Dawn over Drastin's Fall was an eerie affair. The dim white sun crept over the horizon, illuminating the city in a ghostly pale glow - locally this time had come to be known as "corpselight". Considering the nature of the city, the name was quite appropriate.

For over one-hundred-and-twenty-years, the planet Nobruna in the Beta2 Sagittarii system had been the primary source of Titanium for the Terran Federation. The vast bulk of the Terran fleet was plated in that resilient metal, so the Federation's hunger for Titanium was voracious. The starport at Drastin's Fall had been the central hub for exporting Titanium from Nobruna, but the city had begun to decline when the Titanium deposits started drying up.

Now the mining had all but ceased, with only a few minor players still attempting to chisel out the last of the Titanium the planet had to offer. All the major corporations had moved on, levelling off the strip-mined areas of the planet and simply letting the jungle reclaim it, keeping the environmental groups happy and the Federation's green subsidies rolling in. However, when the corporations left, there was a power vacuum on the planet, and as Aristotle once said, "Horror Vacui" - nature abhors a vacuum.

There were scores of docking bays in Drastin's Fall, which had previously been swamped with ore transporters but now lay idle for the most part. The bay owners were desperate for berthing charges and therefore more than willing to turn a blind eye to the shadier elements of the Federation. Drastin's Fall had become a hotbed of illicit activity, with many a smuggler and black-market dealer making their base. The Beta2 Sagittarii system was located on the outer-rim, not far from the border with the Trankaran Republic. This far away from the bright glare of Terra and the Core Worlds, there were always citizens seeking to lose themselves in the shadowy underbelly of the Federation.

That was how William Fallow had come to arrive on that wretched planet. That wasn't his real name of course, but he'd been forced to swiftly abandon his old life - it had been a prudent move, considering the charges of treason laid against him. He opened the lobby door to what had once been a plush apartment complex, but like the rest of Drastin's Fall, the building had seen better days.

At the sound of the hydraulic door sliding open, the bundle of clothing huddled outside began to stir. "Spare a few credits for a meal, chief?" the man asked, holding out a shaky hand - a dead giveaway for stim addiction. "Used to be a miner... fallen on hard times."

William jumped at the sound of the man's voice, then studiously ignored him just as he'd done every other day for the last few weeks. He walked briskly down the steps to the street, grimacing when he saw that it was raining that morning, as was often the case on Nobruna. Leaving the protective cover of the awning over the lobby entrance, he walked straight into the squall, the rain lashing his face. Lifting up the collar of his ill-fitting coat, he hunched his shoulders to stop the rain dripping down the back of his neck. He'd paid a lot for that coat nearly six months ago and he was loathe to get rid of the designer item, even though it was much too big for him now.

All the stress of being on the run had severely affected his appetite and he'd lost a lot of weight. His old self would have been overjoyed at the drastic reduction in his waistline, but William Fallow knew better. His gluttonous hunger had been replaced with a tense bundle of nerves during the day and bitter pangs of loneliness in the night.

Pale, unfriendly faces loomed out of the darkness, appearing like ghostly wraiths from the shadows. The rain pattered on the road, the constant spray of water forming an eerie mist across the tarmac, adding to that spectral illusion. William was constantly wary for danger, his eyes darting to every face as he searched for any glimmer of recognition. A hovervan with blacked-out windows drove past and his hand twitched to the pistol at his belt, just in case assailants jumped out and rushed to attack him. The vehicle cruised by with the loud thrum of anti-grav cyclics and he only let himself relax when it disappeared from sight.

It took William about ten minutes to walk to the leisure and shopping complex, striding past the holographic billboards that lined the upper walkways along the street. Their flickering neon backlights provided a splash of vibrant colour, contrasting sharply with the drab greys of the gloomy morning. Amongst the unending barrage of advertising, punctuated by overly-cheery tunes and upbeat voices, his eyes were drawn to the gorgeous Lead Anchor for TFNN. He wasn't paying any attention to the advert - TFNN was yammering on about some exclusive interview - instead he gazed at the girl's long dark hair and flawless dusky skin. She reminded him of another girl, the one who had got him into this predicament in the first place...

Tearing his eyes from Jehanna Elani's shapely form, he heaved a sigh of relief when he realised he'd arrived at his destination and could get out of the relentless, driving rain. His shirt collar was soaked by the time he walked into the lobby and shook off his over-sized coat, showering a man standing by the entrance in raindrops. The smartly-dressed man glared at him and tutted in irritation, before opening his anti-grav umbrella and venturing outside into the morning downpour.

Ignoring the indignant shopper, William squinted as he glanced around the broad mall suspiciously, searching for anyone or anything that seemed out of place. There were a dozen well-dressed citizens in there at that hour, representing the last remnants of Nobruna's dwindling middle class, the rest having abandoned the planet when the corporations left.

William had rented one of the more luxurious apartments in Drastin's Fall and while it meant he lived in the nicer part of the city, it was also quite expensive. He'd made over five million credits selling decommissioned fleet assets to pirates and another two million tipping the slavers off with flight-path data. Unfortunately, six months on the run had quickly eaten into his savings, especially with the way he'd thrown money around on designer gear and call girls.

He had no income to replenish his funds, and there were always bills to pay. Being forced to purchase several new identities on the black market had cost him a hefty chunk, but he'd had no choice, considering the grim alternative. Of course, he'd also blown two million credits in a moment of rage, taking out a contract on the bastard who'd stolen his girl and wrecked his life.

His temper flared just thinking about them both again. It was all so unfair! He'd been a Terran Federation Commander once, one of the most powerful men in Port Heracles and in effective control of that entire sector! There'd been no shortage of desperate young women out near the border with Kirrix space and he'd been able to enjoy all sorts of lewd payments in exchange for expedited transit papers to the Core Worlds. Then that bewitching Latina had been assigned to the base, thoroughly entrancing him with her olive skin and smouldering eyes. The stuck up bitch had rejected his advances time after time, even going so far as to transfer to the corvette "Griffon" when he was sure he'd been wearing her down!

When he'd told Everett Hitch about the Griffon, the Pirate Lord had promised to capture Calara, then hand her over to him. William had it all planned out, and was going to enjoy every minute of wiping that haughty look of disgust off her face... That was until John Blake had stormed in and fucked everything up! Snarling with anger, he stomped across the reception area, making his way towards the holo-net cafe.

He winced against the bright glare of the advertising boards that surrounded the foyer, then sighed with relief as he entered the dimly-lit cafe. Glancing around the room, a predatory smile appeared on his face when he spotted the young woman running the establishment. Forcing himself to calm down, he scuttled over to the young woman, trying his best to look as disarming as possible.

"Hello Justina!" he said, trying to sound bright and cheerful. This was one of the few times he got to interact with people during his day and he was determined to make the most of it. He'd been trying to convince the attractive brunette to go out on a date with him for weeks, but so far to no avail.

"Same again, Mister Fallow?" the attendant asked him, sounding bored and entirely disinterested.

"Yes, please," he replied, frowning slightly at her tone. His eyes were drawn to her erect nipples, which were just visible through her bra and white shirt, hardening with the chill of the air conditioning in the cafe. He gave her a lascivious grin and added, "Is it just me, or is it a bit nippy this morning?"

Justina glared at him in annoyance, meeting his lecherous gaze for a second, then turning away with a shudder of revulsion. She pointed towards a booth on the opposite side of the cafe to her desk. "Number twelve is free, you can use that."

William scowled at her tone. Call girls all liked being spoken to that way, so what was her problem? She was just another stuck-up bitch like Calara had been. His eyes narrowed as he watched Justina walking away, imagining how she'd change her tune when she was gagged and handcuffed to a bed. He'd teach her some respect then and the little whore would love it...

As tempting as thoughts of taking his frustrations out on her nubile body were, he knew he couldn't afford to take any chances. He had to keep a low profile and stay exiled out in the middle of nowhere until the deed was done. Every morning he was filled with the same faint hope, that Mikaboshi would finally confirm that the contract was complete. However, for over four interminably long months, those hopes lay dashed every time.

He walked over to booth twelve and slouched in the seat, sticking his forged identity card into the slot in the desk. The holo-interface took a few seconds to warm up, flickering a few times as the worn projectors displayed the holographic image. He scrolled through his scant list of contacts, finding Mikaboshi's pseudonym on the list. There were no replies from "shadowninja26497" and William let out a despondent sigh.

Slumping in the chair he tried to think of some productive way to spend the day. He flicked half-heartedly through the holo-net, checking out the news, but all the channels were full of talk about a failed assassination attempt against the Lionesses. William gritted his teeth in anger. It was galling to see how much everyone fawned over John Blake, throwing undeserved promotions and medals at that bastard like confetti.

As he was simmering at how unfair it all was, he noticed a flashing light on the comm interface, highlighting a message from someone called "Azure_Superuser". He was fairly sure he'd never spoken to anyone using that name before - it didn't really sound like the name of any of the hookers he'd contacted. Swiping across the glowing name, he accepted the incoming call.

A message scrolled across the screen, saying, "Connecting, please standby..."

His curiosity piqued, he waited patiently for about ten seconds. Nothing seemed to be happening, so he tried swiping away the message but to no effect. Frowning in irritation, he tried closing the entire comm interface, but that didn't work either. Just as he'd started to give up and was about to call Justina to ask for some help, a holographic image coalesced above the desk in front of him.

He gaped at the image of the beautiful Latina in shock.

"Rupert Grant," Calara said, a bleak expression on her face. "I hoped I'd seen the last of you, but we finally meet again. I'm afraid I've got some bad news..."

Mouth sagging open in disbelief, he stared mutely at the gorgeous brunette, somehow looking even more beautiful than he remembered.

"We just neutralised Mikaboshi and wiped out his legion of assassins. Now that he's dead, I'm afraid he won't be able to complete your contract, or reimburse you for failing to assassinate John..." Calara leaned forwards, eyes narrowing dangerously as she continued, "Yes, we know it was you. I'd like to say it came as a shock, but considering your heinous list of crimes, it doesn't really surprise me in the slightest."

Rupert felt faint and he glanced around the room with wild eyes, expecting to see soldiers running into the cafe to arrest him. Justina was the only other person in the cafe and she seemed to be transfixed by some TFNN news report on the big screen by her desk. Breathing heavily, he turned back to look at the holographic image of Calara.

"You've got the blood of eight more innocent lives on your hands, Rupert," she said, her tone grim. "Not that I expect you care in the slightest, not after the hundreds you sold out to slavers. Part of me wants to believe you didn't know they were selling them to the Kirrix, but I expect you did, you just didn't care..."

Her sanctimonious tone was starting to piss him off, and he glared at her as he hissed, "No, I didn't give a fuck about any of them!"

Calara looked at him with disgust, that same infuriatingly superior expression he'd seen before. "I was furious when John told me what you'd done. I wanted to hunt you down and personally execute you for treason." Her face lit up with a smile of satisfaction. "But flying to the outer rim to put a bullet in your head wasn't worth our time or effort. The local troops on Nobruna are more than capable of dealing with a little cockroach like you..."

Rupert froze when she mentioned the name of the planet he was hiding on. He lurched upright, his chair bouncing backwards with a crash.

"They're coming for you, Rupert," Calara said quietly. "There's no escaping justice this time... May God have mercy on your twisted black soul."

The call ended abruptly, Calara's damning words hanging in the air as her beautiful face faded away.

He staggered away from the desk, eyes wide with horror. Justina was watching some kind of interview, and his eyes got even wider when he saw it was John Blake being interviewed. He wore a suit of white battle armour and stared at the camera as he said grimly, "Rest assured, everyone associated with this nest of killers will be brought to justice..."

Blood was rushing in Rupert's ears as he staggered from the cafe, jumping in fright as he saw John's image on every advertising billboard in the lobby. Lurching towards the door to leave the leisure complex, the Lion's voice echoed behind him, "I want to demonstrate what happens to my enemies..."

It was still raining outside, but Rupert was too frantic to bother fastening his coat. He started running for the starport, desperate to flee the planet. Skidding to a halt a second later, he realised that all his money and his transit documents were back inside the safe at his apartment. Turning around he began to sprint back the way he'd come, his heart pounding in his chest as he gulped for air.

John Blake's image was everywhere now, the huge advertising billboards showing footage from the interview. "One inevitable outcome..." the man glowered, staring balefully at the camera. That look seemed to be directed at Rupert alone and he quaked with terror.

Rupert felt a stitch in his chest, and he hobbled along, winded as he panted for breath. The pale faces looming out of the rain looked at him with surprise and suspicion as he staggered along the sidewalk, people moving warily out of his way as he lumbered past.

Jehanna Elani was up on the billboards now and she smiled while saying, "...swift and ferocious retribution await those that dare to prey on the good citizens of the Federation."

Seeing his apartment block up ahead, Rupert stumbled up the steps to the foyer entrance.

"Spare a few credits for a meal, chief?" the stim-addict by the door asked plaintively.

"Why don't you just fuck off!" Rupert snarled, hitting the button to open the door.

The bundle of clothing shrank back as the man mumbled, "...just fallen on hard times, Chief. Don't mean nothin' by it."

The hydraulic door swished open, and Rupert rushed inside, eyes darting from side to side as he searched for assailants. The lobby was deserted, so he ran to the lift, hammering at the call button until it arrived. Running inside, he pressed the button for the fourth floor, then leaned against the wall, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he tried to regain his breath.

When the elevator chimed, he rushed into the corridor, making a beeline for his apartment. He fumbled with his maglock keycard, dropping it once with a curse before picking it up in shaking fingers. He managed to shove it into the slot, then sighed with relief as the door opened. Plunging into the darkened room, he called out, "lights!" as he ran inside, peeling off his rain-soaked coat and dropping it by the door.

Suddenly he felt an explosion of pain as someone punched him in his stomach and he doubled over in agony, crashing to the floor. The lights flickered on and his terrified eyes spotted armoured boots in front of him. Looking up, he saw a harsh, hate-filled glare on a Terran trooper's face. Rupert managed to grab at the pistol on his belt and haul it out, just in time for a second trooper to stomp down on his arm. There was a snap as his radius bone broke and he howled with agony as he dropped the pistol.

The gun was kicked out of his reach, then fists began raining down on him, blows from several men landing all over his body. He writhed on the ground, yelping and crying with every punch, his senses overwhelmed with pain.

"That's enough, lads," a calm, quiet voice said. "We don't want to kill him."

Rupert rolled over onto his back, groaning in agony. He looked up at the man that had spoken, an older sergeant with a kind face, who was looking at him with a resigned expression. "Thank you!" he gasped through the pain.

The sergeant squatted down and said, "You match the description, but I'd like confirmation. Are you Commander Rupert Grant? We'll get a DNA test to confirm it, so you might as well save us both the aggravation."

Knowing that his only chance now was to cooperate, he quickly nodded. "Yes, I'm Commander Rupert Grant." This far away from the Core Worlds, a man's loyalty to the Terran Federation wasn't quite so absolute, so he had one last card to play. "I've still got money! Maybe we could all come to some arrangement? I could help you and your men out with a nice retirement fund...if you let me walk out of here alive! What do you say, Sergeant..?"

"My name's Rathburn and that does sound very reasonable," the Sergeant replied with a smile. He looked up at his men. "How about it lads? Should we consider the Commander's generous offer?"

"Let's see what he's offering..." a cold-eyed trooper said, staring at Rupert with disdain.

The sergeant offered Rupert a hand, and he rose unsteadily to his feet, his entire body throbbing with pain. Hobbling over to the fireplace, he pressed a concealed button under the mantelpiece and a panel slid back, revealing the hidden safe. He started to raise his right hand to open the door, but the pain was too great, so he awkwardly switched to his left. Holding his hand against the DNA reader, it flashed green as it checked his genetic code, the safe door opening with a click.

He pointed to the stack of credsticks inside. "Each one of those is loaded with fifty-thousand credits... I'll give you all of it if you let me walk out of here."

The cold-eyed trooper walked over to the safe and glanced back at Sergeant Rathburn. "We could give them to Abigail?"

The kind-faced sergeant smiled and gestured towards the door. "It looks like you have a deal, Mister Grant. You're free to leave."

Rupert looked at the men suspiciously, but they made no threatening moves against him. He gingerly reached into the safe to take his travel permits, then limped out of the room, darting worried glances behind him. Calling for the elevator, he kept a nervous eye on the door, cradling his broken wrist against his chest. He stepped inside, then hit the button for the lobby, his heart pounding in his chest.

The door to the lift opened and he rushed out, making his way for the door. It slid open for him and he stepped outside, sucking in a big lungful of air as he tasted freedom. It had been an incredibly close call, but now he just had to make his way to the starport and he'd be able to lose himself in some other outer-rim hellhole.

He was aware of a sudden click and pressure around his left wrist. Looking to his side with shock, he saw that the cloth-wrapped bundle had slapped a set of cuffs on him. The trooper threw off the bundle of clothes and gave him a stern frown as he said, "Rupert Grant, we're taking you into custody to face charges of treason."

"Wait!" Rupert protested. "That's not right, I made a deal!"

"What seems to be the trouble, Commander?" Sergeant Rathburn asked, walking across the lobby with his men.

"You said I was free to leave!" Rupert exclaimed indignantly.

The sergeant nodded and replied. "Indeed I did, and you have, in fact, left the building."

An armoured hover-truck in military grey coasted to a halt outside the apartment complex. Rupert Grant was thrown unceremoniously inside, crying out with pain as he landed on the hard metal floor. He backed away from his captors' unfriendly glares, huddling in a corner as the squad of troopers climbed in the back.

"I want a lawyer!" Rupert blurted out. "I have the right to defend myself against these charges! This brutality isn't fair!"

Sergeant Rathburn walked over to him, crouching down so he could stare into Rupert's eyes. "I'm afraid Trooper Evans over there wasn't being entirely truthful with you, Commander. You aren't under arrest and you won't be facing any charges."

"I'm not?!" Rupert asked, feeling a mixture of confusion and hope.

Rathburn shook his head. "You see, my brother worked as a merchant. He used to swing by this way, bringing Trankaran booze for me and the lads while shipping ore to Port Heracles. You can probably understand how horrified we all were to hear that he'd been captured by slavers... It was far worse when we found out that he'd been sold off to the Kirrix. So when the garrison received the tip-off from the Lion that a traitor called Rupert Grant was skulking around here, me and the lads were eager to volunteer for the job..."

Rupert's eyes widened in fear and he held up his good hand defensively. "Wait! I can explain..."

"Two weeks... that's how long Kirrix spawn take to hatch, before they eat their way out of you." Rathburn said quietly, his eyes burning with a dreadful intensity. Suddenly his face twisted with rage and he grabbed Rupert's index finger and snapped it backwards. "So I'm going to keep you alive in constant agony for two weeks, before I finally put a bullet in your fucking head!"

The armoured truck pulled away with the muffled sound of an agonised shriek echoing from inside the vehicle.

It had stopped raining now and a man standing on the sidewalk outside the building watched the truck leave. Admiring the plush silk lining of the new bulky coat one of the troopers had handed him, the man smoothed back the lapel with shaking fingers. "Everyone falls on hard times, Chief. Looks like it's your turn now..."

***

Calara sat back in John's chair, gazing out the window of his Ready Room. They were currently in low orbit around Proxima Centauri and the huge window offered an impressive view of the planet's dramatic mountain ranges. Seeing and speaking to Rupert Grant again had dredged up lots of extremely unpleasant memories, ones that she'd barely even thought about in the last six months.

"Are you alright?" Irillith asked, placing a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

Calara nodded, looking up at the Maliri girl with a smile. "Thank you for tracking him down."

"It was relatively easy once I found his encrypted correspondence with Mikaboshi," Irillith replied, giving her a nonchalant shrug. "This Grant creature was very foolish to maintain regular contact with anyone if he was attempting to lay low. Cracking the encryption didn't take me long and then I just had to trace the comm routing back to the planet he was hiding on."

The door to the Ready Room swished open and Alyssa glided in, giving them both a warm smile. "Hello you two."

Her eyes met Irillith's and after a brief telepathic exchange, Irillith squatted down beside Calara. She gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad I was able to help. Come and find me if you ever want to talk about anything."

"I appreciate that, thank you," the Latina said gratefully.

Irillith rose then glided out of the room, brushing hands with Alyssa as the two girls passed each other.

Alyssa sidled over to the desk and reached over to interlace her fingers with Calara's. "You know you're not going to be able to fob me off so easily, don't you?"

