old offices were being refurbished, but this is very impressive," John said with a smile.

"I can't complain," the older man replied with a smile. "But enough about me, let's talk about you." he added, as he waved them over to the plush sofas arranged around the window.

"You might want to check this out first," John replied, throwing a small storage device over to his old friend, as he walked over to one of the sofas.

Charles caught it deftly, and then moved behind his desk, inserting the device carefully into the storage slot. "Ah, I wondered when I was going to see your After-Action-Report," he said to John with a raised eyebrow.

"I figured we were seeing you soon anyway, and with everyone so cagey about what's happening in the Dragon March, I thought it might be prudent to just hand it over in person," John replied, as he sat down on the sofa.

Charles' eyes darted to John at that, and he paused and studied him carefully for a long moment, before shifting his focus to the monitors built into the desk. He scanned through the report, pausing briefly half-way through.

"Corporal Gibbons?" he asked with a questioning look.

"He and his men fought against the Kintark bravely, while outnumbered and outgunned," John explained, glancing at Alyssa, who nodded approvingly, and smiled at him fondly.

Charles continued reading through the rest of the report, until he had finally finished. He stood up and walked around his desk to join them, just as Lieutenant Adams appeared with the tray full of beverages. The girls gratefully accepted the tall glasses of vodka, and looked out over the vista of space from the window, sipping their drinks as they watched the colossal ships drifting by. The older man waited until they all had their drinks, and his assistant had left the room, before he began to speak once more.

"Your AAR corroborates everything I've read from the other officers who were involved in the battle," Charles began as he stared at the amber coloured liquid in his glass. "I can hardly believe what you managed to accomplish, John," he added with a wry smile.

"Well, I like to help out where I can," John said magnanimously.

"Actually, while we're on the subject of defying belief, I'm intrigued to know more about how you got all the way to the Dragon March from the Core Worlds in less than a day," Charles said, studying him carefully.

"We helped out the Ashanath, and they upgraded the ship," John said cagily.

"Everyone knows they build the best FTL drives, but the best we've seen is double the speed of our fastest military drive. We acquired a couple, but we can't easily replicate them," Charles said, his eyes burning acquisitively. "We'd pay an awful lot to take that drive off your hands."

"Afraid it's not for sale, sorry," John said apologetically. "We put blood, sweat and tears into that little job, and I like being able to get around nice and fast. Besides, my Chief Engineer would kill me if I even thought about selling it."

Charles looked like he was going to push him again, but when he saw the determined look on John's face, he clenched his jaw in frustration. With a sigh he gave up, and changed the subject.

"Well let's get back to the main reason I asked you to come here," Charles said with a smile.

"I'm all ears," John said wryly, as he adopted a disarming smile.

"You did an amazing thing stepping in and saving Port Medea like that. I read the reports from both Captain Harding, and Lieutenant Commander Mortensen. I would have dismissed it all as some fanciful tale, if I hadn't already had experience of your exploits against the Kirrix and that group of pirates," Charles said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Like I said, I was happy to assist. I'm sure R&D will appreciate being able to take a look at the Kintark heavy carrier," John said with a grin.

"That they will. Those Kintark crew will be invaluable for prisoner exchanges as well," Charles agreed, then paused as he looked thoughtful. "Oh, that reminds me. As you're officially a civilian, the Terran Federation has decided to reward you with a bounty for your efforts. Two hundred million credits have been transferred to your account in gratitude for your phenomenal work in capturing that carrier, as well as defending the Spaceport, the refineries, and our ships in the system," he added gratefully.

"I can always find a good use for credits," John said with a grin, raising his glass in gratitude before taking a sip.

"High Command would also like to award you and your crew a medal, in honour of your heroic defence of the Iota-Leonis system. If you can stick around for a couple of days, I'll arrange an award ceremony." Charles said with a broad smile.

Calara and Alyssa exchanged glances, and beamed wide smiles at one another, before reining in their urge to go and give John a hug.

"Unofficially, we're promoting you as well. You'll still be listed as a retired Commander, but anyone in the military who looks up your personnel record will see your new rank. Congratulations, Commodore Blake," Charles said with a dry chuckle.

This was too much for the girls, and they squealed with delight as they dashed over to give him an exuberant hug. Charles shook his head with equal parts amusement and envy, while John laughed, embracing an overexcited young woman in each arm, as they leaned over him where he sat.

"Congratulations, Commodore!" Calara gushed breathily, as she sat down beside him, and looked at him adoringly.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," John said, as he grinned back at her fondly.

"I don't even know how the ranks work, but I'm guessing that's good?" Alyssa bubbled excitedly as she sat on the other side of him, her eyes open wide.

"Commander, Captain, Commodore," Calara interjected helpfully, her eyes sparkling with admiration for John.

*OK, nice work at appearing young and naive, but you and Calara can dial it down a bit. Charles knows how capable you both are,* John thought to Alyssa, with his amusement filtering through to her.

*Who says we're faking?* Alyssa replied chirpily, before her voice suddenly took on a sharp and cunning edge. *You'd be surprised at how quickly a beautiful but ditzy young woman can be dismissed as harmless, even by men who should know better.*

John turned his attention back to the older man opposite him, who was watching the three of them.

"Bumping me up two ranks?" John asked with a raised eyebrow and a big grin, as he glanced over at Charles. "Someone must be very happy with me right now."

