Alyssa smiled to herself as she listened to John and Dana chatting on their way out of the Legacy. He was trying his best to concentrate on the detailed technical benefits of the new Progenitor tech that they'd just acquired from the ancient ship, but he was more than a little distracted by thoughts of the Maliri twins.

The blonde girl was currently floating in the air, her body shrouded in a soft white light as she set about systematically repairing the damage to the Invictus' armour. She was studying several pieces of battered plating at that moment, the armour sporting an ugly blackened crater where they'd been struck by a Heavy Cannon shell. Of course, the impact point would have to be right on the join between all four plates, which meant she'd have to repair four instead of just one. She mused that John was very lucky she wasn't a regular repair crew, charging him for each plate they'd have to replace!

With a come-hither motion of her right finger, she pulled the armour plates off the hull, then melted them into a rotating sphere of liquid metal. Filtering out the impurities from the shell fragments only took a moment, with the resulting shrapnel raining down in a gunmetal cascade into the silver hopper beneath her. Quite a substantial chunk of material had been blasted clear of the armour as debris, so she made a gesture with her left hand, drawing a stream from the second, much larger, Alyssium orb. When she'd added just the right amount, Alyssa formed the image of one of the Invictus' armour plates in her mind, then split the smaller sphere into four white streams of metal and shaped the replacement pieces simultaneously.

*Would you be able to spare a moment, Alyssa?* Edraele asked respectfully. *I have a couple of questions if you aren't too busy.*

The blonde smiled to herself as she locked the four quint-shaped plates into position on the hull and began to glide further along the ship. It was still taking a little getting used to, having these much older Maliri women treat her with such deference. *Of course, Edraele,* she replied in a warm and encouraging tone. *You know I'll always make time for you. What's on your mind?*

Alyssa knew full-well what the Maliri was about to ask, but she enjoyed drawing out these conversations with her fellow Matriarch. Edraele was in the unique position to truly understand what it was like to be able to read John's thoughts, as well as appreciating the sense of responsibility that being one of his Matriarchs entailed. It was comforting to know that there was another woman out there who shared a similar perspective. With such high stakes riding on most of their encounters recently, they both knew they had to support him to the very best of their ability.

Edraele sounded frustrated as she said, *My connections with the Young Matriarchs and my trio of bodyguards have been strengthening daily, but I still haven't experienced that feeling you described. You said that you felt a sensation of deep intimacy that heralded you being able to bond with your girls.*

*That's interesting,* Alyssa thought back to her with a smile. *Tell me, what've you been doing so far to build your relationships with them?*

The Maliri Matriarch's amusement was quite clear over their empathic connection. *I suppose you'd like to hear all the salacious details?*

*Mmm, of course!* Alyssa purred, her blue eyes sparkling at the thought. *I want to hear all about how you're making them cum their little blue brains out!*

*You do realise that Maliri brains aren't actually blue, only the pigmentation of our skin?* Edraele enquired, punctuating the last with an image of her raising an eyebrow.

*You learn something new every day!* Alyssa replied with a grin. *Now, tell me about every last saucy lick please, Edraele.*

Alyssa smiled to herself as the Maliri woman began to describe in exquisite detail everything she'd been up to with the Young Matriarchs and her bodyguards. Alyssa stayed quiet as she listened to Edraele talk and she couldn't help flushing with arousal at the evocative descriptions. Her fellow Matriarch certainly had a way with words, describing in intimate detail the Sapphic orgies between John's inner circle of Maliri concubines.

As Edraele was describing a gloriously sensual encounter, Alyssa paused in her silent flight above the Invictus' hull. She looked down at the ugly black Drakkar dropship that was attached to the sparkling white battlecruiser like a bloated tick and frowned with distaste. Reaching out with her right hand, she tugged the thirty-metre-long vessel off the hull, the grappling claws shrieking in protest as she snapped them in half. She would have just tossed the dropship aside, but the Ashanath probably wouldn't appreciate the huge dent it would make in the docking bay, so she sought out a clear space on the deck and set it down gently instead.

There were four broken grappling claws still left jammed deep into the Invictus' armour, so she gently eased them out, wincing at the grating sound of metal grinding against metal. As she plucked each of the five-metre blades clear, she dropped them into the silver debris hopper on the deck below with a mighty crash. While continuing to listen to Edraele, she examined the hole blasted through the superstructure by the breaching charges, then began to fill it in with crystal Alyssium.

She felt a pulse of warning in her subconscious, drawing her attention to their earnest young doctor. *Be careful not to overdo it, Rachel,* she warned her, while continuing to feed the girl a stream of energy to fuel her psychic healing. *I can feel you getting tired...*

*Just a little while longer?* the brunette pleaded. *There's only another twenty-seven Ashanath on the critical list!*

Alyssa could feel Rachel's soaring sense of elation as the girl worked to save one diminutive alien after another. Sending her an indulgent telepathic smile, Alyssa said cautiously, *Alright, just those last ones, but then I want you to come back for a rest. John won't be happy if Sakura has to carry you home two days running!*

*I promise,* Rachel readily agreed, overjoyed to be able to save more lives.

Just to be on the safe side, the psychic blonde reached out to Sakura too. *Hey, gorgeous. Can you make sure Rachel calls it a day after patching up the next two-dozen Ashanath? She might get carried away and I don't want her wearing herself out again; she's still new at this.*

*I was actually going to suggest she stop soon; she's looking tired,* Sakura immediately agreed. She hesitated, then sounded awed as she added, *She's already healed so many I've lost count! We've gone through at least a third of the ward...*

Smiling at the thought, Alyssa asked, *How are the Ashanath medics reacting?*

*Facilitator Makiri called her a 'radiant goddess' a few minutes ago. I think they're quite impressed,* the Asian girl replied wryly.

Alyssa laughed out loud as she finished filling the hole in the Invictus' hull, then pulled away the perforated armour plating and began to reshape it as she added replacement material. Delighted to hear how everything was going in the medical facility, she said to Sakura, *Rachel's a good girl. It's wonderful to hear she's being appreciated for her talents.*

*I agree completely,* Sakura remarked, her voice full of affection for the kind-hearted brunette.

*I could say the same about you,* Alyssa said tenderly to the raven-haired ninja. *Thank you for coming to rescue both of us.*

Sakura's empathic bond throbbed with the strength of her emotions as she replied, *I said the same thing to John - you never have to thank me for protecting any of you. I was so lost, until you found me and brought me back to the living - I owe you everything.*

*Come and find me when you get back to the ship,* Alyssa said with a loving smile. *We should really spend some time catching up together.*

*I'd really enjoy that,* Sakura replied, pleasantly surprised by the suggestion.

*To give you fair warning, you naughty law student, I'll be wearing my cheerleader's uniform,* Alyssa teased her friend, recalling Sakura's unrequited crush on an athletic blonde from her college's cheerleading squad. She grinned as she felt the Asian girl's shock over their bond, quickly followed by a heated flush of arousal.

At that moment, Edraele was describing how Luna and the rest of the girls had been intent on overloading her senses with pleasure, helping her recover from draining too much of her own energy to help John. Alyssa's eyes suddenly widened in alarm as she read the rest of the Maliri Matriarch's thoughts and realised what she had intentionally failed to mention.

*You drained your own life-force?!* Alyssa blurted out in a strangled gasp, losing her concentration and dropping the metal orb on the deck of the docking bay. It splattered all over the ground with a sticky crash, showering everything in rapidly crystallising Alyssium.

Edraele stopped mid-sentence and the accompanying rush of guilt across their bond answered that question. *I was just trying to help him...*

*We both swore we'd never do that!* the blonde exclaimed, shocked that her Maliri counterpart would even think of disobeying John's explicit orders in that way. *How did you manage to keep that from me?!*

*Actually, I just said I'd never burn out one of the women I'm linked with, so I didn't break my promise by tapping into my own life-force,* Edraele replied quietly, although she did sound contrite now. *I was just working on instinct at the time, I didn't really stop to think about it.*

Alyssa's retort was stern as she said, *That's not good enough, Edraele. You understood the intent behind that order!* Her voice was passionate as she added, *You must know how much he cares about you! John would've been distraught if you'd overdone it and something terrible had happened!*

*I'm so sorry!* Edraele whimpered, truly remorseful.

Blowing out her breath in a heavy sigh, Alyssa began gathering the metal from the deck, reforming it into a perfect white sphere once more. *You should really be apologising to John, not me,* she told the upset Maliri. When she felt a sudden surge of anxiety over their bond, she continued, *Relax, I'm not going to tell on you. Please be much more careful in the future though, okay? There's a lot of people who really care about you now, myself included.*

*I promise, I'll never do that again!* Edraele said vehemently.

*Good girl,*Alyssa said in an approving tone, aware of the irony of having to console a woman one-hundred-and-forty-four years her senior. *Now, summon Luna to give you a nice hug and I'll tell you where you're going wrong with your girls.*

After a moment's pause where Edraele asked the former assassin to join her, the House Valaden Matriarch said, *Luna's on her way now.* She hesitated for a moment then added, *Should I continue from where I stopped? I hadn't finished telling you about everything we've been up to together yet.*

*I know, and you can keep telling me about your orgies later, that was really turning me on!* Alyssa confided with a lusty grin. Her tone turned serious as she added, *You've made a great start and that shared intimacy between all of you will really help. It's not enough to just fuck each other senseless though; you need to work on building the trust between you. Here's what I suggest you do next...*

Edraele listened attentively to the young woman, nodding thoughtfully as she hung on her every word.

***

Admiral Lynette Devereux sat in her plush office on Terra, scanning through the event plan for the upcoming award ceremony and double-checking each item to make sure everything was now in place. The more mundane logistics surrounding the venue had been carefully prepared weeks ago, with Victory Square on Terra primed for the extravaganza she had in mind. Reading through the attendance list was like viewing a snapshot of the power brokers in the Terran Federation and she felt a thrill of excitement as she pictured the event.

All the Admiralty would be there, each of them eager to bask in the reflected glory of what had essentially been her own triumph in defending Terra. They all knew John Blake was her agent and that he'd performed magnificently in crushing the rogue AI while simultaneously saving the homeworld of the Terran Federation. Even more importantly, that entire Nexus debacle had been initiated by Admiral Gabrielle Lynton, one of Fleet Admiral Buckingham's protégés. Just as Devereux gained prestige by the Lion's actions, Vincent Buckingham had no way of avoiding being damaged by Lynton's treachery.

That wasn't the only mark against the Fleet Admiral. Admiral Leonard Norwood had been another of Buckingham's lackeys and his betrayals ran even deeper, being directly responsible for horrific fleet asset losses in the Dragon March. Norwood had led Buckingham by the nose right into a vicious trap and the ill-fated invasion fleet would have undoubtedly been annihilated in a vicious encirclement deep in Kintark territory. That catastrophe had only been avoided by the very narrowest of margins, with John Blake intervening just in time to warn them of the impending danger. The Lion had then gone on to save Buckingham's forces a second time from Lynton's ambush at the Battle of Regulus - all of which had been at the behest of Admiral Lynette Devereux, of course.

Yes, Buckingham was to blame for all the recent disasters befalling the Terran Federation, or at least that was the narrative that Devereux had been promoting amongst the rest of the Admiralty. If all went according to plan, Buckingham's career would end ignominiously and very soon at that.

This ceremony would be the capstone on what had been a gloriously executed piece of political manoeuvring - Devereux's finest work, if she did say so herself. There'd been a four-point increase in High Command's approval rating after the last event and she could only imagine the impact that this one would have. She allowed herself a broad smile of satisfaction as she leaned back in her chair, steepling her fingers together as she mulled over the successes of her champion.

Ah, the "Lion of the Federation", what a fateful day it had been when she'd come up with that moniker. The people always loved a hero - manufactured or otherwise - and it was wonderfully convenient that she didn't even need to fabricate any tall tales of the Lion's various exploits. She'd thoroughly reviewed the files detailing John Blake's recent adventures and since emerging from relative obscurity, he'd managed to rack up an impressive tally of victories.

With all those thoughts of John Blake buzzing in her head, Devereux felt a slight tremor of fear run down her spine. She'd woken up on more than a few nights soaked in sweat, remembering his casual displays of superhuman strength and the even more disturbing way he'd manipulated objects using only his mind. In the middle of the night, she'd tried to convince herself that she was just suffering from an overactive imagination, but she could still remember it now - the way he'd strolled around carrying a two tonne fuel-injection system so effortlessly.

It wasn't just John who possessed such supernatural gifts. The rest of his crew seemed to possess similar talents, or at least it was obvious that Calara and Alyssa did, after that eye-opening visit to the Invictus. Leaning forward again, Devereux tapped in a number of commands on her console, bringing up an exhaustive report. She had launched a secretive investigation into those girls, eager to learn as much as she possibly could about them.

Calara Fernandez had been a promising candidate at the Academy, but nothing in her academic or limited service records even hinted at the uncanny ability she'd displayed in sniffing out the Dragon March traitors. Alyssa Marant had drawn a complete blank in the Terran data archives. Devereux's team had found a few score of similarly-named girls existing within the Terran Federation, but not one of them remotely resembled the statuesque beauty accompanying the Lion. The rest of his Lionesses had also proven to be a total mystery, with not a single lead drawn on the third Terran girl, Dana, or his Nymph, Jade.

John Blake had continued to recruit since the last award ceremony, with Rachel Voss - the billionaire's heir - inexplicably joining his crew. She'd thundered onto the media stage by giving away a miraculous cure for the dreaded Kintark plasma burns amongst a storm of publicity. Such crippling and disfiguring injuries had been a constant fear amongst any facing the Kintark. Tens-of-thousands of personnel had been afflicted with burns after the Battle of Regulus, in addition to the thousands more who'd been wounded in earlier skirmishes in the conflict. When it was announced that Rachel's cure provided total recovery from the terrible skin damage those wounds inflicted, it had been a tremendous boost to morale throughout the fleets.

Obviously, the eager excitement over this new development was another welcome feather in Devereux's own cap, aiding in her relentless quest to replace Buckingham as Fleet Admiral. However, she couldn't help feeling a nagging doubt in the back of her mind. The Terran Federation was accruing a tremendous debt to the Lion and his Lionesses, and while he remained a steadfast ally now, she might have to take steps to curtail his influence in the future.

The buzz of an incoming call on her comm interface roused her from her introspection. Swiping her hand across the Vice-Admiral's name, she accepted the call and Charles Harris' moustachioed face appeared as a holographic image before her.

"It's good to see you, Charles," Devereux said, smiling at the Olympus Shipyard Commander. "I read your recent report on the status of the refits; you're making excellent progress."

"Thank you, Lynette. We should have the rest of the fleet fully repaired in just under two months," Charles replied, returning her smile.

Noting the sparkle of excitement in his eyes, Admiral Devereux said wryly, "Alright, out with it, Charles. What're you really calling me about?"

He leaned forward, smiling as he replied, "I just had an intriguing conversation with your Lion."

"What did he say? Has he re-entered Terran Space yet?" Devereux demanded anxiously.

Charles made a calming gesture with his hands as he replied, "He's still planning to attend the award ceremony, don't worry. He's also added a few more girls to his crew; I believe he's up to nine now, although one of them definitely won't be able to attend and he's unsure about two others."

"Nine!" Devereux exclaimed in shock.

She felt a flicker of trepidation at the thought of even more unnaturally gifted women working with John Blake, but her agile mind quickly started considering ways she could turn this to her advantage. The Lion seemed to have a real eye for the ladies and the pictures taken of him after the last award ceremony had been an unexpected godsend. The adverts showing a renowned hero of the Terran Federation surrounded by a bevy of stunningly beautiful women had already resulted in a two-hundred-percent increase in recruitment. During a period of active warfare, such a phenomenon was unheard of!

"That's very good news," she said distractedly to Charles, while imagining the photo opportunities. "I'll make the appropriate arrangements to cater for his full crew, just in case."

Charles grinned at her, his moustache twitching. "Actually, Lynette, that's not the main reason I'm calling. There's something far more important we need to discuss."

"I'm too stressed for games at the moment, Charles," Devereux said in exasperation. "Just tell me what it is, please."

"John wants to trade technology. He knows about the high-yield Kintark heatsinks we acquired from High Prelate Zorlin's Battlecarrier," Charles explained, his hawk-like eyes sharp and predatory.

Devereux had seen the Invictus in action and she drew in a sharp breath at the thought of getting her hands on some of that technology. "What's he offering in exchange?!"

"I take it I have your permission to offer up the heatsinks for trade?" Charles asked, his tone cautious. "They're classified at Ultra-level clearance at the moment."

Waving a hand dismissively, Devereux nodded as she replied, "Yes, of course. I'll put that in writing as soon as we've finished the call. Now, what tech will he give us?"

"John said that he's willing to make a very appealing trade, but wouldn't go into specifics," Charles replied, recalling his friend's playful demeanour on the call. Sounding thoughtful, he continued, "I know he's acquired a state-of-the-art Power Core and FTL drive from the Ashanath. He wouldn't trade them before, but I suspect he's had a change of heart."

Devereux's eyes gleamed at the thought of all the political capital she would gain from a sudden boon in highly-advanced alien technology. Her current swell of support would surge into an unstoppable tsunami of backers, all clamouring for a change in leadership - she could almost feel the Fleet-Admiral's insignia on her epaulets.

"You've excelled yourself, Charles!" she said enthusiastically. "This could mean an exponential increase in our fleets' capabilities! Just let me know when he'll be arriving and I'll arrange a meeting with John so that I can oversee the technology trade."

Charles gave her a coy smile. "I'd love to be able to do that, Lynette, but John said he'll only deal with me. Don't worry, I'm more than happy to broker the trade myself."

Lynette's eyes narrowed as she studied the Vice-Admiral. "Is that right? How fascinating..."

He nodded and spread his hands wide in a helpless gesture. "It must be because of all those years of service together on the Invictus. A man develops a special bond with a fellow officer when they've served for that length of time - just like you and me, Lynette. I wish I could hand the whole deal over to you to organise, but don't worry, I'll be sure to make a timely announcement about all the new technology I acquire to the Admiralty."