"My girlfriend being able to read all my thoughts is extremely unfair," Calara replied with a laugh, letting the blonde pull her up from the chair.

"Can I let you in on a secret?" Alyssa asked, leading her lover over to the sofas. "I only hear what you want to share with me. That means you wanted me to know you're upset and I'm very glad you did."

Sitting down, she gestured to the sofa beside her. Calara lay down, resting her head on Alyssa's lap and looking up at her beautiful face. The Latina relaxed as Alyssa's fingers brushed through her hair, stroking her comfortingly.

"It just came as a bit of a shock finding out Rupert Grant was the one who set all this in motion," Calara admitted, gazing into Alyssa's cerulean eyes. "I'd forgotten about him to be honest, but he ended up causing us so much trouble by hiring Mikaboshi."

"The assassins are dead now and Grant will be executed for treason soon," Alyssa replied, picking up Calara's hand and bringing it to her lips. She kissed it gently as she added, "He hurt you badly, so he's very lucky you and John decided against personally hunting him down. I would have been quite creative in finding a fitting way to punish him for everything he'd done."

"I like it when you get all protective, Alpha Lioness," Calara said with a fond smile, turning her hand to stroke Alyssa's cheek.

Alyssa gave her a tender smile as she replied, "I'm surprised you don't feel like you're being smothered with two overprotective Progenitors watching out for you."

Sitting up, Calara shook her head as she leaned in to kiss her girlfriend. "I love it," she purred between kisses.

Pulling back for a second, Alyssa gazed into Calara's brown eyes and said in a hushed voice, "I'm so sorry I left you exposed at the club like that. If I'd been there, then..."

Silencing her with a kiss, the Latina replied, "There was no way you could've known what was about to happen." She smiled wryly as she added, "Although I think I might give the next clubbing trip a pass. I don't have much luck when we start doing any celebrating."

"Maybe we should confine our celebrating to the bedroom?" Alyssa replied with a twinkle in her eyes. "I can guarantee you'll get lucky."

Calara laughed at that, nodding her agreement. "When's John back anyway?"

"He's just landing now," Alyssa replied, her eyes going distant as she focused on his thoughts. "Let's go and meet with the others; they're all waiting in the lounge."

The two girls rose from the sofa, then walked out onto the Bridge hand-in-hand.

***

"That interview was amazing!" Jehanna gushed, leaning against the wall in the Combat Bridge armoury and gazing at John with a brilliant smile on her face. "You should have heard my boss after it aired! Avery almost sounded happy!"

John stepped out of the armour equipping frame, returning her smile as he walked over to her. "Thanks for your help. I wanted to send a message and blasting Mikaboshi's base seemed like the best way of doing it."

"I can't see anyone even thinking about going after the girls again, not after that little display!" Jehanna exclaimed. She grinned at him as she added, "I'm happy for your crew, but I must admit, it's a relief from a purely selfish point of view too."

"You're still interested?" John asked, pulling her towards him and running his hand over her slim stomach. She worked out and he could feel the definition in her abdominal muscles as he caressed her.

Jehanna gave him a coy look as she leaned into his hand. "A chance at immortality, living with the Lion as one of his Lionesses? What girl would turn down an offer like that?"

He gave her a lingering kiss before replying, "I don't want you to make any hasty decisions. I'm sure all this must be quite overwhelming, so I'm going to give you plenty of time to make sure this is definitely what you want." Looking thoughtful, he added, "The girls are waiting for us in the Officers' Lounge. Would you like to meet them?"

"I'd love to," Jehanna immediately agreed.

Taking her hand, they walked over to the rapid-access grav-tube and were rushed up two levels to the main bedroom. Jehanna gave the bed a lingering look, glancing suggestively at John as she sauntered past it.

He met her seductive gaze and gave her an apologetic smile. "I can't wait to pick up where we left off, but I promised I'd talk to Faye after we dealt with Mikaboshi and I don't want to keep her waiting."

"A man who keeps his promises," Jehanna said playfully. "Is there no end to the Lion's virtues?"

He laughed and tugged her along by her hand. "You can get intimately acquainted with my virtues this afternoon."

"Mmm, I can't wait," she replied, echoing his earlier words.

They walked along the corridor to the double doors at the end, which opened invitingly as they approached. Alyssa was waiting for them on the other side and she stepped forward to hug Jehanna.

"Why don't you let me look after our guest?" she suggested to John, leaning over to plant a light kiss on his cheek. "The girls and I can have a nice chat with her, while you go and speak to Faye."

John glanced at the raven-haired girl and asked, "Is that alright with you? I don't want you to feel like I'm throwing you to the lions. Or the lionesses in this case..."

"I'll be fine," Jehanna replied with a confident smile. She glanced over at the seven women seated on the sofas in the Officers' Lounge and added, "I'm more likely to find out all the juicy gossip without you here!"

"She does have a point," Alyssa agreed, nodding with the hint of a smile teasing her lips.

Suddenly uncertain about leaving Jehanna alone with the girls, but this time for an entirely different reason, John reluctantly let himself be shooed out the door. The doors swished shut, leaving him standing alone in the corridor. With his sharp hearing, he could hear the sound of excited chattering and laughter coming from inside the lounge.

Feeling a dark sense of foreboding, he stepped into the grav-tube and rose up in the blue anti-gravity field until he reached the Command Deck. Faye was up on the Command Podium, leaning against his console, but she turned and waved at him as he walked onto the Bridge.

"I'm free now if you'd like to talk?" John asked, walking towards the purple sprite.

"Sure! That would be fantastic!" she replied, sounding cheerful, but there was a brief flash of anxiety that crossed her face. She glanced back at the holographic Sector Map that floated in the centre of the room and added, "We're still in orbit around Proxima Centauri. Now that we've vaporised Mikaboshi's base, would you like me to fly the Invictus to a new destination?"

John nodded and replied, "Back to Terra would be great, thank you. We'll need to drop Jehanna back in a few hours."

"We will?" Faye asked in confusion. "I thought she was going to be one of the Lionesses now?"

"Nothing's been decided yet," he replied with a slight shrug. "She's got her job with TFNN, so whatever happens, I doubt she'll want to just abandon her old life."

Faye smiled brightly. "Okay! I'll set a course for Terra!"

"Thanks, Faye," John said, watching the elfin girl as her wings thrummed with a nervous flutter in a non-existent breeze. "Where do you want to chat? Here or my Ready Room?"

She hesitated for a moment considering her choices. "Your Ready Room if that's okay? It's more private in there."

John shot her a playful grin. "Oh, it's one of those kind of chats, is it? Should I ask Jade if she can help out again?"

Faye blushed a dark purple and although she was half-tempted to say yes, she reluctantly shook her head. "I really wanted to talk, as long as that's okay with you?"

"Sure, honey. I guess I've been around Alyssa too long, the urge to tease you was just too tempting!" He turned around and headed for the Ready Room, saying over his shoulder, "I'll see you in there."

He pressed the button to open the door, then strolled inside, finding Faye waiting for him over by the sofas. Walking over to join her, he gestured for her to take a seat beside him, then waited for her to sit down. Sitting on the sofa, he turned to look her way, smiling at the nervous girl to put her at ease.

"I'm glad we're finally getting a chance to talk," he said, looking into her large luminous eyes. "I've actually got a few important things to discuss with you too."

Faye gave him a relieved smile and said, "Why don't you go first? I'm curious to know what you want to talk to me about."

"Sure. Well, firstly, I just want to thank you for everything you did for the girls. Sakura and Jade filled me in on what happened, and it's quite clear that you saved them all," John said, his tone earnest.

Faye gave him a self-conscious smile and replied, "Oh, I'm sure they were exaggerating. They're both extremely capable."

"I'm only going by what they told me and I trust their word implicitly," John said, shaking his head. "If it wasn't for your warning, Sakura wouldn't have been able to raise a Cryokinetic barrier and Jade wouldn't have had enough time to shapeshift. They'd have both been killed in the blast if you hadn't intervened, which would have meant the twins falling to their deaths without Jade there to slow their fall. Rachel and Dana would have been captured or killed if Sakura hadn't been able to chase away the last of the assassins, and we wouldn't have been able to rescue Calara without her either."

"I didn't realise how close it all was!" Faye blurted out, eyes wide in shock.

John nodded his agreement, his expression sombre. "Just a couple of seconds made all the difference between the girls being safe and well, or me losing everyone at the club. You really came through for me when I needed you the most. Thank you, Faye, I'll never forget it."

"You're welcome," she replied quietly, looking stunned.

"You stopped the assassins taking the Invictus too," he said, looking into her eyes. "I can't even imagine the chaos they would have caused with all that firepower in their hands... Not only that, but the ship is our home. Losing it would have been a real blow."

A look of guilt flashed across her face for a second, but it was too fast for John to notice. She simply smiled at him as she said, "It's my job to protect you and the ship from enemies. It was such a relief to have the tools to be able to defend the Invictus this time! The electrified floor and the Sonic Cannons worked perfectly!"

"Dana and Sakura will be very pleased to hear it," John replied with a chuckle. "Although with the benefit of hindsight, it's very lucky we didn't have those defences in place when Shinatobe attacked. I've grown very fond of Sakura."

"Me too! She's lovely," Faye agreed, an affectionate smile lighting up her face. "She really feels like a part of the team now."

"That actually leads me onto the second thing I wanted to talk to you about," John said, reaching into his pocket.

He pulled out the Paragon of Terra medal and held it up so that it reflected the light. Faye stared at the golden disc, studying the image of Terra in the background, with the Lion and nine Lionesses in the foreground.

Turning it slightly in his hand so that he could see its face too, John said, "I told Charles that I had nine girls on the crew, but the ninth one couldn't make it to the Award Ceremony. Devereux gave me this medal to pass on to my missing Lioness, so here it is, and it's very well deserved." He placed the medal on the sofa between them. "I hope you do feel that you're part of the crew, because we very much think of you that way."

Faye's eyes had grown even wider as she stared at the medal, her fingers tracing the images of the lions in front of Terra. "I've just tried my best to look after all of you," she murmured, the purple light from her holographic projection making the metal gleam. "I'm truly honoured you think of me that way..."

"I definitely do," he said, giving her a kind smile. His smile faded as he added, "The last thing I want to say, is that I owe you an apology."

She frowned in confusion at that. "An apology?! What are you apologising for?"

"I'm sorry I was so distrusting with you at the start. It was totally unfair and just based on my own stupid prejudices and preconceptions about AI," John said, gazing into her eyes.

"That's okay, I under-" she started to say.

"Let me finish please, honey," he said humbly. When her voice trailed off, he continued, "Although I promise that I think of you as part of the crew, I admit I do overlook you at times. I'm really sorry, and I honestly don't mean to... it's just that I respond instinctively to the physical presence of the girls on the ship. I'm hoping things will be different when Dana can give you an actual body."

Faye had a sympathetic smile on her cupid-bow lips, as her purple fingers traced the contours of his jawline. "You don't have to apologise for that," she said, giving him a knowing look. "You're in a relationship with eight different girls, nine including me; it's only natural to devote more attention to those you also have a physical relationship with."

"You're being very understanding, thank you," he said, giving her a grateful smile.

Inching closer, she looked like she was going to say something, then faltered.

"What is it? You can tell me, it's alright," John said, wishing he could wrap the purple girl in his arms.

"I'd love to have that same kind of physical intimacy with you," Faye breathed, gazing at him with unblinking intensity. "I've dreamed of it so many times."

"If I could make you a living body, I'd do so in a heartbeat," John said, his tone sincere. "After everything you've done for me, you deserve nothing less. Unfortunately, something like that is beyond my abilities, so we'll just have to see what Dana and Irillith can build for you instead."

Faye let out a wistful sigh. "I'm trying not to build up my hopes too much," she said, her hands ghosting over his chest. "But to be able to touch, to feel! I can't help letting my imagination run away with me."

"I'm sure the girls will do their absolute best for you," John replied, relaxing back against the sofa. "They care about you as much as I do."

The purple sprite beamed at him in delight and John was quite certain he'd never seen her look so happy.

"Well, that was everything I wanted to tell you," he said, studying her cute face. "I believe you wanted to talk to me about something?"

A flicker of worry crossed her brow and she gave him a tentative nod. "There is something, but I'm worried how you'll react. I don't want to upset you."

"I promise I'll do my best not to get upset, how's that?" John replied light-heartedly. His tone turned more serious as he added, "If there's something bothering you, please let me know. We might be able to figure out a solution together."

Faye's elfin face was uncharacteristically sombre. "Alright, here goes," she said, taking a deep breath. "I really hate seeing any of you get hurt!"

John was surprised by the vehemence of her emphatic declaration. He gave her a gentle smile as he said, "I don't like seeing the girls get injured either, so I try to avoid exposing them to unnecessary risk. Sometimes though, when the stakes are very high, we have to step in and take some chances."

"I know, but in the Battle of Ashana, Dana, Rachel, and Alyssa were all nearly killed!" Faye protested, biting her lip anxiously.

"I nearly backed away from that fight because I was worried it would be too dangerous," John admitted, gazing away into the distance. "That was definitely the closest I've ever come to losing Dana."

"So why do it then?!" Faye asked in frustration. "I love all of you, and it's terrifying seeing any of you get hurt! Why put yourself in so much danger?"

"It's a good question," John replied, his tone quiet and thoughtful. "You're right, we could have just flown away and left the Ashanath to their fate. But they're good people and didn't deserve to be hunted to extinction by the Drakkar."

"But you keep putting yourselves in danger!" Faye persisted. "Everywhere you go in the Invictus, you get into one desperate fight after another!"

John smiled at her and said, "That's not really the ship's fault. With this Progenitor stirring up trouble all over the place, we have to keep racing around to undo all the problems he sets in motion. In fact, the only reason we've been able to stop so much of his meddling is due to the Invictus' speed. Without that, we'd have been too late to save Terra against Nexus, rescue the Terran Fleet at Regulus, or stop the Drakkar at Ashana."

"Yes, but if you didn't have the ship, then you and the girls wouldn't keep getting hurt!" Faye retorted.

"I suppose that was essentially true, up until yesterday. The assassins who attacked us on Terra had nothing to do with the ship. In actual fact, having you in the Invictus stopped their hijack attempt and you used the ship to take out the three ninjas who were attacking Jade. We also needed the Invictus' speed to reach Calara before Mikaboshi could start operating on her." John looked at Faye curiously and asked, "Why are we discussing the Invictus all of a sudden anyway?"

Faye looked very shifty and averted her gaze from his.

"I thought you were supposed to be telling me what was bothering you?" John asked, his tone gentle and encouraging. "I can't help if you keep it a secret."

"I was thinking about taking the ship!" Faye blurted out.

John frowned in confusion. "Taking it? Taking it where?"

"Away from all of you!" Faye confessed. "If you didn't have access to the ship any more, then you'd be safe on Terra for a few weeks; at least until the Maliri sent a ship to pick you up. Then you'd have to fly to Genthalas and build a replacement. That would keep all of you safe for at least two or three months! I was going to use that time to try and think of some better way of protecting all of you!"

John's eyes widened in shock as he realised she was deadly serious. "But that's crazy!" he protested. "We'd be stuck in drydock for months while the Progenitor was running around totally unopposed! I can't even imagine what kind of trouble he's planning next, but without us there to stop him, his target would be doomed!"

"But you're planning to go to the Brimorian Enclave next, and I know you're going to end up getting in trouble there too! One of you is bound to get hurt!" Faye protested, her hands clenched into fists with her frustration. "I feel so powerless when that happens! There's nothing I can do to protect you when you're away from the Invictus!"

John took a deep breath to calm himself down. "You might well be right about visiting the Brimorians, but if there is trouble there, it was probably instigated by the Progenitor. The sooner we can put an end to it, the less dangerous whatever he's stirred up will be in the long term."

"Can't all of you just run away and go and live somewhere safe?" Faye asked plaintively. "You could settle down with the girls and raise a family with them. All of you could live happily ever after."

"We have friends and family, Faye," John explained, his tone patient. "Calara wouldn't want to abandon her parents and brothers, and I care a great deal about Edraele and the Maliri. If we just fled, they'd all end up being enslaved or killed by this Progenitor. He might even be about to launch an invasion in the next few weeks. Without the ship and our gear to fight him off, you'd have sentenced all of us to death."

Faye looked aghast and she blurted out, "I didn't think he'd be attacking so soon! You've never mentioned that before!"

"I'm not saying he will," John replied, raising his hand in a calming gesture. "But it's always a possibility. The truth is, we have no idea what his motives are and don't know anything about his current plans. All we can do is keep trying to prepare for that fight the best we can, at least until we know more."

"Isn't there some way of avoiding a confrontation with him?" Faye asked, her eyes lighting up with hope.

"If I could convince him to pack up and head home, I'd do so in a heartbeat," John replied with a slight smile on his lips. "Unfortunately, I have a feeling he won't be so easily persuaded."

The purple sprite's shoulders slumped and she said, "I don't know what I'd do if I lost any of you! I've made extremely detailed subroutines to handle all our interactions and the thought of not being able to run any of those programs for you or the girls fills me with a huge sense of loss."

"I feel the same way if I think about losing any of my friends," John told her gently. "But billions of lives are at stake, as well as those of our friends and families. They need us to stop the Progenitor, which means we have to look out for each other. If you had run off with the ship, then you wouldn't have been there to help keep the girls safe from the assassins, would you?"

Faye squared her shoulders stoically and looked him in the eyes. "You're right. I'd started to come to the same conclusion myself, which is why I didn't go through with it."

"Well, I'm extremely glad you decided to stay," John said, his relief quite obvious. Giving her a disapproving frown, he added, "But please come and talk to me if you even think about stealing the ship again, okay?"

"I will, I promise," Faye said earnestly. She looked crestfallen as she added, "Are you upset with me now?"

"No, I'm not upset," John replied, giving her a reassuring smile. He brushed his finger across the image of her purple cheek as he murmured, "With the way you look and act, I forget sometimes that you've only been alive for a couple of months. You're still just trying to find your way. The rate you've been learning and growing is astonishing."

She closed her eyes and whispered, "I can't wait until I can actually feel your touch. When you visited me in the Cyber-realm, it was amazing!"

"I'd love to do that again, but I'd only get about thirty seconds with you," John said, giving her a helpless shrug. "At least until I can do something about my rogue Progenitor-guide."

"I know, and I don't want to see you exhaust yourself trying to do that again," Faye replied, leaning in to give him an affectionate kiss on the tip of his nose. "I'll be patient, and I promise I'll come and speak to you if I start getting worried about anything again."

"You're a good girl, thank you," John replied, smiling at her gratefully. He glanced at his watch to check the time. "I better get back and rescue Jehanna. I dread to think what Alyssa and the girls are talking to her about!"

"I've got a pretty good idea," the purple girl said with a cute grin.

Rising from his seat, John glanced down at the medal. "Do you want me to keep that safe for you until you get your body? I can put it with my medals until then."

"I'd really like that, thank you," Faye replied, looking touched.

"It was good to catch up," John said, scooping up the medal and putting it in his pocket. "Do you feel a bit better now?"

The purple sprite fluttered to her feet and walked with him towards the Bridge. "Much better, thanks! You were right, talking about everything really helped!"

They shared a parting smile before he walked up the ramp to the grav-tube, waving Faye goodbye as he stepped into the red anti-gravity field.

*Wow! We dodged a bullet there!* Alyssa exclaimed, sounding alarmed. *If Faye had swiped the Invictus, we'd have been totally fucked!*

John could feel Edraele's worry across their bond as she thought to him, *Are you sure it's wise to leave Faye in place? AI can be unpredictable and irrational at times; their thought processes are radically different from organic life. There's no guarantee she won't turn on you in the future and she has unrestricted access to the full firepower the Invictus has at its disposal.*

John considered Edraele's advice for a moment before stepping out of the grav-tube onto Deck Two. *I trust Faye, I don't think she's going to turn on us. She's just trying her best to deal with new 'feelings' or however her programming deals with our interactions. I think we can just put this down to growing pains.*

*Check out the cyberphile!* Alyssa said with amusement. *Only a few months ago, I'd have struggled to convince you not to shut her down permanently!*

*All Faye's ever done is be helpful and try to protect us,* John replied thoughtfully. *She's earned my respect and bought herself a lot of latitude to deal with a little hiccup like this. It's probably sensible to keep a close eye on her to make sure she doesn't get in that state again, but she's promised to speak to me about anything troubling her.*

*I'll defer to your feelings on the matter,* Edraele said, sounding more at ease. *I'm not actually there with you on the ship, so I'm sure your reading of the situation is more accurate than mine.*

*I asked you to forewarn me about dangers and that perspective has been invaluable. Keep doing what you're doing, I really appreciate it,* John requested, as he strolled up to the double doors at the end of the corridor.