"If we'd lost the Iota-Leonis system, the situation in the Dragon March would have dramatically deteriorated, and there would have been significant repercussions," Charles said sombrely. "We haven't officially declared war with the Kintark Empire yet, but in order to mobilise enough forces to repel them, we would have had to. The bloody nose you gave them will let us keep this as a controlled border skirmish for a while to come."

"It didn't look like a border skirmish to me, and there was nothing controlled about it," John said grimly. "We also passed a flotilla of ships on the way back to Olympus, that told a very different story."

Charles said nothing, and watched him again, his eyes narrowing. "Yes, well let's not get into all that, shall we? It would no doubt be for the best if you kept that little observation just between us for the time being. Oh, and unless you have any more pressing business in the Dragon March you haven't told me about, I'm going to have to insist you stay well clear of that whole sector," he ordered John firmly.

"Whatever you say, Charles," John replied amiably.

The Vice-Admiral studied John and the girls for a long moment, his face stern, before he looked away to stare out of the huge window. When he finally turned back to them, he now wore a smile on his face, his mood much lighter as he changed the subject.

"If you're still feeling helpful, we'd also like you to do another media interview, if that's alright with you? The last one you gave was some phenomenal PR. High Command's approval rating actually went up 3 points," the Vice Admiral remarked dryly.

"That isn't a problem," John replied with an easy-going shrug of his shoulders. "Is there any particular line you want me to take?"

"We could certainly use another popularity boost with the public, so more of the same would be greatly appreciated," Charles explained.

"Well, if you're still feeling in a generous mood, the Raptor that Admiral Cartwright gave us got pretty dinged up in the fight against the Kintark. We've fixed the armour, but we could use a replacement starboard engine, and a couple of Gatling lasers," John asked with a smile. "Dana could fabricate some new ones, but it will take some time, and I'd rather the gunship was in fighting shape as soon as possible."

"Certainly, I'll get you the parts transferred immediately," Charles said agreeably, rising and walking over to his desk to place the order straight away.

He sat down and rapidly authorised the requisition of the required equipment to be sent to the hangar bay housing the Invictus. Once he had completed the order, he looked up and spoke to John, "There, the parts should be transferred in a couple of hours."

"Great, thanks a lot," John said appreciatively.

"So you're off to see the Maliri now, aren't you?" the older man asked him curiously, as he rose and walked around his desk to lean against it.

"Yeah, that's the plan. I think we've earned ourselves a little vacation time though, so we might take a little detour to Oceanus on the way," John said with a grin.

Charles laughed again, but for the first time in this meeting it seemed unforced. "The civilian life has certainly been good to you, you rascal!" he chuckled merrily.

"I can't complain," John agreed, joining him in his laughter, and hugging the girls tightly to him.

Sensing the meeting was near an end, John and the girls stood up and got ready to depart.

"Oh, one last thing John," Charles said with a frown. "I seem to recall your next stop after the Maliri, on your little jaunt around the galaxy, is to visit the Trankarans. Is that right?"

"It probably won't be for a while, but yeah, I want to upgrade the ship's engines and thrusters. As you know, they make the best," John replied openly.

"I've been reading some really strange reports coming from the Trankaran border. The Trankarans have been randomly attacking merchant shipping, and I've even heard that they've been firing on their own ships as well. Something very odd is happening there, so you might want to rethink those plans," Charles cautioned him.

"We've never had any trouble with the Trankarans before," John said with a puzzled look on his face. "What could have got them all riled up?"

"No idea, but I just thought I'd mention it," Charles said, as he walked with them to the door of his office. "By the way, we're on Terran Standard Time here, so it's nearly one in the morning. I'll get the media to make contact with you tomorrow at a more sensible time, and you can discuss the interview with them."

"We have the Invictus on the same time setting," John replied. "I appreciate you meeting us this late at night. I thought it important to get in contact straight away."

"No problem, that's why I stayed up late. I might be career military, but I don't normally work all hours," Charles laughed.

"It was good to see you, Charles," John said warmly. "You might think about taking a vacation yourself, you're looking tired."

"If I had such lovely company, I wouldn't think twice," Charles grinned, his moustache twitching with his amusement.

Alyssa and Calara smiled at him coyly, where they stood flanking John.

"All joking aside, it's not a good time right now, but I appreciate the concern. It was good to see you again John, you too Alyssa, Calara," he added, nodding to each of them in turn.

They waved him goodbye, and strolled out through the reception area, with Alyssa winking flirtatiously over her shoulder at Lieutenant Adams as he watched them depart.

*He's obviously hiding something,* Alyssa thought to John grimly. *Calara feels exactly the same way.*

*Okay, keep it light, we're probably being watched.* John cautioned her, *We'll discuss this back on the ship.*

"So, what's this Oceanus place?" Alyssa beamed up at him excitedly, "I've never heard of it before!"

"It's a resort world, terraformed to make it a perfect place for a vacation," John grinned at the exuberant young woman, playing along with her diversion.

"And ludicrously expensive!" Calara gasped. "I could barely believe my ears when you said that. I've always wanted to go there."

"What use is money if you can't spend it on deserving young women?" John joked.

"Oh, we'll be very deserving," Alyssa promised him seductively.

John laughed heartily, and they kept up the banter all the way back to the docking bay housing their ship. When they re-entered the vast room, they paused for a moment and looked up at the assault cruiser.