Devereux studied the man intently for a moment before responding. This was a bold move from Charles and one that was uncharacteristically shrewd. He was an intelligent and dedicated officer, but she'd never seen him play political games like this before.

"Alright, Charles, what're you after?" she asked, not having the patience for dancing around any further.

He leaned back in his chair and smiled wolfishly. "With Lynton's happy demise and Norwood's desertion, we seem to have a few vacancies in the upper echelons of the Admiralty. I'm sure if John heard of my recent promotion, he'd be so pleased for his old comrade-in-arms that I'd be able to secure an even better deal with him. Of course, we'll be busy celebrating my promotion as soon as the deal is done, so I'd need to ask a favour from you. If you could inform the Admiralty about the new tech we just acquired, I'd really appreciate it."

Lynette was quiet for a moment as she pondered Charles' offer. He was a capable officer and while he'd only served as a Vice-Admiral for a couple of years, by trading the Invictus to John Blake, he'd managed to build up a considerable amount of political capital for himself. She quickly calculated the level of support she'd need to push for his promotion, mentally ticking off all the Admirals she knew would back her, or could be counted on by calling in favours. It was well worth pulling out all the stops to be able to claim sole credit for this deal.

"Well played, Charles," she finally said with a laugh. "I'll pull some strings... You should hear the good news by tomorrow."

He grinned at her in delight. "I really appreciate this, Lynette. I'll be sure to show my appreciation if you should ever need my support in the future."

The two officers exchanged knowing smiles, before Devereux said, "It was a pleasure speaking to you. Good luck with the tech trade tomorrow."

Charles saluted her and said, "Likewise, Lynette. I'll call and give you the good news as soon as the deal is completed."

"I'll look forward to your call, Admiral Harris," Devereux said, giving him a sly smile as she returned his salute.

Nodding to her gratefully, Charles ended the call and his image winked out a second later. Lynette Devereux leaned back in her chair, finally allowing herself a delighted grin. If all went according to plan, this tech trade could be the catalyst for change she desperately needed.

"Fleet Admiral Lynette Devereux," she said aloud. It had a nice ring to it.

A soft chime on her comm interface interrupted her moment of celebration and she frowned in irritation when she saw the origin of the signal. The secure call was coming from Buckingham's flagship, the Retribution of Zeus. She was tempted to ignore the call, but she sighed and swiped her hand across the name.

Devereux managed to summon up a warm smile of greeting for the bearded man whose image appeared before her. "Ah, Edwin, it's so good to see you. I hope you're well?"

Admiral Edwin Caldwell gave her a pensive nod. He sounded worried as he replied, "Lynette, we need to talk..."

***

John nodded thoughtfully as he walked down the Raptor's loading ramp into the Ashanath docking bay, with Dana at his side. He'd been quiet for the last thirty minutes, only responding with monosyllabic answers as the redhead had enthused about the technical marvels they'd just discovered in great detail.

"Hey, are you actually listening?" she finally asked, nudging him with an elbow.

He smiled at her as he replied, "Give me a second and I'll summarise everything you just told me: When you install the new Power Relays, we'll be able to make full use of the Progenitor Power Cores, increasing their effective output by another fifty percent. The new Progenitor Power Couplings will let you push more power to each weapon hardpoint, letting us take full advantage of the new heatsinks we're hoping to pick up tomorrow. The Capacitors will make our armour even more resilient to laser fire and if you hook up more to the Power Core, we can store more power to cope with peak demands."

"The immediate gains when we upgrade everything will be swapping the Invictus' Beam Lasers to Photon Lasers, which will double their effective damage output. You're planning to boost the rate of fire for the Pulse Cannons and increase the damage of the Nova Lances. Finally, you'll be able to incorporate all this new tech when you upgrade our rifles."

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up, although you skipped all the fun technical details," Dana conceded, looking impressed. "You really were paying attention!"

"Sorry I seemed a bit distracted, Alyssa gave me a few interesting things to think about," John said with a lopsided grin, as they reached the docking bay's deck.

"That's no problem, you got the important bits," the redhead said, pulling off her Paragon helmet and shaking out her long auburn hair. Turning to smile at Jade, she added, "The first thing we'll do is build a bunch of new maintenance bots for Faye - we need at least eight more. They'll be able to help us construct the sixty-four Photon Lasers we'll need for the Invictus."

John looked at her in surprise. "Are you starting straight away?"

"We might as well, as long as you're up for it, Jade?" Dana replied, raising a quizzical eyebrow as she glanced at the Nymph.

"You know you can always count on me, Grand Engineering Overlord," the green-skinned girl replied playfully.

"Actually, I might need to borrow our lovely Nymph for a bit," Alyssa replied from above their heads, taking everyone by surprise.

She descended in a soft white glow, landing lightly on her feet beside the startled trio.

John removed his Paragon helmet, then pulled the blonde into his arms and gave her a kiss. "Hey, beautiful," he said with a grin.

"Welcome home, handsome," Alyssa replied, glancing behind him pointedly.

Picking up her particular emphasis on the word "home", John turned around to follow her gaze up at the Invictus, then blinked in surprise. The battlecruiser's hull was spotless once again, every laser burn and impact crater swept clean, the armour sparkling white once more.

"You got that done quickly!" he remarked, amazed at how fast she'd repaired the ship.

Shrugging nonchalantly, Alyssa replied, "It's a bit of a patchwork of quad and quint shaped plates now, but that doesn't really matter. I wanted to get it all finished, because you know what they say: 'All work and no play makes Alyssa a dull girl'." She glanced up at the small silver disc that was about to land next to the Invictus and continued, "And now it's time to play!"

She took John's hand and started pulling him towards the Ashanath shuttle, so he fell into step beside her as Dana and Jade followed in their wake. The door to the silver saucer swung open and once a short flight of steps dropped down to the deck, a couple of familiar faces appeared. Sakura left the shuttle first, then turned around to offer Rachel a hand down the steps. The brunette looked exhausted and she couldn't help yawning as she turned to wave at them.

"Are you alright?" John asked, jogging over to the weary girl.

Rachel nodded and gave him a tired smile. "I'm fine, just a bit sleepy."

She didn't protest when he scooped her up in his arms and he frowned as he said, "I thought I said not to overdo it?"

Stifling another yawn, Rachel replied, "I know, but I needed to take full advantage of the opportunity to practice. I can't exactly go to the Training Dojo and start regenerating someone's lacerated spleen."

Sakura waved goodbye to the Ashanath pilot, then strode over to join them. She stroked Rachel's arm and said in wonder, "She was amazing, John, I wish you'd seen it." She smiled at the brunette and added, "How many Ashanath did you heal, Rachel? It must have been at least three hundred..."

"I don't know, I got a bit lost in my work," the doctor confessed, giving John a guilty smile.

Alyssa brushed her fingers through the teenager's silky brown hair and said, "Well, she managed to tap me out of energy and that takes some doing."

"Bedtime for you, young lady," John said firmly to Rachel, turning and walking towards the Invictus.

The rest of the group followed after him, with Dana hurrying to his side so she could check on her girlfriend. Rachel gave her a reassuring smile and the redhead relaxed, seeing that she was fine, just tired. They rose up in the blue glowing field of the anti-grav tube before stepping out onto Deck Two and making their way towards the bedroom.

"We'll let Rachel have the main bedroom, so she can get an uninterrupted sleep," Alyssa said to Sakura. "Why don't you get a shower in your own room? I'll join you in a couple of minutes, once I've freshened up."

The Asian girl blushed furiously, her rich brown eyes darting to Alyssa. The blonde winked at her when Sakura didn't make any objections and their Security Chief darted into her bedroom as they passed her quarters.

John turned to speak to Alyssa and he just caught the tail-end of those furtive glances. He looked at the blonde curiously as Sakura disappeared into her quarters. "What are you two up to?"

"It's nothing to worry about," Alyssa said with a grin. "I'll tell you all about it later, I'm just going to cheer up Sakura."

"Is she alright?" John asked with concern.

Alyssa smirked at him and replied, "Oh yes, she's wonderful."

Confused by Alyssa's teasing replies, John just chuckled and rolled his eyes, knowing he'd have to wait until later to find out whatever was going on. Strolling into his bedroom, he walked across to the bed accompanied by Dana, while Alyssa and Jade peeled off towards the bathroom. He placed Rachel down gently on the edge of the bed and with Dana's help, they quickly got her undressed and tucked in under the covers. John joined Dana in dropping down to the Combat Bridge, where they removed their Paragon armour before returning to the bedroom. The redhead stripped in a flurry of clothes, then snuggled in behind her lover, kissing her shoulder as they spooned together.

"I'm very proud of you both," John said softly, leaning down to kiss each of the girls in turn. "You were amazing today, thank you."

"Thanks, John," Rachel murmured, giving him a loving, drowsy smile. "It felt incredible helping so many of the Ashanath."

Dana just grinned at him and replied, "What're you thanking me for? I should be thanking you, I had a fucking awesome time! Best of all, now I get to spend weeks sucking the Quantum Flux Cannon schematics out of your quad!"

John couldn't help guffawing with laughter at that piece of delightful imagery, accompanied by Rachel's chuckles and Dana's giggling. He smiled back at her and said, "I'm looking forward to that too, but we'll have to wait a little while. I need to focus on Tashana first."

Far too happy to even pretend to pout, Dana just wrapped her arms around Rachel and beamed at him in response. He sat down on the side of the bed and stroked their hair, watching as the brunette's eyes grew heavy and she fell into a deep sleep. His soothing touch had calmed Dana too and she blew him a sleepy kiss before closing her eyes and drifting off as well. John stopped for a moment to savour his feelings of protectiveness towards the beautiful young women, before slowly rising from the bed so that he wouldn't disturb them. Turning to walk towards the bathroom, he saw that Alyssa and Jade had already finished their shower and were now drying themselves off.

"Sorry, handsome," Alyssa said, smiling apologetically. "We waited a while for you, but we started turning into prunes."

"If you'd like someone to wash your back, I'm happy to have another shower," Jade said, giving him a hopeful smile.

The blonde wagged a finger at the Nymph and said, "We've already kept Sakura waiting."

"Go on, I'll be fine," John said with a grin. "I am capable of taking a shower on my own once in a while."

The two girls gave him a quick kiss goodbye and Alyssa gave him a playful smack on the bottom as he strolled into the shower cubicle. Thoughts of the identical Maliri twins soon danced alluringly through his mind and he felt an illicit thrill as he wondered exactly what they had in store for him. The fact that they were sisters added a whole new thrilling element to the equation and while he had no intention of pushing them into anything they weren't ready for, he couldn't help but fantasise about it anyway.

Despite his words to Alyssa and Jade, showering alone in the huge cubicle just made him miss the feel of soapy, nubile bodies surrounding him. He decided that it was an experience he'd try to avoid from now on.

*So spoilt...* Alyssa purred, loving every second of his thoughts. *Don't worry, I'll make sure you always have a shower companion in the future. You do know you only have to ask? You'll have eight eager volunteers whenever you want some company. Nine if you count Faye, but I'm not sure how much slippery fun you'll be able to have with her.*

John felt like he should probably make some half-hearted protest at independence, but in the end, he just sent her a grateful telepathic smile. *I'd really appreciate that. Thanks, beautiful.*

Turning off the water with a wave of his hand over the shower controls, he stepped out of the cubicle and quickly dried himself off in the auto-driers. Walking quietly back into the bedroom, he smiled when he saw that Dana and Rachel were still fast asleep, the girls looking quite adorable snuggled up together in the pristine white sheets. Turning to head for the walk-in wardrobe, he nearly ran into Alyssa as she bounced out of the room wearing a very perky cheerleader's outfit.

*Hey, handsome!* she smirked at him telepathically, rustling her pom-poms in his face.

Suddenly her quips about cheering Sakura up began to make sense and he grinned at her as she winked at him. The blonde turned around and flounced out the door, giving him a flash of her white panties under her exceedingly short blue skirt as she did so.

*I think I could use some of that team spirit too,* he suggested, as she disappeared from sight.

When he didn't receive an immediate reply, John turned towards his wardrobe again and nearly bumped into Alyssa as she bounded through the door.

*Hey, handsome!* she smirked at him telepathically, rustling her pom-poms in his face.

John blinked at her in shock and he saw the delight on her face as he finally realised what was going on. *I thought I was having one hell of a déjà vu for a minute!* he admitted, with a wry grin.

He paused to admire her spectacular body in the revealing cheerleader's outfit and suddenly realised exactly what he was about to miss out on: Alyssa and her Nymph twin enthusiastically ravishing the exotic Asian girl.

*Yes, all your naughty thoughts about Tashana and Irillith gave me the idea,* Alyssa replied, giving him a knowing smile. *Sakura saved my life, but she won't accept my thanks for it, so I've decided to blow her mind to show my appreciation.*

John reached out a hand to brush his trembling fingers across Alyssa's bared midriff. He couldn't remember his cock being so hard before, and it throbbed in the air with anticipation as he imagined watching the three girls together.

Alyssa leaned into his hand and gave him a teasing grin as she said, *I'd love to invite you to join us, but you probably shouldn't keep Tashana waiting any longer. She's in her bedroom at the moment and really does need to talk to you.*

*But- I thought... what about Irillith?* John asked, quite bewildered.

*Oh, she's up on the Bridge chatting with Calara,* Alyssa replied offhandedly, while arching an eyebrow at him. *I said that Tashana's in the mood to share - her feelings. Why? Whatever did you think I meant?*

John rolled his eyes as he realised he'd been duped and he chuckled quietly as he pulled the blonde in for a hug. "I'll get you back for this, you little vixen. You know that, right?" he whispered to her before stealing a kiss.

*Mmm, I'm counting on it,* Alyssa replied. She sounded confused as she added, *But why are you telling that to Jade? This was my idea, she was just a good girl and followed my requests.*

The Nymph slipped her right hand from its pom-pom and traced it down his jawline as he gaped at her in surprise.

"Did you really not suspect that it was me, Master?" she whispered to him softly, looking positively delighted. "I've been closely watching Alyssa's mannerisms to make my imitation of her more authentic. The next time we get together for a threesome, I don't want anything to break the illusion that you have two of Alyssa serving your every desire."

"You had me completely fooled," he admitted in a hushed voice, shaking his head in admiration. He gave her a tender kiss before continuing, "Sakura's a very lucky girl."

He could feel the Nymph's soft skin heating up in his arms as she stopped suppressing her natural reaction to his close presence. Jade gave him a final kiss, then bounded out of the bedroom to catch up with Alyssa and spring their surprise on the unsuspecting Asian girl.

John almost felt sorry for Sakura, knowing she'd need every ounce of her enhanced endurance to survive the dual Alyssa tornadoes that were about to ravage her. He smiled at that thought as he finally walked into his wardrobe and picked out some comfortable clothes. The one problem with being teased like that was being left with a double-set of blue balls, his easily-led quad gearing up to feed lots of slim tummies. He quickly threw on a t-shirt, then took much more care with his trousers, trying not to jostle his taut balls unnecessarily.

After padding out of the bedroom, he strolled along the corridor towards the Maliri girl's bedroom, grinning to himself as he approached Sakura's door and heard her cries of pleasure.

*Yeah, she's loving it,* Alyssa smirked at him as he walked past the bedroom. Her playful tone faded away as she added, *Do you remember Tashana's past? The reason why she's struggling with the fight against the Drakkar?*

*I remember, thank you,* John replied gratefully, stopping in front of Tashana's bedroom and knocking on the door. He felt bad about keeping Tashana waiting and would've rushed straight over there if he'd known she wanted to talk to him about something.

"Come in!" she called out to him, her voice sounding muffled through the doorway.

He opened the door and walked in, smiling at Tashana who was sitting cross-legged on the bed. "Hey, honey. I'm really sorry I kept you waiting."

"That's quite alright, I had a few things to think about anyway," she replied, giving him a warm smile as she patted the bed next to her. "Come in and make yourself comfortable."

He did as she suggested, sitting down on the bed beside the bright-eyed girl. He turned to face her, twisting so his left knee was brushing against hers, his right foot still resting on the floor. She had changed out of her business suit now and was wearing one of the long dresses that Irillith favoured. The material clung to her chest and waist, a few slashes in the fabric revealing tantalising glimpses of azure skin.

Deciding to get straight into it, he reached out to stroke her cheek and said, "Both Alyssa and I have seen you get upset on a couple of occasions over the last few days. Do you feel like telling me what's bothering you?"

Tashana's beautiful face shadowed with guilt and she glanced down, averting her eyes from his. That had the unfortunate consequence of lining up her gaze with his half-hard cock, clearly visible in his trousers. She licked her lips subconsciously, then glanced up at him and asked, "Maybe you should feed me first? It's been quite a while since breakfast."

Remembering her cum-swollen belly highlighted in her figure-hugging business suit didn't do anything to help the situation, his trousers tenting visibly as he throbbed at that alluring thought. Doing his best to ignore it, he climbed onto the bed, then lay down on the covers, bringing the Maliri girl with him. She smiled and was unresisting as he guided her down to the bed. Raising himself up on an elbow, he placed a comforting hand on her slender stomach and began to stroke her soothingly.

"Don't worry, I'll fill you up in a little while. Before we do that, I'd really like to talk to you first," he said with a kind smile, looking down at her lovely face.

Tashana was hesitant at first then slowly nodded, relaxing as he caressed her. "That feels really nice..." she murmured, while gazing into his eyes.

"It seems like it's been ages since we properly had a chance to catch up, but part of that is just the unfortunate timing. With the preparations for the battle then the fight itself, I've been a bit distracted recently, but I hope you don't feel I've been neglecting you?" John asked, his fingers slipping through one of the slits in the dress so he could trace circles on her smooth skin.

Tashana bit her lip as she trembled in response to his gentle touch. She shook her head as she replied, "No, I could see how busy you've been, but I've been occupied too." A beautiful smile lit up her face as she continued in an excited voice, "It's been wonderful spending so much time with Irillith! I can't believe how well we've clicked since we were reunited! It's even better now, than the best of times when we were children."