Hitting the button, he walked into the Officers' Lounge where the girls were leaning forward and chatting avidly to Jehanna. The conversation suddenly stopped and they looked his way, mischievous smiles on lots of faces, not just Alyssa's.

"We've just been having a fascinating discussion," Jehanna informed him, raising an eyebrow as she looked his way.

John felt a little like a deer in the headlights as he walked over to the girls, nine sets of eyes watching his every move. "I'm sure I'd be asking for trouble if I ask for details, so instead I'll just ask: Has everyone been nice to you?"

"They've all been lovely," Jehanna replied, glancing around the group and giving them a grateful smile. There was a gleam of excitement in her eyes as she continued, "Although it's going to take all my willpower to resist making an award-winning exposé about the Lionesses! I can just imagine the reaction if everyone knew that you had two Maliri on your crew, let alone that they were stunningly beautiful blue space elves! Then there's the fact that Nymphs can shapeshift into dinosaurs, or that you have an unshackled AI running the ship, or even that your crew have psychic abilities!"

"So everyone's been very tight-lipped with you, have they?" John asked dryly, glancing at the girls.

Dana shrugged and replied, "We figured there was no point in keeping it a secret from her. Jehanna's a sexy girl. You're obviously going to fuck her senseless, load her up and get her to join the crew. I know Rachel and I can't wait for a threesome with her."

Jehanna smiled at the redhead. "Alyssa did promise I'd have eight beautiful girls eager to go to bed with me. It seems she wasn't exaggerating."

"It seems like they haven't scared you off yet," John said, trying his best not to get too distracted by thoughts of Jehanna getting intimate with the girls. "I wouldn't mind having a chat with you for a few minutes, if this is a good time to interrupt?"

"As long as we can chat in the bedroom, I'm all ears," Jehanna replied with a flirtatious grin.

He offered her his hand as the rest of the girls laughed and made lewd comments. John smiled and rolled his eyes at them as he said, "Alright, calm down everyone. We really do need to just talk."

Alyssa rose from her chair and said archly, "There's other things we can be doing while we chat."

Jehanna didn't seem bothered in the slightest by Alyssa coming along to join them, so John led them over to the door and gave the rest of the girls a wave goodbye. "We'll all meet up for dinner and catch up as a group," he called over his shoulder. "There's still a few things we need to wrap up before we go on vacation."

The rest of the crew stood as well, then followed them out of the lounge as they split up to continue working on their various tasks. Alyssa knew exactly what he had in mind, so she helpfully passed on his list of passing thoughts to the relevant girls.

John walked down the corridor with Jehanna matching his every step. When he glanced at her to see how she was doing, he realised she was watching him, a gleam in her brown eyes as she studied his face. Pausing at the door to the main bedroom, he ushered the two girls inside. Alyssa slipped her hand into Jehanna's as they neared the bed, pulling her in for a chaste kiss before they both kicked off their shoes and climbed onto the covers.

"So, what would you like to talk about?" Jehanna asked him, a seductive smile on her face as she leaned backwards to lie on the bed, propping herself up on her elbows.

"I think we should have a chat about your role with us, should you decide to join the crew," John replied, removing his own shoes and climbing onto the bed himself.

Alyssa knelt beside the supine girl and began to stroke her hand over Jehanna's lean stomach. She frowned for a second and undid some of the lower buttons on the reporter's white shirt, then smiled with satisfaction as her slender fingers were able to make skin-to-skin contact with Jehanna's dusky tummy. John's eyes were transfixed on the pair, watching Alyssa's bronzed fingers tracing slow circles around the smooth oval of Jehanna's bared stomach.

"You were right..." Jehanna murmured to Alyssa, as she watched him in fascination. "I've never met a man so intrigued by bared midriffs."

"There's a very good reason for that," John replied distractedly, moving across the bed to join them.

Jehanna looked a little sceptical. "The girls made a number of references to your... potency. After all the incredible things I've seen so far, I shouldn't have a hard time believing them, but I'm afraid I still have my doubts..."

"Why don't you show her, John?" Alyssa asked innocently, the hint of a smile on her face.

John managed to tear his eyes away from Jehanna's svelte stomach and smiled at the two girls. "I had planned on just talking first, but I can see you're both determined to upend my plans."

Jehanna sat up and then swung a toned thigh over his knees, linking her arms behind his head as she sat on his lap. "I haven't had a chance yet to properly thank you for saving my life. Then I woke up this afternoon and realised I no longer have to wear contact lenses, which have been the bane of my life for years! Alyssa pointed out that the scar from my appendectomy is gone, because you grew me a new appendix, and she told me that I was developing Crohn's Disease, but you healed that too!" She gave him a tender kiss. "Thank you, for everything..."

"You don't have to go to bed with me because you're grateful," John replied, placing his hands on her hips, and gently massaging her lower back. "I think you're a lovely girl... Consider those things compliments of the house."

"Can I go to bed with you simply because I find you very attractive?" she asked him quietly, giving him another sultry kiss.

He pretended to consider it for a moment, then smiled at her, revealing that he was only teasing. "I think I might be able to accommodate you there."

Alyssa had used the time they'd been flirting to quickly undress and she cuddled up behind Jehanna, pressing her bare breasts into her back. "It's obvious how much you want each other," she murmured, brushing Jehanna's long black hair away from her shoulders to place a soft kiss on her neck. She gazed into John's eyes as she started unbuttoning the rest of Jehanna's shirt. "I've been a terrible Matriarch... it's been over twelve hours since one of my girls emptied your quad. Fortunately, Jehanna's eager to help you get some relief."

John's cock had already swollen with arousal, and it flexed at the thought of being inside the beautiful girl straddling him.

Jehanna's eyes widened as she felt him move and she hitched up her skirt before grinding her pubic mound against him. "You feel as huge as I remembered," she gasped in excitement, rubbing her panty-clad pussy against his length. "And so hot!"

Alyssa peeled off the writhing girl's shirt and deftly unclipped her bra, snaking one of her hands around to gently knead Jehanna's B-cup breasts. The Indian girl let out a low moan of arousal as Alyssa's other hand delved lower, following the contours of Jehanna's lower belly until she found her moist pussy.

John gazed into Jehanna's eyes as he kissed her, feeling her quivering in his arms as Alyssa teased her body. She let out a sudden gasp and arched her back, her pupils dilating with arousal.

"She's nice and wet for you, but she's a bit smaller than me," Alyssa murmured conversationally as she slid her deft fingers back and forth inside the quaking girl. "It's going to be a tight fit..."

No longer able to hold back, John carefully lifted Jehanna from his lap so that he could start getting undressed. Alyssa wasted no time helping the dusky reporter out of her skirt and black lace panties, leaving her in a pair of black silk stockings. She gently pushed Jehanna back and dived between her legs, soft moans filling the room as the blonde's tongue started lapping away. Jehanna's thighs began to tremble as Alyssa worked her towards her first climax.

The dusky girl turned her head to watch John undress, gazing at him through long black lashes. Her dark-brown eyes widened when he took off his trousers, a flicker of apprehension on her face as she stared at his impressive size. Before she could say anything, she screwed her eyes shut and cried out with pleasure as Alyssa tipped her over the edge.

John crawled across the bed to move into position, while Alyssa massaged the quivering girl's thighs. "She's all ready for you," she purred, flashing him a lusty glance with her bright blue eyes.

Taking her place between Jehanna's splayed legs, John waited for the girl to recover, although his cock throbbed with eager impatience. When her eyes fluttered open, she gave Alyssa a languid, satiated smile and said, "I could definitely get used to that."

"We've only just started," Alyssa said with a melodic laugh, lying down on the bed beside her. She leaned in to give Jehanna a kiss, before adding, "The rest of the girls are eager to taste you too."

Jehanna flushed with arousal, then turned to look at John, her lust-fogged gaze focusing on his hefty girth. "There's no way that's going to fit," she muttered, a sudden flicker of fear in her eyes.

John leaned over her but made no move to try anything more. "You trust me, don't you?" he asked with a reassuring smile. "You know I'd never do anything to hurt you, right?"

She paused for a moment, then crossed her wrists behind his neck as she gave him a tender kiss. "I've never been more sure of anything," she replied with conviction.

"If this hurts you in any way, we'll stop immediately, but I promise it won't," John said, his tone soothing. "After I filled up your tummy the other day, I healed your body, but my cum made some other changes too. You'll be able to stretch to take me without any pain."

After a moment's hesitation, Jehanna nodded bravely. "Alright, I'm willing to give it a try."

Alyssa reached between them to grasp hold of John's pulsating length and guided him into position. When she was satisfied that his broad head was nuzzled into Jehanna's outer labia, she gave her an affectionate kiss on the cheek. "Get ready to have your mind blown!"

John rested his weight on his elbows, while slipping his hands underneath Jehanna's head, cradling her as he gazed into her eyes. He watched her expression as he began to push forward, easing his way into her pliable body.

"Oh my God!" Jehanna squeaked, staring at him in shock. She let out a throaty groan as he inched in deeper, her hands moving down to rest lightly on his flanks.

"Want me to stop?" he asked, with a teasing smile.

She shook her head. "Don't you dare!"

Applying more pressure with his hips, he penetrated deeper, sliding another several inches into her slick passage. Alyssa was right, Jehanna's slim body was more petite than the Amazonian girls in his crew and she was a very snug fit as he plundered her depths. Stopping at her cervix, the head of his cock gently rubbed against her, making her eyes widen even further.

"You're so big!" Jehanna balked, a stunned expression on her beautiful face. "I feel absolutely stuffed!"

"No pain?" John asked, just to be sure.

She shook her head in bewilderment. "It's been more painful having sex with my old boyfriend! He wasn't even half your size!"

Alyssa leaned in to give John a loving kiss on the cheek, then said to Jehanna, "He permanently enhanced your body when he fed you that first time. You'll be snug and tight for any guy you sleep with, but you're much more malleable now. No matter how inconsiderate a lover, you won't feel any pain."

"Any guy?" Jehanna asked, gazing at John reverently. "How could I go back to anyone else after this?"

He leaned in and kissed her, his tongue darting into her mouth as she moaned into his. When they finally pulled apart, he asked, "Are you ready for the rest?"

"There's more?!" she exclaimed, staring down the gap between their bodies in disbelief.

"A few more inches," he conceded with a smile.

Alyssa massaged Jehanna's tummy, feeling John's throbbing length buried deep inside her. "Trust me, there's nothing like feeling him enter your womb."

"That's got to hurt!" Jehanna gulped, looking anxious now.

Shaking her head Alyssa leaned into Jehanna's ear and whispered, "It feels amazing... like you're about to be bred. Trust me, you're going to love it."

"Are you ready?" John asked, seeing the intense look of lust and curiosity on the Indian girl's face.

She brought her stocking-clad legs up and crossed her calves across his buttocks. "I want to take all of you," she said decisively.

John just thrust forward, applying more pressure as he pushed the broad head of his cock as far inside her as it would go. She yielded for him immediately, her pliant body making way for him and gripping every inch like a fist. Jehanna let out a keening wail as she took him into her womb for the first time, Alyssa's skilful fingers rubbing her clit as she brought her to another shuddering climax.

"Oh God!" Jehanna shrieked, bucking against him as she took every last inch into her stretched body.

John cradled her in his arms, loving her reaction to being stuffed full of his cock, while desperately trying to hold off his own urge to cum. Jehanna was breathing heavily when she came down from her orgasm, clinging to him with her arms and legs both wrapped tight around his body.

"Are you alright?" he asked, brushing her hair away from her flushed face.

She shook her head in wonder. "They warned me... but I didn't believe them."

Giving her a gentle kiss, he pulled back a couple of inches, then hilted himself inside her again. "How was that?" he asked as she moaned in ecstasy.

Jehanna just sobbed, hugging him with all her strength.

"I think she's having a good time," Alyssa said wryly, her fingers trailing over their bodies. "She looks spectacular wrapped around you like this, but she needs to feel your cum filling her womb. Why not give her what she wants so desperately?"

"I want to feel that so much," Jehanna mewled, pulling back to give him a look of yearning.

Alyssa lay down beside them, a gleam of excitement in her eyes. "Of course you do. He's made you hyper-fertile now, like the rest of us when he feeds us cum. Your body is eager and ready to have his baby..."

Jehanna's eyes softened and she kissed John urgently. "Please, I want it..."

Although John had no intention of getting her pregnant at that moment, the thought of her with a huge tummy, his baby growing in her womb was tremendously exciting. He began to build up a steady rhythm, savouring the snug grip of Jehanna's pussy around his cock as she whimpered in ecstasy, totally lost to the intensity of their coupling. She climaxed again and again as he rode her hard, plunging all the way into her depths with every womb-plundering thrust.

There was no way he could hold out, not with Jehanna begging him to cum inside her. With one final thrust, he sheathed his full length inside her and began to cum. Jehanna screamed out her climax as she felt his spunk splashing deep inside her, the long blasts of cum filling her to overflowing. With his hefty girth stretching her tight around him, there was no way all that sperm could escape, so her abdomen began to stretch to accommodate his huge load.

Jehanna thrashed underneath him before falling still, gasping for breath as he pumped her belly full of his cum. Her tummy grew taut as it expanded, the huge weight of cum rounding out her midriff as it continued to grow. When John had finally finished, she looked heavily pregnant, her flawless brown skin curved into a large dome. He eased out of her and collapsed beside her on the bed, breathing heavily from the exertion.

"That was absolutely incredible!" Jehanna panted, staring at John in awe. "Dana wasn't exaggerating... I feel like I've been fucked senseless!"

"Me too..." he replied, giving her a satisfied grin.

Alyssa placed her hand on Jehanna's enormous tummy, tracing the graceful curve with her fingers. "You look amazing..." she purred, looking absolutely delighted.

Jehanna's eyes were like saucers as she gazed down at her massive belly, suddenly aware of the hefty load she was carrying. Gaping at the blonde, she stammered, "Am I...?"

Alyssa began to stroke her soothingly. "No, not yet. You are fertile though and if you and John decide to have a baby together, you're guaranteed to conceive the first time."

Jehanna nodded her understanding, an ambivalent expression on her beautiful face. John saw a slight flicker of disappointment mixed with relief and knew why she felt so conflicted.

John leaned up on one elbow and joined Alyssa in caressing Jehanna's soft brown skin. "Would you like to have children some day?"

She turned to look at him, a gentle, maternal expression on her beautiful face. "Oh yes, definitely. Although, I don't think I'm quite ready for motherhood yet though, I'm still only twenty-six." She faltered then as she added, "But a few minutes ago, I wanted it so much!"

"It's your body reacting to me," John explained, his tone patient and soothing. "Progenitors use women for soldiers and breeding stock. While I've been working hard to undo all the subtle influences I have over a girl when she swallows my cum, there's still a few things that linger on."

Jehanna turned to smile at Alyssa and asked, "So which are you?"

The blonde gave John a loving glance as she replied, "A little of one and eventually a whole lot of the other. The rest of the Lionesses are the same."

"All of them?" Jehanna asked John with a raised eyebrow. "You're going to be one busy Lion looking after all those cubs!"

He smiled at her and replied, "When we can finally settle down, I can't think of anything I'd rather do."

The doe-eyed expression on Jehanna's face was enchanting and he pulled her into his arms as Alyssa snuggled into her too. They lay there for a few minutes just basking in the afterglow while John and Jehanna got their breath back. Eventually Jehanna looked him in the eye and smiled as she asked, "What was it you wanted to talk about anyway?"

He returned her smile. "Just a little light-hearted chat about you, us, our future together..."

She laughed and nuzzled into him. "Sounds like it should be interesting. Go ahead."

Glancing over her shoulder at Alyssa, he said, "I know my lovely Matriarch has been giving you all sorts of titbits of information, but was it all just about sex and the effects of the Gift?"

"She told me about the other Progenitor," Jehanna replied, leaning back to look at Alyssa. "I know you're involved in a much bigger battle than most of humanity is aware of."

"Their whole way of life is at stake," John agreed. "We've seen millennia-old video archives that showed the devastating results of the last Progenitor war. Whole planets were destroyed, billions slain..."

"We're preparing for another war like that," Alyssa said quietly. "I said earlier that I was a little bit of a soldier, but that's not really true, no matter how much John wishes it were. The Lionesses are battle-hardened veterans, gifted with psychic abilities that make us incredibly powerful in combat."

John breathed a heavy sigh and nodded, admitting it to himself as much as Jehanna. "We're trying to narrow the tech gap between ourselves and this other Progenitor, but I'm... struggling... with my heritage. Until I can resolve those problems, we're going to be fighting at a severe disadvantage."

"Am I going to become a soldier too?" Jehanna asked, gazing at him with more than a hint of apprehension.

John shared a look with Alyssa before shaking his head. "The rest of the girls all come from very troubled backgrounds, with Calara the only real exception. We rescued her from slavers and she was badly traumatised, suffering from PTSD that was made worse by her asshole of a CO. I was able to help her recover from that, but it was all very early on, when my own abilities had just started to develop and before I had any real clue what I was doing. I'm very glad everything worked out the way it did, because I love Calara very much, but if I had to do everything again, I would have tried to encourage her to return to her family and her career in the military."

Alyssa stroked Jehanna's thick black hair and asked softly, "You're happy with your life, aren't you? You would struggle with just abandoning everything to join us."

Jehanna looked torn for a moment before she conceded, "I love my job working for TFNN, so giving that up to be with you would be a really tough decision. As thrilling as the idea of running away on an adventure with all of you is, I'd really miss my family too. We're very close."

John smiled at her, nodding his understanding. "That's why I don't want to expose you to the dangerous life we lead, wandering the stars and fighting one desperate battle after another."

"You don't want me?" Jehanna asked, her face falling in disappointment.

He laughed and giving her a reassuring smile he said, "Of course I do! I think you're a wonderful girl and I really enjoy your company. The fact that you're stunningly beautiful certainly doesn't hurt either! As much as I'd love to have you join us, it wouldn't be fair to ask you to give up your current life." He glanced at Alyssa and added, "Why don't you tell Jehanna a little bit about your background before you joined me?"

Alyssa cuddled into Jehanna, almost as if seeking comfort as she said quietly, "I lost both my parents by the time I was six, so I lived in an orphanage for a few years after my father died. It was a terrible place though, so I eventually fled and ended up doing horrible things just to survive. I met Dana when I was fourteen and I used to go scavenging for parts for her in exchange for food. We looked out for each other for years, protected by the gang she made guns for. I was forced to run away on my eighteenth birthday, after I stabbed one of the gangers when he tried to rape me. I met John six months ago because I stowed away on his freighter to escape."

"Alyssa was running from a horrific life," John said, his expression bleak. "The only good thing she left behind on Karron was Dana, and we went back to save her from that godforsaken place."

"You've been through so much... I had no idea," Jehanna said, turning and giving Alyssa a look filled with sympathy. She shook her head in amazement as she continued, "You seem so refined and confident... I would never have guessed you were only eighteen."

"I had to grow up pretty fast," Alyssa said, a sad smile on her face. She glanced at John and added, "I didn't tell you all that because I was looking for sympathy though. John's point was that I had nothing to give up when I chose to join him. Your situation is more complicated."

"So if you don't want me as part of your crew to fight against this Progenitor, why all this talk about giving me time to make up my mind about joining you?" Jehanna asked in confusion.

"I would like you to join us, just not as a crewmember aboard the Invictus, at least not yet," John said gently, brushing his hand against her cheek. "If you do decide you want a long-term future with me and the girls, there might be a way you can have that and not give up your current life."

Jehanna blinked in surprise, then grinned as she blurted out, "You want me to continue working for TFNN!"