"We must find the time, and a good location, to give the Invictus a makeover," Alyssa said offhandedly, as they stared up at the glistening jet black ship.

"Something in white?" Calara asked with a knowing smile.

"Yes, I think that would look much nicer. Far less sinister," Alyssa nodded approvingly.

"I must admit, I did quite like the black look," John sighed regretfully, thinking about the newly plated Phalanx armour. "It felt less... ostentatious, and more stealthy."

"Well it's not like it matters in space anyway. Sneaking around out there is a question of energy signatures," Calara reminded him.

"I know, but it still doesn't feel right," John said with a smile.

"Just be thankful, it could have ended up being pink!" Alyssa giggled, as she imagined the fearsome assault cruiser in the same bright pink they'd seen glowing around the Invictium ore.

"Just... don't even go there," John laughed with a theatrical shudder.

They walked up to the ship and John placed his hand on the DNA reader by the airlock. The door spiralled open, and he gestured for the girls to go in first. Once they were inside the ship, and the airlock door had closed behind them, the jovial banter ended the instant the door sealed shut.

"Charles is definitely hiding something," Calara said regretfully, as they walked down the corridor to the grav-tube.

"I can't believe he'd be involved in this," Alyssa said sadly. "He's always been so nice."

"Well, hold on for a second," John replied in defence of his old friend. "I agree he was very cagey about what's happening in the Dragon March, but it doesn't necessarily mean he's a traitor."

"That's very true," Calara agreed. "Unless we have definitive proof either way, we don't know what he's trying to cover up. We'll still have to treat him as though he's a suspect until we know for sure," the Latina added, looking at John sympathetically.

"I know, it makes sense to be careful," John agreed with a sigh, as they stepped out of the grav-tube onto Deck Two.

Alyssa slipped her hand through his, and rubbed her thumb against his, as she looked at him sympathetically. She could sense his worry and doubts about Charles, and although her immediate instinct was to distract John from any emotional pain, she knew they still needed to update the other two girls too.

They walked up to the Commander's Quarters, and Calara smiled when they reached the sign. "Maybe we need to update that," she suggested proudly.

"It's okay, I've got lots of fond memories of the room as the 'Commander's Quarters'," John replied with a grin.

"Whatever you say, Commodore," the Latina replied, with a smile.

"Commodore? What do you mean?" Dana called out to them softly.

John, Alyssa and Calara walked into the room, and saw a nude Jade and Dana flanking a sleeping Rachel. It had only been an hour since she'd been fed, so the tawny haired brunette was still curled around a hugely swollen belly.

"It's probably best to explain it all later, when Rachel's awake as well," John whispered back, smiling at Jade in greeting, seeing that the Nymph had awoken too.

"Sure, I don't mind waiting. Did you get my parts though?" Dana asked him quietly but eagerly.

"They'll be here in the morning," John replied, as he smiled at her affectionately.

"Yay!" Dana whispered back, with a beaming grin on her face.

John climbed into bed and gave her a hug, then kissed Jade when she leaned over to hug him too. They made room for him to snuggle up behind Rachel, and then the girls settled into their places on the bed on either side of him, everyone looking to get some sleep before the latest addition to their crew woke up.

***

Three hours later, Rachel stirred from her deep and restful slumber, and was momentarily surprised to feel a man's arms holding her protectively. After a second, she remembered who owned those arms, and she snuggled back into John's embrace with a contented sigh. She opened her eyes and found herself staring into Dana's beautiful face, the lovely redheaded girl fast asleep in front of her.

Rachel felt absolutely amazing, like her whole body was full of energy, and she sighed with delight at the way her body seemed to tingle pleasantly. She stretched contentedly, while being careful not to disturb John by hitting him in the face. She rolled over onto her back with a huge grin on her face, and was surprised to feel a heavy weight settling around her waist. She looked down, and her eyes opened wide with shock as she saw her still heavily rounded abdomen, making her look like she was several months pregnant. Her brain processed the information, reminding her of recent events, but hearing about something, and experiencing it for the first time, were something else entirely. She reached down with her hands, and tentatively ran her fingers over the tautly stretched skin around her expanded waistline.

"Good morning," John said quietly and warmly, as he raised himself up on an elbow to look down at her, "How are you feeling?" he added kindly.

"Good morning to you too," Rachel replied, her face still showing her surprise.

"Bit of a shock to find yourself like this?" John asked her considerately.

"You could say that, yes," she replied wryly, glancing down at her stomach. "I'd idly wondered what it would be like to be pregnant before, but now I know, I guess."

"It feels wonderful, doesn't it?" Dana asked her happily, as she opened her eyes and copied John, leaning up on her elbow so that she could look down at the brunette.

"It's not the worst thing in the world," Rachel replied with a coy smile.

"You were a lot bigger earlier of course," Dana informed her helpfully, as she reached out to stroke the brunette's belly lovingly. "But your body has already absorbed a lot of that load."

"I was a lot bigger?" Rachel said with wide eyes, studying her rounded stomach carefully. "I don't see any stretch marks."

"I've never had any, and John's blown me up like a balloon before. He stuffed me so full of his spunk my belly-button popped out!" Dana exclaimed, then sighed wistfully at the memory. "Knowing I was carrying that much of his sperm inside me just about blew my mind."

"I can see why your cum triggers memory loss." Rachel told John as she looked up at him. "I know you all warned me beforehand, but seeing it with my own eyes is something else. This is a lot to take in," Rachel said, shaking her head, then she blushed at the inadvertent double entendre.

