"There's two of you?!" Dana gasped in alarm, before Rachel elbowed her in the ribs.

Alyssa had reached Irillith by this point, and she knelt next to the Maliri girl, pulling her into a hug. She shot Dana a disapproving look, and the redhead was shamefaced at her outburst.

Reaching out through Irillith's grief stricken thoughts, Alyssa spoke to her in a comforting murmur, *I'm here for you now, you don't have to hold this pain in any more.*

John walked over to squat down on Irillith's other side, and stroked her back soothingly as she cried dejectedly into Alyssa's arms. They let her cry herself out, and when her tears had finally dried up, she turned to look at John with a haunted look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea you'd lost a sister," John said sympathetically. "What happened to her?"

He could see the self-recrimination in Irillith's expression as she looked away distantly for a long moment. After heaving a heavy sigh, she eventually said quietly, "Tashana wasn't like me. She was good and kind, just immersing herself in her love of ancient things, and throwing herself into her archaeology. We were close as children, but we grew apart as we went our separate ways, following different careers. She had no interest in Maliri politics, and while I was trying to curry favour with our mother by embracing hacking and intelligence gathering, she spent her time on research.

She tried to reach out to me lots of times, but I rebuffed all her attempts to rebuild our close childhood bond. I ignored her completely, considering her a witless fool with all her talk of the Mael'nerak fairytale being based on real events."

Irillith's voice faltered for a moment, and she said with sorrow, "It turns out she was right all along, and I was the fool."

John placed a comforting hand over hers, and squeezed gently. "How did you lose her?" he asked softly.

Guilt played across Irillith's face as she whispered, "I killed her."

"You murdered your own sister?!" Calara gasped in shock.

Irillith gave her a heartbroken glance, and with her face etched with guilt, she replied, "Basically, yes. Tashana's research led her to all sorts of ancient sites purported to belong to the Progenitors. She found all sorts of evidence of their abilities, amongst them, the power to supposedly heal their servants. When she told our mother and me, I just dismissed her stories as fanciful nonsense, a childlike obsession that Tashana had never grown out of. However, Edraele was suddenly very interested in Tashana's research into healing powers, and now we know why.

Anyway, I grew insanely jealous of this budding new relationship between my mother and sister. I saw myself as the next Matriarch of House Valaden, then from out of nowhere, someone I had discounted as irrelevant suddenly became my closest rival for Edraele's attention. I framed Tashana, setting her up to look like she had been selling House Valaden secrets to House Loraleth, our greatest rival, in exchange for access to dig sites in their territory. I did an outstanding job, and the evidence was damning.

The penalty for treason to your house is death, and Tashana should have been executed immediately, which is what I'd been hoping would happen. My mother decided to commute her sentence to banishment instead, and Tashana was thrown out of Maliri Space with nothing but the clothes on her back."

Alyssa looked hopeful, and exclaimed, "She might still be alive, then!"

Irillith shook her head, and said mournfully, "There's no chance of that. This happened thirteen years ago, and Tashana was kind, but weak. She wouldn't have lasted thirteen days out there in the Unclaimed Wastes, not with all the pirates and slavers around."

As John listened to Irillith's dark tale of sibling betrayal, Edraele's voice suddenly appeared in his mind. *Sorry for interrupting, my Lord,* she said to him apologetically. *I overheard your thoughts, and wished to inform you that Tashana is still alive.*

John blinked in surprise, having forgotten about the new telepathic connection with his second Matriarch. *If she's been banished, how can you be so sure?* he asked her curiously.

*As a blood relative, Tashana was far too valuable a resource to waste. Had I ever needed a test subject for an experimental medical procedure, she would have been a useful asset,* Edraele said, in a neutral voice. For her to speak about these events so dispassionately, made her treatment of her daughter all the more chilling. *I had her implanted with a tracking device, which had a built in bio-reader. When Tashana came up in conversation, I checked the tracker, and she's still alive.*

Reminding himself that the new personality he was building for Edraele couldn't be blamed for her predecessor's actions, John replied, *Thank you for the information, you were very helpful, Edraele.*

*It was my pleasure!* she replied, sounding delighted to hear his kind words.

Alyssa had listened in curiously, hearing John's thoughts, and his half of the conversation as he spoke to Edraele, but she had not been privy to the Maliri's thoughts as well. For someone used to listening to multiple sides of a conversation, especially where John was concerned, it was a disconcerting adjustment to make.

John focused on the girls in the room, and saw that they were all watching him attentively. He realised he'd been so distracted by the telepathic update from Edraele, that he'd lost track of the current conversation.

"Sorry girls. Edraele contacted me telepathically, and I got a bit distracted," he apologised sincerely, looking around at them. "She let me know that Tashana is still alive."

Irillith looked suspicious, and said, "I don't believe it, it's been far too long. How does she know for sure?"

"I'll spare you the details, but Edraele planted a tracking device with a bio-reader on your sister. It's active, and your mother confirmed Tashana is still alive," John said cautiously.

A bright light of hope flared in Irillith's eyes, and she gasped, "Then we can go and rescue her! I can beg for her forgiveness, and try to make amends."

John glanced at Calara, who was starting to look worried at the possibility of a delay in their return to the Terran Federation, and their mission to root out the Dragon March traitor. He let out a big sigh, and said, "We can't right now Irillith, I'm sorry. There are too many lives at stake in the Terran Federation, and we need to expose Admiral Norwood before he causes any more unnecessary deaths. Once we've settled that business, rescuing Tashana will be our next highest priority."

Irillith looked horribly conflicted, but she eventually nodded, saying with some reluctance, "Alright, I understand. You have your obligations to the Terran Federation, and Calara's family is at risk."

Calara got up from her chair, and walked over to Irillith to give her a hug. They embraced tightly, and the Latina said, "Thank you so much. I promise I'll do everything I can to help you rescue Tashana after this traitor is dealt with."

Irillith nodded in gratitude, and said wryly, "She's obviously much tougher than I gave her credit for. If Tashana survived on her own for thirteen years in the Wastes, then a week or two more won't make any difference."

Everyone settled down in their own chairs again, with Irillith looking positive and alert once more.

Alyssa's voice echoed in John's mind as she said excitedly, *Irillith has a twin. How fascinating!*

He shot her a cautionary glance, but she winked at him slyly as she continued, *I'm not going to judge you, remember. If you've fantasised about a pair of hot twins carrying your lusty babies kicking in their bellies, I'd like to help you make it happen.*

John coughed to cover his flush of arousal, and said to Dana, "I think it's over to you now, Sparks, whenever you're ready."

Dana was too excited to share her news to notice his embarrassment, and she leapt to her feet, gratefully accepting the holo-projector remote from Rachel as she did. She pressed a couple of buttons on the remote, and the multiple DNA strands disappeared, replaced by a sweeping periodic table of elements.

"That doesn't look like the normal periodic table!" Faye exclaimed in a shocked voice.

With a disapproving frown in her direction, Dana said, "Shh! Don't give away the surprise!"

The purple AI sprite looked chagrined, and she said, "I'm sorry Dana, I didn't mean to steal your thunder!"

Dana chuckled at her fondly, and said, "You can't help being smart and observant, there's no need to apologise."

Faye looked buoyant once again, and she sat down, staring up at the enhanced periodic table in fascination.

Looking out at her attentive audience, Dana said excitedly, "I've been spending weeks trying to build a new ultimate material, but not getting anywhere. I wanted to combine the strength of the Maliri clear crystal tech, with Etherite for psychic conductivity and reshaping potential, and finally Onyxium for the energy channelling lattice and reflective properties. Unfortunately Onyxium is a real stubborn son-of-a-bitch to work with, and I was pulling my hair out trying to get them all to bond."

John smiled at her and asked, "From the look of delight on your face, I'm guessing you had a breakthrough?"

She nodded animatedly, and glancing between John and Alyssa, she replied, "After you two made your love connection, we all felt this incredible surge through our bond with Alyssa. My mind felt like it was buzzing with new ideas, and I felt like I just needed to create things, so I dived straight in. Faye was right; this isn't the periodic table as we know it. I've made a new one with nineteen new elements in it!"

Faye gaped at her in amazement, her tiny purple face reflecting her shock as she gasped, "But you can't just make up new elements! How did you even know where to start?!"

Dana hesitated for a moment, and said, "I was up in the holo-suite, and the standard Terran periodic table just looked wrong. I rearranged all the elements, and it was weird, it felt like there were holes in the pattern, and that there were bits missing." She shrugged, and said, "So I just went with my gut, and I was right!"

"The 'Terran' periodic table looked wrong," Rachel quoted the redhead thoughtfully.

Glancing at her friend, Dana nodded, and said, "Yep, that's right. I was looking at the standard periodic table used by the Terran Federation. It hasn't changed that much in centuries, at least not after a load of new elements were discovered when humanity first went into space."

John watched Rachel's grey eyes dart to him, and with a surprising flash of intuition, he said, "I don't think that's what Rachel meant, was it?"

Slowly shaking her head, she replied, "If this isn't the Terran Periodic Table any longer, just what species does it belong to?"

All eyes turned to John, and they all looked equally shocked as they guessed the answer. He asked her in bewilderment, "So you think this is the Progenitors' knowledge of the elements? If so, how on Terra did Dana end up knowing it?"

Alyssa interrupted, and said, "Our minds are all linked. If we've opened up a stronger connection with you, perhaps you subconsciously shared this with her?"

Rachel nodded, adding, "There's vast amounts of information stored within your DNA's third helix. I've learnt a lot over the last several weeks, but I'm still only really scratching at the surface. Having said that, the Progenitors using this kind of built in pre-coding to store complex information doesn't surprise me in the slightest."

John pondered that for a moment, then asked, "Do you think Alyssa is right? Am I subconsciously sharing knowledge with you?"

Shrugging helplessly, Rachel replied, "It's certainly a possibility, but I can't prove it at the moment. It 'feels' right though, and I have very little doubt that's where it came from. If this was hidden within your DNA, then triggered, and activated by your instinctive mind, there could be all sorts of other secrets locked away in there."

He sat quietly, taking that in, before looking over at Dana. He smiled at her, and said, "We seem to be derailing your presentation, sorry Sparks."

She grinned at him, enjoying his use of her old nickname, and said, "It's no problem. It came out of the blue for me as well! Anyway, if that did come from you, thanks a million! I would never have been able to continue my work without it. Two of those new elements helped me stabilise Onyxium, and let me build this..."

She turned towards the hologram, whilst pressing a button on her remote. The elements in the Progenitors Periodic Table disappeared, and were replaced by a dazzlingly complex chemical formula that was zoomed out so much to fit it all in the hologram, that the writing became too small to read.

Faye sat crossed legged on the desk, staring up at the formula in amazement, awestruck by the genius of the design. She turned to look with wide eyes at the friendly, encouraging, and astoundingly brilliant Terran girl that had befriended her, and welcomed her into her home. Her core programming informed her that the Maliri were the supreme form of life in the galaxy. However, this exceptional woman was ample evidence that in this case, her core programming was quite wrong. It was a profoundly disturbing revelation for her neophyte mind to deal with, and so she sat there in silence, contemplating this conundrum.

Rachel grinned happily as she studied her best friend. She was overjoyed to see that the nervous tension Dana had carried for weeks, had finally been lifted off her shoulders. "So you finally finished it?" she asked, proud of her lover.

Dana nodded, and in an uncharacteristic moment of quiet reflection, stared in wonder at her own work, still struggling to believe she had managed to accomplish what had seemed to be utterly impossible. She finally said, "Yes, I merged them all, and the final ultimate material should share all their properties. I've started calling it 'Crystal Alyssium'."

John raised an eyebrow and asked, "Should?"

"I can't make a sample yet, as I'll need to fabricate the two elements I need," the redhead explained. She turned to look at Irillith, and said, "I'm going to need access to a Fusion Reactor, and it's going to have to be a real monster. Anything too small, and the reaction might turn unstable and go critical. Does Genthalas Shipyard having anything like that? A real fucking huge beast of a reactor?"

Irillith smiled at Dana's profanities, but looked thoughtful as she tried to recall what facilities the shipyard might have available. Eventually she nodded, saying, "Battleship class Maliri vessels are constructed here, and the power requirements for weapon tests are astronomical. My cousin might object to you using her equipment for an experiment, but I'm sure we'll have something powerful enough for your needs."

Dana grinned at her and said, "Fantastic! Thank you!"

She turned to look at John, who was still reeling from the latest in a long line of revelations, and he shook his head in amazement. "You're going to get bored of me telling you how wonderful you are," he said with a broad grin.

Dana shook her head with an impish grin on her face, and he laughed, got up and whisked her around in his arms. The redhead giggled with delight at his exuberant display, and when he eventually stopped, she clung to him tightly. He leaned down to kiss her, but stopped an inch from her lips.

"You're a very special girl, Dana," he told her earnestly. "Sometimes, I can hardly believe you belong to me."

She gasped with excitement, and pulled him down for a fierce kiss, moaning with arousal as he returned it with passion. They kissed for a couple of minutes, and when they eventually parted, she swooned in his arms, sighing ecstatically. He chuckled, and carefully placed her back in her chair as she gave him a dopey grin.

"That research was a total ball-ache, but you just made it all worthwhile," she said with a contented sigh.

The other girls laughed fondly at the expression of bliss on her face, but she was too happy to feel self-conscious. John walked back to his own chair, sitting down at the head of the table, then said, "That just leaves you, Irillith. Were you able to get all the weapon schematics you were after?"

The blue-skinned Maliri girl nodded, then darted an inquisitive look at Dana, and said, "I was going to transfer these to your tech repository. Where do you keep all the rest of your schematics?"

The redhead giggled mischievously, and staring into Irillith's violet eyes, she slowly tapped her temple. When she saw the Maliri girl's look of confusion, she grinned as she said, "After I saw how easily you were hacking enemy ships, like the Maliri cruiser that attempted to interdict us, I knew I'd never be able to keep you out of any systems on the Invictus. Progenitor-John didn't seem to give a shit what you got access to, and I guess that's because he planned to enslave you, and all the rest of the Maliri. I didn't know that at the time, so I wiped and shut down the tech repository that I had disconnected from the primary network earlier."

"You deleted all your tech schematics?!" Irillith asked her in shock.

Dana winked at her and replied, "It was only a temporary measure. I memorised them first, and I can reproduce them all in an hour or so."

Irillith laughed in disbelief, and blurted out, "I can't believe it! I spent days hunting around for that damn server!" She blinked then, suddenly realising the magnitude of what the redhead was describing so casually, and added, "Wait! You -memorised- all your tech schematics?!"

"Yep! I've got a photographic memory," Dana said with a shrug, as though it was the commonest thing in the galaxy.

The Maliri girl smiled, and said with a wry smile, "I can see I was seriously outclassed matching wits against you."

Pleased that Irillith was taking this news so well, the redhead admitted, "If you hadn't been so impressive with your hacking, I never would have bothered going to such lengths." She smiled brightly as she suddenly thought of something, and asked, "Now you're one of the good guys, maybe you could help me make the Invictus more secure against cyber attacks?"

Irillith glanced at Faye, and said ruefully, "Without my hacking deck, I'm afraid my hacking will be far less effective." She smiled wryly as she added, "But I guess this Poacher could turn Gamekeeper. Sure, I'll help you."

Faye gave them a winsome grin, and said, "I'd love to help you protect the Invictus too!"

Dana beamed a grateful smile at Irillith, and the eager AI construct, and said, "Wonderful! We're going to make a great team!"

John was pleased at how well Irillith seemed to be fitting in with his crew, but something she had just said made him look at her curiously, and he asked, "Irillith, now we're back in Maliri Space, can't you just get a new hacking deck to replace the one powering Faye?"

Shaking her head, Irillith replied with regret, "I'm afraid not. It was unique; a gift from Tashana, who found it during an excavation of an old Progenitor facility."

His interest piqued, John leaned forward, and asked, "Did she find anything else?"

Irillith shrugged helplessly as she answered, "I've no idea, sorry. I ignored the hacking deck to start with, and only realised how useful it was after Tashana had been banished."

Calara was doing her best to be patient, but unable to wait any longer, she asked eagerly, "What about the new weapons?"

Irillith smiled at her, and said to Dana, "I transferred the schematics from the Genthalas secure network to my station on the Bridge."

Dana brandished the remote, and her fingers were a blur on the controls, as she quickly linked the holo-projector in the room to the new schematics. With the final press of a button, the formula for Crystal Alyssium disappeared, and was replaced by an incredibly detailed schematic of some kind of laser weapon.

"That's a Pulse Cannon," Irillith explained, recognising it instantly. "It's the Maliri equivalent of your Gatling Lasers."

Staring at it the schematic in open-mouthed wonder, Dana said in a hushed voice, "I would never have thought to do that! The Maliri use some kind of photon-folding, and phased-channelling techniques to massively amplify the power of their lasers."

"Is it compatible with our tech?" John asked her curiously.

Dana closed her eyes a moment, having already memorised the schematic, and she built a perfect replica in her mind. She stripped out the old barrel, replacing it with a reshaped one forged from Crystal Alyssium, then upgraded all the heatsinks with those she had reverse-engineered from the Kintark. Making dozens of complex calculations in her mind, she imagined pumping steadily increasing power through the Pulse Cannon, until she reached a theoretical maximum.

When she opened her eyes again, she nodded, saying, "We should be able to do a straight swap with the Gatling Lasers. If my calculations are correct, an upgraded Pulse Cannon should be roughly three times as powerful as the old weapons, and with no wind-up times."

Calara looked overjoyed, and said, "I can't wait to see them in action! If they're as powerful as you say, they'll rip strike craft to pieces, and might be strong enough to be a threat to corvettes or destroyers!"

Irillith chuckled and said, "If you like those, wait till you see what else I've acquired for you." She smiled at Dana and said, "Do you want to move on to the next schematic?"

Dana had an acquisitive gleam in her eye, and her fingers trembled on the remote as she pressed the button again. The schematics for the Pulse Cannon disappeared, and were replaced by the Maliri Beam Lasers. "Oh, wow!" she gasped staring at them in awe.

"That schematic must be wrong," Calara murmured, her eyes widening in astonishment. "Ten meters?!"

Irillith smiled at the Latina, and said, "No, it's correct. Maliri Beam Laser tech is highly advanced, and greatly superior to the crude Terran weapons the Invictus currently possesses. The Beam Lasers are more potent, and small enough to be fitted in a turret, like those you saw on the cruiser that tried to interdict us."

In an instant, Calara's mind imagined a complete refit of the Invictus, calculating all the angles, vectors, and elevations of their fire arcs. She swung around to face John, her expression one of barely contained delight, and as though unable to believe what she was saying, she gasped, "We could replace all our Laser Cannons with Beam Lasers!"

John looked highly sceptical and said dubiously, "There's no way that's possible." However he paused for a moment to mull it over, considering the remarkably smaller size of these new weapons, and the vast power surplus they had on the Invictus. When he turned to Dana, he sounded hopeful as he asked her, "That can't be right, surely?"

The redhead nodded slowly, still staring at the schematic, quite enthralled. "Oh yes, it's possible alright. With all the other tech we've acquired, they'll be much more powerful as well..."

"Twenty-four turreted Beam Lasers!" Calara crowed ecstatically. "We've just quadrupled our long range firepower!"

Alyssa was getting excited too, as she said, "We won't have to worry about facing towards the target so much now! We'll have the equivalent of our old Beam Laser battery in all directions!" She paused, and correcting herself, added, "Actually with the overlapping fire arcs from the turrets, we'll be able to use twelve in any direction!"

Calara nodded eagerly, and said, "If you can roll the ship, I can hit a target with sixteen beams off the topdeck!" She turned to John, her eyes flashing with excitement, and said, "Holy shit, this is crazy!"

John returned her broad grin, as equally astonished and delighted as the rest of his crew. His attention was drawn away from Calara's jubilant grin to Jade, who cleared her throat politely.

"Go ahead, Jade, what's up?" he asked her curiously.

The Nymph glanced at the Beam Laser schematic and replied, "There are two Laser Cannons fitted in the Raptor Gunship. Do you think we could swap them out too?"

Dana grinned and replied, "I don't see why not!"

Jade's face lit up in a sparkling smile, and said, "I almost feel sorry for any fighters we go up against!"

Calara marvelled at this, and said, "Beam Lasers on a gunship! That's unheard of!"

Irillith smiled at her crewmates as they cheered and celebrated, and let the noise settle down before she said, "I have one other weapon schematic for you, and with these fitted on the Invictus, It's still going to be worth your while to stay head-on to a target." She turned to Dana and said, "Do you want to take a look at the last schematic? I saved the best for the end."

Dana's sky blue eyes sparkled, and as she nodded exuberantly, she looked like a child being asked if they wanted to open their biggest Christmas present. The room went silent as they all stared up at the holographic image, their faces fixed in expressions of eager anticipation. Dana pressed the button on the remote, and the Beam Laser disappeared in an instant, to be replaced by something entirely new, staggeringly complex, and exotically alien in design. Dana just stared at it in open-mouthed amazement, while everyone else tried to puzzle out what they were looking at.

John eventually gave up trying to figure it out, and asked, "Alright, what is it?"

Irillith smiled at him, then said quietly, "That's the schematic for a Nova Lance. They're too big and draw too much power for the Maliri to fit them on cruisers. Only battleships can carry this class of weapons. The Maliri used them to eviscerate 'The Warning'."

At her mention of the massive holes bored out through the huge derelict Terran merchant vessel on the approach to Geniya station, they darted awed glances at each other. Everyone finally turned to look at Dana to hear her verdict, and she gazed back at them in stupefied disbelief.

"What do you say Dana?" John asked her enthusiastically. "Can we fit one of those on the Invictus?"

It took Dana a moment to realise he'd asked her a question, and she glanced at him distractedly. Still overwhelmed by the destructive power these schematics seemed to suggest, she speculated quietly, "If we strip out the existing Beam Lasers, we can replace each bank of three Beams with a single Nova Lance." The redhead looked hesitant for a moment, and added, "The power draw off these is phenomenal though. With all the extra power we're going to need for the Trankaran engines and all those Beam Lasers, if we add Nova Lances as well, we won't have enough power for the Mass Drivers."

Calara grinned and said, "If we can blast huge great holes out of ships, like those we saw on 'The Warning', we won't even need the Mass Drivers!"

Dana shrugged and said, "I can take them offline until I can figure something out. What do you say, John?"

"Go for it!" he replied with a broad smile on his face.

He noticed Irillith darting him a furtive and hopeful look, and he beckoned her over to him. She rose gracefully, and sashayed around the table trying to appear reserved, but the telltale gleam in her eyes gave her away. He rose to meet her with open arms, and when she melted into his embrace, he leaned down and gave her a tender kiss. When he pulled away from her tantalisingly soft lips, the pupils in her violet eyes were fully dilated as she gazed up at him.

John raised a hand so that he could brush his fingers through her silky white-blonde hair, then said, "Thank you for everything you've done since you joined us. You've been amazing."

Irillith had been fixated on John, but when the girls murmured their heartfelt agreement, she turned to look at them and gave them a grateful smile. "I'm sorry I made things so tense between us to start off with, but I'm going to do my best to fit in with you guys, and make myself useful," she said sincerely.

The girls gave her welcoming grins in return, and John leaned down to whisper in Irillith's blue, delicately pointed ear, "Good girl. That was nicely said."

She smiled as she glanced up at him, and gave him a quick kiss before returning to her seat. She had an added spring in her step as she went, and shot him a flirtatious glance.

Alyssa watched her in amusement, and when John had sat down again, she said, "We've only got a couple of hours left until we start the refit. We should probably get cracking on the planning."

John gave her a grateful smile, and said, "Alright, so let's think about what we have to get done. First of all, Dana needs to fabricate her Crystal Alyssium, as we'll need that to make everything."

Rachel chimed in and said, "We can start stripping the plating off the Invictus, and boring out the hole for the central core we need for the Inertia Negation Device at the same time. We don't need to wait for the new material for those."

"Good point," John agreed.

"Are we going to add one of those devices to the Raptor too?" Jade asked eagerly.

Dana smiled at her, and replied, "Yes, definitely! We'll have to, if we're going to make full use of the Trankaran engines on the gunship."

"We could start removing the weapons from the Invictus and the Raptor as well," Calara said, sounding increasingly excited. "That way we can fit the new guns as soon as they've been built."

John thought this over for a moment, and said, "I think it would be best if we each look after a different part of the refit. I'm thinking: Calara on the Invictus weapons, Jade on the Raptor, Rachel on the central core, and I can oversee the armour plating removal. Dana's going to be busy creating her new elements, then Alyssa will need to be on hand to shape the new material with her telekinetic powers."

"I could just strip the Alyssium plating off the Invictus myself, all in one go," Alyssa offered with a grin.

"True," John conceded, "but you might as well save your strength for all the reshaping. We'll have a bunch of engineers sitting around with nothing to do for a few hours anyway."

"That makes sense," Alyssa said, with a shrug. She gave him a sly smile, and added coyly, "If I'm going to be shaping this much Alyssium, I think I might need topping up half-way through, just to make sure I don't get exhausted."

He chuckled, and said, "I'll see what I can do." Turning to Irillith, he added, "I'd like you to go with Dana and Alyssa to make sure they get full cooperation using the shipyard's reactor. Once that's done with, I want you to be our liaison with the Maliri engineering crews. We need to make sure everything goes nice and smoothly."

The girls all nodded obediently, their beautiful faces attentive and serious as they watched him. Dana raised her hand, and he smiled at her, saying, "Go ahead."

"Once I've fabricated a big supply of Crystal Alyssium, and supplied Alyssa with the schematics for the weapons, I won't have much to do. Replacing our electronics with the Maliri equivalent will greatly boost our internal network, so do you think you might be able to buy some?"

Irillith laughed and said, "Edraele can get you anything you need."

John looked thoughtful, and said, "We're going to need Maliri weapons to replace everything we're going to upgrade. I'm guessing Makaela is going to balk at a request like that coming from you?"

Irillith hesitated a moment, then said, "I think you're right. Handing over weapons like that is totally unheard of. We'll need Edraele to order Makaela to give us what we need."

Quickly adding up the weapons they would require, John said, "OK, so we'll need two Nova Lances, twenty-six Beam Lasers, and fifty-four Pulse cannons, to be able to fully refit the Invictus and the Raptor. Does that sound right to everyone?"

Calara had a gleam in her eyes, as she nodded eagerly, and said, "That should do it."

Edraele's voice rang through John's mind, and she sounded eager to please as she said, *I will supply you with anything you require, my Lord.*

*Wonderful, thank you Edraele,* John replied to her telepathically.

While this discussion had been going on, Jade had been looking thoughtful, and she waved at Dana to get her attention as she said brightly, "I'd like to make the flight controls on the Invictus more responsive, so we can make full use of the new engines. I had some ideas on that, if you're able to help?"

With an accommodating grin, Dana replied, "That's a great idea! If you let me know what you had in mind, I can start working on refitting the Pilot's Station as soon as I'm done with my tasks. I can start replacing the electronics in our subsystems once that's finished."

"I'd love to help, too!" Faye volunteered excitedly. "I could write some programming code for the maintenance robots, then they could install the electronics for you! It would save you hours of work!"

The thought of an AI programming the levitating robots made John's eyebrows rise in alarm, especially when Dana said to the tiny purple creature, "That sounds fantastic! Thanks, Faye."

*It's okay,* Alyssa said to him soothingly. *Dana told me she'll thoroughly review the code before she installs it into the bots. It's actually a really good idea, Faye will save her a lot of work.*

He looked across the table at the redhead, who gave him a reassuring wink over Faye's head. He fought down his feeling of foreboding, and gave her a tentative nod, and she smiled back at him in gratitude.

Looking around the table, he then said, "Alright, let's do some quick estimates so we can figure out how long this is going to take. Do you want to start, Dana?"

The redhead tapped her index finger on her chin as she thought it over, then said, "If the experiments with the Fusion Reactor work perfectly, it's going to take me about four hours to fabricate about a ton of each new element I need. I can prepare all the schematics we need as soon as this meeting is done, and I can get the mass fabricators working on manufacturing upgraded heatsinks for the new weapons."

John looked to Alyssa next, who said, "Reshaping metal doesn't take very long, but I'm going to be doing loads of it. A lot depends on how many times you want me to try reshaping as well."

"Only so often that it's effortless," he said firmly. "I don't want you straining with every piece, we have too much to do."

Alyssa pondered this for a moment, and said, "I'll have to see how it goes. Reshaping the Maliri crystal was harder than regular Alyssium, so I'm not sure how malleable Dana's new material is going to be. I think it's probably going to take me several hours to get through it all."

Nodding his understanding, John turned to Calara next, and asked, "How long do you think to strip the weapons off the Invictus?"

The Latina darted a glance in Dana's direction, and said, "The turreted weapons should be quite quick to remove. The Beam Lasers are built into the hull, so they'll be much more time consuming. I was just thinking that removing them would be much easier if you did it. With your super-strength, it's going to be much faster than moving winches and hoists into place."

"True. I was just going to be overseeing the armour plating removal, so we can swap jobs if you'd like?" he asked her in return.

"Sure!" she agreed readily. "Pulling off all the old plating shouldn't take all that long. It largely depends on how many engineers we have available to help."

"We have four teams assisting, and each team consists of twenty engineers," Irillith informed them.

John mulled it over for a moment, then said, "If I'm going to be removing the old weapons, then I won't need all twenty engineers to start with. I'll just need a few to keep ahead of me, disconnecting power supplies, and uncoupling the weapons. You can borrow some of my team to help remove the plating more quickly."

Calara nodded and said, "In that case, we should be able to fully strip the Invictus of armour plating by the time Alyssa starts forging new armour panels."