"I know Irillith feels the same way and I'm really happy for you both," John said, enjoying seeing the sheer delight on the girl's face. He smiled at her as he added, "How about the rest of the girls? Have they been treating you nicely too, or do I need to start smacking some bottoms?"

She laughed at his gentle joke, the lovely carefree sound filling the room. "You know the girls are all amazing! I've never felt so... loved." She looked away into the distance for a moment, an almost disbelieving smile teasing her lips. When her angular eyes fixed on his again, she sounded awed as she continued, "That's not an exaggeration, I can really feel it. It's like they've all just welcomed me with open arms, treating me like a long-lost sister."

John smiled at the look of wonder on her face, delighted to hear how happy she was. As much fun as being with Alyssa, Jade, and Sakura would have been, this was... better.

"What's making you smile?" Tashana asked him curiously, reaching up with a slender blue hand to trace her fingertips over his lips.

"Your laughter for one thing," he responded, kissing her fingers. "I said a while ago that I was looking forward to hearing that on a daily basis, so thank you for delivering."

She couldn't help laughing again, and he grinned at the sound. "What's so special about my laugh?" she asked, blushing self-consciously.

"Do you want to hear the superficial reason or the deeper one behind it?" he asked, tracing the neat oval of her abdomen with his fingers.

She gazed into his eyes and replied breathlessly, "Both, please."

He watched her face as he replied, "It's a lovely sound, just like your sister's and mother's. You all sound so carefree and happy when you laugh; there's no sense of self-imposed restraint about it - almost like a child's laughter. You sound innocent and pure."

Tashana blushed a deeper shade of blue and murmured, "I couldn't tell if that was the superficial reason or the deeper one."

"The other reason, is that I know you were desperately unhappy before you joined the crew, just like the rest of the women on this ship. You've all been touched by awful tragedy in one way or another and it feels... rewarding when I hear any of you laugh. Knowing that such a thing was so rare in your old lives, makes it all the more special when I see you looking so happy here with me," John replied, giving her the unvarnished truth.

She gaped at him in amazement, then pulled him down for a loving kiss. The minutes drifted by as their lips brushed against each other, really taking the time to explore the intimate act of kissing for the first time. This close, he could see her pupils flare with arousal and hear her quiet little moans of desire as she pressed herself against him.

"I want you to be my first," she finally whispered to him, the smouldering look in her eyes making her intent perfectly clear.

John pulled back slightly, giving her a tender kiss as he gazed into her eyes. "If you feel you're ready, then can I suggest tonight instead?" He glanced around the comfortable but Spartan officer's quarters and continued, "A gift like that is special and I want the setting to match the occasion."

Tashana let out a happy sigh, beaming a radiant smile at him as she nodded her agreement.

"Good girl, I promise it'll be worth it," he said, giving her an affectionate kiss on the tip of her nose.

She laughed again at that and hugged him tight, moulding her athletic body to his. "You were so right before; I spend most of the time so blissfully happy here with you," the Maliri girl said, grinning as she kissed him on the nose too.

"Let's see if we can change that 'most of the time' to 'all the time'," John said pointedly, moving his hand up to caress her cheek. "Do you feel like telling me what's been bothering you now?"

Tashana flushed guiltily, looking away until he lifted her chin, so that she was gazing into his eyes again. He could see the moment of decision reflected in that violet gaze and she finally blurted out, "I think we made a terrible mistake wiping out the Drakkar!"

John nodded his understanding as he studied her face, watching the surprise in her expression when he reacted that way. "I think you might be right, but I'm not sure how we could've handled it any differently with them. The brute leading the Drakkar didn't really seem open to negotiation," he said, brushing his fingers through her silky white hair that fanned out on the pillow behind her. "I do know why you've been feeling that way though."

"Why?" she asked intently. "I've been feeling terrible for all the doubts I've had about that battle. It felt like I was questioning you and your decisions, without really knowing why."

John contacted his Maliri Matriarch telepathically, saying, *I'm just going to block you from my mind for a few minutes, Edraele. There's nothing to worry about and I'll let you back in shortly.*

*Of course, John. I appreciate you warning me in advance.* she replied, sounding grateful.

He stroked the side of Tashana's head as he said, "When you joined me, you know that I wiped your memory of the last thirteen years."

"Because of all the bad things that happened to me in that time?" Tashana replied quietly, staring at him with wide eyes.

John nodded, giving her a sympathetic smile. He began to massage her temple as he replied, "I didn't completely eliminate all your old memories - doing that would have meant making millions of molecular changes at the synapses between your neurons. I probably still could, but it would be a laborious and delicate process and I wanted to take your pain away quickly."

She nodded thoughtfully and asked, "So what did you do instead?"

"The easiest way to describe it, is that I've covered your old memories in a protective shield, which stops your subconscious from being aware of them. In any normal girl that would be the end of it, but it looks like there's a problem," he said, frowning as he mulled it over.

"What kind of problem?" Tashana asked, looking worried now.

He leaned down to kiss her and she immediately relaxed, then waited patiently for him to reply.

"Like your mother and sister, you're a very bright and gifted woman. Every time I feed you, it's helping you become significantly more powerful. As your subconscious grows stronger, I think it's starting to test the shield I've placed in your mind, letting partial memories start to leak through. During your last three years in the Unclaimed Wastes, you worked as a smuggler, captain of your own vessel with a mixed crew of aliens and Terrans. The reason you felt apprehensive about fighting the Drakkar, is because you used to have one working for you as a crewmember on your ship," John explained, watching her intently for any signs of distress.

Tashana looked shocked to hear this and she paused for a moment to let this information sink in. "So my memories of... Groluk are leaking out? That's why I felt so bad about killing them?" she asked, nodding as she finally understood what was happening.

"I didn't know he was called Groluk," John said pointedly, catching the reference to his name. He gave her a rueful smile as he confessed, "I'm not really sure how you managed to befriend a Drakkar. Every one of them we've met has tried to kill and eat us, often not in that order."

Tashana nodded solemnly, then sounding anxious, she asked, "What happens if my mind breaks through the shield? Am I going to be driven mad by a flood of terrible memories?"

He shook his head and his voice was full of conviction as he replied, "I stripped out all the emotional pathways between those memories and they won't be coming back. You'll be able to remember everything that happened to you objectively, so it shouldn't be traumatic, just informative."

"Why go to all that trouble then?" Tashana asked, her brow wrinkling in confusion.

John flopped back onto the bed, then scooped Tashana up in his arms and placed her so that she was resting on his chest. She grinned at him, enjoying being atop him like this.

"Because of Edraele, basically," he admitted, folding his arms behind his head as he gazed up at her. "I told you about what happened with my Progenitor Guide and your mother, didn't I?"

She nodded, looking thoughtful as she replied, "He went rogue and managed to take over your mind. My mother released him by accident and when they fought, he defeated her. After that, he destroyed her personality as part of his plans to turn her into his Matriarch. When Alyssa finally defeated him, you rebuilt my mother's mind."

John looked at her in surprise, then nodded as he said, "That's actually a pretty good summary of events. Well, since then, Edraele has been struggling to deal with the memories of all the horrible things her old personality did. I've been telling her over and over again that she wasn't responsible for anything that happened before I rebuilt her mind, but I know she's weighed down with guilt over it."

Tashana had been listening quietly as he spoke and when he paused for a moment, she asked, "So you were worried that I'd react in the same kind of way?"

He smiled at her and reached up to cup her face in his hands. "I knew you wouldn't feel guilty, but I didn't know how your mind would cope with the memories of what happened to you, even with all the associated emotions removed. I wasn't going to take any chances, so in the end I took some additional precautions, which leaves us where we are today."

"I hadn't really thought about it until now, but whatever happened to me in the Unclaimed Wastes must have been really awful if you've been this cautious," Tashana said astutely, her violet eyes studying his face.

He watched the Maliri girl in silence for a moment, then nodded in confirmation. "Completely healing your body was easy, but your mind is much more complex. I wanted you to have a fresh start, without carrying any of that baggage from those years. We discussed it before I shielded those memories from you and you told me that was what you wanted too."

She smiled at him and said, "It's okay, I'm not upset with you, far from it actually. I'm touched that you'd go to such lengths to try and ensure my happiness."

"You're one of my girls now and it's my job to protect you and keep you safe," John said earnestly, feeling an overwhelming urge to try and make her understand his motivations behind his actions. "I can't go back in time to undo your past, so this was the best way I could think of to try and do exactly that."

Tashana leaned forward to give him a tender kiss. "You make me feel protected and loved, I don't think I could ask for anything more than that from my man."

John relaxed now, relieved that she understood what he'd tried to do for her and why. He wrapped his arms around her and returned her kisses, enjoying seeing the spark of lust igniting behind those violet orbs.

"I thought there was another even more important job you had?" she asked him coyly, a seductive smile appearing on her lips.

"Oh, really? What might that be?" he asked, between kisses.

She planted another searing liplock on him, then whispered, "If I'm one of your girls, aren't you supposed to be feeding me cum for two weeks?"

"That's very true," he agreed, a lusty grin appearing on his face as he stroked her back. "I'm sorry you've had to share a few times. With the battle, I needed to be able to heal the girls in an emergency."

"That's okay, I understand - it's fortunate you did," she murmured, as she continued to plant light kisses on his lips. A smile teased her lips as she added, "Besides, sharing can be fun sometimes."

He was about to reply, when the door swished open, followed by the click of high heels as someone entered the room. John's view was blocked by Tashana's long flowing hair and when he tried to glance around her to see who it was, she moved with him, grinning as she blocked his view.

"And what do you think you're doing with my sister?" Irillith asked archly as she suddenly appeared right beside him, sitting demurely on the bed.

John laughed at her teasing tone, then reached out to grab her and pull her down to join them. Tashana moved over to make room for her twin and soon he had a pair of identical Maliri girls looking down at him, their warm soft breasts pressed against his chest.

"Hello Irillith," Tashana said, smiling coyly at her sister. "You timed that perfectly."

"It was easy with Alyssa eavesdropping, I just had to wait for my cue," Irillith replied, flashing a grin at her twin.

The two sisters shared an unspoken conversation, their identical violet eyes fixed intently on each other. John could only watch entranced, suddenly acutely aware of the mounting tension in the air.

Tashana turned back to look at him then, giving him a warm smile as she said, "It's just the three of us here now and you know my sister and I are both very grateful to you for reuniting us." Her voice turned breathy as she asked, "Is there anything we can do to repay you for everything you've done?"

John's throat felt thick and he swallowed the big lump that was there, not trusting himself to speak. He stared wide-eyed at the twins, his mind whirring with a million requests he'd love to make, but not sure what their boundaries were and how they'd react to anything he said.

Irillith watched his face with a naughty smile on her full lips. She glanced at her sister and said, "Perhaps he can't make his mind up? There's so many fascinating possibilities with two willing girls at your disposal."

Tashana turned so she was facing her twin, and replied, "While he's trying to decide, I just wanted to tell you how wonderful it's been, being together again."

Irillith turned to look intently at her sister and nodded emphatically. "I know exactly what you mean, I missed you so much when we were apart. I love you, Tashana."

"I love you too, Irillith," her twin replied, and the two girls moved closer so they were only inches apart.

John held his breath as he watched them, the Maliri girls focusing purely on each other as they moved even closer. They were absolutely identical and to see them like this was like watching someone leaning forward to kiss their own reflection. When there was just a hair's breadth between them, they paused again, staring into each other's eyes. This was it, the pivotal moment when the dynamics of their relationship would permanently change. John knew it and more importantly, the girls knew it, a little smile appearing on their beautiful faces as they acknowledged that moment.

Then their lips were touching, exploring each other as they kissed for the first time.

Staring at them in awe, he watched enthralled as the twins kissed each other tenderly. This wasn't just some passionate embrace between lovers, the girls had shared a whole lifetime together and were celebrating their love for each other with that kiss. John couldn't remember being so turned on before. Every fibre of his being urged him to dive into that tender moment, but he held himself back, letting Tashana and Irillith get comfortable with this new level of intimacy forming between them.

When their lips finally parted and they turned to face him again, they both had shy smiles on their faces. He could see the flared pupils in their lovely violet orbs and their flushed, excited expressions told him exactly how much they'd enjoyed their illicit kiss.

"Did you like that?" Irillith asked him self-consciously, revealing a sudden touching vulnerability in the girl that he'd never seen before.

Finally trusting himself to breathe again, John filled his lungs with crisp, clean air, making both sisters rise up on his chest. He grinned at the pair of them and said, "That was one of the most intimate moments I think I've ever seen. Thank you both for sharing that with me."

"You're welcome," Tashana said, darting a smile at her sister before leaning in to kiss him on the cheek.

Irillith did the same on the other cheek, before they pulled back so they were only inches away from his face. "Would you like to see us kiss again?" the gorgeous Maliri girl asked him.

"I really would," John agreed. He hesitated for a second, then decided to be bold. "I think we're all wearing far too many clothes though."

The twins gave him matching naughty smiles as they sat up, freeing him from their delightful weight on his chest. Irillith climbed off the bed first, offering a hand to her sister who smiled at her gratefully as she rose to her feet. John hurried off the bed to stand beside them, and they both giggled at his eagerness. That burning tension was in the air again as he watched both girls focus on each other, reaching up to slip the straps of their long dresses from their shoulders.

He had felt their soft warm bodies against him only moments earlier, so he knew they were both naked under their dresses. Knowing something and seeing it with his own eyes was something else entirely though, and he throbbed with lust at every lovely inch of luscious blue flesh that appeared before him. The girls gave him shy smiles, just checking to make sure he was watching them, as if there was any doubt!

They'd both been naked around each other before, of course, but those circumstances had been very different. Confident that they had his full attention, they stepped closer together, glancing down at their pert breasts as their erect nipples brushed against each other. Tashana and Irillith let out excited gasps at that contact, before their nipples disappeared from view, blocked by the heavy swell of their firm azure orbs. Placing slender blue hands on their sister's hips the twins leaned in for another kiss, bolder and more confident now after their first.

Heads tilted to one side they began to kiss passionately, letting out little moans as they turned each other on even more. John gazed intently at these sleek beauties and he reached out with both hands to caress their lower backs in encouragement. The Maliri sisters had been so focused on each other that they'd forgotten all about him and they let out startled gasps as he touched them. Relaxing immediately afterwards, they began to kiss with even greater intensity, tongues flicking against each other as they did so.

*Holy shit!* Alyssa murmured, as she read his thoughts.

*Yeah, I know,* John replied, gently stroking the girls' blue skin as he watched quite entranced.

The twins were breathless with excitement when they parted, matching angular eyes turning to look at him with a fierce intensity.

"You're wearing too many clothes," Tashana said with a frown.

Irillith nodded, peeling away from her sister. "Let us help you with that."

Two sets of dexterous blue fingers moved over his body, quickly pulling his t-shirt off before roaming over his chest. Next came his trousers, unbuttoned and left to drop to his feet, leaving him as naked as they were.

John wrapped his strong arms around both girls, pulling them close to him, their perfect azure breasts squashing against his muscular chest as he did so. He could see the upper swells of their impressive cleavage rising and falling as they panted with lust.

"What are you going to do with us?" Tashana asked, gazing at him reverently.

He wanted to bury himself in each girl, hear her crying out his name as he rode her hard, before swapping to her twin and making her echo her sister's cries of pleasure. There was a time and a place for that though and he knew it was too soon.

"I want to feed you both," he growled, pressing them against his painfully hard cock.

"On our knees?" Irillith asked, licking her lips in anticipation.

Shaking his head, he kissed her hard, then replied, "Not yet. Get on the bed first, lie on your back."

He could see her quivering with arousal as he released her from his embrace and she hurried to obey his orders. Irillith settled down in the middle of the bed, one leg bent demurely as she lay back, lips parting in obvious invitation.

Turning to her sister, he smiled at her and said, "Your turn, Tashana. Lie on top of her, please."

She nodded eagerly, moving swiftly to climb on the bed and straddle her sister, both sets of violet eyes watching him now.

"Good girls," he said approvingly as he climbed up after them, moving around to the top of the bed so that he was looking down at their lustful faces.

Further commands were unnecessary as he gripped the shaft of his cock and positioned it between them, Irillith staring up at his burgeoning shaft and Tashana gazing down at it. Their tongues flickered out to lap away at him, the wet warmth actually feeling cool compared to the throbbing heat of his cock. He was hard-pressed to know where to look - between their beautiful faces servicing his length, the glorious tangle of blue limbs where they lay entwined together, and Tashana's marvellously pert bottom.

He loved the way Irillith had so enthusiastically embraced being taken that way and he couldn't help wondering how Tashana would react when he introduced her to the pleasures to be had from her tightest passage. She chose that moment to envelop the head of his cock in her mouth, lashing the end with her tongue and sucking with a fierce hunger. He moved slightly to one side, so he could see Irillith's eyes more clearly around his thick shaft. She smiled at him lovingly as she licked along the base of his length, moving right up to her sister's tightly stretched lips.

Tashana gazed into his eyes as she slowly engulfed his pulsating tool, methodically taking inch after inch down her throat. Her violet gaze was blissful when she reached his groin, staring up at him in adoration.

Irillith's startled gasp echoed around the room. "I can see him bulging your throat, Shan!" she murmured in awe, before kissing the outline of his shaft in her sister's slender neck.

Tashana's stretched lips twitched as she tried to smile and ever-so-slowly she backed up, freeing him from the snug confines of her mouth. "I want to see too!" she gasped, panting with excitement.

Nodding eagerly, Irillith tilted her head back then opened her mouth wide, offering herself up to him as a tight sheath for his cock. John didn't need to be asked as he repositioned his broad head at her flushed lips, then nudged forwards. The Maliri girl had been deep-throating him for months and with no gag reflex to suppress, he was able to push all the way inside without resistance, his balls brushing against her forehead.

"That looks amazing!" Tashana murmured in wonder, leaning down to kiss her twin's throat where it had stretched to accommodate his girthy cock.

John couldn't help groaning at the sight of her lips brushing over Irillith's neck, his balls feeling taut with the need to fill up those beautiful girls.