"Having second thoughts?" John asked her gently.

"Well no, not exactly. It's just that a part of me thought you were exaggerating. It's bizarre to see it in the flesh, so-to-speak," she explained carefully, her expression revealing her disquiet.

"You should shake off the memory loss next time," Alyssa said gently as she sat up. "So you'll be able to feel what it's like getting your stomach filled with cum." she added, shivering with pleasure at the thought.

"And then I'll be feeding off only your cum, for the next two weeks?" Rachel said, looking up at John with increasingly wild eyes.

"Don't worry, you won't feel hungry, his cum's very filling," Dana replied soothingly, throwing John a loving glance.

"Okay, that's enough girls. I think Rachel needs a little time to adjust," John said considerately.

Dana and Alyssa nodded, and lay back in bed, watching them quietly.

John looked down at the startled young woman, and spoke to her soothingly, "Just relax, no-one is going to force you to do anything you don't want to do. It's certainly not too late to back out now, so take your time, and don't feel overwhelmed."

She took in a big breath and then stared up at him, with wonder in her eyes. "It's amazing, I feel almost instantly calmer," she marvelled, appearing to be at peace once again. "Your voice is better than an intravenous sedative!"

"Feeling better?" John asked her hopefully.

"Yes, much, thank you," Rachel replied with a warm smile. "It was just a bit of a shock, but I'm over that now."

"I meant what I said earlier, you can always change your mind," he told her gently.

"No, I'm still eager to join you guys," she replied with a smile, "Unless you're bored of me already?" she added, her eyes sparkling as she teased him.

"Not in the slightest. I find you to be quite an intriguing young woman," John replied playfully as he smiled back at her, and leaned over to kiss her tenderly.

Rachel kissed him back, slowly at first, as if savouring the feeling of his lips, and then more passionately as she got more turned on. After several minutes of his attention, she was moaning excitedly in his mouth, before she pulled back slightly, and stared up at him with her stormy grey eyes.

"Sorry to kill the mood, but I should probably run some more tests before we... you know," she said with a glance at her belly.

"So you still want to... you know?" John teased her playfully.

"I can hardly think of anything else right now," she told him honestly.

John reached out with his hand and gently caressed her rounded stomach, his fingers drifting lightly over the bulge in her tummy. His hand eventually stopped over the tattoo of a Swallow on her lower belly, and he circled it suggestively. Rachel stared up at him with fire in her eyes, and she licked her lips subconsciously. Her thighs squeezed together, and she writhed in arousal, as her body responded to his hand and what he was implying.

"You better run those tests, then we can continue where we left off," John said, smiling down at the panting teen, who was quivering at his touch.

Rachel nodded eagerly, and he gave her one last lingering kiss before she got up, with Alyssa and Dana getting up as well to give her room to get off the bed. The tawny haired girl reached down for her slim fitting top, and then looked down at her rounded belly with a smirk. Dana quickly darted into the walk-in-wardrobe, and returned a few minutes later with a couple of John's white shirts. She grinned at him, and he nodded at her affectionately as the impish redhead handed one over to Rachel.

"I practically lived in these for a certain couple of weeks," she told the girl conspiratorially.

Rachel put on the shirt, but it was comically large on her. Dana smiled, then helped her roll up the sleeves.

"It's still a little bit big," Rachel said hesitantly.

"You'll grow into it, don't worry," Dana said knowingly, as she reached out to gently brush her fingertips over the brunette's rounded stomach.

Rachel laughed while shaking her head, and then followed the redhead, as the two of them padded out of the room on bare feet.

Alyssa had climbed back into bed, and when John opened his arms to her invitingly, she eagerly accepted the loving embrace, and cuddled up against him, resting her head on his chest. They kissed briefly, and then fell asleep in each other's arms.

***

Dana walked cheerfully alongside Rachel as they strolled down the corridor to the Medical Bay, with the brunette deep in thought.

"I'm sorry if I freaked you out a little bit back there," Dana apologised sincerely. "I get a bit... enthusiastic... about being with John sometimes, which must be a bit disconcerting."

"There's no need to apologise, it's quite obvious how much you love him. All of you girls in fact," Rachel said with a smile.

"Is that why you're a bit quiet right now?" Dana asked her curiously, as they reached the Medical Bay, and she hit the button to open the door.

The brunette stopped in the doorway and looked at Dana cautiously. "Well, yes... kind of..." Rachel replied haltingly, then laughed and rolled her eyes. "Sorry, I don't know why I'm trying to be diplomatic, you all seem to really appreciate directness."

"It avoids misunderstandings," Dana smiled at her warmly, and gestured for Rachel to enter the room.

Rachel smiled back and then walked inside, before moving over to one of the medical machines to begin checking her heart rate and blood pressure. She turned to look at Dana, her eyes studying the redhead's beautiful features, before looking into her sky blue eyes.

"I was wondering more about the personality changes. The physical changes you've undergone are all dramatic and quite obvious, but mental changes are so much harder to define. If my personality changes dramatically, am I still really me?" she asked pensively.

"That's a very good question," Dana replied. "I can see why John likes you so much, you're very bright already," she added with a grin.

"Thanks, you're very kind to say so. Especially coming from a girl as clever as you!" Rachel replied, flattered by the compliment.