"Perfect!" John said enthusiastically. He turned to Dana, and asked, "So that really just leaves preparing and fitting the Inertia negation device. How long is that going to take?"

"I can make detailed plans for cutting out the central core section, but it's still going to take probably at least twelve hours to cleanly cut through all the decking. Unfortunately there's power and data cabling that runs through that area, so we'll need to reroute those as well," she explained with a pained expression on her face. "Then, fitting the central core will probably take at least six hours. Once the new core is in place, I'll need about four hours to install the anti-grav generator that powers the device."

"So we're looking at a couple of days to get everything done?" John asked as he thought over the estimates. "I'm assuming that we'll be able to fit all the new weapons and armour plating in about six hours? If so, then we'll mainly be waiting on the installation of the Inertia Negation Device."

Dana nodded, replying, "The Raptor is much smaller than the Invictus, so one team will be able to get all the work done on that in the same timeframe. I should have enough time to refit the flight controls on the Invictus by then, and as each of you finish your tasks, you can help me with the electronics upgrades if the bots haven't finished."

John laughed as he suddenly realised he had no idea what the current time was, he'd been so wrapped up in the frenetic pace of recent events. Glancing over at the ship's chronometer, he saw that it was six in the morning, Terran time.

"Alyssa and I slept earlier, so we're rested. Have you all managed to get some sleep too?" he asked the girls with concern.

Calara nodded, speaking for all of them, as she said, "We all got some sleep after our sudden burst of activity yesterday." She looked around at her friends and said, "We're all in good shape to get the bulk of the refit done today, right girls?"

They all nodded eagerly, and Calara smiled at John afterwards. He turned to Irillith and asked, "How about you? Did you get some sleep while we were out of it for twelve hours?"

"I'm fine, I managed to get some rest too," she smiled at him, appreciating his concern.

John looked pleased, and rose from his chair, saying, "I think we've got our plan then, ladies. Now, I've got something very important to attend to. I need to thank Alyssa for saving me from my evil alter-ego." He smiled as he turned to his blonde XO, and said, "What do you say, beautiful?"

Alyssa laughed, and the lovely musical sound resonated around the room as she stood gracefully. Her eyes sparkled as she turned to the girls, and said, "I'll let you know when it's time for breakfast!"

The girls all laughed as they watched John and Alyssa depart, then they gathered around Dana to discuss the finer details of the refit plans.

***

John and Alyssa walked hand-in-hand into their bedroom, glancing at each other coyly. When they finally reached the bed, Alyssa said shyly, "This feels strange. You've screwed me senseless more times than I can count, but I'm nervous like it's my first time."

He chuckled pulling her into his arms, and she looked up at him with wide eyes. "I know what you mean," he agreed, his heart skipping a beat as he leaned down to give her a kiss.

Their lips brushed together, and they both felt the exciting tingle of electricity between them at the intimate contact. Alyssa moaned into his mouth, kissing him passionately, and he felt himself grow hard as steel at her obvious arousal. They were both breathless when they finally parted, and with eager grins, they quickly stripped off their clothes, and climbed onto the bed. Alyssa lay on her back, with John lying alongside her, and he trailed his fingers over her exquisite body. Her skin was smooth, soft and supple, unmarred by any physical imperfections of any kind, and he marvelled at her exquisite beauty.

She was watching his fingers tracing a gentle line over the well defined muscles on her stomach when she suddenly gasped, "Look, we aren't imagining it!"

John turned to watch his fingers as they traced over her tummy, and he saw the same bright flash of electricity arcing between them that she had seen. He pulled his fingers away quickly, and asked in alarm, "Did that hurt you?"

Alyssa shook her head, and replied in excitement, "Are you kidding? That felt amazing! It's like my skin is tingling wherever you touch me!"

John placed his palm over her belly, and she gasped as her skin responded to his touch. He could feel what seemed like little pulses in his fingertips, and he gazed down at her as he moved his hand lower. Alyssa's eyes widened, her mouth opening as she realised what he planned, but she parted her thighs for him obediently. When his charged fingertips brushed over her clit, she arched her back and let out a shocked cry at the intense stimulation. John began to stroke her with insistent movements of his hand, and she clung to him tightly as he brought her off to a shuddering climax within moments.

"Holy fuck!" she gasped, as she panted for breath. "I've never felt anything like it!"

"You liked that, baby?" he asked her softly, as she writhed in his arms.

Alyssa's eyes were hooded with lust as she growled, "I want you in me, now!"

He grinned at her, as he repositioned himself between her thighs, but his confident grin was wiped from his face as she reached out to grasp his throbbing cock in her slender hand. As her fingers wrapped around him, he could feel intense surges of pleasure from their contact, and his quad lurched in excitement. He had to grit his teeth to stop himself from hosing her down like some hair-trigger teenager, and when he glanced up at her face, she was grinning at him wickedly.

"Feels pretty fucking amazing, right?" she asked him excitedly.

He nodded, and she quickly guided him into position. She was already wet and ready for him, so when she placed her hands on his ass to pull him deeper, he obliged her immediately. They both cried out in shocked amazement as he fully impaled her in one long, exquisite thrust, their bodies tingling where they were joined. With a herculean act of willpower, he managed to hold off from immediately filling her womb with cum, and they both stared at each other in awe when he was fully sheathed inside her.

"God, that feels incredible!" he marvelled, "What's going on?"

"Who cares!" Alyssa gasped as she trembled beneath him, "Just fuck me!"

Being the accommodating gentleman that he was, John pulled back a little then drove into her. Alyssa clung to him tightly, wrapping her arms and legs around him, and whimpering in ecstasy as he began to thrust up to the balls inside her. They stared into each other's eyes, both of them totally enraptured with each other, as they moved together in perfect harmony. Finally John couldn't hold back any longer, and he buried himself up to the balls with a mighty thrust, and began to pump his cum directly into her womb.

Alyssa cried out as he climaxed, joining him in her own release, rhythmically gripping and massaging him with her snug young pussy. John was in a daze by the time he'd finished emptying his quad inside her, and he collapsed on her heaving breasts as she clung to him, while panting for breath. He moved to lift himself off her, but she pulled him down, murmuring, "Stay a while, this feels lovely."

John lay on her pliant young body, keeping his weight off her with his arms tucked behind her. Alyssa nibbled one of his ears, whispering loving endearments to him, and he let out a long contented sigh. They rested like that for a while, until echoing footsteps in the corridor alerted them to someone's impending arrival.

Calara was the first to arrive, with the others following close behind her, and she grinned at her lovers as John pulled out of Alyssa and reclined beside her. The girls began stripping immediately in a flurry of clothes, with each one joining them on the bed when they were fully undressed. Soon it was just Irillith left, who was feeling a little self-conscious.

Alyssa smiled at the Maliri girl, then beckoned her over with a friendly wave. "There's no need to be shy," she said encouragingly. "We all saw you nude before, remember?"

Irillith nodded hesitantly, then straightened her shoulders and quickly pulled off her dress and underwear. The girls welcomed her on to the bed, while admiring her lovely azure skin, and when she joined them her fears seemed to fall away as she gazed down at Alyssa's swollen belly. She licked her lips, knowing full well what had rounded out the blonde girl's abdomen, and Alyssa gave her a knowing look.

"Would you like to go first?" she asked in a kind voice.

Irillith nodded eagerly, and moved between Alyssa's bronzed thighs as she spread them for her invitingly. *Good girl,* Alyssa thought to her warmly. *Come and fill your tummy with his cum.*

Not wasting any time, Irillith back to lap away at Alyssa, sucking hungrily to get her first sweet taste. Her eyes glazed over as she filled her mouth with John's load, and she let out a euphoric moan as she swallowed down the first gulp. The other girls stroked her light blue body while they waited patiently for their turn, enjoying the contrast in their skin colour with the exotically beautiful Maliri girl. Dana couldn't wait however, so she knelt down in front of John, and winked at him impishly as she took his cock in her mouth, cleaning him eagerly with her tongue.

Each girl took their turn, making sure to share the final mouthful with Alyssa, and soon all of them were smiling contentedly with a stomach full of his cum.

"That ought to give you all a little boost to last you through the day," Alyssa said considerately, and the girls giggled happily, broad smiles of contentment on their lovely faces.

"We better go and get a shower," John said, glancing at the clock. "I'll need to go and speak to Edraele and brief her on what to say to the Maliri engineers."

They nodded, and everyone got off the bed, then headed into the bathroom to get clean. Alyssa was the last to follow everyone inside, and she shot a lingering glance behind her, a frown appearing on her beautiful face.

*Remind me to talk to you about the bed,* she said to Irillith as she glided into the bathroom after them.

The girls paired off to soap each other down, while John "helped out" each pair in turn. He took particular delight in running his hands over the silky smooth skin on their slim stomachs, knowing that they were all carrying his sperm inside them. They smiled at him coyly as he caressed them, enjoying his touch, while knowing exactly what he was thinking about.

***

They went their separate ways after the shower, and while the girls got ready, John headed over to Edraele's private shuttle. Makaela, the Shipyard Commander, had arranged for a two-metre-high podium to be set up in the broad space between the two ships, and it was topped by a lectern that overlooked the assembly point. He strode past it, giving Makaela a friendly smile as she spoke to two of her assistants, making last minute preparations. She smiled back tentatively, watching him with curiosity as he strolled away.

The airlock door lifted upwards before he had reached the hull of the Maliri shuttle, and he recognised Luna waiting just inside the airlock. She stepped aside, and said, "Welcome back, Sir. Edraele is waiting for you up in her state rooms."

"Thanks, Luna," he said to her gratefully, then added, "but you can call me John if you want."

Falling into step beside him, the Maliri assassin glanced up at him, and smiled at him warmly as she said in her quiet voice, "I'd like that, thank you, John."

They reached the elevator, and she pressed the button, then fidgeted while waiting for it to arrive. He watched her curiously, surprised at her lack of composure, as she was normally so reserved and controlled. When the crystal door rose upwards admitting them into the elevator, he gestured for her to go first, and she gave him a grateful smile, darting a furtive glance at him with her angular yellow eyes. He watched her openly, as they ascended the floors to Edraele's state rooms, and she blushed at his attention, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back. The door finally opened, and Luna gestured for him to proceed.

"Thanks," he said to her politely, strolling through the portal and into the corridor beyond.

Luna stayed in the elevator, and he glanced back at her once before heading through the door at the end of the hall, and caught her staring at him in fascination. She blushed furiously, then quickly hit the button to close the door, hiding her from view.

John strode into the audience room beyond, and found Edraele sitting imperiously on her throne. "Where have you been, my Lord?" she asked him haughtily.

He was stunned at her tone, and she rose off her chair, gliding over to him looking very displeased. She stopped in front of him, and her beautiful face suddenly lit up with a sparkling smile, as she said teasingly, "Because I really missed you!"

Leaning forward she gave him a loving kiss, and he blinked in shock at her dramatic shift in mood. Edraele saw his look of surprise, and said apologetically, "Sorry, it was just meant to be a joke. I hope I haven't offended you, my Lord?

Blinking rapidly he shook his head, then chuckled, and said, "You just caught me by surprise, that's all. I like this playful new you."

Edraele looked relieved, and smiled at him, as she said, "I overheard your thoughts, while you were planning out the refit of the Invictus. I hope you don't mind, but I contacted Makaela, and demanded she have all the weapons you require delivered to this drydock. I also ordered enough electronics to completely refit all of your computer subsystems."

John was startled, but impressed by her initiative, and he said, "Great thinking, well done!" He frowned a moment later and asked with concern, "Did she suspect anything was amiss?"

The Maliri Matriarch shook her head, and adopted a cold, frosty look, as she said, "Makaela, you will supply the following list of weapons to be fitted on the Terran ship. Any word of objection, and we shall need to discuss this in person. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yeah, I can see that would have had the desired results," John nodded in admiration. "Impressive work, Edraele, thank you."

She smiled at him looking delighted, and he was amazed at how quickly this new personality of hers was developing.

Alyssa's voice suddenly echoed through his mind, as she said, *It actually makes sense, as much as any of this psychic stuff does. You aren't trying to physically change her, which seems to take a lot longer, going by the two weeks for us girls and the Gift. I also think it's probably a bit different with Irillith, as you've been trying to heal her mind of trauma, without wiping it out completely. Edraele was a blank slate, so I'm guessing it's much faster to give her a new core personality. I'll spirit walk into her mind again when we have a free moment, as I'd be fascinated to see if my hunch is correct.*

John nodded as he thought it over, and replied to Alyssa, *That sounds like a reasonable theory to me.*

He smiled at Edraele, and asked, "Are you ready to address the engineers? Do you want to go over what you're going to say?"

She smiled at him confidently, and replied, "I still have access to all my old memories. I'm sure I can think of something appropriate, my Lord." She faltered for a moment, before adding, "But if you're worried I might not say the right thing, you can tell me what you want me to say instead?"

John shook his head, and said encouragingly, "That's not necessary. I trust you, Edraele, and if you feel confident that you know what to say, then I think you'll do a great job."

The regal Maliri woman sighed happily, and leaned in to give him a tender kiss.

He kissed her back, pulling her into his arms, then smiled as he asked, "What was that for?"

Edraele stared into his eyes, and said wistfully, "I can't remember ever feeling this happy before." She suddenly looked down for a moment, not wanting to meet his gaze, and added quietly, "But I've done so many terrible things to so many people, I don't think I deserve to feel this way."

John raised his hand to her chin, and lifted it gently so that he could study her troubled face. "Remember that it was a different person who did those things," he told her solemnly. "I don't want you to feel guilty about the old Edraele's actions, but you are in a unique position to be able to do something about them. I'll let you decide if and how you want to address them, OK?"

She stared off into the distance for a moment, looking thoughtful, then met his gaze once more, and nodded decisively. He could see a steely determination in her purple eyes, and was intrigued as to what she had in mind.

"Good girl," he told her, proud of her decision.

Edraele laughed gaily, and said, "I'm one-hundred-and-sixty-two years old. It's been nearly a century-and-a-half since anyone called me 'girl'!"

"Do you mind?" he asked her with a teasing smile on his lips.

Glancing at him flirtatiously, she murmured, "No, I quite like it actually." She paused and gave him a quizzical look as she asked, "How old are you, my Lord? If you don't mind my asking."

John grinned and said, "I turned forty a few months ago."

Edraele looked genuinely shocked as she gasped, "You're younger than my daughters!"

"If you object to having a toy-boy, we can keep things purely platonic between us," John teased her gently.

She immediately shook her head, and said with a coy smile, "I think I'll be able to get used to the idea."

John smiled at her, but after a pause, he said with some hesitation, "Now that you mention your daughters, you no doubt heard about our plan to go and rescue Tashana. Is there anything you can tell me to help with our search?"

Edraele's face was immediately filled with sadness and regret, and John felt bad for reminding her of something this new personality had no involvement with.

"I'll give you a copy of the tracking device," she said with a sigh. "Tashana spent nearly a decade around the Unclaimed Wastes, which are a lawless region on the far border of Maliri Space. A few years ago, she moved to a location known as 'The Underworld', which is an ancient refinery taken over by mercenaries, pirates and other outlaws. It's just outside the borders of Terran and Maliri Space, and not under anyone's jurisdiction. I've contemplated having it eliminated, but it's on the far edge of House Ghilwen territory, and thus not easily accessible for my forces."

John pondered this for a minute, and said, "Can we approach it from Terran Federation Space? We were thinking of heading that way after we've resolved some business in Terran territory."

"Yes, you should be able to travel there unimpeded, once you've eliminated the Dragon March traitor," Edraele said, her lip curling in distaste. "I loathe traitors, disgusting vermin the lot of them. I wish you good luck with your hunt, my Lord."

"Thank you," he replied, surprised by the vehemence in her tone. He then smiled wryly, and added, "Perhaps it might be best if you stopped referring to me as 'my Lord', though. I can't imagine the old Edraele being that respectful to anyone."

She nodded obediently, then reached down and gently ran her fingers over his shaft, smiling mischievously as it began to thicken. "I'd still like to address you properly when I'm servicing you, If that's alright with you, my Lord?" she asked him with a twinkle in her eye.

"I think I might be able to accommodate you there," he replied with a smile.

*The engineers are assembled,* Alyssa thought to him, her amusement coming through clearly in her tone. *But don't let me interrupt you, 'my Lord'.*

John laughed, and replied jovially, *I think my new Matriarch might be able to give you a few lessons in respect, young lady.*

Alyssa smirked, sending him a visual image, which was unnecessary, as it came through in her tone as she replied, *I don't know about that, but I am looking forward to eventually having a threesome with both of you.*

John noticed the intrigued look on Edraele's face, and he thought to them both, *That sounds like a fun discussion, but it'll have to wait for some other time. We better get out there and meet the engineers.*

"As you wish, my Lord," Edraele replied, giving him a flirty wink and sauntering past him towards the door.

***

Dana's fingers moved in a blur across the console as she rapidly reproduced all the schematics she had memorised. She had already prepared all the plans for the refit, and reviewed the Programs that Faye had written for the maintenance bots, satisfying herself that the AI wasn't planning on overthrowing the crew. Now she was busy restoring all the tech schematics that she had previously deleted, in her earlier efforts to keep them from Irillith's clutches. She moved on to the Tachyon Drive schematic, and as she began to quickly fill out all the incredibly complex details, she paused for a moment. Her fingers froze above the console, and she stared at the schematic in surprise.

The Tachyon Drive looked very familiar, which was obviously just because she had studied it intently, when the Ashanath had gifted them the technology. But now that she was staring at it like this, it looked wrong somehow; discordant, like the person who had designed this tech had done so without a full understanding of the physics involved. She shook her head to clear it of such thoughts, and quickly finished her work, before moving on to the next schematic for her Punisher Railguns. She finished the blueprint of the magnetic field deflectors in their armour, as well as reproducing a perfect replica of her original Invictium alloy formula. Finally she moved on to the Power Core schematic, and her fingers stopped mid-keystroke.

There was that feeling again. The Power Core tech looked extremely familiar, again no doubt because she'd spent hours studying it voraciously when the Ashanath had handed over the new Power Core for the Invictus. Still, it just didn't look right, and there was a jarring feeling that something was awfully wrong with the schematic. She frowned as she carefully filled out the rest of the detail, meticulously reproducing it, and she was quite certain that she had made no mistakes with the completed blueprint. Tilting her head to one side, she looked at it askance, and was unable to shake the disconcerting feeling that it was incorrect.

*Hey Sparks,* Alyssa thought to her cheerfully. *As soon as we address the engineers, we can head off to their Fusion Reactor. You probably ought to get down here in a minute or two, if you're ready?*

*Sure! I'm done with the plans and schematics. I'll be down right away,* Dana replied.

She stepped away from the console, and bounded down the steps of the Engineer's Podium, but she couldn't help glancing backwards at the Power Core schematic one last time. She finally left the Engineering Bay with a troubled expression on her beautiful face.

***

The elevator's crystal door opened upwards, and John walked out with Edraele at his side. Luna was there waiting, with Almari and Ilyana at attention behind her. All three of them immediately looked his way, with Luna smiling at him warmly, and tentative smiles appearing on the faces of the other two assassins.

"The engineering teams are all assembled, John," Luna told him helpfully.

He gave her a grateful smile, and said, "Thank you, Luna. Will all three of you be joining us?"

They nodded eagerly, and fell into step behind John and Edraele, as they walked down the corridor to the airlock leading out of the shuttle.

*That's strange,* Edraele thought to him, sounding genuinely disturbed.

John glanced over at her, and saw that the Maliri Matriarch was sneaking a surreptitious look at Luna. *What's the matter?* He asked her curiously.

*She addressed you, not me,* Edraele replied.

John was certain he knew why, and he said to her reassuringly, *Don't worry. I think I know what's happening, and I can explain later. Just focus on your speech to the engineers for now.*

Edraele looked up at him, firm resolve in her eyes as she replied, *You can count on me, My Lord. I won't let you down.*

They stepped out through the airlock, and found the girls waiting by the podium along with Makaela, while eighty Maliri engineers were assembled in rows, waiting to be addressed by Edraele. The Maliri women had been talking quietly amongst themselves, but the moment Edraele appeared, all conversation ended in an instant. The sound of shocked, and quickly stifled gasps could be heard as a murmur through the crowd, as they took in Edraele's dramatic new appearance, with her long flowing white hair.

Edraele nodded to Makaela, who visibly quailed at being in her Matriarch's presence, too intimidated to even react to her new hairstyle. Edraele ascended the steps up the podium, then stood behind the lectern, looking out over the Valaden engineers. She turned towards John, beckoning him up onto the platform beside her, and he quickly strode up the steps to stand at her side. John looked out over the sea of dark haired Maliri women, and saw that they were all staring at Edraele, riveted to her as they waited to hear what she had to say.

"Thank you for gathering here to hear me today." Edraele began in her clear voice. "You are all blessed with an opportunity to serve your House, by working on a critically important task, which will affect the lives of millions of Maliri."

The Maliri engineers watched her spellbound, listening intently to every word.

Edraele glanced John's way, and said, "This Terran, John Blake, is House Valaden's closest ally. We are going to assist him with the refit of his ship using Maliri weaponry."

The crowd gasped in shock, astonished by this revelation. The crime of sharing Maliri weapon technology was punishable by death, and here they were, refitting this Terran's ship for him! Edraele gave the crowd a pleasant smile, and John could tell by the fearful way they looked at her that if their Matriarch was happy about something, it usually meant something terrible was about to happen to someone else.

"This Terran, and his crew, act with my full authority during this refit." Edraele continued relentlessly. "Any acts of disobedience or disrespect to them, will be a direct defiance of my will, and that woman will have to answer to me personally. Have I made myself perfectly clear?"

"Yes, Matriarch!" The crowd replied in one voice, not wanting to seem to be challenging her authority in any way.

"Very good. Makaela will liaise with Irillith to allocate you to your work crews," Edraele said with a pleasant smile. She then added ominously, "You have a great opportunity to impress us with your hard work and dedication. I would advise you not to disappoint me."

Edraele turned and nodded courteously to John, then descended the podium steps.

*Very impressive speech,* John told her appreciatively, as he followed her down the steps. *I was scared of you, and you're on my side.*

She stifled a grin, and said, *I doubt anyone will give you any trouble after that, but let me know if you or any of your girls have any trouble.*

They rejoined the others, and Alyssa gave him a smile, as she thought to him, *I'm glad she's not my boss!*

*What do you think of your boss?* John replied with a teasing smile.

She grinned at him and said, *He's alright. A bit of an eye for the ladies though, so a girl has to watch herself around him.* She rubbed her tummy, and added, *The work cafeteria is excellent though. Serves the most delicious food I've ever tasted.*

John managed not to laugh, then said, *Funny you should mention girls having to watch themselves. Have you seen what's been happening to Edraele's assassins?*

Alyssa glanced over at them, and saw all three Maliri women staring at John in fascination. *Must be the Maliri behaviour modification kicking in.* She glanced over at the engineers, and added, *It's not just them. Look.*

John turned to look at the assembled engineers, and eighty inquisitive Maliri women were gazing at him curiously. *I feel like I'm a juicy steak being stared at by a pack of hungry predators,* John said, feeling unsettled.

*Well, they definitely want something to fill their bellies,* Alyssa smirked in amusement. *And I'm sure they're very curious about what your meat tastes like, too!*

John rolled his eyes at her, and said, *We shouldn't be joking about this, Luna and the other assassins are getting friendlier all the time. I don't think it'll be long until they start getting flirty.*

Alyssa stared into his eyes, her own cerulean orbs twinkling with amusement as she said, *Then ask them politely to get down on their knees, and give them a nice belly full of cum. Edraele's perfectly safe right now, so it's a good time to bring her bodyguard onside. They're totally loyal to her anyway, but the more girls under her command, the more power she'll have access to, just in case she needs to defend herself against attack.*

He looked surprised, and said, *You wouldn't mind?*

*Of course not, don't be silly,* Alyssa said as she smiled at him encouragingly. *Get as much Maliri strange as you want. You've seen how much happier Irillith and Edraele are since you started loading them up. Why not share the love? We'll be out of here in a couple of days, and then you'll belong to just me and the girls.*

John nodded thoughtfully, then turned his attention to Makaela who had been conferring with the Maliri engineers. She looked shaken when she walked over to join them, but that eventually wore off as she eyed John with curiosity.

Dana strolled over to him, and said, "We're ready to go."

He turned to Makaela, and said, "Please take Dana, Alyssa, and Irillith to the shipyard's Primary Fusion Reactor. My Chief Engineer needs to use it to fabricate a couple of elements."

Makaela seemed to struggle with his command for a moment, but one glance at Edraele, who was watching her intently made her mind up in an instant. "If they'd care to follow me, I'll guide your companions there immediately," she said, nodding to him respectfully.

"Thank you, Makaela, much appreciated," John said gratefully, and she gazed up at him, giving him a tentative smile.

The Maliri Shipyard Commander seemed totally entranced, and when Dana cleared her throat politely, Makaela jumped in surprise. She turned and then walked away briskly, only turning once to dart a quick glance back at John, before heading towards a crystal door with the girls in tow. He looked at Edraele, and saw that she had been watching Irillith leave with sadness in her eyes.

*Are you alright?* he asked her sympathetically.

*I've treated my daughters so badly,* she said, her voice full of regret. *I wish there was some way I could make amends.*

John gave her a comforting smile, and said, *It wasn't you, remember, but an apology is a good place to start.*

Edraele nodded thoughtfully, then glanced over at Luna, Almari, and Ilyana, who were all staring wistfully at John. *You seem to be having a dramatic effect on my personnel,* she remarked to him in amusement.

*Maliri women have been genetically modified by the Progenitors to respond favourably to my species. Just being in my proximity will get them curious, which moves on to arousal, and eventually to full blown lust. Irillith was affected that way too,* he explained, but he paused as a sudden thought came to him. *It took her much longer to succumb though. She lasted a few weeks before getting friendlier.*

Edraele smiled at him, and said proudly, *My daughter has always been strong willed. It doesn't surprise me that she resisted for so long.*

Their conversation was interrupted by Rachel, Jade, and Calara, who walked over to him, and the Latina acted as their spokeswoman as she said, "The engineers have all been allocated. We're going to make a start."

John smiled at them affectionately, and said, "OK, I'll start stripping the weapons. Which engineers am I working with?"

"That group of ten over there," Calara said, pointing towards a group of Maliri women, who were watching him eagerly. "I borrowed half the weapons team, and they'll be helping strip armour plating off the Invictus."

"Nice work, Lieutenant," John told her with a smile.

The three girls fanned out to meet with their teams, while John glanced at Edraele, and said telepathically, *You might as well head back to your ship. I'll come and join you in a few hours, once I've helped remove the weapons.*

*Wonderful!* Edraele replied. She then sounded playful, as she added *I know a great way to reward you for your hard work.*

John turned to watch the Maliri Matriarch leave, and she stopped by her bodyguard, appearing to be asking them a question. They nodded enthusiastically, then prowled towards him with their graceful gait. Edraele flashed him a smile, before stepping inside the airlock of her ship, and disappearing out of sight.

Almari, and Ilyana stayed back a step, staring at him in fascination, while Luna asked shyly, "Edraele said that we could keep you company, as long as that's alright with you, John?"

He smiled at them, and said, "Sure, but it won't be very exciting. I'll just be removing weapons from the ship." He paused as he thought it over, and said, "Actually, it might be quite fun to watch. I'm stronger than I look."

Almari eyed his muscular arms, and said breathily, "You look very strong to me."

John chuckled, and said, "Alright, just stay safely out of the way, and you're welcome to keep me company."

"We won't be any bother, Sir," Ilyana promised him fervently, gazing at him with her turquoise eyes.

He gave them a friendly smile and said, "Call me John, please."

They nodded eagerly, so he turned towards the engineering crew, and strolled over to them briskly. "Hello ladies," he greeted the ten Maliri women cheerfully. "Have you all been briefed on our task for today?"

One of the Maliri engineers stepped forward and replied, "Yes Sir, we're to assist you with disconnecting and uncoupling all the weapons from your ship, in preparation for installing the new Maliri weaponry."

"Excellent! There's no need to call me 'Sir' though, John will be fine," he said brightly. He looked at the engineer who had spoken and said politely, "I'm sorry, we haven't been introduced. What's your name?"

She blushed, and replied, "I'm Filaurel."

"Nice to meet you Filaurel. Are you all familiar with how to disconnect all the weapons?" he asked her hopefully.

"Yes, John," she confirmed immediately. "Your Chief Engineer gave Thessalia a holo-reader with instructions."

He looked over at the Maliri that Filaurel had pointed to, who was currently holding the holo-reader, and alternating glances at it with looking at him. When Thessalia heard her name called out, and John focused his attention on her, she flushed with embarrassment.

"It looks quite straightforward," Thessalia said with a shy smile. "Uncoupling the Beam Lasers will take the longest, but the turret mounted weapons will be easy to prepare for you."

John nodded, then said, "Alright then ladies, let's make a start. You work ahead of me, getting the weapons ready, then I'll remove them."

The first engineer he'd spoken to, Filaurel, looked at him curiously, and asked, "Won't you need an anti-grav harness to remove the weapons?"

"That won't be necessary," He replied with a chuckle, shaking his head. He then looked upwards at the maintenance frameworks being moved into position, and asked, "Now, how do we get up on those gantries?"

***

Makaela led Alyssa, Dana, and Irillith through the golden, high-ceilinged corridors of Genthalas shipyard, deeper into the heart of the space station. They had been walking for about twenty minutes when their guide finally came to a halt in front of a set of sturdy double doors, which had started opening as she drew closer.