He nodded and smiled. "Yes, exactly. Placed where you are, you can help keep public opinion firmly behind us. I've had a few disagreements with Fleet Admiral Buckingham and I'm not sure how much I can trust Admiral Devereux. I'm doing my best to try and help the Terran Federation prepare for the fight to come, and I've given them some new tech to start upgrading their fleets. However, the last thing I need is for the Admirals to turn against me, whether that's due to fear of me and my ship, or greed for the tech they know I have at my disposal. By helping to keep the public and the troops on my side, we'll tie their hands and stop them stirring up trouble."

Jehanna looked flattered, but a flicker of doubt crossed her features. "I'm not sure I have as much influence as you think I do. I can bring my boss exclusives, like the one we just did on Mikaboshi, but there's no guarantee he'll run them. If High Command turns openly hostile, he isn't likely to oppose their official line on events."

John's eyes narrowed and he said shrewdly, "If we can keep the public behind us strongly enough, I don't think High Command will dare oppose me directly like that. Someone I trust pointed out that I made a lot of friends in the fleet with my interventions at Terra and the Battle of Regulus. I saw how the crowd responded at the Award Ceremony, so I played up to that in my speech, trying to build on their loyalty."

"I saw how they reacted," Jehanna agreed. "Those personnel were awestruck; I can't imagine for one moment that anyone there would follow an order to attack you."

John let out a heavy sigh. "That's what I'm pinning my hopes on. Ultimately, I'm trying to forge an alliance between the friendly species in this part of the galaxy: the Maliri, the Ashanath, the Terrans, and hopefully the Trankarans too. Only the Maliri and the Ashanath really understand the threat the other Progenitor presents, and they're both openly allied with me now. The Terran Federation isn't ready for that just yet and I haven't even tried broaching it with the Trankarans."

Jehanna caressed the side of his head with her hand, gently massaging his temple with her fingers. "You're carrying so much on your shoulders," she murmured quietly. "Trying to build alliances between empires, making preparations for a galaxy-wide battle... I'm amazed you can cope with the strain. I'd be crushed under the weight of all that responsibility."

"I guess it's in the blood," John said with a wry smile. He glanced at Alyssa and added, "Fortunately I've got an exceptional group of friends to rely on for support."

She returned his smile. "We're all with you to the end."

"I'd like to be one of those friends too," Jehanna said decisively, gazing into his eyes. "I'll help however I can."

John leaned down to give her a grateful kiss before he said, "There's no need to make that decision right now. I'm about to take all the girls on a much-needed vacation, so use that time to really think it over. I'll come back to Terra after our vacation and if you still want a long-term future with us, then we can look into making your connection to me and Alyssa more permanent."

Alyssa brushed her fingers over Jehanna's tummy. "Make sure you give it some serious thought. If John feeds you twice more, you'll establish a link with me and I'll be able to speak with you telepathically. The long-term consequences for joining us would be: frequent mind-blowing sex with John, me, and the girls, immunity to disease, effective immortality, and settling down to raise a big family."

"You're right, I'll need to think long and hard before I agree to all that," Jehanna said with a grin.

John glanced at his blonde Matriarch, then smiled at Jehanna. "Alyssa's painting a very rosy picture, but there are some downsides. We'll probably end up living in Maliri Space to avoid... complications... about living far beyond a Terran's normal lifespan. You'll outlive all your family and probably won't be able to see them as much as if you lived a normal life here on Terra."

She slowly shook her head in wonder. "You're right... there are ramifications to immortality I'd never even considered before."

"As I say, give it some serious thought," John said, leaning in to give her a tender kiss. "I'll understand if you turn us down, I only ask that you keep everything we've shared with you to yourself. I'm sure I don't need to explain why."

"You can trust me," she said sincerely. "After everything you've done for me, I'd have to be the most ungrateful bitch in the world to betray you."

He gazed into her earnest brown eyes. "I do trust you."

Jehanna gave him a happy smile before looking at each of her bedroom companions in turn. "So what happens now?"

"We're probably in orbit over Terra by now, so we can drop you back at your apartment whenever you're ready," John said, returning her smile. He faltered then and hastily added, "Not that I'm kicking you off the ship or anything! I just thought you might need to get home after we abducted you last night."

"It's okay," she said, kissing him to calm his worries. "You're right, I do have some plans for today. I'm supposed to be meeting my parents for dinner this evening." She glanced down at her huge tummy with a flicker of alarm as she added, "How long am I going to be looking like this exactly?"

"Oh, don't worry about that," Alyssa purred, running her fingers over Jehanna's swollen belly. "I was just letting you enjoy feeling your womb stretched with John's cum."

She glanced over towards the doorway and Tashana glided inside the room, a hungry gleam in her angular violet eyes.

"John's helping me grow stronger," Tashana murmured, slipping her long dress off her shoulders, then climbing onto the bed. "I've been living off his cum for a week now, but I've still got another week to go."

"Would you like to feed her?" Alyssa asked Jehanna, a wicked smile on her lips. "I can guarantee you'll enjoy it. Tashana has lovely soft lips and a very skilful tongue."

Jehanna bit her flushed lower lip, then slowly spread her thighs invitingly, gazing at the blue-skinned Maliri girl over her own cum-stuffed belly.

***

Dana completed a final check to make sure the miniaturised shield-modulator was correctly hooked up to the personal shield generator, nodding to herself as the power readings were within expected limits. She reattached the interior plating to the back of John's Paragon Armour, slotting it home with a satisfying click. Using a series of quick, well-practiced movements, she moved the multi-tool from one mag-bolt to the next, sealing up the panel and then reattached the multi-layered shock-absorbing padding that would protect his back.

Glancing to her right, she called out, "That's me done! How are you getting on?"

"Just hooking up the last shield generator," Jade called back, flashing her a brilliant smile.

Dana stepped away from John's armour equipping frame and walked over to the busy Nymph who was working on a female variant of the armour. "You seem in an especially good mood this afternoon," the redhead noted with an airy lilt to her voice.

"Jehanna's a lovely girl," Jade said happily. "She'll make a fine mother for John's children."

"She's a hot piece of ass alright," Dana said, grinning in agreement. She leaned against the armour equipping frame and let out a happy sigh. "Just imagine when we're all knocked up. I can't wait to see Rachel with a huge baby bump!"

Jade paused for a moment then leaned out of the armour to gently place her dark-green hand on the redhead's bare midriff. "I must confess, I'm really looking forward to seeing you the same way. John's nearly as fond of you as I am, Dana."

The redhead blushed, then fanned herself with her hand with an embarrassed giggle. "Look at me, you're making me as bad as Sakura!"

"You must be looking forward to another two weeks with him," Jade said, giving the redhead a knowing smile, before ducking her head back into the armour again.

"That first time feels like so long ago," Dana said a wistful look in her eyes. Her voice sounded full of longing as she added in a whisper, "Just gazing into his eyes and being the absolute centre of his attention as he filled my tummy with cum, over and over again. I'm not going to lie, I've been dreaming about it for weeks."

"I know what you mean," Jade replied, her muffled voice just about audible over the clicks and whirs of her multi-tool. "I was lucky though, I had so much time alone with him during the two-week refit at Genthalas."

"Weren't you feeding twenty Maliri engineers each time then?" Dana asked in confusion, resting her head against the armoured vambrace set against the wall.

"But he was inside my body, allowing me to pleasure him," Jade replied with a dreamy sigh. "Every time he told me I was his good little Nymph... I thought I'd died and gone to heaven!"

"I didn't know you were religious, Jade?" Dana mumbled distractedly, but her attention was drawn to the crystal Alyssium vambrace beside her cheek and she didn't hear what the Nymph said in reply.

The sparkling white metal looked different somehow, more detailed... it was as if she could make out the individual elements in the metal and the bonds linking them together. She remembered that same sensation when Athena had filled her with psychic energy and activated her third helix. Staring at the metal in fascination, she reached out with her hand to touch it, watching as even more detailed information appeared. Her view into the metal delved deeper, until she could see the atoms forming the structure, the patterns they formed... she'd never seen anything like it.

She noticed what seemed to be distortions in that lattice, weaknesses and imperfections that she knew would affect the tensile strength of the armour plating. Working more by hunch than any kind of well-reasoned process, she imagined what the structure would look like if it was completely flawless.

The metal in the vambrace seemed to ripple and a fluid wave swept through the armour plating, the intricate atomic structure leaping to obey her will. Jerking her hand back in surprise, she leaned closer, staring at the armoured vambrace in wonder. The uniformity of the lattice was breathtaking to behold and she lost herself in its exquisite perfection. That was, until a soft touch to her arm made her jump in surprise.

"Your eyes are glowing!" Jade exclaimed, her voice full of concern. "Are you alright?"

Dana blinked at her, looking startled. "Yeah, I'm fine, but this shit is amazing!" Quickly detaching the vambrace from the armour-equipping frame, she turned around and ran for the grav-tube leading down to Deck Nine. She called back over her shoulder, "I'm going to run some tests! Come and meet me in my workshop when you're done!"

Jade watched the redhead as she dived into the grav-tube and disappeared from sight. She shook her head in amusement and went back to finishing the shield upgrade to the last of the Paragon suits. That was one part of her life that she really loved; working for the Grand Engineering Overlord was certainly never dull!

***

Seated around a huge new purpose-built meeting table aboard Genthalas station, the assembled Maliri Matriarchs gazed up at the holographic Empire Map, floating above the centre of the room. The map was focused on the lower reaches of Maliri Space, specifically highlighting the border with the Kintark Empire. The bulk of that border fringed the edge of House Loraleth territory and their coronet sigil was emblazoned across the area in blue.

"I've received reports of extensive fleet movements along the border," Kali Loraleth said anxiously, before looking towards the map and pressing a button on a remote.

Edraele carefully studied the image as House Loraleth's sensor net was super-imposed over the area marking their territory. The advanced Maliri sensors extended well beyond that boundary, encroaching some considerable distance into the Kintark Empire. Flight paths began to appear, showing what appeared to be the arrival of new fleets all along the border, each one linking up with the existing defensive formations.

Kali looked at her House's territory with a worried frown and said, "Most of my forces have been stripped from the border for the refit at Genthalas. Could the Kintark be seeking to exploit that vulnerability?"

"They can't seriously be planning an attack?" Valani Naestina blurted out, sounding bewildered. "Such a move would be suicidal!"

Leena Ghilwen nodded in agreement with her friend. "The Kintark Empire has only just established a tentative truce with the Terran Federation. I can't imagine for one moment that they would consider open warfare with us."

"I thought the Kintark had suffered significant Fleet losses against the Terrans?" Tsarra Perfaren asked, darting a curious glance towards Edraele. "They can hardly be best placed to launch another offensive."

"That's correct," Edraele confirmed, examining the fleet manoeuvres with interest. "When John intervened to save the Terran fleet at Regulus, the Kintark lost hundreds of heavy vessels. However, from the limited intelligence my spies managed to ascertain before the Kintark borders were closed, the Emperor still has a considerable reserve force at his disposal."

There was a moment of quiet as the assembled matriarchs considered that revelation. House Romenor's Matriarch looked at Kali with concern and asked, "Is it possible that he's moving those reserves to strike at House Loraleth?"

"The Kintark Emperor is an enigma and I cannot claim to know his mind," Edraele said cautiously. She slowly shook her head as she continued, "But to commit those forces to battle would be reckless indeed and initiating hostilities against us would demonstrate a complete abandonment of all reason. I strongly suspect that he has something else in mind."

"Should I move my forces to the Kintark border?" Kali asked. "Perhaps a show of force will dissuade them from initiating hostilities?"

Edraele considered it for a moment then shook her head. "Half your fleet is already in drydock; continue with the refit as planned. If the Kintark should attack in the next few days, then I'll repurpose the fleet I intend to send to Ashana. With the upgraded Tachyon Drives those ships have been equipped with, they'll be able to strike at the Kintark within three days."

"And if they attack after that fleet has departed?" Kali asked anxiously, glancing towards the centre of Maliri Space, the location of Genthalas station and all her fleet.

Edraele pressed a couple of buttons on the console in front of her, showing the planned patrol routes for the newly-upgraded House Valaden Fleets. "The rest of House Valaden's ships are in the final stages of their refit. As soon as they're ready, I'll be dispersing them to patrol the boundaries of Maliri Space, including the border with the Kintark. If the Emperor has gone insane and launches an offensive, I will order my patrol ships to fight a delaying action. Even massively outnumbered, their upgraded speed and firepower will inflict significant losses on the Kintark, slowing down any potential invasion. That will allow more time for your fleet to complete their refit and launch a deadly counterattack."

Gaenna Baelora glanced at Edraele with a look of respect. "It's a sound plan. The Kintark wouldn't be able to penetrate deep enough into Maliri Space to threaten any populated worlds, not before we exterminate them for their impudence."

Edraele smiled at her graciously, then said, "I'll keep John appraised of the situation and let all of you know if he suggests an alternate approach." She turned to look at Kali once again. "Keep a close eye on the Kintark forces. If you should see any reports of larger numbers massing along the border then inform me immediately. Otherwise, I think it wise to just observe them for the time being. Let's not disrupt the schedule for the refit of our forces unless absolutely necessary."

Kali looked greatly relieved. "I'll stay in close contact with my Fleet Commander and let you know if anything changes. Thank you, Edraele."

"You're quite welcome, my dear," Edraele replied, giving her a kind smile. She looked at the rest of the Matriarchs and continued, "As we discussed yesterday, John has suggested increasing trade between ourselves and the Terran Federation. Have any of you made any decisions regarding the exclusivity of the trade goods each of your Houses specialises in?"

A number of the newer Matriarchs to the alliance appeared ambivalent, struggling between their eagerness to assist John and centuries-long history of coveting their Houses' speciality resources.

The House Holaris Matriarch lifted her chin to get Edraele's attention. "I've discussed your proposal with my advisors. While they concede that the lowering of tariffs between our Houses has seen an immediate boom in trade revenues, they are still strongly against trading the prized wines of House Holaris. However, I would like to discuss it further with you in private."

"Of course, we can speak after this meeting," Edraele said, rising from her chair. "With that matter dealt with, I believe that concludes our business for the day, ladies."

The Maliri Matriarchs rose from their chairs then walked from the meeting room, speaking pleasantly with one another as they left. Edraele exchanged smiles with the other women as they passed by, secretly marvelling at the radical transformation in their behaviour. Mere months ago, such a meeting would have ended up with several of these women trying to gouge each other's eyes out. Before the Young Matriarchs assumed control of their Houses, most of their predecessors would have been lining up to attack Edraele herself.

Edraele smiled at the Matriarch of House Holaris as she stood beside her. "Emandra, let's meet in my study and we can discuss your proposal."

Emandra fell into step beside her, appearing slightly nervous as they walked along the corridor and out into the Lounge area of Edraele's suite. The door to Edraele's plush study opened as they approached and the House Valaden Matriarch gestured for her guest to proceed inside.

"Please, take a seat," Edraele said politely, gesturing to one of the chaise lounges in the study. She walked over to the table between the two long sofas and gestured to the bottle of wine. "This is from the crate of that exquisite Holaris wine you gave me as a gift. Would you like a glass?"

"That would be quite fitting considering the subject of discussion," Emandra replied, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

Edraele poured out two glasses of the amber liquid then handed one to her fellow Matriarch. Rather than sit on the opposite chaise lounge, she sat beside the other woman, turning in her seat to study her as she sipped her wine. Emandra was slightly older than herself, perhaps by a couple of decades, the lines around her eyes revealing her advance through middle-age. She had magenta eyes that stared back at her intently and a short shock of white hair, courtesy of John's brief meeting with the new Matriarchs before he rushed away to save Ashana.

"The vineyards on your homeworld are a rare treasure," Edraele said, after savouring the wine's delicious flavour. "I can see why your advisors would urge you to caution."

Emandra took a sip herself then nodded distractedly. There was a slight flush of embarrassment to her cheeks as she gazed at Edraele, the woman obviously unsure how to broach her terms.

Giving her an understanding smile, Edraele placed the glass on the table then folded her hands in her lap. "Although, I imagine that for someone from House Holaris, such an exquisite beverage might well have lost its charm over the decades. For the Matriarch herself, who was able to sample the very best her House had to offer, a wine like this might seem... dare I say... mundane?"

"That's true," Emandra conceded. "Although I do enjoy the finest of Holaris wines, I must admit they've recently lost their usual appeal."

Edraele arched an eyebrow as she added, "Perhaps an epicure such as yourself might be seeking to taste the truly exotic once again?"

Flushing a darker shade of blue, Emandra appeared startled at how perceptive Edraele had been. She smiled hopefully at her fellow Matriarch and asked, "Do you think that might be a possibility? I must admit I've been impressed and somewhat envious of the sudden... flush of youth... you seem to be experiencing as a result of such exotic fare."

Returning her smile, Edraele replied, "I'm sure if we ask politely, John might be amenable to the idea. He's a very accommodating man and always eager to help his friends."

The House Holaris Matriarch looked thrilled and she gazed into Edraele's eyes as she took another sip from her drink. "You can be certain that House Holaris is a friend of House Blake. I think my advisors need to be reminded that we're fully embracing this wonderful new era of cooperation. Would you be so kind as to tell John that I'll be delighted to begin trade of Holaris wines as soon as his new trade network is established?"

Bowing her head graciously, Edraele said, "I'm sure he'll be overjoyed to hear that news. Knowing that he has strong allies that will be standing at his side for the many long years to come will be a tremendous relief, I'm sure."

Emandra's angular magenta eyes sparkled with excitement and she couldn't help licking her lips with anticipation.

***

The Raptor's retro-thrusters flared quietly for a moment, bringing the gunship to a gentle stop on the landing-pad atop Jehanna's apartment building. The front-loading ramp had already started to descend, and John walked down to the roof hand-in-hand with the dusky reporter.

"Can you get to your apartment from here?" John asked, glancing around the rooftop garden that flanked the landing area. "We didn't think to grab any keycards when we left last night."

Jehanna pointed towards a small building on the corner of the roof. "I'll be fine. The elevator over there has a DNA scanner, so no keys required."

He nodded thoughtfully, then looked at her and smiled. "Is it just me or did this suddenly get a bit awkward and formal?"

She laughed and wrapped her arms around him. "It did, but I'm not entirely sure why." She leaned in so that she could whisper in his ear, "I had a wonderful time with you. Thank you for letting me into your life and placing so much trust in me, it means a lot."

John stroked her back as he embraced her. "I loved spending time with you too. I'll let you know when we'll be heading back to Terra, but it'll be at least a week. Promise me you'll think hard about my offer?"

Jehanna gave him a passionate kiss, then said, "I doubt I'll be able to think about anything else..."

They reluctantly separated and John smiled at her as he said, "You should be getting inside, it's cold up on this rooftop. I'll keep an eye on you until you're safely indoors."

After a final parting kiss, she walked away, glancing over her shoulder at him several times as she made her way across the rooftop. John watched her glide down the steps to the garden area and head over to the elevator. Jehanna pressed the button to call it, then waved goodbye as the doors opened and she stepped inside. Once she was gone from sight, he turned and strode back up the ramp into the Raptor, hitting the button at the top to raise the loading ramp.

"Was it hard to say goodbye?" Faye asked sympathetically, after appearing in a purple flash.

He was startled by the winged girl's sudden appearance, but he shrugged that off and replied, "Surprisingly so, but it was definitely the right thing to do. I have to give her a chance to walk away if this kind of life isn't something she really wants. Jehanna's different from the rest of you and doesn't need quite so much rescuing."

"That's true, I wouldn't even exist today if you hadn't rescued me from the hacking deck," Faye said, her luminous eyes gazing at him intently.

"I can't take the credit for that, Dana and Irillith did all the hard work on your new server," John said, giving her an affectionate smile. "Besides, that was for very selfish reasons."

She looked at him curiously and asked, "Selfish reasons? Your actions seemed quite selfless to me."

Leaning forward he whispered conspiratorially, "Having to set up rotas to watch the Bridge would have been a huge pain in the ass! With our lovely Watch Commander looking out for us, I've been sleeping like a baby instead of being stuck with the graveyard shift every night."

His irreverent tone triggered a special expedited execution call in her humour detection programs, letting her know that he was joking. Faye had a choice between one of eighteen different set responses and she selected a cute giggle in less than a nanosecond. Subsequent analysis of his joke informed her that there was an eighty-seven percent chance that he was using self-deprecating humour to lighten the mood of the conversation, so she chose her following response accordingly.

"It is important you get your beauty sleep," Faye replied, her eyes twinkling as she grinned at him.

John chuckled at her joke, then glanced at the loading ramp. "How long until we arrive on the Invictus?"