"Us clever girls need to stick together," Dana giggled, then looked into Rachel's misty grey eyes. "It was actually me that noticed the personality changes we'd all undergone."

"Really, what happened?" Rachel asked intrigued.

"John freaked out at the thought of having modified our personalities, just to suit his tastes. It coincided with us being attacked by the Drakkar," Dana replied, glancing at the Drakkar raider suspended in the Cryo-stasis tube. "It was a bad time. We finally managed to talk him around, though."

"He seems to be bending over backwards to make sure I'm certain I want to join you guys," Rachel said with a smile.

"He's a good man," Dana replied simply. "The rest of his species seem to be a right bunch of evil bastards, but he's doing the best he can, to make sure you really want the changes that being with him entails."

"Do you think I'll still be the same person?" Rachel asked her bluntly.

"Yes," Dana said with conviction. "It'll probably be easier for me to explain, if I tell you what it was like when I met up with Alyssa again after she had changed. I'd grown up with her, and she was my best friend, so I know her better than anyone else I've ever met. The physical changes were glaring and obvious, but the personality changes were there too, subtle yes, but still there."

"Doesn't that mean she changed into a different person?" Rachel asked in confusion.

"Well it was like all the best bits of her that I really liked had been enhanced; her kindness, warmth, and friendliness. She'd also grown leaps and bounds in confidence, with all self-doubt and anxiety gone. It was like she was the best possible version of Alyssa, but the core personality that was my best friend was still there," Dana explained honestly.

"How about you, have you changed much?" Rachel asked her intrigued.

"Yes. I think I've probably gone through the biggest personality changes to be honest. I was a shy, lonely, introverted girl, who had got used to being ignored or rejected because of the way I looked. I like to think that the way I am now, is how I'd have been if I had the same kind of loving upbringing that Calara had, for example," the redhead said, her eyes looking sad for a moment, before she perked up again. "I get the impression that she's changed the least, perhaps just growing more confident and outgoing. Her family seemed impressed with the new version of her, but she didn't freak them out or anything. I don't think you'll change much either, because you're already lovely, and very similar to the personality type that John finds most appealing."

"Well I think the person you are now is quite wonderful," Rachel told her fondly. "I liked you immediately, and you've been nothing but kind and attentive since I got here."

Dana beamed a big grin at the smaller girl, and opened her arms wide for a hug. Rachel stepped close and they embraced each other tightly, inadvertently squeezing their breasts against each other through John's white shirts. They drew apart slightly, their faces only inches apart and smiled at each other coyly.

"Of course, that's one other dramatic thing that changed for me," Dana said playfully.

"Yes, they're very impressive," Rachel grinned back at the other girl, glancing down at her cleavage.

Dana giggled cutely at that, before she looked into the brunette's eyes. "Thanks, but no, that's not what I meant. I was completely straight before. I'd never once thought about girls like that, and now, since the changes, I've had a dramatic change of heart."

"Well, isn't that lucky," Rachel replied with a smile, as she leaned forward and kissed the redhead's full lips gently.

When they finally broke apart, Dana sighed happily. "I know John keeps telling you that you can change your mind at any time, but please don't!" she said emphatically. "I think you're awesome, and really want you to stay!"

"You're pretty awesome yourself!" Rachel laughed happily.

They separated, and the brunette lay down on the scanner. Dana leaned over and pressed the button and the machine began to build up a holographic image of the young woman's body.

"No obvious changes yet," Dana said with a smile, as she looked at Rachel's face and body, "But it's very early days."

After the scan was complete, Rachel sat up and looked at the hologram, reaching up instinctively for her glasses which she usually kept perched on her head. When she realised they weren't there, she shrugged with a smile.

"I'll have to wait until later, I'll need my glasses to examine the hologram in detail," she explained.

"Not for much longer, I'd wager," Dana said with a wry smile.

Rachel looked startled for a moment, then grinned back at the other girl.

"This is all so crazy. I can't wait to see how my body changes over the next few weeks," the brunette said excitedly.

"The changes we've experienced seem to have a 'masking' effect to them, that normally prevents you from realising what's happening. I suspect it won't be like that for you, as we've spelled it all out so clearly, but you've seen the incredibly dramatic change I underwent. I was still completely oblivious until Alyssa showed me the results after two weeks," Dana explained, shaking her head with a smile.

"That must have been mind-blowing! Looking into a mirror and seeing practically a different person staring back at you," Rachel said sympathetically.

"It was, but in a good way," Dana replied softly. "My burn scars had defined me for most of my life, so to see them suddenly gone, and me looking like this..." she added, indicating her body with her hands, "was like my greatest wish coming true."

Rachel opened her arms and Dana gladly moved in for another hug, leaning against the scanner table as she embraced the other girl. "I'm happy you got everything you wanted," the brunette said with a smile, as the redhead finally drew back.

"Well, that wasn't everything I'd wanted, just the main thing. I got all the rest over the next few weeks," Dana replied, sighing blissfully.

"You mean John?" Rachel asked, with a teasing smile.

"Well yes, of course. He's amazing!" the redhead replied with a wide grin. "But that's only part of it."

"Really? What else?" Rachel asked her curiously.

"I'm Chief Engineer on the Invictus, so I get to upgrade and maintain this badass starship!" Dana replied, her light blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "I get to research cool new tech from alien races, and then build gear to protect my friends. We've been able to save a lot of people; really making a difference, and that's a satisfying feeling. There's one other thing that's better than all of that though..." she added before trailing off.