Tashana looked up at him, her face flushed as she asked, "Would you mind moving in and out a bit? I'd love to see that."

"You want me to fuck your sister's face?" John asked, his cock throbbing at the thought.

She bit her lip and nodded excitedly, then looked down at her sister and asked, "As long as that's okay with you, Irillith?"

Irillith let out a slutty groan, although it was muffled by the massive shaft buried down her throat. She began to suck him in encouragement, doing the best she could with her mouth stuffed to capacity.

"I think she likes that idea," John said with a grin.

He held onto Tashana's head for balance as he began to slowly fuck Irillith's face, stroking in and out of her clenching throat. His quad slapped against Irillith's forehead every time he buried himself to the balls inside her and she moaned wantonly as he pistoned in and out of her mouth. Tashana kept kissing her neck, but kept her eyes fixed on John's face as he stared down at them.

John managed to keep this going for a minute or two, but it was all much too stimulating. "I need to cum," he groaned, barely able to hold on any longer.

"She wants it so much!" Tashana gasped, her violet eyes wild with excitement. "We both do!"

Knowing how much they loved the taste, John pulled right back so that only the head of his cock was still in Irillith's mouth. He could see the look of love and gratitude on her face as she sucked powerfully on him, desperately to get her sweet-tasting lunch. His legs trembled with the rush of adrenaline and he finally bellowed out that he was cumming, the first huge blast of spunk filling Irillith's mouth. He could see her eyes roll back in her head as her taste buds were overwhelmed with the sweet load bulging out her cheeks.

Tashana gasped and writhed as she shared her sister's ecstasy over their bond, whimpering with need as she watched Irillith's throat bobbing, sending all the cum down into her stomach. She kissed her neck as John steadily pumped a couple of pints into her twin's belly, then looked up at him in delight as she gasped, "I can feel her tummy getting bigger!"

John knew he'd emptied half his quad, so after giving Irillith one final spurt, he pulled back and guided his cock to Tashana's waiting mouth. She was greedy for his load and started sucking for all she was worth the moment his head had spread her lips wide. Her eyes rolled back in her head at the first taste, setting Irillith off a second time in a sympathetic twingasm.

"That's right, fill your belly," John growled, holding Tashana in place as she gulped down his sperm. He groaned a moment later as Irillith began to lap lovingly at his balls, urging him to feed every last drop to her sister.

Eventually his epic climax came to an end and despite Tashana's greedy, insistent suction, he had nothing left to give her. His softening cock slipped from her mouth as he collapsed backwards and he slumped against the headboard as he gazed at the breathless twins. Their eyes were glazed with lust, while their full lips were glazed with drops of his cum. They both seemed to realise that at the same time and swiftly moved to kiss, sharing the last of his load between them.

John just watched in awe, desperately trying to get his breath back as the insatiable girls moaned into each other's mouths. Eventually they broke apart, looking up at him and grinning at the stunned expression on his face. Tashana dismounted her sister, then helped Irillith sit up. He stared at them as they turned to face him, both girls now sporting a curved tummy with all the spunk they'd swallowed. They crawled towards him, then reached for his trembling hands to place on their cum-swollen stomachs.

"You look amazing," he breathed, his fingers following the rounded contours of their blue abdomens.

Irillith glanced at her sister, a tender smile on her face as she said, "Do you remember what he's thinking about when he's stroking a swollen belly full of his cum?"

Tashana nodded slowly, murmuring softly, "He's imagining how we'll look when we're carrying his baby."

"That's right," Irillith said, giving him a heated look. She focused intently on John and asked, "Would you like that? Getting a set of Maliri twins pregnant at the same time?"

His cock throbbed weakly at the thought, trying to rise to the occasion despite being absolutely exhausted. John just chuckled and pulled them both in for a hug. "You're incredible girls, I'm so lucky to have found you both," he said emphatically.

They hugged him back, grinning in delight and planting loving kisses on his cheek. By unspoken agreement they repositioned themselves so that John was lying down on the bed, with Irillith cuddled up against him on his left and Tashana snuggled in on his right. He glanced down at the soft manes of white hair resting on his shoulders, then watched as the sisters held hands across his chest.

"That felt so right," Irillith murmured, gazing across him at her twin. "Having you there made everything so much better. I've never felt so satisfied."

"I know exactly what you mean," Tashana whispered staring intently at her sister. "Climaxing as I swallowed John's cum has always been intense, but that was on a whole different level."

Irillith nodded thoughtfully, then glanced up at John and said, "I know you wanted to spend time alone with each of us, but can we do this together as much as possible, please?"

He grinned at the twins and replied, "I'm hardly going to say no, am I? That was definitely in my all-time top ten! I just wish I had two cocks so I could feed you both at the same time!"

They both laughed at that, smiling at him affectionately. Irillith arched an eyebrow and said, "If we only made the top ten and not number one, we'll have to try much harder next time!"

His look of delight made them both giggle and he pulled them in closer with his arm wrapped around each girl. John stroked their backs as they rested against him, smiling at the beautiful blue girls as they got drowsy and eventually fell asleep.

*Thanks for helping set that up,* John said to Alyssa, knowing she must have been heavily involved.

*Actually, it was all their idea, I just helped with the coordination,* the psychic blonde admitted, sending him a gentle telepathic smile. *I'm really sorry for all the teasing and subterfuge earlier. I knew what was coming and I wanted to help you build up a nice big load, so you were all ready and waiting for them.*

He glanced down at the twins' rounded stomachs pressed against his flanks and smiled in satisfaction. *You're forgiven, that was well worth a bit of discomfort.*

*You might want to let Edraele back in, now you've finished talking about Tashana's memory wipe,* she prompted him.

He did just that and the Maliri Matriarch's mind rushed back to embrace him once again. John could feel her amusement over their empathic bond when she realised he had both Tashana and Irillith in bed with him.

*You don't need to be coy about whatever you get up to with my daughters,* Edraele said affectionately. *The moment you made the decision to rescue Tashana, I fully expected that both she and Irillith would end up together in bed with you.*

*Perhaps I just wanted to keep it new and exciting for you when we return to Valaden? I fully intend to have you join us,* John replied, grinning at the thought.

He could feel her arousal building over their bond as Edraele gasped, *I can just imagine the three of us kneeling before you! I would-* Her voice trailed off and she paused for a moment, before continuing in a much calmer, softer tone, *I'm keeping you awake. You should seize this opportunity to get some rest, so that you're on top form for Tashana tonight.*

*I might just do that,* John replied, stifling a yawn. After such a titanic climax he wasn't ashamed to admit to feeling tired.

*Sleep well, My Lord,* Edraele purred. *I'll leave you with this pleasant thought: by feeding my daughters your cum, you've made them both fertile and ready for you.*

He shook his head in amazement and said to her, *You're incredible Edraele. Thank you for being so understanding.*

*You're very welcome. Sleep well!* she whispered to him, sending him a tender telepathic kiss.

John did his best to pull the covers over the serenely sleeping twins, but it was tricky with them resting on his arms. He rolled his eyes at his struggles and beckoned with his hand, using telekinesis to smooth the covers over the three of them. With that done, he pulled the girls in tighter, smiling as they snuggled closer. His eyes got heavy and he was soon fast asleep, leaving the three of them slumbering peacefully.

***

Alyssa gave Jade a lazy smile over Sakura's sleeping form. The Asian girl had fallen asleep with a dopey, blissful expression on her face after having been extensively ravished by the duo of blonde cheerleaders.

*Thank you for your help today; you were amazing!* Alyssa said to the Nymph, who still wore a perfect imitation of her own face. She smiled at the reflection of her own image and added, *You can change back to normal now if you want?*

Jade nodded and shimmered in a green haze before returning to her normal Nymph shape. Her brilliant white teeth sparkled in the light as she beamed at her friend. *It was lovely to see her so excited,* she said, gently stroking the sleeping girl.

*She absolutely loved the surprise,* Alyssa agreed, grinning as she remembered the look of astonishment on Sakura's face when Jade had bounded into the room. After the shock had worn off, the Asian girl had enthusiastically embraced their offer to do whatever she wanted them to. *I had no idea she was so kinky though! She seemed so reserved when we first met her!*

*Often the most sexually repressed will be the wildest when they feel safe to explore their hidden desires. It's a testimony to how much she trusts you that she was willing to reveal that side of herself,* Jade replied, smiling at the sleeping girl lying between them. *She's very submissive with John, so it must have been a tremendous release for her to switch roles with us.*

Alyssa stifled a giggle and rubbed at her reddened asscheek. *How's your bottom doing? John hasn't given me a turbo-speed spanking yet. I might have to suggest it to him, maybe then I'd think twice about teasing him so much!*

*I'm fine thank you, the red handprints Sakura gave me were purely for cosmetic effect,* Jade admitted with a smile. She gave the Terran girl a knowing look as she added, *I suspect it would take far more than a firm spanking to get you to refrain from being his 'naughty vixen'.*

Winking at her, Alyssa conceded, *Yeah, you're right. John loves it far too much!*

The Nymph grinned at her then said earnestly, *Thank you so much for including me in this gift to Sakura. Helping her fulfil a secret fantasy was a wonderful experience.*

*It was brilliant sharing it with you,* Alyssa said, a loving smile lighting up her face. She reached across Sakura to caress the Nymph's arm, tracing the viridian lines that defined her muscles. *How about you, Jade? Do you harbour any secret fantasies that we can help you explore?*

Those cat-like emerald eyes widened in surprise as she replied, *No one's ever asked me that before!*

*Have a think about it. You've got John, myself, and the girls at your complete disposal. Everyone cares about you a great deal and we'd all love to do something fun for you,* Alyssa said, her voice kind and caring. She grinned as she added, *It doesn't even have to be anything naughty!*

Jade looked genuinely touched and her eyes welled up with crystal-clear tears. *First John, now you... I never imagined my life could be so wonderful!*

Alyssa opened her arms in invitation and Jade carefully climbed over Sakura's sleeping form, then gladly accepted her embrace. *We all love you, little kitten,* the blonde girl murmured to the Nymph, running her fingers through her dark-green hair. *Finding you aboard that pirate ship was the luckiest day of our lives.*

Shaking her head, Jade replied emphatically, *That I should find not just a Progenitor Master but a Progenitor Mistress at the same time... Truly, there's no one in the galaxy luckier than me.*

The Nymph nestled against Alyssa, closing her eyes and purring happily as the blonde teenager stroked her hair.

Alyssa just hugged her back, too shocked by the transformation in Jade's metaphysical portrait to find the words to reply.

***

Faye Primary watched the cam feeds from Tashana's room while sitting perched on John's desk in his ready room. She beamed a huge smile at seeing him look so happy and was delighted for the Maliri girls who both looked radiant as they carried his cum in their curved stomachs. Activating a custom program, her own slender waist rapidly expanded and she felt a thrill of excitement as she ran her fingers over her swollen belly, imaging what it would be like to be there too.

Her tertiary avatar replayed the footage of her sensual dance for him before the battle and she shivered with lust as she watched herself covering Jade as the Nymph emptied his balls for her. She wished with all her heart that she'd been able to do that herself, but the look of ecstasy John had given her as he genuinely thought she was swallowing his cum was absolutely priceless. That image had already been viewed over fifteen-thousand times, with Faye Tertiary permanently assigned to its study.

She let out a happy sigh as she watched the sleeping trio, but her blissful state was rudely interrupted by her ninth avatar. Faye Nonary insisted on highlighting footage for her attention, and when Faye Primary focused her processing stream on it, she wished she hadn't. It was footage taken of Tashana when she first joined the ship, the girl's body covered in a patchwork of horrific scars, her face slashed and ruined. No sooner had she seen that shocking image, then Faye Denary played the camera footage of Irillith convulsing in agony from a Trankaran magma-shotgun wound to the torso.

Her primary avatar quivered with fear as she knew what was coming next and a flicker of light rolled up her purple form, distorting her features as it did so. Faye DuoDenary began to play back all the footage of John being injured, from his most recent flesh wound on his arm, to being impaled through the chest by a Drakkar spike.

The galaxy was such a dangerous place and she loved them all so much! How could she protect them all from harm?!

Faye Primary began to weep, glistening tears rolling down her purple cheeks as she allocated all her remaining avatars to come up with a solution. Nothing was more important than this... nothing!

***

John awoke feeling greatly refreshed after his nap, a glance at the chronometer on the wall in Tashana's quarters informing him that it was nearly five o'clock. He looked down at the Maliri twins draped over him in a tangle of slender blue limbs and grinned when he saw they were already awake.

"So, I didn't just have a spectacular dream, that really happened?" he asked playfully, glancing at one set of sparkling violet eyes after another.

Irillith arched an eyebrow as she replied, "I thought you couldn't dream?"

"Yeah, but what a way to start!" John said enthusiastically.

Tashana giggled, then shot a glance at her sister. "It did really happen, didn't it?"

Giving them both a beautiful smile, Irillith replied, "If it was a dream, it's one I hope to share with both of you many times in the future."

John hugged them both fiercely, then frowned in disappointment when he realised they'd both digested all the cum he'd fed them and were both svelte once again. His own stomach rumbled angrily and with an embarrassed smile he said, "I think it's time to get up. Would you two be interested in helping me prepare dinner for everyone in the kitchen?"

To his surprise, Tashana shook her head and declared, "You can help us instead! We did offer to make Maliri dishes for everyone and what better time than now?"

"If you're willing to share your recipes with me, I can't think of anything I'd rather do!" he enthused, remembering how much the girls had loved Maliri cuisine.

Irillith and Tashana both nodded, smiling at his enthusiasm. They got up and all had a quick shower together in the considerably smaller shower cubicle in Tashana's room. After drying off and getting dressed, they left her room hand-in-hand, then strolled through the double doors into the Officers' Lounge. John hadn't been in there since Alyssa's initial tour, and he couldn't help admiring how much lighter and more spacious it felt since she'd refurbished the room.

They walked into the kitchen and he listened attentively as the twins quickly decided on the menu for their evening meal. He was placed in charge of preparing the meat for a dish called "Crescent Orihice", named that way for the shape of the delicately spiced cuts of meat. Irillith disappeared into the pantry to collect the raw materials from the Maliri supplies they'd loaded on Valaden, while Tashana explained how to make the curving cuts.

John retrieved his favourite chopping knife, then went to work, following the instructions from both girls as he went through the numerous steps to prepare the food. It felt strange to be the one learning a recipe rather than teaching it and he couldn't help reminiscing back to happy times spent with his grandparents in their restaurant. His grandmother, Eva, had been in charge of the kitchen. She was a kind but no-nonsense head chef and as long as you followed her instructions to the letter, you'd be guaranteed to stay on her good side.

He'd occasionally helped his grandfather, Don, run front of house, but it always seemed a frantic and chaotic experience that John had never really enjoyed. By contrast, the kitchen was a place of order, with meticulous rules to define every recipe. The exact number of seconds to let a dish simmer, measuring the weight of ingredients, then making sure to add them at precisely the right time... That sanctuary of order and discipline was where he'd always felt the most comfortable.

*They're so happy, John,* Edraele murmured, her emotional voice startling him out of his memories.

Turning around, he watched the twins working together on a couple of exotic-looking dishes. They darted furtive glances and little smiles at one another as they prepared the food, and he could feel the energy crackling between them. Every so often, one of the girls would reach out to stroke the other's arm in a touching gesture, almost as if she couldn't believe her sister was really standing right there.

He started to feel uncomfortable watching them, as if he was intruding on a special, private moment between the two women. Turning away, he let them have their privacy and focused on adding just the right amount of seasoning to the Orihice meat. Losing himself in the preparation work once again, his mind started to drift, returning to those many hours spent in the kitchen during his youth. It had been in the kitchen of his grandparents' restaurant that he'd finally built up his courage to tell them of his plans for the future.

John had always known that they'd hoped he'd take over the restaurant one day, running the family business that had been in Blake hands for several generations. He could still remember the look of shock on their faces when he informed them that he'd chosen to follow his mother's footsteps and join the Terran Federation military instead. There had been heated words and impassioned arguments before they relented, but that fleeting look of despair they'd shared had always stayed with him - their fear that they might lose their grandson in the same way that they'd lost their daughter.

*Well, I've just had a fascinating afternoon!* Alyssa declared brightly as she woke up, making John jump once again.

He sent the young woman a warm telepathic smile. *Really? Why don't you tell me all about it.*

*Wow! What've you been doing to the twins?!* she exclaimed in shock.

John flushed with embarrassment as he replied, *I thought you were eavesdropping this afternoon?*

*Yeah! But only when they were blowing you! Since you stuffed them both full of cum, their portraits have changed!* she blurted out, sounding astonished.

*Changed? What do you mean?* he asked, sounding intrigued.

Alyssa shook off the surprise and replied, *Ah don't worry, it's not urgent. I'll save it for the next XO catch-up meeting. It'll give us something fun to chat about while you stretch me out and give me a good pounding.*

*While we're on that subject, I'm afraid I'll have to ask for a raincheck on whatever you had planned with Calara tonight,* he said apologetically.

He could feel her excitement over their empathic bond as she gushed, *There's no need to apologise, I heard every word! Don't worry, I'll help make all the arrangements!*

*You're an angel. Thank you, beautiful,* John said gratefully, knowing he could trust her to make everything perfect.

*We'll get the room ready now, then you'll be all set for later!* Alyssa exclaimed, sounding delighted to be involved.

He smiled as he warned her, *Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes, so you'll have to move fast.*

*No problem! Jade's going to help,* Alyssa explained, as she sprung into action. She sounded smug as she added, *I'll let Sakura have a bit more sleep. Jade and I cheered the poor girl senseless.*

John's laughter drew both Irillith and Tashana's attention, and they shared a grin as they listened to him chuckling away.

***

Alyssa sent out a telepathic order to gather the crew and they began to arrive as it drew closer to dinner time. With John playing the role of junior chef on this occasion, he was responsible for dressing the table, so he greeted the girls with a kiss as they joined him in the dining area.

Rachel and Dana were first to appear, the redhead looking even more perky than usual, while the tawny-haired brunette looked much more alert after a few hours' sleep.