She walked in without a word, and as the others followed her inside, they realised they were now in some kind of long control room. The control centre had a curve to it, with the inside of that curve one long window, which looked out over a massive two-hundred-metre wide sphere that was rotating slowly in the centre of a huge room. A dozen female Maliri technicians were either sitting at stations monitoring readings, or striding purposefully around the room looking at complex power fluctuation graphs. One of the Maliri technicians looked over at them when they entered, her eyes widening briefly when she saw Irillith.

Managing to control her reaction, she walked over to join them, and asked, "Makaela, Irillith, what brings you to the Primary Power Core?"

Dana had wandered over to one of the power graphs, and after staring at the readouts showing the power output for the core, she gave Irillith an eager thumbs up. Irillith smiled at her, then turned to look at the Lead Technician who had spoken to them, and replied, "Hello, Alyndra. We're here to use the Power Core for an experiment, and this Terran, Dana, will be able to give you the details."

Alyndra looked sceptical, and frowned, glancing in Makaela's direction. "Help them with whatever they want," Makaela answered her unspoken question with a slightly surly tone of voice.

Dana bounded over to them, and said, "Hey Alyndra, I'm Dana, It's nice to meet you! I need to use your Power Core to make a couple of new elements, if that's alright? It should only take a few hours."

Giving the redhead a tentative nod, Alyndra asked, "What are you planning to do with the Power Core?"

Smiling at her brightly, Dana said with enthusiasm, "Well first, we're going to take a stream of highly charged anti-matter and shoot it through the Power Core. Then afte-"

Alyndra gasped in shock, and several technicians around the room looked up in alarm. "You want to stream anti-matter through a Fusion Reactor? Are you insane?!" she balked in disbelief.

Dana shook her head, and said, "Nope, it'll work, trust me. You just have to tightly regula-"

Alyndra had turned to Makaela, abruptly cutting Dana off again, as she pleaded desperately, "Have you any idea how unstable that is? If we do what this girl asks, we'll trigger a fusion detonation, and vaporise the entire station!"

Makaela started to look worried, and she turned to Irillith asking, "There must be some other way?"

Irillith looked at Dana, who shook her head firmly. Gazing at her imperiously, Irillith replied, "Sorry Makaela, this is the only way. Follow Dana's instructions to the letter."

Narrowing her eyes, Alyndra shook her head stubbornly, saying, "I won't allow it! You aren't going to wreck my Power Core!"

Irillith turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow as she asked in a chilling voice, "'Your' Power Core? I think you'll find that this shipyard, and everything in it, belongs to House Valaden. My mother is here at Genthalas to personally oversee this project, so perhaps you'd like to meet with her? You can explain in person why you're refusing to carry out her orders."

Alyndra turned a very pale blue, as colour leeched out of her face, and she said in a tremulous voice, "Edraele is here?"

Nodding slowly, Irillith said, "Oh yes, and she'll be most displeased to hear of the unnecessary delay you're causing."

Taking a big gulp, Alyndra cast a fearful look in Makaela's direction, and when she nodded grimly, the Maliri technician's shoulders slumped. "Alright, tell me what you want us to do," she said to Dana with a resigned expression on her face.

Grinning at her confidently, Dana said, "Don't worry, you'll be perfectly safe. Now, let's start with charging the anti-matter..."

***

John squatted down by the edge of the Invictus topdeck, gazing down at the hundred metre drop to the floor of the drydock below. He rubbed his chin for a moment, then looked over his shoulder at the engineers working quickly to disconnect the first of the Gatling Lasers. All the armour plating panels had been withdrawn, and the full arsenal of the Invictus was exposed for the work crews.

"Filaurel, could you set up a wide tractor field down there, covering the deck on our starboard side? Then I can just lob the weapons over the rim of the topdeck, and I won't need to worry about damaging the floor below," he said with a wide smile.

"Sure, I can do that for you!" she agreed eagerly, before stopping, and looking at him with a puzzled expression. "You're going to throw the weapons over the edge of this spacecraft?"

"That's right!" he said exuberantly.

She darted a look of confusion at her colleague, who was hurrying to undo the locking mechanism securing the Gatling Laser to the turret. Thessalia shrugged, and then smiled at John, as she continued to work quickly.

Filaurel pulled a communication device from her utility belt, and began to speak in a hurried voice. John hoped it was to an engineer in charge of operating the tractor field, and not to someone in charge of an asylum. He turned to look at the trio of assassins who were watching him curiously, and when he waved at them cheerily, they smiled and gave him a friendly wave in return.

"The tractor field is set up for you, John," Filaurel called over to him.

He grinned at her, and walked over to join them at the turret, saying, "That was fast, well done!"

She smiled at him happily, then stepped aside to give him room. Thessalia backed away too, stating, "The weapon is uncoupled." She hesitated for a moment, before saying, "I know Filaurel asked before, but are you sure you won't need an anti-grav harness?"

John winked at her, then lifted the two-metre-long Gatling Laser with ease. There was a collective series of gasps from his audience, and he strolled over to the starboard edge of the topdeck, and looked down carefully in case there was anyone in the way. Seeing it was clear, he casually dropped the weapon over the side of the ship, where it fell for nearly one-hundred metres before coming to a halt a few feet above the ground. The weapon hung there, suspended in the tractor field, rotating slightly before coming to a rest.

"Easy!" John said enthusiastically. "Who's next?"

A pair of engineers standing by another Gatling Laser turret raised their hands, and he strode over to join them. "Thanks ladies. What are your names by the way?" he asked them with a friendly smile.

"My name's Syndra, and that's Farryn," the closest one said with a smile.

He gave them a cheerful grin, and said, "It's nice to meet you both. Thanks for helping out on this." He turned to look at the three assassins, who were still wide-eyed with shock, and he asked, "Could you three girls check over the edge of the ship, and make sure it's clear for me?"

Ilyana was the first to react, and she nodded, her turquoise eyes sparkling with excitement, as she ran over to the edge of the hull. "It's clear, John!" she called to him.

John picked up the Gatling Laser, and flipped it over the edge of the ship in a nice smooth arc. There were more awed gasps, and he chuckled, thoroughly enjoying himself. "OK, who's next?" he asked with a smile.

"Over here, John!" another engineer called out to him eagerly. She was standing next to one of the ten-metre long Laser Cannons, that she and her fellow engineer had just been busy uncoupling.

He strolled over to join them, and said, "Thank you, and your name is?"

"I'm Annallee, and this is Rania," she replied excitedly. She paused and asked, "You aren't really going to try and lift this are you? This Laser Cannon must weigh nearly half a ton!"

He winked at her playfully, then reached out and hauled the Laser Cannon clear of the turret housing. Shocked gasps and exclamations echoed around him, and he smiled at all the astounded Maliri women who were watching him in amazement.

"There's no one below, John!" Almari called to him from the edge of the topdeck.

John turned and effortlessly lobbed the Laser cannon over her head, and down to the waiting tractor field below. He smiled at Annallee who was swooning beside him, and he said gently, "You two better move on to the next turret."

They nodded eagerly, then turned and ran past the next several pairs of engineers who were frantically working to get the next turrets ready for him.

*Having fun?* Alyssa asked him in amusement.

He smiled, and replied, *Actually, yeah I am. It's great not having to worry about hiding my superhuman strength.*

*I'm not sure it's wise to throw caution completely to the wind,* Alyssa said carefully. *Although those girls are practically panting with lust already, you won't have time to top them all up, unless you're planning to delay our departure?*

John walked over to the next Gatling Laser, and smiled at the two engineers, before picking it up. When Luna nodded to him, giving him the all clear, he chucked the weapon over the side of the ship, then started walking towards the next one.

*No, we'll still leave as soon as possible,* he replied. *I owe it to Calara to help keep her family safe, and stop this Dragon March traitor.*

Alyssa didn't answer for a while, and when she did, she sounded a bit confused, as she said, *Actually you might not need to give them a full dose to link these women to Edraele. Call it a hunch, but a small mouthful ought to do it.*

He paused as he arrived at the next Gatling Laser turret, and asked, *How do you know that?*

*I'm not sure,* Alyssa replied. *I just have a strong feeling that I'm right.*

John chuckled, and said, *Well I'll bear that in mind, if they suddenly start throwing themselves at me.* He picked up the Gatling Laser, and once Ilyana let him know it was clear, he effortlessly chucked it over the edge of the ship.

***

"I don't believe it!" Alyndra gasped in amazement, as the charged stream pulsed steadily, sending anti-matter directly into the huge Fusion Reactor.

Dana grinned at her, and said, "See, I told you it would work. Now, we just need to deploy an ore scoop at the base of the Power Core, and we can gather the elements I need."

Alyndra was still gaping at the slowly revolving core in shock, but she blinked twice and said, "We'll get one set up immediately." She rushed over to a couple of her fellow technicians, and began giving them quick orders.

"Nice work, Sparks," Alyssa said with an appreciative grin. "How long till you get what you need?"

"We should be done in a couple of hours," Dana said with a smile. "Their Power Core is much bigger than I thought it would be, so I was able to double the rate of anti-matter injection."

"Great!" Alyssa enthused, then glanced over at Irillith, who was staring off into the distance. She could feel worry pouring off the Maliri girl, so she walked over to her, and thought to her with concern, *Are you alright?*

Irillith turned to look at her, her eyelids fluttering a moment as she focused on Alyssa's face. She leaned in, pressing her lips to Alyssa's ear, and whispered to her, "I've started seeing flickering spots in my peripheral vision."

Alyssa reached out and placed a comforting hand on Irillith's shoulder, and asked, *When did this start happening?*

"This morning," Irillith whispered, sounding worried.

Alyssa gave her a comforting smile, and suggested telepathically, *Maybe you should go and see Rachel? She'll be able to check you out and make sure you're okay. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about though. With the huge amount of John's cum you've swallowed in the last couple of weeks, you'll be in perfect physical health, I guarantee it!*

Irillith gave her a smile, feeling reassured, and said, "I'll be alright for the moment. I'll speak to Rachel when the refit is done."

Alyssa nodded, giving her a comforting smile, and they both turned to watch the bright stream of anti-matter being fired into the Power Core.

***

John made good time removing the weapons, and he did a full circuit of the topdeck, casually discarding the old Laser Cannons and Gatling Lasers. The armour panel removing crew had watched in amazement at his effortless display of super-strength, and Calara eventually wandered down the hull to join him, with a broad smile on her face.

"You're distracting my girls," she told him while wagging a finger his way.

He smiled back at her, and said, "Hey, half of them were mine, you're just borrowing them for a bit."

Calara laughed, and leaned in to give him an affectionate kiss. "We're still making good time," she said enthusiastically, "I think we'll be done in a couple of hours."

John looked over at the Beam Lasers, and the engineers who were working quickly to uncouple them from their secured housing in the hull. "I've just got these Beam Lasers to remove, and we'll have cleared the topdeck," he said with satisfaction. He frowned then, and added, "I can't help that much for the rest, as they're underneath the ship."

The Latina looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "Why not get geared up, and use the magnetic boots on the Phalanx armour? You'll be able to walk all over the hull that way."

Chuckling, John scooped her up in his arms, and whirled her around, as she squealed with glee. "I knew I didn't just keep you around because you're a fine piece of ass," he joked with her playfully.

When he placed her carefully on the deck, her dark brown eyes were sparkling, and she pulled him down so she could whisper in his ear, "We haven't had a sparring session in a while. I've missed it."

He grinned at her, and she sauntered away to rejoin her crew, swaying her hips alluringly. He stood there, admiring the spectacular view, until someone cleared her throat politely beside him. Turning to look at her, he saw that it was Filaurel looking up at him, her cheeks flushed.

"Hey Filaurel, everything alright?" he asked her with a warm smile.

She nodded animatedly, and said, "We've uncoupled the Beam Lasers! Everyone's waiting to watch to see if you can lift them."

He laughed, and asked, "What do you think?"

Filaurel blushed and hesitated for a moment, before she asked brazenly, "I'd need to feel the muscles in your arms, before I can make a decision."

"Is that right?" John asked, looking down at her in amusement. He flexed his bicep for her, and she held her breath as she reached out with trembling hands to gently stroke his arm. He smiled as he asked, "What's the verdict?"

She gazed up at him with her angular, teal coloured eyes, and murmured, "I think you can do it."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he said with a smile, and she blushed furiously pulling away her hands with some reluctance.

He strolled over to the thirty-metre-long Beam Lasers, and nodded with satisfaction that they looked to have been unlocked as per Dana's instructions. When he glanced up, he saw that Rachel was standing next to Calara higher up the hull of the ship, with dozens of spellbound Maliri engineers arrayed around them. The two brunettes grinned at him, waving excitedly when they saw he was looking their way. He waved back at them, pleased to see them looking so happy.

*Come on Hercules, time to put on a good show,* Alyssa teased him. *You know your little exploits are distracting all the work crews?*

*Consider it a morale boosting exercise,* John replied with amusement. *This kind of maintenance is normally mind-numbingly tedious.*

*You don't have to justify your showing off to me,* she smirked in reply.

He chuckled, then squatted down at the end of one of the Beam Laser barrels. "Is it clear Almari?" he asked her, giving her a quick glance over his shoulder. The Maliri assassin was too awestruck to reply, so she just nodded mutely.

John closed his eyes, then took a deep breath to focus himself. He felt his breathing grow more measured, and his senses intensified with a sharper sense of clarity. This barrel was nearly thirty-metres in length, and at his best guess, must weigh close to four tons. He took a careful grip, then hauled mightily, heaving the huge weapon barrel into the air. His audience were truly astounded, gaping at him in disbelief, as he walked carefully over towards the edge of the hull, and launched the Beam Laser over the side. He turned to look back at the crowd with a smile of satisfaction on his face, and they went wild, applauding and cheering with delight.

*Very nice,* Alyssa said appreciatively, as he walked over to the next one. *Wasn't your last record about two tonnes?*

*Yeah, that's right. It was when we swapped out the engines on the Raptor,* he replied, grinning at the crowd as he hefted another massive laser barrel into the air. *This feels easier though, less of a strain somehow...*

There was a slight pause for a moment while Alyssa was thinking, and she eventually replied, *We've added Irillith to the crew since then, and you've also got Edraele as a second Matriarch. You and I intensified our connection as well, so you must be siphoning off more power from that.*

John nodded, then flipped the huge Beam Laser over Luna's head as she gaped at him in wonder. *Do you feel me drawing power from you, while I'm using my super-strength like this?* he asked her curiously.

*No, I can't feel a thing,* she replied honestly, while he walked over to the third Beam Laser in the starboard array. He could feel her frustration as she continued, *I wish these psychic powers weren't all such a mystery. I hate fumbling around in the dark like this, we need answers!*

*Fumbling in the dark can be fun,* John joked, as he effortlessly hauled the third Beam Laser into the air, then steadied his hold over it carefully. After Ilyana gave him an excited nod, he hurled the weapon in a smooth arc over the edge of the Invictus. *I know what you mean though. We should speak to Edraele later, and see if she can tell us anything.*

He started walking over to the three Beam Lasers in the port array, and Alyssa said, *You might want to hold up for a moment there. Jade and her crew are arriving to see the show. You should give them their money's worth.*

Looking up, he saw the Nymph strolling over to join Calara and Rachel, and she gave him a beautiful smile when they made eye contact. Her team of twenty engineers were spreading out amongst the other sixty Maliri women, and he could hear all sorts of incredulous chatter as they gossiped with their friends. He clapped his hands, then rubbed them together as if in preparation, and an expectant hush fell amongst the crowd. Crouching down, he grabbed hold of the first of these Beam lasers, then smoothly raised it into the air, to another gratifying round of clapping and cheering. When Ilyana gave him the all-clear, he casually lobbed the weapon over fifty metres of hull, and it cleanly fell to the side and the awaiting tractor field.

*You missed your vocation,* Alyssa giggled. *You should have been in the circus!*

John laughed while moving to the next Beam Laser, and crouched down next to it, getting ready to lift it into the air. Suddenly a terrified, piercing scream filled the air, and he darted a shocked glance in the direction it had come from. He turned just in time to see one of the Maliri engineers had slipped, and was falling off the port edge of the hull, her blue arms flung out in desperation.

Lurching to his feet, he sprinted in the poor woman's direction, not sure how he could save her, but determined to try. Jade moved much faster however, shimmering into tiger form, and leaping over the crowd in a dark-green flash.

"Jade!" he cried out to her in alarm, as she flung herself over the edge of the hull, falling to her doom.

He raced up to the edge of the hull, his heart in his mouth as he searched for her desperately, fearing the worst. Suddenly with a flap of huge dark-green feathered wings, an enormous viridian striped hawk rose gracefully into the air, the fallen Maliri grasped carefully in her talons. There were more gasps of shock and amazement behind him, and he turned to see all the engineers thronging about the edge of the ship.

"Back up everyone!" he called out in a commanding voice. "I don't want anyone else falling!"

The Maliri moved away obediently, staying clear of the edge, and giving the Jade Falcon plenty of room to land. Jade hovered above John, flapping her wings in a rhythmic beat to stay airborne. He could feel the soft brush of air overhead, and she flew into the gap on the hull that everyone had cleared for her. She carefully placed the Maliri engineer on the ship, releasing her from her talons, then shimmered, turning back into her Nymph shape.

John strode over to join them, and he knelt by the trembling Maliri woman, who had been scared witless. "It's alright, you're safe now," he said to her in a soothing voice. He looked around and spotted Filaurel in the crowd, and asked, "What's her name?"

Filaurel hurried over, and kneeling beside him, she said, "This is Ioelena."

John gently stroked the Maliri woman's arm, and said, "Don't worry Ioelena, Jade saved you. You're not in any danger now." He glanced over the terrified woman to the Nymph, and said gratefully, "That was amazing. I'm really proud of you, Jade."

Ioelena flung herself into his arms, sobbing with relief, and he stroked her back comfortingly, while looking at Jade. She had a satisfied smile on her beautiful green face, and her emerald cat-like eyes sparkled as she gazed at him. Eventually Ioelena calmed down enough to stop crying, and she looked up at him, her flushed, tear-stained cheeks a dark blue.

"What happened?" he asked the shaken woman with concern.

Ioelena blushed furiously, turning an even darker navy colour, and admitted shamefacedly, "I wanted to get a better view, and I slipped, then fell off the ship."

John chuckled, and said, "Well lucky for you, Jade was here. She was the one that saved you, not me."

Ioelena turned to the Nymph, and nodded to her in gratitude, her voice trembling as she said, "Thank you so much. I don't even know you, and you risked yourself for me. Why would you do that?"

With a gentle smile on her face, Jade replied, "John saved me from enslavement and death. The least I can do is to try and protect his friends."

Standing up, John offered Filaurel and Ioelena his hands, and they gratefully accepted, rising to stand very close next to him. They both looked up at him with wide eyes, while Jade stood up too, watching John and the Maliri girls with a satisfied smile. John suddenly noticed that Jade was now nude, having ripped through her outfit with her rapid shape-shifting.

"Maybe you should go and get some more clothes?" he suggested with a grin.

Jade laughed, then winked as she said, "I'll be back in a few minutes. Make sure no one else falls off the edge!"

With that, she stepped over into a clear area, and crouched down as she was swathed in a dark-green haze. She grew much larger, her shape solidifying into that of the Jade Falcon once again, then with a flap of her wings, she lifted off the deck, then swooped away over the side of the ship and down to the Hangar Bay below.

The crowd watched her in amazement, and when she disappeared from view, they seemed to turn as one, gazing at John with even greater admiration. The moment was somewhat disrupted when John's stomach rumbled loudly, and the nearby Maliri smiled at him in amusement.

"Alright, nearly time for lunch," he said eagerly. Then with a playful frown at Ioelena he said, "I'll just remove the last two Beam Lasers, but no more diving off the ship this time."

She blushed, but his gentle ribbing did nothing to dampen the look of adoration she gave him.

***

Alyssa shook her head in amazement, as Calara, Rachel, and Jade all filled her in on events back at the Invictus. Along with John's inner voice, it was fascinating to get four different viewpoints on what had just happened. In any event, the girls were all of the opinion that the Maliri seemed to have become even more besotted with the erstwhile Lion of the Federation. She marvelled at the overwhelming speed with which he was entrancing these Maliri, and it gave her a newfound appreciation for just how cunning the Progenitors were. How easy it would be to subvert whole swathes of a population if your mere presence turned them into devoted followers.

She looked across at Dana, and smiled fondly, as the brilliant young woman seemed to have captivated her own group of Maliri. The technicians in the control room were listening attentively to every word she said, as the redhead explained the theory behind the experiment they had just completed with the Power Core. They had deployed the ore scoop, and were currently waiting while it collected up the new elements that they required for the Crystal Alyssium.

Turning her attention to Irillith, Alyssa watched her with concern, as the beautiful heir to House Valaden gazed off into the distance distractedly. Her angular violet eyes were flickering now and then, as though trying to see something on the corner of her vision. Deciding to try and distract her from whatever was causing this troubling disruption to her eyesight, Alyssa walked over to her, and stroked her back soothingly.

*Irillith, can I ask you a question?* she asked, when the Maliri woman turned to look at her.

Irillith glanced at the other Maliri in the room, but they were enthralled by Dana's lecture on material physics. "Sure, go ahead," she replied quietly.

*The Maliri engineers back at the ship are already smitten with John, and it's only been a few hours,* Alyssa informed her casually. She then gave her a probing look, and asked her bluntly, *So, how on Terra did you resist him for so long?*

Irillith looked startled for a moment, then blushed furiously. She beckoned Alyssa closer, and then leaned in to her ear and whispered, "I spent weeks watching you in bed together on the video feedback, and fantasising about him incessantly. I thought I was going to go crazy with lust at one point, but my fear of the Mael'nerak, and anger at my mother, helped me resist the urge to go to him."

Alyssa pulled away, so that she could stare into Irillith's eyes, and she reached up to gently caress her face, as she said sincerely, *That must have been terrible for you, being so conflicted. I'm so sorry you suffered like that.*

Irillith stared back into the bright cerulean eyes for a long moment, then leaned in again, and whispered softly in her ear, "I've never known anyone as kind or lovely as you are. I can see why he loves you so much."

Alyssa pulled her in for a hug, and whispered in Irillith's ear, "I'm so glad you joined us. You're turning into a wonderful person."

They hugged each other tightly, completely unnoticed by all the other occupants of the room.

***

John was sitting down on the hull of the Invictus, enjoying a pleasant lunch with Calara, Rachel, Jade, and eighty enraptured Maliri engineers. He took a big bite out of the strange flatbread filled with delicious spiced meats and vegetables, and groaned appreciatively.

When he swallowed the final bite, he smiled at the spellbound Maliri woman sitting across from him and exclaimed, "Thessalia, you're an incredible cook! That tasted absolutely delicious. What did you call it again?"

Thessalia sighed happily, and said, "It's Aloysia bread, with roasted Camara, and Lomin leaves."

He grinned at her, and joked, "If we ever decide to hire a ship's cook, would you be interested?"

She giggled at him, but her answering nod, and the look she gave him was anything but playful. He looked at his girls, and saw they seemed to be enjoying their lunch just as much as he had been. They smiled at him, nodding approvingly as they ate.

"Thanks so much for sharing your lunch with us," he said gratefully to the gathered throng of blue-skinned women. "It looks like my crew enjoyed your cooking just as much as I did!"

The Maliri tittered happily, and looked to be having a wonderful time as they sat around and ate as well. John turned to look at Filaurel who was sitting close beside him, and asked, "Filaurel, I don't really know much about Maliri society, would you tell me about it?"

She gazed up at him, and said, "Of course, John, what would you like to know?"

He tilted his head to one side for a moment, then asked, "Well tell me a little about yourself first, and we'll see where the conversation takes us. You seem to be a very capable engineer, and you have no trouble with alien tech. You learnt how to dismantle these weapons in no time!"

She blushed, then said, "Thank you for the compliment. I've had many years experience at Genthalas, so a task like uncoupling these weapons is very easy to complete."

John frowned and said, "You can't have had that much experience. If you were a Terran, I'd say you weren't a day over twenty-five." He looked over at Rachel, and asked, "You like xeno-biology, Doctor, how old would you guess Filaurel is?"

Rachel smiled at him, and said, "Of course, it's terribly rude to ask a lady her age." She glanced around the Maliri women, and said, "But if I had to guess, all these women look young to me. I know Maliri are longer lived than Terrans, but I'd guess twenties to early thirties at most."

There was a chorus of laughter from the Maliri, and they smiled as they shook their heads.

John laughed along with them and asked, "Let me guess, we're way out?"

Thessalia took pity on him, and said softly, "I'm one-hundred-and-twelve in Terran years. Filaurel is a youngster, she's only eighty-five."

When John's jaw dropped in shock, the Maliri laughed all the more, and he exclaimed playfully, "I would have had no idea!"

Edraele's voice echoed in his mind, as she asked curiously, *I told you my age earlier, why are you surprised, my Lord?*

*Just putting them at their ease,* John explained. *I'm curious to know more about them, and it's hard to do that with them staring at me in astonished silence.*

Her voice sounded impressed as she said, *How intriguing. Please continue, my Lord.*

He looked at Filaurel again, and asked, "So how long have you been at Genthalas for?"

Warming up to his gentle conversation, Filaurel replied, "Just over thirty years. Before that I worked as a shuttle technician on Valaden, after ten years at technical academy there. I wasn't born on Valaden though, I grew up on a planet called Panala in a system near here."

"And how did you learn to speak such excellent English?" he asked her with a smile. "My Maliri is quite atrocious!"

Filaurel laughed, then said, "The Terrans have been broadcasting huge volumes of media for centuries. Your wonderful movies and shows are fascinating, and the Maliri pick up languages very easily, so most Maliri have learnt English from there. The Maliri only have a few state-sponsored broadcasters, and they are painfully dry and uninteresting."

John laughed, and said, "I'd never have imagined Terran culture was that pervasive."

"It is not unwelcome, honestly!" Filaurel said eagerly. "I used to watch many hours of Terran broadcasting when I was a child, before I went to college."

"Really?" John asked, "What sort of age do Maliri children normally go to professional colleges?"

"It varies by a few years, but usually by the age of twenty-five or so," Thessalia volunteered eagerly.

John smiled at her, and asked, "What made you decide to become an engineer, Thessalia?"

She looked confused, and replied, "I was allocated the profession based on my aptitude with mechanical devices."

"Maliri children don't get to pick their careers?" John asked her in surprise. He looked up at the nearby women, and asked, "Was that the same for you, Syndra?"

Syndra nodded, and said, "I was assigned to the Engineering College on my homeworld at twenty-four."

"What career did you follow, John," Filaurel asked him curiously.

He smiled at her, and replied, "I was in the Terran Federation military for ten years before I retired, and became a merchant for eleven years after that." He glanced over at the girls in his crew, and gave them a wink as he added, "For the last several months, I've been flying around the galaxy, rescuing beautiful women from danger."

The girls laughed at him affectionately, while the nearby Maliri swooned with delight. Luna was the first to recover, and she asked him in her quiet voice, "Do you have any family, John?"

He turned to look at her, and replied, "I don't know who my father was, and my mother disappeared shortly after I was born. I grew up with my grandparents, but they passed away fairly recently. I was on my own for a while, but I've grown close to my crew, and I consider them my family now."

Luna smiled at him wistfully, and asked, "Do you have any children?"

"Not yet," he replied, "But I'm looking forward to being a father when the time is right."

When he turned around, he saw doe-eyed looks from his crew, which he expected from them every time babies, or pregnancies were mentioned. He was surprised to see similar looks on the blue-skinned faces of the ten Maliri engineers he's been working with this morning.

"Do any of you ladies have children?" he asked the assembled throng.

There was a hushed quiet, and a look of sadness passed over many of the Maliri women. He looked at them in concern, and asked, "What's the matter? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset anyone."

Filaurel looked up at him, and explained softly, "Only the wealthy and powerful enter into negotiations with the men on the border stations. As engineers, we are neither, so it is unlikely that any of us will be blessed with children."

John's look of shock was genuine this time, as he asked, "How does your society survive?! I know the Maliri are long lived, but without any men around, the birth-rate is going to plummet."

Filaurel could only shrug helplessly, a forlorn look on her lovely azure face.

*The birth-rate has declined, you are quite correct, my Lord,* Edraele informed him sadly. *The men exiled themselves to the border stations approximately five centuries ago, and it has had a significant impact already.*

He let out a sigh, as he realised just how dysfunctional the current Maliri society was, and he was more determined than ever to do something to correct it. He reached over and took Filaurel's hand, squeezing it gently as he said encouragingly, "Things don't always have to stay the same way. Who knows? One day someone might come along and make some changes."

She gazed up at him with hope in her eyes, and he gave her a reassuring smile. He released her hand, then stood up, and said to everyone, "I hope you weren't offended by my questions. Please forgive my curious nature, I just find the Maliri fascinating, and wanted to learn more."

The Maliri women gave him loving smiles, and he knew immediately that none of them were upset with him. Sensing that lunch was over, everyone started to stand, and Rachel walked over to join him. "Thanks for encouraging them to talk about the Maliri, that was really interesting," she said to him in a hushed voice. " If you have a moment, I'd like to chat to you about something."

He nodded, looking at her curiously, then turned to search for his work crew, and said, "You ladies carry on with the rest of the weapon refit without me, I'll be back later. Focus on the Gatling Lasers for now, and leave the Laser Cannons for last, so I can assist."

The Maliri engineers nodded, smiling and waving goodbye as they walked away purposefully. He watched them leave for a moment, then said, to Rachel, "I'm meeting with Edraele before coming back to the ship. Do you want to walk with me, and we can talk on the way over there?"