Rachel hopped off the scanner table, and took Dana's hand, while looking into the face of the exuberant young woman. "What was the most important thing for you?"

"Being part of a family," the redhead sighed with deep satisfaction. "I was an orphan growing up, having never met either of my parents. To have these girls as my sisters, John as my lover, and knowing exactly how much they love me, feels more amazing than I can describe."

"How can you know 'exactly'?" Rachel asked her curiously.

"See, you really are smart," Dana told her affectionately. "Now promise you won't freak out..." she added cautiously.

"I'll try really hard," Rachel said teasingly.

"We're psychically linked with Alyssa. I can conduct telepathic conversations with her, and we can feel each other's emotions," Dana explained carefully.

"Well, that sounds crazy, but it's just one more thing on the list," Rachel said with a dry chuckle.

"It took a while before we made the 'bond' as she likes to call it, but me, Calara and Jade are all linked to her now. She already built up that bond with John, and then sort of extended it to the rest of us," Dana said, struggling to explain how it works.

"Is it weird having her thoughts in your head?" Rachel asked curiously.

"You know how lovely Alyssa is, so having her sending loving thoughts and emotions to you feels totally amazing," Dana said with a grin. "In all honesty, I don't know what I'd do without it now. Knowing how much someone else cares for you is a wonderful thing to experience."

"I'll try and keep an open mind," Rachel said, and Dana giggled at her pun.

She finished the last of her tests, and then turned back to face the redhead.

"I guess this is the moment of choice then," Rachel said with a smile.

"I hope I didn't put you off with anything I said?" Dana asked her hopefully.

"No, not at all. Quite the opposite in fact," Rachel said as she looked affectionately at the redhead. "I can't imagine anyone I'd rather have as my 'sister'."

Dana laughed with delight, and hugged the other girl enthusiastically, causing Rachel to laugh too.

"Come on, let's go get John to make it official," Dana grinned, and they walked briskly out of the Medical bay to head back to the Commander's Quarters.

***

John awoke to the sound of Dana whispering in his ear. "John, time to wake up, Rachel is ready for you," the redhead murmured to him gently.

He looked up at Dana, as she grinned down at him, before leaning in to give him a fierce kiss. When she finally sat back, he looked up at her in surprise.

"That was lovely, but what did I do to deserve that?" he asked, laughing lightly.

"It was to say thanks!" Dana chirped. "You always bring me the best presents!" she added happily, beaming a sparkling smile at Rachel who sat waiting patiently on the end of the bed.

Rachel laughed and smiled back at the redhead fondly. Alyssa, Calara and Jade had all awoken by now too, and they sat up and listened to the playful banter.

"Hey, don't be greedy! I've told you before about having to share," Alyssa said to Dana, smiling flirtatiously at Rachel, who returned the seductive look.

"So you've finally made up your mind for sure?" John asked Rachel cautiously. "The third time seems to be the significant one for some reason."

"Yes, I'm ready," Rachel replied decisively. "How about you, though? Are you certain?" she asked him with a raised eyebrow.

John smiled at her and nodded, so the tawny haired brunette moved over on the bed to kneel in front of him.

"Do you want us to stay?" Dana asked her gently, from where she sat at John's side.

"It would be rude to kick you girls out of bed, especially after how welcoming you've all been," Rachel said coyly. "Besides, I'm not shy, and I've got a feeling I'll be getting to know you all a lot more intimately very soon..."

The other girls chuckled at this and smiled at her warmly, before Rachel looked down at her slightly rounded stomach dubiously.

"Do you want to wait until you've fully absorbed that first?" John asked her considerately.

"No, I'm eager to be a part of your team," Rachel replied, before studying his face as she smiled at him seductively. "Or part of your harem, to be more exact."

John pulled back the covers, revealing his weighty cock, which was throbbing impatiently. His quad were refilled and looked swollen and rounded, full with another heavy load.

"Don't worry, your body will expand to hold it all," Dana told Rachel soothingly, as she moved to her side.

"I'm not worried, I know you'll look after me," Rachel replied, before giving Dana an affectionate peck on the lips.

She then turned and leaned forward to kiss John passionately, her gently rounded belly brushing against his pulsating shaft. She could feel the urgent heat in his cock as she pressed up against it, and she moaned excitedly at the thought of him stretching her pussy.

"I wish we could fuck right now," she gasped excitedly.

"We won't have to wait long, but I'm eager for you to swallow another load," John told her firmly, as he placed his hands on her hips, and moved her so that she was rubbing the rounded bulge in her abdomen against his shaft. "You're already carrying my spunk in your belly, but I think we should fill you up to the brim, just to make sure."

"Sure of what?" she panted, as he writhed up against him.

"That you'll be permanently mine," he told her, his eyes flashing with lust.

Rachel nodded at him eagerly, and gave him one last kiss, before moving back to kneel submissively in front of him. She glanced up at his face a final time, before leaning down to start licking at the engorged head of his cock. As she lapped up his pre-cum, and swallowed down the first sweet tasting mouthful, her eyes began to glaze over as the pheromones began to take effect.

"Stay with us Rachel," John said to her softly, as he brushed her hair away from her face.

The brunette leaned back, taking her mouth off his cock, and shook her head as if waking up from a dream. She looked up at him excitedly, as he smiled back at her.