"Are you feeling better after your nap?" John asked, pleased to see the obvious improvement.

"Much, thank you," Rachel replied, walking around the table to give him a kiss. "I could still use a full night's sleep, but a certain blonde kicked me out of bed!"

*None of the other bedrooms are nearly as nice for what we've got planned!* Alyssa thought to them both enthusiastically.

"Sorry about that," John said, giving her a sympathetic hug. "I'm glad you were able to make it for dinner though. The food the twins have prepared looks and smells delicious!"

Calara appeared shortly afterwards, gliding over to give him a kiss before offering to pour the exotic Maliri wines to accompany dinner. John gratefully accepted, then returned to the kitchen to help Irillith and Tashana add the final touches to their meal and start bringing out the dishes. Alyssa, Jade, and Sakura had all arrived by then, moving to take their seats around the dining table. The Asian girl was looking a bit ruffled, having only just woken up, and she blushed furiously when John greeted her with a knowing smile.

Faye appeared in a purple flash, sitting cross-legged at the end of the table. She smiled at them all and said, "I used to think that one of the benefits of being a digital creature is that you don't need to take time to eat, but I'm not sure that's true having seen all this lovely-looking food!"

"I'd have offered to create a digital equivalent, but I've no idea how to synthetically recreate a sense of taste," Irillith said, giving the sprite an apologetic smile.

"That's quite alright, I appreciate the thought, though!" the purple sprite exclaimed brightly, her translucent wings quivering as she spoke.

Once everyone had sat down around the table, John raised his glass of wine to the Maliri girls and said, "I think I speak for everyone when I say that this feast smells divine and looks incredible! Thank you for your hard work, ladies."

The rest of the girls smiled and raised their glasses in toast, while Tashana and Irillith blushed at the attention and praise. Tashana waved a hand towards the fifteen different dishes and said, "Hurry up and start before it gets cold! If you let Maliri cuisine cool to room temperature, it turns poisonous to Terrans!"

Everyone gaped at her in shock, until Irillith's peals of laughter tipped them off to her sister's joke. Tashana winked at John, then speared a piece of Crescent Orihice with her fork. She sampled it cautiously, then nodded, looking impressed. "You cooked that perfectly, well done!"

John tipped an imaginary hat in her direction, delighted to have done justice their recipe. He followed her lead, as did everyone else around the table, and soon they were all sampling the exotic dishes on offer. The room was quiet while they ate, except for the sound of happy sighs as they tasted the delicious food.

Jade's face was a picture of contentment as she tried each Maliri dish and she made cute little chirrupy mews as she swallowed each mouthful. At one point she realised John was watching her and she gave him a sparkling smile, as she said, "I love the Terran dishes you make, but this Maliri food is divine!"

He returned her smile then nodded his agreement as he glanced at the Maliri twins, who were overjoyed to see everyone's overwhelmingly positive reaction to the meal they'd prepared. The sisters grinned at each other, both finding the experience tremendously rewarding.

After finishing off an intricately sliced yellow vegetable and taking a sip of wine, John said, "Now I've got everyone here, I thought it might be a good idea to go over our plans for the next few weeks."

"Where are you taking us next, handsome?" Alyssa asked, already knowing the answer, but enjoying the pretence of a normal conversation. She frowned at a curious piece of blue fish on the serving platter in front of her, skewered it with her fork, then bit into it and groaned in ecstasy.

John leaned back in his chair, watching the girls enjoying their dinner and smiled as they all turned to listen to him. "Now that the Invictus has been repaired, I'd like to leave for Terra this evening. The Award Ceremony is in two days, so that gives us plenty of time to get there. I thought you girls might like to go shopping beforehand and I'll need a bit of time to meet with Charles to trade for the advanced heatsinks they found."

That announcement was met with lots of excited chatter. Sakura in particular looked thrilled at the prospect of acquiring her own wardrobe of clothing, rather than having to borrow from the rest of the girls.

"I didn't think you'd want to hang around here for two weeks until the Maliri fleet arrived," Calara said, drawing John's attention.

He nodded to confirm her suspicions. "I suspect that the Drakkar threw most of their strength into that invasion - that's certainly what Ularean and the High Council believe. The Ashanath should be safe enough until the first of Edraele's forces get here to reinforce them and they've still got enough forces left to maintain limited defensive patrols."

"I spent this morning working on some defensive contingency planning for the Ashanath, to help keep their homeworld safer in the future," Calara revealed, smiling when John listened with interest. "I've already passed on my plans to Ularean. I suggested towing hollowed out asteroids into position around Ashana for orbital defence platforms. Until they can build some dedicated bases, they could move the planetary defence lasers from around the Legacy's hangar into those asteroids. Those guns would be powerful enough to keep anything smaller than a battleship squadron at bay."

"Excellent initiative, Commander, I'm impressed!" John said, raising his glass to her with a grin.

She smiled back and saluted him with her own glass of Maliri wine.

Turning to look at Dana, he said, "Our lovely Chief Engineer managed to discover a number of intriguing new Progenitor schematics after our trip into the Legacy. Do you want to tell everyone your plans for those?"

The redhead nodded eagerly. "We found a bunch of new tech which will improve output and energy flows from our Power Cores." She glanced at Calara and added, "Once we've got all the upgrades in place, I'll be able to swap out all our Beam Lasers for Photon Lasers!"

Calara grinned at her and exclaimed, "That'll be a huge boost to our multi-directional damage output! Can we complete all the upgrades mid-flight, or will we need some refit time in a drydock?"

Dana smiled at her and replied, "We can build everything aboard the ship, then start installing all the internal components like the Power Regulators and Power Couplings as we finish them. We'll need to stop somewhere to swap out all the weapons, but with John, Alyssa, the Valkyrie, and the maintenance bots helping out, I reckon we can replace them all in a day!"

"That's fantastic news, Sparks!" John said to Dana, sharing the Latina's enthusiastic grin. "Upgrading to batteries of Photon Lasers will be amazing!"

The redhead nodded eagerly, then glanced at Jade as she said, "We'll get cracking on the maintenance bots first, to bring them up to twelve. Faye can put them to work installing all the new components, while you and I start building all the new guns." She smiled at John and Alyssa, adding, "Either of you feel like volunteering to shape seventy-two Photon Laser barrels?"

"I thought we only had hardpoints for twenty-four?" John asked in confusion.

"Triple-barrelled guns, baby!" Dana explained with a huge grin.

He chuckled and said, "Alright, I'll be happy to get started on that."

Alyssa smiled at him and said suggestively, "I'm planning something significant with your huge assets, otherwise I'd offer to help too."

"That sounds ominous," John replied, arching an eyebrow. "What're you up to?"

Alyssa's bright blue eyes gleamed with excitement as she unveiled her plan. "I figured that with the Maliri Regency going through something of a renaissance, they're going to see a massive spike in demand for trade. Geniya station is basically it, in terms of trading stations for the bulk of Terran trade with the Maliri and the Terran Federation don't have any significant outposts along the border themselves. I thought we could invest in trading stations spaced evenly along the Terran side to encourage and speed up trade. With the huge surge of merchant traffic I'm predicting, we should make a fortune!"

*That's a marvellous idea!* Edraele exclaimed, sounding intrigued by the plan. *I'm bringing more of Genthalas online by the day and the demand for raw materials to supply the shipyards is increasing exponentially. If Alyssa puts this plan into action, I'll increase the scope of facilities on the Maliri side of the border to expedite trade and the transfer of supplies to Genthalas.*

"If this works, it'll eventually be worth billions of credits..." Alyssa said in a hushed voice, staring into John's eyes. "We're talking about the kind of money that can eradicate the kind of lawless slums that Dana and I grew up in."

"You don't need my approval for this, but you've got it anyway," John said, nodding his wholehearted agreement.

There was quiet around the table for a moment as the details of Alyssa's plan started to sink in and Dana shared a poignant smile with her old friend.

Rachel suddenly grinned as she said, "We could use the new trading posts as distribution centres for the new skin care product line that we discussed a few weeks ago! That surge of merchant traffic would become a huge flood!"

Alyssa beamed a sparkling smile back at her. "We'll make an absolute fortune just in docking charges!"

"How soon can you move on this?" John asked, curious to see what kind of timeframe she had in mind.

"I've already done considerable amounts of research and I used shell companies to put the requests in for provisional construction permits a while ago. Now that you fully approve of the plan, it'll only take me a day to expedite the permits and cut through all the bureaucracy. We should be able to start construction by the end of the week," she replied, mentally checking through all the Terran Federation agencies she'd need to pursue and the key staff she'd need to incentivise to process the permits quickly.

John stroked her back as he said, "It's a very exciting project, beautiful. I can't wait to see how successful it'll be."

"Insider trading on a Galactic scale! I know my father would heartily approve," Rachel said with a smirk.

"We'll be near the Core Worlds for a little while, do you want to drop by New Eden and say hello?" John asked her, while watching carefully for a reaction. "I'd like to meet him properly as long as that's alright with you?"

The brunette looked torn for a moment, then reluctantly nodded, her grey eyes meeting his. "You're right, I can't keep putting this off forever. I do need to speak with him; we have a few important matters to discuss."

Dana put her arm around her girlfriend and said, "If you want me there too, I promise I'll be on my best behaviour."

Rachel smiled at the redhead affectionately, putting her arms around her and giving her a grateful hug.

Turning to look at Sakura, John saw that she was watching him intently. He met her emotional gaze with a question in his eyes and she nodded decisively in reply. His answering smile was sympathetic and supportive, and the Asian girl bit her lower lip, eyes welling up before she quickly glanced away.

To give her a moment to compose herself, John turned back to Dana. "I know you're planning on starting work on the maintenance bots, but we have a few other important things that need your attention too. Have you made any plans for prioritising the work?"

She nodded as she uncoiled herself from Rachel's arms. "Building a replacement turret for the Raptor should only take a few hours and the armour repairs will be down to Alyssa. The same applies to the Paragon suits that got bashed up. Repairing the inner shell will only take me or Jade an hour or two, then it'll be up to you or Alyssa to patch up the armour plating."

"How about the research into the Drakkar gear?" John asked, spearing a piece of the blue fish on his fork. "I'd really like you to take a look at the shields built into their battlesuits if you can - probably as a higher priority over everything else."

Dana smiled at him fondly as she replied, "I should have known - you want to protect your girls above all else, right?"

John winked at her as he said, "Got it in one, honey."

She glanced at the Nymph sitting across the table from her. "If I give you the schematics for the maintenance bots, would you mind making a start on your own? I'll take a look at the Drakkar battlesuits right after dinner."

"Of course, I'll start working on them immediately," Jade replied, looking pleased at the prospect.

Dana gave her a grateful grin. "Thanks, sexy! You're the best assistant I've ever had!"

"Hey!" Alyssa exclaimed indignantly.

The redhead smiled at her old friend. "Let's face it, you had trouble telling a plasma torch from a hydraulic wrench."

Alyssa shrugged and said, "Alright, I admit it, I was a crap assistant." She frowned in distaste and added, "The worst bit was all that oil and grease! Why does everything in your workshops have to be covered in so much of that stuff? It gets everywhere!"

Dana just laughed and rolled her eyes.

Calara smiled at her lover and noted coyly, "You're normally so enthusiastic in your liberal use of lubricants."

Everyone laughed as Alyssa conceded that the Latina was absolutely right.

Dana smiled at the blonde, then turned to look at John again, her expression serious now. "While I'm checking out the Drakkar armour, I'll investigate their guns as well. If our theory is right and their equipment is a limited copy of Thrall gear, it'll be worth taking a look sooner rather than later."

"That's a very good point," John said, looking thoughtful. "Those rifles weren't hitting as hard as a high-power railgun slug, but they still had a lot of stopping power. If you can upgrade them the same way you turned the original black armour into crystal Alyssium... Yeah, definitely worth checking out."

"You got it!" she eagerly agreed.

Before taking another sip of wine, John asked, "How about the Valkyrie?"

"Repairing that shouldn't be too hard. A lot of that will be down to you, reshaping the armour plating to get rid of all the dings," she replied, giving him a shifty look.

"And the upgrades we discussed before? I'd rather we get them finished before I risk letting anyone out in it again," John said in a firm tone.

"Do you mind if I weigh-in with my opinion?" Calara asked politely.

He smiled at the Latina and gestured for her to proceed. "Of course not, gorgeous. You didn't need to ask."

She smiled at him gratefully, then looked across the table at Dana. "I agree with John about the personal shields being our highest priority, but I think fully upgrading the Invictus' guns should be next. Doubling the firepower from the Beam Laser batteries by replacing them all with Photon Lasers is a massive increase in our destructive capabilities. I think that should take precedence over everything else, including the capacitor upgrades in the ship's armour."

"Sounds reasonable to me," Dana said with a shrug. "Our armour's already highly reflective; the capacitors just make it almost impervious to laser fire, unless we get hit by anything really fucking nasty."

"Yeah, I agree," John said, tapping a finger on his wine glass as he thought it over. He smiled at Rachel and added, "Are you too tired to prioritise the tasks for everyone?"

The brunette shook her head, smiling at him as she replied, "No, this should be quite straightforward compared to the last refit!" Turning to look at Dana, she continued, "The order of priority for you will be: Drakkar gear research, then develop a prototype shield for our Paragon Armour. Once you've completed that, you can begin developing designs for new guns, incorporating all the new tech we've acquired."

"Like I said, I'll start right after dinner," the redhead agreed with a broad grin, sky-blue eyes gleaming at the prospect of investigating new alien technology.

Turning to Jade next, Rachel said, "We'll need to start fabricating the parts for the Maintenance Bots first, then you can start construction as soon as we have all the necessary components. Once that fabrication run is complete, we'll need to start the Mass Fabricators on building the parts we need for the Power Couplings and Power Relays."

The Nymph nodded, then turned to look curiously at Fay. "Are you able to program the bots to help me make more of them? With Dana busy, I could use a hand."

"Of course!" the purple sprite agreed. "I'll assign my tertiary Avat- Erm, I mean Avatar Quaternary to begin the reprogramming work right now!"

Rachel smiled at Faye as she said, "Once the Maintenance Bots are complete, you can have them build, then replace the Power Couplings and the Power Relays." Looking back at John again, she continued, "While they start on that, you can start shaping the Photon Laser barrels while we wait for the Mass Fabricators to finish their run."

Dana nodded thoughtfully as she said, "Then we get the Fabricators churning out the rest of the bits for the Photon Lasers. By the time that run is finished, we can start assembling the weapons!"

"How long?" John asked, taking another sip of wine and admiring its rich body and flavour. While Dana was working out an estimate, he spoke telepathically to Edraele, *Did you supply us with this wine? It tastes fantastic!*

*It was a gift from Emandra, the Matriarch of House Holaris,* Edraele informed him, sounding delighted that he was enjoying it so much. *Their vineyards are legendary amongst the Maliri, but House Holaris have jealously guarded their bounty in the past.*

*Maybe we can encourage them to trade it more openly in the future?* John added thoughtfully. *There'd be a huge demand for exotic, luxury items like this. If we introduce these trade goods to the market when Alyssa's new stations are operational, we could capitalise on the hunger for new trading opportunities and draw in more merchants.*

Edraele sent him a telepathic smile. *The other Houses have similar specialities. I'll discuss this with the other Matriarchs and see if we can come to some kind of arrangement.*

Dana had finished mentally tallying up the time to complete each of the construction tasks and said, "I reckon it'll take... two days." She looked surprised at her own estimate and blurted out, "Organising it like that makes a fucking huge difference! I was expecting at least a week!"

"Then you thought another day to fit all twenty-four Photon Lasers?" John asked curiously.

She grinned at him and nodded. "Yep! That outta' do it."

"Three days to double a big chunk of our firepower... outstanding," he said, a lopsided grin on his face. "We can fit in the Paragon Armour shield upgrades once you've done your research and have a better idea of how long they'll take to design, build, and install."

Rachel smiled in satisfaction, glancing at Alyssa as she said, "I didn't include you in the timelines, but we do need you to take a look at the Raptor's plating when you get an opportunity."

"I'll go do that after dinner," Alyssa said amiably. "I could do with stretching my mental muscles!"

John rubbed his chin as he tried to remember the rest of the remaining tasks. "That just leaves upgrading the heatsinks for the Pulse Cannons and the Nova Lances, which we can do once the bots have installed all the Power Couplings. We also need to fit a new turret for the Raptor, repair then upgrade the Valkyrie, and patch up the three damaged Paragon suits. All of those can wait until later, especially the Paragon armour as we've got a number of spare suits."

Rachel glanced at John and said, "That reminds me, I got covered in Ularean's blood when I touched his robes to heal him. I've taken a sample of his DNA from my armour's gauntlets and I'll begin my analysis of the Ashanath genetic code tomorrow morning."

He looked at her in surprise and said, "That was fortunate! Good thinking, honey."

The brunette looked guilty as she made eye contact with him. "I wish I could say it was an accident. I reasoned it would be more efficient than asking for a genetic sample later, which they might refuse to provide."

"You sneaky little minx!" Dana laughed in delight, nudging her girlfriend with an elbow.

"I doubt Ularean would object," Sakura remarked, as she smiled at Rachel. "He seemed in awe of you after your work in their hospital."

"Still, it was a fine bit of requisitioning," Alyssa said with a smirk. "I'm sure John thoroughly approves."

Rachel blushed but didn't waver from meeting John's gaze. She waited patiently for him to confirm that he wasn't upset at her for exploiting the unfortunate situation to their advantage.

"Relax, I'm not mad at you," John said, giving her a warm smile. "Nobody got hurt and I must admit, I'm fascinated to learn more about the Ashanath's DNA. They've all got psychic powers, so they must all have triple-helix DNA, right?"

"That's what I'm expecting, but I can't wait to confirm that theory!" Rachel replied, nodding eagerly as she relaxed.

Looking around the table at all the beautiful faces watching him, John asked, "Does anyone else have anything else they'd like to mention? If not, I'll quickly cover the rest of my plans for the immediate future."

They shook their heads, the girls all intrigued to know what he had in mind for them next.