"Just under a minute. When we've docked with the ship, would you like me to set course for New Eden or Jericho?" Faye asked him politely.

"Neither actually. Just hold position in orbit around Terra for the moment, please," John replied, looking thoughtful. "I want to speak to Irillith when we arrive on the Invictus, I need her help to track somebody down..."

***

"Okay, let's see what you've got," Alyssa said, gesturing out over the Lagoon. She reached across to place her other hand on Tashana's rounded blue tummy, winking at her encouragingly. "You should find your abilities even easier to control loaded up like this."

The two bikini-clad women were sitting on the edge of the bridge arching over the huge pool, their long bare legs dangling over the side. Tashana had a look of burning anticipation in her violet eyes as she held out her right hand, her pupils dilating as fire burst into life around her fingers.

Tilting her head to one side, she gazed at the orange zephyr as it danced down her fingers then writhed on her palm. Gazing at the fire as if entranced, she murmured, "It's so beautiful..."

Alyssa glanced at her and gave her a playful nudge with her elbow. "You'll have to try a bit harder than that to impress me!"

Tashana shook herself out of her daze, then smiled at the blonde. Closing her eyes for a moment, she focused her willpower, shaping and adding form to the flickering flame. When she opened her violet orbs once more, she smiled with satisfaction as the blaze divided into two, each ethereal flame looking more substantial by the second. The twin tongues of fire began to take on a very familiar shape, with slender limbs and the tell-tale curves of the female form. Soon two orange flame-sprites stood on her palm, both elemental girls slowly dancing to music that only they could hear.

"Mmm, much better," Alyssa replied, watching with approval.

Tashana glanced at her, her violet eyes glowing now. "I haven't finished yet..."

The two fiery girls turned to face each other, linking blazing arms around each other's burning bodies as they danced together. They undulated with a sensual rhythm, leaving Alyssa unclear if they were dancing or making love. It was even harder to make that distinction when the flame sprites moved in for a kiss, their elemental bodies burning brighter at the sizzling contact.

"They remind me of a couple of friends of mine," Alyssa said with a knowing smile. "My sexy twins are much hotter though."

Tashana didn't reply, but she briefly made eye contact before focusing on her elemental sculpture once again. She lifted her left hand, palm upwards, placing it against her right. A bigger flame manifested above that second hand, slowly changing shape into another familiar form. The fiery girls parted and sauntered over to the brawny male figure, both of them dancing with him now as he put an arm around each of them.

Alyssa was amazed by the definition of these fiery creatures, spotting pointed ears with flickering tips amongst the detail that Tashana had layered on. The flame-nymphs took turns kissing each other, looks of ecstasy on their tiny faces. Alyssa glanced across at the Maliri girl sitting beside her, and noticed the hint of a contented smile on Tashana's full lips.

Slipping an arm around her waist, Alyssa noted, "Your elemental control is extremely impressive. Have you been practicing?"

"A little, here and there," Tashana murmured, watching the cavorting palm sprites. "I find it soothing to watch the flames..."

Alyssa watched the fiery threesome in fascination as their coupling got progressively more debauched. The tableau ended with the two girls lying together, kissing passionately as their male counterpart took them both vigorously, one after the other. When they reached their climax, both female sprites had heavily-curved orange tummies as they flanked their man. The trio took a theatrical bow towards their audience before they guttered out with a faint "whumph".

Clapping in delight, Alyssa grinned at Tashana as the flames disappeared, the blazing violet glow fading from the Maliri girl's eyes. Tashana smiled back at her, pleased with her friend's obvious enjoyment of her spontaneous piece of psychic performance art.

"I don't know what was better, watching the fiery representations of you and Irillith fucking John, or knowing that's what you've been fantasising about," Alyssa said, a teasing sparkle to her eyes.

Tashana couldn't help blushing at that, but she saw there was no malice in her blonde friend's comment. She turned slightly towards her and said, "I know it should feel wrong, but it just feels so right..."

Leaning closer Alyssa whispered, "All the girls think it's really hot and I know John loves seeing you two together. As long as you're enjoying yourselves, that's all that matters." Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied her blue-skinned companion. "How are you feeling after everything that happened at the nightclub?"

Tashana was surprised by the abrupt change of subject and she took a moment before answering, trying to give her Matriarch as honest an answer as possible. "Disappointed, if I'm being truthful," she finally admitted, glancing towards the blonde girl.

Alyssa's expression shadowed with guilt, the bright smile wiped from her beautiful face. "I'm really sorry I left you exposed to danger like that!" Looking anguished, she continued, "I should have-"

Quickly pulling the distraught teenager into her arms, a shocked Tashana shushed her into silence. "Please don't be upset! I promise I didn't mean it that way at all... I wasn't talking about you," she said, giving Alyssa a reassuring hug. When the blonde girl went quiet, she added, "I was disappointed in myself for not reacting in time. At the very least, I should have been able to create a Pyrokinetic barrier to protect myself and Irillith. Sakura managed it with an ice barrier, so I don't have any excuse. If I'd really been on the case, I might have even been able to suppress that explosion."

"You can't blame yourself for that," Alyssa replied, placing a gentle kiss on Tashana's cheek. "You're only just learning your abilities. Besides, Sakura's got many years of combat experience to rely on."

"I do as well," Tashana replied quietly. Her violet eyes looked conflicted as she continued, "Maybe I should ask John to remove that mental barrier in my mind? Then I'd be able to access all those memories of fighting in the Unclaimed Wastes. I can't have become that skilled with pistols without having fought in dozens of battles."

Alyssa studied the Maliri girl for a long moment, before finally reaching up to stroke Tashana's temple. "You don't want all that in your head," she said, her tone quiet and sympathetic. "Trust me, you should leave all that buried in the past. It might take longer to build up combat experience this way, but John can protect your mind and stop you from being traumatised. If you keep experiencing tiny snippets of memories like you have been, we can help you deal with them a bit at a time."

"Was it really as bad as all that?" Tashana asked, a troubled look in her eyes.

"You suffered more than all the rest of us put together," Alyssa replied, hugging Tashana close. She hesitated for a second, then added, "Except perhaps Jade, but she won't talk about what happened to her. In any case, her mind works differently to ours and she seems to have just brushed off all the torture she endured as a slave."

Tashana met Alyssa's wary gaze, her own expression solemn. "Part of me really wants to know what happened. It's odd getting sudden flashbacks and then realising they're memories from experiences I never knew I had."

"It must be unsettling," Alyssa agreed, a flicker of doubt in her eyes. She sighed before continuing, "All those terrible experiences really changed your personality though. You were filled with hate and rage, becoming very bitter; which is all perfectly understandable considering the awful things that happened to you. The lovely girl sitting with me now is the way you should have been if you hadn't been banished and I really don't want to lose that person. John's already very fond of you and I am too."

"So leave Pandora's box firmly closed?" Tashana asked, giving the blonde a tentative smile.

"I think that's probably for the best," Alyssa replied, her tone firm. Her eyes twinkled as she added, "Although playing with Tashana's box has been lots of fun."

The Maliri girl took a moment to understand the lewd innuendo and she blushed as she remembered what the Terran slang meant. With a tinkling laugh she exclaimed, "John's right! You really are incorrigible!"

"But it made you laugh and that's always wonderful to hear," Alyssa said, releasing the Maliri girl from her embrace. She turned towards the Lagoon and said, "Now, I didn't bring you down here to all this water just to see your sexy blue ass in a bikini! Let's get back to your training. You've shown me what excellent control you've got over your favourite element, but now I want to see something a lot... bigger."

Tashana gave her a beaming grin, that burning gleam in her eyes once again. She turned towards the artificial lake, both hands igniting with roaring flames.

***

Calara and Sakura circled each other on the training mats, each girl watching the other warily in case of attack. The Latina was the first to strike, darting forward to lash out with a quick one-two punch combo that forced Sakura on the defensive. She blocked both blows, then skipped backwards, pivoting at the last second to launch a kick at Calara's chest.

Catching Sakura's foot, Calara dropped and swept out the Asian girl's other leg, bringing her down to the mat with a crash. She didn't rush in to finish her, but walked over and knelt down beside her opponent instead.

"You're very distracted this afternoon," she said gently, looking down into Sakura's brown eyes.

Sakura had started to sit up but she paused and just flopped back on the mat instead, gazing up at the teak-wood ceiling of the Dojo. Calara waited patiently beside her, reaching down to clasp the Asian girl's hand in a supportive gesture.

"It doesn't feel like I thought it would," Sakura finally admitted, turning her head to gaze at Calara with a troubled look in her eyes.

"You got your revenge and executed Mikaboshi for his crimes, ruining his life's work in the process," Calara said, her voice soft and sympathetic. "Isn't that enough?"

Sakura let out a despondent sigh. "It should be... But so much of me was focused on hating him for everything he did, I just feel... hollow... now he's gone." She looked quizzically at Calara and added, "How do you feel now you've brought Rupert Grant to justice? From what I've heard, he put you through a terrible ordeal before John and Alyssa rescued you."

Calara looked away into the distance, gazing at the mist-shrouded mountains surrounding the Dojo as she tried to describe her own feelings. "Truthfully, I was so focused on my duties about the ship that I've not even thought about Grant in months. There's been one series of battles after another, then I got absorbed in rooting out the Dragon March traitors and recently I've been coordinating huge fleet engagements... it's all been so hectic. I suppose there's a sense of closure now we've hunted him down, but in the grand scheme of things, he just wasn't worth worrying about. The threat the Progenitor poses makes Rupert Grant seem like an irritating little bug."

"I wish I had that same sense of perspective," Sakura murmured with a mournful sigh.

Shaking her head, Calara said, "Everything you went through was orders of magnitude more horrific than my brief capture by pirates. You had every right to want Mikaboshi dead after what he did to you and your family." She looked thoughtful for a moment, then added, "I think you need to see something positive come out of finishing Mikaboshi. Perhaps then, you can just let it go and move on."

Sakura was quiet for a long moment until her expression lightened a little. "That's actually very astute advice, thank you."

"I can't take the credit, it came from Alyssa. She said John has something in mind that might help," Calara admitted, giving her friend a supportive smile. "For what it's worth, I wholeheartedly agree with her."

Sakura sat up, then gave Calara a grateful hug before rising to her feet. "Thank you, it was helpful to talk."

"Any time," Calara said, accepting Sakura's hand and standing too.

"I don't feel like fighting with you at the moment," Sakura said, gently squeezing the other girl's hand. "Shall we go and make dinner for everyone instead?"

The Latina gave her a warm smile, then said enthusiastically, "That sounds like a lovely idea! Have you got anything in mind?"

"I'd love some Okonomiyaki. Do you know how to make that?" Sakura asked, looking hopeful.

"No, but I can find out the recipe easily enough!" Calara replied, as they walked out of the Dojo hand-in-hand.

***

John walked out onto the Bridge, his eyes instantly drawn to Irillith's shapely form where she sat at her IntOps station. The Maliri girl was reclining in the plush chair, her eyes flicking across holographic screens that were cycling through data so quickly, he was barely able to read the first line before the data changed. Walking over to her, he squatted down beside the distracted girl, wondering if he'd be able to get her attention.

"John! This is a nice surprise," Irillith said, turning his way and giving him a brilliant smile.

"Likewise, beautiful," he replied, leaning in to give her a kiss. She let out a happy sigh and kissed him back, crossing her wrists behind his neck.

John savoured the long, loving kiss, then looked at her curiously when they finally parted. "I meant to ask you before: How come you're able to enter the Cyber-realm and still interact with us at the same time? I thought it was one or the other; is this something new?"

Irillith nodded, looking pleased with herself. "After a bit of trial and error, I realised I didn't need to throw my whole mind into the Astral plane and could concentrate on both simultaneously."

"Doesn't that get really confusing?" John asked, shaking his head in amazement. "I've no idea how you can manage that!" He glanced behind him to look at the screens and was surprised to see that they had now gone dark.

"You're very distracting... I lost focus," Irillith explained, looking at the deactivated holo-screens with a self-conscious smile. "I've grown more powerful recently, but concentrating on both the Cyber-realm and my actual surroundings is still taking a little getting used to."

John nodded thoughtfully. "It's good to hear you're getting stronger. Have you been deliberately pushing yourself to improve your abilities?"

She gave him a coy look, taking one of his hands in hers and guiding it to rest on her slender stomach. "Since Tashana joined the crew, I've also been enjoying some extra attention from a certain Progenitor friend of mine." Arching an eyebrow, she added, "If I didn't know better, I'd have to assume he's been taking a perverse delight in feeding me and my sister together."

John caressed her stomach with a broad grin on his face. "Guilty as charged!" He looked apprehensive a moment later as he added, "I hope you don't feel like I've been ignoring you as an individual though. I freely admit, I love the fact that you and Tashana are twins, but I don't want you to feel that's overshadowing my time with just you."

Irillith gave him a warm smile as she pulled him in for another tender kiss, then whispered in his ear, "Being with Tashana is very exciting for me too! Don't worry, I'll tell you if I feel like I'm being neglected."

Feeling greatly relieved, John eased back on his haunches, giving the Maliri girl an appreciative smile. "You're a very cool lady, did you know that?"

Her violet eyes glittered with amusement. "You're thinking of Sakura. I'm the electrifying one, remember?"

There was a glint in his eyes as he said, "I always felt like there was a spark between us."

"I'd be shocked if you said otherwise, I was drawn to you from the start," she replied, her sensuous mouth lifting into a grin.

"I couldn't be happier with the current state of our relationship," he agreed.

Irillith groaned at that one, then burst into laughter, John joining in with her.

When they'd settled down again, she smiled at him and asked, "What brings you up here anyway? I assume it wasn't to make bad puns."

"I wanted to ask for your help with tracking someone down, but I wasn't planning on being such a disruption. What are you working on at the moment?" he replied with interest, sliding his hand through the slit in the side of her dress and resting it on her toned thigh.

Her skin felt deliciously soft and he enjoyed the feel of her athletic physique as he caressed her. A few telltale signs gave away her favourable response to his touch: A slightly deeper intake of breath, the sudden flare of her pupils, and a slight flush to her cheeks. Irillith bit her lip for a moment as his hand inched higher and he could feel her shifting in her seat, the muscles rippling under his questing fingers.

Arching an eyebrow, he asked playfully, "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

Irillith laughed and shook her head. "Jade's down in Engineering with Dana and Rachel." With his spell temporarily broken, she closed her beautiful angular eyes for a second, then reactivated the holo-screens in front of her. "I'm actually working through the list of Mikaboshi's victims and trying to find their next of kin."

"Ah," John replied, suddenly feeling awkward groping the beautiful woman while she was working on something delicate like that. He tactfully removed his hand and looked at her quizzically. "It sounds like it's not been an easy task?"

She watched his sudden discomfort with amusement, then glanced at the screen with a frown. "You're right, it's a little more complex than I initially assumed. A considerable number of Mikaboshi's killings went back so many years, it's been proving difficult to find any living direct descendants. In other cases, whole families were wiped out, and there were also a significant number of gang-related contracts, with criminals being the only potential recipient of reparations."

He gave her a sympathetic look. "I have full faith in your judgement, but I'm happy to help if you want my advice on anything."

"I'm assuming no handouts to career criminals?" Irillith asked him speculatively.

John's tone was grim as he replied, "Occupational hazard. They get nothing."

She glanced at the screen and scores of contacts were struck off her list. "I assumed as much, but just wanted to check. In the other cases, I'll search for surviving relatives with due diligence, but if I can't find anyone, then I'll just allocate that money between the pool of people I can track down."

"Sounds like you've got everything well in hand," John said, smiling his approval. "Not that I doubted that for a moment."

Irillith glowed under his praise, then rapidly scanned through the list containing hundreds of names. "I should be able to complete the list in a day or so," she said with satisfaction. Glancing at John again, she raised an eyebrow. "So, who was this person you wanted me to find?"

***

Most of the crew had already gathered in the Officers' Lounge by the time John arrived with Irillith on his arm, Dana the only one still missing. He escorted the Maliri girl to her seat beside Tashana, pulling the chair out for her to sit down. She smiled at him for his chivalry, then took her seat, turning to embrace her sister as she did so. John brushing his fingers across Tashana's bare shoulder, then walked over to take his seat.

"This looks amazing!" he exclaimed, looking at the wide array of Japanese cuisine. He glanced at Sakura as she left the kitchen, carrying a platter of tightly-wrapped sushi and gave her a curious frown. "I thought you said you couldn't cook?"

"I'm still hopeless," Sakura replied with a grin. She glanced at Calara as she appeared a moment later, a bowl full of fluffy boiled rice in her hands. "You have Calara to thank for all this."

"Actually, Sakura chose all the dishes and I just searched for the recipes on the holo-net," the Latina admitted, glancing down at the aromatic food. She placed the big bowl on the table then crossed fingers on both hands. "I followed the recipes to the letter, but I've no idea how any of this will taste!"

She took her seat beside John, smiling at him when he leaned over to give her a kiss in greeting.

When he looked around the table again, he glanced at the empty seat to Alyssa's right. "What's happened to Sparks?"

Alyssa gave him a knowing smile. "You'll find out in about five seconds."

He turned to look at the door, mentally counting down the time. Right on cue, the doors swished open and Dana burst through, her eyes glowing gold. "Holy fuck guys!" she blurted out, bounding across the room. "You've got to see this shit, it's crazy!"

John pointed to the empty chair. "Eat first, then you can show us whatever you like."

Rachel grinned at her lover and patted the empty seat beside her. "I saved you a spot."

"Aw, c'mon!" Dana whined, the golden glow from her pupils slowly fading.

Stubbornly shaking his head, John glanced at the plate of grilled savoury pancakes and replied, "Nope, it's time for dinner. I'm about to try Okonomiyaki for the first time, so you'll just have to be patient and wait until after we've eaten."

"How did you know what it was?" Sakura asked in surprise.

He smiled at her affectionately. "When you told me they were your favourite, I looked up the recipe the first chance I had. I see Calara got the same instructions as I did: Green onions so finely chopped you can't tell they're there?"

"You remembered!" Sakura replied, looking touched.

"Sorry I stole your thunder," Calara apologised with a frown. "I didn't know you were planning to make them for her."

John waved away her concern and said, "It's okay, Sakura knows how much I love her."

The Asian girl bobbed her head in agreement, blushing as she met his gaze.

The plate of Okonomiyaki was the first dish John tried, and he hummed his appreciation after the first bite. "You're right! These are delicious!" he said with enthusiasm, darting a glance at Sakura, then smiling in gratitude to Calara.

Sakura tried some herself, and she closed her eyes in bliss after taking the first bite. When her lovely almond eyes opened again, they were already welling up with tears.

"I'm sorry..." she mumbled, voice thick with emotion as she rose from her chair.

Darting John a grief-stricken glance, she walked briskly away, stifling a sob as she rushed out of the Officers' Lounge. Everyone was out of their seats and ready to go after her, but John waved them back. "Let me go, it's okay."

Leaving behind the concerned faces around the dinner table, he hurried after the upset girl, his enhanced hearing picking up the sound of her crying from her bedroom. He didn't knock and just entered as soon as the door opened, walking across the room to sit beside Sakura on the bed.

"I-I couldn't stay...so sorry," she wept. "Just tasting that again... it brought it all back... my mom..."

"Shh," John said quietly, wrapping her in his arms. "We all understand. You don't have to hold it in any longer..."

Sakura cried out her grief, tears pouring down her face as she mourned for her lost parents. John held her and murmured sympathetic words, while she sobbed wretchedly about never having a chance to say goodbye to her mother or father. He felt a lump in his throat to see her so distraught, but he knew she needed this release, having bound up all her grief and suppressed it with her hatred for Mikaboshi.

Eventually her grief ran its course and her tears dried up, Sakura just leaning into him for support. He stroked the exhausted young woman's silky black hair until she fell asleep in his arms, then lay her back so he could pull the covers up over her. The door to her bedroom swished open a moment later and Alyssa padded into the room.

*Why don't you go and get something to eat? I'll stay and keep an eye on Sakura,* she said telepathically, climbing onto the bed beside him.

John gave Alyssa a grateful kiss, then paused for a second as he glanced at the sleeping Asian girl, his expression thoughtful.