"Good girl," he told her proudly. "Now, see what your body has learned how to do," he added as he guided her back to his cock again.

Rachel moved with his gentle guidance, and opened her mouth obediently, parting her glistening lips to accept him inside eagerly. As if working on autopilot, she began to suck him insistently as she tilted forward, and swallowed to ease his passage. With a smooth, fluid motion, she sank forward until her lips were encircling the base of his shaft, and his entire length was buried in the warm tight confines of her throat.

Her eyes reflected her shock, and John removed his hands from her head so that she could pull back, withdrawing his shaft from her body completely. When his swollen red crown cleared her lips, Rachel stared at it in amazement, gazing at its broad girth and length.

"Holy shit!" she exclaimed. "How is that even possible?"

"I'm hoping that's something you'll be able to tell us eventually," John said with a smile.

"This is quite remarkable," the brunette marvelled, reaching up with her left hand to feel her slender neck, while keeping her right wrapped around his pulsating cock.

"Deep throating you like that felt effortless, and there was no pain or discomfort at all," she said in wonder.

"That's good to hear," John said with relief, as he watched her reaction.

"That's because you've already started to be customised for him," Dana told her gently. "John's all about pleasure, not pain, thank goodness."

"You're a very considerate Progenitor, aren't you," Rachel smiled at him playfully, as her hand moved up and down his cock, feeling the hardness.

"John is, but his cock looks annoyed. It was inside the hot, tight embrace of your lovely body, just waiting to fill you with cum, and now it's having to wait," Dana said softly, prompting the brunette.

"I'm sorry," Rachel apologised, leaning forward to kiss the head lovingly, before opening her mouth again to take it inside. Her lips twitched in a smile as she experimented with deep throating him again, and her stormy grey eyes flared excitedly as she pushed him past her tonsils once more.

"You're doing so well," Dana told her proudly, as Rachel sank down the full length. The redhead brushed her hand through the other girls light brown hair, sweeping it out of her eyes, so that Rachel could stare up at John.

"She's a very good girl," John said approvingly, which made Rachel shiver with excitement.

The other girls fanned out to join them, with Calara joining Dana to kneel on the other side of the prostrate brunette, who was sucking eagerly on John's cock. Alyssa and Jade grinned at each other, and then moved to flank John, who encircled them in his arms as they pressed up against him. All four girls then leaned in to whisper in John's and Rachel's ears, providing a debauched commentary on the blowjob before them.

"You're such a lovely, beautiful girl," Calara complimented Rachel sincerely, as she ran her hands over the young woman's smooth back. "You look so sexy kneeling submissively for John like this, I can't wait to explore your body later."

"I'm so proud of you," Dana said happily from the other side, watching the bulge in the brunette's neck as she slid her throat up and down John's cock, massaging his length and coaxing him to unload. "You're going to be so happy here with us, and I'm going to personally make sure you love every minute of it!"

Rachel groaned excitedly as the big cock sawed in and out of her mouth, her lips spread wide to allow him easy passage down her throat. She glanced down, noticing John's four swollen balls beneath his shaft, and she trembled with lust when she realised that she would soon be carrying their massive load in her stomach.

"She's a real beauty," Jade said to John, loud enough for Rachel to overhear too. "And such a lovely girl as well. She'll make a perfect mate for you," the Nymph added approvingly.

John groaned himself, as he gazed down at Rachel who was staring back up at him, and moaning with her own arousal. She looked so turned on, and he loved that she was agreeing so willingly to join them.

"Go ahead and fill her stomach with your cum," Alyssa urged him. "She wants to join us so much, and us girls all want her, too. Let her experience how wonderful it feels to have her tummy stuffed full of your sperm. It'll be a nice preview for her, so she can feel what it'll be like when she's carrying your baby in her belly."

John's eyes rolled back and he cried out in ecstasy as his quad sent a long blast of cum rocketing up his shaft, and straight down Rachel's throat. He held her head gently in place with his hands, her lips pressed up against his groin as his throbbing cock began to rapidly fill her stomach with his cum.

"That's right, keep sucking," Dana urged her eagerly, "It makes it feel better for John, and he'll pump more sperm into your belly."

"You're doing so well," Calara praised the kneeling girl, as she reached down to gently massage her rapidly growing abdomen. "Spread your legs a little, to give yourself room to grow."

Rachel followed the Latina's advice and moved her knees apart, providing more space for her bloated belly. She continued to suck relentlessly, enjoying hearing the sounds of pleasure from John as he fed her a huge load. His sperm felt thick and hot as it splashed down in her stomach, and she supported herself with her left arm, while reaching down to place a tentative hand on her expanding abdomen.

John's quad was finally done, and he sagged back, with Alyssa and Jade whispering loving things in his ears. Rachel stopped her suction, and eased him back out of her throat, before his wilting cock slipped out of her mouth. She reached up to hold his shaft with her right hand before he completely withdrew, and then kissed his head lovingly when he left her mouth. She cautiously sat back, and then looked down in amazement at her hugely expanded stomach.

Her belly was taut and rounded, the skin stretched tightly to accommodate the huge amount of cum that now sloshed inside her. She shivered with excitement at the thought of being stuffed full of so much sperm, and the thought that she was going to be entirely dependent on the content of John's balls for sustenance over the next couple of weeks, was now proving to be a huge turn on.