"As you know, we'll be heading to Terra tomorrow," John began, leaning back in his chair as he mulled over his thoughts. "While we're in Terran Federation Space, I'd like to tie up a few loose ends. First and foremost, we need to start looking into Mikaboshi and hunting that bastard down. I've only let that slide because we've been dashing around trying to meet a number of more pressing obligations. What with the Dragon March traitor, rescuing Mateo, the Battle of Regulus, rescuing Tashana, the refit in Maliri Space, and then rushing out here to save the Ashanath, we've barely had time to breathe, let alone anything else."

John looked around the table and saw the profound gratitude in Calara's eyes, matched by similar expressions from the Maliri twins. Returning their smiles, he continued, "Don't get me wrong, I don't regret any of those actions, but let's take advantage of this lull in the action and find out more about this 'Master of Assassins'."

Irillith frowned and gave him a look of regret as she said, "While we were in Maliri Space, I got so caught up in events, I completely forgot about chasing up the black market leads on those cybernetics. I'm sorry, John."

He waved away her apology with his hand and replied, "You've got nothing to apologise for. We were all working around the clock to get the refit done in time and I forgot all about that lead as well."

*I'll follow up on that for you right away,* Edraele immediately offered. *If you can send me all the information you have on the cybernetic brain, I'll take steps to find out whatever I can. I'd like to apologise too; I shouldn't have allowed myself to get so distracted that I let that slip. It was an unforgivable lapse and I'm sorry for letting you down.*

*Keep apologising like that, and the first thing I'll do when we get back to Valaden Space is bend you over in front of the other Matriarchs and tan those lovely blue cheeks of yours,* John warned her with a telepathic smile. *It was a very stressful time for all of us and with everything we were juggling, it's understandable that we all dropped this ball. You're making me feel guilty for upsetting you, so please stop.*

Edraele didn't reply, but she sent him a loving telepathic caress that swirled through his mind, every touch filled with her affection for him.

The brief conversation only took a couple of seconds via telepathy, but the girls knew him well enough to recognise the slightly distracted look in his eyes. It therefore came as no surprise when he announced, "Edraele just offered to follow up on that one for us. Dana and Rachel, please could you send every bit of useful information on the cybernetic brain to her."

The girls shared a glance then nodded, with Rachel answering for them, "We both studied the implant in detail after the surgery. It shouldn't take long to transmit all our findings to Edraele."

"Excellent, thanks girls," he said, with an appreciative smile.

Alyssa grinned as she said, "I've a feeling Edraele will be far more... robust... in her approach to pursuing this lead than we would've been. We shouldn't have to wait long for that information."

*My fellow Matriarch is exceedingly perceptive,* Edraele replied, in a chilling tone. *My predecessor had no qualms about using illicit black market technology when it suited her purposes. By turning a blind eye to their activities, she allowed the criminal element to flourish. I think it's time I made an example of those who flaunt the laws of your Kingdom.*

*Don't go overboard, Edraele,* John said in alarm, worrying what he might have inadvertently unleashed.

*I'll show admirable restraint,* she replied, her tone earnest. *I promise I won't disappoint you with my approach.*

He gave Alyssa a worried glance, but she looked relaxed as she replied, *Edraele knows exactly how you expect her to behave. Relax, this is in good hands.* Her eyes flickered to the girls and she added impatiently, *Now, hurry up and tell them the good news, I really want to see Calara's face light up!*

John turned back to his attentive audience and smiled as he said, "When the award ceremony is over with and after our visit to New Eden, I thought we should take a bit of time off for a well-deserved vacation."

"Where are we going?!" Jade asked, breathless with anticipation.

He glanced at Calara and replied, "Jericho, for a skiing holiday!"

The quiet in the room was shattered as the girls gasped at the news and began chattering away excitedly amongst themselves.

Calara beamed at him in delight and said, "Oh, John, that'll be wonderful! I'll be able to visit my family too!"

"That's the idea," he replied, giving her a broad grin. "With the amount Maria's been calling you, she must be desperate to see her little girl."

Calara laughed, blushing self-consciously. "That's true, she's dying to discuss our wedding plans."

"It'll be great to see her," he agreed, looking forward to meeting Calara's mother once again. "Do you know if your father or brothers will be there?"

The Latina pondered his question for a moment, then replied, "I'll need to double-check, but I think Dad is still on-duty in the Dragon March. I know Mateo got rotated back to recover after his captivity, so he'll almost certainly be there. Dylan I'm not sure about, but Eduardo might be. Let me find out and I'll get back to you."

"How long are we staying on Jericho for?" Jade asked, her green eyes glinting in the light.

John smiled at her and replied, "You've all been extremely dedicated and highly focused, but everyone needs a chance to recharge their batteries. We'll play it by ear, but at least a week, maybe two. The last holiday brought all of us closer together, but we've had lots of lovely new additions to the crew since then."

"I'm happy to keep investigating Mikaboshi while we're there," Irillith offered. "Whatever leads my mother uncovers might lead to some kind of digital trail."

"As long as you spend as much time as possible with all of us on the slopes, how you choose to spend your free time is entirely up to you," John said with a smile. "You've been working just as hard as everyone else though, so I want to see you get a chance to relax and unwind as well, okay?"

She smiled at him and nodded, before glancing at her sister and adding, "Do you remember the snowball fights we had with father?"

Tashana laughed, nodding as she got a wistful look in her eyes. "I loved them, they were great fun." She gave John a grateful smile as she added, "This holiday sounds like a splendid idea."

"Have you girls ever been skiing before?" John asked the Maliri twins. When they both shook their heads, he glanced around the wider group to include them in his question.

Calara grinned as she nodded eagerly, while Rachel looked equally enthusiastic, her head bobbing too. The rest of the girls shook their heads, with Dana appearing anxious.

"Didn't you say that snow was basically a big hill of frozen water?" she asked the Latina nervously.

The brunette gave her a reassuring smile as she replied, "It is, but it feels nothing like water. It's more like the sandy beaches on Oceanus, but white and much softer. You'll love it, I promise!"

Rachel put her arm around her girlfriend and said soothingly, "Don't worry, I'll look after you. I've been skiing lots of times when I was much younger. Calara's right, it should be a really fun holiday."

John smiled at Tashana and said, "We'll try and adjust the times I feed you to fit in with the time we spend on the slopes. You won't be able to ski with a huge tummy."

Her beautiful blue face revealed her surprise for a moment, before she suddenly looked very excited by the idea. "This vacation is sounding better by the minute!"

Rachel laughed as she said, "I was the new girl during our trip to Oceanus. The food there looked amazing, but John kept me so stuffed, I never really had any room to try it!"

Tashana's angular eyes darted to her sister before she said coyly, "I wouldn't want to miss out on tasting exotic new Terran cuisine. I might have to share a few times, just to make sure I get the most out of the vacation experience."

"I'm sure I can accommodate you there," John agreed, enjoying seeing the accompanying flash of lust from Irillith. He looked at Dana next and added, "We can start working together on the Quantum Flux Cannon schematics after the holiday."

"So I'm basically getting two holidays, back-to-back?" Dana asked, a huge grin on her face.

Alyssa shook her head and explained patiently, "You'll be on your knees for most of the second one."

Giggling and raucous laughter filled the room, with John's baritone chuckles there right along with them.

When everyone had settled down, he looked around the table and said, "After our vacation, I plan to take us to the Brimorian Enclave as our next major destination. We need to see if we can acquire some of their shield technology."

"I don't know anything about the Brimorians," Dana said, her eyebrows lifting in curiosity. "Fancy giving us a quick summary?"

John smiled at the Nymph sitting down the table from him and replied, "I think Jade's going to love visiting Brimor. The Brimorians are an aquatic species, who colonise oceanic planets by building submerged cities. I've only been to Brimor once and it was an amazing place to visit."

"Why, what's it like?" Dana persisted. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she continued, "You're not going to leave us in the dark again are you? Waiting to see Ashana was torture!"

He winked at her and replied, "Afraid so. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise!"

While the redhead whined in frustration, Irillith leaned forward and said, "When I hacked the data archives on Mars, I saw a reference to something called 'The Brimorian Annex'. Do you know what that was referring to?"

John nodded, his expression turning grim. "There's a strip of territory along the border of the Terran Federation and the Brimorian Enclave called the Callopean Shoals. It's made up of nearly a dozen systems, all of which contain oceanic planets covered in small atolls. They'd make perfect worlds for Terran settlers, so when the Terran Federation first discovered them, there was a sudden rush to colonise these new planets. This was before initial contact had been made with the Brimorians and they didn't take kindly to another empire trying to settle on worlds that they'd already colonised."

"Let me guess? It ended in war?" Rachel asked, a pained expression on her face.

"More of a protracted skirmish," John replied. "When the Terran colonists refused to evacuate those planets, hundreds of them were killed by the Brimorians. The Terran Federation was eager for revenge, but this was nearly a hundred years ago, during a Kirrix resurgence. The military was already fully engaged in a major war with the bugs and it would've been extremely reckless to start a second war against another empire. In the end, the Terrans backed down and let the Brimorians keep all the systems."

"So the 'Annex' refers to a failed annexation of Brimorian systems?" Irillith asked, looking thoughtful.

John shook his head and replied, "No, I'm afraid not. Just because the Terran Federation was busy at the time, doesn't mean they forgot about what had happened. Thirty years ago, the Terran military launched an assault on the Callopean Shoals and conquered a couple of systems. The Brimorians fought back, but both sides were fairly evenly matched and it ended in a stalemate. There's been an uneasy truce for the last three decades."

"Have you been to any of those colonies?" Alyssa asked him curiously.

"The Terrans kicked out the Brimorians on those planets, but the Callopean Shoals are still considered too dangerous to colonise properly. Those worlds are deserted now and will probably stay that way until one side decisively beats the other back," he explained, giving her a sad smile.

Sakura had been listening carefully and she said, "Will it still be safe for us to visit Brimor? Now that you're the 'Lion of the Federation', I can't imagine the Brimorians being overjoyed to have Terrans wandering around their territory."

"That's a good point," John said, nodding thoughtfully. "If we keep a low profile and try to avoid stirring up trouble, we should be okay. There's still a bit of merchant traffic between the two empires, although most of the trade is between the Brimorians and the Trankarans."

Dana tilted her head to one side as she mused, "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. There won't be that much in the way of metal deposits on an ocean planet, or at least extracting it is much easier on a volcanic world."

Alyssa laughed as she looked up at the ceiling while raising her hands to gesture towards the ship. "I'm not sure we can get away with claiming the Invictus is a trading ship any more. Not with all the firepower we're toting now!"

John grinned at her and replied, "I can't imagine what you're referring to. The weapons aren't visible when they're hidden behind the armour and now we have a massive new cargo bay - all ready for the hundreds of tons of trade goods I'm clearly intending to purchase from Brimor."

"What's the plan for getting hold of new shield tech?" Dana asked, leaning forward with interest.

Pointing out the window towards the silver walls of the Docking Bay, John replied, "The Brimorians have a similar setup to the Ashanath. You can buy schematics for their shield technology, but it's very expensive. The shield generators on offer are only a small upgrade on the ones used by the Terran military, but the Brimorians have much more powerful variants installed in their warships."

"I've read some of the battle reports from the Brimorian Annex," Calara said quietly, lost in thought. "Their battleships were notoriously hard to take down, with shield banks capable of withstanding massive damage before failing."

Dana grinned, her eyes gleaming acquisitively. "I can't wait to get my hands on them!"

John nodded, sharing a grin with her as he replied, "With the kind of battles we're in now, we really need access to the best tech they've got. I'm hoping I can grease some palms to get us in contact with the Brimorian government, then see if they're willing to make some kind of deal for the tech we need."

"And what do you propose to do if we aren't successful?" Irillith asked, her violet eyes meeting his. She gave him a cunning smile as she continued, "Just say the word and I'll start infiltrating their systems in search of classified technology."

Dana gave the Maliri girl a wicked grin before glancing at John. "Why not just sail in there, then cut Irillith loose from the start? We can save ourselves a ton of cash and all the dicking around trying to win the Brimorians over."

John grimaced as he shook his head, replying, "If something should go wrong, we might end up sparking a major diplomatic incident. I'd rather not risk triggering a war between the Brimorians and the Terran Federation, not with everything else going on at the moment."

Calara frowned as she said, "Obtaining Brimorian Shields will make a huge difference to our staying power in prolonged engagements. We really need them, John."

Tashana nodded her agreement with the Latina. "Considering the stakes involved and the consequences should the other Progenitor defeat us, we might have to take a few risks to acquire this shield technology."

"If we get nowhere with the diplomatic approach, we can discuss other options then," John said reasonably, looking around at the gathering of girls.

"Sounds like a good plan," Alyssa said, speaking for all of them. "We can always fall back on the 'requisitioning option' if all else fails."

He smiled at her, before turning to look at the group and saying, "I've got one last matter that we really need to discuss - any possible ways we can save Athena from being destroyed."

"I haven't come up with anything sensible yet," Dana said, giving him a worried frown. "A few wild ideas, but nothing that's not batshit crazy."

"That's okay, I just wanted to remind everyone about it tonight. I'd like all of you to try to come up with any possible solutions you can, no matter how outlandish, then we'll discuss them tomorrow. I'd like to have a few options to raise with Athena tomorrow and see if she thinks any of them might be viable," John explained, his tone earnest.

Alyssa brushed his arm with her fingers and said quietly, "Athena could be right - there might not be anything we can do for her. You designed her as a guide to help me use my abilities, so she's part of my mind - I don't see how we can separate her from me."

John sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "I know, but she was so scared... You're getting stronger by the day and it won't be long before you're powerful enough to not need her any longer. Considering how much she's done for us, we've got to try to do something!"

"I have a few suggestions," Rachel said hesitantly. She gave him a rueful frown as she added, "Some of them are morally questionable though, so I'm not sure you'll be too happy to hear them."

He gave her a reassuring smile and replied, "That's okay, tell me about them tomorrow. Who knows? They might spark off some other ideas we can use instead."

By this time they'd finished off the last of their meal, leaving all the plates completely clear. Alyssa smiled at the Maliri twins and said, "Thanks very much for all the effort you put into dinner, it was absolutely delicious."

"You're welcome! I'm really glad you enjoyed it," Tashana replied, smiling as everyone nodded their agreement with the blonde girl.

"It was no trouble at all," Irillith agreed, glancing at her sister affectionately. "We had fun cooking together."

Alyssa squeezed John's hand and said, "Why don't you go and relax on the sofas for a little while and leave us to tidy up?" She turned to look at Tashana and Irillith as she added, "Do you girls fancy keeping him company? You were the chefs, so you shouldn't have to clean up too."

They smiled at John and nodded eagerly, rising to their feet as he did. The rest of the group stood too, with Dana, Jade, and Rachel waving everyone goodbye as they left to make a start on their research and construction work. Faye gave them a cheery wave, then disappeared in a purple burst of light, leaving Alyssa, Calara, and Sakura to clear the table.

As Tashana and Irillith walked around the table to join him, John slipped a hand around their waists and said, "Go ahead, I'll catch up with you in a moment."

"Another drink?" Irillith offered, gesturing to his empty wine glass.

He shook his head and replied, "I'm fine thanks. I better not have any more, I'm already drunk on the intoxicating company..."

She caressed his shoulder and leaned in to plant a light kiss on his cheek, before walking hand-in-hand with her sister towards the sofas. John watched them leave, enjoying the matching sway of their hips as they glided away gracefully. Turning back to the girls around the table, he gave them a smile before stepping over to intercept Sakura as she reached out to start collecting plates.

"One second, honey," he said, pulling her into his arms. She looked at him quizzically, then smiled as he stroked her cheek. John held her close as he continued, "I'm sorry you got upset earlier. I appreciate how difficult this must be for you."

"Don't be sorry. I really appreciated you thinking about me with the trip to New Eden," she replied, giving him a tender kiss. Her soft brown eyes shadowed with grief and there was a catch in her voice as she added, "I need to go back to say goodbye..."

"We're all here for you," John said, wrapping her in a supportive hug. "If you want that trip to be private, that's perfectly okay, or you can bring as many of us along to support you as you need. Just tell us what you want when it's time, alright?"

He could feel her shaking in his arms as she nodded, not able to reply. They stood quietly together, with John stroking her back as she leaned into him for comfort. She eventually looked up at him with a brave smile on her face as she said, "Thank you for being so understanding. I don't know how I would've coped with everything without you and the girls here to look after me."

Alyssa walked over to join them, wrapping her arms around the Asian girl from behind. She rested her chin on Sakura's golden-brown shoulder and said, "You're part of our family now. We all love you, don't we, John?"

He leaned down to place a gentle kiss on Sakura's lips. "That's right, we do."

She took a sharp intake of breath, her almond eyes gazing up at him as she kissed him back.

When they eventually pulled apart, John smiled at the giddy young woman and said, "We have some very important things to discuss, but it's been a busy day for you and you must be tired. Get some rest and we'll catch up tomorrow, okay?"

Gazing at him wide-eyed, she slowly nodded, then blushed when she remembered what he'd been referring to about her being tired. She glanced at Alyssa, her blush deepening when the blonde winked at her and gave her an affectionate kiss on the cheek.

"Why don't you leave Sakura with me and Calara?" Alyssa suggested to John, as her eyes flicked to him. She hugged the Asian girl tighter as she said to her, "We'll finish clearing the table, then tuck you in with a bedtime story."

Sakura couldn't help laughing at the irrepressible blonde, then nodded as she replied, "As long as it's a nice story where the good guys win in the end."

"Absolutely," Alyssa agreed with a playful smile. "I promise there won't be any mention of tentacle monsters either. We wouldn't want to get you too excited before bedtime."

The Asian girl blushed again to Alyssa's delight, then grinned at John as she let the blonde lead her away to rejoin Calara. Sakura gave him a shy wave goodbye, before turning to chat with the Latina who welcomed them both with a smile.

Turning back to face the Maliri sisters, he saw that Irillith and Tashana were watching him with identical sets of bewitching angular eyes. He walked over to join them and saw a riot of emotions behind their matching violet gaze.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," John apologised, sitting between them when they parted to make room for him.