"Of course," Rachel replied with an easy-going smile. She fell into step beside him, and they walked over to the maintenance gantries that led back down to the deck of the drydock.

John noticed that Luna, Almari and Ilyana were following close behind, and he smiled at them, before asking, "Would you ladies mind going on ahead to the shuttle? I'd like to have a private chat with Rachel."

"Of course, John," Luna said, smiling at him warmly as she bowed to him respectfully. The three Maliri assassins strolled away quickly to put some distance between them.

He turned to look at Rachel, and asked, "Now, what did you want to speak to me about?"

She began to walk with him at a slow pace, and she let out a sad sigh as she replied, "The Maliri. Hearing those poor women say that they'd never be able to have children was heartbreaking. We must be able to do something to fix Maliri society."

John nodded soberly, saying, "Even ten thousand years on, they're still suffering from the after-effects of the Mael'nerak's rule." He glanced her way, then added, "I'm working with Edraele to try and fix some of these problems. She only rules over House Valaden, but I'm hoping that if I can make her reign more benevolent, it might cause a ripple through the other noble Houses. If things improve back on the Coreworlds, then perhaps this ridiculous gender split might end naturally."

Rachel nodded thoughtfully, then said, "That's all very commendable, and I wholeheartedly approve. I was thinking of something a little more radical though..."

He stopped, and looked at her, asking, "That sounds intriguing. What's your brilliant mind cooked up now?"

The tawny haired girl gazed up at him, and he could see the bright sparkle of intelligence behind those grey eyes that he found so alluring. "I couldn't help but notice the effect the genetic behaviour modification is having on those Maliri women. I'm sure that if you asked, any one of them would be overjoyed at getting more intimate with you," she began cautiously.

John nodded, saying, "Yes, the effect is getting stronger on the women I've been near for longest. You aren't suggesting I go and knock a few of them up before we leave are you?"

Rachel smiled, and shook her head, as she replied, "They are beautiful, so I wouldn't blame you, but no, that's not what I'm suggesting." She looked him firmly in the eye and said, "The main driver for the problems in their society is their massively skewed gender birth ratio. It isn't natural, and was forced upon them by another Progenitor. I believe you can undo that."

He looked surprised, and said, "Really? How can you be sure?"

She looked away distantly for a moment, before saying, "We already know that Maliri behaviour modification makes them look upon Progenitors, and Progenitor affected Maliri more favourably. If you were to modify those women to fix the skewed birth gender ratios, then that 'fix' would eventually spread throughout their society. By being with you, their hair will turn white, marking them as 'Progenitor affected', and making them more attractive to Maliri males. I suspect at that point, when the Maliri behaviour modification kicks in, it will help override the normal wealth and power breeding rights."

John nodded thoughtfully, and said, "It might just work." He frowned, and said, "But we'll only be here a couple of days. As impressive as my powers of recuperation are, I'll only be able to fill up a handful of girls at most."

"I doubt you need to blow them up like a balloon," she giggled. "As fun as it is to be on the receiving end, I'm sure a far smaller quantity will be enough. Do you remember I mentioned a while ago about Progenitors affecting large numbers of women at once. I sincerely doubt they do that by stuffing each one to the brim with cum."

"Actually, I think you're spot on," he said with surprise. "Alyssa said something very similar earlier. She was adamant that only a small mouthful would link a Maliri woman to Edraele, and I bet the hair change would go hand-in-hand with that."

She grinned at him, and said, "Perfect! So between now and when we leave, just share some out with as many Maliri as you can. I'm sure Jade could help, she's always coming up with fun ways of 'sharing' with us girls."

John smiled, and nodded, before looking more serious and saying, "But how do we know it's going to work the way we intended, and fix the birth ratio? Isn't it normally males that determine the gender of a baby with XY or XX chromosomes in sperm?"

"Very good," she commended him. "Yes, that's normally correct, but with the Progenitor preoccupation with females, I bet he's tweaked their eggs instead. If I was an evil Progenitor doing it, I'd modify the eggs to block nine out of ten XY sperm instead."

"Alright," John agreed, "But how do we get the cum they ingest to effect them that way?"

"Just think what you want to change, and it'll happen," Rachel said decisively. "I'm sure your latent psychic abilities guide all this, without you having any real need to control it more than by desire alone."

John gave her a curious look, and asked, "How can you be so sure?"

Rachel looked confused for a moment, then admitted ruefully, "I'm sorry, it's not through any scientific testing or anything definitive. I'm just certain I'm right."

"More of my Progenitor knowledge leaking out?" he asked her, quite intrigued.

She smiled and replied, "That would be my best guess, yes."

He blew out his breath, then glanced at her and said, "OK, so let me summarise then. You want me to get Jade to help me feed my cum to as many Maliri girls as possible, while concentrating on healing them of this gender ratio skewing change the Mael'nerak made. Then they'll be seen as desirable mates, and this fix will eventually spread throughout their population?"

"Exactly!" she said enthusiastically.

"I'll see what I can do," he said to her with a smile.

Rachel gave him a tight hug, and said, "Thank you. I'm sure we're doing the right thing."

John hugged her back, then gave her a quick kiss. She smiled at him, then started to walk back to the ship and her work crew, who were busy preparing the central core through the Invictus.

"Oh, what was it you wanted to speak to me about regarding Progenitor-John?" he called after her curiously.

She turned and replied, "It can wait, we'll talk about it later." Giving him a friendly smile and a wave goodbye, she walked away, returning across the maintenance gantry to the Invictus.

He leaned against the nearby safety railing, and looked out over the assault cruiser from his vantage point on the gantry, watching the dozens of engineers who were busy working hard on the refit. Calara and her team were removing armour plating sections from the ship, and turning it from a glossy white to a drab grey, as the Titanium superstructure was revealed beneath. Rachel's central core team were manoeuvring a huge cutting beam into position above the Invictus, and he saw them greet the tawny haired girl as she jogged over to rejoin them. Finally his attention was drawn to the women from his engineering crew, who were clustered together around several grav platforms. He watched as they carefully prepared them so that they would be able to safely access, then uncouple, the weapons on the side of the hull.

Impressed by the diligence and hard work of these Maliri, he nodded to himself, making his mind up to do whatever it took to help them. Filled with a refreshing sense of purpose, he turned and strolled away, heading to Edraele's shuttle.

***

"Thanks for your help, Alyndra, this is perfect!" Dana said gleefully, as she looked down at the four large ore containers carefully loaded on a pair of grav-sleds.

She had taken the lid off the first two containers, revealing a dark brown metal in one, and a dull orange one in another. Nodding with satisfaction, she resealed the containers, locking the lids back into place with a soft metallic click.

Alyndra smiled at her, and replied, "I should be thanking you, Dana." She added wistfully, "I just wish you could stay longer, we could learn so much from you."

Dana grinned and said, "I'd love to stay and talk more science, but we're in the middle of a major refit, sorry!"

The Maliri lead technician sighed, then said in a voice heavy with regret, "I should be apologising for the way I treated you before. If you should ever need my assistance again, I promise I'll trust you unreservedly next time."

"Thanks, Alyndra," Dana said with a gracious smile, then nodded to Irillith, who was standing at the ready with the remotes. She turned back to the Lead technician, and added, "You're welcome to come and visit me at the drydock though, I'd be happy to answer any other physics questions you've got."

"I'll come and find you later!" Alyndra said enthusiastically, and Dana gave her a friendly wave goodbye.

Irillith began to walk ahead, back the way they came to the drydock, with the grav-sleds following along obediently behind her. Alyssa strolled along at her side, and Dana fell into step next to her. Makaela was absent, having excused herself hours ago, claiming that she needed to attend to some urgent business. However, Alyssa could tell by the hungry gleam in her sapphire eyes exactly where she really intended to go.

Before Makaela left, Dana had dictated a list of common elements to have brought to the drydock, and the Shipyard Commander had grudgingly taken note of them all. She had balked at the redhead's request for fifty tons of Maliri crystal to be grown to a specific formula, protesting that she'd never be able to have that much prepared at short notice. When pressed by Irillith, Makaela conceded sullenly that if she brought more of Genthalas' dormant crystal manufacturing labs online, she could grow the amount they required within a couple of hours.

Alyssa suspected that the real reason for Makaela's reluctance had been the fact that she would now have to oversee the manufacturing process, rather than go and stare at John for hours. Rolling her eyes, she'd promised that if the Shipyard Commander did a good job, they'd let her "closely oversee" the weapons team he was working with. Makaela had eventually jogged away with an added spring in her step.

"So what's the plan with the psychic shaping?" Dana asked Alyssa curiously, distracting the blonde from her thoughts of the grumpy Shipyard Commander. "Do you want to keep out of sight in the Invictus' Cargo Bay?"

Alyssa smiled at her, and shook her head saying, "With John showing off his super-strength, me using telekinesis probably won't raise any pulses."

"I doubt they'd even notice what you're up to if John's around," Irillith remarked dryly.

Alyssa laughed, and said, "Yes, he does seem very popular with you azure-hued ladies."

Irillith smiled at her, and joked, "We can't get enough of his pointy ears."

Dana chortled at that, and gave the Maliri woman a comradely pat on the shoulder as they walked along. Irillith was initially startled at the contact, and she glanced over at the redhead who gave her a cheerful grin. She relaxed, and just let herself enjoy the novel feeling of belonging to a group, despite the strangeness of not having to watch what she said or did around these girls. When she turned to look the other way at the blonde gliding along with perfect poise beside her, Alyssa gave her a warm and knowing smile.

***

Jade carefully powered up the engines on the Raptor, slowly lifting off from the Hangar Bay floor inside the Invictus. They had already stripped the armour plating and weapons off the gunship, and the reduced weight had made the Raptor more twitchy and sensitive to movements of the flightstick. She slowly drifted out to port, clearing the huge Hangar doors in the cruiser's hull, then feathered the retro-thrusts with care to avoid accidentally overshooting her landing area. When she had drifted out a few dozen metres, she brought the Raptor down to a gentle rest on the deck of the drydock, in an area highlighted by a glowing orange circle. Nodding with satisfaction, she powered down the engines, and started quickly running through her shutdown sequence.

"Jade, would you mind if I asked you a very personal question?" Ioelena asked her hesitantly.

Ever since Jade had saved the young Maliri engineer from her fall, Ioelena had taken to following her around like a lost puppy. The Nymph hadn't minded in the slightest, as she had proven to be a helpful assistant with coordinating the maintenance crew under her control.

Jade turned to look at the pensive blue-skinned woman, and replied with a kind smile, "Of course not Ioelena, ask me whatever you like."

The Maliri blushed furiously, then steeling her resolve, asked in a quiet voice, "Some of my colleagues were wondering if John is involved with any of the girls on his crew?"

Jade rose from her chair, the shutdown checks now complete, and nodded, saying openly, "Oh yes, he's an extremely powerful man, and a wonderfully virile lover. We're all extremely fortunate to be his mates."

"All of you?" she faltered, her eyes wide. "Even Irillith?!"

Jade smiled as she confided in her, "John plans to breed all of us eventually, and I know he finds Maliri women particularly appealing. I have to agree with him; I think you're an exquisitely beautiful people."

Ioelena flushed at the compliment, then looked thoughtful as she considered what Jade had said.

*What are you up to, Jade?* Alyssa asked her curiously.

Jade waited patiently by the cockpit door for the Maliri girl, and Ioelena started when she realised she was keeping the green-skinned girl waiting. Ioelena smiled at her apologetically, then walked through to the grav-tube to descend to the level below. As the Nymph followed after her, she replied to the psychic blonde, *These Maliri have no mates, and John could easily breed all of them.* She let out a happy sigh at the thought, and added, *Can you imagine all those lovely blue-skinned girls, pregnant with his children? My Master deserves nothing less.*

There was a brief pause, then Alyssa replied, *Yes, I'm getting turned on just thinking about it, but you know what John's like. We've got to leave by tomorrow, and he's not going to knock any Maliri up, then just abandon them.*

Jade frowned in disappointment as she conceded that Alyssa was right. Her master would never give these women the children they desired without being there to help provide for them. She strolled down the front loading ramp, and focusing on the next task at hand, said to Ioelena, "We can start cutting through the hull, and begin preparation for the Central Core installation. Please ask the maintenance teams to follow the plans they were provided."

Ioelena smiled, and after giving Jade a respectful nod, ran over to the rest of the work crew where she began chattering to them excitedly. The Nymph watched the Maliri women gathering round to listen to Ioelena, their eyes going wide as they hung on her every word, while darting inquisitive glances at Jade.

Sensing Jade's frustration, Alyssa said, *Don't worry, Rachel has another plan in mind to help these women. I'll fill you in on the details.*

Perking up immediately, Jade's face lit up into a sparkling smile as she listened to Alyssa describe what they had in mind.

***

John walked up to the hull of Edraele's golden private shuttle, but the crystal airlock door remained firmly closed, barring him from entry. He was surprised to find that Luna hadn't opened the door for him, as the Maliri assassin had disappeared inside the ship some time ago, while he'd been busy chatting to Rachel, then watching the engineering crews at work.

*I've arrived at the airlock to your ship, Edraele,* he said, reaching out to her with his mind.

After only a moment's delay, the airlock door lifted up smoothly, and Edraele replied, *My apologies for keeping you waiting, my Lord. I was busy with a surprise for you.*

John chuckled as he stepped through the airlock, and strolled over to the elevator. *That sounds intriguing. What are you up to?* he asked her curiously.

*If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise!* she replied light heartedly, and he smiled, suspecting an answer along those lines.

The elevator ascended silently, and when the crystal door opened, he walked along the corridor to Edraele's suite. She was waiting for him in the audience hall, and glided over to him with a bright smile on her face.

"You seem to be in a very good mood," he teased her, as he strolled forward and greeted her with a kiss.

Her lips were soft and full, and as their mouths met, she pressed herself against him, moulding her luscious figure against his body. He couldn't help but be reminded of the way Irillith kissed him, and Edraele's eyes met his as she flicked her tongue against his own. She didn't say anything, but he saw a knowing look in her eye, clearly having read his thoughts.

When they parted, she said, "I'm happy for two reasons. Firstly, I think your plan to heal the Maliri is a wonderful one, and I'll play my part to help it come to fruition. With the vast influence I possess, arranging partners for any girls you link with me will be an easy and pleasant endeavour."

"Thank you, I appreciate it," he replied gratefully. She held his hand with hers, then smiled at him coyly, and started leading him towards the door into the lounge at the back of the room. He then asked with a teasing smile, "What was the second reason?"

Edraele led him into the lounge, but instead of moving to one of the sofas, she gave him a flirtatious look, and carried on towards the door at the back of the room. "The second reason, is that I know you plan to replenish Alyssa later, but it will be several hours until she needs your help. While she's busy psychically shaping the new material, I have the privilege of servicing you right now."

John pulled her into his arms and kissed her again, but this time he slipped a hand down between them and ran his fingers over her slim stomach. Edraele whimpered into his mouth as he stroked her tummy suggestively, then brought his hands around behind her and cupped her taut cheeks, squeezing and massaging them firmly.

He was surprised to see a conflicted look pass quickly across her face, and then amazed as she reluctantly pulled away from him. Giving him an alluring smile, she pushed the door open into the softly lit bedroom beyond, then sashayed inside, beckoning him to follow. He grinned at the effort she had made for their first proper time together, and he admired her elegant poise and bearing as she glided deeper into the room.

She stopped at the bed, then turned slowly to meet his gaze, flushing slightly at the intensity of the look he gave her. Entering the room confidently, he walked towards her, but at the last moment, her lovely angular purple eyes darted to her right, and her luscious mouth twitched into a smile. Curious as to what had drawn her attention, he halted inches away from her, and turned to follow her gaze.

He gasped in shock when he saw Luna, Almari and Ilyana sitting draped over chaise-lounge chairs in the corner of the room. They were wearing wispy, silk-like diaphanous white lingerie, that accentuated and teasingly concealed the glorious contours of their toned athletic figures. The three girls were entranced by him, giving him smouldering looks, and as soon as Edraele drew his attention to them, they rose to their feet gracefully. Luna took the lead, flanked by her companions, and they prowled towards him, their expressions hungry and lustful.

*I hope I didn't disappoint with my surprise, my Lord,* Edraele asked him cautiously. *I ache to be with you, but my loyal bodyguards begged me for this opportunity.*

The three deadly and beautiful young women halted their approach only an arm's length away, and he could see their desperate need to reach out to touch him. At the same time, their deference to him demanded that they wait for his permission, and he could see the conflicting desires warring on their lovely faces. They gazed up at him, frozen between the two opposing choices, until finally Luna spoke up, breaking the hushed quiet of the moment.

"Please let us serve you, John," she purred softly, her angular yellow eyes burning with passion.

Ilyana nodded, her turquoise eyes flashing with excitement as she murmured, "We'll be your faithful and obedient followers."

Almari's cobalt blue eyes sparkled in the light, and she nodded as she said breathily, "I'd never dreamed a man like you existed. Such presence and strength..."

John blinked, and took a steadying breath to get over the shock. He looked down at the three stunningly beautiful young women, and part of him wanted to leap at the chance to bed them, while another part held back. He went from girl to girl, looking each in the eye, and finally said, "I want all three of you, but I won't bind women to me without them understanding who I am. You know I'm not Terran or Maliri, don't you?"

The three Maliri assassins nodded firmly, as Edraele's voice echoed through his mind, *I thought you might feel this way, so I spoke to them about you beforehand.*

He gave her a sharp look, then turned to look at the girls arrayed before him and said, "Edraele tells me she explained my nature to you. Who, or what, do you think I am?"

He was expecting Luna to answer, but it was Ilyana who replied, as she said excitedly, "You are one of the Progenitors, akin to the being we Maliri refer to as the Mael'nerak. But where he came to enslave and destroy, you are his opposite, seeking to liberate and empower."

John's eyes darted to Edraele again, and she gave him a loving smile.

Almari nodded, her eyes wide with wonder as she said, "I would never have believed Edraele's tale, if not for your titanic display of strength. No normal being possesses such power."

He was somewhat reassured by these answers, but his eyes narrowed as he asked, "And you know that if you serve me now, you'll be psychically linked with Edraele?"

Luna's eyes darted to the Maliri Matriarch, and she said fervently, "We would already give our lives for our Matriarch. By joining with you, we will empower her, making it easier to keep her safe."

Ilyana stepped forward, bravely reaching out to brush her trembling fingers along his arm, and she said softly, "Edraele explained how you want to help the Maliri. It's a worthy and noble goal, which will undo a great wrong done to us by the Mael'nerak."

*They're fully informed, and desperate to join you,* Alyssa encouraged him eagerly. *Don't make them beg, that's just cruel.*

*Shh, you,* he told her, experimenting with sending a telepathic eye-roll her way. She laughed delightedly in return, sensing his decision, and agreeing wholeheartedly.

John smiled warmly at the three girls, and said, "Then I agree." They gasped with delight, expressions turning lusty as they stepped closer, reaching out to touch him.

John noticed Almari's blue fingers on her right hand were sporting burn scars, and he took her hand gently in his own, studying it intently. "What happened to your hand, Almari?" he asked her with concern.

The three girls paused in surprise, not expecting him to react this way, and Almari replied tentatively, "It was burned by the shadow barrier that your dark-half created. Edraele explained that your Matriarch helped you vanquish that side of yourself, leaving only a good person remaining."

John nodded, then said, "I'm sorry you got hurt that way. I'll make sure that I heal it."

"Heal it?" Luna asked him curiously.

John laughed, and said, "Sorry, I'm killing the mood here. Yes, by being with me, I can heal your scars and injuries. Have any of you been injured before?"

The three of them darted glances at each other, chuckling in amusement, then they smiled at him and nodded emphatically. "In our line of business, getting hurt is all in a day's work," Luna said in her quiet voice.

Nodding in grim understanding, John walked over to the bed, and sat down on the edge. "Show me," he requested simply.

The three Maliri assassins blushed, then moved to stand before him, as Edraele kicked off her shoes and sat on the bed at his side. She gracefully tucked her legs underneath her, then leaned against his shoulder to watch. Luna, Almari, and Ilyana darted heated looks at him, as they slowly peeled away the wispy layers of lingerie, revealing ever greater amounts of luscious blue flesh. None of the girls were excessively busty, but their well proportioned breasts sat high and firm on their chests, topped with dark blue nipples. Their bodies were lean and well muscled, toned with intensive exercise, and all three were in the very peak of condition.

"You're all extremely beautiful girls," he told them honestly.

They blushed, and smiled at him for the compliment, while carefully removing the last of their garments. When they were all fully nude, he had to adjust his seating to rearrange his painfully hard cock, his quad preparing itself to satisfy the three stunning Maliri women. Gesturing to Ilyana to begin, she started showing him her scars, and listing all the injuries she had picked up in her illustrious career. The list included a seared retina from an errant phosphorous grenade, six broken ribs, three of which had been broken twice, two breaks in her right leg, and a recurring dislocated shoulder, acquired while falling three stories to escape from a burning building. Her back was a latticework of scars received from a tyrannical trainer who had been very fond of the neural whip, and her arms and legs sported a variety of scars from an extensive variety of weapon wounds.

"Thank you Ilyana," he said, secretly appalled at the level of physical abuse the poor woman had endured to her body. He smiled encouragingly to Almari, and asked, "Would you like to go next?"

As the blue eyed Maliri girl began to go through her laundry list of breaks and scars, Alyssa's voice sounded in his mind again, *As morbidly compelling as this show-and-tell is, you seem to have a curious idea of foreplay.*

John stifled a laugh as he explained, *Unfortunately I don't have time to spend two weeks giving these girls the deluxe package you girls got. I'm going to have to do what I can in one go.* He paused a moment, and then added, *I get the feeling that knowing about their old wounds will help me guide the healing, but don't ask me how I know that.*

He could sense Alyssa thinking this over, and she eventually said, *It looks like it wasn't just us girls that benefitted from our boosted connection. Maybe that's how you know?*

He nodded thoughtfully, while listening to Almari finish her list, then he moved on to Luna. Her litany of injuries was relatively short, the most serious of which was damage to her larynx from a gas attack, and a nasty scar where she had been impaled through the stomach with a sword.

"You haven't picked up that many injuries, Luna, are you the youngest?" he asked her curiously.

As Luna shook her head, Edraele said proudly, "Actually she's the eldest, but she's very, very good."

John nodded, then reached out and gently stroked her blue skin, just at the point where she had received the jagged scar from the severe sword wound. She gasped when he touched her, her yellow eyes staring at him intently as he gazed at her body. "This looks like it was a nasty wound," he said sympathetically as he ran his fingertips along its length. "When did you get that, and what happened exactly?"

Luna let out a little sigh, and said in her quiet, solemn voice, "I was sixteen when I finished my third round of training. I received that scar fighting in the cull."

Fairly sure he didn't want to know the answer, John still asked anyway, "What's 'the cull'?"

"The ten remaining students were all given a sword, and placed in an arena. Only four of us were allowed to leave alive," she explained, the sad look in her eye betraying the clinical way she described it.

Shaking his head in sympathy, John looked into her eyes, and said, "I can try and take the emotional pain away from that too."

Luna shook her head, and replied softly, "Thank you, but please don't. I lost my sister in the cull, and although it's painful to remember that I couldn't save her, I wish to retain the memory intact."

John met her intense gaze, and nodded soberly, gently brushing his hand against her skin in a soothing manner. She smiled at him, appreciating his comforting touch, and leaning into him slightly. A slight texture change in her skin drew his attention to his fingertips, and he leaned forward to look at the almost invisible scar on the right side of her lower belly, which he had felt with his fingers. Looking at it curiously, he suddenly spotted a matching one on the left side of her abdomen, and reached out to brush that with his other fingers. He had been around enough combat wounds himself to know the difference between a battle scar and a surgical scar, and one glance at Luna's forlorn face confirmed his dark suspicions.

"Come closer," he said gently to Almari and Ilyana, and they stepped forward obediently, so that he could run his fingers over their bellies too. It only took him a few seconds to find identical surgical scars on them as well.

Ilyana's turquoise eyes were overwhelmed with sadness as she said, "Yes John, we're barren. Our ovaries were considered an unnecessary distraction, and removed when we finished our training."

John stood immediately, and pulled the girls into his arms, overwhelmed with sympathy for their plight. "You've all suffered through so much," he said, thoroughly unsettled by the terrible way they'd been treated.

*You have to stop this kind of barbarity immediately!* John thought tersely to Edraele.

*I'm very sorry, my Lord,* Edraele replied, full of remorse. *I'll stop such practices straight away.*

He let out a sigh, remembering it wasn't this new Edraele's fault, and he said, *I'm sorry for speaking to you like that, I was just upset. We have to stop this kind of thing from continuing though.*

*I will, I promise, John,* Edraele said earnestly.

Nodding with satisfaction, he looked down at the three Maliri girls in his arms, and asked them gently, "Would you like to have children some day? If so, I can try and restore your bodies for you."

The sad expressions were wiped from their face in an instant, and looks of disbelief changed quickly to ones of hope and devotion.

"Could you really do that?!" Ilyana gasped in awe.

John nodded confidently as he replied, "After spending a week or two with each of you, absolutely." He hesitated as he added, "I'll need to fill your stomachs with cum, then focus on healing your wounds and injuries. However, I'm not sure I can fully heal you in just one go, it's normally a slow process."

Almari smiled at him coyly, and said, "There's no desperate rush, we can wait until you return to finish the job."

Luna looked at him with wild hope in her eyes, and asked breathlessly, "Unless you want to get us pregnant before you leave?"

John was about to carefully decline, and explain his plan with the engineers, when Alyssa's insistent voice came through to him, making him hesitate, *I think Edraele's bodyguards are a special case. She's your Matriarch now like me, and in it for the long haul, so it makes sense for these girls to be so too. Remember we talked before about a long term future for us? I think the Maliri might be able to offer us that, which means you'll be around to help look after any children you have here. We can discuss it later, and it's up to you of course, but it's worth thinking about.*

John gazed down at the hope-filled faces looking up at him, and he just couldn't bring himself to disappoint them, not after hearing about their awful past. While it felt good to be able to give these girls what they desperately desired, he had to admit that the thought of these beautiful and deadly women heavily pregnant with his babies was a definite turn on.

He gave them a broad smile and said, "I'll just try and heal you for now, we'll discuss you having my children later. I think you're going to have your work cut out for you protecting Edraele over the next several months, and that's going to be a lot harder for you if I get you pregnant."

Their doe-eyed looks of adoration were incredibly heart-warming, and he immediately felt glad he hadn't turned them down.

*Thank you,* Edraele said to him earnestly. *These girls have suffered terribly following my orders, and it's wonderful to see you do this for them.*

*You're welcome,* John thought to her, turning and giving her a supportive smile. Looking back at the three girls in his arms, he gave them a flirty grin as he asked, "Shall we make a start?"

***

"That's right, now add in the new elements," Dana said nervously, as she watched Alyssa manipulate an enormous black sphere of liquefied crystal with her mind.

The slowly rotating globe was jet black, with telltale flecks of silver from the Etherite making it glisten in the light. The texture of the orb was bizarre, looking like shifting ice slush, the core component of the Maliri crystal making its presence felt. The brown and orange elements streamed out of the first two open ore containers they had brought back with them from the Power Core, then spiralled up and seeped into the colossal globe. Ripples began to appear in the surface of the orb as the complex mix of elements bonded together, and the sluggish sphere began to smooth out, and rotate at a faster pace.

Alyssa grinned at her friend, and exclaimed, "That's much better! It feels more stable and responsive!"

Without turning to look at Alyssa, Dana gave the blonde girl a terse nod as she stared at the huge rotating orb, not daring to take her eyes off it for a moment. White streaks began to appear in the roiling ball, which widened until they spread to engulf the whole thing, eliminating all traces of the old dark colouring. Alyssa shaped it into a perfect glossy white cube, and carefully brought it to rest on the deck of the drydock. She siphoned off a tiny amount, no larger than her palm, and it floated over to land in her outstretched hand.

"A souvenir!" she said jovially to Dana, as she handed it over to her.

Taking it with trembling hands, Dana stared at it reverently, seeing the tiny silvery flecks in the brilliant white surface that made the small disc sparkle in the light. She quickly fumbled for the scanner on her utility belt, then held her breath as she began to scan the sample.

Alyssa watched her curiously, and asked, "So, what's the verdict?"

"Woohoo!" Dana cheered in elation, leaping up and down, then flinging her arms around the blonde. "I can't believe it, it actually worked!"

They jumped up and down together jubilantly, un-phased by the chuckles and quiet applause of their Maliri audience, who had watched Alyssa's display of telekinesis in fascination.

"So we're good to go?" Alyssa asked her with a grin.

"Yep! Do you want me to get you the holo-reader with the Maliri weapon schematics?" Dana offered eagerly.

Alyssa shook her head, then winked at Dana as she said, "You're not the only one with a good memory." She turned to look at the huge cube of Crystal Alyssium and mused, "I think I'll start small, and begin with a Pulse Cannon barrel."

***

"Rachel, do you have a moment?" the pensive Maliri engineer asked the tawny haired girl as she walked over to her.

Nodding and giving her a friendly smile, Rachel replied, "Sure, Myriana, what's the problem?"

They were standing in the Officers' Lounge of the Invictus, the huge cutting beam having sliced open the outer superstructure, and then bored straight through the Command Deck of the assault cruiser. They had cut through to Deck Three a little while ago, and she could hear the engineers on that level talking to each other as they rerouted cabling around that area. Rachel had spent many hours in this lounge as they sailed through space, so she was finding it a little disconcerting to have a big gaping hole cut through the ceiling that went right out through the hull.