Alyssa gave him a tender smile. *That's a lovely idea. I'll look up the address and reach out to the current owners to make sure we can have the place to ourselves.*

*Thanks, beautiful,* he replied, pausing to kiss Sakura on the forehead, before climbing off the bed and walking from the room.

When he returned to the Officers' Lounge, the lighting had been lowered to a pleasant background glow, throwing long shadows across the room. Calara was sitting on the sofas watching a news report on the holo-net, but she turned off the screen when she heard the door open.

"I'm sorry I missed dinner," John said, giving her a rueful smile. "It looked and smelled wonderful."

"Don't worry about that, I've saved us plenty," the Latina said, as she rose from her seat and walked with him towards the kitchen. "How's Sakura doing?"

"She cried herself to sleep," John replied, sharing a sympathetic look with the brunette.

Calara paused when she reached the door to the kitchen an anguished expression on her face. "I had no idea the meal would upset Sakura like that... She seemed so sad and I just wanted to do something nice for her."

"You did. She'd been bottling up all that emotion for months," John said, pulling Calara into his arms. "She needed to properly mourn her parents and she wasn't able to while she was so desperate for revenge."

The Latina nodded her understanding and they shared a brief kiss. John opened the door for her and she entered the kitchen with him following close behind. He leaned against the worktop then watched as Calara walked over to the dishes on the central table and began serving up. She put some of each type of food onto two separate plates, then walked over to the reheating unit and slid the plates into the open compartments in the device.

"Dinner was that good you want seconds?" John asked, grinning as he watched her activate the machine.

"Everyone said they really enjoyed it, but I decided to wait for you. I didn't want you to eat alone," she said, giving him a loving smile.

John was suddenly overwhelmed with affection for the young woman. He'd been feeling in a somewhat raw emotional state himself after comforting Sakura, but with the weight of all the recent events as well, he felt a tightness in his chest as he gazed at the Latina. Crossing the kitchen in three strides, he wrapped his arms around Calara and hugged her fiercely.

"I nearly lost you!" he exclaimed, his voice rough as he held her.

She hugged him back, but shook her head adamantly. "You'd never let that happen. I wasn't scared when Mikaboshi captured me, not really. You're always there to make everything better, no matter what!"

The total conviction in her voice left him reeling, Calara's steadfast faith in him was as touching as it was daunting.

*Her loyalty and love for you is absolute,* Alyssa told him gently. He could feel the remorse in her voice as she continued, *I really wish you could experience it too, she's got such a beautiful soul...*

"I love you, Calara. I don't tell you that nearly enough," he said, before kissing her passionately.

She returned his kiss then let out a happy sigh, a gorgeous smile on her face. "You don't need to, I feel it whenever I'm with you," she replied, leaning into him.

The reheating unit started chiming to let them know their dinner was ready and John reluctantly let Calara go when her stomach started growling nearly as loudly as his. They shared a grin, then took their plates and sat at the dinner table. It was a quiet meal, neither of them feeling an urgent need to talk, but enjoying each other's company nonetheless. John smiled at her appreciatively after trying each dish, the two of them gazing into each other's eyes as they watched each other eat. The meal felt very intimate, in a way that neither of them had been expecting, but that they both thoroughly enjoyed.

Alyssa joined them as they finished clearing the table, walking into the kitchen as they loaded up the cleaning unit with the last of the plates. "Hello, my loves," she greeted them both, walking over to join them.

"Hello to you, too," John replied wrapping his arms around both girls. He glanced at Alyssa and asked, "Is Sakura okay?"

"She's still asleep. Rachel and Dana are looking after her now," the blonde explained.

John winced as he remembered how excited Dana had been and asked, only half-seriously, "Am I in trouble with Sparks? She must be about to explode with anticipation after being kept waiting this long."

Alyssa grinned at him and said, "Learning a bit of patience will do that little imp a world of good." Glancing at Calara, she added seductively, "We've got much more pressing business to take care of."

The Latina shared a sultry smile with the blonde, then turned to look at John. "I'm flattered, but we can wait until later if you want to see what Dana discovered?"

Shaking his head, John gently squeezed them both in his arms. "Alyssa's right. We both need to show you how much you mean to us."

Calara blushed as they took turns kissing her, her chest rising and falling in a most enticing way as she got more excited. When John released both girls, they walked out of the kitchen then through the lounge hand-in-hand, darting smouldering glances at him over their shoulders. Alyssa led her lovers straight towards Calara's bedroom and she tugged the Latina inside as soon as the door opened, showering her with kisses.

John followed them inside, enjoying listening to the soft moans from the young women as they kissed and caressed each other all the way to the bed. He helped Alyssa peel off Calara's clothes, revealing more of her unblemished olive skin with each garment they removed. It took a considerable amount of time to undress her, as John and Alyssa insisted on kissing each new area of luscious toned flesh as it came into view. When she was entirely naked, they shifted their focus to Alyssa, with John and Calara flashing grins at each other as they explored the blonde with their lips and flickering tongues.

Finally, it was John's turn and he stood between both girls, relishing the attention. They planted adoring kisses across his chest when they removed his shirt, gently squeezing his muscles and cooing with delight. His trousers came off next and the nubile teenagers knelt side-by-side before him, the delicious contrast between their skin tones making him throb with arousal. They made sure his pulsating cock and taut balls received the same attention from their loving mouths as the rest of him had. He ran his fingers through their hair, savouring the feeling of power and dominance as they worshipped his shaft.

Alyssa's cerulean eyes sparkled with lust as she listened avidly to his every thought, while Calara looked just as enthralled as her blonde lover relayed that information to her telepathically. They ducked down lower focusing on his front pair of balls with velvety soft tongues. Gazing into their bright eyes was intoxicating as they opened wide, doing their best to engulf as much of the heavy orbs in their mouths as possible.

"We'll need to share that load between you," he said firmly. "I want to see you both carrying my cum."

Calara let the taut sphere escape from her mouth and her voice was respectful as she replied, "Whatever you say, Sir."

Alyssa lowered her eyes submissively while continuing to gently lavish attention on his balls. *I'd be honoured to fill my stomach with your spunk, My Lord.*

Seeing the feisty blonde act so deferentially was tremendously exciting, even though he knew full well that she was only play-acting. His guess was confirmed a moment later by the twinkle in her eager blue eyes. He offered them both a hand, helping them to their feet.

Moving into position on the bed with the practiced familiarity of long-term lovers, John was soon sitting with his back against the headboard as Calara straddled him. He placed his hands on her hips and helped lower her into position, the Latina placing her hands on his shoulders and flushing with excitement as she felt his strong muscles. She was already slick and ready for him, but he took his time, sliding into her exquisite young body at a glacial pace and enjoying the torturously slow entry. Calara eventually took his entire length, leaning forward to squash her firm breasts into his chest as she let out a sultry moan into his ear. The soft feminine sound sent a thrill through his body and his cock flexed inside her tight grip.

Alyssa moved behind the Latina, pressing her big breasts to her back and wrapping her in a hug. One of her hands curved around to Calara's tummy, gently stroking along John's length, the heat from his cock adding warmth to her stretched young belly.

"We love you so much," Alyssa crooned, planting tender kisses along Calara's olive-toned shoulder.

John cupped the Latina's face in his hands and tasted her soft lips. "You were the first girl that joined us. It was you that set us on the path we're on today."

Alyssa nodded her agreement, both hands reaching up to squeeze Calara's breasts. "You'll always be our special girl," she murmured.

Calara just moaned in delight as she sat sandwiched between them, John buried deep inside her while both her lovers lavished affection on her.

*May I penetrate her too?* Alyssa asked him, meeting John's gaze over Calara's shoulder.

*Have you got enough control?* he asked, looking deep into her eyes.

She beamed at him confidently, her face lighting up with her eager expression. When John granted her request with a nod, Alyssa glanced over to the bedside table and made a gesture with her fingers. The drawer slid open and a tube of lubricant floated through the air towards her hand.

Calara caught the movement out of the corner of her eye, then grinned at John. "Just what I was thinking..."

Alyssa shook her head and murmured in her ear. "No, baby. John is going to fill your womb with cum, but I want to take you too."

The Latina's eyes opened wide in shock as she realised what the blonde had in mind. John saw the burning look of excitement that suddenly filled her eyes and she tilted her head back to kiss Alyssa. "Really? He gave you permission?"

Alyssa uncapped the tube, while planting kisses on Calara's neck. "Mmmhmm, he said I could as long as I was very careful."

"I want you both inside me!" Calara panted with lust.

The blonde brought the lubricant to Calara's ass, easing the tip inside, then squeezing down hard on the back of the tube. The Latina groaned as she felt the slick lube squirting into her depths, arching her back as she wriggled in John's lap.

Closing her eyes, Alyssa focused intently on creating a double-headed telekinetic dildo, each thick side a slightly smaller replica of John's cock. She slid the upwards tilted end into her own pussy, biting her bottom lip as the flanged base nudged into her clit. The other end bobbed in front of her, aimed at the tight star between Calara's wonderfully firm cheeks.

"Are you ready, baby?" she purred, hugging Calara tight.

"Give it to me," Calara hissed, staring intently into John's eyes.

He grasped her taut buttocks and pulled them apart, then watched Calara's pupils dilate and her mouth fall open as Alyssa's telekinetic cock pushed at the entrance to her rear passage. The psychic blonde was able to taper the head to help ease her penetration and Calara let out a disbelieving groan as she was slowly stuffed full of a second thick cock.

John could feel her pussy tightening around him with the extra pressure, Alyssa's psychic shaft rubbing against his own through the membrane separating them both. The slick lube helped her slide deep into Calara's belly, leaving the brunette absolutely stuffed.

"Oh my God..." Calara whimpered, falling forward into John's arms.

John peered over the brunette's shoulder and stared in amazement at the glowing white phallus that was stretching out Calara's ass. "Are you okay with that stuffed in there too?" he asked with concern.

"There's no pain.. just so full," Calara managed to mutter.

Alyssa pressed her weight down on Calara, folding herself around her lover. "There you go, baby," she crooned, leaning in to kiss the Latina's neck. "I told you we'd take care of you."

"Mmmhmm," Calara hummed, instinctively trying to move her hips.

Giving John a sly grin, Alyssa said, "The poor girl needs me to fuck her. Can you show me how?"

Catching her meaning, he grinned and reached behind the Latina, placing his hands on Alyssa's hips and taking a firm grip. With his phenomenal strength it was easy for him to slowly push her away, sliding the fake cock back a few inches and causing Calara to let out a low moan.

"You okay?" he asked the Latina, feeling the shaft sliding against his own through those tightly stretched passages.

"Don't stop any of it!" Calara pleaded with him.

John spoke to Alyssa in a clear, instructive tone, "When you've got a gorgeous young woman underneath you, you don't just start grinding away, no matter how much you want to fuck her senseless. You need to start out slow." He pulled Alyssa closer, impaling Calara up to the hilt once again. "There, nice and gentle like that. Tell her she's a good girl, it'll help her relax for you."

Alyssa's eyes were blazing with excitement as she gazed at him. She never broke that heated stare for a second as she leaned forward and murmured in Calara's ear, "You're such a good girl. Just relax for me, baby..."

Calara mewled in response as she trembled between them.

"Very good," John said, his own cock lurching inside the brunette. "Now, pull back and thrust in again. When she's docile and compliant, you can start picking up the pace a little."

Following his instructions, Alyssa eased back, helped by John's firm grip on her hips. Her eyelids fluttered as she drove forward again, the flared base of the double-headed psychic dildo rubbing against her own clit. He helped her through several more thrusts, and soon both teenagers were letting out very unladylike groans in time with the debauched squelching that filled the room.

"Is that good?" John asked Calara, who had sagged against him, shuddering as Alyssa buggered her.

"So fucking good..." Calara sobbed.

He lifted her head up so he could stare into her eyes and said, "Ready for me to fuck you too?"

She placed her hands on his shoulders so she could hold herself up and watch his face. When he moved his hands to her waist and lifted her a few inches, Calara wailed as he stuffed his cock inside her again. Alyssa placed her own hands on Calara's shoulders, riding the groaning girl while John pumped her up and down his shaft. It didn't take the Latina long to orgasm, not while being double penetrated like that.

Calara screamed her release, eyes scrunched closed as they both pistoned in and out of her body, her senses overloaded with pleasure. Alyssa joined her shortly afterwards, rubbing against Calara's perfect bubble butt to stimulate own clit to climax. John could have easily joined them then and there, but he reminded himself this was supposed to be about Calara. He kept bouncing her up and down on his shaft, grinding against her clit when he fully impaled her on his shaft.

The Latina was reduced to a whimpering, mewling wreck as she came again and again, her body trembling as she rode the successive waves of each throbbing climax. Alyssa wasn't in a much better state, having blown her own mind with the thrill of fucking her girlfriend in the ass.

John could feel that steadily building tension in his quad, his four balls heavy with the seed that he desperately wanted to pump into the beautiful girls writhing above him. "I need to cum!" he grunted to them both.

Knowing what he had in mind, Alyssa immediately responded, dispelling the telekinetic cocks that had been impaling her and Calara. She dismounted the Latina, who let out a cry of protest, then knelt to one side to give them room. John cradled Calara in his arms as he moved forward, lying her back on the bed, and covering her with his much larger body.

Calara was too insensate to speak, so she just nodded, moaning with primal need as he began to drive deep into her womb. It only took a few thrusts until John felt that desperate urge to cum and he rammed his shaft home, blasting his first spurt of cum inside her belly. He cried out in ecstasy with his own release, dimly aware of Alyssa gently massaging his balls as they pumped their load into Calara. About half way through, he reared back, giving the blonde some room to quickly straddle the brunette, with Alyssa tilting up her hips in invitation.

On the backstroke from Calara, he pulled all the way out drawing a feeble moan of denial from her, then thrust all the way inside Alyssa. She screamed at the balls-deep penetration, collapsing on her lover's swollen belly as John began to fill her up too. Alyssa whimpered as she felt every spurt filling her fertile young womb, her legs trembling in time with Calara's as she climaxed again.

Finally, John had shot every last spurt of cum inside the two girls, his quad feeling numb with the exertion. He pulled out of Alyssa then collapsed on the bed, his chest heaving from all the frenzied action. All three of them just lay sprawled out on the bed, their bodies slick with perspiration as they panted for breath.

It took John a few minutes to recover. When he finally got his breath back, he rolled onto his side and watched the two girls crashed out on the bed beside him in a tangle of lithe limbs. They eventually began to stir, looks of awe on both their faces, as well as an endearing hint of self-consciousness after having so thoroughly abandoned themselves to lust.

"I'd like to have an active connection with you both, then we can cuddle," John said assertively, meeting their bewildered gazes.

It took them both a few seconds to realise what he meant in their dazed state. When they did, the girls gave him naughty grins before turning to lovingly kiss each other. Alyssa was on top, so she turned around, lining herself up with Calara's mouth before delving into her lover's cum-stuffed pussy. The sound of lapping and sucking filled the room as they embarked on an energetic sixty-nine, eagerly eating his cum from each other. John showed his approval by gently stroking their heads as they lapped away.

When they were done, he lay back against the pillows and beckoned them over. They crawled over to him, kneeling close by so that he could feel the gentle curve of their abdomens, rounded out with all his sperm. "That was amazing," he said, caressing them with a caring touch. "You were both very good girls."

Alyssa and Calara grinned in delight, then snuggled up beside him, the blonde on his right, the brunette on his left.

"This is just like when we first got together," Alyssa said, reaching across John to stroke Calara's swollen belly.

"I'm fairly sure I've never been screwed like that before!" Calara said with a disbelieving laugh.

John stroked both their backs, kissing each girl on the forehead as he hugged them. "Did all of that feel good?"

"You were both incredible!" Calara replied, her brown eyes gleaming. "I'll probably be walking funny for a week, but it was worth it... You two completely scrambled my mind!"

Alyssa eyes sparkled with excitement. "Riding Calara like that was such a rush! I felt so dominant and powerful making her cum over and over again as I fucked her!"

"It's a very agreeable experience," John joked, earning himself a laugh from the girls. He turned to look at Calara and said earnestly, "I hope we earned your forgiveness for letting you get captured."

"There was nothing to forgive," Calara said, giving them both a glorious smile. "I just felt sorry for Mikaboshi. I knew my Progenitor lovers would be on the warpath to get me back."

"Damn right! You belong to us!" Alyssa said emphatically. She grinned as she added, "In a non-creepy, not obsessive, nor controlling kind of a way!"

"I agree wholeheartedly. We'll never let anyone take you away from us," John replied, leaning down to kiss Calara. "With all the same reassuring caveats, obviously."

Calara laughed and hugged them back. "It's okay, I love that you're both so protective."

The girls settled down against John, with all three of them letting out a contented sigh as Alyssa and Calara snuggled closer. They lay like that for several minutes, just enjoying the afterglow and the serenity of the moment.

Calara eventually turned to look at John, a slightly pensive expression on her face.

"What's wrong, honey?" he asked, noticing the anxious glance she gave him.

She studied them both for a long moment, then began tentatively, "Apart from the other Progenitor, you two are the most powerful beings in this part of the galaxy. I must admit that the fact you're both my lovers makes me feel tremendously safe, but it can be a bit intimidating too... especially considering the difference in power between us."

Alyssa smiled at the brunette and rolled her eyes. "You're being far too subtle. He'll never figure out what you're trying to ask him."

John gave Calara a rueful smile. "She's right, you both made me cum too hard. I'm significantly dumber at the moment until I can recover."

The Latina smiled at them both, then took a deep breath before asking, "When are you going to activate my third helix?"

John gave her a fond smile, then pulled her in for a kiss. "I was letting you get there on your own. You've been on the cusp for weeks..."

"You were the first girl he started enhancing," Alyssa said affectionately, trailing her fingers along Calara's arms. "You two have always been close. If John hadn't met me first, then I've no doubt you'd have ended up being his Matriarch."

"Is that true?" Calara asked him in surprise.

John kissed her on the tip of her delicate nose. "I've always been a sucker for a girl in uniform."

Calara giggled, then hugged them both tight. "I love being with you two so much!" she said earnestly, her beautiful brown eyes filled with adoration for them both.

"I know exactly what you mean," John replied, with Alyssa nodding her agreement. He smiled as he looked at the brunette quizzically. "Now, do you want us to trigger your third helix for you, or are you going to prove how powerful you are on your own?"

She squared her shoulders and gave him a determined look. "I want to prove myself to both of you!"

"Good girl. I knew you'd feel that way," John replied, looking impressed and proud of her. "But I want you to prove it to yourself, not to us."

Calara settled down again, but there was a newfound sense of purpose in her eyes now. Her eyelids eventually grew heavy and she surrendered to a blissful sleep, one filled with dreams of a long and gloriously happy life with her lovers.

Alyssa watched the Latina doze off, then gave John a curious look, her probing eyes studying his face.

Feeling himself under intense scrutiny, he met her searching gaze. *What's up?*

*You always seem to know exactly what to say to get the absolute best out of these girls! How do you do it?!* she asked him, staring in wonder.

*By falling for them the same way I fell in love with you... just as you knew I would,* he replied, giving her a heartfelt kiss. He glanced at the sleeping Latina, brushing a lock of dark-brown hair away from her face. *You were right, Calara would have been a fine choice for my Matriarch.* He turned back to look at Alyssa and added, *But I'd already met the best girl in the Universe for that job. Being with you is thrilling! You always challenge me and keep me on my toes... Not only that, but you've been faithfully at my side whatever happens. I owe everything we've accomplished to you.*

Alyssa swooned as she listened to him speak, a gentle, vulnerable expression on her face. *I love you so much! I've always just tried to-* She looked at him in surprise, shaking her head as if to wake herself from a dream. Giving him a playfully suspicious look, she added, *It looks like I'm still vulnerable to your charms, Mister Blake.*

*It's no trick, I'm just being honest,* he replied, shrugging slightly. *I was very withdrawn when you first met me, I can see that now. I'd been living a reclusive life for years and had become a bit of a loner until you changed everything. Despite me being a stubborn ass, you recruited Calara, Dana, Jade... all the girls except Irillith I suppose.*

*She was a very happy accident,* Alyssa noted with a wry smile on her face.

He shared a grin with her. *Anyway, my point was, you brought our wonderful new family together. Without them and without you, I was nothing... a burned out, traumatised war veteran who'd seen too much, shutting himself away from life.*

*You were my wounded little lion,* Alyssa murmured, the gentle look back on her face again as she gave him a loving kiss. *I've been so proud of you for the way you've grown, caring for and protecting all of us.*

*All down to my perfect little Matriarch,* he replied, running his fingers through her golden blonde hair.