"That's quite alright," Irillith murmured as she snuggled into him. "We had lots to talk about."

"You were very kind to her," Tashana said quietly, her eyes flicking over to follow Sakura. "Everything you said... it was lovely. I just wish you'd been there for us when we lost our father."

Irillith smiled at John as he put his arms around both of their shoulders. "John hadn't been born then, Shan."

Tashana shook her head in wonder as she looked up at him. "It's so easy to forget. The way you act, the things you say... you should be one-hundred-and-forty, not just forty."

"Both of you are fifty-two aren't you?" John asked, his tone playful as he smiled at her. "You don't mind me being your toy boy?"

She nodded in answer to his first question, then looked puzzled and glancing at Irillith for the second. "I haven't heard that expression before."

Irillith's tinkling laughter seemed to light up the room. "It's used to refer to a male lover, one who is much younger than his partner." Her eyes sparkled as she added, "Although strictly speaking we should only really start using that after tonight!"

"Rill!" Tashana gasped, shocked by her sister's lack of tact.

Irillith stroked her blushing twin's cheek and said, "We all know what's happening later, there's not really any point in being coy about it." She smiled at John as she added wistfully, "I just wish you'd been my first."

"I still was, in a manner of speaking," John replied, his arm sliding lower to suggestively squeeze her gloriously firm rump.

Now it was Irillith's turn to blush a dark blue, and she darted a nervous glance at her twin, who looked at her in confusion.

John raised an eyebrow as he smiled at the anxious Maliri girl, then taking pity on her he said, "You've never spoken about your first time before. What was it like?"

He could feel the tension draining from Irillith and she looked tremendously grateful to change the subject. "I first went to the border stations about five years ago on an errand for my mother." She gazed into the distance as she continued, "I had no intention of getting pregnant, but I was very curious about the mating experience. I used a proxy to trade for a prophylactic then arranged to meet with one of the prized breeding males."

"What was it like?" Tashana asked, her eyes wide as she listened with bated breath.

Rolling her eyes, Irillith snorted derisively. "Rubbish! The male I'd chosen had supposedly sired hundreds, but he was utterly inept in the bedroom. He rutted away for less than a minute, came, then just pulled out and asked me to leave!"

Wriggling closer, Tashana was eager as she asked, "What about the other first time you talked about? Between you and John?"

Irillith tensed up again, blushing a dark blue as she looked at John. He gave her a playful smile and replied, "Your sister is a very naughty girl, Tashana." Watching Irillith's angular eyes widen with worry, he winked at her before turning to look at her twin. "We'd been teasing each other for weeks, so when we finally went to bed together, it was very passionate. She'd tried to kill me a couple of times already and I was half expecting her to try for lucky number three."

Tashana giggled with delight, her eyes sparkling as she gave her sister a look of admiration.

Lovingly stroking John's neck in gratitude, Irillith relaxed and smiled at Tashana as she said, "He was magnificent. I slapped him to provoke a reaction and he spanked me in return, knowing exactly what I wanted. After that, the sex was spectacular - I knew I'd never be satisfied with another man after experiencing so much pleasure."

"You spanked her!" Tashana gasped, looking startled and a little apprehensive now.

John gave her a reassuring smile as he replied, "You might be identical twins, but you've got very different personalities and needs. Don't worry, I'll be very gentle with you, unless you ask me otherwise."

Irillith's eyes gleamed with lust, and she ran her fingers over John's muscular chest. "He's like this powerful beast in the bedroom, but you feel totally safe with him at the same time." She grinned at John as she added, "That nickname for you is very appropriate - 'The Lion'. You remind me of an apex predator, but the big difference is that you're tameable by a pretty girl."

John laughed and said, "With so many beautiful women here, I must be thoroughly domesticated by now."

Tashana relaxed and looked thoughtful for a moment. "I know what you mean, Rill. I've seen how the two of you are together."

Irillith twisted on the seat to look at them both. "Don't wait any longer, little sister! I want you to experience everything that your new life here has to offer. I promise you, you'll be overjoyed you decided to join us!"

Tashana held her breath as she made her mind up, then leaned forward to kiss John. "She's right. I don't want to wait," she whispered, before darting a loving glance at her twin. "Would you like to be there too?"

Torn with indecision, Irillith finally gave a slight shake of her head as she replied, "I'd love to, but I want you to experience that intimacy together."

Pulling them both to him, John said, "I agree with Irillith. We'll have plenty of time for sharing in the future."

Both girls gave him a tender kiss on the cheek, before rising to their feet and smiling as he stood and joined them. Irillith hugged her sister, whispering in her ear as they embraced before they kissed and parted. John led Tashana from the room and she glanced over her shoulder at her twin, giving her a grateful smile before the double-doors closed behind them.

John held Tashana's hand as they walked towards their bedroom at the end of the corridor, the door to the Commander's Quarters currently closed. He glanced at her as she glided along at his side and she smiled back, watching his face carefully.

"Feeling nervous?" he asked, giving her a kind smile. "There's no need to be."

She shook her head, long white locks sweeping over her shoulders as she did so. "You have a very calming presence. It's easy to trust you," she replied, squeezing his hand.

When they arrived at the door, they shared a smile of anticipation, both curious to see what Alyssa had done with the bedroom. John hit the button to open the door and their mouths fell open in surprise when they saw what she'd managed to accomplish in under an hour.

The lights had been dimmed, lowered to a soft ethereal glow focused purely on the huge four-poster bed in the centre of the room. Pristine white drapes hung down from the frame, moving with the slight breeze that wafted through the bedroom. The material was airy and diaphanous, billowing gently above the covers.

Tashana walked over to the bed, smoothing her delicate blue fingers over the soft sheets. "It reminds me of an ephemeral cloud on a summer night's sky," she murmured, turning to gaze at John. Her violet eyes shone in the light, making her look radiantly exotic and devastatingly beautiful.

John walked to her side then slowly encircled her in his arms, leaning in to give her a tender kiss. "I definitely won't make any clichéd comments about feeling like I'm walking on air."

She laughed and hugged him back. "I feel so happy," she murmured, letting out a contented sigh. "This all feels so right."

He nodded as he caressed her, brushing his fingers through her silky hair, and stroking her head. She leaned into the palm of his hand, closing her eyes as he held her. They stood like that for a long moment, before she opened her eyes and stepped back, reaching up for the shoulder straps of her dress. She didn't say a word as she let her long dress slide down her body and pool at her feet, leaving her wearing nothing but a lovely smile.

"You're an exquisitely beautiful woman," John said, as he openly admired her lithe, athletic figure. He watched as she stepped towards him, the strong muscles beneath her stunningly feminine form rippling beneath her luscious blue skin.

"And you're a very handsome man," she replied, slowly unbuttoning his shirt so that she could run her hands over the muscles in his chest. She quivered with excitement as she murmured, "So powerful... I see what my sister meant."

John smiled at her and said, "You know I'll never hurt you, don't you? That I'm here to protect you and keep you safe."

Tashana nodded as she gazed into his eyes. "Up until you, there was only one man I've ever known who made me feel as safe as you do..."

John couldn't help smiling as he said, "I think I know who you mean, but let's not discuss him right now. It's already a... complicated enough situation as it is, with Irillith and Edraele."

She laughed and returned his smile. "That's a reasonable request," she said as she helped him remove his shirt.

John traced his fingers over her azure flesh and said in a hushed voice, "I love the contrast between our skin. Touching you like this just makes me feel..." His voice trailed off as he struggled to describe the sensation.

Tashana traced her fingers over his muscles and whispered, "Like we're supposed to be together?" She gave him an alluring smile. "I know exactly what you mean."

Her agile fingers were deft and sure in her movements as she quickly unbuckled his belt and let his trousers fall to the ground. Now that they were both naked, he pulled her to him and Tashana gasped as she felt the heat of his massive shaft pressed against her slim stomach.

"How will that even fit?" she marvelled, glancing down at his throbbing cock.

"Don't worry," he said, trying to soothe her fears. "I'll take it very slowly. I won't hurt you, I promise."

She gave him a lusty smile. "I'm not worried. I've seen you with the other girls on this ship."

John hesitated for a moment and said honestly, "I know it must be strange for you, starting a relationship with me when I'm already involved with so many other women on this ship. I want you to feel special and that you're not just 'number eight'."

Tashana gave him a gentle kiss and replied, "I'm a Maliri, remember? You having relationships with so many girls feels completely natural to me." She frowned as she added, "I might start to feel slightly unsettled if you go above twenty though - that would be a bit greedy."

He laughed and they shared a grin as they climbed onto the bed. Tashana lay back as John leaned on one elbow beside her, admiring her beautiful figure. He traced circles over her toned blue stomach and they shared a knowing smile.

"It feels different, doesn't it?" he asked, as he gently caressed her, his fingers trailing over her chest and circling her nipples. "You've been nude before me on lots of occasions already, but this isn't the same."

"It's the anticipation of something new - a change in our relationship," Tashana agreed, curling an arm around the one propping him up and gently squeezing the muscles in his arms. Her eyes sparkled as she added, "You know why it feels so exciting being together?"

"Because you're such a ravishingly gorgeous woman?" he asked, but he knew what she was hinting at and could feel that instinctive pull towards her.

She smiled at him for the compliment, but shook her head, replying softly, "It's because I'm a Maliri girl and you're a Progenitor. We're designed to be together."

John let his fingers slide down her body to her lower belly, and caressed her reverently as he murmured, "And why's that, my beautiful Maliri girl?"

Tashana was breathing heavily now, her chest flushed as she got more turned on by the moment. She let out a low moan as he stroked her abdomen. "You know why!" she gasped.

"I do," he agreed, gently massaging her tummy and tracing the shape of her womb. "I'd like to hear you say it, though..."

She parted her thighs for him, spreading herself to expose her pussy for his hungry eyes. He could see her arousal in the slickness of her labia, the delicate scent of her lust that drove him wild with excitement.

"Join with me, then I'll tell you what you want to hear," she purred, her thighs trembling as the adrenaline coursed through her body.

John leaned in to give her a soul-searing kiss, delighting in hearing her lusty moan as she clung to him. He moved between her parted legs and placed the broad head of his cock against the neat folds of her pussy. Like every Maliri girl, she had no hair there, and her lower lips looked tight and virginal, even when they began to spread open as he pushed forward.

Tashana gazed at him with eyes open wide with wonder, feeling him enter her body like that for the first of - what they both knew - would be countless times. Her thighs moved up to cradle him and she held onto his biceps as he rested his weight on his elbows.

John cradled her head in his hands and stared into her eyes, relishing the awestruck expression on her face. The gloriously snug embrace of her pussy gripped him like a fist, as he slowly eased into her pliable body. A brief flicker in her expression made him pause though, a flash of what looked like uncertainty crossing her face.

"Are you alright?" he asked kindly. He frowned as he added with concern, "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

She shook her head, looking confused for a moment, before she replied urgently, "No, I'm fine. Keep going!"

He did as she asked, carefully pushing deeper into her yielding flesh, but then that dark shadow was there again. A look of fear crossed Tashana's face and her breathy moans turned into the hyperventilating breaths of a panic attack. She suddenly started pushing against his chest, wriggling to get free. Shocked by the abrupt change in the girl, John eased back gently, being careful not to just yank himself out of her body.

"You look terrified!," he exclaimed in alarm. "What's the matter, honey? Was I hurting you?!"

"I don't know!" Tashana cried out, curling up against him as he lay down beside her. "Everything felt so wonderful, it was the best experience of my life! Then I was just so scared... It wasn't anything you did; the feeling just came out of nowhere!"

Alyssa's calm voice reverberated through his mind as she said firmly, *Edraele, I need to talk to John alone for a moment. Is that okay?*

*Of course,* the Maliri Matriarch replied, but they both heard the hesitation in her voice, filled with the underlying concern for Tashana.

The moment John had blocked Edraele from his mind, he said, *It's more of Tashana's memories leaking through the mind-shield!*

*That's what I was thinking,* Alyssa agreed, her voice grim. *She must be getting some kind of echoing flashbacks of the rapes.*

*Fuck!* John swore in frustration, holding the trembling girl in his arms. *I should have just wiped out everything! She's suffered enough!*

*It'll be okay, I think I know how you can help her through it. Then, if all goes well, she'll be so ecstatic, she won't remember this little hiccup,* Alyssa replied, her voice soothing. She quickly outlined what she had in mind and John nodded his understanding, sending her a telepathic smile in gratitude.

Tashana had already calmed down again, the disturbing flickers of fear disappearing as quickly as they had flooded her mind. With a brief look of confusion, she said, "I'm so sorry about that! I've no idea what came over me."

"How're you feeling now?" John asked, tenderly stroking her face as he watched for any sign of the distress that had overcome her.

She gave him an apologetic smile. "I feel fine again now. If I haven't completely ruined the moment, I'd like to try that again. As long as you still do, that is?"

"You're asking me if I want to make love to one of the most beautiful women I've ever met?" John replied with a playful grin. He rubbed his chin for a moment as if giving the question some serious thought.

Tashana laughed at his gentle teasing, the melodic sound helping to lighten the mood. "I take it that's a yes then?" she asked him with an arched eyebrow.

He smiled at her as he replied, "Oh yes, very much so."

With that he sat up and grabbed a couple of pillows to prop himself up as he leaned back against the headboard. He patted his lap and gave her an inviting grin. "You can do all the work this time!"

The Maliri girl rolled her eyes, giggling as she sat up and straddled him. "I can't believe you're making me be on top! I thought I was the one being seduced?"

John shook his head, keeping up the playful banter to make sure she was distracted. "No, I think I'd like to see you work up a sweat. There's something very alluring about seeing a stunning girl covered in a nice sheen of perspiration, especially if she got that way after some energetic fun in the bedroom!"

She smiled at him, looking excited again at the thought of being with him. Placing her delicate hands on his shoulders, Tashana glanced down at his huge cock as she tried to figure out the best way of riding him. "I'm not sure how best to try tackling that monster," she admitted with a grin.

"Let me help you," he offered, taking a firm hold of her slender waist and lifting her effortlessly, so that she was positioned above him. "You've already stretched for me once already, so this shouldn't be too tricky." Gazing into her eyes, he continued, "Now, I'm just going to support your weight. You've got total control here, so you set your own pace, okay? You're doing the taking here, not me."

Tashana's eyes burned with excitement as he gasped, "This is even sexier than earlier! I'm SO horny!"

John grinned at her, getting a thrill out of her enthusiasm. He did as he said, just helping her support her weight and let the Maliri girl control the speed and angle of penetration. Tashana gasped as she stretched to take his head, her malleable body stretching wide for his girth. She let out a sultry moan as she wriggled down lower, taking him another couple of inches into her tight pussy.

"How's that feel?" John asked, seeing the answer written all over her face.

"You're so big!" she groaned, her pupils flaring as she stared into his eyes and sank down another couple of inches.

They'd reached the same depths as before and John watched warily for another unsettling upsurge of memories. There was no sign of that this time though, with Tashana squirming on his lap, her eyelids fluttering as she savoured every inch of penetration. With a low whine of lust, she bottomed out against her cervix, panting breathlessly as her firm chest heaved up and down.

"You look amazing," he said sincerely, tilting his head up for a kiss.

She cupped his face with her hands, then leaned in until she paused an inch above him. Rocking back and forth against him, he saw her eyes smouldering with arousal as she got her body ready for deeper penetration. "I want all of you," she purred, feverish with desire.

"Show me," he encouraged her, releasing his supportive grip and moving around to cup her perfect breasts, his thumbs brushing over her erect nipples.

Tashana had a look of intense concentration on her face as she corkscrewed her hips, guiding his pussy-stuffing monster into her womb. It took several long moments for her to work her way down to the base, and then she'd suddenly taken all of him, her pert cheeks resting against his quad. John felt the head of his cock brushing against the furthest depths of her nubile body and he groaned at the glorious sensations.

She leaned against his chest, kissing him tenderly as she moaned, "I feel so full with you inside me!"

"You're such a good girl," John praised her, wrapping his arms around her and giving her a hug. She let out an appreciative gasp as he flexed his cock inside her.

"Thank you for being so patient with me," Tashana murmured, before giving him another gentle kiss.

He stroked her back and said, "I'd apologise for being lazy, but it would be totally insincere. That felt amazing and the view was spectacular!"

She giggled, then bit her lip as she experimented with moving up and down on his throbbing length. "Does that feel good?" she asked breathlessly.

"So good," he agreed, letting his hands slide down to rest on her hips. He could feel her muscles moving as she writhed against him. "Do you want me to take over, or are you happy like this?"

Tashana looked conflicted for a moment, but she finally made her mind up, placing her hands on his shoulders as she replied, "Can we stay like this?"

John grinned at her and gave her an eager nod. "I'm not used to this position, it's exciting." He moved his hands around to stroke her tummy, adding, "I can't think of a better way to fill you up for the first time."

She gave him a heated look as she began to move more purposefully now, staring into his eyes as she rode him. John guided her hips to help her establish a good rhythm and soon she was panting with arousal, getting more turned on as she ground against him.

"Am I yours now? Like Dana?" she purred, her violet eyes staring directly into his.

He nodded, gazing back into her eyes. "When I cum in your womb, I'll be staking my claim. I'll own you then."

Her eyes flared as she gasped, "I want that so much! I'll be a good Maliri for my Progenitor."

"You're amazing," he agreed, grinding her clit against his pubic bone. "I can't wait to feel you cumming for me, your body trying to encourage me to put a baby in your belly."

Tashana arched her back, humping against him more wildly now. She cried out as the pleasure got more intense. "This is so hot!" she hissed, eyes staring at him with burning intensity.

They moved together, Tashana's breath coming in excited little pants as she gasped for breath. She looked incredible riding him like that, long hair swirling around her as she stroked up and down his length. Her full lips parted as she let out a low moan and she almost seemed to be glowing, she looked so full of life. John knew he couldn't last much longer and when she suddenly cried out in ecstasy, gripping his cock with a vice like squeeze of her pussy, he thrust up inside her, desperate to fill her with cum.