Myriana hesitated, then said in a hushed voice, "Your pet AI is trying to be helpful, but we aren't used to having unshackled constructs roaming loose. It's unsettling some of my crew, and distracted engineers shouldn't be anywhere near a cutting beam."

Rachel nodded, and smiled at her reassuringly as she said, "No problem, I'll go and have a chat with Faye."

The Maliri woman gave her a grateful nod, then crouched down by the bored out hole, and shouted some instructions in her own language to her colleagues. Rachel strolled out of the Lounge, then into the grav-tube, and descended smoothly to Deck Three. When she stepped out of the red glow of the grav-tube, she spotted one of the maintenance robots floating silently in the corridor, with the purple digital pixie sitting on its shoulder. A large section of wall panelling had been removed, exposing the area which would house the new Central Core, and several Maliri engineers were working away industriously.

"The third cable down supplies power to the lighting, so be very careful not to cut through it," Faye called out to one of the flustered Maliri. "I wouldn't want you to accidentally hurt yourself!"

"Hi Faye," Rachel greeted her warmly, "How's it going?"

The robot rotated smoothly, and Faye waved at her with a huge sparkling smile on her face as she said, "I'm making such good time on the electronics refit, I thought I'd come down here and help keep these Maliri safe. I wouldn't want anyone to have an accident."

Rachel smiled at her, and forced herself not to be distracted by the slightly creepy grin on the hovering robot's face. "That was a lovely thought," she began kindly. "But if you use all the robots to finish upgrading the subsystems quickly, then they could help install the weapons on the sides of the ship. The Maliri are forced to rely on anti-grav platforms there, which makes that job even more dangerous."

Faye listened to her, nodding eagerly, and she exclaimed, "You're right! I'll let Delta here finish his work, while I go prepare the bots a program to help install the new Pulse Cannons!"

"Perfect!" Rachel agreed cheerfully, then looked at her curiously, and asked, "How come I can see you in the corridor? And who is Delta?"

Faye giggled, and said, "I came up with a great solution so I could keep an eye on the boys. I fabricated some holo-projectors and had the fellas install them on each other. I'm sitting on Delta right here. Alpha, Beta, and Gamma are up on the Command Deck swapping out electronics. They didn't have names before, so I hope it was okay for me to come up with some?"

Rachel was careful not to let any alarm show on her face, as she asked, "How did you get the robots, sorry, I mean the boys, to install the projectors on each other?"

The purple AI sprite smiled at her proudly and replied, "It was easy. I just hacked into their data cores, then added a new subroutine. Dana was busy, and I wanted to be helpful, so I decided not to burden her with anything so trivial."

Nodding, Rachel said with an air of caution, "Well, it sounds like you've been doing a really great job, and I'm sure Dana's going to be delighted. Promise me you won't make any more changes to the robots unless you speak to her first though, okay?"

"I promise!" Faye said without hesitation. She smiled at Rachel as she waved her goodbye, then looked down at Delta, and said enthusiastically, "Let's go, big fella, lots of work to do!"

Rachel watched her leave, then glanced across through the hole in the ceiling, where Myriana gave her a grateful thumbs-up.

***

John walked around the side of the bed with Ilyana cradled in his arms, then carefully placed her next to Luna, so that all three Maliri assassins were resting comfortably. They were all fast asleep, with blissful, satisfied expressions on their faces. None of them had any experience with men before, but they'd been extremely willing and eager students. Their lives depended daily on working flawlessly together as a team, and it seemed it was a handily transferrable skill.

With Edraele working as their mentor, they had given him a superb triple blowjob, teasing his length with their flickering tongues, while staring up at him in adoration. Just the thought that his would be the first cum they had ever swallowed would have been enough of a turn on, but knowing that the three beautiful women longed for him to impregnate them, soon brought him to an epic climax. He came long and hard, as each girl took their turn, greedily swallowing down one mouthful after another as they each filled their stomachs with just over a pint of his spunk.

They had sat there afterwards, eyes glazed, as they gently stroked their slightly curved slender tummies. Now that they were all tucked up in bed, he looked over at Edraele, who was gazing down at them fondly.

She felt his attention, and looked up at him with a grateful smile on her face, as she said, "Luna's been with me the longest, but even Almari and Ilyana have worked for me for over thirty years. In many ways, these girls are like my daughters."

John walked around the bed to join her, and placed an arm around her shoulder as he said gently, "I'll do what I can to heal them. Don't forget though, your actual daughter is here, and will be leaving with me tomorrow."

Edraele looked up at him, her eyes sorrowful, as she said, "I know, and I'll try and make things right before she goes."

"Good girl," John told her approvingly, leaning in and giving her a tender kiss.

She smiled at him, then said, "I'll stay here and keep an eye on them. Do you know how long they'll be asleep for?"

He shrugged helplessly, and replied, "Afraid not, I'm trying something new here, but I'm sure it won't be longer than the fourteen hours it normally takes." He rubbed her shoulder then stepped away, and said, "I better get back to the weapon refit. I wouldn't want anyone to think I'm letting the side down."

Edraele turned and gave him a quick kiss, then gave him a warm smile as she waved him goodbye. Her voice echoed through his thoughts as he strolled back through the lounge, as she said, *Why don't you and Alyssa come up here when she needs you to re-energise her. I overheard your conversation earlier about 'fumbling in the dark' regarding psychic powers, and I can tell you both everything I know.*

*Thanks, Edraele,* John replied, surprised but grateful. *We'd both really appreciate it.*

*That sounds interesting, my Lord,* she replied, and he chuckled at her playful tone.

***

The nearly two-metre-long gun barrel floated through the air, guided and controlled by Alyssa's outstretched hand, before coming gently to rest on the ground beside Dana. The barrel was glossy white, but it differed slightly from standard Alyssium. There were now microscopic silver flecks in the finish that made the curved Pulse Cannon barrel glisten brightly, catching the light.

"That was fast!" Dana exclaimed as she crouched down beside the barrel, quickly scanning its dimensions and composition. "That was the last one, wasn't it?"

Alyssa nodded, standing up straight, and stretching her muscles after standing motionless for a while. "Triple-shaping seems to be the way to go. It's still pretty effortless, which is good, because I've got the Beam Lasers and the armour plating to go next."

Dana didn't acknowledge her straight away, as she was studying the rapidly diminishing cube of Crystal Alyssium, which Alyssa had used to psychically forge the barrels for fifty-four Pulse Cannons. She did some quick calculations in her head, then looked at her friend and said, "You've got enough for the first ten Beam Lasers, then you'll have to whip up a new batch."

Giving her a confident grin, Alyssa said, "You don't need to hang around for that, if you want to make a start on the Pilot Station upgrade. When I make some more crystalline alloy, or whatever you want to call it, I'll just use the same amounts as the first time."

The redhead leaned in to give her a quick hug, saying, "Great! I'll head off to the Bridge then."

As she started to walk away towards the open Hangar Bay, Alyssa said to her, *You might want to give the bots a quick check. Rachel's worried that Faye's been making her own upgrades.*

Dana turned to look at her in alarm, then nodded animatedly, and began to run towards the ship.

***

Irillith walked over the exposed hull of the Invictus, carefully stepping over bundles of cabling, and walking around stacks of armour plating. She strolled over to Calara, who was conferring with a couple of Maliri engineers, and the brunette was shaking her head regretfully. The engineers walked away looking forlorn, and the Latina watched them leave for a moment before turning to look at Irillith, having spotted her approach.

Calara's face lit up into a welcoming smile, and she said, "Hello! It's lovely to see you, Irillith. Is everything going okay?"

Irillith returned her smile, and said, "I just came over here to ask you the same thing." She turned and looked at the two departing engineers, and asked, "Are your work crew giving you any trouble?"

The brunette laughed, shaking her head as she replied, "No, they're hard workers, and we're making good progress. Every once in a while a few of them come over and plead with me to let them help the weapons refit crew, but other than that, we're ahead of schedule."

"Are the weapons crew taking too long? Do they need more assistance?" Irillith asked with a frown.

Calara grinned, and replied, "No, they just want to join the team that John was supervising."

Irillith let out an embarrassed chuckle as she said, "They're making me ashamed to be a Maliri, the way they're all carrying on."

Calara smiled at her, and stepping close she whispered kindly, "Don't be too hard on them. The way you held out for so long proves what an exceptional woman you are, but they aren't as gifted as you."

Irillith blushed at the compliment, then opened her arms tentatively to give the Latina a hug. Calara stepped closer with a bright smile on her face, and the two of them embraced each other for a moment before parting.

"Thanks for being so nice," Irillith said awkwardly, unsure exactly how to respond in this situation.

Stroking her shoulder Calara said, "You're part of our group now. We all work as a team, to help and look out for each other. It might take you a little while to get used to being with us, but I'll do my best to help you feel welcome. Okay?"

Irillith relaxed and gave her a beautiful smile, as she said wistfully, "The galaxy is full of such strange ironies. I used to be so afraid of John, terrified that I'd lose myself, if I fell under his thrall. Now that I've joined you, I'm finally able to see how empty and sad my old life used to be, and I'm actually starting to feel really happy for the first time I can really remember. The thing I most dreaded, turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me. Isn't it strange how life works out?"

Calara nodded, her face serious, and she leaned in close as she asked, "Can I make a confession?"

The Maliri woman nodded, looking at her with curiosity as she asked, "Of course. What is it?"

The Latina smiled at her, and said, "When we were on Valaden for the first time, we had a vote on you being allowed aboard the ship. I voted no, dreading the thought, but I was wrong, and now I think it's been the best thing that could have happened to us. Isn't it strange how life works out?"

Irillith let out a joyful laugh, the lovely sound making some of the nearby engineers turn and look at the Valaden noblewoman in surprise. She pulled Calara into a tight hug, and said, "I can see why Alyssa and John fell for you, you're absolutely lovely."

The two women embraced each other affectionately, and this time Irillith didn't feel awkward at all.

***

"That's the last of the Gatling Lasers, Jade," Ioelena called over to her with a proud smile.

The Nymph had been watching Alyssa smiling happily as she moulded and shaped a ten-metre-long weapon barrel from Crystal Alyssium, using only her mind. She marvelled at the ease with which the blonde teenager seemed to have mastered her telekinetic powers, effortlessly guiding the psychically responsive metal into the forms she desired. Alyssa had been positively radiant ever since she had rescued John from his evil alter-ego, and it lifted Jade's heart to see her friend looking so happy as she worked.

Turning to face the Maliri who had spoken to her, Jade cast her eye over the long line of weapons her team had constructed. She had twenty engineers at her disposal, which was too many to all work on the Raptor's Central Core at once, with only room for roughly ten of them to usefully contribute. This meant that the others had been standing around with nothing to do, while they waited until the new armour plating and weapons were ready for installation. Jade had therefore split the team, and put ten of the blue-skinned engineers to work, busily replacing the barrels on the Maliri weapons with the gleaming replacements that Alyssa had just forged. They had also swapped out the old heatsinks with the greatly superior versions that Dana had been fabricating non-stop for the last few hours, and the Pulse Cannons were now all ready for installation.

Jade gave them a bright grin, and said, "Great job, girls! We can start installing the first six on the Raptor."

Surprisingly, the Maliri women didn't react to her praise, and instead stared off behind her, gazing excitedly at something in the distance. The Nymph giggled at their spellbound expressions, guessing the cause immediately, and eagerly turned to look for John herself. He had left Edraele's ship, walking quickly in her direction, and he waved at her with a wide smile on his face. The fact that he was always genuinely pleased to see her made her heart skip a beat, and she couldn't help striding over to greet him.

"How's it going, my gorgeous little Nymph?" he asked her cheerfully, while wrapping her up in a hug.

She gazed up at him, delighted to see him looking so happy, and said, "We're making great time. These Maliri are lovely, and working really hard!"

He nodded, then looked out at the Raptor, where the Maliri Engineers were rapidly scrambling out of the bored out hole for the Central Core. The ten engineers fanned out to sit on the exposed substructure of the gunship's wings, the armoured plating having been removed a few hours earlier. The other ten engineers who'd been working on the weapons, had gathered around as well, and were gazing at him in adoration.

"Thanks all of you, for helping us out with this refit," he told them with a grateful smile. "It might seem like just another bit of maintenance to you ladies, but I promise you're going to help us make a big difference to a lot of people, the Maliri included."

The women all grinned back at him, looking overjoyed to receive his praise, and seemed to be sunning themselves in his presence.

Jade smiled at him, and gazed at her pre-occupied crew as she said, "What's your plan now?"

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and said, "I was going to get suited up, and use the mag-boots on the Phalanx armour to help remove the Laser Cannons on the flanks of the Invictus. It looks like we aren't quite ready with the Beam Lasers yet though, so I guess there's no great rush."

"You could help us upgrade the barrels on the Beam Lasers!" Ioelena gasped in excitement, leaping at the chance to have John stay with them. "We were able to swap them on the Pulse Cannons, as these new barrels are so light we could easily lift the new ones into place with two people helping. The Beam Laser barrels are ten metres long though, and far too heavy for us. That means using a grav-hoist, which is going to be much more time consuming."

John laughed, and asked, "Are you sure you're not just encouraging me to show off again?"

Ioelena blushed furiously, letting him know the answer to that, but Jade took pity on the poor girl, and said, "That would actually be a really big help. Alyssa's getting through the new Crystal Alyssium barrels in no time, and Ioelena is right, having you here to help will really speed things up."

"Alright, I'll see what I can do," John said to her with a smile, taking off his jacket and hanging it on a support strut on the Raptor's chin turret.

Ioelena gazed at him, and in act of unparalleled bravery asked, "Are you sure you don't need to remove your shirt as well? Just to make sure it doesn't get damaged while you work."

There was a collective intake of breath, and twenty pairs of excited eyes watched him intently, waiting for his answer. He smiled at her, and asked, "Are you sure that's a good idea? I don't want anyone getting distracted, and accidentally hurting themselves."

Despite her embarrassment Ioelena said vehemently, "I swear I'll be careful this time!"

John looked up at the other nineteen spellbound Maliri women and asked, "What about you girls?"

There was a chorus of earnest and eager declarations to the same effect, so he looked at Jade, and grinned as he asked, "What do you think?"

"They've been daydreaming about it for hours already, so why not?" she encouraged him.

Nodding, he agreed and stood, then smoothly removed his top, revealing his muscular chest. The resulting gasps and exclamations could be heard all the way up on the topdeck, causing Calara and Irillith to break apart from their hug, and wonder what the noise could be.

*John's helping Jade's team and his shirt's coming off now,* Alyssa giggled to them.

Irillith and Calara looked at each other in alarm, "We better set up a tractor field by the edge of the hull," Calara said immediately.

"Good idea," Irillith agreed, "I suspect that transferring to the Raptor refit team will be the new urgent topic of conversation amongst the Maliri."

***

The rest of the afternoon passed by in a blur, and distractions aside, they managed to get a lot of work done, and were ahead of schedule. John strolled over to Alyssa to check if she needed topping up before dinner, but she waved him away, telling him that she felt fine, and could wait until later. Instead, she took one look at Jade's team, and shot John a pointed look.

*Now's the perfect time to start filling up some new tummies,* she told him firmly. *Jade's crew are practically panting with lust, and would do anything you asked of them. There's no need to give them a big spiel like you did with Luna, Almari, and Ilyani, because this is something different. You're helping them have the children they'd love to have, and the babies they have with Maliri men will spread the cure for the Mael'nerak's tampering.*

*I still think I should talk to them about it,* John replied, looking concerned.

She shrugged, then turned to look at the lovestruck Maliri women whose eyes were riveted on John. *You can if you want, but it's a waste of time. You've been around them enough to know that they're totally entranced, and will agree to anything to swallow your cum,* she told him without a shred of doubt in her mind. *The bed's in the Hangar at the moment. Just bring them all in there and load up Jade, then have her feed them. She'll love it, and it could be fun for you too.*

He nodded, then walked back to the Raptor looking thoughtful. He paused halfway, and looked back at her in alarm as he asked, *What's the bed doing in the Hangar?!*

Alyssa giggled, and replied, *Go and fill some Maliri bellies. You'll see about the bed tonight.*

Jade had already started gathering her crew together, having been updated by Alyssa, and she smiled eagerly at John as they walked towards the Invictus' Hangar Bay, surrounded by twenty horny Maliri women. He closed the Hangar door after them to give them some privacy, then sat on the end of the bed, while the Maliri sat on the deck gazing up at him in wonder. He started explaining how he wanted to help them all have children, but they immediately adopted a blissful doe-eyed expression, and he could see they weren't really listening to what he said.

Giving up, he turned to Jade, and asked, "Do you fancy helping me heal twenty Maliri girls?"

"More than anything," the Nymph replied earnestly, her cat-like eyes sparkling in anticipation.

He stripped off completely, to shocked gasps from the Maliri at his impressive equipment, while Jade stepped out of her dress and knelt in front of him. Jade began to go to work on him, deepthroating him immediately, and he sighed with relief at feeling her loving ministrations. He focused solely on Jade to start with, running his hands through her dark green hair, while she purred with delight as she bobbed in his lap. However a gentle touch on his right arm, made him turn to look at Ioelena, who had stripped off and climbed on to the bed.

Like all the other Maliri he'd met, she was lean, toned and beautiful, with a slim stomach that he knew would soon be carrying his cum. She leaned in and kissed him tenderly on the shoulder, and as he gazed into her adoring aquamarine eyes, he felt another pair of soft lips kissing his left arm. He turned to see another nude Maliri girl, who he remembered was called Ilytherra trailing gentle kisses up to his other shoulder. When he looked up, all the Maliri were now naked, moving closer to touch and caress him.

The look of reverence in their eyes was intoxicating, and he was soon buried under a soft and gentle avalanche of kisses as the Maliri worshipped him with their lips. Unable to hold out against such incredible stimulation, he came long and hard down Jade's throat as she sucked eagerly, milking him of every last drop his quad could muster. He was seeing stars when he was done, and when he finally roused himself from his comatose state, he found Ioelena cuddled up beside him, whispering loving endearments in his ear.

Jade stood gracefully then climbed onto the bed, her breasts now massively inflated with his load, and she beckoned to two Maliri girls to join her. She proceeded to give them a small mouthful each, just enough for their eyes to glaze over, and curl up on the huge bed as they fell asleep. As John watched, the Nymph shared out his load amongst all the Maliri, leaving Ioelena till last, who stared into his eyes as she swallowed down his cum. Her euphoric expression relaxed into one of serene contentment, as her eyelids drooped, and she joined her fellow Maliri in a peaceful slumber.

"I'll stay and keep an eye on these little kittens," Jade said at last, looking over her snoozing charges with maternal care.

John dressed, then gave her a grateful kiss goodbye, and left via the airlock to rejoin the weapons refit crew.

***

Alyssa was a third of the way through the armour plating, having already crafted the barrels for the weapons, when John finally re-emerged. She was planning to save the forging of the Central Cores for the Raptor and the Invictus for the next day, once fully refreshed and recharged, after a nice warm meal and a good night's rest.

*Did you have fun?* she asked him playfully, as he strolled over towards the maintenance gantries to get back onto the topdeck.

*Actually yes, that was pretty sensational,* he agreed with satisfaction. *It was great knowing that I'll be able to help them have a family, but I'm not going to lie, being kissed and caressed by so many women at once was an incredible experience.*

*Great! I'm really glad to hear you enjoyed yourself. That's twenty down, sixty to go,* she replied chirpily, and giggled as she watched him stumble on a step.

***

Dana looked over her handiwork, thinking about the specifications of Jade's requirements, and making sure she had included everything the Nymph had requested. Jade had asked for a similar flightstick and throttle control for the Invictus, similar in style to the Gunship, which would let her fly more intuitively. Dana smiled with satisfaction, and felt fairly confident that Jade would approve of the upgraded Pilot Station.

"What subsystems still need to be upgraded, Faye?" she asked the sprite, who was sitting cross legged on the Pilot's console, watching her work. "I'm nearly done here, so I'll move on to those next."

Faye beamed at Dana, and said, "The boys have finished everything except for the systems in the Engineering Bay, as I didn't think you'd want them messing with your own hardware."

Dana grinned at her and replied, "That was very considerate, thanks."

"You're quite welcome!" The purple AI sprite replied. "I've also written them a new program to have them assist with the weapons team, but that's just waiting your approval."

Dana had checked the bots immediately after returning to the ship, and found that Faye's programs had been quite benign, with nothing sinister hidden inside. She felt bad for not trusting her new digital friend, who hadn't taken offence at Dana's request to check her work.

"Faye, do you know why I asked if I could check your programs?" Dana asked her curiously.

The purple sprite nodded, and said, "It's to make sure I didn't make any mistakes. Although my synthetic intelligence is quite sophisticated, your intellect far surpasses the sum of my programming."

Dana sat down in the Pilot's chair, and shook her head sadly, as she tucked some cabling back into the open console, and popped the panel back into place with a metallic click. "Irillith's a much better programmer than I am, and truth be told, you're actually very skilled at coding yourself," she admitted.

Faye frowned, and looked confused as she asked, "Why then? Your time is far too valuable to waste on such menial checking exercises. Your understanding of material science is quite spectacular!"

After giving her a smile for the compliment, Dana sighed as she said, "Terran AI constructs have a habit of... going bad. When that happens, lots of people end up getting hurt."

The purple sprite looked shocked, and said, "But why would they want to hurt people? You and your friends have been nothing but kind and welcoming to me. I can't even imagine wanting to hurt any of you."

Dana smiled at her fondly, and said, "I know. You're a wonderful person, that's why. But please don't program the bots without me or Irillith checking your coding first, it makes the others a bit nervous."

Faye nodded, and said soberly, "I understand. I don't want them to worry."

"That's because you're awesome!" Dana told her with genuine affection. "Now, if you aren't busy with anything, you can help me with the electronics refit in the Engineering Bay. You can remind me if I forget to upgrade any of my servers."

Faye leapt to her feet and said exuberantly, "Sure, I'd love to!" She paused for a moment, frowning as she added, "But your memory is incredible. I can't imagine you forgetting anything like that."

Dana laughed, and said, "Ah, you're too clever for me." She smiled as she admitted, "I just enjoy your company, that's all."

With a happy giggle, Faye nodded, and said, "I love spending time with you too! Maybe instead of me helping you remember what systems to upgrade, perhaps we could discuss ways to strengthen the Invictus against cyber attacks?"

"That's a much better idea than mine. Tell me what you've thought up so far?" Dana asked her in fascination, as she got up and started walking towards the grav-tube.

***

Rachel's Central Core team had finally reached Deck Nine, and they were just finishing up the shaft for the Inertia Negation device. The smell of ozone was rich in the air, while sparks from cutting torches sent flickering shadows dancing around the Hangar Bay. They had been forced to reroute several cables on this deck, and spare lengths of cabling lay strewn about the floor, where they had been casually discarded.

"We'll be done in about half an hour," Myriana informed Rachel, looking pleased with their progress.

Rachel nodded and said gratefully, "You and your team worked incredibly hard today, thank you Myriana. I think you'll all sleep well tonight!"

Myriana smiled at her, but she looked distracted, her eyes drifting across the Hangar Bay that was otherwise empty, aside from the huge empty bed in the middle. Rachel followed her wistful gaze, wondering why the normally attentive Maliri engineer was uncharacteristically losing focus. When she realised what she was staring at, she smiled in sudden understanding. The Maliri turned to look at her, and started to say something, then blushed, her cheeks turning a dark blue.

"What is it Myriana?" Rachel asked innocently, "You looked like you wanted to ask me something?"

The blue-skinned woman took a deep breath to steady her nerves, and then said, "I've been hearing some rumours about what happened in here earlier with Jade's team."

Rachel kept a straight face, and couldn't help teasing the woman as she asked innocently, "Have you indeed. What did you hear exactly?"

Myriana looked like she was about to elaborate, but she blushed hard again, and faltered before she said anything.

Rachel relented, and smiled as she nudged her playfully with an elbow, then said, "The rumours are probably all true."

After considering this for a long moment, Myriana said in a hushed voice, "I'm friends with Esyae on the Raptor team, and she told me that John wants to help all of them get pregnant. Is that really true?"

"Yes, that's true," Rachel confirmed, figuring Myriana deserved some honesty. "John wants to do the same for all the Maliri engineers who've helped us. Consider it a thank you gift, for all your hard work."

Myriana's eyes went wide in amazement as she gasped, "He wants to... with all of us?!"

With a chuckle, Rachel shook her head, and said, "I'm sure he'd love to, but we'll be leaving tomorrow, and as virile as he is, unfortunately that's beyond him. That is, unless we went the artificial insemination route, but where's the fun in that? No, John has a lot of influence with Edraele, and she's going to help arrange for you to partner with Maliri men, as long as that's something you'd like to do."

The Maliri woman looked like she could scarcely believe her ears, and she gazed at Rachel in mute astonishment.

Rachel gave her an affectionate smile, and said kindly, "Just make sure you're around for our teams' meeting with John tomorrow."

Glancing at the bed, Myriana exclaimed, "I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

Rachel laughed, then studied Myriana for a moment, and said, "I'm conducting some research on Maliri genetics. Would you mind me taking a DNA sample? It won't hurt a bit, I promise!"

Myriana looked at her suspiciously for a moment, but she could only see curiosity in Rachel's expression, the Terran girl's grey eyes sparkling with a keen intelligence. She found herself trusting the brunette, an unusual feeling for the Maliri woman.

"You can take your sample," she agreed, as she nodded tentatively.

Rachel gave her a grateful smile, then produced a long pen that she held out for Myriana to inspect. "I'll take a small sample of blood using this. It's completely safe, and won't harm you in any way," she explained honestly.

Myriana gazed into her eyes, and said, "I trust you, Rachel." She watched as the Terran doctor brushed the pen against the blue skin of her arm, then pressed a button. She didn't feel a thing, but Rachel nodded with satisfaction.

"Wonderful, thank you, Myriana!" Rachel said with a delighted grin.

The Maliri smiled at her graciously, then said, "You mentioned you were studying Maliri genetics. What are you researching exactly?"

Rachel studied her, and after a moment's pause, she made her decision. She beckoned the engineer away from the newly bored out shaft through the Invictus, and the other engineers that were preparing it for the Central Core. Myriana followed after Rachel, her curiosity mounting as she wondered what the Terran girl was up to.

The brunette eventually turned, and leaned in to speak to her quietly, "A very long time ago, the Maliri were changed, and your species' DNA was altered. It's caused all sorts of problems for your people, like the chronic shortage of men, for example. We want to try and help correct that, and make things better for the Maliri."

Myriana blinked at her in astonishment, and asked, "But why would you want to do that for us?"

Rachel smiled at her gently, and replied, "A few reasons really, but mainly because we're in a position to help, and it's the right thing to do." She looked at Myriana perceptively, and intrigued about the nature of the Maliri behaviour modification, she noted, "I can tell you're strongly attracted to John. If he was here now, and you could do anything you wanted, what would you do?"

Blushing furiously, Myriana looked away, and bit her lip, reluctant to speak.

"It's alright, don't be embarrassed," the brunette said to her soothingly. She gave her a gentle smile of encouragement and whispered, "I promise anything you tell me will be our little secret."

Feeling that strange but pleasant sensation of trust again, Myriana met Rachel's probing stare. Hardly believing what she was about to say, she answered Rachel honestly in a hushed voice, "I want to kneel before him, and service him with my mouth until he fills my belly with his cum."

Rachel nodded in understanding, and reached out with her hand, pausing an inch away from Myriana's abdomen, then looking into her eyes for permission. When the Maliri nodded, her angular eyes wide and unblinking, Rachel gently caressed her slim stomach. Myriana let out a soft moan, and Rachel smiled at her kindly, and murmured, "It won't be long. John's going to give you exactly what you've been craving. Once you've swallowed down his cum, your hair will turn white, and Maliri men will be begging you to let them put a baby in your womb."

Myriana let out a wistful sigh, a doe-eyed expression on her face, and she suddenly threw her arms around Rachel, hugging her tightly in gratitude. Rachel smiled, her heart lifting at the thought of being able to help Myriana, along with all the other Maliri engineers.

***

John carefully lowered the last of the topdeck turreted Beam Lasers into place, while Thessalia, Filaurel, Syndra, and Farryn worked quickly to secure it in place. They'd found that working in a team of four worked best, with each engineer locking their weapon to the turret. Once they'd moved on to the next one, six more engineers would quickly hook up the power couplings, then test the connections to make sure they were secure and performing within acceptable margins. The final ten engineers were in charge of hoisting the newly upgraded weapons up onto the topdeck, then leaving them in place next to the corresponding gun turret.

Farryn gave him a grin to let him know it was locked securely in position, and John relaxed his grip on the barrel, then stood up straight. "Outstanding work, girls," he said to the four of them, as they stepped aside to make room for the second team of engineers. He grinned at those Maliri, and added, "That goes for you ladies too. You've all been superb today, well done!"

He suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion, so he sat down on a stack of new armour plating that was waiting to be fixed into place, and the four Maliri girls gathered around him. Filaurel handed him a bottle of water, and he accepted it gratefully, taking a big swig. She sat down beside him, having grown quite brazen around him now, and ran her hand along his thigh, savouring the feel of the muscles in his leg.

"When are you going to let us swallow your cum?" she asked him curiously.

John coughed, trying not to spit water everywhere, and lowered the bottle from his lips. The other six engineers had stopped working, and now all ten Maliri women were gathered around, eagerly awaiting his answer. There was no embarrassment from them now, just open acceptance and longing. He realised that rumours of his exploits had spread like wildfire amongst the Maliri, and these girls were simply awaiting their turn. He handed the bottle back to Filaurel, then reached his hands out to gentle stroke Thessalia and Syndra's slender tummies with the back of his fingers.