Alyssa shivered with delight, settling her chin down on his chest as she gazed at him reverently. *I don't care what bewitching Progenitor charms you're using. Keep talking... I love the sound of your voice.*

So John did as his fellow Progenitor asked, his voice like liquid honey in her mind as she hung on his every word. An inner radiance began to shine from Alyssa's cerulean eyes as she listened entranced. He told her how much he loved her, how she was his partner and equal in every sense of the word. That he was elated to see what an inspiring young woman she'd become; the kind of woman that made him strive to be a better man.

It was late by the time she started getting drowsy, a resplendent aura radiating from her as she revelled in his undivided attention.

Alyssa gave him a look of ardent devotion as she murmured, *I feel amazing... I love you so much!*

*Get some sleep now, beautiful,* he replied, gently rubbing her back. *We've got a busy day ahead of us and I don't want you getting over-tired.*

She nodded obediently then gave him a tender kiss before settling down against his chest. He stroked her hair to lull her to sleep and within minutes, she'd joined Calara in slumbering peacefully in his arms.

Glancing up into the corner of the room where he knew the camera would be, he called out quietly, "Faye, can I talk to you for a moment please?"

She appeared in a purple flash a second later, her wings fluttering as she landed on the bed. "How can I help?" she whispered as she perched on the covers, smiling at the peaceful scene.

"What time will we be arriving at Alpha Ursae Majoris?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"We'll arrive in six hours, forty-two minutes," she replied, her big eyes lighting up her elfin face. "At eight-seventeen in the morning!"

He mulled that over for a moment. "Could you wake me at seven please?"

She gave him an enthusiastic grin. "But no sad songs?"

He shook his head as he replied, "Let's keep it upbeat, okay?"

"Of course!" She pursed her cupid-bow lips and blew him a kiss. "Have a good sleep."

"Goodnight, Faye," he murmured.

Faye gave him a sharp salute then winked out of sight, leaving him alone with Alyssa and Calara once more. John felt a tremendous sense of satisfaction as he looked down at the blonde and brunette. They both blazed brightly in his mind, their connection to him strong and vibrant. He closed his eyes, savouring that feeling of closeness to them as he drifted off to sleep himself.

***

The sound of a pitch-perfect female voice roused John from sleep, his sensitive ears picking up the beautiful song that was just outside the hearing range of the girls cuddled up next to him. He didn't stir straight away, not wanting to do anything to interrupt the uplifting melody. Faye sang of a captain's wife waving her husband goodbye as he set sail for war, but it wasn't a melancholy song. It was filled with the woman's pride and admiration for her husband's sense of duty, her hope that he'd return safely to her and bring glory to their family. The last notes of the song faded away, the captain leaving the wife as a new mother, his look of wonder when she told him of the life growing inside her.

John carefully repositioned the girls' arms so that he could climb out of bed, guiding them together afterwards when he was out of the covers. They sighed happily as they snuggled together, neither stirring after his considerate departure. He smiled at Faye, then padded out of the room, beckoning her to follow.

"That song was absolutely lovely," he murmured, the moment the door closed behind them.

Faye looked overjoyed. "I'm so glad you liked it!" she gushed, beaming at him. "The original lyrics were poignant and sad, so I rewrote them for you!"

"You wrote that yourself?!" John exclaimed, looking at her in astonishment.

She blushed as she met his questioning gaze. "I know you're planning on giving all the Young Matriarchs a baby, so I was hoping it might resonate with you."

"It really did," he agreed. "That was a very impressive piece of creativity, Faye. You're really coming along in leaps and bounds!"

The purple sprite grinned at him, lifting off the ground with the excited buzz of her wings. "You really think so?"

"I know so," he replied, smiling at her joyful reaction. "When you get your body, maybe you can sing it to me again? I'll be the Captain going away to war, and you can be my wife wishing for my safe return."

She caught his glance at her svelte stomach and flushed a dark purple, letting out an excited squeak.

"Thanks for the wake-up call," he said, grinning at the stunned digital girl.

Waving the swooning sprite goodbye, he padded down the corridor towards Sakura's room. John didn't knock before entering, but for a different reason this time. The Asian girl was still fast asleep, her jet-black mane flanked by Rachel's long tawny-brown hair and Dana's rich auburn tresses. He walked quietly over to the sleeping redhead and brushed his fingers down her arm.

"Wuh?" Dana mumbled, turning groggily as she woke.

He placed a finger gently to her lips as he leaned close to whisper in her ear, "I got up early to spend some time with you. If you want to just sleep instead, that's quite alright, I understand."

Dana's fondness for a lie-in warred with her desire to be with him, but only for a second. Her sky-blue eyes opened wide, her golden corona flaring with excitement. "Let's go!"

Offering her a hand, he ushered her from the room. "Maybe grab a shower in your room?"

"Sure!" she agreed amiably, skipping along beside him with a sparkling smile on her face. Her exuberant gait did wondrous things to her gravity-defying breasts, making them bounce magnificently. She caught his wandering gaze and cupped her impressive chest in her hands, giving him a huge grin. "They're fucking awesome, aren't they?"

"No half-measures on my special custom jobs," he replied with a wink.

Dana laughed loudly at that, slipping an arm around his and squashing her firm breasts into him. "You're in a great mood today!"

"I'm enjoying the delightful company of a stunning girl and her huge... intellect. Why wouldn't I be?" he asked with a playful smile, hitting the button to her quarters and gesturing for her to proceed inside.

She pranced into the bedroom and through to the bathroom. "I'd have killed for a big room like this when I was growing up, but I think I've only slept in here once or twice," she said, shaking her head in amusement.

"Sorry about that," John replied, taking her hand and pulling her into the shower. "I need you where I can get my hands on you."

The redhead giggled in delight, waving her hands at the water control, then throwing herself into his arms as the shower started spraying them with hot water. She kissed him passionately, her face alight with exhilaration as he picked her up and pinned her against the shower wall.

"I need to save this load for Tashana, but there's no reason I can't make amends for leaving you hanging last night," John said, pushing his way inside the excited young woman.

"Holy fuck!" Dana shrieked, clinging to him with her arms and legs wrapped tight around his body as he embedded himself fully inside her.

It was a rough, passionate coupling, with John focused solely on bringing off the keening redhead. He pulled her head back by grasping a fistful of her thick auburn hair and held her firmly in place so that he could gaze into her eyes. He watched her reaction as she came repeatedly on his pounding shaft, loving her awestruck expression as he stroked her to successive climaxes.

When he was getting to the point where he knew he wouldn't be able to hold back any longer, he reluctantly stopped and gingerly withdrew from her clutching depths. "Finish your shower then get dressed. I'll see you in a minute," he told her, giving the dazed girl a tender kiss before stepping out of the cubicle.

Drying quickly, he padded down the corridor to his bedroom, where Jade was lying fast asleep between the Maliri twins. Despite the azure-skinned beauties being identical, he instinctively knew the girl on the right was Tashana. He climbed on the bed and sat beside her, gently reaching out to brush her beautiful white hair from her face. She stirred at his touch, then gave him a lovely smile as she awoke.

"Good morning," she whispered, being careful not to disturb her sister or the Nymph. Her eyes fell to his still-erect shaft and lit up with a hungry gleam. "Breakfast time?"

John nodded, moving back a little to give her room. Tashana moved quickly and quietly, wasting no time in kneeling before him and engulfing his entire length in one effortless stroke.

"Good girl," he praised her as she massaged him with her rippling throat. "It won't take long, Dana got me ready for you."

Tashana hummed appreciatively, notching her efforts up a few gears now that she knew he was close. John closed his eyes and surrendered to the tremendous release, placing his hands on her head, but letting her pull back so she could taste him. Her moan of ecstasy was quickly followed by the sound of swallowing as they worked together to fill her stomach with a fresh heavy load.

When he'd emptied his quad down her throat and slipped from her mouth, she had a satiated look of pure contentment on her face. Tashana brought her hands to her swollen belly, a couple of flame-sprites leaping off her fingers to cavort on the rounded blue dome. "Just what a growing girl needs to start her day," she said with a grateful smile.

He watched the dancing elementals in fascination for a moment, before looking up to meet her violet gaze. "You're coming along very nicely. Get some more sleep, we can chat later."

Tashana extinguished the sprites and snuggled back against Jade, giving him a beautiful smile as he patted her huge tummy and pulled up the covers. "Sleep tight," he whispered, kissing her goodbye.

Walking quietly into the wardrobe, he grabbed one of the close-fitting bodysuits that he normally wore under his armour, knowing he'd be getting geared up later that morning. He dressed quickly, zipping it up to his neck before tugging on a pair of boots. The three alien girls were all fast asleep again when he padded out, and he smiled as he felt Tashana's active connection in his mind. He continued his painstaking work on enhancing her DNA, imaging the kind of capabilities he thought she might need, without going into too much in the way of specifics.

Dana was waiting for him in the corridor, and he admired her spectacular choice of outfit as he approached. "Tight-fitting" was the most apt description, with the redhead poured into a pair of yellow hotpants that were practically painted on and a green crop-top that showcased her marvellous chest. Slung around her waist was a utility belt that seemed to emphasise the curve of her hips, while her long bronzed legs ended in a pair of calf-length, heeled suede boots.

"If I'd known you were planning on wearing that, you'd be the one with the full tummy right now," John declared, running his hands over her bared midriff.

The redhead winked at him. "I thought you'd approve of my new Chief Engineer's uniform. I picked it up when we went shopping on Terra. I figured I'd get some appropriate clothing for when I'm your dedicated cumbucket."

John laughed at her crude choice of phrase. "I can see I'm going to be in for an amazing two weeks."

"If you're going to fuck me like that every morning, you definitely will be!" Dana exclaimed with a wild grin.

"Maybe not exactly like that," John replied suggestively, squeezing her pert asscheeks with both hands. "After all, variety is the spice of life..."

Her grin broadened into one of pure glee and she gave him a big kiss, before letting out a happy sigh. "So, what's the plan this morning?"

John released her, shrugging as he said, "I don't know, I'm entirely at your disposal for the next hour or two. Is there anything you want to show me first?"

Dana thought about it for a second then made up her mind with a decisive nod. "There's a few things actually, but we'll leave the best for last." She skipped off down the corridor, turning around and beckoning him after her. "This way!"

He laughed and strode after her, doing his best to keep pace but stopping short of bursting into a jog. She waited at the grav-tube, wrapping her arms around him as they stepped into the red anti-gravity field. They shared a lingering kiss as they descended right to the bottom of the shaft, Dana only pulling away when their booted feet touched down on the decking.

John shared a smile with her as they walked out into the corridor hand-in-hand. "That's a much more enjoyable way of riding the grav-tube."

"You can ride me in the grav-tube any time you like," she said cheekily, before bursting into fits of giggles.

"I can see it's going to be a fun morning," John chuckled as they walked towards the double doors, having a good idea of where they were heading.

She slapped her hand down on the button to the Hangar Bay doors. "You already got me off... to a great start!"

When the door opened, Dana let go of his hand and he could tell she was about to go bounding off across the hangar. He pre-empted her by skipping jauntily across the huge room, leaving her in his dust. The redhead stared at him in open-mouthed shock for a moment, then fell about laughing.

"What?" John asked innocently, stopping mid-skip.

"Ah shit, I haven't had this much fun in ages," Dana replied, wiping the tears from her eyes. She walked across the Hangar, then stood on tiptoe and gave him a tender kiss. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He took her hand in his, squeezing it gently as they walked past the Raptor at a more sedate pace. He pressed the button to open the double doors into the Primary Hangar, then led her through. "I take it we're going to take a look at the assassin's shuttle?"

"Got it in one!" she replied, leading him into the vast hangar space, her eyes fixed on the sinister-looking black shuttle. "I've taken a good look at it and the ship uses some interesting tech."

"Has it got some kind of cloaking device? Is that how they were able to sneak up on us?" John asked, standing beside her as they gazed at the shuttle.

"Nah, the tech isn't that sophisticated. It's not the same as the cloaking field that masks the Progenitor's black ship, if that's what you mean," Dana clarified, letting go of his hand and striding over to the small craft. "You see these bumps and nodules spaced over the hull?"

John walked closer to take a better look. "What are they?"

Dana pulled out her multi-tool and used the powered auto-wrench to loosen a couple of cleverly concealed mag-bolts. She flipped back the panel and exposed a complex array of circuits and components. "These are built into the hull all over the ship and form a sensor-baffling suite. When the suite is activated, they greatly inhibit the sensor profile of the ship. Basically, they make it really fucking hard to detect them with our ship's sensors."

"Sounds like it could be useful," John said, looking optimistic.

She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "Afraid not, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, as soon as you start shooting, you blow your sensor profile wide open."

"We do tend to go in guns-blazing most of the time," John conceded, studying the compact shuttle. "How about on the few occasions we do try and sneak anywhere?"

"That's the second and much more significant problem. We'd have to build this sensor-baffling suite into the entire hull. This short-assed shuttle is what... ten metres? The Invictus is pushing seven-fifty," Dana explained with a grimace.

Looking at the many nodules dotted over the black ship, the sheer scale of the work involved to incorporate that kind of suite into the Invictus was mind boggling. "Yeah, I can see that's just a non-starter." He raised an eyebrow as he added, "Any refinements you could implement to maybe make it viable?"

"I'm an engineer, not a miracle worker!" Dana joked, theatrically scrunching her face up and clenching her fists in anger.

"Argh! Change back!" John begged her, grinning as he pretended to avert his eyes.

Thankfully she relaxed her expression, looking stunningly beautiful once again as she smiled at him. "All joking aside, there's several significant upgrades I could make, but we'd still be looking at incorporating hundreds of sensor-baffling nodes into the hull. If we start sticking that shit in the armour, it's going to make repairing the hull a huge pain in the ass if the ship gets fucked up."

John leaned in and whispered, "We better not give Alyssa any more excuses to whine about armour repairs..."

*Hey! I heard that,* Alyssa protested, making them both laugh.

"I've learned everything I can from this thing now," Dana said, jerking her thumb at the shuttle. "Shall we dump it into space?"

John rubbed his chin for a moment, then shook his head. "We might as well hang onto it, it's not like we're short of hangar space at the moment."

"Sure, that's fine by me," she replied, holding out her hand for him again.

He took it as they walked back into the Secondary Hangar, the double doors closing behind them. "So, where to now?" he asked, as they strolled past the gunship. "Oh, and don't forget to build a replacement Pulse Cannon turret for the Raptor."

Dana looked at him in surprise, then giggled as she said, "I did ask you to remind me, didn't I?"

John nodded solemnly. "I was pleased to see you were closely heeding my advice about not getting distracted in combat situations."

The redhead blushed as she protested, "Hey! We'd gunned down all the assassins in the courtyard!"

"I know, I was only teasing," he admitted, bumping her with his shoulder. "I spoke to Alyssa while we were cleaning house. She told me she was impressed with you in the citadel and that you were 'kicking ass and taking names'."

"I don't remember asking for any names," Dana said with a grin.

"But you did kick lots of ass," John said, pulling her into a hug. "Thank you for listening to me before. You know I'm just worried about your safety."

"Yeah, I know," she replied, gently rubbing noses with him before giving him a kiss.

They left the Secondary Hangar, then crossed the corridor to the second set of double doors. Dana hit the button and the doors swished open, letting them stroll into the Cargo Bay.

"I take it we're heading to your workshop?" John asked as they stepped onto the loading lift.

"Sorry, you distracted me earlier," Dana replied, hitting the button to take them upwards. "Yeah, I've got a few things to show you there."

John had been expecting the usual slow ascent, but the loading lift shot upwards, travelling several times faster than before.

She laughed at the look of shock on his face. "It was just too damn slow; I gave it the turbo upgrade!"

The doors above their heads swung open, just in time for them to be catapulted up into the Engineering Bay. John felt his stomach lurch as the lift came to a screeching halt, his expression eliciting more giggles from his young companion.

"It's nice to see you're having such a great time," he grumbled.

"I certainly am!" she replied, sauntering away with an exaggerated sway of her hips.

He followed after her, a smile tugging at his lips from her provocative display. She strutted over to an opened crate by her workbench and pulled out some black cloth. Kicking off her boots and removing her belt, she stepped into the black outfit, pulling it over her shapely form. John walked over to help, making sure all her lovely curves were snug inside the material.

"Very nice," he noted as he manhandled her.

She grinned at him, then pulled the hood over her head, leaving her fully swathed in the close-fitting black suit. "This stuff is called nanoweave," she explained, her voice sounding slightly muffled through the mask. "I swiped some it from Mikaboshi's base before we zapped the place."

Just as John was about to reply, her black form shimmered then vanished from sight.

"Ta-dah!" she called out in fanfare as she became invisible.

Nodding appreciatively, John said, "Useful stuff. Can we incorporate that into our armour?"

He heard her soft footfalls as she tiptoed around him, but he pretended to be oblivious to her presence. Predictably, she pinched him on the bottom, which was when he whirled around to grab her. He found it interesting to note that a nanoweave bodysuit provided scant protection against tickle attacks. Dana concurred with his conclusion as she howled with laughter, writhing in his arms.

She deactivated the suit and pulled off the hood, her eyes sparkling in the light. When she'd got her breath back, she shook her head. "Nanoweave is cloth with light bending circuitry woven into the fabric. When the holo-field is activated, light is bent around a person's body, effectively providing complete invisibility. Our body armour is made from metallic plates, so the two are totally incompatible."

"How about making a cloth 'overlay' for the body armour?" John asked, examining the material as Dana peeled it off her lithe figure.

"Now you're thinking like an engineer," she said, smiling her approval. "I actually did think of that, but I'm worried about how practical it would be. For a start, there's lots of sticking-out bits on our weapons, which would tear the cloth and break the field. Any damage we took would rip the cloth too. Finally, the mass fabricators aren't really designed to make fabrics. They're great for metal objects in all shapes and sizes, but not cloth or anything like that."

"What about our Lion and Lioness uniforms?" he asked thinking it over.

Raising her hands warily, Dana shook her head. "Those are Alyssa's babies. I'm not going to fuck with those!"

*It might be worth looking into,* Alyssa mused, projecting her thoughts to them both. *I guess we'd need a white-cloth nanoweave material to start with, although it might get more complex with all the gold epaulets, the belts and the boots.*

"Ah, don't worry about it," John replied, speaking aloud so Dana could hear too. "It doesn't sound like it'll be an easy idea to implement and you've got more important work ahead with getting the trade bases up and running."

*Sure. Just let me know if you change your mind,* she said agreeably.

John watched Dana walk past her toolbelt and boots as she padded across the workshop. "Alright, Chief Engineer, what's next?"

"Now we move onto the really cool shit!" she exclaimed, an eager gleam in her eyes. "You're going to have to do a bit of work first though, is that okay? I promise it'll be worth it."

"Whatever you say, Grand Engineering Overlord," John replied with a hint of a smile. "Let me guess... You need me to do some psychic shaping?"

Dana fanned herself with her hand. "Handsome and clever, you really are the full package, aren't you?"

"You certainly seemed to enjoy being stuffed full of my package," John replied with a sly wink.

She laughed and gave him an enthusiastic grin, confirming her opinion on that morning's activities. Pointing over towards one of the storage containers he knew was full of crystal Alyssium, she waved her fingers as if casting a spell and said, "Can you do your magic with that, please?"

John walked over to the container and removed the lid, then gestured to the block, drawing out a stream of the psychically shapeable metal. "How much do you need?"

"Enough to make a weapon the same size as a Punisher rifle and a couple of metre-wide discs about five centimetres thick," she replied, pulling out a Kintark plasma rifle from her racks of storage units along the wall.

John started forming the liquid metal into a sphere, watching as Dana walked back to her workbench and placed the Kintark weapon down next to a cluster of intricate components. "How many times do you want me to shape it?" he asked, turning the sphere into a cube.

"You can comfortably Hex-shape it, can't you?" she replied, her fingers drifting over all the weapon components on the workbench as if mentally checking them off her list.

"Six times? Yep, that's no problem," John replied, shifting the cube into a rhomboid.

She glanced at him over her shoulder and smiled as she said, "If you can manage eight, that would be really awesome. Alyssa Octo-shaped the armour on the Valkyrie, so I imagine she'll do the same to all our Paragon armour."