Calara and Dana both smiled at her lovingly, as they reached out and gently massaged her bloated abdomen, and Rachel sighed contentedly at their soothing touch.

"This feels so sexy," Rachel said in awe, as she cradled her overloaded stomach in her hands.

"You look really hot," Jade said approvingly as she sat up, and moved behind Rachel so that she could wrap her in a hug from behind.

Alyssa joined them too, and leaned in to gave Rachel a tender kiss. "Welcome to our family," she said warmly, as she stared into the other girl's eyes.

John sat up and leaned against the headboard, and smiled as the girls fussed over the young woman at their centre. He caught her eye to check she was alright, and Rachel beamed back at him happily, obviously enjoying the attention. Eventually he held out his arms for her, and the girls helped her waddle over to him, unbalanced by the massive load she was carrying. He moved his legs apart, and Rachel grinned at him as she carefully turned around, and then sat down between his legs so that she could lean against his chest. John encircled her with his arms, and rested his hands possessively over her rounded stomach. With a contented sigh, Rachel snuggled back against him and enjoyed feeling the heavy weight of his hands, as she interlaced her fingers with his.

"That was fantastic, thank you," John said as he looked down at her.

The brunette leaned to one side, and looked up to him with a happy little smile on her face. He kissed her briefly before she settled back against him once more. "I can see that sex with you is going to be quite the unique experience," Rachel said with a delighted giggle.

The other four girls laughed and nodded, before gathering around them in a semi-circle.

"Alright, let's catch everyone up on events, then we can get some more sleep," John said as he smiled at them all, and they listened to him attentively.

"Firstly, we had the meeting with Charles. The bad news, is that he's obviously hiding something, but we don't know what exactly. We also managed to find out the names of the Admirals who are running the campaign in the Dragon March, and any one or more of them could be involved too," he said grimly.

"Admirals Lynton, Norwood and Santini," Calara interjected helpfully. "I'll continue my analysis and see if I can see anything suspicious that involves any of them, that hasn't been classified."

"Thanks, honey," John said with a smile at the Latina.

"You're welcome, Commodore," Calara said as she grinned mischievously, and saluted him.

"Which neatly leads me on to the good news. As our gorgeous young Tactical Officer just revealed, I've been promoted, skipping 'Captain', and I'm now at 'Commodore' rank," he said with a grin.

The girls cheered for him happily, until Dana eventually paused to look at him curiously, "What does that actually mean, though?"

"Well odious little shits like Captain Maddox will have to be more respectful, right John?" Alyssa asked him with a smirk.

He laughed, remembering the irritating reserve force Captain, and nodded. "I'm not the only one being recognised for our efforts in Iota-Leonis. They want to award all of us with a medal," he informed them proudly.

Jade and Dana looked at him with wide eyed amazement, while Calara and Alyssa smiled at them affectionately.

"There's going to be an award ceremony in the next day couple of days, so while we're here anyway, you might as well go shopping in Gravitus for something appropriate. They gave me a big chunk of cash as a bounty for the capture of the heavy carrier, so feel free to go wild. Money's no object!" he told them indulgently.

The girls laughed with delight, and began to chatter away about outfits they were thinking about getting.

"That goes for you too," John said as he looked down at Rachel. "I'm sure the girls would be more than happy to model anything for you in their size, so go with them and buy yourself an extensive wardrobe."

This was met with a chorus of eager agreement from the girls, as they each volunteered to assist.

"Thanks girls," Rachel said, looking at them happily, before she looked up at him with a broad grin on her face. "That's very generous, thank you."

"You're very welcome," John said with a grin, then he looked back at the others. "And don't forget to pick up bikinis, we're going on a beach vacation after this, to Oceanus!"

Jade looked ecstatically happy, and the level of excited female squeals and chattering rose a few more notches.

"Wow! You must have got a serious bonus to be able to afford that," Rachel remarked with surprise. "They customise your own island, don't they?"

"It's not cheap, but what the hell, I can afford it! I promised Jade an aquatic based vacation, so she can really have fun with her swimming, but I've got other plans as well. While we spend a couple of weeks there, I've got some training I need to do, to keep a promise to a beautiful girl," he said with a wry smile, as he glanced lovingly at Alyssa.

The blonde returned his look, and smiled back at him happily, before returning to her excited conversation with Calara.

"A couple of weeks? That sounds strangely coincidental," Rachel observed with a smile.

"Yes, you're going to be a busy girl," he smiled at her, as he gently ran his fingers over her swollen tummy. "I wanted to go somewhere nice, where we can focus on you without any interruptions."

"That's very thoughtful, but I don't think 'nice' adequately describe Oceanus. Not if it lives up to its reputation!" She grinned at him.

John returned the grin, before looking around at the other girls, who quietened down almost instantly as he focused on them. "Let's get some more sleep, and make sure we're well rested for tomorrow. You've got a shopping extravaganza to plan for, and I've got another interview with the media lined up."

"Don't go giving me all the credit this time," Calara told him with a frown. "The battle around Port Medea really was a team effort from everyone."

"I know. I'll make sure everyone knows who's responsible for saving them," he replied proudly, as he looked at Alyssa, Calara, Dana and Jade in turn. "But for now, it's time for bed."

The girls nodded agreeably and then they all settled down together, arranging themselves smoothly into the new temporary sleeping arrangements, with Rachel in the middle, flanked by John and Dana. It didn't take long before they all fell into a deep sleep.