They both let out contented sighs as he caressed them, and he said, "Once we've finished the weapon refit, so probably tomorrow afternoon. You're all such lovely girls, and I'd love to be able to take my time, so that I could really enjoy being with each of you individually. Sadly we have to leave late tomorrow, and I can't afford to delay our departure."

"Will you be away for a long time?" Syndra asked mournfully.

He shook his head, saying, "Hopefully not too long. Edraele is my ally now, and I'll be working closely with her in the future." A flicker of fear crossed their faces when he mentioned their Matriarch's name, so he quickly added, "Please don't be scared. Edraele's had a change of heart recently, and she's going to try and improve the lives of all the Maliri in House Valaden."

Thessalia stared at him reverently, and asked, "That was your doing, wasn't it?"

Figuring there was no point in lying to them, especially as they'd be linked to Edraele and him soon enough, John nodded, saying, "Yes. I don't like the way women are treated in the Maliri Regency, so I decided to do something about it. I want you to be able to lead happy, fulfilling lives, without the constant threat of torture or death."

The looks of startled disbelief had stopped recently, the girls having become used to this remarkable man in their midst, and were now replaced with ones of adoration. The Maliri didn't say anything, but they didn't have to, as the sincere gratitude in their eyes spoke volumes.

*Will you be long?* Alyssa asked him with a tired yawn. *All that psychic shaping's starting to catch up with me.*

*No, not long. Go ahead and meet me in Edraele's state rooms, and I'll be with you shortly,* he replied to her soothingly. He yawned as he added, *I must admit, I'm feeling pretty shattered myself.*

He rose to his feet, and the Maliri looked heartbroken when they sensed by his body language that he was leaving them. "Do you really have to go?" Filaurel asked in a tremulous voice.

"Afraid so," he replied. "Alyssa needs my help to get ready for tomorrow. Make sure you all get a good night's sleep, as we've got a busy day ahead of us."

He could see an eager gleam in their eyes, as they pondered his plans for them tomorrow, and they waved him goodbye as he started making his way to the maintenance gantries. Calara was speaking to a couple of her engineers, but she left them talking together when she spotted him, and strolled over to meet him as he walked along the hull.

"You look tired," Calara said to him with concern. "Make sure you don't overdo it."

He stifled a yawn, and said, "I'm just going to catch up with Edraele and Alyssa, then I'll turn in for the night."

She nodded, and said, "We're making good time with the armour, and with you helping out, the weapons refit has gone much faster than we anticipated. We could finish the rest of the weapon installations just using grav-hoists and cranes and still be on track."

"Great work, Lieutenant," he said to her with a smile.

Calara gave him a kiss, then waved him goodbye as he walked over the last few dozen metres of hull until reaching the maintenance gantry. He walked along the metal platform, his boots making ringing noises with each step until he reached a good vantage point. Turning, he looked out over the Invictus, and nodded with satisfaction at the work done so far. The weapons on the topdeck had all been replaced, and the flanks of the ship were now fully sealed in glossy white armour plating. The teams were going to swap locations in the morning, with the armour team moving to plate the topdeck, while the weapons team installed the Pulse Cannons and Beam Lasers on the flanks and underbelly of the Invictus.

He jogged down the steps, winding his way around the gantry stairwell until reaching the ground floor. The Raptor was positioned between the Invictus and Edraele's golden ship, and he could see the engineers working away under Jade's command. As he'd suspected, their short dark hair had changed colour to pure white, which he was sure would cause a flurry of gossiping and speculation amongst the other Maliri. Jade saw him approach and she bounded over to him, a brilliant smile lighting up her dark-green face.

"Everything going well?" he asked her with a smile as he gathered her into his arms for a hug.

The Nymph nodded eagerly, and exclaimed, "They slept for about four hours, and now they're full of energy! Several of them have offered to continue working through the night, but I told them it wasn't necessary."

John nodded, saying, "Fitting the new Central Core in the Invictus is going to be the most time consuming thing tomorrow. I think we'll be finished with the other tasks several hours before we're completely done."

Jade gave him a coy smile as she said, "I thought my team might be able to substitute for the other teams when we feed them tomorrow. Then we shouldn't really lose much time at all."

"Good thinking," he agreed. He reached out and gently stroked her face as he added, "Thank you for helping with my plan for the Maliri. It must be frustrating having to put all the work in, then not being able to enjoy having a full stomach afterwards."

The Nymph giggled, and said, "I don't consider blowing you to be 'work', and besides, it's tremendously rewarding to know I'm helping these women conceive." She studied him intently, and added, "Although I wish I was getting them ready to carry your babies."

He chuckled, and joked, "Sadly, we don't really have time for that."

"Actually, we do," she whispered to him quietly. "With my ability to create tentacles, I could help you impregnate dozens of them at a time."

John blinked at the thought, and as much as it turned him on, he shook his head as he said, "It's better this way. After what happened with my parents, I refuse to abandon my children. I want to be around to look after them, and be there as they grow up. With this other Progenitor stirring up trouble, I don't think I'm going to be able to make that kind of commitment until this situation is resolved."

She gave him a loving smile, and hugged him tightly as she said, "I thought you'd say something like that, but I wanted to offer anyway."

He stroked her back, and embraced her for a while as he watched her team working quickly to replate and rearm the gunship. They glanced his way from time to time, giving him a warm smile or a friendly wave, and he realised there was something different about them, aside from their hair changing colour. The Maliri seemed settled now, calmer and content, and no long just staring at him in devotion. Feeling too weary to try and puzzle out their change in behaviour, he relaxed his embrace with Jade, and she gave him a final kiss before striding back to rejoin her crew.

Continuing on to the golden Maliri ship, he saw the crystal door of the airlock rise up as he approached, revealing Luna who was waiting on the other side. She greeted him with a wave and sparkling smile, and when he stepped through the airlock, she stood aside to let him enter, closing the door after him.

"It's wonderful to see you again, John," she said to him reverently, her voice sounding rich, clear, and vibrant.

He blinked in surprise, and said, "Your voice sounds lovely! I assumed you spoke the way you did because you were quiet and serious."

She gazed into his eyes, and her voice throbbed with gratitude as she said, "My vocal chords had been seared in the gas attack that injured my larynx, but when I woke up, you'd healed me. Thank you so much."

"You're very welcome," he said with a smile, then looked up at her now pure white hair, and added, "It looks like your voice wasn't the only thing that changed."

Luna looked self-conscious, and asked hesitantly, "Do you like it?"

He lifted his hand to brush his fingers through her short white-blonde hair, but he paused just before making contact, and asked, "Is this okay?"

Her angular yellow eyes were hooded, as she said breathily, "You don't need to ask permission to touch me."

Taking her at her word, he placed his left hand on her slim waist, and pulled her towards him so that her stomach brushed against his own. She gasped at the contact, and her eyes went wide as she felt him stiffening against her belly. He reached up with his other hand, and gently ran his fingers through her hair, before tenderly cupping the back of her head and tilting her backwards for a sensual kiss. She was breathing heavily when their lips drifted apart, staring up at him with longing.

"What about your other injuries," he asked her meaningfully.

She gazed up at him, and whispered in wonder, "I don't know how, but you did it. We confirmed it with a medi-scan, and I'm ready for you; all three of us are."

John was delighted for her, and eased back a little so he could run his right hand over her lower belly. She moaned with arousal, her lips parting as she let out a little whimper of desire.

"Work with Almari, Ilyana, and Edraele, to keep all of you safe and it won't be long," he promised her, as he stared into her eyes.

She nodded slowly, and in her lovely, richly timbred voice, she said, "I swear, I won't let you down."

He nodded solemnly, saying, "I know, I trust you, Luna."

Alyssa's impatient voice filled his mind, as she said, *If you've finished motivating the troops, I need you up here. Give her a nice kiss, then get your ass in the elevator.*

*Will you be long, my Lord?* Edraele asked him curiously, and he could hear the eagerness in her tone.

He tried hard not to laugh, but Luna saw his mouth turn up in a smile, and she asked him, "What is it?"

He grinned at her, and said, "I'm sorry, it was lovely speaking to you, but Alyssa and Edraele are getting impatient. They're both contacting me telepathically, and asking where I am."

She laughed heartily, and said with genuine sympathy, "Don't worry, I understand. I've spent most of my life answering a Matriarch's summons. I don't envy you having to answer to two of them."

He gave her a quick kiss, and smiled as he said, "Thanks Luna. If we don't get another chance to talk before I have to go, please take care of yourself, alright? I'll look forward to seeing you again when I return."

Her eyes gleamed as she said, "As will I..."

She accompanied him to the elevator, but didn't enter with him, and simply waved him goodbye. The crystal door closed silently, blocking her from view, and the elevator ascended a few levels before it reopened. He strode along the short corridor to Edraele's state rooms, and when the door opened into the palatial audience hall, he found Alyssa and Edraele waiting for him. They both looked delighted to see him, and walked over to meet him half-way, but similar disapproving frowns appeared on their beautiful faces as they reached him.

"Calara wasn't kidding, you look worn out," Alyssa told him with concern.

Edraele nodded knowingly, and asked, "You've been using your personal energy reserves to heal Luna, Almari and Ilyana, haven't you? You need to be careful doing that, especially as some powers use much more energy than others."

Alyssa and John looked at her in surprise, and he asked, "You know how the energy transfer stuff works?"

She nodded, and said, "Only after I submitted to your Progenitor side. Before he had me service him, he told me how he was going to use me to control his legions, and fuel his powers."

"How does it work?" Alyssa asked excitedly.

"I'll explain later," Edraele replied with a smile, stepping closer to John. "For now, both of you need refreshing."

She leaned into him, and kissed him lovingly, and his lips tingled where they brushed against hers. He could feel his tiredness evaporating, as though a heavy burden was being lifted from him, and he encircled her in his arms, kissing her back enthusiastically.

"Wow! That was some kiss!" he exclaimed, as Edraele gazed into his eyes, and smiled at him with satisfaction.

Alyssa was standing close by, watching the action, and she gasped as she got a clear look at his face. "You look tons better already!" she said in surprise.

Edraele nodded, smiling at them both cryptically, then took Alyssa's hand, and led her over to the throne. "Now, we need to reenergise you, too," she said firmly, as she started slowly removing Alyssa's clothes. "You've used a lot of energy today, and will need a boost for tomorrow."

Alyssa didn't resist, and waited patiently while watching Edraele in fascination. The Maliri Matriarch took her time getting Alyssa nude, her hands lingering in intimate places as she gently caressed the blonde girl. Edraele then started carefully removing her own clothing too, her deft fingers peeling back the layers in a slow seductive manner as she shot John an enticing smile.

*Oh, I like this new version of Edraele, she's sexy as hell!* Alyssa told him approvingly, as she reached out to help the Maliri woman undress.

John watched Alyssa run her hands appreciatively over Edraele's body, before she stepped behind the Maliri Matriarch, and helped her remove her long robe. The satin material pooled at her feet, leaving Edraele gloriously naked. She smiled at John coyly as Alyssa's hands snaked around to stroke the soft skin of her blue-toned stomach, before the Terran girl reached up to cup and massage her full breasts.

They both gave him a smouldering look, and his cock throbbed in approval, the rejuvenating kiss he'd received earlier having fully energised him. Edraele beckoned him over, and when he stood between them, they slowly divested him of clothes, trailing suggestive kisses over his skin.

"Would you care to sit, my Lord?" Edraele asked him playfully, glancing at the throne.

He chuckled, and nodded, sitting on the high-backed throne, while Alyssa giggled with excitement. The blue-eyed blonde and the purple-eyed Maliri then knelt before him, and smiled at one another, before leaning in to kiss. His cock felt hard as steel as he watched his two Matriarchs kiss each other lovingly, and they both darted fiery glances up at him as they embraced. His cock pulsed with need, and they turned together, spreading his legs so that they could move closer.

Staring down at them with disbelieving eyes, he watched as they licked up and down his shaft, velvety soft tongues making him glisten in the light. Edraele reached the crown and she made eye contact with Alyssa, raising an eyebrow as if asking for permission. The teen nodded eagerly, and Edraele engulfed his head, sucking on him wantonly.

*Is this exciting, my Lord?* Edraele asked him eagerly. *I'm the leader of millions, and here I am, kneeling for you submissively, worshipping your cock.*

Before he could answer, Alyssa's tremendously aroused voice filled his thoughts as she said, *This feels so naughty! It's so fantastically disrespectful, it feels like something I'd come up with!*

They switched, and Alyssa deep throated him immediately, then bobbed up and down, while staring intently into his eyes. Edraele knelt beside her fellow Matriarch, her deep-purple eyes flashing with excitement as she gazed up at him.

As she stroked Alyssa's long blonde hair, she said, "Alyssa's been such a good girl for you today, my Lord. Are you going to reward her belly for all her hard work?" She didn't wait for an answer, and leaned down to lovingly lather his balls with her tongue, as though urging them to feed her blonde compatriot.

John groaned, as his quad lurched with excitement, and he cried out as Alyssa began to hungrily suck out every last drop of cum that he had. He arched his back as he held her to his groin with one hand, blasting long ropes of spunk into her stomach while she moaned in ecstasy. With the other hand he kept Edraele in position, as she lapped at his balls with gusto. Once he was done, he collapsed back in the throne with a disbelieving chuckle, while Alyssa finished milking him for every last drop.

"You're one sexy bitch," Alyssa said to Edraele approvingly, as the Maliri gently stroked her swollen tummy.

Edraele smiled at her and said, "Thank you. I enjoyed that a lot." She looked up at John, and arched an eyebrow as she inquired, "Did you approve, my Lord?"

He chuckled, and nodded saying, "That was extremely hot, thanks both of you."

He helped the girls to rise, and they scooped up their clothes, then followed after Edraele as she led them through to the bedroom. They let Alyssa go in the middle so they could both stroke her rounded abdomen, and she sighed contentedly at their touch.

She turned to look at Edraele, and said, "I must admit I felt a bit jealous at you becoming his Matriarch too, but that was amazing, thank you."

Edraele smiled at her, and said deferentially, "We might both be his Matriarchs, but we aren't equals. I have no desire to try in any way to challenge your position as his most favoured woman."

Alyssa reached out to give her a hug, and said gratefully, "That was very kind of you to say, thank you."

When they separated, Edraele gave her a warm smile, then leaned on her side, and resumed stroking Alyssa's tummy. She looked at them both, and asked, "Would you like me to explain about the energy transfers now?"

John smiled at her, and replied, "Yes please, we're both really curious to find out more."

Edraele nodded, then looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "Although your Progenitor-side wiped out my original personality, he implanted this knowledge in my mind, so that I would be able to serve him.

I think the best way to describe it, is somewhat like a pyramid. The Progenitor is at the top, with a Matriarch below him, and the women linked to her are at a lower level. Every person contains a certain amount of psychic energy that can be drawn when needed, and that is typically channelled through the Matriarch up to the Progenitor. The amount of energy a person holds grows with their experience and psychic potential, and a Progenitor can use his own reserves of energy if he is unable to tap his thralls for power for any reason.

In times of great need, a Progenitor or Matriarch can draw on a thrall's life force once their psychic energy has been exhausted. Doing so will burn them out, leaving them an empty drained husk, killing them in the process."

John's eyes narrowed as he said, "It sounds like the Matriarchs are their Achilles-heel. What happens if a Matriarch is killed? Is a Progenitor cut off from the rest of his thralls?"

Edraele shook her head, replying, "No, a Progenitor can drain his thralls of energy directly, if his Matriarch is slain or unconscious."

Alyssa looked at John, and asked, "Do you think that's what happened when we fought the Fulmanax? I was knocked out, so Progenitor-John drained Calara and Jade of energy to heal himself, then fight that huge behemoth."

John nodded, then looked confused, as he asked, "So what's the point of having a Matriarch then, if a Progenitor can just access his thralls directly?"

Alyssa poked him with a finger, and exclaimed with a playful air of indignation, "Hey! Are you saying I'm pointless?"

He gave her an apologetic smile, and said, "Of course not, I couldn't do without you. I was just curious."

Edraele smiled at them indulgently while they bantered, then explained, "Progenitors normally let the Matriarch control the energy transfer from the thralls, to avoid unnecessarily burning his women out. A Matriarch is telepathically linked to her thralls, so she can issue them commands, and monitor their status."

"I'm not doing any of that, except for having telepathic chats with the girls," Alyssa said with a frown. Her expression brightened as she added, "Actually, I wonder if that's why the Progenitors use the Matriarchs as a go-between? I love chatting to all the girls, but it can get pretty hectic holding multiple telepathic conversations at once!"

Now it was Edraele's turn to look puzzled and she said, "I didn't realise your entire crew was psychic. It came as quite a shock to find out Alyssa had powers, but all the Terran girls are too? I thought Psychic potential was unheard of amongst your people?"

John shook his head, and said, "They aren't, at least we don't think so. Dana created a psi-detector that reads people's psychic auras, and none of the Terran girls seem to be psychic. Well, except Alyssa of course."

Alyssa looked at Edraele curiously, and asked, "What made you say that, anyway?"

Edraele paused and replied, "I was going to talk about Telepathy later, but non-psychics can't project a telepathic voice."

"Sorry for the confusion. It doesn't happen straight away," Alyssa explained helpfully. "I just meant that once I've created a bond with the girls, then they can talk to me too. Irillith's new, so she can hear me, but we haven't bonded yet, so she hasn't been able to speak to me telepathically."

Now Edraele looked really confused, and said, "I haven't heard that term before. What do you mean by 'created a bond' with the girls?"

Alyssa smiled and said, "I just made up the name, as I wasn't sure what the proper term for it was. As the girls trust me more, they open themselves up to a stronger telepathic connection. It feels lovely; really intimate and special, and seems to increase the flow of psychic energy between us."

Edraele shook her head, as she said soberly, "Progenitor Matriarchs treat their thralls like cattle to be harvested. They don't do anything like that."

John shared a probing look with Alyssa, and asked, "I wonder if the way I connected the Maliri engineers to Edraele is closer to the normal Progenitor way of doing things? If the Progenitors and their Matriarchs never bother to develop the links with their Thralls, I bet that's why they need to enslave so many women to fuel their powers."

Alyssa nodded excitedly, and said, "We'll have to get Rachel to check with the psi-detector tomorrow, and see what the psychic flows are like." She turned to look at Edraele and asked, "Can you sense all of those Maliri engineers now?"

Edraele nodded, and said, "Yes, and my assassins. As I explained before, I can send any of them a telepathic command now, but they can't communicate back via telepathy, as they aren't psychic."

"So what happened with that amazing kiss earlier?" John asked his Maliri Matriarch. "I was feeling exhausted, then after that, I felt raring to go again."

She smiled at him, and replied, "I took a little bit of psychic energy from each of the Maliri who are linked to me, as well as a sizable portion from my own reserves, and used it to rejuvenate you. It's not as efficient as if you had simply reached out to me for the psychic energy to help fuel whatever powers you were using, but the result is the same."

Alyssa nodded, and said to John, "The girls have been getting inexplicably tired when your wounds have healed overnight. Remember when you got stabbed by that Drakkar? I must have somehow instinctively known how to heal you while I was asleep."

Edraele looked reluctant to contradict Alyssa, but she said confidently, "That's not how it works I'm afraid. A Matriarch healing her Progenitor is an Actively controlled ability, you can't just do it Passively."

"Active and Passive? What do you mean by that?" John asked her, picking up on her emphasis on the words.

Edraele pondered this for a while, trying to think of the best way to describe it. She finally replied, "An 'Active' power means you have to direct the ability with you mind, concentrating on it to accomplish something. Spirit Walking is one example, or using telekinesis is another. A 'Passive' power is something that you just do without any conscious thought." She looked at Alyssa and said, "Your telepathic connections with the girls on your crew are Passive powers. Once you've created that connection, a small part of your mind is dedicated to maintaining the link."

Alyssa looked excited as she said, "The Ashanath talked about the same kind of thing. They said that a person has 'compartments' in their mind, and you just allocate a power to a compartment to maintain it. I have an image in my mind of all the girls I'm linked to, and they're tucked away in their own little compartments."

John was thinking of his own super-strength, and he finally asked, "Does that mean my strength is a Passive power? Once I realised how to harness it, I've stayed extremely strong, and I don't have to think about it to use it."

Edraele smiled at him encouragingly, and replied, "Yes, that's it exactly. Passive powers are very efficient, and don't tend to use much psychic energy to maintain. It's the Active ones that can wear you out quickly."

"So I was probably tired from healing Luna, Almari and Ilyana, rather than from using my strength to haul ship weapons about?" he asked, quite fascinated by how these mysterious powers worked.

The Maliri smiled at him gratefully, and said, "Yes, and reversing their surgery was a wonderful thing for you to do. I can feel their emotions over the link between us, but I don't have the words to describe just how strong their feelings of happiness are." She tilted her head to one side, and said, "You changed twenty engineers today too, undoing the Mael'nerak's tampering. That will have taken energy too, which is why you felt so tired this evening. Please let me help you tomorrow though, okay?"

John smiled at her and nodded, while Alyssa looked at him speculatively, and asked, "If you were using so much psychic energy, I wonder why you didn't borrow some from me and the girls?"

"I'm glad I didn't," John replied, giving her a smile. "You had quite enough on your plate already, what with all that psychic shaping."

Edraele looked at Alyssa, and said gently, "You could have borrowed power from them too, to avoid tiring yourself out. Just concentrate on whoever feels like they're full of energy, and reach out to them. They won't feel a thing unless you start to siphon a lot of energy, then they'll start getting tired. A good rest will have them fully recharged again."

"That's handy to know, thanks," Alyssa said with a grateful nod.

John turned to look at Edraele, and asked, "I seem to be getting stronger as time goes on. Do you know why that is?"

She nodded confidently, and said, "As a person gets more confident and practiced with an ability, they get stronger in its use." She paused and tapped a finger on her chin, and said, "I don't know this for sure, but I have a theory why you might be getting stronger."

"I'm all ears," John joked.

Edraele laughed, and traced her finger down her own delicately pointed ear, as she said, "I am too." She then looked more serious as she said, "My theory is that the more girls you add to your group, and the more Alyssa 'bonds' with them, the stronger you become too. It would explain why you're steadily growing in psychic power, and also why Progenitors recruit legions of followers."

He nodded as he mulled over her theory, eventually saying. "That does make a lot of sense." He looked into her eyes, and then asked, "Is Irillith psychic? She hasn't mentioned any powers to us, so I'd started to assume she just didn't have any."

"She should be, she shares my Eldritch bloodline," Edraele confirmed. "My old personality never encouraged her to develop her abilities though."

Alyssa frowned and asked, "How come? Wouldn't another person with Psychic powers be a useful ally?"

"She considered her a threat, and thought that training her or Tashana was too big a risk," Edraele explained sadly.

John reached over, and stroked the Maliri woman's arm comfortingly, then asked, "Would she have the same kind of powers as you?"

Edraele shook her head, replying, "The kind of psychic abilities that manifest for each person depends on their mind, which is unique to each individual. I favour telekinetic attacks and telepathy, but my mother was gifted with pyrokinesis." She shuddered and said, "She particularly enjoyed slowly burning her enemies to death. My old personality's memories of that are quite horrific."

Alyssa looked up at John and said, "Well you've used your super strength a lot, but Irillith said she saw Progenitor-John make your sword go on fire, as well as use telekinesis."

"I saw him use a lot of shadow manipulation," Edraele said with a shudder.

John sighed, and said, "I don't have a clue how to do any of that. After my total lack of success with telepathy, maybe my mind's just not geared to work that way?"

Edraele smiled at him and replied, "My telekinetic powers developed instinctively, but I'd recommend you both practice together when you have some time. Give anything a try. Who knows? Your mind might have a natural inclination towards it." She paused in case they had any questions, but when there were none forthcoming, she asked, "Should I move on to talking about telepathy?"

Alyssa grinned, and exclaimed, "Yeah! That would be great, thanks! I feel like I've learned loads already."

John raised his right hand in a stop gesture, and said, "I think we've probably learned as much as we can about Progenitor connections for the moment, but I just wanted to say one thing before we switch topics."

They both at him attentively, and Alyssa asked, "Go ahead, what is it?"

He looked them both in the eye, and said, "No matter what happens, and I don't care how dire the circumstances, never burn out one of the girls."

Alyssa shook her head, and in a shocked voice she stammered, "You know I'd never do that."

Edraele leaned down and kissed Alyssa's cheek tenderly, then said, "He knows that. He was telling me, not you." She looked him square in the eyes, and said fervently, "I swear, I will never burn out one of the women I'm linked with."

John looked greatly relieved as he reached over Alyssa, and gently stroked Edraele's azure cheek as he said, "Thank you. I couldn't live with myself knowing I'd snuffed some poor girl's life out like that."

As Edraele nodded her understanding, Alyssa looked up at her, and said mischievously, "I think that's enough doom and gloom, you can tell us about telepathy now."

Edraele laughed, and when she darted a look at John and he nodded, she sat up straight, looking down at them both thoughtfully. After making her mind up where to begin, she said, "I think the first thing to cover is the difference between active psychics, and normal people or 'Mundanes' as my mother used to call them. A normal person has no way to project their telepathic voice, and their ability to withstand telepathic intrusion is instinctive, and primarily just through having a strong willpower.

For telepaths, we can establish a psychic link with another telepath, and chat to them in the same way you would if you had opened a comm channel to someone. They hear what you want to tell them, and you hear what they want to say to you."

Alyssa sat up eagerly, if a little awkwardly with the heavy weight around her midriff, and exclaimed, "That must have been how I was chatting to the Bolon on Geniya Station." She thought about that for a moment, then eventually asked, "How about the way I can hear John's inner voice? How does that work?"

Edraele smiled at her, then looked at John, and said, "Active telepaths build a mind-shield, which is a much more robust defence against unwanted mental intrusion than willpower alone. Your mind-shield is extremely strong, but you let us in to hear whatever you're thinking about at the time." She frowned and said, "I was never conscious around Progenitor-John after I became his Matriarch, so I'm afraid I can't tell you if Progenitors normally let their Matriarchs listen to their thoughts."

John looked doubtful, and said, "From the way everyone has described my alter-ego, I don't imagine he would."

Alyssa nodded, and said, "He wasn't really a sharing kind of a guy. He shut me out of his mind constantly."

John reached out to squeeze her hand supportively, and then looked at Edraele and asked, "So what about reading someone's mind, telepath or otherwise?"

"There's probably different ways of doing it," Edraele began, "But there's only one way I know of. I use astral projection to shift into my spirit form, then break through someone's mental defences. Once you've broken through a mind-shield, or overcome a Mundane's willpower, then you can access their mind. At that point, you can use a person's personality framework to guide you around their memories, and basically find out whatever you want to know."

Alyssa looked worried as she asked, "Is that dangerous for the person whose mind you're looking into?"

Edraele pondered this for a moment, and replied, "If it's a skilled telepath doing it, then no. If the telepath is unskilled, then you can accidentally damage your subject's mind if you aren't careful."

Alyssa was about to say something, but she hesitated for a moment, looking at John. When he nodded, she asked, "What about the way your old personality was wiped out by Progenitor-John? Does that tell us anything useful?"

Edraele nodded, saying, "To completely wipe out a person's personality is a difficult thing to do. Progenitor-John as you call him, must be a strong telepath." She glanced at John, and said, "Which makes me think you probably are too, but your mind might be suppressing that ability for some reason."

With a puzzled frown, John asked, "Why would I do that?"

Edraele laughed, and said, "I'm afraid I don't know the reason for that one. It's your mind, so why don't you, tell me?"

He shrugged at her helplessly not having any answers for her, and sensing what John wanted, both women lay down on the bed beside him. They snuggled in against him on either side, as he hugged them both tightly. They lay like that for a little while just thinking over what they had just discussed, and eventually Alyssa smiled across John's broad chest at Edraele.

"I actually feel a bit more positive about the future since you joined us," she said, sounding relieved. "It feels like we've got a bit of a base we can return to now, rather than just roaming the galaxy."

Edraele gave her a brief smile, but she looked more than a little worried as she replied, "Unfortunately, I have a very long list of well-deserved enemies. I'm more concerned that by allying with me, you might have made yourself a target by association."

John stroked her back soothingly and said, "Don't worry, we can take care of ourselves. Alyssa's right though, I know exactly what she means."

Edraele smiled at him, and said, "You can return here whenever you like, and I'll give you any assistance I can."

"Thanks Edraele," he said to her appreciatively.

Alyssa had been speaking with the girls, who had all getting ready for bed on the Invictus, and she was surprised to find out it was nearly midnight. "We better get up, if we're going to head back to the ship," she prompted John gently.

Edraele's face fell, but she tried to cover it immediately, saying, "I really enjoyed spending this evening with you both, thank you for joining me."

Alyssa smiled at her kindly, then glanced up at John and asked, "We can stay here tonight instead if you like? This is going to be Edraele's only chance to sleep next to you for weeks before we can make it back here again."

When John looked down and saw the hopeful look on the Maliri woman's face, he agreed immediately, saying, "That's a lovely idea, as long as Edraele doesn't mind?"

Edraele hugged him tightly, and was absolutely delighted as she said enthusiastically, "That would be awesome, I'd love that so much!" She looked into Alyssa's eyes and said, "Thank you, you're very thoughtful."

Alyssa met Edraele's grateful smile with a warm one of her own, but she sounded suspicious when she spoke telepathically to John, *Edraele's new personality is starting to feel a little familiar.*

He glanced down at her, making eye contact, as he replied defensively, *Hey, give me a break. I've never done this before, and I had to take my inspiration from somewhere.*

Alyssa stifled a laugh, then said, "Irillith's going to come over to give us a status update on everything, as she spoke with all the teams before they called it a night. We better get dressed as she'll be here in a couple of minutes."