John felt a flicker of doubt as he continued shaping the crystal Alyssium.

*You've got this, there's nothing to worry about,* Alyssa purred to him soothingly.

Edraele's supportive voice drifted through his mind the moment Alyssa had finished speaking. *Remember that you created Athena and we know she was able to at least Deca-shape the armour on the Raptor. Athena is only a guide, you are more powerful than her.*

The absolute conviction in Edraele's voice surprised him, and thinking about what she'd just said, he was forced to agree with her. Focusing on the metal with more confidence than he'd ever felt before, shaping the metal a fifth time suddenly felt effortless. A lopsided grin formed on his face as he pushed through a sixth reshaping, then a seventh, feeling no more strain than before.

"Wow! You're really going for it!" Dana exclaimed, slipping her arms around him and resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Shall we see if I can deca-shape it?" John asked, turning to glance at her.

She had a coy smile on her face as she kissed him on the cheek. "I'd offer to let you do something really naughty to me as an incentive, but..."

"...you're already up for anything anyway?" John finished for her with a grin.

Planting a kiss on his cheek, she hummed her agreement with a broad smile on her face.

John melted down the cube he'd formed, making it into another sphere. There was more resistance this time, but nothing insurmountable. When he reshaped it once again, he did so with a slight frown of concentration. "That makes nine. I'll start making the discs while you get me the plans for the rifle."

Dana hugged him tight and exclaimed in wonder, "You were amazing! That was fucking awesome!"

He watched her scamper over to her workbench, feeling a swell of pride at her heartfelt admiration. Drawing away a portion of the metal, he spun it out into a large flat disc, just as she'd requested, but deca-shaped instead.

*Dana's right, you are awesome,* Alyssa said quietly. *I'm very proud of you too.*

*Never let doubt hold you back,* Edraele chimed in, sounding positively thrilled. *Your only limit is the strength of your mind and we all know how incredibly powerful you are.*

John put the first disc to one side, then began to form another while smiling self-consciously at all the praise. *Stop, you're going to give me a big head.*

*That's no problem. You've got a whole harem of beautiful girls to use it on,* Alyssa immediately replied, a teasing lilt to her voice once more.

John rolled his eyes, then saw Dana's look of confusion as she walked back to him. "Some lewd commentary from Alyssa," he explained to the redhead.

"Ah, I see," she replied, giving him a knowing smile. She lifted up the holo-viewer and pressed a few buttons, projecting the plans for a... weapon, in front of his shocked eyes.

"Holy fuck!" John blurted out, staring at the brutal majesty of the rifle in awe.

Dana's voice was hushed as she said reverently, "Yeah, I know..."

John stared at the weapon, noting Dana's now-signature bullpup design and the power core built into the stock. In many ways it looked a lot like the Punisher rifles they'd been using, being around the same kind of size, but it looked much more hi-tech and menacing. The major difference was the clear crystal Alyssium strip down the barrel, which made the upper and lower mag-rails visible this time.

The transparent metal made him pause and he asked, "Have you got some clear crystal Alyssium prepared? Just give me a minute and I'll shape that up for you."

Shaking her head, Dana replied, "There's no need, just use the normal metal."

He studied each of the parts, then said decisively, "Alright then, let's do this."

Working methodically through the list, he started with the lower weapon housing that included the trigger guard. He imagined that precise shape in his mind, then forced a stream from the roiling metal orb to form that piece of the rifle. When he had finished, he floated it over to Dana's workbench.

She darted over to the workbench, moving the freshly forged component into the centre of the bench so that she could start building the weapon. All the rifle components she'd built in the Mass Fabricator floated up on raised platforms, clearing her workspace and gave her plenty of room. Her nimble hands working with deft movements as she slotted in the firing mechanism, the sound suppression system, and the ammo feed from the magazine housing. When John levitated the lower mag-rail over to her, she lined that up and fixed it into position, connecting it up to the internal power couplings.

The miniature Progenitor Power Core went into the stock he built next, the rifle taking shape with each new piece he sent to her. Next were the heatsinks, then the barrel, the power modulator, the smart-linked targeter, and the upper mag-rail, all connected up by Dana's agile fingers. The final piece was the upper rifle housing, which she slotted into place, then bolted together, hiding the magnetic rails from view.

John walked over to stand beside her and after studying the rifle for a moment, he murmured, "Now that's a thing of beauty, Sparks."

"I'm not done yet," Dana replied, the coronas around her pupils flaring as her glowing eyes cast a golden halo over the workbench. "Check this shit out..."

She touched her hand to the rifle and rippling waves pulsed out from her fingertips. The immediate and obvious effect was the long strip along the barrel turning clear as she leeched the white colouring out of the metal. The subtler change was the sharper gleam to the glossy-white crystal Alyssium plating. Something faint but just noticeable caught John's attention and he ducked lower, staring intently at the metal.

His eyes widened in awe when he realised what he'd spotted. "You've etched Progenitor runes onto the rifle!"

"I removed the imperfections from the metal, strengthened the lattice, then empowered it with resilience runes," Dana murmured, walking over to the first of the metal discs he'd formed. Placing her hands on the disc, rippling waves pulsed out from her fingertips, sweeping over the surface.

John traced the runes with his finger, marvelling at the sight of the unfamiliar glyphs she was so casually reproducing on the metal. "This is incredible, Dana!" he marvelled. "How are you doing this?!"

The glow faded from her eyes and she shook her head as if to clear it. She grinned at him as she replied, "I was a good girl for my Progenitor. You'll have to ask him for an explanation; all I did was suck down as much of his tasty cum as I could get!"

He blinked at her in surprise, then laughed. "I'll have to ask him instead then."

"Can you grab the discs, please?" Dana asked, giving him a quick peck on the lips before darting over to one of the armour-equipping frames.

"We're heading to the firing range?" John asked, as he picked up the crystal Alyssium armour plates.

Dana nodded as she stepped into the pair of Paragon boots and slipped her hands into the armoured gauntlets. The robotic arms brought the rest of the plating down to encase her in the full suit, a rippling series of clicks notifying him that she was sealed in. She jogged over to her workbench and refastened her toolbelt around her waist. Grabbing both the green Kintark plasma rifle and the new white one they'd just built, she fell into step beside John as he walked towards the door.

"Have you thought of a name for the new gun yet?" John asked, looking at the weapon out of the corner of his eye.

"I figured 'Quantum rifle' would do," Dana replied.

Glancing at her in surprise, he blurted out, "I thought you didn't know the blueprints for the Quantum Flux Cannon?"

She shook her head, grinning at him. "Don't worry, I still need to suck the schematics for that one out of your quad!" Tilting her head to the side, she sounded distracted as she continued, "The tech behind this rifle feels kind of similar to that cannon though. The scale's totally different and it's not an exact duplicate, but I know it's on the same kind of lines."

John looked intrigued as he studied her, amazed at the intuitive leaps she seemed to be able to make on such radically advanced technology time after time. They had reached the door to the Firing Range by then, so he pressed the button to open the door, then waited for the redhead to stroll inside.

"Shall I set up the armoured discs on the firing range?" John asked, glancing down the lane.

"Sure, just prop them up about fifty metres away," Dana replied, darting over to the target dummy console and activating a pair of dummies at the corresponding distance.

He jogged over to the target dummies as they popped up, leaning the discs against each one. "The upgraded one is on the right," he shouted, before heading back to the firing position at the front of the lanes.

Dana had placed both rifles on the firing bench, and was collecting magazines from the ammo hoppers by the weapon racks. "Back to ten-millimetre rounds," she explained, noting his quizzical gaze. "The twenty-mil would be overkill with the Quantum rifle. It doesn't need the calibre and by halving the bullet size, we can carry twice as much ammo."

"And use standard-issue Terran Federation mags in a pinch?" John asked, glancing at the familiar-sized magazines.

"Yeah, you can use normal ten-mil caseless if you need to. We've still got loads of crystal-tipped bullets though, they've got much greater penetrating power," Dana clarified for him, placing the magazines on the firing bench. She winked as she handed him a pair of smart-linked glasses. "Put those on."

He did as she asked, noting the familiar HUD he was used to seeing when wearing his Paragon suit. There was something new though; a silhouette of the body armour shrouded in a bright green aura. "What's that new icon represent?" John asked, turning to look at his young companion.

"It's the shield status display," Dana explained with great satisfaction. "It lets you know how strong your shields are."

"Very nice," John replied, suitably impressed by her work.

Dana winked at him, then stepped into the firing lane, striding downrange. "Time for a field test!"

"Hey! I'm not firing live rounds at you!" John objected strongly.

She turned around about twenty metres away and put her hands on her hips. "Has any of my tech ever failed you?"

He was forced to slowly shake his head. "But-"

"Yep, you can stick it in mine any time you like," Dana cut in with a wicked grin. "Now stop wasting time and fire a round at me. I'm perfectly safe, I promise!"

John picked up the Quantum rifle, hefting it in his arms and testing the weight. It was as perfectly balanced as the Punisher rifle had been and felt comfortingly familiar as he held it. There was a power switch in the same location as the one on the Justice Laser, so he flipped that to activate the weapon, feeling a slight vibration in his hands as it powered up. Blue lights flashed on along its length, but they were all overshadowed by the crackling blue field that arced between the mag-rails.

He pulled his left hand away from the barrel in an instinctive reaction, before he remembered that the barrel was made from clear crystal and his fingers were perfectly safe. He slotted in one of the magazines, then took a firm grip of the rifle, releasing the safety with the thumb selector switch. He brought the weapon to his shoulder and aimed downrange, spotting the smart-linked targeting reticle that appeared, the crosshairs squarely centred on Dana's torso. He flinched, then deliberately aimed to the right for a non-lethal shot at her arm instead.

"Ye of little faith!" she yelled up the range at him. "Go ahead, squeeze off a round!"

Holding his breath, he did as she asked, hearing the familiar bark of the hyper-accelerated bullet. A blue bolt sizzled down the range, leaving a faintly glowing contrail in the wake of that shot. The round slammed into a shimmering blue dome, that appeared as it absorbed the hit, ripples of light pulsing outwards from the point of impact. John lowered his rifle and sighed with relief when he saw that Dana was totally unscathed.

"It worked!" she crowed triumphantly, doing a little victory dance down the range.

John shook his head in disapproval. "You weren't sure?!"

Dana laughed as she jogged over to him again. "You worry too much! It was bound to work, all my stuff does!"

He frowned at her, but he couldn't stay upset, not in the face of such cheerful exuberance. He noticed that the shield strength had faded after the hit, and while still green, it was no longer as bright. "How much punishment can those shields take?" he asked in surprise.

"Twice as much of a beating as the Drakkar ones," Dana declared proudly. "I slightly improved the design of their shield generator, then the Maliri shield modulator boosted the field strength by another eighty percent."

"Very impressive work, honey," John replied, looking delighted.

She gave him a happy smile, then said thoughtfully, "Think of them a bit like the Invictus' shields. They've got a lot of capacity, but a slow recharge rate. Once they're down, it'll take a while to reinitialise the energy field, then about five minutes to fully recharge the shields."

"But while they're up, we're fully immune to standard ordnance?" he asked, a gleam of excitement in his eyes.

"I'm not sure about something really heavy-calibre like a howitzer shell, or a tank round," Dana admitted, a flicker of doubt crossing her face. "The concussive impact on the shield would probably send us flying, but I don't think it'd be able to penetrate."

"The magnetic field wouldn't have been able to stop them either," John said with a shrug. "I guess we can rely on that to protect us from small-arms fire while the shields recharge."

Dana frowned and slowly shook her head. "Afraid not. It was either the shields or the magnetic field, you can't have both."

Nodding his understanding, he smiled as he said, "That's fine by me. At least these shields can absorb plasma bolts, which have been our real bane so far." He hesitated and added, "They can, right?"

"Yep!" Dana confirmed for him with a look of satisfaction on her face. "Talking of plasma rifles, do you want to test that one out on the discs you made?"

"Definitely," he agreed, but he raised the weapon in his arms. "But finish telling me about this Quantum rifle first, then we'll move onto the plasma."

Dana moved around to stand in front of him, eager to talk about her latest creation. Pointing at the stock, she began, "The Power Core charges the magnetic rails, providing massive acceleration to the rounds in much the same way as the railguns you've used before. The difference here is the energy packet that is shaped around the bullet. All that energy means you have significant shield disrupting firepower to knock out the defences of a shielded enemy."

"And if we're shooting an unshielded opponent?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She glanced down the firing range and frowned at one of the target dummies. "I think that guy over there spilled your pint."

"What a bastard," John replied, his face set in a grim mask. Turning downrange, he lined up the crosshairs on the centre of the dummy's chest, then gently squeezed the trigger.

The blue bolt screamed down the range and slammed into the target's torso, blasting a dinner plate sized hole through its chest. A huge spray of polycarbonate chunks blasted out the back, showering the rest of the range in debris. The round continued on, punching into the armour plating on the back wall, leaving an ugly, blackened crater.

"The energy packet enhances the kinetic impact of the round on the target," Dana explained, with a look of satisfaction on her face. "That's why bullets half the calibre can still blow fucking huge holes through the target."

"Spectacular work, honey," John said, admiring the masterpiece of destructive art he held in his hands. "Any overheating issues?"

"The upgraded heatsinks took care of that," she explained, her hand brushing over the vents on the side of the rifle. "The Kintark were using a crystalline polymer to improve the thermal conductivity. I just upgraded the polymer using a variant made from Maliri crystal, doubling their effectiveness compared to the old heatsinks we were using."

John grinned as he flicked the fire-selector switch to full auto. "How many rounds in a full burst?"

"You can blow the whole mag in one go," she replied, winking at him.

He flicked it back to safety, then placed the rifle down on the firing bench. "It's perfect, Sparks. It gives us everything we could need."

"I had to drop the integral grenade launcher," Dana said with a flicker of regret. "I didn't have room for that with the Quantum field inducer in the barrel."

"That makes the bullets glow blue, right?" John asked, deliberately looking dim.

She laughed then gave him an affectionate smile. "Basically, yes."

John glanced at the rifle for a moment, then looked at her curiously. "How come the bolts this one fires are blue, when the Drakkar ones were purple?"

"Do you want the highly-detailed light spectroscopy explanation or the very simple layman's version?" she asked, her expression one of barely-contained mischief.

"Better go with the very simple answer," John replied. "I'm afraid my knowledge of spectroscopy is rather... limited."

"Dark-purple is a bad-guy colour. We're the good guys, so we shoot bright blue ones instead," she replied, her expression one of artful wide-eyed innocence.

He laughed at the look on her face. "Alright, sounds like a good enough reason to me." Placing the Quantum rifle on the firing bench, he turned to look at the Kintark plasma rifle. "Shall we test this against the armour discs now?"

Dana bobbed her head with enthusiasm, pointing at the bottom of the green weapon. "There's already a magazine loaded. Just press the button on the right side above the trigger to turn off the safety."

He picked up the weapon, noting how the grip felt slightly uncomfortable in his hands, the rifle having been designed for a clawed Kintark hand. Aiming downrange at the disc on the left, he press the button above the trigger to deactivate the safety.

"There doesn't seem to be a fire selector switch," he said, glancing at the side of the green weapon. "I assume it just fires single rounds?"

"The amount of heat that thing generates is crazy. I guess the Kintark weapon designers didn't want it exploding in their trooper's faces if they got trigger-happy. The trigger locks if the rifle gets too hot," Dana explained, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Alright, I'll shoot at the regular armour plating first," John said, lining up his shot.

He gently squeezed the trigger and a blazing green plasma bolt struck the left disc dead-centre. He lowered the rifle and stared at the fel-green flames licking around the outside of the plasma ball, that continued to burn the armour plating. The initial shot had failed to penetrate, but he could see that the plasma was slowly eating its way through the armour. By the time the plasma went inert and the spectral green fire had burned itself out, the plasma had scorched a small hole through the armour plating.

Dana shuddered and turned to look at him. "Reminds me of that suit Kindralax melted."

He reached across to pat her on the shoulder. "Yeah, that one was too close."

"That plate was made from deca-folded crystal Alyssium too, our armour is only quad-shaped at the moment. If you'd shot at regular Paragon armour with that plasma rifle, it would have melted through about sixty-six percent faster," Dana said, her expression bleak. "Basically, Kintark troops would be able to royally fuck up our armour with just standard-issue rifles."

"Deca-shaped is only sixty-six percent tougher?" John asked, glancing back at blistered hole in the armour plating. "I thought it would be... I don't know, well over twice as tough?"

"The reshaping doesn't work that way unfortunately. The scaling of comparative thickness is linear rather than exponential," Dana said, following his worried glance at the disc of crystal Alyssium.

John frowned as he tried to remember the chart she'd showed them all during one of her presentations on crystal Alyssium. "Right... an inch of quad-shaped metal is the equivalent of nine inches of titanium plating, but deca-shaped was as resilient as fifteen inches of titanium?"

Dana looked delighted, and she pulled off her helmet and gave him a kiss. "I love how you pay attention during my lectures!"

"I've got a crush on the teacher," John replied, winking at her playfully.

Her sky-blue eyes twinkled and she leaned in to whisper, "I prefer being the schoolgirl... Sir."

"Good to know," John said, giving her a sly smile before facing down the range again. "Shall I shoot the second disc?"

"Go ahead!" she said cheerfully, leaning against the wall and watching him.

John brought the plasma rifle to his shoulder, then aimed at the second disc and squeezed the trigger. As before, a vicious plasma blast struck the centre of the disc then started to burn. The armour behaved quite differently this time. He pressed the safety button on the Kintark weapon, left it on the firing bench, then walked down the lane towards the armour plate to take a closer look.

"Hexes..." John murmured, his eyes wide in astonishment as he squatted down by the disc of armour plating.

Faint hex-shaped markings had formed on the crystal Alyssium around the impact site. While there was still a blackened scar on the sparkling white armour, the dreaded corrosive nature of the plasma was being stubbornly resisted.

Dana squatted down next to him, staring at the burning ball of plasma in equal fascination. "We'll still have to be careful against plasma, it can damage the armour," she said quietly. "But a lucky shot won't be able to burn its way straight through now."

"This is amazing, Sparks," he said, looking at her in wonder. "Can you do the same with ship plating?"

A shadow of doubt across her face. "The Invictus is huge..." she faltered. "I don't know."

John turned back to look at the plasma hit on the crystal Alyssium plate and reaching across to grab the first disc, he used it to scrape away the plasma residue. There was a charred crater in the runed armour, but the burning plasma had only been able to melt about half-way through.

"Outstanding work, honey," John said, suitably impressed.

Dana pulled a scanner from her toolbelt and powered it up. "The Progenitor runes limit the burning effect, but removing all the imperfections and strengthening all the lattice makes it tougher too. Check this out!"

She held the scanner over the regular disc and after a few seconds it zoomed in and revealed the intricate latticework that made up the armour. There were slight curves and blemishes in that lattice, barely noticeable, but still visible to the scanner. When she pointed the scanner at the runed disc, even his untrained eye was immediately able to notice the difference. The internal lattice of the metal was absolutely pristine, presented in a flawless crisscrossing without any imperfections to catch his eye.

"It's beautiful," he murmured, staring at the holographic depiction of the metallic structure. "You were able to just fix that?"

She let out a disbelieving laugh. "Yeah I know, it sounds crazy, right? Whatever my new ability is, I'm able to go in and change material properties by sight alone. Fixing the lattice like that doesn't just make it look nice on an atomic level. The tensile strength has been improved by removing the microscopic flaws in the structure."

"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link?" John asked, struggling to think of a useful metaphor.

"Yeah, that's the idea," she agreed, looking impressed. "It'll help with reducing penetration from weapons with real stopping power."

"Like the Thrall version of the Drakkar's Quantum rifle?" John asked, glancing back at the weapon on the firing bench.

She nodded, a grim expression on her beautiful face. "That's what I'm hoping."

He rose to his feet, with Dana rising beside him. "I think you might have just helped level the odds against the other Progenitor and his Thralls," John said, putting his arms around the redhead.

Dana looked anxious and replied, "I don't know... it feels like there's still more I can do. I'll keep plugging away at it and see what else I can come up with. Don't worry, when the time comes, I'll make sure you're prepared to face him."

"I don't doubt that for a minute," John replied, pulling her in for a soul-searing kiss.