Tashana screwed her eyes shut, then threw her head back as she let out a joyful scream of release, sobbing with relief as his long blasts of cum filled her womb. He supported her with his hands as her belly began to expand and he groaned as he glanced down to see her taut abdomen swelling to hold all his spunk. When John looked up at her again, he stared at her in shock, seeing a blazing violet glow in her eyes as she gazed back at him.

"Oh, John!" she moaned, writhing in pleasure. "It feels like I'm burning up!"

Before he could reply, she came hard again, eyelids fluttering as she trembled with the strength of her climax. She took her shaking right hand from his shoulder, pressing it to her chest over her heart as she rode the waves of her orgasm. She whimpered with delight, but as soon as she pulled her hand from her breast, she stared at it in bewilderment.

Suddenly flickering flames burst to life around her fingertips, both of them reeling back from them in shock.

"What's happening?!" she gasped, staring at the dancing blaze in awe.

John eyed the crimson shroud of fire with no small amount of trepidation, having previously been on the receiving end of one of Tashana's ethereal conflagrations. Tearing his eyes away from the flames, he looked at her face, seeing the look of utter fascination in her expression. It was a relief to see that she wasn't terrified by what had just happened and he relaxed a little as he studied her. John reached up with his right hand to stroke her cheek, while being particularly careful not to go anywhere near the orange zephyrs flickering around her fingertips.

"Perhaps now might be a good time for a talk," he said, smiling at her when she looked at him curiously.

***

Alyssa listened attentively to John as he started to explain to Tashana everything that had happened after they had rescued her. She turned her attention to Irillith who lay beside her on Calara's bed, the Maliri girl currently nude and panting for breath, her eyes wild after sharing her sister's incandescent climax.

"So, do you think Tashana enjoyed herself?" Alyssa asked mischievously.

Irillith sounded flustered as she replied, "That was so intense! I felt like I was in the middle of a supernova!"

"These sympathetic orgasms seem very powerful," Calara murmured, stroking Irillith's hair soothingly. She smiled as she continued, "I always wanted a sister, but it looks like having a twin would've been even more exciting!"

Alyssa winked at Irillith and said with a wicked grin, "Just imagine what it's going to be like for Tashana the next time you get John to fuck you in the ass. I'm sure she'll get quite the surprise!"

Irillith looked aghast and Calara shook her head as she laughed. "You're so naughty!" she chastised her lover, while cuddling the Maliri girl.

Leaning down to give the anxious twin a gentle kiss, Alyssa said, "You're being silly worrying like this. Tashana seems like a very reasonable girl, she'll understand when she sees how much you love John's cock stretching your ass. The chain orgasms blowing her mind will bring her around if she doesn't."

"You don't understand," Irillith said, shaking her head. "Anal sex is a complete taboo amongst the Maliri. She'll be appalled!"

Calara kissed Irillith and said, "I'm sure it won't be as bad as all that." She gave the Maliri girl a knowing smile as she continued, "We both know how much fun it can be."

Alyssa cocked her head to one side then smiled at the two girls in bed with her. "I better go, I'll see you both later. We can continue this fascinating conversation then!"

***

"I nearly killed you?!" Tashana asked in consternation, looking stunned as John finished describing what had happened aboard Tsarra Perfaren's flagship.

John nodded while running his hand over her hugely inflated belly, as he lay beside Tashana on the bed. His gentle touch made the Maliri girl shiver with pleasure, her tightly stretched blue skin very sensitive to the light caress of his fingertips. "You thought I was an evil Progenitor, here to enslave the Maliri," he explained, his baritone voice deep and soothing.

"Why don't you hate me for burning you?" she asked in confusion.

He smiled at her as he replied, "Have you seen yourself recently? You're far too gorgeous for me to hold any grudges!"

Tashana gave him a half-hearted smile in return. Her expression darkened as she said insistently, "But I wasn't then! I remember what I looked like - I was hideous!"

John leaned in to give her a gentle kiss and replied, "I'm sorry, I was only joking, but you deserve a straight answer. I don't hate you for attacking me, because I understand why you did it. You thought you knew everything about the Progenitors and were just acting to protect your people. Your attempts to kill me were admirable, even if they were misguided. It wasn't your fault you didn't know I was different to other Progenitors."

She looked at him in confusion and replied, "You must have tried to tell me when you rescued me from the Unclaimed Wastes, so why didn't I listen to you earlier? When you explained it to me later, just before I joined you, everything made sense! I could see you were a good man, trying to protect and save the Maliri from themselves."

"You're right, I did try to explain, but you didn't want to know. We could have restrained you, forced you to listen to reason, but I wasn't going to do that to you. Not after everything you'd been through already..." John replied, his tone full of sympathy. "It was only after you'd nearly killed me, and Alyssa calmed you down, that you started listening."

Tashana stared intently into his eyes and sounded troubled as she said, "The 'very bad things' that happened to me in the Unclaimed Wastes - I finally see why you and Alyssa didn't want to talk about them before. I was a slave, wasn't I? Raped and tortured by pirates? It explains why I was so badly injured before you healed me, as well as what just happened the first time we tried to make love."

John was quiet for a long moment, studying her beautiful blue face as he tried to decide how to answer. In the end, he was honest with her. "You suffered terrible abuse at their hands," he replied quietly. "I don't know how, but you managed to survive over a decade of some of the most horrific rapes and torture I can imagine. Alyssa's been inside your mind, she knows everything that happened to you." His eyes narrowing in anger, he added, "She identified everyone in the Underworld whose souls were tainted with the terrible things they'd done. We killed them all, but if I'd known what some of them had done to you... Retribution would have been a much more protracted affair."

"Why do you care so much about me?" Tashana asked softly, her fingers tracing his jaw as she gazed at him in wonder. "Everything you've done for me... Storming into the Underworld, saving me from Hades, healing my wounds, I just can't... How can I ever hope to repay you for all of it?"

"Seeing you happy here with us should cover it," John said, giving her a gentle smile. "You were a good person and you deserved a good life. Fate had different, awful plans for you, so I stepped in and thoroughly enjoyed making everything right again."

She returned his smile, but said perceptively, "The sentiments are lovely, but you're still not telling me everything. What are you hiding from me?"

John spotted a flash of movement at the door and turned to see Alyssa padding quietly into the room. She smiled at them both, then slipped off her dress and joined them under the covers. Greeting each of them with a kiss, she said, "Sorry to intrude, but I thought I might be able to help explain."

"That's quite alright," Tashana replied, giving the blonde girl a warm smile.

"You're always welcome," John agreed, pulling her in for another quick kiss.

Alyssa placed her hand on Tashana's tummy and started stroking her too, smiling when she saw the tremor of delight run through the gravid girl. She looked into Tashana's eyes and said, "It's probably easiest to start by talking about Edraele. You know that she's a very different woman now, from the one you grew up with?"

Tashana glanced at John as she replied, "You built up a new personality for her after the old one was destroyed." She looked away into the distance as she added thoughtfully, "She's a kind, lovely woman, compassionate and caring in a way that my mother never was. It's easy to believe that she's my mother though, because now she's the way I always wanted her to be."

Nodding slowly, Alyssa said, "The same is true of Irillith, but to a lesser extent. When we first met her several months ago, she was a vile woman: vicious, spiteful, and vindictive. You've seen the video, so you know what happened to her; how John had to heal her to save her life. After that, when Irillith joined the crew, he went about healing all the damage to her mind. Your sister was a horrible bitch, but she wasn't always that way."

"That's true," Tashana said quietly. "She was lovely when we were younger, but we grew apart because I threw myself into the Progenitor research."

"It wasn't you who drove her away," Alyssa said, her tone insistent. "Your mother was a cruel woman who tortured Irillith and turned her into the woman she became. I think you were saved from the worst of it by your off-planet research, simply by not being in the palace for Edraele to abuse."

Tashana nodded, looking forlorn now. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"To make it easier for you to understand that Irillith and Edraele aren't the same women they used to be... The Irillith on this ship isn't the one who framed you for colluding with House Loraleth and had you banished to the Unclaimed Wastes," Alyssa explained, the sympathy in her voice belying the dreadful truth of her words.

"Why would she do that?!" Tashana gasped, gaping at her in horror.

Alyssa let out a heavy sigh as she replied, "She was jealous of your mother's growing interest in you and your Progenitor Research. Edraele was obsessed with finding a way of healing her brain tumour before it killed her. Your research into Progenitor healing sparked your mother's interest."

As Tashana lay there stunned by her sister's betrayal, Alyssa continued, "Likewise, the Edraele back on Valaden isn't the same one who had you implanted with a tracking device, just in case she needed you as a test subject for any dangerous cures for her brain tumour. That's how we found you in the Unclaimed Wastes by the way. With you banished, Edraele ended up using Irillith as a test subject instead. She sent her off with us in the hope that John would turn her into a Thrall, healing her brain tumour in the process."

John brushed his fingers through Tashana's long white hair as he said, "Edraele planned to make a bargain with me and try to get me to heal her too. I don't think she understood how my healing works, but in any case, she got impatient and tried to break into my mind. She was probably trying to force my Progenitor Guide into doing whatever she wanted, but when she tried that, she completely freed him from his mental prison. They fought and he ended up destroying her."

"It's all just so awful," Tashana said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "How could they do that to me? To each other?"

"The brain tumour didn't help, it was making them act irrationally," Alyssa explained, gently wiping Tashana's tears away. "With the crippling pain Edraele was regularly experiencing, she was terrified of ending up like your grandmother."

"My grandmother shot herself," Tashana said, her voice bleak. "Edraele told me it was because she was pathetic and weak. I knew she suffered from agonising migraines, my grandmother must have been trying to escape from the pain."

"Edraele and Irillith were both monsters," John said firmly. "But they're not the same women any more. To all intents and purposes, those women both died."

Nodding slowly, Tashana replied, "And in their place are the women you've nurtured as their replacements - the loving sister and doting mother I always wanted..."

"Do you see why I didn't tell you before?" John asked hesitantly, his voice tinged with worry.

"You didn't want me to blame Irillith and Edraele for what happened, not when they weren't responsible - the new versions I mean," Tashana said softly. She stared into his eyes as she added, "And you wanted me to just accept Irillith and Edraele at face value. To be happy with the idyllic new family you've created for me..."

"Do you still blame them?" he asked quietly. "Can you accept them as the sister and mother they should have always been for you?"

Her expression was filled with awe as she stared at him. "All this effort, just to try and bring some happiness into our lives... What did any of us ever do to deserve you?"

Alyssa smiled at her affectionately and said, "How does that Mael'nerak story go? 'Be a good girl, or the Mael'nerak will get you!'." She glanced at John and added with a grin, "I guess your story will be: 'Be a good girl and John will come and help you!'."

"Maybe I should start calling you Baen'thelas instead," Tashana said to John with a look of adoration on her face.

"The righter of wrongs," John translated with a grin. "I've been called a lot worse."

Alyssa glanced at him in confusion and said, "I didn't know you could speak Maliri!"

Looking at her in surprise, John replied with a frown, "I can't! Or at least, I couldn't!"

Tashana pulled him down to her for a kiss, then murmured reverently, "To answer your question, I do forgive them both. If it wasn't for Irillith and Edraele, I'd never have met you. Anything I've been through pales in comparison to that gift."

He smiled at her for her loving words, then his smile faded as he admitted, "They don't know what happened. When I spoke to you before and you asked me to give you a fresh start, I knew Irillith and Edraele might end up accidentally saying something that would trigger your old memories. I talked to them about it and they agreed to let me wipe their memories. Neither of them know anything about your banishment to the Unclaimed Wastes or their part in it."

Nodding her understanding, Tashana smiled at him as she said, "I should have known you'd be that thorough. Let's just keep things the way they are - there's no point dredging up the past, so let it stay buried. I'm happy here with you and I know Irillith is as well. I don't want to do or say anything to upset her, not when I've just got my sister back."

"You're a truly remarkable girl," John said, shaking his head in amazement.

Alyssa nodded her agreement. "It's been wonderful having you here already. I'm so glad you wanted to join us."

Tashana blushed at their praise, then said earnestly, "Thank you both so much for everything you've done for me." She paused for a second, then a smile crept onto her face. "I'm really glad you told me the truth, but none of that explains how I can do this..."

She clicked her fingers and twisting tendrils of flame sprang into life, swirling playfully around her fingertips.

Alyssa smiled, then playfully blew at the flames shrouding Tashana's fingers. Tashana extinguished the flames, watching as they guttered out and died, then let Alyssa draw her into a hug so that they were lying on their sides facing each other. Alyssa beckoned John with a crooked finger, and he spooned up behind Tashana, wrapping his arms around her.

Staring into Tashana's curious violet eyes, Alyssa said in a sombre voice, "I don't know why, but my psychic abilities seem to develop in times of stress. It's been the same for the rest of the girls aboard the ship too. John's prepared us for it by feeding us and making us ready, but it's been in combat or when we're in danger that the abilities seem to manifest themselves." She caressed Tashana's rounded belly as she added, "You were different from us. You didn't get your abilities from John, although I've no doubt he's already started helping you get stronger."

"How did I get this power then?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at John. "You said I'd burned you before I started... you know." She trailed off as she looked down at her cum-stuffed abdomen and smiled coyly.

"Your ability to summon and manipulate fire is innate, just as it was for your grandmother," Alyssa explained patiently.

"She was a horrible person!" Tashana exclaimed, a worried look in her eyes. "She used to use her psychic fire to slowly burn people to death!"

John kissed her shoulder and said, "You're not though. You're my good Maliri girl, remember?"

She smiled at him and nodded, relaxing back against his chest and snuggling into his arms.

Alyssa stroked her arm reassuringly as she said, "Everything you went through in the Unclaimed Wastes cultivated your psychic potential. In the end, your hatred for your torturers brought forth your abilities and you killed them, freeing yourself."

"I wasn't feeling angry when fire appeared on my hand just now. Far from it," Tashana said, before giving John a shy smile.

Alyssa reached down to gently caress the Maliri girl's sperm stuffed belly and said, "We wondered how and when your Pyrokinesis would reveal itself again. I must admit, I wasn't quite expecting this, but it's a very pleasant surprise."

"I'll do my best to help you grow your powers," John said, stroking her rounded stomach.

"Yeah, I bet you will!" Alyssa laughed, intertwining her fingers with his. She looked into Tashana's eyes and continued, "John will keep feeding you cum and I'll train you to help you develop your abilities. But only as long as that's something you want to pursue?"

Tashana's eyes burned with a fierce violet light as she said enthusiastically, "I'd love that! To be able to help all of you would be like a dream come true! After everything you've done for me, it's the least I can do!"

"You don't owe us anything, remember?" John said quietly, kissing her cheek. "Only do this if it's something you want to develop for yourself. If not, I'll stop enhancing your third helix."

Twisting slightly, so she could look at him over her shoulder, Tashana send solemnly, "No, don't stop. I've seen how powerful Irillith has become and I want to be able to help you as much as she can."

"Those are big boots to fill," Alyssa said with a smile. "Your sister is quite handy!"

Tashana smiled at her and replied, "I better be a good girl then and make sure the Baen'thelas keeps filling up my tummy."

"That's the spirit," Alyssa said approvingly, leaning in to give her a tender kiss.

Tashana let out a happy sigh, then closed her eyes as John and Alyssa held her between them. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, a blissful expression on her beautiful face.

John smiled at Alyssa over Tashana's shoulder. *Thanks for helping to explain everything to her. I was worried everything was about to go terribly wrong for a moment.*

*You're quite welcome. She has a sweet nature and I didn't want to see her get upset,* Alyssa said, leaning in to kiss Tashana on the forehead. Her blue-eyed gaze lifted to meet his and she continued, *By the way, the Ashanath dropped off the two Psi-shapers Dana requested for us. We can leave for Terra whenever you like.*

*Let's get moving, XO,* he replied with a grin. *I can't wait to see Charles' face when we do the trade tomorrow!*

Alyssa reached across the sleeping girl between them to stroke his face. *Make sure you take some time to catch up with him. With so many girls aboard the ship, you're probably still missing some male company.*

*I know... I'm so spoilt,* he replied with a grin.

She gave him a loving smile as she said, *As long as you feel that way, then I'm looking after you properly.*

Sending out a telepathic summons, Alyssa called the rest of the girls to the bedroom to settle down for the night. Jade carefully plotted their course from Ashana to Terra, then left Faye in charge of flying the Invictus to the Nav Beacon and jumping them into hyper-warp. It had been a busy day for everyone and once everyone was in bed, it didn't take long for the whole crew to fall asleep, thinking about the upcoming award ceremony.

All except one.

She watched over her sleeping friends, a single translucent tear rolling down her purple cheek as she went over the final details of her plan.

***

The brooding figure sat on his gothic throne, his left index finger tapping away furiously on the black armrest. He glanced at it in anger and tried to will it to stop, but despite his best efforts it kept hammering away. Mikaboshi had tried running a complete diagnostic on the cybernetic limb, but the software couldn't seem to track down the glitch. As he was contemplating tearing off the artificial hand to give himself a moment's peace, the comm interface chimed, alerting him to the incoming call.

He hit the button to accept the call, barely allowing the holographic face to materialise before he snarled, "Report!"

"All units are in place, Idaina-sha," the golden-brown skinned man said, his almond-shaped eyes closing for a moment as he bowed his head respectfully. His grey hat bobbed into view as he did so, the gold Terran Federation insignia on the peak appearing for a second.

"Very good, Raijin," Mikaboshi replied. "Can I count on you to do what is necessary, for the honour of Yomi-no-kuni?"

"Hai! We will not fail you, Idaina-sha," Raijin replied, his steely eyes unblinking in their fervour.

Mikaboshi nodded, then closed the call, a smile starting to form on his lips. He glanced down at his left index finger and saw that it was still now, poised and ready to explode into action whenever needed.

"You will pay, John Blake," Mikaboshi snarled, his fury tightly controlled now. "I will visit on you the same pain you have inflicted on me..."

The cyborg's grim humourless laughter echoed down the shadowy corridors of his fortress, the impassive cyclopean stones unmoved by the chilling sound.