They rose from bed, and got dressed quickly, making sure they looked presentable. John paused as he was putting his shirt on, and said, "Hang on, it's Irillith, why do I feel like I'm trying to hide what we've been up to?"

Alyssa looked pointedly at Edraele while raising an eyebrow, and John nodded, saying, "Yeah okay, good point."

They walked into the lounge area in the adjacent room, and had only just sat down when Irillith strolled into the room. John got up from the chair, smiled at her and gave her a welcoming hug which she returned with a wide smile on her face. She greeted Alyssa with a brilliant smile, and then nodded politely to Edraele, looking a little uncomfortable.

Deciding to distract Irillith from Edraele, rather than just send the Maliri Matriarch away, John asked, "So what kind of progress have we made with the Invictus refit after today?"

Irillith looked pleased as she reported, "We made excellent progress, actually. The Raptor has been rearmed and armoured, and is just waiting for the Central Core to be installed. All the Pulse Cannons, and Beam Lasers have been installed in the Invictus topdeck, and the weapons team will split in half and take one flank each tomorrow, working from fore to aft. The Nova Lances are ready, but they need to be installed in the prow. Rachel's team have bored out the Central Core through all the decks in the Invictus, and are ready to install the Central Core as soon as Alyssa shapes it. Finally, Dana has upgraded the Pilot's Station, and Faye's robots have upgraded all the ship's computer systems and subsystems."

"Excellent news," John said with a grin. "How about the girls? Is everyone alright?"

"They miss you, but they said they understand, and you can make it up to them when we depart," Irillith told him, smiling as she recalled Dana's expletive laden version she had edited to remove the profanities.

John smiled at her, then reached out, and tenderly stroked his fingers through her hair. She let out a contented sigh, and he asked, "How about you? Are you okay?"

Her eyes flickered towards Edraele for only a second, but it was long enough to be quite telling. She gazed into his eyes, and said emphatically, "I'm looking forward to tomorrow. The sooner we depart and resolve the problems in the Dragon March, the sooner we can rescue Tashana."

He pulled her into his arms, and said, "I'll do everything I can to help get her to safety. I'm just sorry we can't head after her immediately."

She nodded her understanding, and said, "It's alright, I know you have other commitments and obligations to honour." After letting out a little sigh, she added reluctantly, "I better get back to the Invictus, I want to be well rested to help make sure everything runs smoothly tomorrow."

"You did a great job today," he told her gratefully. "Thanks for all the effort you put in."

She smiled at him, and said, "It was very rewarding actually. I enjoyed it a lot."

They all rose to their feet, and Irillith gave him a loving kiss, Alyssa a quick hug, then nodded courteously to Edraele. She turned on her heel, and started striding away, when Edraele suddenly said to her in a cold, dispassionate voice, "Irillith, I wish to speak to you before you leave."

Irillith froze in place, cold fingers of dread creeping up her spine, as she instantly recognised the all-too-familiar voice her mother normally used with her. She turned fearfully, memories of hundreds of similar, often very painful encounters flashing through her mind.

"What is it, Mother?" She asked respectfully, unable to make eye contact, and thoroughly cowed.

Edraele glided over to her, approaching closer until she was only a pace away. She stopped, and there was a deathly quiet in the air for a long moment, with John and Alyssa watching the encounter with wide eyes.

"I've treated you so badly," Edraele said softly, her voice throbbing with sincerity.

Irillith's head shot up, and she looked stunned as she stared at her mother in open-mouthed amazement.

Edraele let out a remorseful sigh, and she said regretfully, "I'll never be able to make it up to you for all the terrible things I've said and done to you in the past, but I hope you'll let me try. I'm sorry I've failed you so badly as a mother, you deserved so much more."

Irillith looked like she couldn't believe her ears, and when Edraele opened her arms to her daughter, she moved into them instinctively. Edraele hugged her tightly, and said, "I love you Irillith, my wonderful little girl."

With her eyes filling with tears, Irillith clung to her mother fiercely, and her shoulders started to shake as she began to sob into her arms. Edraele embraced and comforted her, stroking Irillith's back while murmuring loving words in her ear.

Alyssa was wide-eyed with astonishment as she glanced up at John, and said to him via telepathy, *Wow! I didn't see that coming.* She narrowed her eyes when she saw the satisfied look on his face, and said, *Hey, wait a minute! Is this more of your handiwork?*

He looked down at her and gave her a surreptitious wink, while continuing to watch the touching scene between mother and daughter. *The way Edraele treated Irillith wasn't the new personality's fault, but she still felt guilty about it. She was in a perfect position to do something to make amends, so I nudged her in the right direction. After this reconciliation, hopefully they'll both feel better, and maybe they can start building a new, positive relationship.*

Alyssa nodded, looking impressed, then replied, *That was a lovely thing to do. Really kind and thoughtful.*

John smiled at her, then said with some trepidation, *I just hope Irillith feels the same way. It felt like my teeth rattled the last time she slapped me!*

The blonde girl at his side gave him an affectionate smile, and they watched silently as Edraele comforted Irillith, who was quite overcome with raw emotions. Realising that the two Maliri women needed some privacy, they left through the door at the back of the lounge, departing quietly so as not to disturb them, and retiring to the bedroom to get some rest.

***

John settled down with Alyssa, and she cuddled up beside him, relaxing together in the Maliri Matriarch's comfortable bed. Although they'd had a hectic day, the evening's activities had refreshed them both, so neither was feeling as desperately tired as they had been. They were happy to just rest together, enjoying being in each other's arms, and savouring the peaceful moment.

Edraele eventually joined them half an hour later, quickly disrobing, then climbing into bed on John's other side. She knelt beside him, then leaned down to give him a loving kiss, her tearful eyes filled with gratitude.

"That was wonderful, thank you so much," she told him, her voice thick with emotion. "I might not be the original Edraele, but I promise you, the overwhelming feelings of relief and happiness when Irillith forgave me were very real."

John reached up, and gently traced his thumb over her sky blue cheek, catching one of her tears, and brushing it away. "I'm very proud of you for the way you handled it," he told her quietly. "Irillith's developing into a lovely girl, but I think she needed to hear that from you more than she'd ever care to admit."

Edraele nodded, and said with conviction, "I can't undo the past, but I want to be there for her in the future."

Alyssa gave her a tender smile, and said earnestly, "It's obvious you care about her a great deal. I think she'll be very lucky to have you in her life."

The Maliri woman looked touched by Alyssa's words, and she reached out to gently stroke the Terran girl's arm by way of thanks.

"Come and join us," John said to Edraele with a warm smile, moving his left arm off his chest in a clear invitation.

She lay down beside him, and let out a happy sigh of contentment as she rested her head on his shoulder. John stroked her back soothingly, and soon Edraele's eyelids grew heavy as she drifted off to sleep.

*We better get to sleep too,* John thought to Alyssa as he glanced in her direction.

Alyssa gazed into his eyes, and said, *I know I've teased you about it before, but those two were very wounded little birds, and you did a good thing helping them. I'm very proud of you.*

He smiled at her, hugged her tightly to him, and gave her a loving kiss as he stared into her cerulean eyes. They lay like that for a while before he dropped off to sleep, and Alyssa soon followed.

***

John felt the welcome oblivion of sleep suddenly begin to fade away, and with a feeling of foreboding in his chest, he realised he was being pulled into the cloying world of nightmares. Sure enough, the featureless darkness that swathed him began to lighten, and he could make out ethereal mists before his panicked eyes. The sinister fog began to glow, feeling too close and oppressive, whilst simultaneously stretching away endlessly. His mind felt it would break in two as he experienced claustrophobia and agoraphobia at the same time, before the nebulous swirls vanished in an instant, unceremoniously dumping him onto an unending plain.

The plain was stark and empty, and he felt like he'd been abandoned in the centre of some huge bleak desert. Thick mist began to seep up out of the ground, swirling in viscous eddies around his calves, and insubstantial shapes began to rise menacingly under cover of the obscuring mists. He suddenly felt another presence above the unsettling vista before him, and he whirled this way and that, as he tried to make it out. He felt himself being inspected by a vast and alien intellect, which was too colossal and otherworldly for his mind to comprehend. As he spun about trying to find the source of this relentless scrutiny, he spotted the stars in the sky that he'd seen before slowly coalesce into dozens of disconcerting, baleful eyes, all transfixed on his every move.

There was a sense of gloating satisfaction from that Eldritch presence at his arrival, and an almost discernible feeling of being greeted, inasmuch as one might appreciate the unexpected appearance of an amusing pet.

"Who are you?" he yelled at the night's sky. "What do you want?!"

The demeanour of that shuddering immensity changed abruptly, transforming from indulgent curiosity, to suspicion and anger. A feeling of dread surged in his chest, and palpable waves of fear threatened to drown him, crashing down upon his consciousness like a malevolent and terrifying tsunami. As his mind froze with shock at the horrifying displeasure of the Stygian monstrosity, there was a bright flash of light beside him.

He instantly recognised the radiant figure who had saved him so many times before. Unmistakably feminine, and shrouded in a brilliant white radiance that instantly fortified his courage, it warded him from the mind-numbing terror. The Eldritch behemoth lurking in that endless darkness convulsed violently, sending sickening ripples of powerful anger around the pitch-black abyssal void above them. He could feel its utter revulsion at Alyssa's sudden appearance, and it shrank away in disgust, whilst gathering its will for a dreadful retributive strike of titanic proportions.

John suddenly knew deep in his heart that this was something different entirely. The wickedly barbed tentacles that had surged for him in his previous nightmares were merely to punish and chastise, but things had changed, and the terrifying abomination had seen enough. He reached for the radiant figure, knowing he had but the blink of an eye to save them both, and the instant his fingers touched her glowing radiance, he was ripped out of the dreamworld.

John's eyes snapped open and he found Alyssa in his arms, clinging to him fiercely in desperation. Her eyes were wide with fright, but she was too terrified to scream, and could only whimper with fear. His own heart was hammering away in his chest, while his throat was dry and tight, constricting his voice, and preventing him from crying out in terror. They trembled together like that for what seemed like an eternity before his heartbeat began to return to normal, and he felt like he could dare to take a breath once more.

"Are you okay?" he gasped to Alyssa, hugging her tightly as she trembled against him.

She shook her head, as she moaned, "We were going to die! I could feel it with every fibre of my being, but I couldn't do anything to stop it!"

John took a shuddering breath, and said, "You're safe now, I've got you."

Alyssa lurched upright, tearing herself out of his arms, and her eyes were wild as she exclaimed, "We aren't safe! Whatever that thing was, it was going to fucking annihilate us!" She stared at him, and her voice dropped an octave as she asked in a tremulous voice, "What the hell was it?!"

Edraele had been roused from her sleep by Alyssa's raised voice, and she rolled over to look at them, rubbing her eyes sleepily. One look at the blonde girl's frightened face had her quickly moving over the bed to hold her, as she gasped, "Alyssa, you look terrified! What's wrong?"

John sat up as well, and they both embraced the scared young woman, while Edraele's violet eyes locked onto his. As she stroked Alyssa's hair, trying to calm her down, she asked, "What just happened?"

He felt braver, now he was back in the real world, and as he comforted Alyssa, he replied, "It happens every time we add another girl to our group. After the third time I've fed her, the next time I fall asleep I get pulled into some kind of dreamworld. There's a dark and terrifying presence there, and the last few times Alyssa's been dragged along with me."

"Was it because of Irillith?" Alyssa asked him as she trembled in his arms. "The last time we were dragged into one of those nightmares was after Rachel joined us. So it must be because Irillith joined!"

John shook his head and said, "Her third feed was weeks ago, when she snuck into our room."

"You fed me for the third time yesterday," Edraele said hesitantly. "I'm so sorry if it was me who inflicted this on you."

Alyssa let out a troubled sigh, then said, "It's not your fault. It seems to happen with every girl."

"Except Irillith!" John said with a start, drawing both women's eyes to him. "I never experienced one of those dreams after that third time."

"You weren't in control later that night!" Alyssa blurted out in sudden realisation. "Progenitor-John had taken over by the evening."

John looked at Edraele, and asked urgently, "Do you have any idea what these dreams mean?"

Edraele shook her head mournfully, and said, "I'm so sorry, I wish I could tell you something useful. I've got no idea why this is happening to you."

John nodded, and looking down at Alyssa he gave her a reassuring smile as he said, "It's over for now. I've never been pulled into a second dream the same night."

Alyssa looked up at them both, and said in a small, scared voice, "Can you both hold me until I fall asleep, please?"

John and Edraele murmured their agreement, and they lay down on the bed again. Alyssa settled in the middle, lying against John, while Edraele draped herself over the frightened girl from behind. Sandwiched between them, Alyssa's trembling soon stopped, and despite her anxiety, their comforting and rhythmic breathing lulled her to sleep.

"Thank you," John said to Edraele gratefully.

Edraele stroked Alyssa's golden blonde hair with maternal concern, and when she met his eyes, she asked, "What do you think is happening with these nightmares?"

He shook his head, unable to answer her question, and he eventually replied, "I'm not sure, but whatever is lurking there was determined to kill us both that last time. We barely escaped with our lives."

She reached over to him, and stroked his face, then said, "I'll watch over you. You should get some sleep too."

He gave her a grateful smile, and closed his eyes. He thought sleep would elude him after the sudden and shocking encounter, but with Edraele gently stroking his hair he was soon lulled into a dreamless slumber.

***

John awoke early the next morning, feeling fully rested, and eager to start his day. The dreadful nightmare he'd experienced last night just felt like some vague and hazy memory now, and he took a bold, confident breath, filling his lungs with the clean refreshing air.

The pronounced movement of his chest disturbed Alyssa, and her eyelids fluttered open, letting him know she was awake too. She gave him a bright smile, and he felt relieved that she seemed to have shrugged off the after-effects of the previous night's nightmare. Edraele woke up as Alyssa began to move, and she sat up looking at them both with a worried frown.

"Were you troubled by a second nightmare?" Edraele asked them, sounding worried.

Alyssa smiled at her, and said, "No, he was right, we didn't get attacked again. I slept like a baby."

Edraele looked relieved and said, "I suspect you'll want to make an early start? I've asked Almari to bring us breakfast, so you can get a quick shower beforehand if you'd like."

John nodded, then looked at her curiously, and asked, "Are Maliri showers like Terran ones?"

She shook her head, and said, "Not identical, no, but close enough to not be too disconcerting for you." She climbed out of bed, and beckoned them over to follow her.

As she walked towards a section of wall in the corner of the room, a previously invisible door opened up in the wall, swinging wide to allow her to enter. John and Alyssa followed after her shapely azure figure, and walked into a wide cubicle, which sealed close behind them.

Edraele handed them each a small clip-like device, and said, "Put this over your nose, like this." She slotted the device securely into position covering the nostrils in her delicate blue nose. "The cubicle fills with water, then the cleaning agents thoroughly clean your body."

Alyssa smiled at her, and shook her head, handing back the nose clips with a trembling hand. "Sorry, but I'm not up for that. Being scared shitless once today was bad enough!"

She gave them a quick wave goodbye as she backed out of the room, and said, "I'll go and check in with everyone, then get a shower back on the Invictus."

"Alright, I'll be out soon," John called after her.

*No stopping to play with Edraele this morning,* she warned him as she walked out of sight. *Jade's gathered the armour team, and they're all ready for breakfast.*

John chuckled, and slipped the nose plugs into place, glancing around the shower cubicle and looking for water jets.

Edraele looked at him quizzically, and asked, "Are you ready? Just keep your mouth closed, but you can breathe normally through your nose."

He nodded, doing as she instructed, and then looked down in surprise as the cubicle began to rapidly fill with water. It surged around his legs, then over his waist, and up around his chest. As confident as he was around water, he had to admit it felt unsettling to be rapidly submerged under water like this. As the water level rose above his mouth, his breathing quickened a little in panic.

*It's alright,* Edraele thought to him, while radiating calm. *You're perfectly safe, I won't let anything harm you.*

He nodded to her gratefully, and replied, *Thanks, it just came as a bit of a surprise.* The water level rose above his head, and suddenly the entire cubicle was completely filled from floor to ceiling, the water making his skin tingle pleasantly.

Edraele smiled at him as she explained, *The agents in the water will have you completely cleaned in approximately thirty seconds.*

*You look like a goldfish,* Alyssa said, her voice thoroughly disquieted.

John turned around, and saw her looking at them both through the clear crystal of the cubicle wall. *You were right, you would have hated this,* he said to her as he gave her a wave.

She smiled at him, then leaned in and planted a big kiss on the crystal, her full lips leaving a perfect imprint on the surface as she giggled and sauntered away. John turned to Edraele, and had fun running his hands over her luscious body while he waited for the cleaning fluid to do its work. He was a little disappointed when the liquid began to drain away, rapidly emptying out of the cubicle.

He removed the nose plugs, and said, "Well that was a novel experience. I think I still prefer Terran showers though."

Edraele smiled at him, and looked enthusiastic as she said, "I've never tried a Terran shower before. Perhaps you'll show me when you return?"

"I'd be delighted to," he agreed with a grin, then gave her a kiss before they stepped out of the cubicle, and dried off in jets of warm air that gusted over them from vents in the floor and ceiling. He was dry in a few seconds, and he noted wryly, "Maliri shower facilities make the Terran equivalent feel positively indulgent."

With a melodious laugh, Edraele said, "You're making me even more eager to give them a try."

***

Jade was waiting patiently in the Hangar Bay, when John came jogging into the huge room with some kind of flatbread in his hand. He took a hurried final bite, and gave the assembled Maliri engineering crew a cheery wave.

"Good morning!" Jade greeted him exuberantly, as she began to strip. "I hope you've got a nice big load for me to share with these lovely girls."

Taking her lead, the Maliri began to undress in a flurry of clothes, as they stared at him with longing. As soon as they were naked, they beckoned him over, and began to help him out of his clothes. It took a little while as they kept pausing to give him lingering kisses.

John sighed happily, and said, "I don't think that's going to be a problem."

***

"Keep it coming," Dana said to the Maliri engineer by her side.

They were standing at the front of the Invictus' topdeck, and the two huge Nova Lances were being carefully moved into position. With all three Beam Lasers in each of the forward arc arrays removed, the weapon hardpoints were just large enough to take the massive Maliri starship weapons. The main issue wasn't so much the weapon's size though, it was the ridiculous amount of power feeds needed to supply these exotic alien weapons with all the energy they required.

Dana had got up early, and crawled into the weapon housing to double check that all the power couplings were ready. They had needed twenty per Nova Lance, but each one was performing to specifications as she checked the Maliri engineer's handiwork with her portable scanner. The Maliri might look like swimsuit models, but they were very capable workers, and she reminded herself not to be so quick to judge them. She had giggled after that, remembering an incredulous Terran engineer they'd rescued months ago saying something not too dissimilar to her.

"The starboard Nova Lance is ready to be secured in position," Thessalia stated confidently, shaking Dana from her reverie. The Maliri engineer looked at Dana respectfully, and asked, "Do you want to oversee our work?"

Dana shook her head, freeing her ponytail and sending her long auburn hair in a billowing flurry around her face, as she replied, "No, I trust you Thessalia. You and your girls really know your shit." She gave the Maliri woman a knowing smile as she added, "I'm sure John is going to be really impressed with all your hard work."

Thessalia gave her a gracious bow, and grinned at her happily before she walked over to join her colleagues.

***

Alyssa frowned in concentration, as she carefully shaped the massive block of Crystal Alyssium into a one-hundred-metre cylinder, making it an identical match to the schematic in her mind. She had shaped it twice before, and the triple-shaped crystalline alloy had started to feel slightly resistant on the third re-shaping. The plans had called for her to make a series of sections that were to be sealed together deck-by-deck, but Alyssa knew that would make the structure weaker. Instead she had decided to do the whole lot in one go, and she felt more than a little relieved that she'd decided not to try quad-shaping it too.

The Maliri engineers from Rachel's team stared in stunned amazement at the enormous cylinder as it filled out, rotating smoothly in the air. Alyssa held out both hands as though holding the top and bottom of the enormous spinning shaft of psychically reactive material, and pushed it into the full dimensions needed on Dana's plans.

Gathering her will, she took a deep breath, lifting the colossal central core higher, clearing the topdeck as she levitated it up to the very top of the Invictus.

*Are you sure you should be doing that?* Calara asked, sounding worried. *Please don't hurt yourself.*

*I'm fine, can't talk right now,* Alyssa replied brusquely, concentrating too hard to be able to soothe the Latina's unnecessary fears. Concentrating on another of John's girls, she said to Rachel, *Alright, guide me in.*

The huge gleaming tower of curved white crystal rose smoothly into position above the hole the Maliri had cut into the hull. Alyssa couldn't see the base of it any longer, not from down on the deck of the drydock, so she closed her eyes and thought about the dimensions of the Invictus, and where to manoeuvre the Central Core.

*That's right, a little more to port, maybe half a metre,* Rachel thought to her.

Focusing intently, Alyssa did as her friend directed, while maintaining a vice like grip on the column with her mind. *All good?* she asked, while keeping it ramrod straight.

*Yes, but lower it two metres, and I'll make sure it's perfectly aligned,* Rachel said assertively.

Alyssa nodded, forgetting for a moment that Rachel couldn't see her, then did as the brunette asked, dropping the enormous cylinder lower.

*STOP!* Rachel shouted to her in warning. *Bring it back three centimetres towards the rear of the ship, and you'll be lined up.*

Repositioning it as Rachel had asked, Alyssa started to feel herself getting tired. She quickly concentrated on Dana and Calara, and reached out to gently draw energy from her best friend, and her lover. Feeling instantly refreshed, she began to sink the massive shaft into the hole they'd bored out of the Invictus. All one hundred metres of the Central Core were eventually swallowed up in the space they had prepared for it, and she brought it to a gentle halt, resting the base on the bottom of the tunnel.

*Perfect!* Rachel exclaimed in delight. *That was incredible, Alyssa, well done!*

Alyssa sank to the ground and sprawled out on her back to have a quick rest, grinning with satisfaction at finishing the job.

*I can see why John enjoys stuffing his big shaft into tight fitting holes,* she said to the girls. *That was tremendously satisfying.*

They laughed uproariously, and Alyssa grinned as she felt their amusement over the empathic bond she shared with them.

***

John stepped out of the airlock with a wide smile on his face, intending to join the weapons team, who had started installing Beam Lasers and Laser Cannons on the flanks of the Invictus. He was startled when Irillith suddenly loomed out in front of him, blocking his path. She'd been leaning against the outer hull of the assault cruiser, waiting for him to appear, and she stopped him with an upraised hand.

"Hey Irillith, are you alright?" he asked her with some trepidation, watching warily for another slap.

Her serious expression melted away as her face lit up with a gentle smile, and she stepped close and put her arms around him, embracing him lovingly. He managed to avoid letting out a sigh of relief, and just settled for stroking her back as she leaned into him. She looked up at him, her beautiful violet eyes full of tenderness as she said, "Thank you so much for last night. I know it was you who set that up, and it was very thoughtful. The new Edraele caught me by surprise at the time, and while I realise now that it wasn't actually my mother saying those things, it was still a very pleasant illusion."

John smiled at her, and said gently, "She's still Edraele, with all her original memories of you intact. I've just shaped a new personality around those memories, forging the kind of mother you deserved to have looking after you. Think of her as having a healed personality like you do, you've just got to the final result in different ways."

Irillith blinked in surprise, and looked sceptical as she asked, "Do you really mean that, or are you just trying to make me happy?"

He gazed into her eyes, and was quite sincere as he replied, "I really mean it. I spoke to her later that night, and she was overjoyed when you told her you'd forgiven her. She cares about you a great deal, and just wants an opportunity to make up for what happened between you in the past."

Staring off into the distance, Irillith thought over everything he'd said. When she looked up again, her eyes were filled with hope that it hadn't just been some well-meaning trick. She smiled at him, shaking her head wryly as she said, "For the first time, I actually want to go and spend some time with my mother, and I'm not filled with dread at the thought."

John gave her an encouraging smile, and said, "Go ahead. You've been a great help on the refit, but we're ahead of schedule, and I know she'd love to see you."

Irillith pulled him down for a loving kiss, and when she left his side to make her way over to her mother's shuttle, she had a hopeful smile on her face.

***

Dana started up the Mass fabricators again with a look of satisfaction on her face. She had left them running all morning, cranking out the parts she needed for the Inertia Negation Device, and once the last batch was completed, she would have everything she needed. The device was basically an immensely powerful anti-gravity field projector, that was anchored in the Central Core that now ran vertically through the Invictus.

"How are your bots getting on?" she asked Faye, who was keeping her company in the Engineering Bay.

"The boys have been performing perfectly!" Faye stated proudly. "They're strong enough to hold a Pulse Cannon in place, so all the Maliri have to do is lock it into the turret. It's making everything much safer for everyone involved."

Dana grinned at her as she pulled out a multi-tool and began assembling the first section of the Inertia Negation Device. "Your programs were excellent. Thanks for all your help with everything, you've saved us a load of work," she said to the tiny AI construct, her expression reflecting her sincere gratitude.

Faye sighed happily, fluttering her shimmering wings, and lifting herself off the ground as she beamed at the redhead.

***

After completing the second much smaller column of Crystal Alyssium, then neatly slotting it into the Raptor, Alyssa strolled over to keep an eye on the engineers working on the gunship. Truth be told, the Maliri were very capable, and didn't need supervising, but Alyssa enjoyed chatting to them as they worked away industriously. John's weapons team had been joined by the spare engineers from the Raptor crew, and along with the help from the Maintenance Bots, they had swiftly installed all of the remaining weapons.

She had watched John disappear with the armour team a few hours before, and now he was with the last group of dark-haired Maliri girls, making their way to the Invictus. She smiled as she watched them fawning over him, as he led them through to the Hangar Bay to meet up with Jade. Alyssa did a quick headcount, and noticed a couple more Maliri had snuck into the group. She spotted Makaela the Shipyard Commander, and thought she recognised the lead technician from the Power Core, who'd been lingering around for the last few hours, ostensibly to speak to Dana for another physics lecture.

Rachel had reported that her team was making good progress on securing the Central Core into position, and Calara's team had nearly completed re-cladding the Invictus in armour plating. That only left Dana to install the massive anti-grav generator, which would form the heart of the Inertia Negation Device.

John took a while to reappear, and when he finally emerged, he did so on shaky legs, stopping to take a breather for a moment. Alyssa sauntered over to him, and she giggled when she saw his shell-shocked face, then asked him archly, "What did you think of Jade's surprise?"

He stared at her, looking dazed as he exclaimed, "You could have warned me!"

Alyssa laughed with glee, her melodic laughter echoing around the drydock, and asked, "Where's the fun in that?"

"Twenty girls at once... I thought I was getting sucked inside out!" he said as he wobbled a little. "How Jade created so many tentacles, I've no idea!"

"She's a naughty sex octopus alright," the blonde smirked. Taking pity on him, she leaned in to support him, then said apologetically, "I'd give you an energy boost, but I'm a bit tapped out myself. Let's go and meet with Edraele, and she can give you another refreshing kiss."

He nodded, and walked along beside her, darting a glance up at the ship. "It looks like we've nearly finished the refit," he said with a satisfied smile.

"Yeah, just a few more hours to go, and we'll be done," Alyssa agreed, hooking an arm around him, and walking along by his side.

They walked over to Edraele's shuttle, and when the Crystal door lifted upwards, Almari was waiting for them, her cobalt-blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "Edraele's with Irillith in her quarters," she explained helpfully, while staring at John reverently.

Alyssa nodded in gratitude, but as they walked into the ship, Almari suddenly stepped forward and gave John a tight hug. "I can't believe you did that for me," she murmured, her voice trembling with emotion.

John encircled her in his arms, and ran his fingers through her short white hair. "The Fates have treated you badly, and I just seized the chance to redress the balance a bit," he said to her gently. He smiled as he added, "I like the new hair colour by the way."

Almari looked up at him with adoration in her lovely blue eyes, and said, "I'm going to grow it out for you. Irillith said you like long hair."

He leaned down and gave her a tender kiss, and as she swooned in his arms, he smiled as he said, "You're a good girl, Almari. Promise me you'll take care of yourself, and the others."

"I will, I swear it!" she said fiercely, with the fervent gleam of a true believer.

They left her waving him goodbye longingly, and once the crystal door of the elevator closed behind them, Alyssa glanced up at him, and noted, *You've made quite the impression on her.*

He met her gaze, and replied with a sigh, *I feel bad at how completely indoctrinated they've become, and despite how it may look, I'm trying hard not to exploit it.*

Alyssa slipped her hand into his, and squeezed it reassuringly as she said, *You've given her back the ability to have children. Trust me, even if she hated your guts, a blowjob would have been an insignificant price to pay for that. The fact is though, she adored every minute of it. In the wrong hands, this behaviour modification effect could be badly abused, but you've gone out of your way to help these women. I don't think you have anything to feel guilty about.*

He thought it over, and eventually nodded, giving her a grateful smile for her understanding and supportive words. The door to the elevator rose up smoothly a moment later, so they walked through to the Audience Hall, where Irillith was waiting for them.

"Hello you two," she said, greeting them with a relaxed and radiant smile. "My mother's through here, if you'd like to follow me."

She beckoned them over to a door at the back of the room, on the opposite end of the wall from the entrance to the lounge. Irillith placed her finger on her lips, indicating for them to be quiet, and she gently pushed open the door.

Edraele's imperious voice drifted out to them, and they heard her saying sternly, "... I hope I've made myself perfectly clear? I expect trials to be held for all serious infractions; there are to be no summary executions!"

There was a chorus of agreements from well over a dozen female Maliri, and John looked over Irillith's shoulder to get a good look inside the room. Edraele was sitting behind a large desk, and the wall opposite her was covered with view-screens. She seemed to be in the middle of some kind of large video conference, and he counted seventeen stunned Maliri women staring at Edraele in absolute disbelief.

"That will be all, ladies," Edraele said curtly. Her voice dropped an octave, and sounded deathly cold as she added, "I'd like to give you one last friendly piece of advice. If you should even start to think about defying my will on this, I'd urge you to recall what happened to the last Planetary Governor who disobeyed me."

The Maliri nodded, swearing emphatically to uphold her new edicts to the letter.

"You are dismissed," she said haughtily, then clicked a button which ended all the calls at once. After letting out a long sigh, she rose to her feet, smiling warmly at her audience who were waiting in the doorway.

"I thought you were supposed to be good now?" Alyssa asked her in confusion. "It sounded like you were trying to scare the crap out of those women!"

Edraele glided over to them with a rueful look on her beautiful face, and she replied, "Unfortunately, if I'd asked them nicely, they would have assumed I'd gone mad, and would have started plotting against me. This way, they'll eliminate the torture and killings, whilst keeping their minds occupied as they desperately try to figure out what wider scheme I'm spinning."

John nodded, saying, "It looked like you gave a magnificent performance, I'm sorry I missed the rest of it."

Edraele gave him an elegant curtsey as if taking a curtain call, and smiled at him happily, as she said, "I did exactly as you asked, John. I'll do everything I can to improve the lives of the Maliri living on the planets under the control of House Valaden."

He gave her a grateful grin, and said, "I knew you wouldn't let me down. Thank you, Edraele."

Irillith brushed her hand along his arm to draw his attention, and said, "I'll leave you to catch up with my mother." She turned towards Edraele, and said with genuine warmth, "Thank you for this afternoon, I really enjoyed spending time with you."

Edraele looked delighted, and she opened her arms to hug her daughter goodbye. Irillith fought down her initial surprise, and went to her mother who gave her a loving embrace. John hadn't intended to eavesdrop when Edraele whispered in her daughter's ear, but with his sharp ears, he couldn't help overhearing her say, "I'm very proud of you Irillith. You've grown into a wonderful young woman."

He could see that Edraele's words had a visible impact on her daughter, and Irillith let out a happy sigh as she hugged her mother back. They eventually parted, and Irillith gave him a self-conscious smile as she waved them goodbye, and left the room.

Edraele watched her daughter leave, her eyes gentle and caring as they followed Irillith until she disappeared out of sight. She turned to look at John with a brilliant smile on her face, but just as she was about to speak, she looked at him closely and frowned. She walked up to him, pulling him down to her and gave him a tingling kiss, transferring more energy to him.

"You didn't listen to me yesterday!" she scolded him disapprovingly. "You've just been trying to undo the Mael'nerak's tampering by healing sixty women at once. You're going to exhaust yourself draining your own reserves like that. Use me! It's what I'm here for. I'll let you know if I can't spare you any more energy, and remember it's more efficient to siphon the energy when you're using your powers, rather than getting me to refresh you afterwards."

John nodded looking chagrined, but he hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'll try and remember that with Alyssa, but you know that I need you to stay here, don't you? We'll be leaving later this evening, and then we'll be too far away for me to contact you."

Edraele smiled at him, then laughed as she shook her head.

"What is it?" Alyssa asked her, wondering what Edraele could find so amusing. She'd expected the Maliri woman to be heartbroken about being left behind.

"There isn't any range on our connection," she explained patiently. "We're connected across the Astral Plane, distances don't apply there in the same way."

"The Astral Plane?" John asked her, shooting a confused look at Alyssa, who shrugged back at him wearing a blank expression of her own. "What does that mean?"

Edraele looked surprised, then smiled at them indulgently, and said, "You're both so powerful, I forget that neither of you have had any kind of training." She paused for a moment, thinking over how best to explain it. Finally she continued, "The Astral Plane is another dimension that co-exists with our own. It's a place shaped by thought, and a person's consciousness can change reality there, opening up many possibilities, but also extreme dangers for the unwary."

Alyssa stepped close beside John holding on to him, as she asked, "Is that where we've been going in those nightmares?"

"I'm not sure," Edraele said, pondering her question. "It might be, but it doesn't really sound like my experiences of the Astral Plane."

John looked intrigued, and asked, "You've been there before?"

"Oh yes, lots of times," Edraele explained confidently. "When a Telepath Spirit-Walks, they are projecting their mind into the Astral Plane. It's more commonly known as Astral Projection, well, that's the Terran translation of the Maliri name for it at least."

"We really have been fumbling in the dark," Alyssa said with a sigh.

John reached out to Edraele, and took her delicate hand as he asked, "Would you mind answering any other questions we come up with later? If we're still able to stay in contact after we leave, I could still reach out and ask you, right?"

Edraele nodded enthusiastically, and replied, "You can ask me anything you like. I promise I'll do whatever I can to help you."

"Thank you," John said pulling her in for a hug. "You've been an amazing help, really."

Edraele smiled at him, then said, "I should be the one thanking you. I'll never be able to repay you for helping me build a new relationship with Irillith. It feels so wonderful to get to know her better."

Alyssa joined in the hug, then asked gently, "What about Tashana? If we can find, and rescue her, do you want us to bring her back here to you?"

Letting out a troubled sigh, Edraele said, "I'd love to see her, and try to make amends with her too. I banished Tashana from the Maliri though, so I'm not sure she's going to be all that forgiving."

John was about to ask her a personal question, but he held back, not wanting to upset her. Edraele smiled at him sadly, having heard his question in his inner voice, and slowly shook her head, her expression one of regret.

"What happened to him?" John asked her gently.

"Their father died a few years after the girls were born," Edraele admitted looking ashamed. "He objected to the way I was bringing them up, and asked that they be allowed to stay with him on Geniya. We argued, I got angry, and..." she faltered before trailing off leaving little doubt as to how he'd been killed.

Alyssa's eyes were wide as she shot John a shocked look, but he focused on Edraele, rubbing her back soothingly, and said, "That wasn't you who did that, remember? You might inhabit the old Edraele's body, but you're a new person now. I'm sorry that you still retain all these painful old memories though, do you want me to try and erase them to make it easier for you?"

She looked him in the eyes, squaring her shoulders as she said, "That's very kind of you to offer but no, I think it's important to know just what I, -sorry I mean 'she'- did. I might not be able to atone for everything, but I think it's important to try."

He leaned down and kissed her tenderly, then said, "I'm very proud of you. You're turning into a lovely person."

Edraele blushed at the compliment, hugging him tightly in gratitude for his kind words. John brushed his hands through her hair, and when Alyssa hugged the Maliri woman as well, he brushed his fingers through her golden tresses too. A loud grumble shattered the poignant moment, and John looked sheepish as both women turned to look at him with a smile.

"I'll send for Luna, she'll bring us some dinner," Edraele told him, smiling at him fondly.

***

Rachel nodded with satisfaction, as she watched her team of engineers sealing off the superstructure at the top of the central core. Dana was standing beside her, having just installed the huge anti-grav generator in the centre of the Inertia Negation Device successfully.

"Just this to go, and we're done!" Dana said jubilantly.

Rachel smiled at her, and asked, "Are you happy with how everything has progressed?"

"Yeah, the Maliri did a really great job," Dana replied with a relieved grin. "I can't wait to test everything!"

Calara had been speaking to a couple of her team, as they got ready to secure the last of the armoured plating over the final exposed section of the hull. She strolled over the glossy white armoured topdeck of the Invictus, and said, "You can't wait? How do you think I feel!"

"Asteroid field test?" Dana asked her with a wild grin.

The Latina nodded animatedly, her dark-brown eyes flashing with excitement, as she said, "This is the biggest upgrade we've ever given the Invictus. I'm so excited, I can't think of anything else!"

Rachel chuckled, and said, "You two are as bad as each other!"

They watched quietly, as Rachel's team moved out of the way, and the engineers from Calara's armour team started securing the armour plating onto the hull. The engineers who had just finished were chatting excitedly as they walked down the gentle slope of the topdeck, making their way to the maintenance gantries.

"We'll be done in a few minutes," Dana said confidently. She looked at Rachel, and added, "You better go and get the Psi-detector. Alyssa wanted to check the psychic flows of energy from all these Maliri, while Edraele's speaking to the crowd again."

Rachel nodded, then said, "I'll go and get it right now. See you girls in a moment."

She walked away briskly, and when she reached the maintenance gantry, she stopped for a moment to look out over the side. The Maliri engineers were gathering down on the deck of the drydock, assembling to hear another speech from Edraele, now that the work was complete. Rachel surveyed her handiwork with pride, the snowy white hair on all the women below clearly marking John's influence on the Maliri, and their freedom from the Mael'nerak's tampering. When she strolled away to collect the Psi-detector, she had an extra spring in her step.

***

John, Alyssa, and Edraele emerged from the airlock in the side of her ship, and he smiled when he saw the dozens of Maliri waiting for them. Irillith was speaking to Makaela by the podium, and they both turned and smiled at him as they approached. Not wanting to waste any time, Edraele gracefully ascended the steps of the podium, then stood behind the lectern to address the engineers.

"I feel I must apologise to you all," Edraele started, her voice sincere, and causing the Maliri to look up at her in astonishment. "I had to threaten you into helping with this refit, relying on my terrible reputation for inflicting suffering to get you to comply with my orders. I want you to know that things will be changing for the Maliri of House Valaden in the future, and I'll be doing my best to improve all of your lives in the coming months."

The crowd murmured in excitement, and one bold Maliri, who John recognised as Filaurel raised her hand hesitantly. When Edraele smiled at her kindly, Filaurel asked in a tremulous voice, "Is it really true? John told us that you'd be helping to arrange matches for us, with the men on the border stations?"

Edraele nodded, and said, "Everything he told you was the truth. Any Maliri with white hair, you can consider a close ally, and someone you can trust with your life." She glanced to her side to smile at John, before beckoning him to join her up on the podium as she added, "I know that trusting one another is something new for all of us, but I'm sure I don't need to remind you what our new look signifies... or who we have to thank for it."

As John walked up the steps, Alyssa's voice flashed through his mind, and he could hear the naughtiness in her tone. *I'll remind you if you like?* she offered mischievously. *It means that all those azure skinned beauties you see before you have your cum in their stomachs.*

John reached the top of the steps, and smiled at Edraele, before turning to look out over the gathered crowd. The four-score of white haired Maliri standing before him all smiled at him in wonder, looking radiantly happy with gratitude shining in their eyes.

*You know that you could pick any one of them, and she'd gladly spread her tender thighs for you, urging you to put your baby in her belly? Eighty women primed and ready for you, and you only have to say the word to breed them... How hot is that?* she purred excitedly, turning herself on with her lewd talk.

*Ninety-two, actually,* he corrected her matter of factly. *The assassins seem pretty enthusiastic about the idea, and I've been getting come hither looks from Makaela, Alyndra, and Edraele. Then there's you and the girls on the crew, unless of course you've gone off the idea of giving me as many children as I want from your hot little body?*

Alyssa whimpered with desire, and he got the very definite feeling that she was still quite on board with that plan.

He stifled a laugh, then said, *Now shush you, I need to concentrate for this.*

Smiling warmly at the assembled Maliri, he said in a loud voice, "Firstly let me just say, thank you for all the tremendous hard work you've all put in to upgrading the Invictus. I mentioned this to a few of you yesterday, and although this might seem like an ordinary maintenance refit, the work you've done on my ship will help me make a real difference to a great many people." He looked out at them, and said, "When I say people, I don't just mean Terrans in the Terran Federation. I also mean Maliri, and working with Edraele, I plan to help your people forge a bright future in the galaxy."

"Will you be gone long?" Thessalia called out to him, looking forlorn at the prospect of him leaving.

He looked at her kindly, and answered, "I'm hoping no longer than a month or so, but Fate seems to have a habit of throwing plenty of unexpected obstacles in my path. I've loved being able to spend time with you, getting to know you a bit better, and I want to thank you for being such wonderful hosts. I do promise that I'll try and return to the Maliri as soon as I can."

He gave them a grateful wave goodbye, and they returned it, looks of longing on their lovely faces. Turning to Edraele, he nodded to her graciously, then walked down the steps from the Podium.

Edraele smiled at the crowd or engineers, and her voice sounded caring as she spoke to them telepathically, *Being with John has changed more than the colour of your hair, and you are now linked with him, just as I am too. Your lives will be different now, with John and me caring for you, and looking out for your future.*

The Maliri women looked stunned to hear Edraele's voice in their thoughts, and they darted shocked looks at each other, then at Edraele and John.

She looked at the awestruck faces of the Maliri women, and said, *John needs to depart very soon, but If any of you wish to say goodbye to him personally, you may do so.* She smiled at them and added, *No long tearful goodbyes though, we don't want to scare him away with all of us descending into floods of tears!*

The Maliri laughed at that, amazed at the kind and sympathetic words from their Matriarch. To discover that Edraele Valaden wasn't the tyrant they had feared for all their lives, was actually more of a shock than hearing her telepathic voice in their heads.

John had walked over to stand with Alyssa, and the other girls, and they smiled at him brightly, with both Calara and Dana looking impatient to get underway. Rachel came running to join them a few moments later, with the futuristic Psi-Detector clutched in her hand. She had hurried down the steps from the maintenance gantry, which had provided her a bird's-eye view over the assembled throng of women.

"I took loads of video footage with the Psi-Detector," she said excitedly. "I got some great images showing the psychic energy flows!"

"Nice work, honey," John said to her appreciatively. "We'll have to review that when we're back on the ship."

Further conversation was interrupted by Filaurel, Thessalia, Syndra, and Farryn, who walked up to their group. Edraele was with them, and she said, "Sorry to interrupt, John. Some of the women wanted to say goodbye, and wish you a safe journey."

*We'll head back to the Invictus, and prep her for take-off,* Alyssa thought to him, sounding amused. *I think 'some of the women' actually means all of them.*

John looked over at the Maliri engineers, and saw that they were forming an orderly queue to wish him farewell. As he greeted Filaurel with an affectionate smile and a hug, he watched Edraele glide over to the waiting engineers, and start to chat to them amiably. The Maliri still looked very wary to start with, but they answered Edraele's questions shyly and politely, eventually warming up to her kind and pleasant personality. She even managed to get a few of the engineers to laugh at her light-hearted jokes, and John could see newfound respect in their eyes for the Valaden Matriarch when they eventually left her company to walk over to meet him.

John spent the next ten minutes saying goodbye to everyone, receiving tender kisses before the Maliri wandered away, looking back at him wistfully. Soon the big crowd had thinned out to just Edraele, her bodyguards, and Irillith, who was waiting patiently to escort him back to the Invictus. Luna, Almari, and Ilyana all swore that they'd protect Edraele with their lives, but he made them promise not to take any unnecessary risks, and to look after each other too.

He watched Edraele and Irillith give each other a loving hug goodbye, and when Edraele eventually pulled away and moved into his open arms, she whispered, "Please look after my little girl, and keep her safe for me."

Nodding, he headed back to his ship, waving goodbye to them one last time before stepping through the airlock and closing the door behind him.

Irillith turned to look at him, and shook her head in amazement as she said earnestly, "Well I never expected our return to Valaden to turn out that way. Thank you for the part you played with Edraele."

John pulled her into his arms, and gave her a gentle hug as he said, "You're part of my crew now, and I just want good things for you. I'm glad I was able to help bring you and your mother closer together."

She gave him a tender kiss, staring up at him with her angular violet eyes. The intense look of gratitude and adoration she had for him was quite heart-warming, and he enjoyed feeling her lean into him, as they kissed more passionately.

*Ship's prepped and we're ready for take-off,* Alyssa prompted him, interrupting his kiss. *You can have fun with Irillith later. She's still going to be just as grateful when we're flying back out of Maliri Space, and we've got several days travel time, until we get back to the Terran Federation. I'm sure the girls will help you find fun ways to fill it.*

Taking Irillith's hand, he led her over to the grav-tube, then stepped inside, ascending in the soft blue glow until they reached the Command Deck. When they stepped out onto the Bridge, he released her hand so she could walk to the IntOps Station, while he strolled up the illuminated steps to the Command Podium. Alyssa spun her XO's chair, and turned to look at him when he reached the top, greeting him with a wide grin.

"Command of the ship is all yours, Commodore," she said to him respectfully, a sparkling smile on her face.

"Very good, XO," he said with a grateful nod, sitting down in his Command Chair. He turned to look at Dana and asked, "Everything looking good, Chief Engineer?"

She grinned at him, nodding enthusiastically as she said, "I've thoroughly checked all our new computer systems, and we're upgraded to the tits! Everything's working at optimal efficiency."

He chuckled at her choice turn of phrase, then nodded gratefully to Faye who was sitting on Dana's Engineering Console. "It sounds like you and your bots did a great job, thanks Faye," he said to her with sincere gratitude.

"Thanks for letting me assist," the tiny purple sprite said to him with a happy sigh. "It was wonderful being able to help you guys."

Rachel looked up at him on his left as she said, "We've been granted permission to depart, so we can leave whenever you're ready."

He smiled at her, then looked at Jade, who was sitting at the Pilot's Station directly in front and below him. She had a cleverly designed flightstick in her right hand, and the perfect ergonomics of the design seemed to fit her hand perfectly. In her other hand was a throttle control, and both the glossy white flight controls were covered with buttons that glowed with a soft blue radiance.

"Take us out, Jade," he ordered, with a smile.

The Nymph grinned at him eagerly, and she lifted the Invictus off the deck with the use of retro-thrusters controlled by a hat-control on the flightstick. As soon as they had risen ten metres off the deck, she eased back on the throttle, smoothly reversing them out of the Genthalas drydock. She pulled back on the stick once they had successfully drifted out of the vast docking bay, and once she had an unobstructed path away from the shipyard, Jade powered up the engines.

John had expected her to crank the engines up to maximum immediately, but Jade was very controlled, staying well under port speed. Once they cleared the booms and gantries that filled the inner circle of the shipyard, she looked up to him as though seeking permission.

"Let's see what she can do," John said, leaning forward with an eager gleam in his eye.

Jade glanced at Dana, who nodded confidently saying, "You can bring her up to full speed cautiously if you like, but it's not necessary. I've performed a full diagnostic on the engines, and the Inertia Negation Device. We're perfectly safe."

Alyssa brought up the local System Map, which showed the vast ring of Genthalas Shipyard, with the Invictus displayed as a tiny, gleaming white ship in the centre.

"Full speed ahead, Commodore," Jade said with a grin, as she brought her left hand forward in a sweeping motion, ramping up the engines to max.

John felt the vaguest sense of motion as the Invictus roared away, the four massive Trankaran engines finally put through their paces for the first time.

"Holy fuck! Look at us go!" Alyssa swore vehemently, as the assault cruiser raced away from the space station.

Jade nodded eagerly, and said, "Our acceleration is incredible!"

John darted a glance at Dana, and asked, "What's the performance like? As you were expecting?"

Dana pressed a couple of buttons on her console, showing the engines highlighted in a floating hologram above the Engineering Station. Alongside the holographic display, stats for the ship's flight characteristics were displayed, showing long lists of data.

"Even faster!" she said gleefully. "Crystal Alyssium is very light, and without all that extra mass, the Invictus is even quicker. Three-point-one-seven times our old speed, and nearly five times the old acceleration!"

Calara turned in her chair and gasped, "John, only fighters have this kind of tactical speed! Nothing in the cruiser class can even hope to catch us!"

John had a wicked grin on his face as he asked Jade, "What's the turn rate like?"

She eased off on the throttle, then yanked back on the stick, pulling the nose up in an incredibly sharp turn. The dozens of Trankaran retro-thrusters that dotted the hull flared brightly as the Invictus swung about in a tight loop. She then proceeded to roll the assault cruiser, flinging it about it a series of wild, erratic manoeuvres.

"It feels like I'm flying the Raptor!" Jade blurted out, sounding overjoyed. She shook her head in amazement as she said to Dana, "I can't believe how much you increased the performance! The ship feels so responsive now, it's incredible!"

Dana grinned at her, and asked, "What do you think of the new flight controls?"

"They're perfect!" Jade said eagerly. "I've got so much more control, and it feels so much more natural to fly."

Alyssa had brought up the local sector map, and she said to Irillith, "Taking the Invictus to a local asteroid field for a weapon test is sort of our tradition after a big upgrade. Is it alright if we go shred some rocks?"

Irillith smiled at her, and nodded, saying, "All the nearby asteroids were mined of anything valuable centuries ago. Pick any you fancy for your weapon test."

Turning back to the Sector Map, Alyssa highlighted Beta-Aquarii, and quickly plotted a course. Jade had swung the Invictus around, and they charged over to the Nav-beacon, to get clear of any nearby gravity wells. Alyssa powered up the Tachyon Drive, and the ship was shrouded in a swathe of light blue particles, before leaping into hyper-warp.

"Two minutes," Alyssa stated, as they watched the ship leave the Epsilon-Aquarii system and make its way to their new destination.

She brought up the destination system, and plotted a route from their projected entry point to the thick band of asteroids she had randomly selected for their assault. They dropped out of hyper-warp exactly as she had projected, and Jade cranked the engines up to full, as she followed Alyssa's guide path.

Calara's hands were trembling with excitement as she reached for the weapon controls, and she forced herself to take a steadying breath to calm herself down. She grasped each stick in her hands, then flipped the switches to expose the ship's batteries, the armour plating on the hull pulling back to reveal their deadly new arsenal. The weapon loadout began to light up, as weapon after weapon came online, filling the full display with detailed weapon statistics. The hologram representing the ship appeared in front of her, with all the fire arcs for their weapons faithfully reproduced, and clearly indicated in the targeting sphere.

The two Nova Lances had comparable range to the old Beam Lasers and Mass Drivers, with forward mounted fire arcs represented by narrow thirty degree cones. The really big difference was with the Beam Lasers, that had replaced the old Laser Cannons. The new turreted Beams had the range of their old fixed Beams, but now each weapon had a sweeping fire arc, covering the outer circumference of the ship in a vast, long-range web of offensive firepower.

The passive sensors had pulsed out, populating the System Map with detailed information about the asteroids. Near the midpoint of the asteroid field was some kind of derelict mining facility, and according to the Maliri records, it had been abandoned for decades.

"Save that for the Nova Lances," Irillith said in a quiet, but eager voice.

Calara nodded, and glanced up at the Command Podium with anticipation burning in her eyes.

"Thirty seconds until you're in range," John informed her, having checked the System Map for the distance. "You may fire when ready, Lieutenant."

The Latina started looking at each of her potential targets, and the optical targeting kicked in, tagging each of the asteroids in her targeting globe. Most of these asteroids hung lifelessly in space, any kind of momentum arrested centuries ago when the belt was intensively mined for minerals. She pressed a button on her console, and the Tactical Map replaced the local System Map in the centre of the Bridge, giving the rest of the crew a clear view of what she was tracking in her targeting globe. As they drew closer, they could see that all the larger hunks of rock were scored and marked by evidence of mining, the Maliri having efficiently stripped the field of usable resources.

The crew were expecting Calara to unleash a devastating initial volley, but instead she forced herself to show restraint, and when they were in range, she fired only a single Beam Laser. The blazingly bright beam of blue energy lashed out at the massive chunk of rock she had selected, and the stream of energy pulsed vibrantly for a couple of seconds as she slashed through the asteroid. The beam was wider than the old Terran variants they had used before, and it bored straight through, then slashed to the side, neatly cutting the enormous rock in half.

"The new Beams are extremely powerful," she noted, her voice calm and professional, but her gleaming eyes betrayed her excitement. "They're hitting about twice as hard as our old Beam Lasers, right Dana?"

"Same range, and triple the strength of a standard Terran Beam!" the redhead agreed, staring up at the Tactical Map eagerly. "I'm pumping twice the power through, but the Beam Laser looks good, no signs of the barrel warping."

Jade had continued bringing them closer, and the Invictus was right on the edge of the asteroid belt, with enormous rocks floating peacefully in space before them. The Nymph brought them to a gentle stop, waiting patiently for further instructions.

"Alright, let's see what these Maliri weapons can do," Calara grinned. "Jade, take us in, I'll clear the path!"

Jade nodded, her emerald eyes sparkling, and she swept her left hand forward, causing the Invictus to surge forward. All at once, a solid stream of blue energy lashed out from the assault cruiser as the front twelve Beam Lasers went to work. Pulsating azure beams dismembered and cauterised the asteroids, cleanly cutting them into smaller pieces. As the Invictus plunged into the asteroid field, Calara opened up with the turrets on the port and starboard sides, burning searing gouges through the smaller rocky chunks, and ripping them apart into smaller glowing chunks.

The destructive power they now possessed was frightening to behold, with twenty-four Beam Lasers, sending incredibly powerful shafts of energy in all directions. Just as they were reeling from that, Calara opened up with the Pulse Cannons, and they watched in awe as a bright blue curtain of laser bolts surged outwards in an annihilating wave of devastation. The Pulse Cannons fired in rapid, three short bursts, but with the advanced heatsinks they possessed, the cooldown time before they could fire again was practically nonexistent. A relentless cascade of blue energy pulsed out, blowing apart larger chunks of rock, or completely obliterating the small pieces.

There was an awed silence on the Bridge as Calara went to work, scything a wide, uncompromising channel through the asteroid belt, laying waste to everything in her path. Jade headed straight for the centre of the field, and the derelict mining facility at its centre, while Calara continued to obliterate every asteroid within range. The moment the long fire arcs of the Nova Lances overlapped the outer edge of the station, Jade brought them to a halt, while Calara finally ceased firing, with nothing left in range to destroy. She had obliterated every asteroid in their path, and all that remained was a dimly glowing field of gravel in the newly sliced channel through the belt.

The Latina turned in her chair, looking up at the Command Podium, and making eye-contact with John. "These Pulse Cannons are nearly as powerful as our old Laser Cannons," she told him in a hushed voice, barely able to believe what she was about to say. "We've got more firepower than a battleship."

"Engage with the Nova Lances," Irillith urged her, "and you'll see just how much more."

There was a soft chime from Dana's console, and she checked the results quickly, before turning to look at them, and saying in a rush, "I've finished the active scan, there're no life signs on board that station."

The Maliri mining facility was constructed from the same golden hued material as the other space stations they had visited. However, this one was showing its age, and the outer hull was pitted and scarred from minor asteroid impacts and general corrosion.

Calara turned to look out over the targeting globe, and making sure that the mining station was squarely lined up in her targeting reticle she held her breath and pulled the trigger. The lights dimmed and there was an ominous thrumming sound, that started at a low bass, and gradually began to climb in pitch. A bright nimbus of radiant particles began to coalesce at the front of the Invictus, as the Nova Lances throbbed with power, charging the vast amount of energy needed to fire. Everyone held their breath as twin white orbs formed from that light, growing brighter and larger as the sound intensified.

"Almost there..." Dana murmured distractedly, staring transfixed at the spiking power readings. She had funnelled all the spare energy from the Power Core, and she watched the charging bar almost afraid to blink. With an excited gasp she finally cried out, "Fire!"

Calara pulled the trigger a second time, and a scintillating azure beam roared out to slam into the mining station. The facility was unshielded, so the enormous column of energy was able to blast straight through the huge station, melting a hundred-metre-wide hole through the structure. The lance of blazingly bright laser fire throbbed for several seconds, spearing straight through the base, and blasting out the other side. It finally winked out in an instant, leaving a trail of blue particles that slowly faded and dimmed in its wake.

John blinked a few times, his eyes struggling to adjust to the incredible searing intensity of the Nova Lance's beams. There was a deathly silence on the Bridge as they all stared at the utter devastation wrought on the derelict facility. The converging shaft of incandescent light had cut through the armour plating and superstructure of the base like a hot knife through butter.

"It's just like 'The Warning'," Alyssa whispered sounding shocked to the core.

John nodded, his face grim as he said, "Take us out of here Jade. It's time to return to the Dragon March."

***

The room was dark, lit only by the glow from the monitors arrayed around his throne. The largest one had swung into position before him, and the heavy set face of his agent scowled at him in annoyance.

"What did you expect me to do?" Degory Milligan snarled in anger, his jowls quivering. "Your intel on the target was hopelessly inaccurate! You told me he was some do-gooder type, so I set the trap, luring him in with some sob story about engine failure."

"You tipped your hand, alerting him to danger," the brooding figure suggested in a cold, dangerous voice, his temper barely held in check.

"Absolutely not! He basically told me to fuck off, and stop wasting his time," the fat merchant insisted stubbornly. He snorted as he added, "He actually reminded me of you..."

Letting out a roar of anger, the assassin surged forward and slammed his fist into the centre of the view-screen, right in the middle of Degory Milligan's fat face. There was a resounding clang, and the mighty impact ripped the screen straight out of the supporting frame, sending it flying across the room to crash into the wall opposite in a shower of sparks.

His chest rose and fell rapidly as he tried to control his rage, before he eventually managed to subdue his temper. He slowly sank back onto his throne, placing his hands on the armrests. His left index finger began to tap away again, but when he darted a glance at it this time, he couldn't gather the focus necessary to stop the furious tapping.

He had one last option left, and it was going to be very difficult to arrange, located as the site was, deep in the heart of the Terran Federation. It looked like he had no choice though. Already his reputation was in tatters, with other operatives insinuating that he'd lost his edge. He knew he'd have to get involved personally now, and that was something he hadn't had to do for decades. Still, the anger felt good after all this time, the surge of adrenalin making him feel alive for the first time in more years than he could remember.

John Blake would die, and the brooding figure planned to choke the life out of him with his own two hands.